cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Severity, risk factors, and physician practices in the management of anemia during concurrent chemoradiation for head and neck carcinoma

BACKGROUND Anemia is a well-recognized complication of concurrent chemoradiation therapy for head and neck carcinoma. It impairs quality of life and many studies also have reported an association between anemia and increased tumor recurrence and decreased long-term survival. In the current study, the authors attempted to identify the severity, risk factors, and physician practices in the management of anemia. METHODS Medical records of those patients receiving concurrent chemoradiation for head and neck carcinoma between 1999–2003 were reviewed. The average weekly nadir hemoglobin level (AWNH) was defined as the mean value of the lowest hemoglobin concentration in each week. Independent predictors for an AWNH < 11 g/dL were identified using multivariable logistic regression analyses. RESULTS Seventy-two patients were included in the current study, 66.7% of whom had unresectable disease. The overall median survival was 402 days. At baseline, 76.4% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 66.3–86.4%) of patients already had a hemoglobin level < 13.5 g/dL. The hemoglobin level dropped 2.5 ± 1.9 g/dL during concurrent chemoradiation, resulting in 95.8% of patients having a hemoglobin level < 13.5 g/dL at the end of the observation period. Blood was transfused to 24 patients (33.3%); erythropoietin or darbepoietin was administered to 2 patients (2.7%). The mean lowest hemoglobin threshold of transfusion was 7.3 ± 1.0 g/dL. The cumulative percentage of patients who received a transfusion reached 50% when the mean nadir hemoglobin level was 7.4 g/dL. Independent predictors of an AWNH < 11.0 g/dL were low baseline hemoglobin and receiving multiple concurrent chemotherapeutic agents, with relative risks of 13.6 and 1.8, respectively (95% CI,1.9–93.9 and 1.1–3.1, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Anemia is prevalent in patients undergoing treatment for head and neck carcinoma and can be severe with concurrent chemoradiation therapy. However, the intensity of anemia management is low. A low baseline hemoglobin level and the reception of multiple concurrent chemotherapeutic agents are considered to be the main risk factors of anemia. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
The risk of transmission of HIV-1 through non-percutaneous, non-sexual modes-a review.

To date, three well-documented modes of transmission of HIV-1 (sexual, percutaneous and perinatal) have been described. Although the theoretical possibility exists for HIV-1 transmission through other routes, including non-percutaneous, non-sexual modes often referred to as 'casual' contact (and several anecdotal reports suggest this possibility), there is no credible epidemiological evidence to support this. Fourteen combined surveys, with over 750 individuals with potential exposure through non-percutaneous, non-sexual modes of contact, have failed to find a single case of HIV-1 infection (upper bound of 95% confidence interval = 0.40%), indicating that the risk of transmission by non-percutaneous, non-sexual modes is remote. Given the emotionally charged concerns about transmission of an infection which may end fatally in a high proportion of affected individuals, critical review of the low probability of transmission through non-percutaneous, non-sexual modes is important so that preventive efforts can be focused appropriately.
How Far Does the Constitution Separate Church and State

Several years ago the Supreme Court of the United States touched off a flood of controversy when it made two attempts to breathe life and meaning into the constitutional injunction that “Congress shall pass no law respecting an establishment of religion.” In the first case, Everson v. Board of Education, a bare majority decided that a New Jersey township did not violate the injunction when it permitted the use of public funds to pay the transportation charges on common carriers for children attending public and Catholic schools. But in the second case, McCollum v. Board of Education, a majority of eight decided that the Constitution was violated when the Board of Education of Champaign, Illinois, made provisions for a short weekly period of religious instruction to be given during school hours to children whose parents requested that they be permitted to attend these classes. The instruction available during the school year 1945–1946 was either Roman Catholic, Jewish, Protestant or Interdenominational, the instructors being provided at no expense to the Board of Education by the religious groups concerned.
FACTORS LEADING TO LOW PRODUCTIVITY AMONG RURAL WOMEN IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

Abstract Women in rural areas of less developed areas of Southern Africa are involved in many agricultural production activities especially the production of food. These areas are known to be characterised by low agricultural productivity. Research was conducted to determine factors which lead to low productivity among women farmers. The hypothesis put forward was that low productivity amongst this class of farmers could be due to problems they encounter in the production process. The research was undertaken in the rural areas of Lebowa. Five schemes not linked to a development agency were selected at random. The reason for excluding schemes attached to development agencies was to ensure that only farms on which management is solely by farmers themselves are included. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire survey. Major constraints towards increased production were identified as: shortage of land; inadequate irrigation water; lack of management abilities; limited control over factors of production...
Sensitivity of the EOQ model to parameter estimates

The Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model for independent demand is well known to be somewhat insensitive to the choice of order quantity. The cost goes up as the square root of the ratio of the actual order quantity to that of the optimal order quantity. The question arises as to how sensitive this cost is to parameter estimates. This paper extends the work by T. J. Lowe and L. B. Schwarz to show that under minimax and expected value criteria, the sensitivity of the cost to the parameters of the model grows as the fourth root of the uncertainty in the values of the parameters. Furthermore, for a wide class of distributions, including the beta (hence, uniform) and the gamma (hence, exponentials), a tight bound exists for the expected error.
Ultrastructure and Lytic Activity of Bacteriophages Isolated from Cheese Wheys

Abstract Ultrastructural Characteristics of representative bacteriophages of Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis and Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris were studied using transmission electron microscopy to determine the types of phages found in infected whey samples. Two morphological head types were observed, prolate and isometric (3 prolate and 13 isometric). All 3 prolate phages lysed a variety of relatively resistant host strains. Four isometric phages also demonstrated this ability. Prolate head width ranged from 38.3 to 47.6nm, and head length ranged from 59.4 to 67.9nm. Isometric head widths ranged from 49.5 to 62.0nm. Tail length of the prolate phages ranged from 103.7 to 119.1nm, and the tail length of the isometric phages ranged from 123.9 to 179.5nm. No neck collars, appendages, or tail fibers were observed. Biological activity of representative isometric and prolate phages remained stable after storage in M17 and 10% M17 broths, but stability in CsCl phage buffer was variable.
Adherence issues in HIV therapeutics. Introduction: The situation

A 25-year-old well-educated, middle-class man came to our clinic in August 1995, as a referral from one of the district health centers. Three years after a negative HIV test, he was found to be HIV positive, with a CD4+ count of 32 celis/mm 3. In August 1995, his medication regimen was d4T monotherapy and Septra. At the AIDS Clinic, he began treatment with AZT/3TC and then added indinavir in May 1996. Baseline viral load was 34,000 HIV RNA copies/mL; the CD4+ count was 40 cells/mm 3. He experienced fairly severe gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort during the first 2 weeks on indinavir but was able and willing to continue the combination therapy. In September 1996, viral load decreased to 24,000 copies/mL, and his CD4+ count had increased to 82; in November 1996, his viral load was down to 1,600. He went to Europe for a month's vacation, and on his return he commented that he might have missed a "couple of pills" because indinavir was not available in the areas he traveled. The patient actually missed an entire week of treatment. He tried to ration the medication before he ran out and essentially reduced the dose. Importantly, he did not think this situation was significant, even though he had received extensive education regarding the importance of adherence. He continued to do well clinically, with no opportunistic infections. In December 1996, his viral load increased to
An examination of the structure of executive compensation and corporate social responsibility: A Canadian investigation

We explore the extent to which Boards use executive compensation to incite firms to act in accordance with social and environmental objectives (e.g., Johnson, R. and D. Greening: 1999, Academy of Management Journal 42(5), 564–578 ; Kane, E. J.: 2002, Journal of Banking and Finance 26, 1919–1933.). We examine the association between executive compensation and corporate social responsibility (CSR) for 77 Canadian firms using three key components of executives’ compensation structure: salary, bonus, and stock options. Similar to prior research (McGuire, J., S. Dow and K. Argheyd: 2003, Journal of Business Ethics 45(4), 341–359), we measure three different aspects of CSR, which include Total CSR as well as CSR Strengths and CSR Weaknesses. CSR Strengths and CSR Weaknesses capture the positive and negative aspects of CSR, respectively. We find significant positive relationships between: (1) Salary and CSR Weaknesses, (2) Bonus and CSR Strengths, (3) Stock Options and Total CSR; and (4) Stock Options and CSR Strengths. Our findings suggest the importance of the structure of executive compensation in encouraging socially responsible actions, particularly for larger Canadian firms. This in turn suggests that executive compensation can be an effective tool in aligning executives’ welfare with that of the “common good”, which results in more socially responsible firms (Bebchuk, L., J. Fried and D. Walker: 2002, The University of Chicago Law Review 69, 751–846; Zalewski, D.: 2003, Journal of Economic Issues 37(2), 503–509). In addition, our findings suggest the importance of institutional context in influencing the association between executive compensation and CSR. Further implications for practice and research are discussed.
Imidacloprid Induces Neurobehavioral Deficits and Increases Expression of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein in the Motor Cortex and Hippocampus in Offspring Rats Following in Utero Exposure

Imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid, is one of the fastest growing insecticides in use worldwide because of its selectivity for insects. The potential for neurotoxicity following in utero exposure to imidacloprid is not known. Timed pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (300-350 g) on d 9 of gestation were treated with a single intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) of imidacloprid (337 mg/kg, 0.75 x LD50, in corn oil). Control rats were treated with corn oil. On postnatal day (PND) 30, all male and female offspring were evaluated for (a) acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity, (b) ligand binding for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (m2 mAChR), (c) sensorimotor performance (inclined plane, beam-walking, and forepaw grip), and (d) pathological alterations in the brain (using cresyl violet and glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP] immunostaining). The offspring of treated mothers exhibited significant sensorimotor impairments at PND 30 during behavioral assessments. These changes were associated with increased AChE activity in the midbrain, cortex and brainstem (125-145% increase) and in plasma (125% increase). Ligand binding densities for [3H]cytosine for alpha4beta2 type nAchR did not show any significant change, whereas [3H]AFDX 384, a ligand for m2mAChR, was significantly increased in the cortex of offspring (120-155% increase) of imidacloprid-treated mothers. Histopathological evaluation using cresyl violet staining did not show any alteration in surviving neurons in various brain regions. On the other hand, there was a rise in GFAP immunostaining in motor cortex layer III, CA1, CA3, and the dentate gyrus subfield of the hippocampus of offspring of imidacloprid-treated mothers. The results indicate that gestational exposure to a single large, nonlethal, dose of imidacloprid produces significant neurobehavioral deficits and an increased expression of GFAP in several brain regions of the offspring on PND 30, corresponding to a human early adolescent age. These changes may have long-term adverse health effects in the offspring.
Nastic curvatures of wheat coleoptiles that develop in true microgravity

Dark-grown wheat coleoptiles developed strong curvatures within 5 h of being transferred in orbit from a 1 g centrifuge to microgravity during an experiment flown on the IML-1 shuttle mission. The curving tendency was strongest in seedlings that were immature, with coleoptiles shorter than 10 mm at the time of transfer. The curvature direction was non-random, and directed away from the caryopsis (the coleptile face adjacent to the caryopsis becoming convex). The curvatures were most marked in the basal third of the coleoptiles, contrasting with phototropic responses, which occur in the apical third. We interpret these curvatures as being nastic, and related to the curvatures commonly reported to occur during clinostat rotation treatments.
Peptide analogues of the VanS catalytic center inhibit VanR binding to its cognate promoter.

The dodecamer peptide SLCHDSVIGWEC, named E12, was selected from a combinatorial peptide library on the basis of its ability to bind to VanR, the two-component signal transduction response regulator which controls expression of vancomycin resistance in Enterococcus faecium. The binding of E12 was localized to the N-terminal, regulatory domain of VanR which contains Asp-55, the residue which accepts the phosphoryl group from His-164 in the activated VanS sensor kinase. E12, along with a related sequence SLAHDSIIGYLS, named E12.1, was found to inhibit the binding of VanR∼P to a DNA segment which corresponds to its cognate promoter PvanH. With a single gap, both E12 and E12.1 could be aligned with the octadecamer sequence YLAHDIKTPLTSIIGYLS, comprising Tyr-161 through Ser-178, of the catalytic center dimerization domain of VanS, a sequence with which VanR also normally interacts. Alanine substitution analysis of E12.1 identified six amino acids as indispensable for its ability to inhibit VanR∼P−PvanH DNA com...
The problem of geographic market definition: Geographic proximity vs. economic significance

This paper has challenged the views that geographic markets must be made up of contiguous areas and that one should expand continuously from some baseline location when applying a shipments-based market definition procedure. If volume of shipments, rather than immediate proximity, is used as the ranking criterion for adding trading locations to meet the threshold percentages, geographic markets may well be composed of noncontiguous areas.
Relative roles of albumin and ceruloplasmin in the formation of homocystine, homocysteine-cysteine-mixed disulfide, and cystine in circulation.

Disulfide forms of homocysteine account for >98% of total homocysteine in plasma from healthy individuals. We recently reported that homocysteine reacts with albumin-Cys(34)-S-S-cysteine to form homocysteine-cysteine mixed disulfide and albumin-Cys(34) thiolate anion. The latter then reacts with homocystine or homocysteine-cysteine mixed disulfide to form albumin-bound homocysteine (Sengupta, S., Chen, H., Togawa, T., DiBello, P. M., Majors, A. K., Budy, B., Ketterer, M. E., and Jacobsen, D. W. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 30111-30117). We now extend these studies to show that human albumin, but not ceruloplasmin, mediates the conversion of homocysteine to its low molecular weight disulfide forms (homocystine and homocysteine-cysteine mixed disulfide) by thiol/disulfide exchange reactions. Only a small fraction of homocystine is formed by an oxidative process in which copper bound to albumin, but not ceruloplasmin, mediates the reaction. When copper is removed from albumin by chelation, the overall conversion of homocysteine to its disulfide forms is reduced by only 20%. Ceruloplasmin was an ineffective catalyst of homocysteine oxidation, and immunoprecipitation of ceruloplasmin from human plasma did not inhibit the capacity of plasma to mediate the conversion of homocysteine to its disulfide forms. In contrast, ceruloplasmin was a highly efficient catalyst for the oxidation of cysteine and cysteinylglycine to cystine and bis(-S-cysteinylglycine), respectively. However, when thiols (cysteine and homocysteine) that are disulfide-bonded to albumin-Cys(34) are removed by treatment with dithiothreitol to form albumin-Cys(34)-SH (mercaptalbumin), the conversion of homocysteine to its disulfide forms is completely blocked. In conclusion, albumin mediates the formation of disulfide forms of homocysteine by thiol/disulfide exchange, whereas ceruloplasmin converts cysteine to cystine by copper-dependent autooxidation.
Kodaira dimensions and hyperbolicity of nonpositively curved compact Kähler manifolds

In this article, we prove that a compact Kahler manifold M n with real analytic metric and with nonpositive sectional curvature must have its Kodaira dimension, its Ricci rank and the codimension of its Euclidean de Rham factor all equal to each other. In particular, M n is of general type if and only if it is without flat de Rham factor. By using a result of Lu and Yau, we also prove that for a compact Kahler surface M 2 with nonpositive sectional curvature, if M 2 is of general type, then it is Kobayashi hyperbolic.
Subsurface detection of environmental pollutants

The design of an in situ sampling device capable of thermally desorbing organics bound to subsurface soils at depths of up to 20 meters is described. The system consists of a heated transfer line and sampling probe that is hydraulically pushed to depth by a cone penetrometer. Results are presented illustrating the thermal extraction efficiency for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Field tests were conducted under real-world conditions at a vehicle maintenance facility where 50 gal drums of petroleum by-products had been buried. PAH data were collected demonstrating the depth profiling features of the tool.
Topological hyperbolicity and the Coleman Conjecture for diffeomorphisms

Abstract A definition of topological hyperbolicity is presented which applies to fixed points of diffeomorphisms as well as to singularities of vector fields. Its strength relative to other definitions of topological hyperbolicity is explored. In particular, a theorem of F. W. Wilson validating the Coleman Conjecture concerning topological equivalence of flows is strengthened, and its corresponding statement for topological conjugacy shown false. An analogue of the Coleman Conjecture for diffeomorphisms is shown to be false in every case.
FUEL INSTABILITY 1: ORGANO-SULFUR HYDROPEROXIDE REACTIONS

ABSTRACT Instability in middle distillate fuels continues to be a problem. Instability is usually defined in terms of sediment formation and increases in peroxide species. There is a growing body of evidence that heteroatomic species, organo-sulfur, nitrogen and oxygen compounds are intimately involved in this deposition process. This is a two part review of the recent literature on middle distillate fuel instability as related to these heteroatomic species.
The importance of the CobiT framework IT processes for effective internal control over financial reporting in organizations: An international survey

This paper presents the results of an international survey of IT professionals exploring the relationships between CobiT's IT processes and financial reporting. Our respondents rated the importance of each of CobiT's 34 processes from the viewpoint of effective internal control over financial reporting. Results revealed five processes that were deemed specially critical. We also find interesting patterns of results as a function of respondents' employment type and geographic location. This survey of IT professionals shed light on the relevance of a widely used IT governance framework-CobiT-from the perspective of organizations' internal controls.
A Hyperbolic Filling for Ultrametric Spaces

By a hyperbolic filling of an ultrametric space we mean a Gromov $$0$$ -hyperbolic space whose boundary at infinity can be identified with the space via a Mobius map. It is well known that the boundary at infinity of a Gromov $$0$$ -hyperbolic space, equipped with a canonical visual metric, is a complete bounded ultrametric space, and that the isometries at infinity between Gromov $$0$$ -hyperbolic spaces extend to Mobius maps between their boundaries at infinity. In this paper we construct a canonical hyperbolic filling for perfect ultrametric spaces. More precisely, given such a space $$X$$ , we introduce a metric $$h_\mathcal B$$ on the collection $$\mathcal B(X)$$ of all non-degenerate balls in $$X$$ . We show that the space $$(\mathcal B(X), d_\mathcal B)$$ is Gromov $$0$$ -hyperbolic and that its boundary at infinity, equipped with a canonical visual metric, can be identified with the metric completion of $$X$$ via a Mobius map and, in the bounded case, via a similarity.
GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY AS A TECHNIQUE FOR ASSISTING EGO-IMPAIRED CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

This paper describes an approach to working with egoimpaired children and adolescents. The structure and process of psychotherapy groups within a residential program are discussed. We describe how insight-oriented groups act as a collective superego, thereby encouraging maturation. Functions of the group relating to socialization, milieu issues, peer issues, family relationships, personal issues, selfesteem, empowerment, and special issues are discussed. The focus of the discussion is on the structure and process of the groups. Brief clinical vignettes are utilized to illustrate components of the approach.
Eukaryotic protein kinases

Abstract The expansive structural and functional range of the eukaryotic protein kinases is becoming increasingly more evident as new members of this family continue to be discovered. A classification scheme based on catalytic-domain sequence similarities groups together protein kinases that have similar overall structures, modes of regulation, and catalytic properties. This is particularly evident for the protein tyrosine kinases, many of which were first recognized during the past 2 years.
Child preferences for post-tonsillectomy diet

Dietary advice for children who have undergone tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A) is divergent. We studied dietary preferences in 2 series of children who underwent T&A. The first group of 50 subjects was offered a variety of types of food the morning after surgery and they preferred liquids, followed by soft foods and were least likely to choose rough foods. When only liquids and soft foods were offered to a second group of 50 subjects, less food was wasted compared with the first group. A liquid/soft diet enhances food consumption and should continue to be advocated to facilitate recovery from T&A after surgery.
Structural Archaeology A New Methodology for the Study of Historical Architecture

AbstractThe nature of the design methods used to create the great-spanned temples and baths of the late Roman era and the light, soaring structures of the High Gothic cathedral at the end of the 12th century has been one of the more persistent puzzles of architectural history. But structural modeling of historical buildings – for which there is practically no primary documentation on construction, except for the extant structures – has added a new approach to the standard methods of architectural historiography that affords fresh insights into the early builders' art. This new research is here illustrated by three studies. First, a study of the original Gothic nave of Notre-Dame de Paris, with its seminal flying buttresses, revealed modes of information transfer that led to the relatively rapid development of High Gothic structure. Secondly, an investigation to explain the sudden transition from six-part to four-part vaulting in High Gothic churches disproved accepted theories, based on stylistic and cons...
PMS: A Panoptic Motif Search Tool

Background Identification of DNA/Protein motifs is a crucial problem for biologists. Computational techniques could be of great help in this identification. In this direction, many computational models for motifs have been proposed in the literature. Methods One such important model is the motif model. In this paper we describe a motif search web tool that predominantly employs this motif model. This web tool exploits the state-of-the art algorithms for solving the motif search problem. Results The online tool has been helping scientists identify many unknown motifs. Many of our predictions have been successfully verified as well. We hope that this paper will expose this crucial tool to many more scientists. Availability and requirements Project name: PMS - Panoptic Motif Search Tool. Project home page: http://pms.engr.uconn.edu or http://motifsearch.com. Licence: PMS tools will be readily available to any scientist wishing to use it for non-commercial purposes, without restrictions. The online tool is freely available without login.
Carbon load in aquatic ecosystems affects the diversity and biomass of water biofilm consortia and the persistence of the pathogen Campylobacter jejuni within them.

The influence of carbon load on autochthonous water microflora population distribution and diversity, and on the persistence of Campylobacter jejuni, was examined with a two-stage aquatic biofilm model. Serine was chosen since it is a carbon source utilised by C. jejuni and concentrations were chosen to reflect upper limits of amino acid load reported in surface water. The total viable count of the autochthonous biofilm microflora increased with increasing serine concentration (10-fold and 20-fold with 5 nM and 5 μM serine, respectively), as did the counts of the microflora in the planktonic phase. Differences in biofilm species distribution as determined by culture were small with changes in temperature or the addition of serine; but was markedly affected by serine as determined by light microscopy, becoming more luxuriant and dominated by long filamentous cells. The addition of serine to the water significantly and progressively reduced the persistence of C. jejuni, which decreased by 25% and 50% with serine concentrations of 5 nM and 5 μM respectively. We have demonstrated that carbon load affects the species diversity and density of both the planktonic and biofilm phase of aquatic autochthonous microflora. Although the survival of C. jejuni in water in a culturable form was sufficient for this to be an important vehicle for its transmission, carbon load significantly influenced survival; an increase in serine concentration significantly reduced survival.
Mycosporine-like amino acids prevent UVB-induced abnormalities during early development of the green sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis

Experiments were performed to determine how ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in the environmentally relevant range affects development of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (Muller) and whether mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), present in the early life stages, reduce UV-induced damage. Eggs, embryos, and larvae contained five MAAs having absorption maxima ranging from 320 to 334 nm. Eggs contained principally shinorine and porphyra-334, which absorb maximally at 334 nm and half-maximally at 312 and 348 nm, spanning much of the environmental range of biologically effective UVR. Concentrations of MAAs remained constant in unirradiated embryos through the gastrula stage, but decreased significantly in two-armed pluteus larvae. Daily exposure to combined photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400–700 nm) and UVR did not affect the concentration of MAAs in these embryos up to the two-armed pluteus stage. Prism larvae of sea urchins and the sand dollar Echinarachnius parma (Lamarck) did not accumulate shinorine from the surrounding seawater. Daily exposure of embryos to UVA (320–400 nm) and UVB (295–320 nm) radiation in the presence of PAR induced delays and abnormalities during development, and removing UVB eliminated this effect. Abnormalities in embryos included thickening of the blastoderm wall, filling of the blastocoel by abnormal cells, exogastrulation, and formation of abnormal spicules. The percentage of embryos that developed normally was lower in batches of embryos exposed to PAR + UVA + UVB, except in embryos from urchins maintained on MAA-rich diets. In all cases, the percentage of PAR + UVA + UVB-exposed embryos that developed normally was positively related to the concentration of MAAs in eggs from which the embryos developed. Thus, the MAAs found in S. droebachiensis embryos protect them against UVB-induced abnormalities during their development to at least the four-armed pluteus larval stage.
Dynamical Role of Predators in Population Cycles of a Forest Insect: An Experimental Test

Population cycles occur frequently in forest insects. Time-series analysis of fluctuations in one such insect, the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis), suggests that beetle dynamics are dominated by an ecological process acting in a delayed density-dependent manner. The hypothesis that delayed density dependence in this insect results from its interaction with predators was tested with a long-term predator-exclusion experiment. Predator-imposed mortality was negligible during the increase phase, grew during the year of peak population, and reached a maximum during the period of population decline. The delayed nature of the impact of predation suggests that predation is an important process that contributes significantly to southern pine beetle oscillations.
Body count news: How crime is presented in the news media

This article examines how the news production process affects the presentation of crime in the news media. Content analysis and ethnographic methods were used to determine the types of crime presented. The media rely heavily on criminal justice sources for crime story information; this reliance influences the type of stories selected and how they are presented to the public. The news media and the sources are motivated to cooperate because cooperation allows each party to accomplish organizational objectives. The media presents a distorted picture of the types of crime known to the police because sources define what is important about crime in a way that furthers organizational needs. News media select and produce those stories which they think are of most interest to the public. This research finds that violent crime predominates in print and electronic media. The presentation of crime, however, varies somewhat, depending on the need for news media to satisfy format requirements and on their degree of ac...
Clinical factors associated with outcome in patients with metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma treated with vascular endothelial growth factor-targeted therapy

BACKGROUND. Therapy targeted against the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway is a standard of care for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The identification of patients who are more likely to benefit from these agents is warranted. METHODS. In total, 120 patients with metastatic clear-cell RCC received bevacizumab, sorafenib, sunitinib, or axitinib on 1 of 9 prospective clinical trials at the Cleveland Clinic. Clinical features associated with outcome were identified by univariate analysis; then, a stepwise modeling approach based on Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify independent prognostic factors and to form a model for progression-free survival (PFS). A bootstrap algorithm was used to provide internal validation. RESULTS. The overall median PFS was 13.8 months, and the objective response according to the Response Criteria in Solid Tumors was 34%. Multivariate analysis identified time from diagnosis to current treatment \2 years; baseline platelet and neutrophil counts [300 K/lL and [4.5 K/lL, respectively; baseline corrected serum calcium \8.5 mg/dL or [10 mg/dL; and initial Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status [0 as independent, adverse prognostic factors (PF) for PFS. Three prognostic subgroups were formed based on the number of adverse prognostic factors present. The median PFS in patients with 0 or 1 adverse prognostic factor was 20.1 months compared with 13 months in patients with 2 adverse prognostic factors and 3.9 months in patients with [2 adverse prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS. Five independent prognostic factors for predicting PFS were identified and were used to categorize patients with metastatic RCC who received VEGF-targeted therapies into 3 risk groups. These prognostic factors can be incorporated into patient care and clinical trials that use such novel, VEGF-targeted agents. Cancer 2007;110:543–50. � 2007 American Cancer Society.
Congenital rubella. Monoclonal antibody-defined T cell abnormalities in young adults.

Abstract In order to determine if congenital rubella infection is associated with persistent T cell abnormalities, T cell subsets were quantitated in 16 non-institutionalized subjects (ages nine to 21) with the clinical stigmata and history of congenital rubella. Flow cytometric analysis revealed a decreased T4/T8 ratio (mean ± SEM in subjects with rubella, 1.57 ± 0.15, p
An Amended Description of Larvae and Males of Heterodera Humuli Filipjev, 1934

Larvae and males of Heterodera humuli Filipjev, 1934 have been redescribed following studies of Oregon (United States) material. Dimensions of second-stage larvae from Oregon are similar to those reported from England, but smaller than those reported from Belgium and larger than the German specimens. With the exception of a difference in the shape of the spicule, Oregon males are similar to those reported from England. Also, the dimensions of cysts are very similar to Voigt's measurements of English specimens.
Sex difference in the near-24-hour intrinsic period of the human circadian timing system

The circadian rhythms of melatonin and body temperature are set to an earlier hour in women than in men, even when the women and men maintain nearly identical and consistent bedtimes and wake times. Moreover, women tend to wake up earlier than men and exhibit a greater preference for morning activities than men. Although the neurobiological mechanism underlying this sex difference in circadian alignment is unknown, multiple studies in nonhuman animals have demonstrated a sex difference in circadian period that could account for such a difference in circadian alignment between women and men. Whether a sex difference in intrinsic circadian period in humans underlies the difference in circadian alignment between men and women is unknown. We analyzed precise estimates of intrinsic circadian period collected from 157 individuals (52 women, 105 men; aged 18–74 y) studied in a month-long inpatient protocol designed to minimize confounding influences on circadian period estimation. Overall, the average intrinsic period of the melatonin and temperature rhythms in this population was very close to 24 h [24.15 ± 0.2 h (24 h 9 min ± 12 min)]. We further found that the intrinsic circadian period was significantly shorter in women [24.09 ± 0.2 h (24 h 5 min ± 12 min)] than in men [24.19 ± 0.2 h (24 h 11 min ± 12 min); P < 0.01] and that a significantly greater proportion of women have intrinsic circadian periods shorter than 24.0 h (35% vs. 14%; P < 0.01). The shorter average intrinsic circadian period observed in women may have implications for understanding sex differences in habitual sleep duration and insomnia prevalence.
Remembering Is the Remedy: Jane Addams's Response to Conflicted Discourse

In The Long Road of Woman's Memory, Addams develops a theory of memory that accounts for the rhetorical function of reminiscence. Drawing on I. A. Richards's conception of rhetoric as the study of misunderstanding, this essay offers an analysis of Addams's theory in relationship to her attempts at rational discourse with a group of immigrant women who believed there was a “Devil Baby” in residence at Hull House. Her successes and failures during these conversations prompted Addams to consider the rhetorical function of memory as a theoretical tool both to understand and remedy discursive conflict.
Symbols of Division: Plantations along South Carolina's Coast

ABSTRACTAs social barriers between classes increase in the United States, settlements reifying these barriers also increase. Along South Carolina's coast, (primarily) Euro-American upper-class retirees isolate themselves from the local (primarily) African-American population within gated communities often called “plantations.” The irony is not lost on locals. Using data from interviews and observations collected over the past decade, the article presents the sentiments of those inside and outside these new plantations. Questions are also raised about the social and cultural contexts, meanings, and consequences of gated communities.
Trafficking of major histocompatibility complex class II molecules through intracellular compartments containing HLA-DM

Abstract The endosomal site(s) where MHC class II molecules become competent to bind antigenic peptide has not been completely characterized. We identified endocytic compartments through which newly synthesized MHC class II molecules move prior to their expression on the plasma membrane. The compartments co-sediment with lysosomes in the most dense regions of Percoll gradients. The appearance of proteolytic fragments of the invariant chain (I chain), namely leupeptin-induced proteins (LIPs) and class-II-associated invariant chain peptides CLIP), in this region of the gradient suggests that the release of MHC class II molecules from I chain association occurs within these vesicles. The formation of SDS-stable αβ dimers indicated that MHC class II molecules contained within these compartments are receptive to peptide binding. A majority of the HLA-DM protein was found in the same region of the Percoll gradient, consistent with its established function in MHC class-II-restricted antigen presentation. Immunoelectron micrographs of dense-sedimenting compartments indicated that I chain, MHC class II, and DM molecules are contained within both multivesicular and multilamellar vesicles. The final stages of I chain dissociation from MHC class II molecules and DM-mediated pepcide loading probably occur in these compartments.
Transitioning Systems Thinking to Model-Based Systems Engineering: Systemigrams to SysML Models

A fundamental challenge for system engineers is to capture a problem with an effective model or framework and then facilitate transferring the information of that captured problem to practical systems engineering tools and methods. The early problem definition phase requires an application of systems thinking with adequate modeling tools and methods. Then, the later problem definition phase and early system architecting phase requires transferring the captured problem to systems engineering tools and methods through emerging techniques such as model-based systems engineering (MBSE) using SysML (MBSE is the practice of using a modeling tools to capture systems engineering diagrams). This paper presents a method for capturing a problem through systemigrams and the Boardman soft systems methodology and then directly translating the systemigrams into SysML diagrams. With MBSE increasing in usage, this method could provide a time savings opportunity during model development along with the possibility of lowering information distortion or loss that can occur during transformation of systems thinking to systems engineering activities. This paper includes a case study which demonstrates how the proposed approach was applied on a problem being considered by the U.S. Army—Contingency Basing for Small Combat Units. Finally, this paper will provide the conclusion on the development of the method and describe future research directions that can allow systems thinking and MBSE to function in a congruent methodology.
Role for peroxynitrite in sphingosine-1-phosphate-induced hyperalgesia in rats

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is an important mediator of inflammation recently shown in in vitro studies to increase the excitability of small-diameter sensory neurons, at least in part, via activation of the S1P(1) receptor subtype. Activation of S1PR(1) has been reported to increase the formation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase-derived superoxide (O(2)(·-)) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-derived nitric oxide (NO). This process favors the formation of peroxynitrite (ONOO(-) [PN]), a potent mediator of hyperalgesia associated with peripheral and central sensitization. The aims of our study were to determine whether S1P causes peripheral sensitization and thermal hyperalgesia via S1PR(1) activation and PN formation. Intraplantar injection of S1P in rats led to a time-dependent development of thermal hyperalgesia that was blocked by the S1PR(1) antagonist W146, but not its inactive enantiomer W140. The hyperalgesic effects of S1P were mimicked by intraplantar injection of the well-characterized S1PR(1) agonist SEW2871. The development of S1P-induced hyperalgesia was blocked by apocynin, a NADPH oxidase inhibitor; N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester, a nonselective NOS inhibitor; and by the potent PN decomposition catalysts (FeTM-4-PyP(5+) and MnTE-2-PyP(5+)). Our findings provide mechanistic insight into the signaling pathways engaged by S1P in the development of hyperalgesia and highlight the contribution of the S1P(1) receptor-to-PN signaling in this process. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P)-induced hyperalgesia is mediated by S1P1 receptor activation and mitigated by inhibition or decomposition of peroxynitrite, providing a target pathway for novel pain management strategies.
Humidity Control in Accelerated Life Tests

The humidity-controlled environments over certain saturated salt solutions used for accelerated temperature-humidity life testing have been more accurately characterized. Measurements of relative humidity were made for seven salt solutions at four temperatures: 25, 50, 60, and 80°C. Variations in the experimental test environment were caused by temperature fluctuations and the approach toward uniform salt concentrations in the solutions. Establishing chemical equilibrium depends on liquid transport and requires times on the order of hours in the absence of mechanical stirring. Based on these findings improved methods for establishing atmospheres of known humidities are recommended.
Analysis of Radiation from a Traveling-Wave Current and Comparison with the Standing-Wave Sinusoidal Current Filament

The traveling-wave current (TWC) has served as one kind of "canonical" current distribution for simulating the behavior of a wire antenna, as has the standing-wave, sinusoidal current filament (SCF). Besides yielding closed-form solutions for their far-field patterns and radiated powers, the sinusoidal current filament and traveling-wave current can approximate the current on a wire antenna that is appropriately excited. The traveling-wave current's power distributions, as obtained using the induced EMF method and the FARS (far-field analysis of radiation sources) method, together with similar results for the sinusoidal current filament, are discussed in this brief note
A Bayesian model for estimating population means using a link-tracing sampling design.

Summary Link-tracing sampling designs can be used to study human populations that contain “hidden” groups who tend to be linked together by a common social trait. These links can be used to increase the sampling intensity of a hidden domain by tracing links from individuals selected in an initial wave of sampling to additional domain members. Chow and Thompson (2003, Survey Methodology 29, 197–205) derived a Bayesian model to estimate the size or proportion of individuals in the hidden population for certain link-tracing designs. We propose an addition to their model that will allow for the modeling of a quantitative response. We assess properties of our model using a constructed population and a real population of at-risk individuals, both of which contain two domains of hidden and nonhidden individuals. Our results show that our model can produce good point and interval estimates of the population mean and domain means when our population assumptions are satisfied.
Enhanced resistance against Thielaviopsis basicola in transgenic cotton plants expressing Arabidopsis NPR1 gene

Black root rot, caused by Thielaviopsis basicola, is an important disease in several crops including cotton. We studied the response of Arabidopsis NPR1 (AtNPR1)-expressing cotton lines, previously shown to be highly resistant to a diverse set of pathogens, to a challenge from T. basicola. In four different experiments, we found significant degree of tolerance in the transgenic lines to black root rot. Although transformants showed the typical root discoloration symptoms similar to the wild-type control plants following infection, their roots tended to recover faster and resumed normal growth. Better performance of transgenic plants is reflected by the fact that they have significantly higher shoot and root mass, longer shoot length, and greater number of boll-set. Transcriptional analysis of the defense response showed that the roots of AtNPR1-overexpressing transgenic plants exhibited stronger and faster induction of most of these defense-related genes, particularly PR1, thaumatin, glucanase, LOX1, and chitinase. The results obtained in this investigation provide further support for a broad-spectrum nature of the resistance conferred by overexpression of AtNPR1 gene in cotton.