cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Type I, II, and III interferon signatures correspond to COVID-19 disease severity

We analyzed the plasma levels of interferons and cytokines, and the expression of interferon-stimulated genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in COVID-19 patients with different disease severity. Mild patients exhibited transient type I interferon responses, while ICU patients had prolonged type I interferon responses with hyper-inflammation mediated by interferon regulatory factor 1. Type II interferon responses were compromised in ICU patients. Type III interferon responses were induced in the early phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection, even in convalescent patients. These results highlight the importance of type I and III interferon responses during the early phase of infection in controlling COVID-19 progression.
Cancer therapy related dysphonia: Analysis of real-world FAERS data.

e18794Background: Dysphonia is a rare and under-reported adverse event. It is associated with the use of several cancer drugs. Dysphonia has been included as possible side effect on packet insert (...
A Petrov-Galerkin method for nonlocal convection-dominated diffusion problems.

We present a Petrov-Gelerkin (PG) method for a class of nonlocal convection-dominated diffusion problems. There are two main ingredients in our approach. First, we define the norm on the test space as induced by the trial space norm, i.e., the optimal test norm, so that the inf-sup condition can be satisfied uniformly independent of the problem. We show the well-posedness of a class of nonlocal convection-dominated diffusion problems under the optimal test norm with general assumptions on the nonlocal diffusion and convection kernels. Second, following the framework of Cohen et al.~(2012), we embed the original nonlocal convection-dominated diffusion problem into a larger mixed problem so as to choose an enriched test space as a stabilization of the numerical algorithm. In the numerical experiments, we use an approximate optimal test norm which can be efficiently implemented in 1d, and study its performance against the energy norm on the test space. We conduct convergence studies for the nonlocal problem using uniform $h$- and $p$-refinements, and adaptive $h$-refinements on both smooth manufactured solutions and solutions with sharp gradient in a transition layer. In addition, we confirm that the PG method is asymptotically compatible.
Bayesian Theory, History, Applications, and Contemporary Directions

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by D.A. Schum, volume 2, pp. 1056–1060, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
Managing the risks of outsourcing: Time, quality and correlated costs

Cost, quality and time to market are three main factors for outsourcing management. A game theoretic model is used to design optimal outsourcing contracts including these three factors for a buyer and a supplier under Full Information (F) case and Asymmetric Information (A) case where the buyer does not share her internal variable cost information with the supplier. Optimal outsourcing contracts are derived and results of numerical experiment are also presented. Several insights of managing the outsourcing risks due to the Asymmetric Information are given for various industries, like cost-sensitive industry, time-sensitive industry, and quality-sensitive industry.
TH-CD-303-05: New Prospective 4DCT

Purpose: It was reported by Yamamoto et al in 2008 that 90% of the 4DCT patient studies and 30% of the lung or mediastinal tumors were with at least one artifact caused by irregular respiration in 50 patients. A prospective 4DCT based on real-time monitoring of the respiratory signal was proposed on a single-slice Philips PQ-5000 scanner to fix the problem by Keall et al in 2007. However, there has been no progress to make prospective 4D-CT available in the modern multi-slice CT scanners (MSCT). To fill this void, we have designed a new prospective and practical 4DCT without any addition of hardware or software on MSCT. Methods: We utilize the independence property of the cine CT scans in the design of the new prospective cine 4DCT. During the cine-CT scan of each position, the scan can be stopped if an irregular respiration occurs and can be resumed when the respiration becomes regular. This process can be repeated as many times as needed. A retrospective cine CT image reconstruction is initiated after the scan to remove the incomplete steps associated with the irregular respiratory cycles. The end Result is a 4DCT free of irregular respiration. We conducted an IRB protocol to recruit 10 patients to prove this concept. Results: Two of the 10 patients exhibited an irregular respiratory cycle during 4D-CT, and their 4DCT data acquisitions were stopped due to the irregularities, and resumed when their respiration became normal. The artifacts associated with the irregular respiratory cycles were effectively removed in both patients. Conclusion: We have designed a new prospective 4DCT scan and processing technique to remove irregular respiratory cycles and to mitigate their impact to the 4DCT imaging. The technique can be practiced in the 4DCT on the GE MSCT scanners without any addition of hardware or software.
An Investigation of the Effect of Accountant Involvement with Forecasts on the Decisions and Perceptions of Commercial Lenders

Guidance for the traditional attest function recently has been expanded to provide directions to independent accountants performing engagements on forecasted financial statements (“Financial Forecasts and Projections,” AICPA [1992, AT 200]). Although the use of forecasted financial information in lending decisions has been extensively examined in previous research, the extent to which engagements identified by “Financial Forecasts and Projections” actually affect users' decisions and perceptions has not been determined. This study examines whether decisions and perceptions of commercial lenders are influenced by the level of accountant involvement (no involvement, a compilation engagement, or an examination engagement) with a hypothetical loan candidate's forecasted financial statements. The results of this study indicate that bankers consider the extent of accountant involvement with forecasted financial statements in their lending decisions. In addition, a significant interaction between the level of ac...
Structures of the D-galactose oligosaccharides from earthworm cuticle collagen.

Abstract Over 90% of the d-galactose present in Lumbricus terrestris cuticle collagen could be released as reduced di- and trisaccharides with NaOH-NaBH4. The structures of these oligosaccharides were shown to be 2-O-α-d-galactopyranosyl-d-galactose and O-α-d-galactopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-O-α-d-galactopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-d-galactose.
Design of An Omni-Directional Underwater Robotic Vehicle and Its Coordinated Motion Control

Underwater robotic vehicles (URVs) have been very attractive for scientific survey, construction, and maintenance in hazardous environments such as ocean and nuclear plant. The development of advanced vehicle technologies is accelerated by the demand for an underwater robotic vehicle with high performance and efficient operation in terms of time and cost. In the Autonomous Systems Laboratory, an autonomous URV was designed and its first model was built as a part of our research in developing a low-cost test platform for advanced vehicle technologies. This paper describes two controllers: nonlinear controller and adaptive controller for the coordinated motion of the vehicle and manipulator, considering the effect of thruster dynamics.
Simulated selection for reproductive rate in beef cattle.

Computer simulation was used to evaluate four selection strategies for reproductive success in beef cattle. The strategies were no culling; culling of nonpregnant heifers; culling of nonpregnant heifers and cows nonpregnant twice; culling all nonpregnant females. In addition, simulations were conducted utilizing method four for 20 yr, then changed to method three for an additional 20 yr. Cows were removed from the herd at age 10 if not previously culled. Because reproduction is a threshold character, an underlying normally distributed liability that influences whether or not a cow will produce a calf was assumed with a heritability estimate of .2, a mean of zero and a standard deviation of one. Regressions of breeding value for reproduction and calving rate on year of selection were calculated assuming initial calving rates of 80 and 90%. Linear and quadratic effects for breeding value were present for all selection methods at both initial rates. All primary breeding value regressions were different than that for no culling. At the 90% initial calving rate, methods three and four were different from method two. There were no differences among any regressions for calving rate. Progress for breeding value was more regular than for calving rate; maximum progress for breeding value in 40 yr was approximately .32 standard deviations for selection method four. Calving rate was more erratic, although calving rate increased approximately 7% as a result of 40 yr of selection using method four at the 80% initial calving rate. It appears that much of the improvement attained by any method of selection occurred in the first 20 yr.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A promoter of Epstein-Barr virus that can function during latent infection can be transactivated by EBNA-1, a viral protein required for viral DNA replication during latent infection.

Abstract A viral promoter that functions on recombinant plasmids in cells immortalized by Epstein-Barr virus was identified and characterized. It is identical to that mapped on the viral genome by Bodescot et al. (M. Bodescot, M. Perricaudet, and P.J. Farrell, J. Virol. 61:3424-3430, 1987) which functions during the latent phase of the viral life cycle in some but not all cells to encode several latent viral gene products. Experiments with these plasmids indicated that this promoter requires the enhancer within oriP of Epstein-Barr virus in cis to function efficiently. They also indicated that it requires the EBNA-1 gene in trans to function efficiently. The EBNA-1 gene therefore positively affects both viral DNA replication (J.L. Yates, N. Warren, and B. Sugden, Nature [London] 313:812-815, 1985) and viral transcription.
Can Perfectionism Withstand the Acknowledgment of Slavery

Stanley Cavell’s formulation of Emersonian moral perfectionism is receiving a good deal of attention in our field. While champions of his work are quick to point to the inclusiveness of perfectionism — it is an ideal specifically created to be responsive to our best, broadest, and most democratic understandings of America — critics (and critical aspects of even the most sympathetic readers) have reason to question the nature of Cavell’s list of perfectionist texts cited in Conditions Handsome and Unhandsome: The Constitution of Emersonian Perfectionism. The list does not include the work of one writer of color, and only one work deals explicitly with what is in many ways the American problem, slavery. This fact, of itself, is not a criticism of Cavell, his philosophy, or the appropriateness of his thinking for (American) education. But, if a reader does find this admission or oversight (Cavell might call it — in certain moods — repression) enough to cast some doubt on perfectionism’s fittingness as a specifically American philosophy of education, it seems right to look for ways of responding to this doubt. In order to respond to my own doubts about Cavell’s oversight, I turn to the one work Cavell cites that focuses on slavery — Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn — and explore how this work — specifically its representation of slavery — relates to the work of Cavell’s representative perfectionist, Ralph Waldo Emerson. This may seem like an overly circuitous, if not something of a far-fetched, undertaking. But — and only what follows can serve as adequate justification of the effort — I don’t think this is the case. Instead, I think it is important to test if Cavell’s perfectionism can be responsive to America’s history of slavery, and the most sympathetic way of doing this — as I see it — is by working with a text that Cavell recognizes as perfectionist, and that deals explicitly with slavery.
The configuration of dayside merging

The development of the geometry of interplanetary magnetic field lines of force merging with geomagnetic field lines at the dayside magnetopause is traced from Dungey’s picture of merging at the subsolar point to a three-dimensional picture in which merging occurs along curved lines that emanate from the polar cusps. The new merging configuration is shown to be consistent with recent observations of flux transfer at the dayside magnetopause and of convection patterns at high-latitudes. In terms of a bimodal model of the magnetosphere incorporating the new merging configuration, it is estimated from observations that the contributions to convection from merging and viscous interaction are about equal.
Job Satisfaction and Gender: Qualitative differences at Iowa newspapers

This study uses quantitative and qualitative survey data to examine the job satisfaction of male and female employees at Iowa newspapers. Responses to open-ended questions indicated qualitative differences in the issues men and women considered salient and in the discourses they used to talk about their work. Male respondents were more likely to use language that evoked professional efficacy and emphasized presence. Female respondents more likely to use language that related to production and emphasized position. The findings also indicate a gender discrepancy related to income and financial status; men reported higher salaries and indicated greater financial security than women. Economic environment emerged as a salient issue for both male and female employees. Overall, the findings support the use of qualitative data to explore issues related to gender and job satisfaction and suggest organizational factors play an important role in newspaper employees’ attitudes and perceptions about their work.
Building Community Social Capital: The Potential and Promise of Information and Communications Technologies

Increasing community social capital is widely viewed as one of the benefits of the deployment of information and communications technologies. A meta-analysis of the literature related to social capital and ICTs is completed. Using the five elements of social capital generally described in the research literature, the meta-analysis examines the empirical findings related to each of these five elements. The results indicate that much work remains to be done before it can be said with any validity that ICTs can, in fact, create community social capital.
Suppressing hepatitis B without resistance--so far, so good.

Clinicians caring for patients with chronic viral hepatitis face complex challenges. The ultimate goal of therapy for chronic hepatitis is to heal hepatic inflammation and necrosis, thereby halting progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although our understanding of the mechanisms of liver injury, fibrosis, regeneration, and repair is incomplete, it is apparent that the key to successful therapy for chronic viral hepatitis is the durable suppression of viral replication. Potential approaches using antifibrotic, cytoprotective, or proregenerative agents will remain secondary to the use of drugs that directly inhibit viral replication. Effective long-term suppression of viral replication requires medications that are . . .
Percutaneous Dilation and Stenting of Neoinfundibulum in Treatment for Calyceal Diverticulum in an Adolescent Male

ABSTRACT Calyceal diverticula are eventrations of the upper collecting system lying within the renal parenchyma and communicating with the main collecting system through small infundibuli. If they are left untreated, stasis of urine can promote infections or stone formation. Traditionally, these diverticuli have been managed with open techniques and more recently with percutaneous or endoscopic techniques. This report describes a modification of the percutaneous technique used successfully in the treatment of a 14-year-old boy in whom a neoinfundibulum was created, dilated, and temporarily stented to provide drainage of the diverticulum.
Progenitor cell kinetics during guided tissue regeneration in experimental periodontal wounds.

The present investigation compared the premitotic labelling of cells in the bone and periodontal ligament (PDL) compartments apical to a surgically created fenestration wound containing a “periodontal space.” Buccal fenestration wounds (3x3 mm) were made at midroot level in 4 Macaca fascicularis monkeys. The exposed root surfaces were planed and a piece of millipore filter was placed over each fenestration prior to flap replacement. Wounding in the different dentition segments and sacrifice of monkeys were scheduled to provide observation periods of I h I, 2, 3, 7 and 21 d in each monkey. One hour prior to sacrifice, tritiated thymidine (1 μCi/gm body weight) was administered intravenously. Autoradiographs were used to determine the labeling index (L.I.) of fibroblast-like cells in each of the three following histologic compartments: PDL, alveolar bone adjacent to the apical border of the fenestration, and the wound proper. No significant differences in the L.I. between the bone and PDL tissue compartments were noted for nearly all of the observation periods. L.I. in the PDL peaked at 2 d while the alveolar bone demonstrated two peaks of activity, one at 2 d and the other at 7 d. Labeled cells first appeared at the edge of the wound proper at 3 d. At 7 d, labeled cells were noted throughout the wound compartment indicating continued activity of migrated cells. The 21-d specimens demonstrated a few labeled cells in the wound compartment and a reduction of mitotic activity in the adjacent PDL and bone compartments to almost normal levels. The results of the present investigation suggest that both the bone and PDL tissue compartments supply cells to a periodontal wound containing a surgically created periodontal space. Moreover, some of the cells which migrate into the potential space formed by the physical barrier continue to prepare for mitosis as they migrate.
Considerations concerning the QCD corrections of Δϱ

Abstract Using recent results of Avdeev et al. and an expansion for μ t m t (M t ) (Mt is the pole mass and μ t ≡ m t (μ t ) ), it is shown that when Δϱ is expressed in terms of m t 2 (M t ) , the QCD correction is only (2–3) × 10−3 in the NLO approximation. As a consequence, in terms of Mt2 the correction to Δϱ is almost entirely contained in m t 2 (M t ) M t 2 , a pure QCD effect. The latter is studied using various optimization procedures, and the results compared with the expansion proposed by Avdeev et al.. Implications for electroweak physics are discussed. Threshold effects are analyzed on the basis of a simple sum rule.
Reconciling religious identity and reproductive practices: the Church and contraception in Poland.

Background and objective After the fall of state socialism in Poland in 1989, a Catholic-nationalist government assumed power. The new political power of the Catholic Church resulted in severe restrictions on family planning (FP) services. Yet, Poland's fertility rate declined sharply, suggesting that women are controlling their fertility despite restrictions. This study examined the Church's influence on women's contraceptive decisions, and how women reconcile religious teachings with their contraceptive use.Methods We conducted a mixed-methods study, including a cross-sectional survey and qualitative interviews, in Gdansk, Poland with sexually active women aged 18–40. The quantitative sample included 418 respondents; the qualitative sample included 49 respondents.Results Despite restrictions on FP services, modern contraceptive use among our sample was 56%, up from 19% in 1991. Catholicism played a relatively small role in respondents' contraceptive decisions; though 94.2% of respondents were Catholic, ...
Effect of the Calcium Channel Blocker Verapamil on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Replication in Lymphoid Cells

Cell signaling events are known to affect human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication. Treatment of lymphoid CEM cells with the calcium channel blocker verapamil (25-75 microM) enhanced HIV-1 expression in acute, whole virus infection experiments, despite lowering intracellular calcium levels, ablating the acute rise in intracellular calcium normally seen with infection, and lengthening the doubling time of cell replication. Verapamil had no effect on cell surface CD4 expression. Transfection of CEM cells with plasmids containing the HIV-1 long terminal repeat linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene showed that verapamil enhanced expression of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat in a dose-dependent fashion. This effect was abolished by mutations in the binding sites for nuclear factor kappa-B. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays confirmed that verapamil induced nuclear factor kappa-B activity in CEM cells. Thus, verapamil, in high concentrations, can potentiate HIV-1 replication in lymphoid cells, and this effect may be mediated by induction of nuclear factor kappa-B.
The Five Point Conic Section: Exploration with Computer Software

This article investigates computer graphing of conic sections. It is shown how five points determine the formula of a conic section, and the determinant is used as a computational device to find the coefficients in the formula. The article is written in the “rule-of-threeform” using symbolic, numerical and graphical techniques. It is suitable for classroom enrichment where a computer is available.
The ontogeny of genes related to ovine fetal cardiac growth.

The objective of this study was to determine the ontogenetic profiles in left and right ventricle of genes implicated in cardiac growth, including mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptor, 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) 1 and 2 and genes of the angiotensin system and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) family. Samples from left and right ventricles (LV, RV) were collected from hearts of sheep fetuses at 80, 100, 120, 130, and 145 days of gestation and from newborn lambs. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to determine the MR, GR, 11β-HSD 1 and 2, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) 1 and 2, IGF1, IGF2, IGF receptors IGF-1R and IGF-2R, and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP) 2 and 3. In the LV, MR and GR both decreased toward term. In the RV, MR and GR expression did not decrease, but both 11β-HSD 1 and 2 mRNA levels increased after birth. ACE1 expression in LV and RV sharply increases just before parturition, whereas ACE2 decreased in the LV and RV in late gestation. IGF2, IGF2R, and IGFBP2 expression levels substantially decreased in late gestation in LV and RV; IGF2R also decreased with age in LV. These patterns suggest that reduced expression of genes related to IGF and angiotensin II action occur as proliferative activity declines and terminal differentiation occurs in the late gestation fetal heart.
Statistical properties of nearest-neighbor distances in a diffusion-reaction model.

We consider the problem of a mobile trap (B) diffusing in the presence of stationary particles (A's) which may be caught by the trap. In particular, we calculate the probability density for the distance of the nearest free A from the trap, as a function of time. The mean value of this quantity is found to vary as ${t}^{1/2}$ in one dimension, in contrast to the case in which the A's are mobile and B is stationary, where the mean distance is proportional to ${t}^{1/4}$ for the analogous quantity. In two dimensions we find by simulation that the mean distance increases as lnt, while in three dimensions it is asymptotically constant.
MICROSPECTROPHOTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF NUCLEAR DNA IN CHARA ZEYLANICA

Microspectrophotometric analysis of the DNA content of nuclei in various parts of Chara zeylanica Willd. revealed that the amount of DNA in the nucleus of an internodal cell equals twice the amount of DNA in the nucleus of a sperm, while the half-anaphase stage of the same nodal cells contains the same amount of DNA as the nuclei of the male gametes. The DNA content of the nuclei of internodal cells may rise as much as 50 times higher than that of the gametes. However, in the oldest (most basal) internodal cells, the DNA content of the minute nuclei falls again to the basic (1 C) amount. Measurements of sister nuclei derived by amitosis indicated that both nuclei have equal amounts of DNA; this was interpreted as further evidence that amitosis is not a disorganized process or manifestation of degeneration. The bearing of these analyses on the question of the site of meiosis in these plants is discussed.
Cs doping and energy level shift in CuPc

We investigated Cs on copper phthalocyanine using photoemission spectroscopy. We observed valence and core level spectra change at different Cs to CuPc ratios, and found that the doping induces energy level shift that can be seen as in two different stages. The first stage is predominantly due to the Fermi level moving in the energy gap as a result of the doping of electrons from Cs to CuPc, and the second stage is characterized by the significant modification of CuPc energy levels. The energy level shift in the first stage depends in a semi-logarithmic fashion on the doping concentration.
A study of pre-stress effect on static and dynamic contact failure of brittle materials

Layered plates consisting of brittle glass and ductile aluminum layers were fabricated using room temperature and elevated temperature curing adhesives. Significant thermal residual stresses were induced in the layered plate bonded at an elevated temperature. Static indentation and dynamic impact tests were performed. The results indicate that thermal residual stresses can delay the onset of contact failure in the glass. However, the benefit of thermal residual stresses in protecting the structure from fracture failure seems to diminish once the projectile achieves substantial penetration into the layered target. The conoid cracking in the glass layer produced by static indentation was modeled using linear elastic fracture mechanics with very good result.
Global Vegetation and Land Use: New High-Resolution Data Bases for Climate Studies

Abstract Global vegetation and land-use data bases (1° latitude by 1° longitude resolution), designed for use in studies of climate and climate change, were compiled in digital form drawing upon approximately 100 published sources complemented by a large collection of satellite imagery. The vegetation data were encoded using the UNESCO classification system; land-use data were encoded using a classification system developed by the author. The vegetation and land-use data were then integrated into a land-cover data base. Areal estimates for most ecosystems from the land-cover data base were found to be significantly different from areal estimates derived from two other global land-cover sources. Possible explanations for discrepancies among these data bases include differences in ecosystem definitions and source material used in compilation. From areal estimates of major ecosystems, derived from the new vegetation and land-cover data bases it is estimated that the total ecosystem reduction caused by agricu...
NKT cells, Treg, and their interactions in bone marrow transplantation

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a potentially curative treatment for patients with leukemia and lymphoma. Tumor eradication is promoted by the anti-tumor activity of donor T cells contained in the transplant; however, donor T cells also mediate the serious side effect of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Separation of GVHD from graft anti-tumor activity is an important goal of research in improving transplant outcome. One approach is to take advantage of the immunomodulatory activity of regulatory NKT cells and CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg of host and/or donor origin. Both host and donor NKT cells and donor Treg are able to prevent GVHD in murine models. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of NKT cell- and Treg-mediated protection against GVHD in mice while maintaining graft anti-tumor activity. In addition, we also examine the interactions between NKT cells and Treg in the context of BMT, and integrate the data from murine experimental models with the observations made in humans.
Reduction of false positives by machine learning for computer-aided detection of colonic polyps

With the development of computer-aided detection of polyps (CADpolyp), various features have been extracted to detect the initial polyp candidates (IPCs). In this paper, three approaches were utilized to reduce the number of false positives (FPs): the multiply linear regression (MLR) and two modified machine learning methods, i.e., neural network (NN) and support vector machine (SVM), based on their own characteristics and specific learning purposes. Compared to MLR, the two modified machine learning methods are much more sophisticated and well-adapted to the data provided. To achieve the optimal sensitivity and specificity, raw features were pre-processed by the principle component analysis (PCA) in the hope of removing the second-order statistical correlation prior to any learning actions. The gain by the use of PCA was evidenced by the collected 26 patient studies, which included 32 colonic polyps confirmed by both optical colonoscopy (OC) and virtual colonoscopy (VC). The learning and testing results showed that the two modified machine-learning methods can reduce the number of FPs by 48.9% (or 7.2 FPs per patient) and 45.3% (or 7.7 FPs per patient) respectively, at 100% detection sensitivity in comparison with that of traditional MLR method. Generally, more than necessary number of features were stacked as input vectors to machine learning algorithms, dimensionality reduction for a more compact feature combination, i.e., how to determine the remaining dimensionality via PCA linear transform was considered and discussed in this paper. In addition, we proposed a new PCA-scaled data pre-processing method to help reduce the FPs significantly. Finally, fROC (free-response receiver operating characteristic) curves corresponding to three FP-reduction approaches were acquired, and comparative analysis was conducted.
Should diversity be a factor in medical admissions

The use of race, sex, and ethnicity in medical admissions represents one of the most important ethical and political issues currently before United States medical schools and residency programs. Critics of diversity-weighted admissions argue that academic merit is the only just basis for preferring one applicant over another, that underrepresented groups are difficult to define and constantly changing, and that using preferences to remedy past wrongs merely perpetuates discrimination. Proponents argue that past discrimination must be redressed, that the profession of medicine must produce physicians who mirror the population they serve, and that grades and test scores are not the only way of predicting who will be a good physician. When it comes to the role of diversity in medical school and residency admissions, there is no room for ignorance or apathy, because the futures of both medicine and radiology hang in the balance.
The great war and Chewa society in Malawi

The Chewa of Malawi's central region have proved to be a most resilient people. Their political structure has always tended to disintegration, in part owing to the dual clan, matrilineal nature of chiefly succession. This situation was complicated in the nineteenth century by challenges to Chewa political and economic power from various African forces, most notably Ngoni and Yao settlers and Swahili traders. Since the 1880s the Chewa have also had to contend with the growing involvement of European missionaries and government officials in their affairs. ' Yet through all of this the Chewa have not only survived, but have also spread their influence throughout present day Malawi. Although much Chewa political power -was undermined by the Ngoni and the Yao, a significant remnant of Chewa authority was preserved by the chieftanship of Mwase Kasungu. Using their position astride trade routes with Lake Malawi and beyond, successive Mwases were able to forge alliances alternately with Swahili and Portuguese traders and to resist the pressure of Ngoni raids. As the major outpost of resistance to the Ngoni, Mwase Kasungu's territory became a refuge for Chewa displaced in areas to the south. The full assertion of British power, however, upset the delicate balance which the Mwases had so carefully worked to maintain, leading to their decline. In the pax Britannia which followed, the Chewa were nonetheless able to reassert their cultural dominance over central Malawi.
Use of inductive power transfer sharing to increase the driving range of electric vehicles

Electric vehicles have a limited driving range due to current battery capacities. One alternative to larger batteries is sharing charge between vehicles on the road and thereby forming a moving network of vehicles. This is made feasible by the recent advances in inductive power transfer technologies. This paper will demonstrate the feasibility of using this technique through a simulation. We show that with the currently available state of the art technology, our charge sharing method can increase the distance a vehicle travels by more than 50% for a standard driving distribution beyond the standard 100 miles that a vehicle usually travels on one fully charged battery. By adding pricing incentives through game theoretical approaches as well as communication strategies for cars to set rendezvous points, we can ensure participation in our system and symbiotic success for vehicles involved.
Addition of high-dose Ara-C to the BMT conditioning regimen reduces leukemia relapse without an increase in toxicity

The optimal conditioning regimen for allogeneic BMT for hematological malignancies is still to be determined. We used a conditioning regimen including high-dose Ara-C (HDAC)/CY/TBI for patients at high risk for leukemic relapse (regimen A, Ara-C 3 g/m2 every 12 h for six doses followed by CY 45 mg/kg for 2 days and TBI 13.2 Gy in eight fractions) and a standard CY/TBI conditioning regimen for patients at low risk (regimen B, CY 60 mg/kg for 2 days and TBI 13.2 Gy in eight fractions). We analyzed 55 patients treated with regimen A (group A) and 36 patients with regimen B (group B). Relapse rates (10.9% in group A, 2.9% in group B, P = 0.23), 5-year overall (53.2% in group A and 60.8% in group B, P = 0.26) and disease-free (47.7% in group A and 60.8% in group B, P = 0.11) survival rates were not significantly different between these groups, although group A consisted of high-risk patients. Regimen-related toxicities were not significantly different between the two groups. This result suggests that adding HDAC to CY/TBI conditioning regimen may reduce leukemic relapse and improve survival without increasing regimen-related toxicities.
How slow is the k-means method?

The k-means method is an old but popular clustering algorithm known for its observed speed and its simplicity. Until recently, however, no meaningful theoretical bounds were known on its running time. In this paper, we demonstrate that the worst-case running time of k-means is superpolynomial by improving the best known lower bound from Ω(n) iterations to 2Ω(√n).
Depth distribution of adults and immatures of twoTribolium Castaneum strains in pure and mixed cultures

1. The distribution of adults and immatures of twoTribolium castaneum strains in plexiglas towers was studied both in single-strain and in mixed cultures. 2. The adults of the + + strain tended to be, on the average, deeper in the flour than thebb adults, in pure and in mixed cultures. 3. Adult distribution was independent of sex. 4. The correlation between adult and egg distribution was usually negative, due to either adult movement in the flour, or to reduced fecundity and increased cannibalism of eggs where adults were numerous, or both. 5. Larvae, and especially pupae, ofbb were more abundant in the upper sections, and + + in the lower sections, of towers, both in pure and in mixed cultures and, in particular, at the higher density. 6. In general, the distribution of the strains in the mixed cultures was very similar to the pure cultures, showing a very small effect of the interaction between the two strains, in comparison with GHENT’S results with two species. It seems that the two strains are very much alike in their ability to exploit their environment and therefore their success is the same (when pupal cannibalism is reduced) whether the biological component of the environment is composed of one or two strains.
Optical Spectroscopy of Carbon-rich Proto--Planetary Nebulae

We are engaged in a program of optical spectroscopy of proto-planetary nebulae (PPN). The objects were initially selected from the IRAS database on the basis of their strong infrared excesses, indicating dust temperature of 150 – 250 K. Spectra have been obtrained at medium resolution for the purpose of obtaining the spectral type, luminosity class, and to search for chemical peculiarities resulting from the post-AGB nature of the objects. We found our PPN candidates to typically display F-G supergiant spectra.
The context of sexual risk behavior among heterosexual methamphetamine users

Relatively little is known about the relationship between methamphetamine (meth) use and sexual risk behavior among heterosexual adults. This descriptive study explores the context of sexual risk behavior among HIV-negative, heterosexual meth-using men and women. Drug use history, motivations for meth use, relationship types, and the social-sexual context of meth use were examined as factors that relate to sexual risk behavior and meth use. The majority of participants were white males with an average age of 38.6 years. Primary motivations for current meth use were to get high, to get more energy, and to party. Participants used meth an average of 14 days per month and consumed an average of 7.9 g during this period. The average number of unprotected vaginal, anal, and oral sex acts over a 2-month period were 21.5, 6.3, and 41.7, respectively. Participants reported an average of 9.4 sex partners over 2 months. The findings are discussed in relation to HIV prevention messages and the development of sexual risk reduction interventions for HIV-negative, heterosexual meth users.
Contribution of Plasma Galactose and Glucose to Milk Lactose Synthesis during Galactose Ingestion

We have previously demonstrated that plasma glucose contributed 80% in the fed and 60% in the fasted state to lactose synthesis in humans, and de novo synthesis in the breast contributing to both the glucose and galactose moieties accounted for the remaining 20% and 40%, respectively, of lactose. The present study was conducted to determine, in lactating women, whether oral galactose is directly incorporated from plasma galactose into glucose and galactose in milk lactose or via conversion of galactose to glucose in the liver. Six healthy exclusively breast-feeding women (30 ± 2 yr) (mean ± se) ingested galactose at 22 μmol·kg−1·min−1 for 9 h after an overnight fast during infusion of [6,6-2H2]glucose and [1-13C]galactose. We observed that 69 ± 6% of glucose and 54 ± 4% of galactose in lactose were derived directly from plasma glucose, whereas 7 ± 2% and 12 ± 2% of glucose and galactose in lactose, respectively, were derived directly from plasma galactose. De novo synthesis of glucose and galactose via he...
Feminist Methodologies for International Relations

Feminist Methodologies for International Relations. Edited by Brooke A. Ackerly, Maria Stern, and Jacqui True. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006. 316p. 29.99 paper.This volume presents a marvelous account of feminist methodologies. Mainstream scholars might find it all too easy to dismiss when confronted immediately with its refusal to define feminist methodologies and its jabs at quantitative methodologists for presumably assuming their work to be value neutral. Such a dismissal, however, would be a grave mistake. For the book presents a collage of perspectives on feminist methodology. The essays address the questions feminists ask, why they ask such questions, what we learn from these approaches, and how this research contributes to our knowledge. This is not a “how to” book, as you do need to reach your own conclusions—to find your own way methodologically. But this apparent lack of direction is more of an invitation to experiment and to add to our knowledge. And this unrestrained quest for knowledge is precisely the point of feminist methodology as conceived by the authors.
Modulation of frog spinal cord interneuronal activity by activation of 5-HT3 receptors

Motoneuron membrane potentials were recorded from the ventral roots of isolated, hemisected frog spinal cords using sucrose gap techniques. The effects of the selective 5-HT3 agonist 2-methyl-serotonin (2-Me-5HT) on the changes in motoneuron membrane potential produced by dorsal root stimulation and by superfusion of excitatory amino acid agonists were evaluated. Application of 2-Me-5HT (100 microM) did not alter motoneuron membrane potential, but did substantially reduce (approximately 20%) the polysynaptic ventral root potentials evoked by dorsal root stimulation. 2-Me-5HT did not change motoneuron depolarizations generated by addition to the Ringer's solution of the excitatory amino acid agonists AMPA (10-30 microM), kainate (30 microM), or t-ACPD (100 microM), but NMDA-induced motoneuron depolarizations (100 microM) were significantly and reversibly reduced (approximately 20%) by exposure to 2-Me-5HT (100 microM). 2-Me-5HT-evoked decreases of NMDA depolarizations were blocked by the 5-HT3 antagonists ICS 205 930 (50-100 microM) and D-tubocurarine (3-10 microM), but not by MDL 72222 (20-100 microM), the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist ketanserin (10 microM), or the 5-HT1A/5-HT2A antagonist spiperone (10 microM). Two lines of evidence support the hypothesis that the effects of 2-Me-5HT are generated by an indirect mechanism involving interneurons: (1) TTX (0.781 microM) eliminated the effect of 2-Me-5HT on NMDA-induced motoneuron depolarizations, and (2) 2-Me-5HT reduced spontaneous ventral root potentials that result from interneuronal discharges. We attempted to establish the identity of a putative transmitter released by interneurons responsible for the effects on NMDA-depolarizations produced by 2-Me-5HT, but the AMPA receptor antagonist, CNQX (10 microM), the GABAA receptor antagonist, bicuculline (50 microM), the GABAB receptor antagonist, saclofen (100 microM), the opioid antagonist, naloxone (100 microM), and the adenosine antagonists, CPT (20-100 microM) and CSC (10-100 microM) did not alter 2-Me-5HT-induced reductions of NMDA-depolarizations. In sum, the site of interaction between 2-Me-5HT and NMDA appears to be at interneuronal locus, but the mechanism remains unclear.
Sensitivity and specificity of metal surface-immobilized "molecular beacon" biosensors.

The separate developments of microarray patterning of DNA oligonucleotides, and of DNA hairpins as sensitive probes for oligonucleotide identification in solution, have had a tremendous impact on basic biological research and clinical applications. We have combined these two approaches to develop arrayable and label-free biological sensors based on fluorescence unquenching of DNA hairpins immobilized on metal surfaces. The thermodynamic and kinetic response of these sensors, and the factors important in hybridization efficiency, were investigated. Hybridization efficiency was found to be sensitive to hairpin secondary structure, as well as to the surface distribution of DNA hairpins on the substrate. The identity of the bases used in the hairpin stem as well as the overall loop length significantly affected sensitivity and selectivity. Surface-immobilized hairpins discriminated between two sequences with a single base-pair mismatch with high sensitivity (over an order of magnitude difference in signal) un...
Magnetic manifestations of carrier confinement in quantum wells.

A combination of superconducting integrated circuits was used to construct a very sensitive magnetooptic microsusceptometer for observations of the optically induced magnetization in ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Mn}}_{x}\mathrm{Te}$ multiple quantum wells. Spin-polarized electrons and holes are created optically, and the quantum mechanically localized wave functions of the carriers then serve as microscopic probes of the magnetic behavior. Both the magnitude and the picosecond dynamics of the magnetic response have been studied and reveal the effects of carrier quantization.
Perineural clonidine reduces mechanical hypersensitivity and cytokine production in established nerve injury.

Background Partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL) produces axonal damage, a local inflammatory response, and wallerian degeneration. Cytokines secreted near the site of nerve injury are thought to play important roles in development and maintenance of central sensitization and neuropathic pain. Injection of clonidine at the site and time of nerve injury slows the development of PSNL-induced hypersensitivity and reduces local cytokine expression by actions on alpha2 adrenoceptors. The current study tested whether clonidine would have a similar effect in established nerve injury. Methods Rats underwent unilateral PSNL, and perineural saline, clonidine, or BRL44408 plus clonidine was injected 2 weeks later. Three days after perineural injection, withdrawal threshold to mechanical stimulation of the hind paw ipsilateral and contralateral to PSNL was determined, and tissues were removed for cytokine analysis. Results PSNL was accompanied by a proinflammatory pattern of cytokine content in neural structures and hypersensitivity ipsilaterally with few changes contralaterally. Perineural clonidine, but not saline, partially reversed the hypersensitivity, accompanied by reduced concentrations of interleukin 6 and interleukin 1beta in the sciatic nerve. The effect of clonidine on hypersensitivity and these cytokines was blocked by the alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist, BRL44408. Conclusions These data suggest that perineural clonidine acts on alpha2 adrenoceptors to reduce hypersensitivity in established nerve injury, likely by an immunomodulatory mechanism, and may be effective in patients in the weeks after nerve injury.
Establishing a human renal cell carcinoma tumorgraft platform for preclinical drug testing

Traditionally, xenograft models have been used to study tumors in vivo. However, their utility is reduced by the use of tumor cell lines for implantation. Tumorgrafts (TGs; also known as patient-derived xenografts (PDXs)), which involve patient-derived tumor samples, are increasingly recognized as more representative models than traditional xenografts. Furthermore, we showed previously that renal cell carcinoma (RCC) TGs retain the histology, gene expression, DNA copy number alterations, mutations and treatment responsiveness of patient tumors. In skilled hands, implantations require ≤5 min per mouse, and TGs typically grow to 1 cm in 1-4 months. Here we outline the process of implantation of patient-derived RCC samples into the kidneys of immunodeficient mice, as well as the s.c. implantation for preclinical drug testing, including guidelines for the design and execution of drug trials. TGs have extensive applications besides therapeutic studies and may identify biomarkers and mechanisms of resistance. In addition, they may provide insights into tumor biology.