cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiplexed phase-encoded lenses written on spatial light modulators.

We report the writing of Fresnel phase-encoded lenses onto programmable spatial light modulators (SLM’s). When the product of the phase-encoded lens and the two-dimensional Fourier transform of a desired output spatial pattern is written onto the SLM, the desired spatial pattern is focused at programmable distances from the SLM. More importantly the inverted version of the desired pattern normally produced is encoded onto a diverging beam and is not imaged. Theoretical analysis and experimental results using the magneto-optic SLM are presented.
Neonatal treatment with tamoxifen causes immediate alterations of the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area and medial preoptic area in male rats

Tamoxifen is an antiestrogen widely used for the treatment of breast cancer. Current evolutions in preventive strategies to include healthy premenopausal women warrant the study of its developmental toxicity. Perinatal treatment of male rodents with tamoxifen caused reproductive tract lesions and sexual behavior deficits similar to those induced by diethylstilbestrol (DES). Those abnormalities could originate, at least in part, from lesions of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. The initial alterations caused by tamoxifen in the hypothalamic medial preoptic area (MPOA) and sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA) were studied in 6-day-old male rat pups treated with 100 μg tamoxifen (group 1), 1 μg DES (group 2) or vehicle (group 3) from PN1 to 5. In situ hybridization was performed to analyze the expression of the GAP-43 gene, a marker of neuronal differentiation, and morphometry was used to study the neuronal density in the SDN-POA and MPOA and the volume and number of neurons in the SDN-POA. Tamoxifen reduced severely the volume and neuron numbers in the SDN-POA (46.1% and 47.8% of controls, respectively). The neuronal density of the MPOA was not modified. GAP-43 gene expression was decreased as demonstrated by a greater percentage of unlabeled neurons (grade 0) mirrored by a lesser percentage of intensely labeled ones (grade 2) in the SDN-POA and MPOA. In contrast to the effects of the antiestrogen, DES did not affect the above endpoints. These data indicated that developmental exposure of male rat pups to tamoxifen-induced immediate neuronal loss in one and altered differentiation in two hypothalamic areas crucial to reproduction. How those initial alterations contribute to the pathogenesis of the reproductive disorders observed in the adult male needs further investigation. Teratology 56:220–228, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Evidentiary Reasoning in Diagnostic Classification Models

In Unique Characteristics of Diagnostic Classification Models: A Comprehensive Review of the Current State-of-the-Art, Rupp and Templin (2008 hereafter RT) undertake the ambitious task of providing...
The altered fibrous form of vitreous collagen following solubilization with pepsin

Abstract Collagen occurs in the extracellular matrix of the bovine vitreous as fibers which have a fairly uniform diameter of ≈ 195 A and exhibit an indistinct axial periodicity. Following treatment with pepsin approximately three quarters of the collagen was rendered soluble and by gel electrophoresis and comparison with calf skin collagen was shown to be composed of α1 chains, a high molecular weight α chain component, β, as well as other high order components. No α2 chains were detected. The amino acid composition of the pepsin soluble collagen was different from that of other collagens composed only of α1 chains which suggests that it is composed of either a distinct type or mixture of α chains. When fibers were reconstituted from the pepsin solubilized collagen they differed markedly from the native fibers and exhibited a pronounced axial periodicity ( ≈ 640 A ) and had diameters up to 1500 A. The difference between the reconstituted and native fibers suggests that the presence of the peptides cleaved by pepsin may be one of the factors which determines the particular fibrous form of collagen in the bovine vitreous.
In vivo microscopy of liver microvasculature in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Abstract Morphological change is an excellent biomarker of exposure to toxicants because it is the integration of biochemical and physiological injury. Zonal patterns of necrosis in the liver have also allowed mammalian pathologists to suggest the mechanism of toxicity for certain compounds. Unfortunately, the necrotic patterns in fish are not well understood because we cannot unequivocally identify portal (afferent) from hepatic (efferent) venules in histologic sections. In vivo microscopy does allow such analysis. Mature trout were surgically implanted with dorsal aortic and portal vein catheters, and in vivo microscopy of the liver surface performed through a window in the side of anesthetized, artificially ventilated animals. Blood flow patterns were recorded on video tape by injecting fluorescein solutions. Video images were digitized and superimposed to reveal the interaction between arterial and venous vessels. We found a repeating pattern of alternation between afferent and efferent regions of the microvascular bed. The hepatic parenchyma near the convex laterorostral surface is drained by superficially placed hepatic venules. Afferent venules reach this area by passing from deeper within the liver. Arteriole distribution appeared to closely parallel portal venule distribution. Melanomacrophages were associated with arterioles. Many of these characteristics are common with the mammalian liver. However, correlation of the dimensions of cells and vascular elements between histologic sections and in vivo images are needed before we can assign terms such as periportal or pericentral to routine histologic analyses.
Some Dimensions of Population and Family Planning: Goals and Means

Where population planning and family planning programs converge and diverge are discussed in terms of ultimate arid intermediate goals, and the means by which goals are achieved. Broad variations are found within the ranks of both groups of planning advocates. This variation is both cause and effect of differing levels of concern over the societal consequences of population growth and size and of family growth and size. When degree of concern over population problems is compared with the degree of difficulty of solution regarded as necessary or desirable, a number of instances are found in which the relation is not as expected. This is due in part to the heterogeneity of the goals and in part to ideological considerations affecting attitudes toward means as well as ends.
Galvanic skin responses to agreement and disagreement in relation to dogmatism.

One aim of this study was to investigate emotional arousal as a function of disagreement with others and dogmatism. The procedure used was modeled after Cooper's studies of emotion in prejudice (Cooper, 1959; Cooper & Pollock, 1959). These stuzies reported that reliably larger GSRs are obtained when Ss listen to either derogatory statements about groups they like or to complimentary statements about groups they dislike than to the same statements applied to groups about which they feel neutral. Cooper's manipulation may also be interpreted as a measure of discrepancy between S's evaluation of an attitilde object and that expressed by another (0). If we conceive of an attitude as an evaluative response, scaled along a d~mension ranging from positive through neutral to negative, Cooper's studies demonstrate greater emotional arousal to a large than to a moderate discrepancy between the attitudes of S and 0. Unfortunately, no dam exist about the extent of arousal in response to complete agreement. For plrrposes of this experiment, our first hypothesis was that an extreme discrepancy between the evaluations expressed by S and 0 would be more arousing than either a moderate or zero discrepancy (Hyp. 1). Our second purpose was to study individual differences in the extent of disturbance caused by disagreement. Rokeach ( 1960) in particular has attempted to define and measure the predisposition to reject beliefs contrary to one's own. According to his theory, the personality with a "closed mind" exhibits dogmatism and opinionation becsi~se his belief system, to a large extent, serves to protect him against anxiety. Accordingly, we may expect that Ss who score high on Rokeach's Dogmatism scale will be more disturbed by disagreement than less dogmatic individuals (Hyp. 2). METHOD
Induction of sister chromatid exchanges by BUdR is largely independent of the BUdR content of DNA

The halogenated thymidine (dT) analogue, 5-bromodeoxy-uridine (BUdR), has a variety of effects on mammalian cells, including toxicity, suppression of differentiation, and mutagenesis. Although it is generally assumed that the effects of BUdR are due primarily to its presence in DNA, results from our laboratory have raised doubts about such assumptions1–4. We have shown, for example, that BUdR mutagenesis in mammalian cells is determined by the concentration of BUdR in the medium rather than in DNA3, and that mutagenesis can be suppressed by deoxycytidine (dC) without changing the amount of BUdR in DNA4. BUdR has also been shown to induce sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) in mammalian cells5–7. Initial results suggested that the relationship between BUdR and SCEs might not be explained by a single factor5, and various correlations between BUdR and SCEs have been proposed8,9. However, the results to date have been inconclusive, because the experiments did not resolve as independent variables the concentration of BUdR in the medium and the amount of BUdR incorporated into nuclear DNA. We have now carried out experiments to resolve these two factors; the results indicate that the major factor in determining the frequency of SCEs is the concentration of BUdR in the medium.
2-D-IIR Time-Delay-Sum Linear Aperture Arrays

A uniform linear array (ULA) digital beamformer with enhanced selectivity (interference rejection) over conventional true-time delay-sum (TTDS) beamforming is proposed for scanned aperture applications. Conventional TTDS transfer function, which contains only zero-manifolds, is modified by introducing complex pole-manifolds based on 2-D infinite impulse response (IIR) digital beam filters, thereby achieving enhanced selectivity for the same number of antennas in the ULA. For a ULA of 64 antennas, desired direction of arrival (DOA) 30° and interference DOA -60° from array broadside, a relative improvement in signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) of 7 dB is verified. For 128-element ULA, interference DOA -10°, a relative improvement in SIR of 5-10 dB is obtained for the desired DOA in the range 10°-90°. The projected improvements are independent of the weights of the conventional phased-array, TTDS, or filter-sum beamformer used because the method does not change the zero-manifolds of the original array pattern.
Real-time 3D dose calculation and display: a tool for plan optimization.

Abstract Purpose: Both human and computer optimization of treatment plans have advantages; humans are much better at global pattern recognition, and computers are much better at detailed calculations. A major impediment to human optimization of treatment plans by manipulation of beam parameters is the long time required for feedback to the operator on the effectiveness of a change in beam parameters. Our goal was to create a real-time dose calculation and display system that provides the planner with immediate (fraction of a second) feedback with displays of three-dimensional (3D) isodose surfaces, digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs), dose-volume histograms, and/or a figure of merit (FOM) (i.e., a single value plan score function). This will allow the experienced treatment planner to optimize a plan by adjusting beam parameters based on a direct indication of plan effectiveness, the FOM value, and to use 3D display of target, critical organs, DRRs, and isodose contours to guide changes aimed at improving the FOM value. Methods and Materials: We use computer platforms that contain easily utilized parallel processors and very tight coupling between calculation and display. We ported code running on a network of two workstations and an array of transputers to a single multiprocessor workstation. Our current high-performance graphics workstation contains four 150-MHz processors that can be readily used in a shared-memory multithreaded calculation. Results: When a 10 × 10-cm beam is moved, using an 8-mm dose grid, the full 3D dose matrix is recalculated using a Bentley—Milan-type dose calculation algorithm, and the 3D dose surface display is then updated, all in Conclusion: We demonstrate that real-time plan optimization using general pyrpose multiprocessor workstations is a practical goal. Parallel processing technology provides this capability for 3D planning systems, and when combined with objective plan ranking algorithms should prove effective for optimizing 3D conformal radiation therapy. Compared to our earlier transputer work, multiprocessor workstations are more easily programmed, making software development costs more reasonable compared with uniprocessor development costs. How the dose calculation is partitioned into parallel tasks on a multiprocessor work station can make a significant difference in performance. Shared-memory multiprocessor workstations are our first choice for future work, because they require minimum programming effort and continue to be driven to higher performance by competition in the workstation arena.
Relationships among stressful life events, temperament, problem behavior, and global life satisfaction in adolescents

The relationships among stressful life events (SLEs), temperament, externalizing and internalizing behaviors, and global life satisfaction were investigated. The Students' Life Satisfaction Scale, the Youth Self Report (YSR) form of the Child Behavior Checklist, a portion of the Life Events Checklist, and the Abbreviated Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, were administered to 1,201 adolescents in grades 6 through 12 in a small city in the Southeast. A modest correlation was found between life satisfaction and Extraversion, whereas moderate correlations were found between life satisfaction and Neuroticism and life satisfaction and SLEs. Based upon hierarchical regression analyses, temperament variables accounted for approximately 16% of the variance in predictions of life satisfaction ratings. When SLEs were added, an additional 3% of the variance in life satisfaction ratings was subsequently explained. Life satisfaction did not operate as a moderator between SLEs and problem behavior. However, when global life satisfaction was added as a mediator variable, results indicated a partial mediational effect, particularly on internalizing behavior. Limitations of the study as well as implications for comprehensive psychological assessments are discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 39: 677–687, 2002.
Dietary Restriction: Standing Up for Sirtuins—Response

I agree with Baur et al. that discussion of sirtuins would have enhanced our Review. However, I also agree with my coauthors that it would have been difficult to integrate sirtuins sections with those on the GH/IGF-I, Tor/S6K, and AC/PKA signaling pathways, given that a straightforward and conserved
Auditory scene analysis in school-aged children with developmental language disorders.

Natural sound environments are dynamic, with overlapping acoustic input originating from simultaneously active sources. A key function of the auditory system is to integrate sensory inputs that belong together and segregate those that come from different sources. We hypothesized that this skill is impaired in individuals with phonological processing difficulties. There is considerable disagreement about whether phonological impairments observed in children with developmental language disorders can be attributed to specific linguistic deficits or to more general acoustic processing deficits. However, most tests of general auditory abilities have been conducted with a single set of sounds. We assessed the ability of school-aged children (7–15 years) to parse complex auditory non-speech input, and determined whether the presence of phonological processing impairments was associated with stream perception performance. A key finding was that children with language impairments did not show the same developmental trajectory for stream perception as typically developing children. In addition, children with language impairments required larger frequency separations between sounds to hear distinct streams compared to age-matched peers. Furthermore, phonological processing ability was a significant predictor of stream perception measures, but only in the older age groups. No such association was found in the youngest children. These results indicate that children with language impairments have difficulty parsing speech streams, or identifying individual sound events when there are competing sound sources. We conclude that language group differences may in part reflect fundamental maturational disparities in the analysis of complex auditory scenes.
Déduction de la Théorie Quantique a Partir de Principes Non-Quantiques

Le formalisme des matrices ou de la superposition des Ψ est equivalent a la metrique generale des pobabilites de transition reelles. Cette metrique peut etre developpee comme une consequence du principe thermodynamique de la continuite de l’entropie. Les regles quantiques de Planck, de Broglie, Schrodinger et Born sont des consequences du formalisme general des applique aux quantites q et p dont la conjugaison est definie par la propriete d’avoir une densite constante de probabilite dans l’espace qp. On obtient ainsi une deduction systematique de la theorie quantique a partir de principes non quantiques et, en particulier, une explication de la vieille enigme que constituait la correspondance periodique existant entre energie et temps ou entre moment et position.
A Meta-Analysis of Workplace Ethnographies Race, Gender, and Employee Attitudes and Behaviors

Workplace ethnographies suggest many hypotheses about the effects of organizational characteristics on employee attitudes and behaviors. These hypotheses, however, are difficult to evaluate by considering each ethnography individually. The current article uses qualitative comparative analysis of content-coded data from the full population of workplace ethnographies to provide a fuller evaluation of the lessons these ethnographies have to offer. The hypothesis that women are happy and quiescent workers receives only limited support. Women actually evidence less satisfaction and pride in their work than men, but they are more cooperative and less conflictual than men. Autonomy is the most consistent determinant of positive workplace attitudes, a finding that is consistent with survey-based research. These findings thus both confirm and condition prior conclusions about the workplace and suggest the importance of systematically compiling the findings of workplace ethnographies to evaluate and benchmark concl...
A Control Architecture for Cooperative Intelligent Robots

Intelligent behavior requires a control system architecture that ties together actuators, sensors, sensory processing, task decomposition, world modeling, goal selection, and value judgments into an integrated system. A hierarchically layered architecture with horizontal communications within layers is proposed.
Interfacing graphic and musical elements in Counterlines

This paper reports on initial stages of research leading to the development of an intermedia performance Counterlines - a duet for Disklavier and Wacom Cintiq, in which both performers generate audiovisual gestures that relate to each other contrapuntally. The pianist generates graphic elements while playing music and the graphic performer generates piano notes by drawing lines. The paper focuses on interfacing sounds and images performed by the pianist. It provides rationale for the choice of materials of great simplicity and describes our approach to mapping.
Outage analysis of coded cooperation

Cooperative communication is an emerging paradigm where multiple mobiles share their resources (bandwidth and power) to achieve better overall performance. Coded cooperation is a mechanism where cooperation is combined with-and operates through-channel coding, as opposed to the repetition-based methods. This work develops expressions for outage probability of coded cooperation. In this work, each node acts as both a data source as well as a relay, i.e., only active (transmitting) nodes are available to assist other nodes, and each node operates under overall (source + relay) power and bandwidth constraints. Outage expressions confirm that full diversity is achieved by coded cooperation. This shows that despite superficial similarities, coded cooperation is distinct from decode-and-forward, which has been shown to have diversity one. The outage probability expressions developed in this work characterize coded performance at various rates. Furthermore, outage probabilities yield bounds that are arguably more insightful than the bit-error rate (BER) results previously available for coded cooperation. Numerical comparisons shed light on the relative merits of coded cooperation and various repetition-based methods, under various inter-user and uplink channel conditions.
Distribution of Body Fat and Its Influence on Esophageal Inflammation and Dysplasia in Patients With Barrett's Esophagus

Background & Aims Increased waist circumference and visceral fat are associated with increased risk of Barrett's esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma. This association might be mediated by mechanical and endocrine mechanisms. We investigated the distribution of fat in subjects with BE and its association with esophageal inflammation and dysplasia. Methods We collected data from 50 BE cases and 50 controls (matched for age and sex, identified from a radiology trauma database) seen at the Mayo Clinic in 2009. Abdominal (subcutaneous and visceral) and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) fat area was measured using computed tomography with standard techniques. Esophageal inflammation (based on a histologic score) and dysplasia grade were assessed from esophageal biopsies of BE cases by a gastrointestinal pathologist. Conditional logistic regression was used to assess the association of body fat depot area with BE status, esophageal inflammation, and dysplasia. Results All BE subjects had controlled reflux symptoms without esophagitis, based on endoscopy. The GEJ fat area (odds ratio [OR], 6.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3–27.7; P = .02), visceral fat area (OR, 4.9; 95% CI, 1.0–22.8; P = .04), and abdominal circumference (OR, 9.1; 95% CI, 1.4–57.2; P = 0.02) were associated with BE, independent of body mass index (BMI). The subcutaneous fat area was not associated with BE. Visceral and GEJ fat were significantly greater in BE subjects with esophageal inflammation (compared with those without, P = .02) and high-grade dysplasia (compared with those without, P = .01), independent of BMI. Conclusions GEJ and visceral fat are associated with BE, and with increased esophageal inflammation and high-grade dysplasia in BE subjects, independent of BMI. Visceral fat therefore might promote esophageal metaplasia and dysplasia.
Robotically assisted biliary pancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch: a new technique.

Minimally invasive surgical techniques decrease the length of hospitalization and the morbidity for general surgery procedures. Application of minimally invasive techniques to obesity surgery had previously been limited to stapled techniques used primarily for the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and laparoscopic band placement. The authors present the technique for totally intracorporeal robotically assisted biliary pancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch (BPD/DS) using five ports. After development of the technique in animal and human cadaver models, the da Vinci robot was first used in October 2000 to perform BPD/DS using five ports and a totally intracorporeal technique. Patient selection was based on standard surgery guidelines for the morbidly obese. This technique was applied for 47 patients with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 45 kg/m2 and a mean age of 38 ± 10 years. The median operating time was 514 min (range, 370–931 min). The median operative time for the last 10 patients was 379 min (range, 370–582 min). Three patients underwent conversion to open surgery, and four patients experienced postoperative leaks with no mortality. The safety, feasibility, and reproducibility of a minimally invasive robotic surgical approach to complex abdominal operations such as BPD/DS is demonstrated. The BPD/DS allows for a sutured bowel anastomosis similar to the open technique using a minimal number of small access ports.
Risk Adjustment for Case Mix and the Effect of Surgeon Volume on Morbidity

Importance Retrospective studies of large administrative databases have shown higher mortality for procedures performed by low-volume surgeons, but the adequacy of risk adjustment in those studies is in doubt. Objective To determine whether the relationship between surgeon volume and outcomes is an artifact of case mix using a prospective sample of carotid endarterectomy cases. Design Observational cohort study from January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2010, with preoperative, immediate postoperative, and 30-day postoperative assessments acquired by independent monitors. Setting Urban, tertiary academic medical center. Patients All 841 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy performed by a vascular surgeon or cerebrovascular neurosurgeon at the institution. Intervention Carotid endarterectomy without another concurrent surgery. Main Outcome Measures Stroke, death, and other surgical complications occurring within 30 days of surgery along with other case data. A low-volume surgeon performed 40 or fewer cases per year. Variables used in a comparison administrative database study, as well as variables identified by our univariate analysis, were used for adjusted analyses to assess for an association between low-volume surgeons and the rate of stroke and death as well as other complications. Results The rate of stroke and death was 6.9% for low-volume surgeons and 2.0% for high-volume surgeons (P = .001). Complications were similarly higher (13.4% vs 7.2%, P = .008). Low-volume surgeons performed more nonelective cases. Low-volume surgeons were significantly associated with stroke and death in the unadjusted analysis as well as after adjustment with variables used in the administrative database study (odds ratio, 3.61; 95% CI, 1.70-7.67, and odds ratio, 3.68; 95% CI, 1.72-7.89, respectively). However, adjusting for the significant disparity of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification in case mix eliminated the effect of surgeon volume on the rate of stroke and death (odds ratio, 1.65; 95% CI, 0.59-4.64) and other complications. Conclusions and Relevance Variables selected for risk adjustment in studies using administrative databases appear to be inadequate to control for case mix bias between low-volume and high-volume surgeons. Risk adjustment should empirically analyze for case mix imbalances between surgeons to identify meaningful risk modifiers in clinical practice such as the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification. A true relationship between surgeon volume and outcomes remains uncertain, and caution is advised in developing policies based on these findings.
A Tale of Two Hypotheses: Genetics and the Ethnogenesis of Ashkenazi Jewry

The debate over the ethnogenesis of Ashkenazi Jewry is longstanding, and has been hampered by a lack of Jewish historiographical work between the Biblical and the early Modern eras. Most historians, as well as geneticists, situate them as the descendants of Israelite tribes whose presence in Europe is owed to deportations during the Roman conquest of Palestine, as well as migration from Babylonia, and eventual settlement along the Rhine. By contrast, a few historians and other writers, most famously Arthur Koestler, have looked to migrations following the decline of the little-understood Medieval Jewish kingdom of Khazaria as the main source for Ashkenazi Jewry. A recent study of genetic variation in southeastern European populations (Elhaik 2012) also proposed a Khazarian origin for Ashkenazi Jews, eliciting considerable criticism from other scholars investigating Jewish ancestry who favor a Near Eastern origin of Ashkenazi populations. This paper re-examines the genetic data and analytical approaches used in these studies of Jewish ancestry, and situates them in the context of historical, linguistic, and archaeological evidence from the Caucasus, Europe and the Near East. Based on this reanalysis, it appears not only that the Khazar Hypothesis per se is without serious merit, but also the veracity of the Rhineland Hypothesis may also be questionable.
Visual interactions with a multidimensional ranked list

Abstract : Performance analysis of an interactive visualization system generally requires an extensive user study, a method that is very expensive and that often yields inconclusive results. To do a successful user study, the researcher has to be well aware of the system's possibilities. In this paper we present a different kind of analysis. We show how the system behavior and performance could be investigated off line, without direct user intervention. We introduce an evaluation measure to assess the quality of a multidimensional visualization. Next, we suggest two methods for dealing with user's feedback. We also discuss the effect the dimensionality of the visualization has on the actual performance.
Urothelial Carcinoma After External Beam Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Purpose: We reviewed the clinical course of patients in whom urothelial carcinoma developed following radiation therapy for prostate cancer.Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of all patients between 1990 and 2005 with the diagnosis of bladder and prostate cancer was performed. Of 125 total patients new onset urothelial carcinoma developed in 11 after undergoing external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer.Results: Whole pelvis external beam radiation therapy with a proton boost to the prostate was the radiation modality in 7 of the 11 patients (64%), while the remaining 4 patients received standard external beam radiation only. Urothelial carcinoma was detected a mean of 3.07 years after completion of radiation therapy in the proton group, compared to a mean latency period of 5.75 years in the standard radiation group (p = 0.09). Average patient age at diagnosis was 72 years (range 64 to 84). All patients presented with gross hematuria and had cystoscopic findings of coexisting radiation...
Self-Regulated Strategy Instruction in Developmental Writing: A Design Research Project

This design research project developed and evaluated curriculum for developmental writing classes in community colleges. The core of the curriculum was self-regulated strategy instruction, which ha...
Effect of fluoride and other metobolic inhibitors on intracellular sodium and potassium concentrations in l cells

Fluoride, iodoacetate, oxamate, 2,4-dinitrophenol, cycloheximide, and ouabain were studied to determine if any of these inhibitors affected the intracellular concentration of sodium and potassium in an L cell strain of mouse fibroblasts and to determine if the changes observed in these parameters could be correlated with growth rate. The results indicated that (1) the intracellular concentration of sodium and potassium could not be correlated with growth rate, (2) fluoride, iodoacetate, oxamate, 2,4-dinitrophenol, and cycloheximide at concentrations having an equal effect on growth had a similar effect on the intracellular sodium and potassium concentration These changes were not as great as those seen with ouabain, which at a concentration which did not inhibit growth, had an equal or greater effect on the intracellular sodium and potassium concentration.
Microsatellite loci for assessing genetic diversity, dispersal and clonality of coral symbionts in 'stress-tolerant' clade D Symbiodinium

Reef corals harbouring clade D Symbiodinium spp. (endosymbiotic dinoflagellates) appear more tolerant of environmental stress. As sea surface temperatures rise, symbioses involving Symbiodinium D may increase in prevalence. For this reason, eight polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed for clade D Symbiodinium. From the analysis of 132 samples originating from cnidarian hosts in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, 4 to 35 alleles were found at each haploid locus and diversity indices ranged from 0.35 to 0.97. Population genetic analyses of these symbionts should reveal how environmental perturbations affect genetic diversity, geographical distributions, and possible host-range expansions to new coral species.
Sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of mobile and nonmobile L4–L5 degenerative spondylolisthesis

Abstract Background context Lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (LDS) is often diagnosed by conventional supine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Numerous studies have shown, however, that the degree of spondylolisthesis can be reduced or disappears when the patient is supine as compared with standing lateral and flexion-extension (SLFE) radiographs. Purpose To compare the sensitivity of supine MRI with SLFE radiographs in patients with L4–L5 LDS. Study design A retrospective imaging study. Patient sample Included patients diagnosed with L4–L5 LDS with both SLFE films and supine MRI. Methods Lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis was defined radiographically as a slip greater than 4.5 mm. Mobile LDS was defined as a difference of greater than 3% in slip percentage between lateral radiographs and sagittal MRIs. Additional measurements included L4–L5 facet effusion diameter on axial MRIs. Measurements were performed by two independent examiners. The kappa coefficient was used to assess the interobserver agreement. Results Of 103 patients assessed, 68% were women and the average age was 66 years. Lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis was seen on 101 (98%) lateral films and 80 (78%) MRIs. Average slip was 10.0 mm for lateral standing radiographs and 6.6 mm on MRI (p Conclusions This study found that MRI had a sensitivity of 78% for detecting L4–L5 LDS compared with 98% for lateral standing films. We also identified facet effusion size as a marker to predict mobile LDS. These findings suggest that, particularly in the setting of facet effusions, the complete workup of patients in whom LDS is possible should include standing radiographs.
Exchangeable Bernoulli random variables and Bayes’ postulate

We discuss the implications of Bayes’ postulate in the setting of exchangeable Bernoulli random variables. Bayes’ postulate, here, stipulates a uniform distribution on the total number of successes in any number of trials. For an infinite sequence of exchangeable Bernoulli variables the conditions of Bayes’ postulate are equivalent to a uniform (prior) distribution on the underlying mixing variable which necessarily exists by De Finetti’s representation theorem. We show that in the presence of exchangeability, the conditions of Bayes’ postulate are implied by a considerably weaker assumption which only specifies the probability of n successes in n trials, for every n. The equivalence of the Bayes’ postulate and the weak assumption holds for both finite and infinite sequences. We also explore characterizations of the joint distribution of finitely many exchangeable Bernoulli variables in terms of probability statements similar to the weak assumption. Finally, we consider extensions of Bayes’ postulate in the framework of exchangeable multinomial trials.
CM-Curves with Good Cryptographic Properties

Our purpose is to describe elliptic curves with complex multiplication which in characteristic 2 have the following useful properties for constructing Diffie-Hellman type cryptosystems: (1) they are nonsupersingular (so that one cannot use the Menezes-Okamoto-Vanstone reduction of discrete log from elliptic curves to finite fields); (2) the order of the group has a large prime factor (so that discrete logs cannot be computed by giant-step/baby-step or the Pollard rho method); (3) doubling of points can be carried out almost as efficiently as in the case of the supersingular curves used by Vanstone; (4) the curves are easy to find.
Multiple states in doubly driven flow

It has been known since 1961 that if two components effect density, a convecting fluid may possess multiple stable states for the same boundary conditions. Until recently, analytical and numerical calculations have been conducted for application to climate models. Laboratory observations were absent. Experiments have now produced the anticipated multiple states and also give new insight into their physical nature. A new, wider range of applications to estuary and coastal water circulation is indicated. In the experiments a chamber of water was heated from below and exposed to a constant volume flux of salty water from above. This was connected to a large reservoir of fresh room temperature water through two horizontal tubes, one near the top and the other near the bottom. Parameters were such that the time constant for change of temperature was less than the time constant for change in salinity. The experiments confirmed the principal prediction of theory - that two states can exist for the same boundary conditions. The range of two stable states was mapped as a function of the temperature forcing for fixed salinity flux. For low thermal forcing, the salinity driven state was found. This had very slow exchange of warm and very salty water with the reservoir. Density due to salinity was greater than that from temperature. Above a critical forcing an additional state could exist. This possessed exchange with the reservoir in the opposite direction of warm and much lower salinity water above approximately 1.5 times the critical forcing, only the thermal state was found. A second example driven by stress and heat flux also exhibits multiple states. Two examples are analyzed.
Transforming Growth Factor-β-induced Growth Inhibition in a Smad4 Mutant Colon Adenoma Cell Line

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) inhibits growth and induces apoptosis of colon epithelial cells. Binding of TGF-beta to its receptor induces phosphorylation of the Smad proteins Smad2 and Smad3, which then form heteromeric complexes with Smad4, translocate to the nucleus, and activate gene transcription. Smad4 function has been considered an obligate requirement for TGF-beta signaling, and Smad4 mutations present in some cancers have been considered sufficient to inactivate TGF-beta signaling. In this work, we describe studies with a nontransformed human colon epithelial cell line that is mutant for Smad4 but remains growth-inhibited by TGF-beta. The colon cell line VACO-235 has lost one of its Smad4 alleles via a chromosome 18q deletion. The remaining allele bears two missense point mutations located in regions important for Smad4 trimer formation, which is thought necessary for Smad4 function. As expected, pSBE4-BV/Luc, a Smad4-activated transcriptional reporter, was inactive in VACO-235. Nonetheless, VACO-235 demonstrated 80% growth inhibition in response to TGF-beta, as well as retention of some TGF-beta-mediated activation of the p3TP-Lux transcriptional reporter. Transient transfection of the VACO-235 Smad4 mutant allele into a Smad4-null cell line confirmed that this allele is functionally inactive as assayed by both the pSBE4-BV and p3TP-Lux reporters. The simplest explanation of these results is that there is a non-Smad4-dependent pathway for TGF-beta-mediated signaling and growth inhibition in VACO-235 cells.
The Later Theory of Community

After his Gifford Lectures, Royce was not again to publish a major philosophical work for seven years. His health required moderation of activity which was largely confined to class lectures and studies in logic. His interest in ethics grew, and this resulted in various lectures and in the publication in 1908 of his major work in ethics, The Philosophy of Loyalty.2 His interest in religious questions also grew, and this resulted in a lecture, “What is Vital in Christianity?,” delivered at Harvard in 1909 and published in William James and Other Essays in 1911.3 He indicated that this was but the inception of a larger work that he was planning on Christianity.4 He delivered the Bross Lectures in 1911 and these were published in 1912 as The Sources of Religious Insight.5 This work complements The Problem of Christanity, particularly the matter of the first volume, by presenting Royce’s conception of the nature of religion which the latter work in part presupposes. We will present a few of these key ideas by way of a transition to The Problem of Christianity.
Quality measures for the diagnosis and management of colorectal cancer

16031 Background: The huge burden of illness from colorectal cancer (CRC) can be reduced by improving the quality of care for CRC patients. Identifying appropriate quality measures that can assess ...
On the Relevance of Irrelevant Alternatives

Multinomial logistic regression is a powerful tool to model choice from a finite set of alternatives, but it comes with an underlying model assumption called the independence of irrelevant alternatives, stating that any item added to the set of choices will decrease all other items' likelihood by an equal fraction. We perform statistical tests of this assumption across a variety of datasets and give results showing how often it is violated. When this axiom is violated, choice theorists will often invoke a richer model known as nested logistic regression, in which information about competition among items is encoded in a tree structure known as a nest. However, to our knowledge there are no known algorithms to induce the correct nest structure. We present the first such algorithm, which runs in quadratic time under an oracle model, and we pair it with a matching lower bound. We then perform experiments on synthetic and real datasets to validate the algorithm, and show that nested logit over learned nests outperforms traditional multinomial regression. Finally, in addition to automatically learning nests, we show how nests may be constructed by hand to test hypotheses about the data, and evaluated by their explanatory power.
Multivariate Weighted Fractional Representation Formulae and Ostrowski Inequalities

Here we derive multivariate weighted fractional representation formulae involving ordinary partial derivatives of first order. Then we present related multivariate weighted fractional Ostrowski type inequalities with respect to uniform norm.
Current guidelines in heart failure management

1. ACE inhibitors are indicated for Class I-IV HF due to LVSD. 2. ARBs are recommended for HF patients with contra-indications or intolerance to ACE inhibitors. 3. Spironolactone provides additional benefit for Class IV HF patients. 4. Beta-blockers (carvedilol or long-acting metoprolol) are indicated as additive treatment to an ACE inhibitor or ARB for Class II or III HF. 5. The beta-blocker carvedilol has been found to be safe and effective in patients with severe HF and appears to improve clinical outcomes in patients with LVSD post-MI.
Developmental programming: rescuing disruptions in preovulatory follicle growth and steroidogenesis from prenatal testosterone disruption.

Background Prenatal testosterone (T) excess from days 30-90 of gestation disrupts gonadotropin surge and ovarian follicular dynamics and induces insulin resistance and functional hyperandrogenism in sheep. T treatment from days 60-90 of gestation produces a milder phenotype, albeit with reduced fecundity. Using this milder phenotype, the aim of this study was to understand the relative postnatal contributions of androgen and insulin in mediating the prenatal T induced disruptions in ovarian follicular dynamics.
Fixing Carbon, Losing Ground: Payments for Environmental Services and Land (IN)Security in Mexico:

Community-based carbon forestry has grown rapidly in Chiapas over the last decade, where small farmers with communal land tenure are increasingly turning to forest activities as a supplement to inc...
Design and Success of a 21st Century Cancer Education Program at the University of Louisville

Cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality in the Commonwealth of Kentucky are among the highest in the nation. The University of Louisville was the recipient of a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded cancer education program grant in 1975 under the leadership of Dr. Norbert Burzynski. A new and totally redesigned performance-based University of Louisville Cancer Education Program was funded by NCI in 2011 to recruit and motivate outstanding undergraduate and health professional students to pursue further training and careers in cancer research. Here, we describe the strategy, design, methods, implementation, and accomplishments of our twenty-first century performance-based cancer education program. Our program will meet or exceed all of its 5-year performance goals, including the total number students (n = 156) and under-represented minorities (n = 53) who successfully completed the program under the mentorship of cancer research-intensive faculty members of the James Graham Brown Cancer Center (JGBCC). The mentored research program is complemented with professional development and enhancement activities, including cancer research seminars presented by faculty members actively engaged in research centered on the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of cancer, creation of individual career development plans, exploration of cancer research careers, and acquisition of professionalism skills. Student interests towards cancer research significantly increased after completion of the program compared to baseline (P = 0.02). Based on quantitative and qualitative analysis of various components of the curricula, the trainees favor practical, engaging, and interactive activities aligned within professional career goals and objectives. For instance, the trainees prefer two 30-min small group discussions on “Navigating Careers in Cancer Research” with faculty, professional students, and program alumni. Future updates to the program include new activities that capitalize on the cross-disciplinary background of our mentors and trainees as well as a team-based approach to professional development. Our cancer education program will continue to enhance the professional development of the next generation of cancer scientists and clinicians.
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis Application to Dynamic Thermomechanometry

The dynamic mechanical behavior of viscoelastic materials has been discussed as part of mechanical properties such as stress- strain behavior, strength of material, creep, and stress relaxation. However, in recent years the technology of investigating the dynamic mechanical properties of materials has advanced greatly due to new electronic circuits, improved transducers, signal receiving systems, and computerized controlling systems. The interpretations and applications of dynamic data have stimulated interest from both the practical and scientific standpoint. Consequently, widespread research work on these topics has established diverse results and principles.1,2