cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple stat complexes interact at the interferon regulatory factor-1 interferon-gamma activation sequence in prolactin-stimulated Nb2 T cells.

Abstract Interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) is a major immediate early gene induced by prolactin (PRL) in a biphasic, cell cycle-dependent manner in Nb2 T cells. This biphasic expression (30 min and 10 h) is mediated in part by an interferon-γ activation sequence (GAS) in the IRF-1 promoter which binds factors belonging to the Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (Stat) family. By electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA), Statlα was found to be the major and Stat5a a minor component of the 30 min complex. At 10 h, Stat-like factors were again found at the IRF-1 GAS. Western blot analyses show that Stat5a was rapidly induced by PRL to enter the nucleus, but unexpectedly, Statlα and the alternatively-spliced Stat1β were already present in the uninduced nucleus. Further, Stat1α but not Stat1β is preferentially tyrosine phosphorylated in response to PRL stimulation. Our studies suggest that multiple Stat complexes may contribute to the biphasic transcription of the IRF-1 gene in PRL-stimulated T cells.
The fate of the ovaries after radical hysterectomy and ovarian transposition

To assess the effectiveness of lateral ovarian transposition in preserving normal ovarian function, the medical records of 200 consecutive women with stage I-IIA cervical cancer treated primarily with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy were reviewed. Lateral ovarian transposition was performed at the time of radical hysterectomy in 132 (66%) patients and 28 (21%) received postoperative pelvic radiation therapy. Menopausal symptoms (vaginal dryness, hot flushes) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were used to define ovarian function. Only 3/104 (2.9%) patients who underwent lateral ovarian transposition without postoperative pelvic radiotherapy experienced menopausal symptoms; however, FSH levels in all three cases suggested continued ovarian function. In 14/28 (50%) patients who received postoperative pelvic radiation therapy ovarian failure occurred. The risk of ovarian failure with pelvic radiation therapy after lateral ovarian transposition was significant (RR = 17.3; 95% CI = 5.35-56.13). The incidence of adnexal disease in transposed ovaries requiring analgesics or further surgery was 3%. These data suggest minimal risk to the patient when the ovaries are conserved. Unfortunately, lateral ovarian transposition preserves ovarian function in only 50% of patients undergoing pelvic radiotherapy following radical hysterectomy.
White Blood Cell Counts Mediate the Effects of Physical Activity on Prostate-Specific Antigen Levels

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether white blood cell (WBC) level mediated the relationship between physical activity and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Method: Data from the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used; 1,726 U.S. adult men (aged 40 years or older) provided complete data on the study variables. Participants wore an ActiGraph 7164 accelerometer for a 7-day period to measure their physical activity behavior, and PSA and WBC levels were obtained from a blood sample. Results: After adjustments, results showed that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was inversely associated with WBC count (b = − .03; 95% CI [ − 0.04, − 0.006; p = .01), and WBC count (b = .10; 95% CI [0.009, 0.18; p = .04) was positively associated with PSA. Both the Sobel (coef. = − .004, SE = .002; z = − 2.0; p = .03) and the Aroian (coef. = − .004, SE = .002; z = − 1.9; p = .03) tests demonstrated that WBC mediated the relationship between physical activity an...
New modulation encoding techniques for indirect rotor position sensing in switched reluctance motors

Two novel indirect switched reluctance motor (SRM) rotor position (RP) sensing schemes based on winding current amplitude and phase modulation are presented. An off phase is supplied with a stiff sinusoidal carrier voltage from the sensing circuit to be modulated by an RP dependent phase inductance function. The modulated signal is decoded to obtain the information signal and is calibrated to obtain the RP angle continuously. A combination of phase modulation and amplitude modulation encoder techniques was designed and tested on a 5 hp three-phased 6-4 SRM over a wide range of speed. The position detection scheme kept excellent track of the rotor angle continuously under both load and no-load conditions. This scheme is extremely robust to switching noise present in the sensing phase due to mutually induced voltages. >
The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors myogenin and Id2 mediate specific induction of caveolin-3 gene expression during embryonic development.

Caveolin-3 protein is the only member of the caveolin family that shows a unique muscle-specific expression pattern, and loss of its functional activity causes muscular dystrophy. Caveolin-3 mRNA levels are dramatically increased during the formation of myotubes in the C2C12 cell line. In this study, we characterized the human caveolin-3 5′-flanking region. Promoter analyses demonstrate that the proximal E box element serves as a myogenin binding site and is both necessary and sufficient to control caveolin-3 gene transcription. Transient transfection assays indicated that overexpression of myogenin activates caveolin-3 reporter gene expression, whereas Id2 overexpression inhibited caveolin-3 promoter activation by myogenin. A mutant Id2 protein lacking the HLH domain was not capable of suppressing myogenin-mediated activation. Determination of caveolin-3 transcript distribution patterns in vivo revealed that mRNA was first detectable at day 10 of gestation in the developing somites and heart. Caveolin-3 protein in myoblasts and myotubes was expressed in both the plasma membrane and vesicular structures. During skeletal myogenesis the level of Id2, an inhibitor of differentiation, decreases, allowing the induced basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor myogenin to form transcriptionally active heterodimers that bind to the caveolin-3 promoter and thereby mediate its transcription.
Representation, recognition and reconstruction of objects through a features network

We present a new approach on visual structures recognition. It consists of a representation model which stores the internal relations of visual structures in a location and orientation-invariant way. The system also learns abstract higher-level visual concepts which may be properly recalled. An application example is provided for illustration.
NOTE ON THE MOODS AND TENSES OF THE FRENCH VERB

Author's Summary.— On the importance of the early study of the past tense and of the early use of the subjunctive.
Causality filters: a tool for the online visualization and steering of parallel and distributed programs

Interactive program steering is a promising technique for improving the performance of parallel and distributed applications. Steering decisions are typically based on visual presentations of some subset of the computation's current state, a historical view of the computation's behavior or views of metrics based on the program's performance. As in any endeavor good decisions require accurate information. However the distributed nature of the collection process may result in distortions in the portrayal of the program's execution. These distortions stem from the merging of streams of information from distributed collection points into a single stream without enforcing the ordering relationships that held among the program components that produced the information. An ordering filter placed at the point at which the streams are merged can ensure a valid ordering, leading to more accurate visualizations and better informed steering decisions. In this paper we describe the implementation of such filters in the Falcon interactive steering toolkit, and present a methodology for their specification for automated generation.
The inhibitory influence of the lateral habenula on midbrain dopamine cells: Ultrastructural evidence for indirect mediation via the rostromedial mesopontine tegmental nucleus

The lateral habenula (LHb) provides an important source of negative reinforcement signals to midbrain dopamine (DA) cells in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area (VTA). This profound and consistent inhibitory influence involves a disynaptic connection from glutamate neurons in the LHb to some population of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) cells that, in turn, innervates DA neurons. Previous studies demonstrated that the GABA cells intrinsic to the VTA receive insufficient synaptic input from the LHb to serve as the primary source of this intermediate connection. In this investigation, we sought ultrastructural evidence supporting the hypothesis that a newly identified region of the brainstem, the rostromedial mesopontine tegmental nucleus (RMTg), is a more likely candidate for inhibiting midbrain DA cells in response to LHb activation. Electron microscopic examination of rat brain sections containing dual immunoreactivity for an anterograde tracing agent and a phenotypic marker revealed that: 1) more than 55% of the synapses formed by LHb axons in the RMTg were onto GABA-labeled dendrites; 2) more than 80% of the synapses formed by RMTg axons in the VTA contacted dendrites immunoreactive for the DA synthetic enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase; and 3) nearly all RMTg axons formed symmetric synapses and contained postembedding immunoreactivity for GABA. These findings indicate that the newly identified RMTg region is an intermediate structure in a disynaptic pathway that connects the LHb to VTA DA neurons. The results have important implications for understanding mental disorders characterized by a dysregulation of reward circuitry involving LHb and DA cell populations.
Dimensions of Occupational Prestige

Eight dimensions of occupational prestige are examined for their effect on the general prestige ratings accorded a set of professions in the medical situs, ranging in status from chiropractor to brain surgeon. Stepwise multiple regression analyzes the relative weight of these dimensions among the responses of 410 persons in various types of educational institution. The variable of "importance to society" appears less predictive of overall prestige than "prestige-other," a variable measuring the respondents' view of the general public's evaluation. The findings tend to suggest that public stereotypes exert a normative pressure on individual judgments, as do different linkages of respondents to the occupational structure.
High frequency of t(14;18) translocation in salivary gland lymphomas from Sjögren's syndrome patients.

Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the salivary and lacrimal glands. These patients have a markedly increased frequency of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in their salivary glands and cervical lymph nodes. Translocations of proto-oncogene bcl-2 t(14;18) were observed in five of seven SS-associated lymphomas by Southern blot analysis. Using primers specific for chromosomes 14 and 18, translocation of the proto-oncogene bcl-2 was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in all five lymphomas positive by Southern blot analysis. Among SS patients lacking clinical evidence of coexistent lymphoma, no bcl-2 translocations were detected in 50 consecutive salivary gland biopsies. Of particular interest, pre-lymphoma biopsies were available from the seven SS patients who subsequently developed lymphoma and these DNA samples lacked detectable t(14;18) translocations even though they exhibited oligoclonal rearrangements of their immunoglobulin genes. We conclude that the great sensitivity of PCR can help us in detecting early onset of lymphoma in SS patients and aid in understanding the transition from autoimmunity to lymphoma.
A General Systems Theory of Marriage: Nonlinear Difference Equation Modeling of Marital Interaction

This article describes a new mathematical approach for modeling the prediction of divorce or marital stability from marital interaction using nonlinear difference equations. The approach is quite general for modeling social interaction, and can be applied to any time series data generated over time for two individuals. We pursued a balance model in selecting the dependent variables of this modeling. Both the mathematical methods and the theoretical gains obtained when using this approach are reviewed.
Diagnosis and successful treatment of a presumptive case of aspergillosis in a Micronesian kingfisher (Halcyon cinnamomina cinnamomina).

Abstract A 4-yr-old male Micronesian kingfisher was suspected of having an aspergillus infection. The infection was thought to be related to stress associated with movement to a new enclosure/exhibit and cage-mate aggression. The diagnosis was based on an elevated white cell count, positive antibody and antigen aspergillus titers, and abnormal plasma protein electrophoresis characterized by a moderate elevation of α2 and severe elevation on the β protein fractions. The bird was treated with antifungal medication administered systemically and by nebulization for 10 wk. Response to treatment was monitored by serial white cell counts and plasma electrophoresis. Clinical improvement in this bird was correlated with a return of the white blood cell count to normal levels and what was considered a normal protein electrophoresis distribution.
Wealth, Human Capital and Family across Racial/Ethnic Groups: Integrating Models of Wealth and Locational Attainment

This is a US investigation of the relationship between individuals' neighbourhood characteristics and their familial and socioeconomic resources—with special emphasis on wealth. Spatial assimilation theorists propose that racial/ethnic differences in where people live can be explained by the demographic, economic and familial characteristics of individuals, while place stratification theorists argue that group differences in neighbourhood characteristics are not fully explained by personal resources. There is evidence for the persisting effects of race/ethnicity on locational attainment, but support is also found for wealth influences on locational attainment. In addition, there is evidence of an interaction effect between race and wealth in predicting neighbourhood racial composition and neighbourhood SES, but the nature of the interaction varies by group and outcome.
Thinking with Ngangas : Reflections on Embodiment and the Limits of “Objectively Necessary Appearances”

As Marcel Mauss (1967: 46) famously remarked, western societies draw a “marked distinction… between real and personal law, between things and persons.” Writing at the height of self-conscious early twentieth-century western modernism, Mauss was at pains to point out that it was “only our Western societies that quite recently turned man into an economic animal” (ibid.: 74), and that such a distinction was, historically speaking, a contingent elaboration. Commenting on Mauss' insights, James Carrier (1995: 30), thus, speaks of, “an increasing de-socialization of objects, their growing cultural separation from people and their social relationships” and the development of conceptions of “alienability and impersonality of objects and people in commodity relations” as characteristic of this moment. But Carrier is not entirely happy with the uses made of such insights by students of westerns societies. His intent, rather, is to qualify Mauss' famous distinction between forms of enacting object-relations as social relations shaped by sharply contrasting modes of gift or commodity exchange. Carrier, thus, expends much energy on expounding the extent to which “blocked exchanges” (Walzer 1983) “singularized goods” (Kopytoff 1986), conceptions of “market-inalienability” (Radin 1987) and “inalienable possessions” (Weiner 1992) are not random pre-capitalist survivals fortuitously lingering on within western cultures, but constitutive of forms of sociality indispensable to them. Of course, Carrier is largely concerned with dispelling the economistic fictions of forms of “occidentalist” discourse that systematically project a normative language of market functions and failures onto social practices which regularly produce, rather than merely accidentally throw up, what economists call “externalities” inhibiting optimal market allocations. Nevertheless, it is striking that both Mauss and most of his critics (Carrier being merely an example) take a principal, ontological distinction between people and things for granted. As a result, we are treated to sets of contrasting representations of how cultures (capitalist or other) construe such fundamental realities into different configurations of subjects and objects, so that the mystifications of one social formation or cultural order illuminate those of the other—to ultimately prove a Cartesian point.
Occupational injury among orthopaedic surgeons.

Background: Orthopaedic surgery is a physically demanding profession that requires many hours per week in body positions known to contribute to musculoskeletal injury and pain. Injuries to surgeons can affect the delivery of care and impose costs on the health care system. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and types of injuries sustained at the workplace during the career of an orthopaedic surgeon as well as the impact of such injuries on practicing surgeons. Methods: A survey was developed to assess occupational injury among orthopaedic surgeons. Electronic surveys were distributed via e-mail to all orthopaedic surgeons in Tennessee. Data were analyzed to determine statistical associations of demographic and workplace factors with the rate of injury. Results: One hundred and forty (28%) of 495 surveys were returned, with representation from all orthopaedic subspecialties. Sixty-one (44%) of the respondents reported sustaining one or more injuries at the workplace during their career. A significant association was found between years performing surgery and prevalence of injury (p = 0.03), with surgeons working between twenty-one and thirty years reporting the most injuries. Twenty-five percent of respondents reported sustaining an injury to the hand; 19%, to the lower back; 10%, to the neck; 7%, to the shoulder; and 6%, to another area. Fourteen (10%) of all surgeons reported missing work as a result of a workplace injury, with five (4%) missing at least three weeks. Twenty-three surgeons (38% of injured respondents) reported that no institutional resources were available to support their recovery from the injury. Conclusions: Our study is the first of its kind, to our knowledge, to demonstrate that many orthopaedic surgeons sustain occupational injuries during their careers. The volume of work missed suggests that occupational injury has economic implications for the health-care system and providers. Given the number of injured respondents reporting no institutional support for occupational injuries, more attention should be focused on this issue.
Intrathecal morphine for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting

Abstract Objective: To determine if preinduction intrathecal morphine is associated with successful intraoperative extubation in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Design: A retrospective noncontrolled chart review of all patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Setting: Single university hospital. Participants: One hundred twelve patients. Interventions: One hundred twelve of 150 patients received preinduction intrathecal morphine as part of routine anesthetic care for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Patients received a mean of 1.0 mg of intrathecal morphine (range 0.3–1.6 mg); average weight-corrected dose was 13.2 μg/kg (range 5–24 μg/kg). Measurements and Main Results: This study included intraoperative extubation rate, delayed respiratory depression, and other complications potentially attributable to intrathecal morphine. An intraoperative extubation rate of 77% was found. Five patients received naloxone postoperatively, 4 of them for delayed respiratory depression. Conclusions: It is concluded that intrathecal morphine is associated with a high intraoperative extubation rate in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. The authors’ practice included 24-hour respiratory monitoring to detect delayed respiratory depression.
Analysis of the Coding and Promoter Regions of the Autoantigen IA-2 in Subjects With and Without Autoantibodies to IA-2

Despite extensive studies on HLA polymorphism, there have been few, if any, studies on allelic forms or mutations in proteins that serve as autoantigens. The present experiments were designed to look for alterations in the coding and promoter regions of the autoantigen IA-2 in type one (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients with autoantibodies to IA-2 as compared with siblings without diabetes or autoantibodies to IA-2. Genomic DNA was used as a template and was amplified by polymerase chain reaction, with pairs of primers encompassing the promoter region and the 23 exons of the coding region of IA-2. A total of nine nucleotide changes were found in the coding region of the six type 1 diabetic patients; four were silent and five were missense changes, but all occurred in the extracellular domain of IA-2 to which autoantibodies are not directed. Few, if any, changes were found in the 5' upstream (-706 to +135) promoter region. The results of the experiments support the null hypothesis that differences among individuals in the nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the promoter and coding regions of IA-2, respectively, do not account for why some individuals develop autoantibodies to IA-2 and others do not.
A root-specific bZIP transcription factor is responsive to water deficit stress in tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius) and common bean (P. vulgaris)

Root cDNA libraries were differentially screened to isolate water deficit-responsive transcripts in the relatively drought-resistant plant tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius). A novel root-specific, water deficit-responsive transcript was identified and predicted to encode a bZIP transcription factor. The orthologous form of this gene was isolated from the drought-sensitive P. vulgaris and the patterns of expression of these genes compared. These genes have predicted amino acid sequences in the bZIP domain that are 64% similar to a soybean bZIP protein. There were three amino acid differences between the P. acutifolius bZIP and the P. vulgaris gene product. Both species transcribed this gene in a root-specific and water deficit-responsive manner. The cell-specific pattern of expression for the gene was determined using in situ hybridization and immunolocalization. Two tissues in the root accumulated the protein: epidermis and phloem. The nuclear localization of this protein was determined by electron microscopy. The bZIP protein accumulated in the nuclei of both the epidermal cell and the vascular cell in response to water deficit stress in both species in a similar manner.
A numerical algorithm for the solution of generalized Lyapunov equations

This paper studies the numerical solution of generalized Lyapunov equation arising in the study of stability of continuous and discrete time descriptor (generalized state space or implicit) systems. The algorithms proposed in this paper are shown to be computationally efficient and numerically backward stable. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the performance of proposed algorithm. >
Differing Federal Individual Income Tax Perceptions: Political Party Affiliation And Ideological Philosophy

Individuals who are affiliated with different political parties and who subscribe to different ideological philosophies also tend to have different views on many issues. This paper explores taxpayer perceptions of the federal individual income tax, which can be traced back to 1913 in its present form, based upon their political party affiliation as well as their ideological philosophy. The analysis revealed that the responses to the federal individual income tax statements included in this survey were not independent of political party or ideological philosophy. These results suggest that the political and ideological makeup of Congress and the President are likely to have an impact on future decisions with respect to possible modifications to the federal individual income tax. The question remains whether these differences may be set aside in a consolidated effort to find long range solutions to our country’s fiscal challenges.
Smart Grids Versus the Achilles' Heel of Renewable Energy: Can the Needed Storage Infrastructure Be Constructed Before the Fossil Fuel Runs Out?

In this paper, prima facie evidence is presented to demonstrate that, by the close of this century: 1) the world will be approaching exhaustion of its supply of recoverable fossil fuel; 2) the energy shortages engendered thereby can reliably be avoided only if immediate massive steps are taken to actualize the development and manufacture of important, as yet unproven, components of a global smart energy system; and 3) the world over, there is little evidence (as measured by funding committed for development and demonstration) that the key governments are seriously concerned.
Nightly variability of sleep-disordered breathing measured over 3 nights.

Objective To examine the nightly variability of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) as measured by the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Study design and setting Retrospective comparison of 3 sequential nights of testing performed in the home in 1091 patients who were referred for diagnostic testing of SDB. Results The Pearson and Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged between 0.88 and 0.90 for each pair of nights. Based on night 1, approximately 90% of patients were classified consistently with “AHI-high” (the highest AHI measured across the 3 nights) using an AHI threshold of 5. However, 10% were misclassified on night 1 relative to the highest AHI level. Conclusion and significance These findings suggest that (1) 1 night of diagnostic testing for SDB is not sufficient to diagnosis SDB in approximately 1 of every 10 cases, and (2) there is little, if any, significant nightly change in SDB in the home environment. EBM rating: D.
Uncompensated Hospital Care: Charitable Mission or Profitable Business Decision?

Provision of hospital uncompensated care is generally assumed to be adversely affected as increased healthcare competition decreases demand for compensated hospital services. Economic theory, however, suggests the question is more complex. Non-profit hospitals are assumed in this paper to maximize utility as a function of uncompensated care, subject to the constraint that revenues cover costs. For-profit hospitals, in contrast, are assumed to maximize profit while recognizing that failure to meet community expectations regarding provision of uncompensated care could negatively impact profits. Therefore, for-profit hospital supply of uncompensated care focuses on balancing the hospital's marginal costs and marginal benefits. These models predict that non-profit hospitals will respond to increased competition by reducing the supply of uncompensated care. In contrast, for-profit hospitals will increase the supply of uncompensated care when market demand decreases since the concurrent decrease in compensated care reduces the marginal cost of producing uncompensated care. The models also predict that for-profit hospitals will respond to changes in community expectations regarding the provision of uncompensated care. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A pilot study of big brothers big sisters programs and youth development: An application of critical race theory

Abstract Testing critical race theory, we examined whether children and adolescents with an adult mentor of the same race/ethnicity display higher levels of confidence, competence, and caring than those with a mentor of a different race/ethnicity. We also tested whether longer participation in the mentoring program results in better developmental outcomes. The sample included 47 cross- and same-race mentor-mentee pairs in the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program. Developmental outcomes were measured using Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's (BBBSA) Program-based Outcome Evaluation, and were analyzed using t-test, chi-square, and General Lineal Model. No significant differences were found in youth development based on racial/ethnic match. However, the longer matched pairs showed greater competence. Implications for practice, policies, and research are also discussed.
Pioneering Mammalian Embryo Culture

In the fast pace and competitiveness of modern science, there is less and less time to teach students the background on how the currently used scientific methods and ideas came about. This fact is unfprtunate, for it is salutary to realize that many so-called discoveries and inventions are not new and that the old literature is replete with ideas. In doing our work we often stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before. The study of early mammalian development in vitro, which has undergone explosive growth since 1960, provides many illustrations of these facts. In addition, to minimize the tendency of investigators to “rediscover the wheel”, it is pertinent at this time to reflect on the roots of the field. The subject is closely intertwined with the history of embryo transfer (see Adams, 1982) and of in vitro fertilization [see Austin (1961) and Biggers (1984)].
How preventable is invasive cervical cancer?: A community study of preventable factors

This study measures the effectiveness of the San Diego community's 10 year cytologic screening project in terms of preventing invasive cervical cancer. Sixty-seven patients developed invasive cancer during the year following the cytologic project. Each case was reviewed for “preventable factors” by a Medical Society committee. Errors that resulted in missed or delayed diagnosis were assigned appropriately to the patient, her physician, the laboratory, or the community. Preventability was not limited to patient delay in seeing physicians. Physician errors were found in more than half the cases. False negative cytology was reported by laboratories in almost half. Several cancers showed rapid growth with little evidence of a preceding in situ stage. Prevalence studies indicate a prevention level of approximately 50 per cent for cytologic screening. We conclude that while many individual invasive cervical cancers appear to be preventable, in general this disease cannot be considered completely preventable.
Neural circuitry and immunity

Research during the last decade has significantly advanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms at the interface between the nervous system and the immune system. Insight into bidirectional neuro-immune communication has characterized the nervous system as an important partner of the immune system in the regulation of inflammation. Neuronal pathways, including the vagus nerve-based inflammatory reflex, are physiological regulators of immune function and inflammation. In parallel, neuronal function is altered in conditions characterized by immune dysregulation and inflammation. Here, we review these regulatory mechanisms and describe the neural circuitry modulating immunity. Understanding these mechanisms reveals possibilities to use targeted neuromodulation as a therapeutic approach for inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. These findings and current clinical exploration of neuromodulation in the treatment of inflammatory diseases define the emerging field of Bioelectronic Medicine.
Group estimation method for parameters of Flory–Orwoll–Vrij equation and free volume effects in polymer–solvent interaction parameters

Abstract The Flory–Orwoll–Vrij (FOV) equation is commonly used to analyze the interaction parameters of vapors in polymer melts. The theory considers the free volume effects and requires several pure component parameters, which can be determined from the pressure–volume–temperature (PVT) data of liquids. For polymers the specific volume can be predicted using three characteristic parameters over a temperature and pressure range. For low molecular weight liquids, molar core volume, V*, external degree of freedom, C, and interaction energy parameter, ET, which was introduced in this study, showed linear relationships with the carbon number for several series of homologues. A group calculation method to estimate characteristic parameters was proposed in this study. The free volume effect depended on the reduced volumes of solutes and polymers. It increased when the system temperature increased. Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) data of Flory–Huggins parameters, χ, of several polar solvents in poly(vinyl chloride) and poly(tetramethylene glycol) were positive, but the exchange energy parameters, X12, were negative and consistent with the molecular interaction consideration.
FTIR Studies Of Silica Surface Passivation And Subsequent Adsorption/Desorption Behavior Of Copper Metalorganic Precursors

The passivation of silica surfaces and the subsequent adsorption/desorption of (hfac)Cu(2-butyne) and (hfac)Cu(VTMS) precursors were studied. The goal was to enhance the selective deposition of copper from these compounds during chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The passivation reagents were hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) and triisobutylaluminum (TIBA). Surface passivation with HMDS shielded the hydrogen-bonded surface hydroxyl groups and the strained siloxane surface sites making them inaccessible to both (hfac)Cu(VTMS) and (hfac)Cu(2-butyne) where hfac = 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoroacetylacetonate and VTMS = vinyltrimethylsilane. The adsorbed copper(I) compounds molecularly desorbed from the HMDS-passivated surface below 125 °C. The surface groups resulting from the reaction of TIBA with the silica surface reacted with the copper compounds subsequently adsorbed at 275 °C. The reaction products were present on the surface above 450 °C. These results demonstrate the utility of SiO2 surface modification using HMDS for control of selective CVD of copper.
Clinical trials: Issues and resources

Clinical trials are required for the testing of new treatments and can be a valuable component in the treatment of patients suffering from many types of diseases. A number of barriers, including those by the physician or the patients themselves, limit patient participation. The Internet has begun changing the physician-patient relationship and the recent trend of clinical trial registers online may help eliminate barriers, provide greater information to patients, and further the development of valuable new treatments. Understanding the different national and international resources available can assist patients, clinicians, and librarians to identify the best resource for the situation.
Reply to A. Berruti et al

WethankBerrutietal fortheircorrespondence.Werecommended that adjuvant mitotane therapy be used only in patients with a high likelihoodofrecurrence—that is,patientswith largetumorswithmanyof the features that comprise the Weiss score and small or questionable surgical margins. The panel’s recommendation cited in the correspondence states that mitotane should be offered to patients with potential residual disease (R1 or Rx resection) and/or Ki67 more than 10%. We would agree with the panel’s recommendation, considering that it is similar to our suggestion, although we place less emphasis on Ki67, choosing instead to take a more comprehensive view. Receiving treatment with mitotane also depends on the patient’s preference and the patient’s tolerability of this difficult therapy; however, ensuring careful, frequent follow-up to detect a local recurrence as early as possible is essential. Irina Veytsman Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC
The Federal Trade Commission's Chain Store Investigation: A Note:

A STUDY of the factual reports, as well as of the Final Report, issued by the Federal Trade Commission in the course of its chain store investigation has led the writer to conclude that the Commission has placed too much emphasis upon the so-called buying advantage of the chain store and not enough upon efficient operation in its discussion of factors explaining the development of the chain store. At the same time, the Commission seems guilty of a broad statement concerning special discounts for which its studies give but little support. As these reports will find wide usage among students of marketing, it seems worth while to bring together in this brief note the main evidence for this opinion. We begin with the matter of buying advantage. In its Final Report the Commission, after noting that "lower selling prices are a very substantial, if not the chief, factor in the growth of chain store merchandising," states the conclusion, that "lower buying prices than are available to independents are a most substantial, if not the chief, factor in these lower selling prices."' In support of this conclusion the Commission draws upon statistics concerning chain and independent grocery and drug operators in Washington, Cincinnati, Memphis, and Detroit.2 This material has been summarized from the eight reports concerning this matter and appears in Table I in the form of selling prices, gross margins, and costs of merchandise. In constructing this table the chain selling price has been assumed to be equal to $1.00. In all cases both chain and independent weights have been applied to show the relative importance of the items and a geometric cross has been taken of the results.3 It is worth emphasizing the fact that the cost of merchandising as here presented is after all special discounts, i.e., the cost figures represent the net cost of the purchased items.4 In the grocery study (Part A) independent prices average from 6.42 above the chain store prices in Washington to 10.47 above in Detroit. Why are the chain prices lower than those of the independent? According to the Commission "a most substantial, if not the chief, factor in these selling prices" is the lower buying prices obtained by the chains. Yet a study of the Commission's statistics on this point seems to indicate that by far the most substantial factor (or factors) seems to lie elsewhere. In Washington, of the 6.42 saving at the chain, 1.42 is the result of the chain having a lower cost of merchandise while 5.0 is a result of a lower chain gross margin. In
Antisocial peer affiliation and externalizing disorders in the transition from adolescence to young adulthood: Selection versus socialization effects

Prior research has demonstrated both socialization and selection effects for the relationship between antisocial peer affiliation and externalizing problems in adolescence. Less research has evaluated such effects postadolescence. In this study, a cross-lagged panel analysis was used to evaluate the extent of socialization (i.e., the effect of antisocial peer affiliation on subsequent externalizing disorders) and selection (i.e., the effect of externalizing disorders on subsequent antisocial peer affiliation) in the prospective relationships between antisocial peer affiliation and externalizing disorders from adolescence through young adulthood. Data from a community sample of 2,769 individuals (52% female) with assessments at ages 17, 20, 24, and 29 were used. Analyses with a latent externalizing measure (estimated using clinical symptom counts of nicotine dependence, alcohol use disorder, illicit drug use disorder, and adult antisocial behavior) and self-reported antisocial peer affiliation revealed significantly stronger socialization effects from age 17 to 20, followed by significantly stronger selection effects from age 20 to 24 and 24 to 29. To better understand the impact of college experience, moderation by college status was evaluated at each developmental transition. Results were generally consistent for those who were in or were not in college. Results suggest selection effects are more important in later developmental periods than earlier periods, particularly in relation to an overall liability toward externalizing disorders, likely due to more freedom in peer selection postadolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record
The Exploration Machine - A Novel Method for Structure-Preserving Dimensionality Reduction

We present a novel method for structure-preserving dimen- sionality reduction. The Exploration Machine (Exploratory Observation Machine, XOM) computes graphical representations of high-dimensional observations by a strategy of self-organized model adaptation. Although simple and computationally ecient, XOM enjoys a surprising flexibility to simultaneously contribute to several dierent domains of advanced ma- chine learning, scientific data analysis, and visualization, such as structure- preserving dimensionality reduction and data clustering. 1 Motivation The exceedingly growing amount of high-dimensional information stored in com- puter-accessible data bases and web resources raises the question of how to organize and extract useful knowledge from this abundant material. Here, a key issue is structure-preserving data reduction which has moved into the focus of interest as an issue of high-priority research eorts. Structure-preserving data reduction can frequently be accomplished by two alternative approaches, namely data partitioning in the sense of 'clustering' and dimensionality reduction often referred to as 'embedding'. In this paper, we introduce a novel algorithm called 'Exploration Machine' (Exploratory Observation Machine - XOM) that unexpectedly can approach both domains from a unified viewpoint within a single computational framework. Af- ter explaining the XOM algorithm, we present applications to the analysis of mul- tidimensional biomedical data from dierent real-world domains: whole-genome microarray gene expression experiments and functional MRI analysis. These two dierent examples convey XOM's capability to simultaneously contribute to the aforementioned dierent challenges of pattern recognition, namely structure- preserving dimensionality reduction and clustering.
From childhood into adulthood: the changing face of ADHD

How common is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and does the prevalence change from adolescence to adulthood? A number of studies have reviewed the persistence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from childhood into adolescence and adulthood as well as how the disorder changes over the lifespan of the illness. Recently, a metaanalysis found that the worldwide prevalence of childhood ADHD is ∼8%, and approximately two thirds of children with ADHD continue to have the disorder as adults. The National Comorbidity Survey is possibly the most comprehensive, up-to-date study examining the prevalence of community-based prevalence of adult ADHD; 4.4% of patients in that study were found to have ADHD. The prevalence of ADHD among adolescent patients seems to lie somewhere between the prevalence rates for children and adults.
Task topic knowledge vs. background domain knowledge: Impact of two types of knowledge on user search performance

Domain knowledge affects search success and behaviors but different aspects of domain knowledge, i.e., topic knowledge and background knowledge, has not normally been distinguished. We were interested in finding out if the two would have different effects on search performance for typical research search tasks, and we report empirical evidence from a user study. Participants’ topic knowledge and background knowledge were measured separately as different aspects of domain knowledge. Our results indicate that topic knowledge and background knowledge impact search performance at different levels. While topic knowledge was significantly correlated with performance measures for individual tasks, background knowledge was significantly correlated with performance at more general levels, over multiple task sessions. This finding furthers our understanding of the role of domain knowledge in search activities.
HETEROGENEIDAD DE LAS MÁSCARAS: ENTRE EL CARNAVAL DE BAJTÍN Y EL GROTESCO CRIOLLO DE DISCÉPOLO

This article attempts to establish a parallel between Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of carnival’s mask in Rabelais and His World and other writings, and the mask in Grotesco Criollo Theater in Buenos Aires, during the first decades of the twentieth century. The article begins by defining similarities and differences in the use of these two masks. In the medieval case, the mask is used as a tool of equalization and social catharsis, and in the Grotesco Criollo, the mask is articulated as a shaping tool for conformity and social adaptation. Thus, the practical and aesthetic functions of both masks, though complementary in terms of their ingredients (mask/ social function/social order), are opposites in their implementation and community values. The carnival mask is a mask trying to break the established order momentarily, simply to keep it in the end. Instead, the grotesque mask is a mask that operates from within the individual and the family forcing him/ her to stabilize national customs, values, expectations for the suburban immigrant community (foreign and peasant) displaced to Buenos Aires’ periphery to self-ensure their physical survival. However, such insurance often comes at the cost of emotional and social wellbeing of these displaced marginal subjects.
Scalable Certificate Revocation Schemes for Smart Grid AMI Networks Using Bloom Filters

Given the scalability of the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) networks, maintenance and access of certificate revocation lists (CRLs) pose new challenges. It is inefficient to create one large CRL for all the smart meters (SMs) or create a customized CRL for each SM since too many CRLs will be required. In order to tackle the scalability of the AMI network, we divide the network into clusters of SMs, but there is a tradeoff between the overhead at the certificate authority (CA) and the overhead at the clusters. We use Bloom filters to reduce the size of the CRLs in order to alleviate this tradeoff by increasing the clusters’ size with acceptable overhead. However, since Bloom filters suffer from false positives, there is a need to handle this problem so that SMs will not discard important messages due to falsely identifying the certificate of a sender as invalid. To this end, we propose two certificate revocation schemes that can identify and nullify the false positives. While the first scheme requires contacting the gateway to resolve them, the second scheme requires the CA additionally distribute the list of certificates that trigger false positives. Using mathematical models, we have demonstrated that the probability of contacting the gateway in the first scheme and the overhead of the second scheme can be very low by properly designing the Bloom filters. In order to assess the scalability and validate the mathematical formulas, we have implemented the proposed schemes using Visual C. The results indicate that our schemes are much more scalable than the conventional CRL and the mathematical and simulation results are almost identical. Moreover, we simulated the distribution of the CRLs in a wireless mesh-based AMI network using ns-3 network simulator and assessed its distribution overhead.
La irrupción de la mujer deseante en España: discursos médicos sobre la sexualidad y su recepción por escritoras y políticas próximas a la izquierda, 1900-1936

According to recent research, the modernization of gender discourse that was carried out in Spain at the beginning of the Twentieth-Century preserved traditional female identity, which essentially defined women as mothers. I argue that the modernization of gender system required the creation and implementation of our current sexual paradigm. Although, motherhood, not sexual desire, was the most pervasive social imposition upon women, this does not exclude the decisive importance of a regulatory model based upon erotic desire. The new sexual paradigm is repeatedly offered by numerous and influential figures within intellectual, artistic, and scientific discourse. This new system was in part the reaction of masculine authority to the process of women's emancipation. My analysis is focused on medical discourse, which was the privileged route for legitimization at the time, and its reception by those to whom it was specially intended, that is, women whose ideas or public activities could satisfy feminist goals.