Millersville University

No AccessJournal of UrologyUrological Survey: Abstracts: Benign and Malignant Neoplasms of Prostate1 Apr 1999Biochemical Outcome After Radical Prostatectomy, External Beam Radiation Therapy, or Interstitial Radiation Therapy for Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer A.V. D'Amico, R. Whittington, S.B. Malkowicz, D. Schultz, K. Blank, G.A. Broderick, J.E. Tomaszewski, A.A. Renshaw, I. Kaplan, C.J. Beard, and A. Wein A.V. D'AmicoA.V. D'Amico More articles by this author , R. WhittingtonR. Whittington More articles by this author , S.B. MalkowiczS.B. Malkowicz More articles by this author , D. SchultzD. Schultz More articles by this author , K. BlankK. Blank More articles by this author , G.A. BroderickG.A. Broderick More articles by this author , J.E. TomaszewskiJ.E. Tomaszewski More articles by this author , A.A. RenshawA.A. Renshaw More articles by this author , I. KaplanI. Kaplan More articles by this author , C.J. BeardC.J. Beard More articles by this author , and A. WeinA. Wein More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5347(01)61700-2AboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail "Biochemical Outcome After Radical Prostatectomy, External Beam Radiation Therapy, or Interstitial Radiation Therapy for Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer." The Journal of Urology, 161(4), p. 1393 Joint Center for Radiation Therapy, Harvard Medical School and Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, and Departments of Radiation Oncology, Urology and Pathology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Department of Mathematics, University of Millersville, Millersville, Pennsylvania© 1999 by American Urological Association, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 161Issue 4April 1999Page: 1393 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 1999 by American Urological Association, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information A.V. D'Amico More articles by this author R. Whittington More articles by this author S.B. Malkowicz More articles by this author D. Schultz More articles by this author K. Blank More articles by this author G.A. Broderick More articles by this author J.E. Tomaszewski More articles by this author A.A. Renshaw More articles by this author I. Kaplan More articles by this author C.J. Beard More articles by this author A. Wein More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF DownloadLoading ...

This book explores Africa's involvement in the Atlantic world from the fifteenth century to the eighteenth century. It focuses especially on the causes and consequences of the slave trade, in Africa, in Europe, and in the New World. African institutions, political events, and economic structures shaped Africa's voluntary involvement in the Atlantic arena before 1680. Africa's economic and military strength gave African elites the capacity to determine how trade with Europe developed. Thornton examines the dynamics of colonization which made slaves so necessary to European colonizers, and he explains why African slaves were placed in roles of central significance. Estate structure and demography affected the capacity of slaves to form a self-sustaining society and behave as cultural actors, transferring and transforming African culture in the New World.

We used retrograde transneuronal transport of herpes simplex virus type 1 to map the origin of cerebellar and basal ganglia "projections" to leg, arm, and face areas of the primary motor cortex (M1). Four to five days after virus injections into M1, we observed many densely labeled neurons in localized regions of the output nuclei of the cerebellum and basal ganglia. The largest numbers of these neurons were found in portions of the dentate nucleus and the internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi). Smaller numbers of labeled neurons were found in portions of the interpositus nucleus and the substantia nigra pars reticulata. The distribution of neuronal labeling varied with the cortical injection site. For example, within the dentate, neurons labeled from leg M1 were located rostrally, those from face M1 caudally, and those from arm M1 at intermediate levels. In each instance, labeled neurons were confined to approximately the dorsal third of the nucleus. Within GPi, neurons labeled from leg M1 were located in dorsal and medial regions, those from face M1 in ventral and lateral regions, and those from arm M1 in intermediate regions. These results demonstrate that M1 is the target of somatotopically organized outputs from both the cerebellum and basal ganglia. Surprisingly, the projections to M1 originate from only 30% of the volume of the dentate and <15% of GPi. Thus, the majority of the outputs from the cerebellum and basal ganglia are directed to cortical areas other than M1.

Abstract This paper presents a comprehensive review of recent empirical studies dealing with online consumer behavior and decision‐making processes. To that end, the paper adapts and extends Engel, Kollat, and Blackwell's ( 1978 ) and Engel, Blackwell, and Miniard's ( 1986 ) decision‐making model as backdrop in the review of the literature. The vast majority of studies examine the link between external factors and one or more components of the decision‐making process. The findings of this study show a paucity of research on a number of components of decision making, as well as inconsistencies in the way the online environment is characterized. Finally, the findings show that student samples are prevalent among the studies identified and the research method is biased toward the survey method as opposed to experimentation. Discussion and conclusions are provided, and directions for future research are presented. ©2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

BACKGROUND: The protein phosphatase 2Cs (PP2Cs) from various organisms have been implicated to act as negative modulators of protein kinase pathways involved in diverse environmental stress responses and developmental processes. A genome-wide overview of the PP2C gene family in plants is not yet available. RESULTS: A comprehensive computational analysis identified 80 and 78 PP2C genes in Arabidopsis thaliana (AtPP2Cs) and Oryza sativa (OsPP2Cs), respectively, which denotes the PP2C gene family as one of the largest families identified in plants. Phylogenic analysis divided PP2Cs in Arabidopsis and rice into 13 and 11 subfamilies, respectively, which are supported by the analyses of gene structures and protein motifs. Comparative analysis between the PP2C genes in Arabidopsis and rice identified common and lineage-specific subfamilies and potential 'gene birth-and-death' events. Gene duplication analysis reveals that whole genome and chromosomal segment duplications mainly contributed to the expansion of both OsPP2Cs and AtPP2Cs, but tandem or local duplication occurred less frequently in Arabidopsis than rice. Some protein motifs are widespread among the PP2C proteins, whereas some other motifs are specific to only one or two subfamilies. Expression pattern analysis suggests that 1) most PP2C genes play functional roles in multiple tissues in both species, 2) the induced expression of most genes in subfamily A by diverse stimuli indicates their primary role in stress tolerance, especially ABA response, and 3) the expression pattern of subfamily D members suggests that they may constitute positive regulators in ABA-mediated signaling pathways. The analyses of putative upstream regulatory elements by two approaches further support the functions of subfamily A in ABA signaling, and provide insights into the shared and different transcriptional regulation machineries in dicots and monocots. CONCLUSION: This comparative genome-wide overview of the PP2C family in Arabidopsis and rice provides insights into the functions and regulatory mechanisms, as well as the evolution and divergence of the PP2C genes in dicots and monocots. Bioinformatics analyses suggest that plant PP2C proteins from different subfamilies participate in distinct signaling pathways. Our results have established a solid foundation for future studies on the functional divergence in different PP2C subfamilies.

Researchers of mathematics learning disability (MLD) commonly use cutoff scores to determine which participants have MLD. Some researchers apply more restrictive cutoffs than others (e.g., performance below the 10th vs. below the 35th percentile). Different cutoffs may lead to groups of children that differ in their profile of math and related skills, including reading, visual-spatial, and working memory skills. The present study assesses the characteristics of children with MLD based on varying MLD definitions of math performance either below the 10th percentile (n = 22) or between the 11th and 25th percentile (n = 42) on the Test of Early Math Ability, second edition (TEMA-2). Initial starting levels and growth rates for math and related skills were examined in these two MLD groups relative to a comparison group (n = 146) whose TEMA-2 performance exceeded the 25th percentile. Between kindergarten and third grade, differences emerged in the starting level and growth rate, suggesting qualitative differences among the three groups. Despite some similarities, qualitative group differences were also observed in the profiles of math-related skills across groups. These results highlight differences in student characteristics based on the definition of MLD and illustrate the value of examining skill areas associated with math performance in addition to math performance itself.

BACKGROUND: To the authors' knowledge, consensus is lacking regarding the relative long-term efficacy of radical prostatectomy (RP) versus conventional-dose external beam radiation therapy (RT) in the treatment of patients with clinically localized prostate carcinoma. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 2635 men treated with RP (n = 2254) or conventional-dose RT (n = 381) between 1988-2000 was performed. The primary endpoint was prostate specific antigen (PSA) survival stratified by treatment received and high-risk, intermediate-risk, or low-risk group based on the serum PSA level, biopsy Gleason score, 1992 American Joint Commission on Cancer clinical tumor category, and percent positive prostate biopsies. RESULTS: Estimates of 8-year PSA survival (95% confidence interval [95% CI]) for low-risk patients (T1c,T2a, a PSA level < or = 10 ng/mL, and a Gleason score < or = 6) were 88% (95% CI, 85, 90) versus 78% (95% CI, 72, 83) for RP versus patients treated with RT, respectively. Eight-year estimates of PSA survival also favored RP for intermediate-risk patients (T2b or Gleason score 7 or a PSA level > 10 and < or = 20 ng/mL) with < 34% positive prostate biopsies, being 79% (95% CI, 73, 85) versus 65% (95% CI, 58, 72), respectively. Estimates of PSA survival in high-risk (T2c or PSA level > 20 ng/mL or Gleason score > or = 8) and intermediate-risk patients with at least 34% positive prostate biopsies initially favored RT, but were not significantly different after 8 years. CONCLUSIONS: Intermediate-risk and low-risk patients with a low biopsy tumor volume who were treated with RP appeared to fare significantly better compared with patients who were treated using conventional-dose RT. Intermediate-risk and high-risk patients with a high biopsy tumor volume who were treated with RP or RT had long-term estimates of PSA survival that were not found to be significantly different.

Allozymes were used to study the spatial attributes of clones (genets) comprising a population of Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn var. latiusculum (Desv.) Underw. ex Heller (bracken fern) in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. Ramets (individual leaves) were sampled at intervals of 165 m (or less in some cases) and genotyped for six polymorphic isozyme loci to produce a map depicting the spatial patterning of genets. Forty-five distinct genotypes were detected, 14 of which were sampled more than once, five of these more than four times. Genotype proportions at all loci except Pgm-1 conformed to Hardy-Weinberg expectations. Estimation of allele frequencies in the population used a "round-robin" approach that removed any upward bias for rare alleles that distinguish genets. Based on these allele frequencies, the probability that each genotype could arise independently and be sampled was calculated. Some genotypes represented by widely separated ramets had very low probabilities of re-encounter, documenting fragmentation of widespread genets. Coarse-scale mapping indicated a population consisting of many small genets and a few very large ones (up to 1,015 m across). The larger genets tended to be irregular in shape, fragmented, and overlapping. Fine scale mapping of individual fronds in spatially discrete patches of ramets revealed extensive intergrowth of genets, indicating that P. aquilinum exhibits a "guerrilla-type" clonal morphology.

Buruli ulcer is a neglected emerging disease that has recently been reported in some countries as the second most frequent mycobacterial disease in humans after tuberculosis. Cases have been reported from at least 32 countries in Africa (mainly west), Australia, Southeast Asia, China, Central and South America, and the Western Pacific. Large lesions often result in scarring, contractual deformities, amputations, and disabilities, and in Africa, most cases of the disease occur in children between the ages of 4-15 years. This environmental mycobacterium, Mycobacterium ulcerans, is found in communities associated with rivers, swamps, wetlands, and human-linked changes in the aquatic environment, particularly those created as a result of environmental disturbance such as deforestation, dam construction, and agriculture. Buruli ulcer disease is often referred to as the "mysterious disease" because the mode of transmission remains unclear, although several hypotheses have been proposed. The above review reveals that various routes of transmission may occur, varying amongst epidemiological setting and geographic region, and that there may be some role for living agents as reservoirs and as vectors of M. ulcerans, in particular aquatic insects, adult mosquitoes or other biting arthropods. We discuss traditional and non-traditional methods for indicting the roles of living agents as biologically significant reservoirs and/or vectors of pathogens, and suggest an intellectual framework for establishing criteria for transmission. The application of these criteria to the transmission of M. ulcerans presents a significant challenge.

A three‐dimensional (3‐D) cloud‐scale chemical transport model that includes a parameterized source of lightning NO x on the basis of observed flash rates has been used to simulate six midlatitude and subtropical thunderstorms observed during four field projects. Production per intracloud ( P IC ) and cloud‐to‐ground ( P CG ) flash is estimated by assuming various values of P IC and P CG for each storm and determining which production scenario yields NO x mixing ratios that compare most favorably with in‐cloud aircraft observations. We obtain a mean P CG value of 500 moles NO (7 kg N) per flash. The results of this analysis also suggest that on average, P IC may be nearly equal to P CG , which is contrary to the common assumption that intracloud flashes are significantly less productive of NO than are cloud‐to‐ground flashes. This study also presents vertical profiles of the mass of lightning NO x after convection based on 3‐D cloud‐scale model simulations. The results suggest that following convection, a large percentage of lightning NO x remains in the middle and upper troposphere where it originated, while only a small percentage is found near the surface. The results of this work differ from profiles calculated from 2‐D cloud‐scale model simulations with a simpler lightning parameterization that were peaked near the surface and in the upper troposphere (referred to as a “C‐shaped” profile). The new model results (a backward C‐shaped profile) suggest that chemical transport models that assume a C‐shaped vertical profile of lightning NO x mass may place too much mass near the surface and too little in the middle troposphere.

Salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentration increased significantly after subjects viewed a humorous videotape and did not change significantly after they viewed a didactic videotape. Scores on a questionnaire measuring the perceived use of humor as a coping skill were positively related to initial IgA concentration and inversely related to changes in IgA concentration after subjects' viewing of the humorous videotape, which implies a ceiling effect. Enhancement of the immune system may be one link between anecdotal claims of relationships between an individual's being in a positive emotional state and healing.

Abstract The central Great Plains region in North America has a nocturnal maximum in warm-season precipitation. Much of this precipitation comes from organized mesoscale convective systems (MCSs). This nocturnal maximum is counterintuitive in the sense that convective activity over the Great Plains is out of phase with the local generation of CAPE by solar heating of the surface. The lower troposphere in this nocturnal environment is typically characterized by a low-level jet (LLJ) just above a stable boundary layer (SBL), and convective available potential energy (CAPE) values that peak above the SBL, resulting in convection that may be elevated, with source air decoupled from the surface. Nocturnal MCS-induced cold pools often trigger undular bores and solitary waves within the SBL. A full understanding of the nocturnal precipitation maximum remains elusive, although it appears that bore-induced lifting and the LLJ may be instrumental to convection initiation and the maintenance of MCSs at night. To gain insight into nocturnal MCSs, their essential ingredients, and paths toward improving the relatively poor predictive skill of nocturnal convection in weather and climate models, a large, multiagency field campaign called Plains Elevated Convection At Night (PECAN) was conducted in 2015. PECAN employed three research aircraft, an unprecedented coordinated array of nine mobile scanning radars, a fixed S-band radar, a unique mesoscale network of lower-tropospheric profiling systems called the PECAN Integrated Sounding Array (PISA), and numerous mobile-mesonet surface weather stations. The rich PECAN dataset is expected to improve our understanding and prediction of continental nocturnal warm-season precipitation. This article provides a summary of the PECAN field experiment and preliminary findings.

Temperature is an important determinant of malaria transmission. Recent work has shown that mosquito and parasite biology are influenced not only by average temperature, but also by the extent of the daily temperature variation. Here we examine how parasite development within the mosquito (Extrinsic Incubation Period) is expected to vary over time and space depending on the diurnal temperature range and baseline mean temperature in Kenya and across Africa. Our results show that under cool conditions, the typical approach of using mean monthly temperatures alone to characterize the transmission environment will underestimate parasite development. In contrast, under warmer conditions, the use of mean temperatures will overestimate development. Qualitatively similar patterns hold using both outdoor and indoor temperatures. These findings have important implications for defining malaria risk. Furthermore, understanding the influence of daily temperature dynamics could provide new insights into ectotherm ecology both now and in response to future climate change.

Uncovering how teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning influence their instructional practices and students’ goals in the classroom is important for understanding how to create learning environments focused on mastery and understanding. Most of the previous research on this topic has investigated these relationships in teachers, classrooms and students at either the elementary, middle or college level. Using this research as a guide, the current investigation examined relationships among teacher beliefs, instructional practices and classroom goal orientations in high school science classrooms. Path analysis techniques were used to analyze responses and revealed that personal teaching efficacy and teachers’ perceptions of a supportive school culture were related to teachers’ use of instructional practices focused on task mastery and understanding. Teachers’ perceptions of a supportive school culture were also related to teachers’ use of instructional practices focused on competition and to students’ perceptions of a mastery classroom goal orientation. The use of practices focused on demonstrating ability was related to perceptions of a competitive school culture. In light of these findings, the applicability of research findings from the elementary and middle school settings is discussed, along with how the unique nature of the high school learning environment may explain these findings.

This book tells the story of the Christian religious movement led by Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita in the Kingdom of Kongo from 1704 until her death, by burning at the stake, in 1706. Beatriz, a young woman, claimed to be possessed by St Anthony, argued that Jesus was a Kongolese, and criticized Italian Capuchin missionaries in her country for not supporting black saints. The movement was largely a peace movement, with a following among the common people, attempting to stop the devastating cycle of civil wars between contenders for the Kongolese throne. Thornton supplies background information on the Kingdom, the development of Catholicism in Kongo since 1491, the nature and role of local warfare in the Atlantic slave trade, and contemporary everyday life, as well as sketching the lives of some local personalities.

“SuomiNet,” a university-based, real-time, national Global Positioning System (GPS) network, is being developed for atmospheric research and education with funding from the National Science Foundation and with cost share from collaborating universities. The network, named to honor meteorological satellite pioneer Verner Suomi, will exploit the recently shown ability of ground-based GPS receivers to make thousands of accurate upper- and lower-atmospheric measurements per day. Phase delays induced in GPS signals by the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere can be measured with high precision simultaneously along a dozen or so GPS ray paths in the field of view. These delays can be converted into integrated water vapor (if surface pressure data or estimates are available) and total electron content (TEC), along each GPS ray path. The resulting continuous, accurate, all-weather, real-time GPS moisture data will help advance university research in mesoscale modeling and data assimilation, severe weather, precipitation, cloud dynamics, regional climate, and hydrology. Similarly, continuous, accurate, all-weather, real-time TEC data have applications in modeling and prediction of severe terrestrial and space weather, detection and forecasting of low-altitude ionospheric scintillation activity and geomagnetic storm effects at ionospheric midlatitudes, and detection of ionospheric effects induced by a variety of geophysical events. SuomiNet data also have potential applications in coastal meteorology, providing ground truth for satellite radiometry, and detection of scintillation associated with atmospheric turbulence in the lower troposphere. The goal of SuomiNet is to make large amounts of spatially and temporally dense GPS-sensed atmospheric data widely available in real time, for academic research and education. Information on participation in SuomiNet is available via www.unidata.ucar.edu/suominet.

The purpose of this article is to describe a series of techniques for teaching students about groups. Vygotsky’s social constructivism is used as a theoretical framework to understand the ways that students acquire knowledge about groups. After a brief discussion of this framework, we turn to a discussion of five specific pedagogical techniques for teaching small group and teamwork principles. These techniques include (a) carefully assigning group membership, (b) using a grading structure that incorporates individual, group, and peer evaluation assessment, (c) testing students individually and in groups, (d) asking students to write two papers that require an analysis and synthesis of both readings and observations, and (e) requiring a comprehensive service learning project from students that requires their collaboration for successful completion. The last portion of the article describes the challenges of using each of these techniques and the typical results of their application.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium ulcerans is the causative agent of Buruli ulcer (BU), a destructive skin disease found predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa and south-eastern Australia. The precise mode(s) of transmission and environmental reservoir(s) remain unknown, but several studies have explored the role of aquatic invertebrate species. The purpose of this study was to investigate the environmental distribution of M. ulcerans in south-eastern Australia. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A range of environmental samples was collected from Point Lonsdale (a small coastal town southwest of Melbourne, Australia, endemic for BU) and from areas with fewer or no reported incident cases of BU. Mycobacterium ulcerans DNA was detected at low levels by real-time PCR in soil, sediment, water residue, aquatic plant biofilm and terrestrial vegetation collected in Point Lonsdale. Higher levels of M. ulcerans DNA were detected in the faeces of common ringtail (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) and common brushtail (Trichosurus vulpecula) possums. Systematic testing of possum faeces revealed that M. ulcerans DNA could be detected in 41% of faecal samples collected in Point Lonsdale compared with less than 1% of faecal samples collected from non-endemic areas (p<0.0001). Capture and clinical examination of live possums in Point Lonsdale validated the accuracy of the predictive value of the faecal surveys by revealing that 38% of ringtail possums and 24% of brushtail possums had laboratory-confirmed M. ulcerans skin lesions and/or M. ulcerans PCR positive faeces. Whole genome sequencing revealed an extremely close genetic relationship between human and possum M. ulcerans isolates. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The prevailing wisdom is that M. ulcerans is an aquatic pathogen and that BU is acquired by contact with certain aquatic environments (swamps, slow-flowing water). Now, after 70 years of research, we propose a transmission model for BU in which terrestrial mammals are implicated as reservoirs for M. ulcerans.

This descriptive study used qualitative methods to look at two aspects of the search for meaning in parental bereavement--the search for cognitive mastery and the search for renewed purpose. One hundred and seventy-six bereaved parents answered open-ended questions about the experience of their child's death and the meaning of their life since the death. For most parents, the child's death precipitated a severe crisis of meaning and initiated a search for meaning that involved both cognitive mastery and renewed purpose. Those parents who were able to find meaning in the death cited connections with people, the memory of the child, and positive gains resulting from the trauma. The great majority of parents believed that their lives since the death of the child had meaning. Meaning came from connections with people, activities, beliefs and values, personal growth, and connections with the lost child. Implications for grief counseling are discussed.

Distance education is a medium of teaching and learning that has grown significantly in the past 10 years as indicated by the number of higher education institutions that offer courses and/or full degree programs via distance learning. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (1999), the number of degree-granting higher education institutions offering distance