cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implementing Case Management in New York State’s Partnerships for Publicly Funded Breast Cancer Screening

INTRODUCTION This research aimed to explore differences in the implementation of case management among local breast cancer screening partnerships in New York State after changes in federal public policy in 1998 and to achieve a better understanding of case management in a new and distinct practice setting. Capacity and willingness to implement change were theorized to explain local differences in implementation. Local breast cancer screening programs that received federal funding through the New York State Department of Health were invited to participate in the study. METHODS A mail survey was administered to the directors of New York's 53 local breast cancer screening partnerships in 2003. The survey included questions about willingness and capacity to implement case management and a scale to assess case management program philosophy. Factor analysis and correlations were used to compare willingness and capacity with differences in implementation. RESULTS Two common factors--task focus and self-identity focus--were identified as factors that differentiated case management programs. Task-focus partnerships undertook a broader range of tasks but were less likely to report autonomy in making program changes. Self-identity partnerships were less likely to report difficulties with other agencies and scored highly on innovation, involvement in work, and interest in client service. Having a nurse as the case manager, being aware of the standards of case management, and providing health education were associated with both task focus and self-identity focus. CONCLUSION The study identified distinct styles of implementation. These styles have implications for the breadth of services provided, such as whether client-level services only are offered. Interagency coordination was facilitated in partnerships with comprehensive case management.
Personal and Cultural Narrative as Inspiration: A Painting and Pedagogical Collaboration with Mayan Artists

This mentorship project between three artist-teachers from different cultures reveals insights into the transmission of cross-cultural painting pedagogy. A collaborative ethnographic study is described that explores my perspective as a North-American painter participating in a mentorship learning experience with Mayan Tz'utuhil painter Pedro Rafael Gonzalez Chavajay and Mayan Kaqchikel painter Paula Nicho Cumez. The study examined the philosophy and methods underlying artistic studio practice and pedagogy and took place in a nonformal learning context in which artwork was made in the home and surrounding community. The objective of the project was to develop insights into Mayan pedagogy and delineate implications for transformative curricula for the art experience of preservice art educators in the United States. Entry through mentorship is presented as an investigative strategy that can contribute to the larger body of cross-cultural research in art education in general and studio-led art learning in par...
The integration of library, telecommunications and computing services in a university

Today many IS departments and individuals are attempting to transform from technical groups and specialists to user oriented functions and customer support personnel. The major responsibility of the traditional IS department has evolved from the development, operation, and support of technology to the management of information. In the university environment, managers of information have traditionally been librarians. Librarians have increasingly become users of electronic information resources. A merger of the library with computing and telecommunications brings together technical expertise with information management skills. This case study describes the process of integrating the library, computing and telecommunications services in a University. Within the last two years, a new manager in the newly created position of Chief Information Officer merged these diverse organizations. We will describe the techniques used during the first year to foster communication, develop new strategic direction, and create and implement a new organizational structure. We will focus on establishing leadership, the organizational change and operational planning process, and the initial implementation of the new organizational structure. We will describe some of the problems and obstacles that needed to be addressed, including new managementâ€™s establishment of trust and control, creating an environment for change, managing change amid strong time pressures, human resource issues, and resource constraints.
Abstract 14409: Cardiac Angiogenesis and Arteriogenesis Suppression After Myocardial Infarction Through Activation of Dipeptidyl Peptidase I

Introduction: Inflammatory cells participation in new blood vessel formation is critical for tissue repair in response to tissue injury, such as myocardial infarction (MI). However, the mechanism(s...
Perturbed-attractor particle swarm optimization for image restoration

This chapter addresses the problem of restoration of images degraded by blurring and noise. Image degradation is modeled as the convolution of a low-pass, two-dimensional point spread function with a reference or undegraded image. The image restoration problem is modeled as an optimization problem and a modified particle swarm optimization algorithm is developed. This approach is evaluated using image quality metrics that consider the quality of edges restored as well as the fidelity of the restored image with respect to the undegraded reference image. A novel-edge sharpness metric is also proposed. The new approach is shown to perform well in several image restoration examples.
Premarket safety population size associated with approval of expedited program drugs and orphan drugs.

Abstract Objective For approved expedited program and orphan drugs, the safety populations used for premarket drug risk assessments are often limited in size. The study’s objective was to determine whether large safety populations, with the capacity for excluding uncommon adverse drug effects, influenced approval of these drugs for patients use. Study Design and Setting The study included expedited program and orphan drugs for which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed the drug applications for approval decisions from 2007 to 2014. From the series of 100 fast track and orphan drugs, approved or non-approved drug applications were compared. Results Among the fast track and orphan drugs, large safety populations having 1,500 or more subjects were associated with increased odds of drug approval (adjusted odds ratio, OR, 10.75; 95% CI, 1.52-133.43). Only a third of the approved drugs had large safety populations. Conclusion Approved expedited and orphan drugs are more likely than the non-approved to have been assessed using large safety populations.
Initial development of a new scale for examining couples' beliefs about their role in their partner's health: The Relationship Health Belief Scale.

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Relationship and Health Belief Scale (RHBS), a new measure designed to identify how individuals in a relationship see their role and responsibility in their partners' physical health and health management. METHOD Dyadic data from 234 heterosexual couples were used to examine the psychometric properties of the RHBS. Partners were sampled back to back and were asked to complete a battery of measures. RESULTS Results revealed that the RHBS fit a 1-factor solution of 6 items, a summed or mean score can be used, and that it is reliable for both men and women. DISCUSSION The RHBS measure is a brief measure for use in health care settings that physicians and health care providers could administer to identify potential points of intervention for patient's romantic partners to help boost and sustain changes in lifestyle and health management. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Mitochondrial calcium uniporter regulates PGC-1α expression to mediate metabolic reprogramming in pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease with an increased mortality. Metabolic reprogramming has a critical role in multiple chronic diseases. Lung macrophages expressing the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) have a critical role in fibrotic repair, but the contribution of MCU in macrophage metabolism is not known. Here, we show that MCU regulates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) and metabolic reprogramming to fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in macrophages. MCU regulated PGC-1α expression by increasing the phosphorylation of ATF-2 by the p38 MAPK in a redox-dependent manner. The expression and activation of PGC-1α via the p38 MAPK was regulated by MCU-mediated mitochondrial calcium uptake, which is linked to increased mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) production. Mice harboring a conditional expression of dominant-negative MCU in macrophages had a marked reduction in mtROS and FAO and were protected from pulmonary fibrosis. Moreover, IPF lung macrophages had evidence of increased MCU and mitochondrial calcium, increased phosphorylation of ATF2 and p38, as well as increased expression of PGC-1α. These observations suggest that macrophage MCU-mediated metabolic reprogramming contributes to fibrotic repair after lung injury.
The death and rebirth of bikesharing in Seattle: Implications for policy and system design

Abstract What factors determine the ridership of micro-mobility systems such as bikesharing or scooter sharing? This paper presents a case study on bikesharing in Seattle, USA, which has the distinction of being both one of the few cities in the world where a modern public bikesharing system (named Pronto in Seattle) has been shut down, and the first US city to permit dockless bikesharing operations. These dockless services produced more bikesharing trips in four months than Pronto did in its entire two-and-a-half-year run, and in their first year 11 times more rides than Pronto had in its first year. The contrast in performance between these two systems provides a unique opportunity to test alternative theories for why Pronto’s ridership struggled where others have succeeded, offering more general insights into how system designers and regulators can avoid repeating the pitfalls of Seattle’s original bikesharing launch. This case study triangulates qualitatively between popular press reports, interviews with key stakeholders, an original survey of bikesharing users, and ridership data from multiple bikesharing systems to evaluate the contributions of eleven factors to Pronto’s low ridership. It concludes that the most important reasons for Pronto’s struggles were inadequate system scale, station density, geographic coverage area, ease of use, and pricing structure. Critically, these factors all represent explicit choices made by system designers and policymakers, rather than local market or environmental factors beyond their control. The higher ridership of dockless bikesharing in Seattle appears primarily due to differences in these factors, which are not necessarily exclusive to dockless services. The paper closes with a discussion of how policymakers can avoid condemning emerging micro-mobility services to Pronto’s fate of low ridership.
Stacking broiler litter to reduce natural hormones.

Abstract Estrone, 17β-estradiol, and testosterone are naturally occurring hormones excreted in broiler litter. With some potential for environmental concern from the hormones, understanding management practices effect on hormone concentrations is beneficial for the poultry industry. As the amount of hormones potentially introduced into the environment is directly related to the concentration at the time of land application, the purpose of this study was to investigate hormone dynamics in stacked broiler litter during the storage period before removal from the farm and/or land application. Stack temperatures and hormones concentrations were monitored at 15, 45, 75 cm, and 105 cm (measured from the stack bottom) in 6 different on-farm stack houses over 4 or 8 wk. Significant differences in temperature were determined by height and by stack. Stack temperatures during the first 4 wk ranged from 41.5°C to 54.5°C, and all stacks reached maximum temperature by 7 D. Highest temperatures were observed at the 45-cm or 75-cm height. Average stack temperatures correlated with the ambient temperature. Hormone concentration did not vary with height within each house. In 5 of the 6 stack houses, the concentrations of 17β-estradiol and/or testosterone significantly decreased after stacking for 4 or 8 wk (35 to 64%) with only one house showing a significant decrease in estrone concentration (72% in 4 wk). The percent change of estrone and 17β-estradiol mineralization during the first 4 wk was negatively correlated with the 7-D temperature of the pile (r2 = 0.80), indicating that the high temperatures observed during stacking may inhibit estrogen mineralization. In this study, hormone degradation decreased with high temperatures. Therefore, stack management favoring at least a period of low temperatures may help promote mineralization of these hormones and reduce any potential for introduction into the surrounding environment.
In reply: Geriatric patient-centered medical home

Readers comment on synthetic legal intoxicating drugs (April 2012) and on the geriatric patient-centered medical home (May 2012).
Developments in treating the nonmotor symptoms of stroke

Stroke is among the most common causes of disability worldwide. Nonmotor symptoms of stroke are common and disabling. Many are treatable, and intervention improves the quality of life for stroke su...
Using JTAG Interface to Enhance Microprocessor Education

Microcontroller systems are widely used in our daily lives and are almost entirely controlled by System on chips (SoCs) because of their advantages and development in high density integrated circuits, that of which reduces system design time, reduces system cost and increases the system's reliability. Therefore, SoCs should be widely adopted by engineering education systems in order to meet requirements in the job market; furthermore, low cost SoCs allow them to be widely used in affordable education systems for students while ensuring a low lab maintenance cost in the education system. However, higher integrated SoCs might be harder to use in Introduction of Microprocessor/Microcontroller courses because it is harder for student to have access to peripheral circuits. The complex system setup, such as bootloader code, confuses those students less acquainted in microcontroller, too. In this paper, JTAG interface is adopted to use SoCs in our Introduction of Microcontrollers course. It allows students to access to the internal circuits in SoCs, which helps students understand the structure of microcontrollers. Furthermore, students can use JTAG interface to configure peripherals without any software background, so students can have hands-on practice from the beginning of class, even though they may be less familiar in microcontroller and software design for microcontroller systems.
HBV Core Promoter Inhibition by Tubulin Polymerization Inhibitor (SRI-32007).

Approximately 257 million people chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) worldwide are at risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, despite the availability of potent nucleoside/tide inhibitors, currently there are no curative therapies for chronic HBV infections. To identify potential new antiviral molecules, a select group of compounds previously evaluated in clinical studies were tested against 12 different viruses. Amongst the compounds tested, SRI-32007 (CYT997) demonstrated antiviral activity against HBV (genotype D) in HepG2.2.2.15 cell-based virus yield assay with 50% effective concentration (EC50) and selectivity index (SI) of 60.1 nM and 7.2, respectively. Anti-HBV activity of SRI-32007 was further confirmed against HBV genotype B in huh7 cells with secreted HBe antigen endpoint (EC50 40 nM and SI 250). To determine the stage of HBV life cycle inhibited by SRI-32007, time of addition experiment was conducted in HepG2-NTCP cell-based HBV infectious assay. Results indicated that SRI-32007 retained anti-HBV activity even when added 72 hours postinfection (72 h). Additional mechanism of action studies demonstrated potent inhibition of HBV core promoter activity by SRI-32007 with an EC50 of 40 nM and SI of >250. This study demonstrates anti-HBV activity of a repurposed compound SRI-32007 through inhibition of HBV core promoter activity. Further evaluation of SRI-32007 in HBV animal models is needed to confirm its activity in vivo. Our experiments illustrate the utility of repurposing strategy to identify novel antiviral chemical leads. HBV core promoter inhibitors such as SRI-32007 might enable the development of novel therapeutic strategies to combat HBV infections.
On pressure and velocity flow boundary conditions and bounceback for the lattice Boltzmann BGK model

Pressure (density) and velocity boundary conditions inside a flow domain are studied for 2-D and 3-D lattice Boltzmann BGK models (LBGK) and a new method to specify these conditions are proposed. These conditions are constructed in consistency of the wall boundary condition based on an idea of bounceback of non-equilibrium distribution. When these conditions are used together with the improved incompressible LBGK model by Zou et al., the simulation results recover the analytical solution of the plane Poiseuille flow driven by pressure (density) difference with machine accuracy. Since the half-way wall bounceback boundary condition is very easy to implement and was shown theoretically to give second-order accuracy for the 2-D Poiseuille flow with forcing, it is used with pressure (density) inlet/outlet conditions proposed in this paper and in Chen et al. to study the 2-D Poiseuille flow and the 3-D square duct flow. The numerical results are approximately second-order accurate. The magnitude of the error of the half-way wall bounceback is comparable with that using some other published boundary conditions. Besides, the bounceback condition has a much better stability behavior than that of other boundary conditions.
Let Sleeping Regs Lie: A Diatribe on Regulation A's Futility Before and After the J.O.B.S. Act

Did Congress do the right thing when it attempted to revise Regulation A through Title IV of the J.O.B.S. Act or was their legislative effort an exercise in futility?On April 4 2012, President Obama signed into law the J.O.B.S. (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act. The Act’s intent is to ease the regulatory burden on smaller companies when issuing securities in both private and public offerings. This paper’s specific focus is on the Act’s Title IV. Title IV makes revisions to Regulation A, a private securities offering exemption promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933.A big problem with Regulation A historically is that the provisions were burdensome, costly, and time consuming. In addition to a Federal component that required the issuer to file an offering statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Regulation A also requires that the issuer meet filing requirements within each state jurisdiction in which the issuer planned on offering its securities. The heavy compliance burden was coupled with the fact that the most you could raise through a Regulation A offering was $5 million. As a result, Regulation A has historically been all but dormant in use. The J.O.B.S. Act’s Title IV has sought to remedy this by making several changes to Regulation A; the most noteworthy of which involves raising the offering ceiling from $5 million to $50 million. The question then is will this be enough to offset the compliance burdens that historically have kept issuers from using Regulation A. This paper takes a critical look at the changes to Regulation A mandated under the J.O.B.S. Act and concludes that Congress missed the mark yet again with its Regulation A revisions.Congress should have left Regulation A alone as a poorly conceived regulation that was flawed at its initial inception. Not quite an expose, this paper calls to task Congress’ legislative thought process in the area of securities offering exemptions and seeks to hold them accountable for creating a revised offering exemption without regard for its potential end users.
Immateriality and Early Modern English Literature : Shakespeare, Donne, Herbert

Immateriality and Early Modern English Literature explores how early modern writers responded to rapidly shifting ideas about the interrelation of their natural and spiritual worlds.
Finite State Two-Dimensional Compressibility

Combining results from [6, 9, 11], a generalized, parametric quantity q(I), measurable on any given individual picture (two dimensional array of data) I, is proved to be a lower bound on the compression ratio attainable for I by any information lossless finite state encoder. Quantity q(I) is shown to be a tight lower bound, asymptotically attainable, and thus an inherent measure of the picture. Different measures of sequence and picture complexity are related to q(I). Other measurable quantities, also serving as tight lower bounds on the attainable compression, are referred to.
Effects of temperature on dissociative and nondissociative electron attachment

Results of recent studies on the effects of temperature, T, on the dissociative and nondissociative electron attachment to molecules are presented and discussed.
Coordinated feet and the dance of ryanodine receptors.

When a muscle contracts, it does so all at once and suddenly. Marx et al. (p. 818) show that one of the coordinated events underlying this simultaneous tensing is the release of calcium into the cytoplasm of the muscle cell. In their Perspective, Bers and Fill describe how ryanodine receptors, which release the calcium, act together to instantly raise the amount of calcium in the cytoplasm to a very high level, triggering a strong contraction of the muscle.
Antepartum versus intrapartum selective screening for maternal group B streptococcal colonization

Selective antepartum culturing was performed in pregnant women at high risk for low-birth-weight delivery and neonatal infection, in order to identify the presence of the group B streptococcus (GBS). Intrapartum culturing was performed in an additional group of gravid women when they presented either in premature labor or with prematurely ruptured membranes. Antepartum screening for GBS offered no additional advantage over intrapartum culturing in predicting pregnancies that resulted in neonatal infection. Therefore, an intrapartum approach is recommended.
Bulk Properties of Ni3Al(gamma') With Cu and Au Additions

The BFS method for alloys is applied to the study of 200 alloys obtained from adding Cu and Au impurities to a Ni3Al matrix. We analyze the trends in the bulk properties of these alloys (heat of formation, lattice parameter, and bulk modulus) and detect specific alloy compositions for which these quantities have particular values. A detailed analysis of the atomic interactions that lead to the preferred ordering patterns is presented.
DnaA protein directs the binding of DnaB protein in initiation of DNA replication in Escherichia coli.

DnaA protein of Escherichia coli acts in the initiation of chromosomal replication to bind to sequences in the chromosomal origin. On binding, it promotes the assembly of other replication proteins that serve to prime DNA replication and assemble the replication apparatus for bidirectional replication fork movement. A collection of monoclonal antibodies to DnaA protein have been produced, one of which is described here, that interferes with the action of DnaA protein in promoting formation of a prepriming complex. On the analysis of this process, the antibody appears to interfere with the physical interaction between DnaA and DnaB protein in the DnaB.DnaC complex. Cross-linking studies confirm that DnaA and DnaB proteins interact directly. These results provide the first direct evidence that one of the roles of DnaA protein is to act as a site for binding of DnaB protein to the DNA and perhaps orients DnaB helicase to account for the directionality of replication fork movement.
Biosynthesis of Sphingolipid Bases III. ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF KETONIC INTERMEDIATES IN THE SYNTHESIS OF SPHINGOSINE AND DIHYDROSPHINGOSINE BY CELL-FREE EXTRACTS OF HANSENULA CIFERRI

Abstract In the absence of reduced triphosphopyridine nucleotide, two isotopically labeled ketones were found to accumulate when l-serine and ammonium palmitate-14C were incubated with ATP, coenzyme A, and a cell-free particulate preparation from the yeast Hansenula ciferri. These compounds, in the form of their N-acetyl-, trimethylsilyl-, and 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone derivatives, have been identified as 3-ketodihydrosphingosine (1-hydroxy-3-oxo-2-aminooctadecane) and 3-ketosphingosine (1-hydroxy-3-oxo-2-aminooctadec-4-ene) by thin layer chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography, and by repeated crystallizations of N-acetyl-3-ketodihydrosphingosine to constant specific radioactivity. In the presence of TPNH, these compounds are enzymatically reduced to dihydrosphingosine and sphingosine. These findings indicate that 3-ketodihydrosphingosine and 3-ketosphingosine are intermediates in the biosynthesis of dihydrosphingosine and sphingosine, respectively, and that in yeast the biosynthetic pathways leading to saturated and unsaturated sphingolipid bases diverge at some point before reduction of the ketonic intermediates with TPNH.
Toward a Unified Grading Vocabulary: Using Grading Rubrics to Set Student Expectations and Promote Consistency in Legal Writing Courses

Faced with the American Bar Association's proposed changes to law school accreditation standards, especially related to student assessment and outcome measurement, law schools are responding by developing and incorporating assessment standards. Likely related to these proposed changes, there has been an undeniable recent trend in law school assessment scholarship, which is one way to measure law schools' reactions to the call for change. This article contributes to that trend by offering an introduction to a methodology of assessing legal writing - through the use of detailed grading guidelines called rubrics. Our experience over the past several years of using rubrics in our legal writing courses has resulted in improved student expectations and more consistent teaching across our Legal Research and Writing (LRW) Program. In our article, we encourage the legal writing community to embrace rubrics as a way to achieve similar results. In addition, we argue that in writing courses, not only is there room for objective assessment, but there must be a means of objective assessment. If all legal writing professors are teaching solely their personal preferences and grading on subjective standards alone, they are doing their students a disservice. Instead, though, we argue that the legal writing community is marching to the beat of the same drum; even with the various acronyms for the same legal writing paradigm, we value good writing in the same way. And in using rubrics, we can create a framework in which to recognize - and measure - these qualities of good writing. In our article, we also encourage use of rubrics in other courses beyond legal writing, and based on our experience in LRW, provide some practical guidance about creating and using rubrics. Thus, the article provides both a pedagogical and practical introduction to the use of rubrics in law schools.
FOLK NORMS AND BIOMECHANICS.

This paper describes some of the folk norms or so-called “rules of thumb” that governed the making of tools and implements up to middle of the nineteenth century. These norms were established on the bases of intuition or through a long process of development by trial and error. In many instances dimensions arrived at on the basis of these norms have agreed with those established as optimal by means of biomechanical analysis.
Personality and Customer Service in Retail

Three aspects of personality were hypothesized to be related to customer service. Discriminant analysis confirmed that the "good" service providers rated themselves higher in Extraversion, Patience and Understanding, and Adjustment. These results suggest that personality effects employees' service orientation and performance.
Parental Assessment of the Social and Emotional Adaptation of Children at High Risk for Schizophrenia

Recent models of schizophrenia development assume a continuous etiologic process that begins in childhood, perhaps as early as conception (Garmezy & Streitman, 1974). A further assumption is that early signs of this development are observable before the onset of acute symptoms. This orientation has been the basis of extensive research efforts aimed at discovering the childhood roots of schizophrenia. One such research program, under way for a decade, has studied the development of a group of children believed to be at high risk for schizophrenia (Erlenmeyer-Kimling, 1975). Using a broad range of cognitive, psychophysiological, psychological, and behavioral measures, the development of the high-risk group (children having one or two schizophrenic parents) has been compared to that of a psychiatric control group (children having one or two depressed parents) and a normal control group (whose parents have had no psychiatric history). The children were in primary school when the study began and have now entered the age range where schizophrenia has its highest incidence.
Stability of Tensile-Strained Ge Studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy

Theoretically, 1.4% biaxial tensile strain could produce a direct bandgap in Ge. But high strain can lead to dislocations that reduce radiative efficiency and carrier mobilities. Also, the high circulating power in a laser can lead to damage in real time. In this study, we examined the sensitivity of strained Ge to damage by irradiating it with high-energy electrons and comparing which strain conditions which led to dislocations. Three-dimension strain in Ge waveguides was introduced by SiNx stress liners. The resulting strain was characterized by Raman spectroscopy. We observed a Ge peak shift of up to 11 cm-1, which corresponds to a sufficiently high strain that we expected direct bandgap emission. However, photoluminescence (PL) showed weak signals in high strained waveguides and little wavelength shift in low-strain waveguides. This suggested a relaxed (unstrained) interface or damage or dislocations at the interface. To study the strained Ge interface, we performed a time-dependent damage study under TEM-irradiation on two 0.5 μm-width waveguides with different strain. For low strained samples, we observed only weak damage confined to a 2 nm layer near the interface. However, for highly strained waveguides, the interface was severely damaged by e-beam within mere seconds, and the damage propagates into the deeper region with time. Raman and PL were consistent with our observations from TEM. In summary, we found that strained Ge interfaces were highly susceptible to damage under e-beam, and the dislocations propagated deep into the waveguide. This suggests possible limits to achievable strain and laser performance.
Legal and Social Alternatives in Treating Older Child Sexual Offenders

(1989). Legal and Social Alternatives in Treating Older Child Sexual Offenders. Journal of Offender Counseling Services Rehabilitation: Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 141-147.
Leiomyosarcoma of the rectum: report of a case.

A case of leiomyosarcoma of the rectum is reported, and the opportunity is taken to review the literature and discuss the clinical signs, course and management of the disease.
Alternative mechanisms of apparent supernormal atrioventricular conduction

Abstract Alternative mechanisms were found to explain several different electrocardiographic examples of apparent supernormal atrioventricular (A-V) conduction in man using programmed premature atrial and ventricular stimulation and His bundle recordings. Sudden shortening of the P-R interval during A-V nodal Wenckebach phenomenon was due to manifest or concealed reentry within the A-V node. Gap phenomena in which late atrial premature depolarizations blocked while earlier atrial premature depolarizations conducted were shown to result from delay of earlier atrial premature depolarizations in the A-V node (type I gap) or in the His-Purkinje system (type II gap). Mechanisms analogous to the latter were found in cases of apparent supernormality of intraventricular conduction: Late atrial premature depolarizations resulted in aberration whereas earlier atrial premature depolarizations conducted normally because of delay within the A-V node or His-Purkinje system. Unexpected normalization of a bundle branch block pattern also resulted from Wenckebach phenomenon in the bundle branches. Atypical Wenckebach phenomenon with the first beat of the period demonstrated that aberration was due to phase 4 depolarization. Preexcitation of the ventricle before the delivery of a previously blocked atrial premature depolarization allowed conduction through the area of block (A-V node) because of earlier depolarization of the latter with earlier recovery. In the His-Purkinje system, 2:1 A-V block was converted to 1:1 conduction when a premature ventricular depolarization shortened the refractoriness of the His-Purkinje system.
Prototyping and evaluation of landcons: auditory objects that support wayfinding for blind travelers

Sighted people use vision to quickly access a rich amount of information about their environment. Blind users are deprived of this information, which compromises their abilities both to understand their surroundings and to navigate within them. Alternative sensory information, such as sound or touch, is substituted for the missing stimulus [7]. This information supports navigation in the immediate vicinity, e.g., the location of obstacles and hazards, but does not provide the location of distant unique objects which sighted people often use as navigating landmarks. The opportunity exists to electronically augment a blind user's environment with information about distant landmarks, e.g., information that would allow a blind person to turn in a circle, listen to distant landmarks, and then proceed in a direction guided by a chosen landmark.
Aerobiology of Pinus taeda pollen clouds

Better knowledge of aerobiological properties of pollen clouds is needed for pines and other woody peren- nials because these properties shape the predictive accuracy of spatially explicit pollen dispersal models. Four proper- ties were experimentally measured in this study using processed Pinus taeda L. (loblolly pine) pollen as well as pollen concentration and viability data collected from an 18-year-old P. taeda plantation. Results showed that P. taeda pollen had a settling or terminal velocity value of 2.1 cms -1 ; that daytime pollen count from a plantation was sparse, reaching a maximum of 1480 grainsm -3 at peak pollen shed; and that pollen concentration showed no vertical gra- dient above or below the plantation's canopy. Pollen sampled above and within the canopy had comparable germina- tion rates. Surprisingly, a low concentration of viable Pinus spp. pollen was present during nighttime. Study results added further to the idea that P. taeda pollen has a higher nuisance value than either Zea mays L. (maize) or Agro- stis stolonifera L. (creeping bentgrass) pollen because of its low terminal velocity value, persistent viability, and per- ennial production. Resume´ : Une meilleure connaissance des proprietesa erobiologiques des nuages de pollen est necessaire dans le cas des pins et des autres plantes ligneuses perennes parce que ces proprietesd eterminent la precision des predictions des modeles spatialement explicites de dispersion du pollen. Quatre proprietes ont etemesurees experimentalement dans cette etude al'aide de pollen traitede Pinus taeda L. (pin a encens) et de donnees de concentration et de viabilitedu pollen collectees dans une plantation de P. taeda agee de 18 ans. Les resultats montrent que le pollen de P. taeda a une valeur de velociteterminale ou de sedimentation de 2,1 cms -1 , que la quantitede pollen comp- tee durant le jour dans une plantation est faible, atteignant un maximum de 1 480 grains parm -3 au plus fort de la liberation du pollen et que la concentration de pollen ne montre aucun gradient vertical au-dessus ou au-dessous de la canopee de la plantation. Le pollen echantillonneau-dessus de la canopee avait des taux de germination compa- rables au pollen echantillonnea l'interieur de la canopee. Etonnamment, une faible concentration de pollen viable de Pinus spp. etait presente durant la nuit. Les resultats de cette etude viennent renforcer la notion que le pollen de P. taeda a une valeur de nuisance plus elevee que le pollen du Zea mays L. (mao¨s) ou de l'Agrostis stolonifera L. (agrostide) acause de sa faible valeur de velociteterminale, de sa viabilitepersistante et de sa longue periode de production. (Traduit par la Redaction)
CHRONOMERGE: an application for the merging and display of multiple time-stamped data streams

CHRONOMERGE is a database application that facilitates merging and display of multiple time-stamped data streams. Each stream is a table containing time-stamped values of one or more parameters (such as a panel of laboratory tests) for multiple patients, and is typically created by querying a clinical data respiratory. The data within a single stream therefore represent a pool of multiple time series. The merge operation is complex because of the numerous options to be considered, such as the granularity of the time interval for merge, and the choice of statistical aggregates. CHRONOMERGE combines multiple streams into a single stream based on patient and time, or time alone (if aggregates are to be computed across patients). It allows specification of various options through a graphical user interface and generates appropriate SQL code (or invokes procedural routines) to perform the merge. The resultant stream, or subsets of it, can then be displayed graphically. CHRONOMERGE is intended to facilitate the analysis of time-stamped data that have been extracted from repositories when standard tools (such as the time-series modules of statistics packages) are inadequate.
The effect of ions on the superstructures of reconstituted collagen.

The effect of a variety of electrolytes on the stabilization and destabilization of the rod-like superstructures in reconstituted collagen membranes have been studied by small-angle light scattering (SALE). Structural orders at two levels are effected: association–disassociation at the micron level and the helix-coil transitions at the mollecular level. In addition to lyotropic salts, several transition metal ions were also studied. They act to disassociate collagen aggregates by the formation of stable complexes.
Role of Subplate Neurons in Functional Maturation of Visual Cortical Columns

The subplate forms a transient circuit required for development of connections between the thalamus and the cerebral cortex. When subplate neurons are ablated, ocular dominance columns do not form in the visual cortex despite the robust presence of thalamic axons in layer 4. We show that subplate ablation also prevents formation of orientation columns. Visual responses are weak and poorly tuned to orientation. Furthermore, thalamocortical synaptic transmission fails to strengthen, whereas intracortical synapses are unaffected. Thus, subplate circuits are essential not only for the anatomical segregation of thalamic inputs but also for key steps in synaptic remodeling and maturation needed to establish the functional architecture of visual cortex.
Suppression of transverse instability of stripe beams by 1D photonic lattices

We theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that transverse instability of soliton stripes can be greatly suppressed when the solitons propagate in a 1D lattice under self-defocusing nonlinearity.
Isothermal Enthalpy and Density Studies of Polymeric Glasses Versus Formation Parameters

Time-dependent properties of glassy polymers have been studied extensively by observing changes with time of either specific volume or “apparent enthalpy” obtained from scanning-calorimeter-derived specific heats. It is known, however, that the rate of changes of these parameters are dependent not only on temperature but as well on the initial state of the glass;’ yet few studies have been directed toward systematically correlating more than one processing parameter (commonly, annealing temperature) with more than one ordering parameter. Likewise, little attention has been directed toward the initial state of the glass. In this study we independently control the vitrification pressure (Pv, 15 to 60,000 psi) and vitrification cooling rate (R”, 0.lo to 400°K/min) and determine enthalpies measured isothermally (Ah,),* densities, and qualitatively compare scanning calorimeter traces. We observe that, for polystyrene at time = 0, Ah, increases linearly and strongly with logR, and increases linearly but weakly with P,. Likewise, we observe that density decreases linearly with logR,. Most important is the fact that the pressure and cooling rate coefficients of both Ahr and density are virtually independent, i.e., aAh,/aP, and ap/aP, are independent of R,, and dAh,laR, and aplaR, are independent of P,. Thus we can write:
An IgG3-IL2 fusion protein activates complement, binds Fc gamma RI, generates LAK activity and shows enhanced binding to the high affinity IL-2R

The therapeutic value of Interleukin 2 (IL-2) is limited by its short half life and systemic toxicity. One approach to overcoming these problems is to fuse this protein to an antibody, a protein with a long half life and the ability to target a unique antigen within the body. To examine the biochemical properties of such a molecule a fusion protein was constructed linking the N-terminus of human IL-2 to the C-terminus of IgG3. A similar fusion between IgG1 and IL-2 has previously been shown to bind antigen, generate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and stimulate T cell proliferation and cytotoxicity. We now extend these studies and show that the fusion protein, termed IgG3-IL2, is appropriately N-glycosylated within the IgG3 CH2 domain, binds the human high affinity Fc receptor (Fc gamma RI) with an affinity slightly lower than that of IgG3, and is able to activate complement via the classical pathway to lyse antigen coated sheep red blood cells (SRBC). When used to stimulate the proliferation of the IL-2 dependent cell line CTLL-2, IgG3-IL2 has a specific activity slightly lower than that of human recombinant IL-2 (hrIL-2). In marked contrast, when comparable unit concentrations, as defined by the standard CTLL-2 proliferation assay, are used to stimulate human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), IgG3-IL2 generates significantly greater lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cell cytotoxicity than does hrIL-2. Competition studies show that IgG3-IL2 binds the intermediate affinity form of the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R), consisting of the beta and gamma subunits, with an affinity slightly less than that of hrIL-2. In contrast, IgG3-IL2 shows a greater affinity than hrIL-2 for the high affinity IL-2R, consisting of alpha, beta and gamma subunits. Our studies show that the IgG3-IL2 fusion protein possesses a combination of the biological properties of IgG3 and IL-2 including antigen binding, complement activation, Fc gamma RI binding, IL-2R binding and stimulation of both proliferation and LAK activity. This combination of activities may allow IgG3-IL2 to target humoral and cell-mediated immune activation to the site of an antigen of interest or target an antigen to IL-2R bearing cells or organs.
Aberrant Histone Acetylation Promotes Mitochondrial Respiratory Suppression In the Brain of Alcoholic Rats

The acetylation of histone proteins in the core of DNA regulates gene expression, including those affecting mitochondria. Both histone acetylation and mitochondrial deficit have been implicated in neuronal damage associated with drinking problems. Many alcoholics will repeat unsuccessful attempts at abstaining, developing a pattern of repeated drinking and withdrawal. We investigated whether aberrant histone acetylation contributes to mitochondrial and cellular damage induced by repeated ethanol withdrawal (EW). We also investigated whether this effect of histone acetylation involves let-7f, a small noncoding RNA (microRNA). Male rats received two cycles of an ethanol/control diet (7.5%, 4 weeks) and withdrawal. Their prefrontal cortex was collected to measure the mitochondrial respiration and histone acetylation using extracellular flux (XF) real-time respirometry and gold immunostaining, respectively. Separately, HT22 (mouse hippocampal) cells received two cycles of ethanol exposure (100 mM, 20 hours) and withdrawal. Trichostatin A (TSA) as a histone acetylation promoter and let-7f antagomir were applied during withdrawal. The mitochondrial respiration, let-7f level, and cell viability were assessed using XF respirometry, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, TaqMan let-7f primers, and a calcein-acetoxymethyl assay, respectively. Repeated ethanol withdrawn rats showed a more than 2-fold increase in histone acetylation, accompanied by mitochondrial respiratory suppression. EW-induced mitochondrial respiratory suppression was exacerbated by TSA treatment in a manner that was attenuated by let-7f antagomir cotreatment. TSA treatment did not alter the increasing effect of EW on the let-7f level but dramatically exacerbated the cell death induced by EW. These data suggest that the multiple episodes of withdrawal from chronic ethanol impede mitochondrial and cellular integrity through upregulating histone acetylation, independent of or additively with let-7f.
Divine Conservation and Spinozistic Pantheism

In a recent paper, Robert A. Oakes argues that a doctrine central to, and partially constitutive of, classical theism implies a certain sort of pantheism. The doctrine in question is a modal form of the claim that God conserves in existence the world of contingent things; alternatively, it is the view that all contingently existing things are necessarily continuously dependent upon God for their existence. And the variety of pantheism at stake is a modal form of the thesis that all contingent things are, in some sense, included within the being of God.
Heterogeneous nonmarket benefits of managing white pine bluster rust in high-elevation pine forests

Abstract This article describes a nonmarket valuation study about benefits of managing the invasive disease white pine blister rust in high-elevation forests in the Western United States. Results demonstrate that, on average, households in the Western United States are willing to pay $154 to improve the resiliency of these forests. Factor analysis shows that long-run protection of the forests dominates recreation in motivating support. Cluster analysis suggests three groups of survey respondents: those indifferent to the program and not willing to pay, those wanting to protect the future of the high-elevation forests, and those wanting to protect both the forests and related recreational opportunities.
Effects of HIV antiretrovirals on the pharmacokinetics of hormonal contraceptives

Objectives To review available information on pharmacokinetic effects of HIV antiretrovirals on hormonal contraceptives.Methods A PubMed search was conducted from 1964 to 2006 using each antiretroviral generic name and the keywords contraceptive, contraception, ethinyl oestradiol, oestrogen, and progestin. Abstracts from the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections and International AIDS Society Conferences from 1998–2006 as well as package product inserts were reviewed for completeness.Results Antiretroviral regimens containing protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors may decrease the area under the curve (AUC) levels of steroids released by hormonal contraceptives. Some antiretroviral-hormonal contraceptive pairs do not decrease steroid hormone levels.Conclusion Pharmacokinetic interactions of antiretrovirals on hormonal contraceptives are specific to the type of antiretroviral and hormonal contraceptive being utilized. HIV-positive women may be couns...