cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“WHY BE MORAL?” The Cheng Brothers' Neo‐Confucian Answer

In this article, I present a neo-Confucian answer, by Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, to the question, “Why should I be moral?” I argue that this answer is better than some representative answers in the Western philosophical tradition. According to the Chengs, one should be moral because it is a joy to perform moral actions. Sometimes one finds it a pain, instead of a joy, to perform moral actions only because one lacks the necessary genuine moral knowledge—knowledge that is accessible to every common person as long as one makes the effort to learn. One should make the effort to learn such knowledge—to seek joy in performing moral actions—because to be moral is a distinguishing mark of being human. This neo-Confucian answer seems to be egoistic, as its conception of motivation for morality is based on self-interest: to seek one's own joy. However, since it emphasizes that one's true self-interest is to seek joy in things uniquely human, which is to be moral, self-interest and morality become identical; the more a person seeks one's self-interest, the more moral the person is, and vice versa.
Self-reported race/ethnicity in the age of genomic research: its potential impact on understanding health disparities

This review explores the limitations of self-reported race, ethnicity, and genetic ancestry in biomedical research. Various terminologies are used to classify human differences in genomic research including race, ethnicity, and ancestry. Although race and ethnicity are related, race refers to a person’s physical appearance, such as skin color and eye color. Ethnicity, on the other hand, refers to communality in cultural heritage, language, social practice, traditions, and geopolitical factors. Genetic ancestry inferred using ancestry informative markers (AIMs) is based on genetic/genomic data. Phenotype-based race/ethnicity information and data computed using AIMs often disagree. For example, self-reporting African Americans can have drastically different levels of African or European ancestry. Genetic analysis of individual ancestry shows that some self-identified African Americans have up to 99% of European ancestry, whereas some self-identified European Americans have substantial admixture from African ancestry. Similarly, African ancestry in the Latino population varies between 3% in Mexican Americans to 16% in Puerto Ricans. The implication of this is that, in African American or Latino populations, self-reported ancestry may not be as accurate as direct assessment of individual genomic information in predicting treatment outcomes. To better understand human genetic variation in the context of health disparities, we suggest using “ancestry” (or biogeographical ancestry) to describe actual genetic variation, “race” to describe health disparity in societies characterized by racial categories, and “ethnicity” to describe traditions, lifestyle, diet, and values. We also suggest using ancestry informative markers for precise characterization of individuals’ biological ancestry. Understanding the sources of human genetic variation and the causes of health disparities could lead to interventions that would improve the health of all individuals.
Saturation properties of large-aperture photoconducting antennas

The authors describe the saturation properties of ultrafast pulsed electromagnetic radiation generated by large-aperture photoconducting antennas as a function of optical excitation fluence. A theory that predicts this effect is presented. The amplitude saturation of the radiation has been observed form antennas incorporating GaAs, InP, and radiation damaged silicon-on-sapphire consistent with theoretical expectations. The radiated fields were measured directly with a time resolution of 0.6 ps with the use of a large-aperture antennas as a detector. From these experimental studies, information about the high-speed response (i.e., the transient carrier mobility in the first few picoseconds after optical excitation) of the photoconductors incorporated in the antenna can be obtained under conditions of high applied electric fields and optical fluences. >
Healthy work environments, nurse-physician communication, and patients' outcomes.

Background Adverse events and serious errors are common in critical care. Although factors in the work environment are important predictors of adverse outcomes for patients, communication between nurses and physicians may be the most significant factor associated with excess hospital mortality in critical care settings. Objectives To examine the relationships between nurses' perceptions of their practice environment, nurse-physician communication, and selected patients' outcomes. Methods A nonexperimental, descriptive design was used, and all nurses (N=866) working in 25 intensive care units in southeastern Michigan were surveyed. The Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II and the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index were used to measure characteristics of the work environment; the ICU Nurse-Physician Questionnaire was used to measure nurse-physician communication. Nurses self-rated the frequency of ventilator-associated pneumonia, catheter-related sepsis, and medication errors in patients under their care. Results A total of 462 nurses (53%) responded. According to multilevel modeling, both practice environment scales accounted for 47% of the variance in nurse-physician communication scores (P=.001). Nurse-physician communication was predictive of nurse-assessed medication errors only (R2=0.11). Neither environment scale was predictive of any of the patient outcomes. Conclusions Healthy work environments are important for nurse-physician communication. In intensive care units, characteristics of the work environment did not vary enough to be significantly predictive of outcomes, suggesting that even in various types of critical care units, characteristics of the work environment may be more similar than different.
Immunochemical identification of the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor protein in human heart

A number of recent clinical observations suggest that vitamin D3plays an important role in maintaining normal cardiovascular function, either directly through its receptor in cardiac muscle, or indirectly through its infuence on circulating levels of calcium or on other regulatory factors. By using an antibody directed against the recombinant vitamin D3receptor, we have identified the receptor protein for 1,25(OH)2D3in tissue from two human hearts. The identification of the 1,25(OH)2D3receptor in human heart lends credence to the hypothesis that 1,25(OH)2D3directly effects the human heart and may be involved in several clinically relevant pathological conditions involving the vitamin D3endocrine system.
An introduction to machine learning for students in secondary education

We have developed a platform for exposing high school students to machine learning techniques for signal processing problems, making use of relatively simple mathematics and engineering concepts. Along with this platform we have created two example scenarios which give motivation to the students for learning the theory underlying their solutions. The first scenario features a recycling sorting problem in which the students must setup a system so that the computer may learn the different types of objects to recycle so that it may automatically place them in the proper receptacle. The second scenario was motivated by a high school biology curriculum. The students are to develop a system that learns the different types of bacteria present in a pond sample. The system will then group the bacteria together based on similarity. One of the key strengths of this platform is that virtually any type of scenario may be built upon the concepts conveyed in this paper. This then permits student participation from a wide variety of educational motivation.
Dominant-negative effect of hetero-oligomerization on the function of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoprotein complex

Abstract The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope (Env) glycoprotein forms trimers that mediate interactions with the CD4 receptor and a co-receptor on the target cell surface, thereby triggering viral fusion with the cell membrane. Cleavage of Env into its surface, gp120, and transmembrane, gp41, moieties is necessary for activation of its fusogenicity. Here, we produced pseudoviruses with phenotypically mixed wild-type (Wt) and mutant, cleavage-incompetent Env in order to quantify the effects of incorporating uncleaved Env on virion infectivity, antigenicity and neutralization sensitivity. We modeled the relative infectivity of three such phenotypically mixed viral strains, JR-FL, HXBc2 and a derivative of the latter, 3.2P, as a function of the relative amount of Wt Env. The data were fit very closely ( R 2 > 0.99) by models which assumed that only Wt homotrimers were functional, with different approximate thresholds of critical numbers of functional trimers per virion for the three strains. We also produced 3.2P pseudoviruses containing both a cleavage-competent Env that is defective for binding the neutralizing monoclonal antibody (NAb) 2G12, and a cleavage-incompetent Env that binds 2G12. The 2G12 NAb was not able to reduce the infectivity of these pseudoviruses detectably. Their neutralization by the CD4-binding site-directed agents CD4-IgG2 and NAb b12 was also unaffected by 2G12 binding to uncleaved Env. These results further strengthen the conclusion that only homotrimers consisting of cleaved Env are functional. They also imply that the function of a trimer is unaffected sterically by the binding of an antibody to an adjacent trimer.
The Modern Art of Dying: A History of Euthanasia in the United States. By Shai J. Lavi

The Modern Art of Dying: A History of Euthanasia in the United States. By Shai J. Lavi. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005. Pp. 240. $29.95 cloth. As Lavi writes at the beginning of the last chapter of his book, Our study of euthanasia in America began with colonial times, when the word still signified a pious death blessed by the grace of God. It continued with the medicalization of death in the nineteenth century, which was soon followed by attempts to legalize the hastening of death. The struggle to legalize euthanasia took a radical turn with the founding of the Euthanasia Society of America, when proposals to hasten death were applied to handicapped and mentally retarded patients. The final section of this study compared the legalization of euthanasia with two alternative means of actively hastening death: the sublegal act of legal dosing and the supralegal act of mercy killing (p. 163). In his study, awarded the ASA Sociology of Law section book prize, Lavi explains how dying has moved from "art" to "technique," from an experience overseen by a minister and family to one of "technique" overseen by doctors and constructed by law. This study charts how medicalization, expertise, and regulation cohere, elevating "pain" to a social problem and developing strategies to foreshorten life-or, intervening to allow death to occur. Lavi's work represents the best of sociolegal scholarship: it is impressive for its clear conceptualization, its marshalling of an impressive array of historical and cultural evidence, and its lucid, clear, and elegant writing. Lavi convincingly argues that how we die reveals a great deal about how we live. He maps the changing meaning of euthanasia, but rather than asking the expected-how did law and medical technique change the way we die?-Lavi asks, instead, why have law and medical technique come to play important and distinct roles in the way we die? The answer is delivered in three parts. Chapter 1 considers the Colonial way of dying in America, focusing on the Methodists. For the Methodists, "dying was a work of art" (p. 39). Death was, in a sense, a part of life where the "death-bed became a microcosm of Methodist life" (p. 39). Methodists were not concerned with the pain of dying, but rather with a "death in which pain was overcome" (p. 39). Gradually, doctors intervened and, with this, a role conflict emerged between minister and doctor-allowing, as subsequent chapters argue-the emergence of "technique" over "art" at the deathbed scene. Chapter 2 considers the emergence of the medical profession and the ways it balanced the contending images/demands of hope and life with pain and suffering. …
Adenocarcinoma of the Fallopian Tube: Results of a Multi-Institutional Retrospective Analysis of 72 Patients

Abstract Purpose/Objective: To determine the prognostic factors for predicting outcome of patients with adenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube and to evaluate the impact of treatment modalities in managing this uncommon disease. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of the tumor registries from 6 major medical centers from January 1, 1960 up to March 31, 1995 yielded 72 patients with primary adenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube. The Dodson modification of the FIGO surgical staging as it applies to carcinoma of the fallopian tube was utilized. Endpoints for outcome included overall and disease-free survival. Univariate analysis of host, tumor, and treatment factors was performed to determine prognostic significance, and patterns of failure were reviewed. Results: The median age of the study cohort was 61 years (range 30–79 years). Stage distribution was 24 (33%) Stage I; 20 (28%) Stage II; 24 (33%) Stage III; and 4 (6%) Stage IV. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 54 (75%) patients, and postoperative radiotherapy was employed in 22 (31%). In the latter treatment group, 14 (64%) had whole pelvic external beam irradiation, 5 (23%) whole abdominal radiotherapy, 2 (9%) P-32 instillation, and 1 (4%) vaginal brachytherapy alone. Chemotherapy was used in 67% of Stage I and in 79% of Stages II/III/IV disease (not significant); radiotherapy was more commonly employed in Stage I than in Stages II/III/IV (46% vs. 23%, p = 0.05). The 5-, 8-, 15-year overall and disease-free survival for the study patients were 44.7%, 23.8%, 18.8% and 27.3%, 17%, 14%, respectively. Significant prognostic factors of overall survival included Stage I vs. II/III/IV ( p = 0.04) and age ≤60 years vs. >60 years at diagnosis ( p = 0.03). Only Stage I vs. II/III/IV ( p = 0.05) was predictive of disease-free survival. Patterns of failure included 18% pelvic, 36% upper abdominal, and 19% distant. For all patients, upper abdominal failures were more frequently found in Stages II/III/IV (29%) than in Stage I (7%) ( p = 0.03). Relapses solely outside of what would be included in standard whole abdominal radiotherapy portals occurred for only 15% of patients (6 of 40) with failures. Furthermore, patients having any recurrence, including the upper abdomen, were more likely ( p = 0.001) to die (45%) than those without any type of relapse (18%). Conclusion: This retrospective, multi-institutional study demonstrated the importance of FIGO stage in predicting the overall and disease-free survival of patients with carcinoma of the fallopian tube. Future investigations should consider exploring whole abdominal irradiation as adjunctive therapy, particularly in Stage II and higher.
Conformational Fluctuations of Chromosomal DNA in E-Coli

We measured the conformational fluctuations of DNA in E. Coli in vivo using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). The chromosomal DNA was randomly decorated with a cell-permeable intercalating dye. Conformational fluctuations of the DNA move the fluorophores stochastically into the diffraction-limited excitation volume of a focused laser beam. The time correlation function of the fluorescence intensity reflects the underlying dynamics of the DNA on length scales down to ∼200 nm. A comparison between live cells and dead yet structurally intact cells shows identical fluctuation spectra for short time scales, yet substantial differences for frequencies below 100 Hz. Live cells show much stronger fluctuations in this regime. This observation points to the crucial importance of active molecular motor action, as opposed to passive thermal noise, in driving larger conformational fluctuations in the chromosomal DNA, in particular on length scales exceeding ∼500 nm.
Influence of marine reserves on reef fish recruitment in the upper Florida Keys

Coral reef fish recruitment to the upper Florida Keys was monitored monthly for 7 years (2003–2009) to establish a baseline and test whether recruitment varied between reserve and non-reserve sites. Recruits <30 days old were surveyed in two primary habitat types (reef and rubble) in each of two replicate reserve and non-reserve sites. Recruitment of all fish species peaked in the summer and early fall; winter recruitment was consistently low. Some interannual recruitment patterns were roughly similar among species, with recruitment generally lower in 2004 for several taxa, possibly reflecting a system-wide process. During 7 peak recruitment months each year, overall recruitment to reef habitat was significantly higher in non-reserve sites in 2 of 7 years. In contrast, recruitment to rubble habitat was significantly higher in reserves in 3 of 7 years. Specific fish taxa had variable patterns of recruitment to reserves and non-reserves: Despite high interannual variation in recruitment magnitude, Scaridae (parrotfish) densities were significantly higher in reserves than in non-reserves. Densities of two abundant goby taxa (Gnatholepis thompsoni and Coryphopterus spp.) were also higher in reserves than in non-reserves, but the magnitude varied among years. Recruitment of the bicolor damselfish, Stegastes partitus, did not differ consistently between reserves and non-reserves. Densities of Thalassoma bifasciatum had an opposite trend relative to other taxa, with densities typically higher in non-reserves than in reserves (in 6 of 7 years; significant in only 2 years). Higher recruit densities (scarids, gobies, and all rubble taxa together) within reserves were coupled with significantly lower densities of intermediate-sized piscivores and significantly greater cover of Dictyota spp. macroalgae and turfs relative to non-reserves. Reserves may be areas of relative refuge from predation for some fish recruits due to a combination of reduced predator abundance and enhanced small-scale structural habitat.
Partitioning in situ total spectral absorption by use of moored spectral absorption–attenuation meters

High-temporal-resolution spectral absorption data were acquired by use of one bottom-mounted (∼68-m) and three moored spectral absorption and attenuation meters (ac-9 meters at 14, 37, and 52 m) on the Middle Atlantic Bight continental shelf during the fall 1996 period of the Coastal Mixing and Optics experiment. We employed a previously published spectral absorption model with the data to partition total absorption into absorption by water, phytoplankton, detritus, and gelbstoff (dissolved matter). We validated the model by comparing its results against coincident in vivo absorption coefficients derived from discrete bottle samples. Correlations between modeled and in vivo spectra range from 0.873 to 0.998. We optimized these correlations to determine the model parameters. These parameters could not be determined solely from the moored ac-9 results. Therefore a separate set of absorption measurements (from discrete bottle samples) was necessary to permit values for the model parameters to be determined. Model results allow us to separate particulate and dissolved components of absorption and to examine the temporal variability and the vertical distributions and concentrations of each component, given the total absorption in the water column.
Minority Expropriation and Shareholder Activism Following Olivetti’s Hostile Takeover of Telecom Italia

I examine the treatment of minority shareholders and shareholder activism following Olivetti’s successful hostile acquisition of a majority stake in Telecom Italia in 1999. Overall, the evidence is mixed. While Olivetti pursued several operations perceived to be detrimental to Telecom Italia’s minority shareholders, they were atypically vigorous in fighting back. In several cases, Olivetti was forced to abandon or improve the terms of the operations. While Telecom Italia was vulnerable to a hostile takeover attack following its privatisation, the concentration of ownership of listed companies ensures that hostile takeovers will remain rare. Moreover, low participation rates at annual meetings among small investors serves to enhance the power of the controlling blocks.
Nanoscale resonant sensors with 1D carbon nanostructures: A review of carbon nanotube based NEMS devices

Carbon-based low-dimensional nanostructures, such as graphene and carbon nanotubes, have outstanding mechanical properties and can be implemented as novel nanomechanical devices. Such devices, owing to their miniature sizes and the unique physical properties of the materials, make excellent candidates for physical sensors. In this paper, we will focus on the state-of-the-art nanomechanical resonators made of carbon nanotubes, and evaluate their potential as ultra-sensitive sensors. Specifically, we will describe nanotube resonator mass sensors with the best ones achieving single-proton mass sensitivity, and a nanotube resonant sensor for detecting surface processes such as adsorption and phase transition.
Oncogenic Src requires a wild-type counterpart to regulate invadopodia maturation

The proto-oncogene Src tyrosine kinase (Src) is overexpressed in human cancers and is currently a target of anti-invasive therapies. Activation of Src is an essential catalyst of invadopodia production. Invadopodia are cellular structures that mediate extracellular matrix (ECM) proteolysis, allowing invasive cell types to breach confining tissue barriers. Invadopodia assembly and maturation is a multistep process, first requiring the targeting of actin-associated proteins to form pre-invadopodia, which subsequently mature by recruitment and activation of matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) that facilitate ECM degradation. We demonstrate that active, oncogenic Src alleles require the presence of a wild-type counterpart to induce ECM degradation at invadopodia sites. In addition, we identify the phosphorylation of the invadopodia regulatory protein cortactin as an important mediator of invadopodia maturation downstream of wild-type Src. Distinct phosphotyrosine-based protein-binding profiles in cells forming pre-invadopodia and mature invadopodia were identified by SH2-domain array analysis. These results indicate that although elevated Src kinase activity is required to target actin-associated proteins to pre-invadopodia, regulated Src activity is required for invadopodia maturation and matrix degradation activity. Our findings describe a previously unappreciated role for proto-oncogenic Src in enabling the invasive activity of constitutively active Src alleles.
Subcutaneous emphysema in the lower extremities-always an emergency? Complications from minimally invasive surgery-a case report.

Abstract Background Lower-extremity subcutaneous emphysema is an unusual presentation in the emergency department, and it is often associated with gas-forming bacterial infections that confer significant morbidity and mortality. Because the presence of subcutaneous emphysema in an extremity can be alarming, physicians often pursue aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to identify and treat the underlying cause. In some cases, however, subcutaneous emphysema does not represent a life-threatening medical condition. The source of the subcutaneous air may not always be immediately recognized and can lead to either over- or under-utilization of resources to direct patient care. Case Report We describe a case of bilateral lower-extremity subcutaneous emphysema after recent robotic surgery. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? As the role of minimally invasive surgery and the push for shorter hospitalizations continue to rise, we are likely to see an increase in patients with complications from such procedures in the emergency department setting. Familiarity with the potential complications of these procedures is essential to differentiating between life-threatening and non−life-threatening conditions.
Non‐Thermal Inactivation Models for Listeria monocytogenes

The effects of temperature, lactic acid (or pH), sodium chloride, and sodium nitrite on the non-thermal inactivation of a three strain mixture of Listeria monocytogenes were examined in brain heart infusion broth. A total of 249 survivor curves representing 157 combinations of the four variables were generated. The survivor curves were described mathematically by fitting data using linear and nonlinear primary models. Supplemental studies demonstrated that (1) preculturing the microorganism in an acidic environment or in media containing glucose increased acid tolerance, (2) survivor curve tailing was not due to the presence of a more resistant subpopulation, and (3) the rate of non-thermal inactivation was independent of initial population density. Response surface models were developed for predicting the effects and interactions of the four independent variables on the inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes under adverse environmental conditions.
Weighing the evidence for newborn screening for early-infantile Krabbe disease.

Purpose: To summarize the evidence regarding screening, diagnosis, and treatment of early-infantile Krabbe disease in consideration of its addition to the core panel for newborn screening as has been done in New York state. Methods: Systematic review of articles indexed in MEDLINE and Embase published between January 1988 and July 2009. Thirteen articles describing studies related to screening, diagnosis, or treatment were included in this review. Results: Case series studies suggest that allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation soon after the development of signs or symptoms of early-infantile Krabbe disease decreases early-childhood mortality and may improve neurodevelopment. However, limited data suggest there may be loss of motor function among some children who undergo transplantation. No long-term follow-up data are available from these case series. Of the ∼550,000 newborns reported to have been screened in New York, 25 tested positive. None of these were clinically recognized to have Krabbe disease prior these results. Four were considered to be high risk for early-onset Krabbe disease. Two were subsequently diagnosed and underwent stem-cell transplantation, of whom one died from complications. No data are available regarding the impact on families of a positive newborn screen. Conclusions: Although early treatment with hematopoietic stem-cell transplant seems to alter early-childhood mortality and some of the morbidity associated with early-infantile Krabbe disease, significant gaps in knowledge exist regarding the accuracy of screening, the strategy for establishing diagnosis, the affect of a positive screen on families, the benefits and harms of treatment, and long-term prognosis.
The long-time self-diffusivity in concentrated colloidal dispersions

The long-time self-diffusivity in concentrated colloidal dispersions is determined from a consideration of the temporal decay of density fluctuations. For hydrodynamically interacting Brownian particles the long-time self-diffusivity, D^s_∞, is shown to be expressible as the product of the hydrodynamically determined short-time self-diffusivity, D^s_0(φ), and a contribution that depends on the distortion of the equilibrium structure caused by a diffusing particle. An argument is advanced to show that as maximum packing is approached the long-time self-diffusivity scales as D^s_∞(φ)~ D^s_0(φ)/g(2;φ), where g(2;φ) is the value of the equilibrium radial-distribution function at contact and φ is the volume fraction of interest. This result predicts that the longtime self-diffusivity vanishes quadratically at random close packing, φ_m ≈ 0.63, i.e. D^s_∞D_0(1-φ/φ_m)^2 as φ → φ_m, where D_0 = kT/6πηα is the diffusivity of a single isolated particle of radius α in a fluid of viscosity η. This scaling occurs because Ds_0(φ) vanishes linearly at random close packing and the radial-distribution function at contact diverges as (1 -φ/φ_m)^(−1). A model is developed to determine the structural deformation for the entire range of volume fractions, and for hard spheres the longtime self-diffusivity can be represented by: D^s_∞(φ) = D^s_∞(φ)/[1 + 2φg(2;φ)]. This formula is in good agreement with experiment. For particles that interact through hard-spherelike repulsive interparticle forces characterized by a length b(> α), the same formula applies with the short-time self-diffusivity still determined by hydrodynamic interactions at the true or ‘hydrodynamic’ volume fraction φ, but the structural deformation and equilibrium radial-distribution function are now determined by the ‘thermodynamic’ volume fraction φ_b based on the length b. When b » α, the long-time self-diffusivity vanishes linearly at random close packing based on the ‘thermodynamic’ volume fraction φ_(bm). This change in behaviour occurs because the true or ‘hydrodynamic’ volume fraction is so low that the short-time self-diffusivity is given by its infinite-dilution value D_0. It is also shown that the temporal transition from short- to long-time diffusive behaviour is inversely proportional to the dynamic viscosity and is a universal function for all volume fractions when time is nondimensionalized by α^2/D^s_∞(φ).
Impact strength of high relative density solid state carbon dioxide blown crystallizable poly(ethylene terephthalate) microcellular foams

SUMMARY In this paper, processing conditions for producing high relative density microcellular CPET foams using C02as a blowing agent are described. Starting with solid CPET, foams with relative densities between 0.5 to 1.0 were produced. Results of instrumented impact testsconducted at varioustemperatures ranging from room temperature to -40°C are presented. The CPET foams exhibit excellent impact properties in the range of temperatures explored.
A previously unreported surgical technique utilizing five different grafting materials to successfully achieve simultaneous alveolar regeneration and closure of a large oronasal defect.

Abstract This case report describes the successful surgical and restorative management of an unusual cyst-granuloma combination that had expanded to perforate the labial and nasal parts of the maxillary bone. Enucleation and curettage of the lesions resulted in a large oronasal communication that presented a reconstructive challenge. Five different graft and/or barrier materials were used to close the oral and nasal openings and to regenerate the alveolus for implant placement and for aesthetic prosthetic restoration.
Corporate Bond Trading Costs and Practices: A Peek Behind the Curtain

I examine institutional bond trading costs and practices using a data set of 192,000 trades of corporate bonds over 1993-1995. I find that institutional bond trades are typically much larger than institutional equity trades, but trading costs are a much smaller proportion of the trade's value. Trading costs decline with the size of the trade. Larger, more active institutions pay less to trade even after adjusting for the size of their trades. Institutions seem to develop relationships with particular dealers, as evidenced by a disproportionate number of trades between the institution and the dealer. However, trading costs are not lower when an institution has established a relationship with a dealer.
Transport Models for Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Systems

The development of computational models capable of describing the transport of oxygen and other nutrients and resulting concentration gradients represents a critical design tool for microfluidic cell culture systems. In particular, the interplay between nutrient transport and shear forces on cultured cell populations resulting from fluid motion represents one of the most critical challenges in the design of these systems. Conventional single-chamber systems are shown to have limited flexibility in the maintaining low shear forces while sustaining sufficient nutrient transport, while two-compartment systems separated by semipermeable membranes provide a broader design space for optimization of transport and shear. This chapter addresses the development of computational models capable of investigating the tradeoffs between nutrient transport and shear forces in both single- and dual-chamber microfluidic cell culture systems.
Jewish supplementary school reality: countering the misperception of a study

The Critique misjudges the Study’s purpose and procedures, confuses cross-sectional and longitudinal research and misreads its recommendations. The Critique asks for a different kind of study. It is, in essence, a wish list of what the writer wants to see done. Basically, the Study is a comparison between avowed and achieved goals. Nowhere does the Critique fault the study in this regard. Moreover, the Study confirms that the most serious problem confronting supplementary schools is lack of parents support, inadequate Jewishness in student’s homes and ineffectual instructional programming. The Critique highlights the need for dispassionate analysis of existing research.
Sealing of vessels larger than 7 millimeters using Enseal in porcine aorta.

Background The Enseal (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Blue Ash, Ohio) tissue-sealing device has proven efficacy for ligation of vessels 7 mm. Materials and methods The lumbar aortas of pigs that were euthanized for unrelated procedures were harvested. A 5- to 6-cm segment of aorta was sealed using the Enseal device. The opposite end was attached to a pressure-testing device to measure pressures at leak or bursting. The bivariate Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationship between diameter and bursting pressure. One-way analysis of variance was used to determine differences between the groups of vessels on the basis of their diameter. Results Ninety samples of 5-cm aorta segments were used to assess bursting pressure. The median diameter was 14 mm (range, 7-18) and bursting pressure was 85 mm Hg (range, 24-650). The Pearson test showed a negative correlation between vessel diameter and bursting pressure (P=.25). One-way analysis of variance did not show any significant difference between vessel diameters grouped by size (P=.517), and neither did the Scheffe post hoc test when comparing diameter with bursting pressure; 31% of specimens failed to seal. Conclusions Bursting pressures are low and inconsistent after tissue sealing with the Enseal device in porcine vessels>7 mm. These vessels also demonstrated a higher rate of failure to seal. The histologic results of the aorta segments (ie, a low collagen-elastin ratio) may be the cause of the low bursting pressures.
Exploring the Potential and Complexity of a Critical Pedagogy of Place in Urban Science Education

What does it mean to engage in critical pedagogy of place in formal science education? Although Gruenewald's (2003a) theoretical construct of a critical pedagogy of place has been heavily cited, there is nonetheless a lack of empirical research on critical pedagogy of place, particularly within formal science education. This paper provides a case study that explores the potential for critical pedagogy of place in an urban high school environmental science classroom. Drawing upon the voices of youth, the paper highlights how urban park restoration learning provided a context for reinhabitation and critical consciousness in which youth utilized deep understandings of local ecology to restore the parks and transform dominant cultural ideas and practices. Ultimately, I explore the potential and complexity of engaging in a critical pedagogy of place within the context of formal, urban science education and consider the intended outcomes of critical pedagogy of place in light of the case study.
Design of experiments (DOE)—history, concepts, and relevance to in vitro culture

Design of experiments (DOE) is a large and well-developed field for understanding and improving the performance of complex systems. Because in vitro culture systems are complex and easily manipulated in controlled conditions, they are particularly well-suited for the application of DOE principles and techniques. Successful use of in vitro technologies in horticultural, plant breeding, or genetic applications typically involves improving some aspect of a system’s growth response—organogenesis, somatic embryogenesis, metabolite biosynthesis, or responses required for crop improvement such as ploidy manipulation, embryo rescue, creation and manipulation of chimeras, somaclonal variation, and mutant isolation. How and why DOE is the appropriate research approach for developing and understanding in vitro systems research is explained. The presentation is a narrative of the historical context and the geometric basis of DOE to explain the underlying concepts. Examples illustrate the use of DOE in in vitro plant culture research.
Breast cancer in U.S. women <40 years of age: Disparities in disease incidence and severity, 1999-2003

A16 Introduction: Breast cancer is the leading cancer diagnosed and leading cause of cancer death among women 20-39 years in the United States. In general, breast cancer diagnosed at a young age has a more aggressive biological behavior leading to a poorer prognosis compared to older women. African American women in this age group are frequently diagnosed with more advanced cancer and are more likely to die of breast cancer compared to white women. This population- based study describes racial and ethnic disparities in breast cancer incidence for women under age 40. Methods: The data for this study were derived from the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) surveillance systems. This data set includes data from 36 state-wide cancer registries, representing 86.4% of the U.S. population for the years 1999-2003. Age-adjusted incidence rates (2000 U.S. Standard) by race, rate ratios, and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated using the SEER*Stat software package. Results: A total of 50,746 cases of breast cancer were reported among females younger than 40 from 1999-2003. Among these women, 78.7% were white; 14.5% were African American; 4.4% were Asian and Pacific Islanders (API); and 0.5% were Native Americans (NA). The incidence rates for breast cancer were highest among African American women (16.3/100,000) followed by white (14.1/100,000), API (11.9/100000), and NA (7.1/100,000) women. Larger proportions of African American women were diagnosed with regional and distant stage cancer than white, API, and NA women. They also had more poorly differentiated tumors than other women. Conclusions: This study confirms the findings of previous studies suggesting that African American women present with more advanced disease than do white, API, and NA women. While our findings do not support calls for breast cancer screening in this age group, they do suggest the need for health education and health promotion activities focused on breast health and breast cancer risk factors for women in the target population. Program coordinators for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detections Program and the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program may collaborate to conduct breast health education activities at the state level.
Point charges, radidiation reaction, and quantum mechanics

Moving point charges generate nonsinusoidal electromagnetic fields, and the motion of the charges is in turn determined by the fields. The full dynamical problem includes radiation reaction, which is discussed here. Nonsinusoidal fields are also associated with relativistic quantum mechanics, where the notion of causality is extended. Cerenkov radiation and the Aharonov-Bohm effect are two other topics.
Third grade and concurrent predictors of engagement and achievement in reading in eighth grade

ABSTRACTTheoretical models of learning highlight the role of engagement. The current investigation assessed the role of self-concept, locus of control, internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, and self-perceived interest and competence in reading in reading achievement. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class (ECLS-K), longitudinal (third grade) predictors of eighth grade reading achievement and motivation, and concurrent predictors of eighth grade reading achievement were analyzed. Regression modeling revealed that self-perceived interest and competence in reading, behavior problems, self-concept, and locus of control were weak predictors of reading achievement, both longitudinally and concurrently. Socioeconomic status and third grade reading achievement were the strongest predictors of eighth grade reading achievement. These findings highlight the importance of early intervention for reading deficits, especially for children of low socioeconomic status.
Deciphering the Roles of Thiazolidinediones and PPAR γ in Bladder Cancer.

The use of thiazolidinedione (TZD) therapy in type II diabetic patients has proven useful in the lowering of blood glucose levels. However, recent investigations have shown that there may be potential health concerns associated, including the risk of developing bladder cancer as well as complications in the cardiovasculature. TZDs are ligands for the nuclear receptor PPARγ, and activation causes lipid uptake and insulin sensitization, both of which are critical processes for diabetic patients whose bodies are unable to utilize insulin effectively. Several studies have shown that PPARγ/TZDs decrease IGF-1 levels and, thus, reduce cancer growth in carcinomas such as the pancreas, colon, liver, and prostate. However, other studies have shed light on the potential of the receptor as a biomarker for uroepithelial carcinomas, particularly due to its stimulatory effect on migration of bladder cancer cells. Furthermore, PPARγ may provide the tumor-promoting microenvironment by de novo synthesis of nutrients that are needed for bladder cancer development. In this review, we closely examine the TZD class of drugs and their effects on PPARγ in patient studies along with additional molecular factors that are positive modulators, such as protein phosphatase 5 (PP5), which may have considerable implications for bladder cancer therapy.
Shear viscosity of the quark-gluon plasma in a weak magnetic field in perturbative QCD: Leading log

We compute the shear viscosity of two-flavor QCD plasma in an external magnetic field in perturbative QCD at leading log order, assuming that the magnetic field is weak or soft: $eB\ensuremath{\sim}{g}^{4}\mathrm{log}(1/g){T}^{2}$. We work in the assumption that the magnetic field is homogeneous and static, and the electrodynamics is nondynamical in a formal limit $e\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$ while $eB$ is kept fixed. We show that the shear viscosity takes a form $\ensuremath{\eta}=\overline{\ensuremath{\eta}}(\overline{B}){T}^{3}/({g}^{4}\mathrm{log}(1/g))$ with a dimensionless function $\overline{\ensuremath{\eta}}(\overline{B})$ in terms of a dimensionless variable $\overline{B}=(eB)/({g}^{4}\mathrm{log}(1/g){T}^{2})$. The variable $\overline{B}$ corresponds to the relative strength of the effect of cyclotron motions compared to the QCD collisions: $\overline{B}\ensuremath{\sim}{l}_{\mathrm{mfp}}/{l}_{\text{cyclo}}$. We provide a full numerical result for the scaled shear viscosity $\overline{\ensuremath{\eta}}(\overline{B})$.
How Reproducible Are Isotherm Measurements in Metal–Organic Frameworks?

Scientific progress is severely impeded if experimental measurements are not reproducible. Materials chemistry and related fields commonly report new materials with limited attention paid to reproducibility. Here, we describe methods that are well suited to assessing reproducibility in these fields via retrospective analysis of reported data. This concept is illustrated by an exhaustive analysis of a topic that has been the focus of thousands of published studies, gas adsorption in metal–organic framework (MOF) materials. We show that for the well-studied case of CO2 adsorption there are only 15 of the thousands of known MOFs for which enough experiments have been reported to allow strong conclusions to be drawn about the reproducibility of these measurements. Our results have immediate implications for the characterization of gas adsorption in porous materials but, more importantly, demonstrate an approach to assessing reproducibility that will be widely applicable in materials chemistry.
Bayesian Regression Modeling with INLA

1.Introduction Quick Start Hubble's Law Standard Analysis Bayesian Analysis INLA Bayes Theory Prior and Posterior Distributions Model Checking Model Selection Hypothesis testing Bayesian Computation Exact Sampling Approximation 2.Theory of INLA Latent Gaussian Models (LGMs) Gaussian Markov Random Fields (GMRFs) Laplace Approximation and INLA INLA Problems Extensions 3.Bayesian Linear Regression Introduction Bayesian Inference for Linear Regression Prediction Model Selection and Checking Model Selection by DIC Posterior Predictive Model Checking Cross-validation Model Checking Bayesian Residual Analysis Robust Regression Analysis of Variance Ridge Regression for Multicollinearity Regression with Autoregressive Errors 4.Generalized Linear Models GLMs Binary Responses Count Responses Poisson Regression Negative binomial regression Modeling Rates Gamma Regression for Skewed Data Proportional Responses Modeling Zero-inflated Data 5.Linear Mixed and Generalized Linear Mixed Models Linear Mixed Models Single Random Effect Choice of Priors Random Effects Longitudinal Data Random Intercept Random Slope and Intercept Prediction Classical Z-matrix Model Ridge Regression Revisited Generalized Linear Mixed Models Poisson GLMM Binary GLMM Improving the Approximation 6.Survival Analysis Introduction Semiparametric Models Piecewise Constant Baseline Hazard Models Stratified Proportional Hazards Models Accelerated Failure Time Models Model Diagnosis Interval Censored Data Frailty Models Joint Modeling of Longitudinal and Time-to-event Data 7.Random Walk Models for Smoothing Methods Introduction Smoothing Splines Random Walk (RW) Priors for Equally-spaced Locations Choice of Priors on s e and sf Random Walk Models for Non-equally Spaced Locations Thin-plate Splines Thin-plate Splines on Regular Lattices Thin-plate Splines at Irregularly-spaced Locations Besag Spatial Model Penalized Regression Splines (P-splines) Adaptive Spline Smoothing Generalized Nonparametric Regression Models Excursion Set with Uncertainty 8.Gaussian Process Regression Introduction Penalized Complexity Priors Credible Bands for Smoothness Non-stationary Fields Interpolation with Uncertainty Survival Response 9.Additive and Generalized Additive Models Additive Models Generalized Additive Models Binary response Count response Generalized Additive Mixed Models 10.Errors-in-Variables Regression Introduction Classical Errors-in-Variables Models A simple linear model with heteroscedastic errors-invariables A general exposure model with replicated measurements Berkson Errors-in-Variables Models 11.Miscellaneous Topics in INLA Splines as a Mixed Model Truncated Power Basis Splines O'Sullivan Splines Example: Canadian Income Data Analysis of Variance for Functional Data Extreme Values Density Estimation using INLA Appendix A Installation Appendix B Uninformative Priors in Linear Regression Index