cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New Christians in a New Land: Faith Journeys of Asian American Immigrant Families

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of religion on the relational processes (e.g., marital and parent-child relationships) of Asian American Christian families. Data included sel...
Assessment of Staphylococcus Bacteria in Hawaii's Marine Recreational Waters

Several media to specifically recover staphylococcus from marine recreational waters in Hawaii were evaluated. The membrane filtration method using Vogel-Johnson and Tellurite Glycine Agar media supplemented with 0.005% sodium azide were shown to quantitatively recover total staphylococcus and S. aureus from marine recreational waters. Beaches in Hawaii were determined to contain high or low concentrations of staphylococci based on Favero9s proposed standard of 100 staphylococci/100 ml as the maximum allowable concentration. Statistical analysis of the data showed that levels of total staphylococci were significantly correlated with that of S. aureus and with swimmer density. Staphylococci were recovered from beach waters throughout the day, including evening hours, indicating the stability of these bacteria in marine waters. Moreover, the antibiotic sensitivity patterns and phage types of S. aureus isolates from marine waters and from clinical human skin cultures were similar. These results support the hypothesis that recreational waters can serve as vehicles for the transmission of staphylococcal skin infections.
The Failed Laparoscopic Hiatal Hernia Repair: “Making it Better” at Redo Operation

Despite over 85 years of experience in its surgical management [1], hiatal hernia remains a tremendous challenge to the gastro-intestinal surgeon. The difficulty in effectively managing this disorder is evident in the large amount of literature devoted to the topic and the myriad of surgical options that are described, including open transabdominal and transthoracic and, more recently, laparoscopic and thoracoscopic approaches. The enthusiasm for laparoscopy and its many potential benefits has made it the standard of care for antireflux surgery [2]–[4], and there is compelling evidence to suggest that redo surgery is also feasible [5]–[7]. This enthusiasm has naturally carried over to the surgical management of hiatal hernia, which frequently co-exists with reflux. Laparoscopic hiatal hernia surgery, however, is not yet well established, and concern has been voiced that it may not be a suitable approach for those patients with large hiatal hernia, and for those with recurrent hernia after a primary laparoscopic repair [8].
Causality and Temporal Irreversibility

This paper addresses itself to the following questions: What is the role of causality in life? What should the logical definition of cause be? What are the extra-logical elements in the concept of cause? Why is an irreversible lapse of time between cause and effect necessary? Under what conditions do causal laws succeed? What is the relation between success of causality and the entropy-change of the environs? Why is life lived in a certain temporal direction of time rather than in the opposite direction? What is the probabilistic version of the concept of causality? What is the relation between prediction and retrodiction?
Self-dual ν =1 bosonic quantum Hall state in mixed-dimensional QED

We consider a $(2+1)$-dimensional Wilson-Fisher boson coupled to a $(3+1)$-dimensional U(1) gauge field. This theory possesses a strong-weak duality in terms of the coupling constant $e$ and is self-dual at a particular value of $e$. We derive exact relations between transport coefficients for a $\ensuremath{\nu}=1$ quantum Hall state at the self-dual point. Using boson-fermion duality, we map the $\ensuremath{\nu}=1$ bosonic quantum Hall state to a Fermi sea of the dual fermion and observe that the exact relationships between transport coefficients at the bosonic self-dual point are reproduced by a simple random-phase approximation (RPA), coupled with a Drude formula, in the fermionic theory. We explain this success of the RPA by pointing out a cancellation of a parity-breaking term in the fermion theory which occurs only at the self-dual point, resulting in the fermion self-dual theory explored previously. In addition, we argue that the equivalence of the self-dual structure can be understood in terms of electromagnetic duality or modular invariance, and these features are not inherited by the nonrelativistic cousins of the present model.
The Heterogeneity of Family Firm Ethical Cultures: Current Insights and Future Directions

Family firms are often assumed to have distinct ethical cultures compared to nonfamily firms; however, this assumption neglects to consider the ethics-specific heterogeneity that exists across the landscape of family firms. Therefore, this chapter reviews the literature on family firm ethics, highlighting those vast differences. We identify 29 articles published between 1996 and 2016 that we synthesize by focus: the ethics of family firms versus nonfamily firms, family-related antecedents, and firm-level outcomes of ethical cultures. We present avenues for future research, including the need to investigate how professionalization and context influences family firm ethical cultures.
Alcohol-induced adipose tissue macrophage phenotypic switching is independent of myeloid Toll-like receptor 4 expression

Alcoholic liver disease results from a combination of immune and metabolic pathogenic events. In addition to liver injury, chronic alcohol consumption also causes adipose tissue inflammation. The s...
Financial toxicity risk among adult patients undergoing cancer surgery in the United States: An analysis of the National Inpatient Sample

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Financial hardship occurring as a result of cancer treatment has been termed financial toxicity and is an established side effect of the cancer treatment. We investigated the risk of financial toxicity among patients undergoing surgery for gastrointestinal cancers. METHODS All uninsured and privately insured patients who underwent surgery for a gastrointestinal cancer were identified from the National Inpatient Sample. Publicly available government data were used estimate income, food expenditure, and average maximum out-of-pocket expenditure. Risk of financial toxicity was defined as health expenditure ≥ 40% of postsubsistence income. RESULTS Among the 78 545 patients in the analytic cohort, 73 305 individuals had private insurance while 5240 patients were uninsured. Overall median hospital charges were $58 651 (IQR: $37 912-$95 379). Approximately 90% of uninsured and 10% of privately insured patients were at risk of financial toxicity. At the subpopulation level, patients in the lowest income quartile, undergoing emergency surgery, black or hispanic individuals, and those undergoing surgery for esophageal or colon cancer were more likely to experience catastrophic costs following surgery (P < .001). CONCLUSION Approximately 9 in 10 uninsured and 1 in 10 privately insured patients with cancer were at risk of financial toxicity after the surgery. Targeted interventions are needed to provide financial protection to patients undergoing the cancer treatment.
Anti-PD-1 treatment as a neurotherapy to enhance neuronal excitability, synaptic plasticity and memory

ABSTRACT Emerging immunotherapy using anti-PD-1 antibodies have improved survival in cancer patients by immune activation. Here we show that functional PD-1 receptor is present in hippocampal CA1 neurons and loss of PD-1 or local anti-PD-1 treatment with nivolumab enhances neuronal excitability and long-term potentiation in CA1 neurons, leading to enhanced learning and memory. Our findings suggest that anti-PD-1 antibody also acts as a neurotherapy for improving memory and counteracting cognitive decline.
Detecting Acute Cellular Rejection in Lung Transplant Biopsies by Artificial Intelligence: A Novel Deep Learning Approach

Purpose Acute cellular rejection (ACR), and its relation to chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD), is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in lung transplant patients. ACR occurs in more than one third of lung transplant recipients in the first year after transplantation; diagnosis largely rests on histopathologic evaluation of lung biopsy. The reproducibility of the diagnosis of ACR is quite variable, even among experienced transplant pathologists with published kappa values of interobserver agreement at 0.183 and 0.24-0.62. With digital pathology and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, it may be possible to aid pathologists in the diagnosis of ACR. Herein we examine, for the first time, if an AI machine learning algorithm can reliably distinguish the vascular component of rejection in lung transplant biopsies from normal lung. Methods At a single high-volume lung transplant center, annotations were completed by board-certified lung transplant pathologists from hematoxylin and eosin stained slides scanned using a Leica Aperio AT2 digital whole slide scanner at 40X magnification. Annotations were imported into a Python 3.7 development environment using the open-source ‘Openslide’ library. Keras with a tensorflow backend was used for AI modeling and training. All training was performed on a Windows 10 based PC with an Intel Core I-9 processor, 64gb of ram, and Nvidia GPU. Results A total of 3,349 annotations (2580 regions of normal, 769 lesions of A1/A2 rejection) were completed. For the training set, 614 A1/A2 lesions and 2064 regions of normal were evaluated. For the validation set, 155 A1/A2 lesions and 156 regions of normal were used to test the AI algorithm's accuracy. The algorithm distinguished the vascular component of ACR from normal alveolated lung tissue with 95% validation accuracy. Conclusion To our knowledge, our study is the first to provide evidence that an AI machine algorithm can reach acceptable, and possibly surpass, performance of current diagnostic standards of identifying ACR in lung transplant patients. Future studies should include multi-institutional validation testing.
Laparoscopic Tubal Re-anastomosis or In Vitro Fertilisation in Previously Ligated Patients: A Comparison of Fertility Outcomes and Survey of Patient Attitudes

INTRODUCTION We aim to compare live birth rates, cost analysis and a survey of patient attitudes between laparosopic tubal re-anastomosis and in vitro fertilisation (IVF). MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective study was done in a single reproductive medicine and IVF unit in Singapore from January 2011 to December 2016. Previously ligated patients underwent either laparoscopic tubal re-anastomosis or IVF. The primary outcome was first live birth after treatment. Interval to first pregnancy, miscarriage and ectopic pregnancies were also reported. Patients attending the subfertility clinic completed a questionnaire on IVF and tubal re-anastomosis on preferred choice of treatment, before and after reading an information sheet. RESULTS Twelve patients underwent tubal re-anastomosis while 31 patients underwent IVF treatment. Pregnancy (75.0% vs 35.5%) and live birth (58.3% vs 25.8%) were significantly higher in the tubal surgery group (P <0.05%) after transferring all available embryos in one stimulated IVF cycle. Cost per live birth was lower in the tubal surgery group (SGD27,109 vs SGD52,438). One hundred patients participated in the survey. A majority of patients preferred tubal surgery to IVF (68.2% vs 31.8%) before given information on the procedures, but indicated a preference for IVF (54.6%) to surgery (45.4%) after receiving information on the procedures. CONCLUSIONS For women less than 40 years of age, desiring fertility after tubal ligation, laparoscopic tubal re-anastomosis offers better live birth rates and cost-effectiveness. Patients in Singapore are equivocal as to their preference after education regarding the choices. Thus, laparoscopic tubal re-anastomosis remains a viable alternative to IVF treatment.
Terrorists by Immigration Status and Nationality: A Risk Analysis 1975-2017

Terrorism is a hazard to human life and material prosperity that should be addressed in a sensible manner whereby the benefits of actions taken to contain it outweigh the costs. Foreign-born terrorists were responsible for 86 percent (or 3,037) of the 3,518 murders caused by terrorists on U.S. soil from 1975 through the end of 2017. Of the other 481 murder victims of terrorists, 413 were murdered by native-born Americans, and 68 were murdered by unidentified terrorists. This paper is an update and expansion of a previous Cato policy analysis of the risk of foreign-born terrorists by the visa categories they used to enter the United States. This updated policy analysis also includes native-born terrorists in a separate category, estimates of injuries sustained in terrorist attacks, the terrorist countries of origin, and terrorist ideologies. This version also corrects minor errors such as the exclusion of some nondeadly foreign-born terrorists and changes in their visa statuses before 1990. Including those murdered in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (9/11), the chance of a person perishing in a terrorist attack on U.S. soil committed by a foreigner over the 43-year period studied here is 1 in 3.8 million per year. The hazard posed by foreigners who entered on different visa categories varies considerably. For instance, the chance of an American being murdered in a terrorist attack by a refugee is about 1 in 3.86 billion per year, while the annual chance of being murdered in an attack committed by an illegal immigrant is zero. By contrast, the chance of being murdered by a tourist on a B visa, the most common tourist visa, is about 1 in 4.1 million per year. Compared to foreign-born terrorists, the chance of being murdered by a native-born terrorist is about 1 in 28 million per year. There were 192 foreign-born terrorists who planned, attempted, or carried out attacks on U.S. soil from 1975 through 2017. Of those, 65 percent were Islamists, 18 percent were foreign nationalists, 6 percent were right-wingers, 6 percent were non-Islamic religious terrorists, 3 percent were left-wingers, and the rest were separatists or adherents of other or unknown ideologies. By comparison, there were 788 native-born terrorists who planned, attempted, or carried out attacks on U.S. soil from 1975 through 2017. Of those, 24 percent were right-wingers, 22 percent were white supremacists, 16 percent were left-wingers, 14 percent were Islamists, 11 percent were anti-abortion, and 6 percent were others. This expanded terrorism risk analysis can aid in the efficient allocation of scarce government-security resources to best counter the small terrorist threat.
Single-Cell Protein from C1 Compounds

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses single-cell protein (SCP) from C 1 compounds. The search for unconventional protein sources has turned to single-cell protein, a term so coined by Wilson to represent the cells of algae, bacteria, yeasts, and fungi grown for their protein content. These organisms convert inexpensive raw materials into protein quite rapidly and without putting additional burden on shrinking cropland. Availability of raw materials in commercial quantities and modern fermentation processes favor the commercial production of high grade protein in the form of SCP. The need for SCP as a source of animal feed and as a supplementary protein source has been well established, and research and development efforts on SCP production have been and are intensive worldwide, including USA, UK, France, Federal Republic of Germany, GDR, Italy, Japan, USSR, Rumania, Venezuela and elsewhere. The SCP that are formed from C 1 compounds are reviewed with a major emphasis on the aspects of carbon assimilation and energy generation particular to these microorganisms.
Cytoskeletal biophysics: Passive crosslinker adapts to keep microtubule bundles on track

Summary Assembly of the mitotic spindle requires dynamic adaptation and coordination among an array of motors and crosslinkers. A new study demonstrates in vitro how the mitotic crosslinker PRC1 can tune its behavior to regulate the speed of microtubule sliding.
Integrative hippocampal and decision-making neurocircuitry during goal-relevant predictions and encoding

It has become clear that the hippocampus plays a critical role in the identification of new contexts and for the detection of changes in familiar contexts. The hippocampus accomplishes these goals through a continual process of comparing predicted features of a context or situation to those actually experienced. A mismatch between expected and experienced context expectations is thought to lead to the generation of a context prediction error (Mizumori, 2013) that functionally alerts connected brain areas to alter subsequent decision making and response selection. Little is understood about how hippocampal context analyses impact downstream decision processes. This issue is evaluated here first by comparing the nature of the information represented in hippocampus and decision-related midbrain-striatal structures, while rats perform a hippocampal-dependent spatial memory task in which rewards of different value are found at different locations. In contrast to place-specific and egocentric neural representations, neural representations of goal information are broadly distributed in hippocampal and decision neural circuitry, but they appear in different forms for different brain structures. It is suggested that further researching on how goal information processing occurs in hippocampus and decision neural circuitry may reveal insights into the nature of the interaction between memory and decision systems. The second part of this review describes neural pathways by which hippocampal context information might arrive within the decision circuit. The third section presents a hypothesis that the nature of the interactions between hippocampal and midbrain-striatal circuitry is regulated by the prefrontal cortex.
Using Academic Analytics to Predict Dropout Risk in E-Learning Courses

Information technology is reshaping higher education globally and analytics can help provide insights into complex issues in higher education, such as student recruitment, enrollment, retention, student learning, and graduation. Student retention, in particular, is a major issue in higher education, since it has an impact on students, institutions, and society. With the rapid growth in online enrollment, coupled with a higher dropout rate, more students are at risk of dropping out of online courses. Early identification of students who are at risk to drop out is imperative for preventing student dropout. This study develops a model to predict real-time dropout risk for each student while an online course is being taught. The model developed in this research utilizes a combination of variables from the Student Information Systems (SIS) and Course Management System (CMS). SIS data consists of ten independent variables, which provide a baseline risk score for each student at the beginning of the course. CMS data consists of seven independent variables that provide a dynamic risk score as the course progresses. Furthermore, the study provides an evaluation of various data mining techniques for their predictive accuracy and performance to build the predictive model and risk scores. Based on predictive model, the study presents a recommender system framework, to generate alerts and recommendations for students, instructors, and staff to facilitate early and effective intervention. The study results show that the boosted C5.0 decision tree model achieves 90.97 % overall predictive accuracy in predicting student dropout in online courses.
Studies on the polycystic ovaries of rats under continuous auditory stress

Abstract Adult albino rats with regular estrous cycles were exposed to continuous auditory stimuli (2,000 cycles per second; 100 ± 10 decibels on weighting C) for up to 150 days. Of the total of 74 rats, 31 (41.9 per cent) developed persistent vaginal estrus, as defined by a minimum of 10 consecutive days of fully cornified estrous smears, the highest incidence (66.6 per cent) being seen after 150 days of auditory stimuli. With increasing duration of auditory stress in persistent-estrus rats, there was an increase in the relative weights of the uteri and a decrease of the adrenals and ovaries, but no significant changes in the weights of the anterior pituitary glands were evident. In the ovaries of sound-exposed rats with irregular estrous smears, different types of follicles or many corpora lutea were present. With the development of persistent estrus subsequently, only polycystic follicles but no corpora lutea were found. It is postulated that certain auditory stimuli may be deleterious to the neuroendocrine mechanism of reproduction in the mammals.
Tracking Moving Objects Using Database Technology in DOMINO

Consider a database that represents information about moving objects and their location. For example, for a database representing the location of taxi-cabs a typical query may be: retrieve the free cabs that are currently within 1 mile of 33 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago (to pick-up a customer); or for a trucking company database a typical query may be: retrieve the trucks that are currently within 1 mile of truck ABT312 (which needs assistance); or for a database representing the current location of objects in a battlefield a typical query may be: retrieve the friendly helicopters that are in a given region, or, retrieve the friendly helicopters that are expected to enter the region within the next 10 minutes. The queries may originate from the moving objects, or from stationary users.We will refer to applications with the above characteristics as moving-objects-database (MOD) applications, and to queries as the ones mentioned above as MOD queries.
BacM, an N-terminally processed bactofilin of Myxococcus xanthus, is crucial for proper cell shape.

Summary Bactofilins are fibre-forming bacterial cytoskeletal proteins. Here, we report the structural and biochemical characterization of MXAN_7475 (BacM), one of the four bactofilins of Myxococcus xanthus. Absence of BacM leads to a characteristic ‘crooked’ cell morphology and an increased sensitivity to antibiotics targeting cell wall biosynthesis. The absence of the other three bactofilins MXAN_4637–4635 (BacN-P) has no obvious phenotype. In M. xanthus, BacM exists as a 150-amino-acid full-length version and as a version cleaved before Ser28. In the cell, native BacM forms 3 nm wide fibres, which assemble into bundles forming helix-like cytoplasmic cables throughout the cell, and in a subset of cells additionally a polarly arranged lateral rod-like structure. Isolated fibres consist almost completely of the N-terminally truncated version, suggesting that the proteolytic cleavage occurs before or during fibre formation. Fusion of BacM to mCherry perturbs BacM function and cellular fibre arrangement, resulting for example in the formation of one prominent polar corkscrew-like structure per cell. Immunofluorescence staining of BacM and MreB shows that their cellular distributions are not matching. Taken together, these data suggest that rod-shaped bacteria like M. xanthus use bactofilin fibres to achieve and maintain their characteristic cell morphology and cell wall stability.
Decision analysis model: An extension of the states of nature concept

The standard model of decision analysis is modified by showing that, in general, the ‘state of nature’ concept can be usefully represented in terms of three components that may be called: (1) payoff relevant (2) payoff generating and (3) message generating. This modification allows a richer structure within which decision analysis problems can be formulated and thus allows a richer foundation for developing new concepts, classifying problems and revising existing concepts such as perfect information. It is shown that the unique payoff relevant domain of states and acts must, in any real decision, provide the initial basis for defining any payoff function (or, as appropriate, the loss function and opportunity loss function) that has a domain other than pay-off-relevant states.
Coliform bacteria from diffuse sources as a factor in estuarine pollution

Abstract The contribution of 849 ha of rural watershed to the fecal coliform (FC) pollution of the Rhode River, a subestuary of Chesapeake Bay with a surface area of 485 ha. was estimated. The watershed with an animal population of 0.6 animal unit ha −1 discharged between 7.5 × 10 6 and 669 × 10 6 FC ha-day −1 . The FC discharge rate was seasonal and largely dependent upon the water flow. Total coliform (TC) discharge was influenced by the same factors as the FC discharge. It was calculated that on the average less than 1% of FC produced by the animals on the land was washed down by water runoff. Occasionally the FC discharge rate in the runoff reached 4–6% of the FC produced by the animals. Fecal coliforms persisted in the water. The FC numbers were high in the Rhode River close to the discharge points and further away were diluted by the river volume. It was estimated, using the maximum number of FC in the runoff, that 2600 m 3 of well mixed receiving water was needed for every ha of watershed area not to exceed the safe water standards (14 FC MPN 100 ml −1 for shellfish harvesting. Three factors having a role in FC pollution of an estuarine ecosystem were emphasized as a result of this study: (1) the rural watershed contributed substantial quantities of FC to the estuary; (2) the season of the year may determine the level of pollution entering from rural sources into the estuary; (3) the persistence of bacteria in the estuary may increase the pollution level contributed by the watershed especially at low water temperatures.
Food futures to sustain Chinese cities

Abstract China's rapid urbanization makes its cities vulnerable to prolonged drought in the interior. Food needs of the cities will sometimes exceed China's carryover stocks. Moreover, its cities are likely to become so large that even the global reserves, as presently accumulated, are inadequate. A survey of the technological possibilities considers food supplies for a world population leveling somewhere between 10–15 billions, with China making up 9–18% of the total. Today's bioscience promises a number of nutritional substitutes two or three generations hence. Once the world overcomes population growth, successors to the strategies proposed in this article should make it possible to sustain Chinese cities at an increasingly high quality of life.
Diffuse White Matter Injury and Neurologic Outcomes of Infants Born Very Preterm in the 1990s

Neurocognitive outcomes of infants born very preterm (less than 32 weeks gestation) remain a major concern in perinatal practice. Very preterm birth rates have increased, with enhanced survival since 1990. As focal brain lesions become less common, diffuse injury to both gray and white matter is now the primary focus for improving neurologic outcomes in survivors. Recent evidence supports preoligodendrocytes as the principal cellular target of diffuse white matter injury due to their susceptibility to hypoxic-ischemic and inflammatory insults. An understanding of their development and vulnerability can inform acute nursing care of very preterm infants.
The politics of communitarianism

Taylor, Sandel, Walzer, and MacIntyre waver between granting the community authority over the individual and limiting this authority so severely that communitarianism becomes a dead letter. The reason for this vacillation can be found in the aspiration of each theorist to base liberal values‐equality and liberty—on particularism. Communitarians compound liberal formalism by adding to the liberal goal, individual autonomy, the equally abstract aim of grounding autonomy in a communally shared identity. Far from returning political theory to substantive considerations of the good, communitarianism legitimizes really existing liberal politics—the politics of the nation‐state.
Effects of divided attention on swallowing in persons with idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether attentional resources are involved in swallowing in persons with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, and if so, in which phase(s) of swallowing. The approach involved a dual-task, reaction time (RT) paradigm using ten participants with Parkinson’s disease. Single-task baseline measures were obtained for durations of the anticipatory phase and oropharyngeal phase of swallowing and RTs were obtained for nonword auditory stimuli. A dual-task then required participants to swallow 5 ml of water from an 8-oz. cup while listening for a target nonword presented auditorily during the anticipatory or oropharyngeal phase. Target stimuli were randomized across baseline and dual-task trials. Durations of the anticipatory and oropharyngeal phases of swallowing and RTs during baseline and dual-task trials were determined. Results showed a nonsignificant change in speed of completion for both the anticipatory phase and the oropharyngeal phase of swallowing during dual-task trials. However, there was a statistically significant increase in RT during the anticipatory phase during the dual-task condition. RT during the oropharyngeal phase remained unaffected. Given a need for additional research using more complex competing tasks, these data on attention are consistent with earlier claims of an automatic, nonresource-demanding, oropharyngeal swallowing mechanism that is preserved for persons with early-to-mid-stage Parkinson’s disease. Clinical implications of these data suggest that disruptive environmental stimuli to individuals with early-to-mid-stage Parkinson’s disease may alter feeding but have little effect on the oropharyngeal swallow.
Aspects of Turmoil and Self-Containment in the Adolescent Psychotherapy Patient

In many respects, the adolescent patient embodies the very model of "the self-contained" patient. The adolescent's developmental propensity toward secrecy, narcissism, and rebellious competitive transferences all require of the practitoner adjustments in psychotherapeutic technique. In order to properly assess the normative dimensions of resistance in adolescent patients, the controversial literature on adolescent turmoil is reviewed. Modifications in technique designed to deal with the self-containment issue are discussed relative to the three developmental substages of adolescence and the challenges each presents to the therapist.
World Ministerial Conference on Organized Transnational Crime

As we head toward the end of the millennium we, as specialists and experts in the field of international criminal justice, must pause to reflect seriously on the issue of global organized crime. Study in this regard requires that more rigorous attention be focused on the future directions of research, the creation of a network of regional and worldwide scholars to perpetuate a collaborative agenda, and data collection for comparison of various activities associated with law enforcement and correctional operations. We must find a more unified systemic approach to crime control. Regardless of whether a nation is large or small, developed or underdeveloped, rich or poor, every society is confronted with the task of controlling organized crime. Organized crime is indeed a universal phenomenon. It has long been predicted that international organized crime will become a major force in the commercial, financial and military sectors of every country, eventually affecting directly the destiny of all countries. We ...
Parents' Perspectives on Their Children's Health Insurance: Plight of the Underinsured

Objectives To determine the prevalence and correlates of children's underinsurance within a primary care, practice-based research network. Study design A survey of 13 practices within the Southwestern Ohio Ambulatory Research Network using the Medical Expenses for Children Survey in 2009 and 2010 yielded a sample of 2972 parents of children >6 months old with health insurance in the previous 12 months. Data were analyzed using bivariate and loglinear model analyses. Results Of the study children, 17.2% were classified as underinsured because of their inability to pay for ≥1 of their pediatrician's recommendations for care in the past 12 months. In addition, 15.5% reported it was harder to get medical care for their child in the past 3 years, and 6.5% indicated that their child's health had suffered. Multivariate analysis reveals complex relationships among the 3 factors related to ability to obtain care and between these factors and sociodemographic and health status factors. Across education and income categories, the underinsured rate ranged from 57% to 93% for parents who reported their child's health had suffered. Conclusions One in 6 parents reported that their child was underinsured. A similar percentage reported that it had become more difficult to get needed medical care over the past 3 years. The relationship between the perception that an underinsured child's health has suffered is much stronger for the highest socioeconomic category in this sample than for the other categories; 93% of these families were underinsured in 2009. It is possible that high deductible features of insurance plans contribute to these circumstances.
Intrahepatic segmental portal vein thrombosis after living-related donor liver transplantation.

Abstract Background Intrahepatic segmental portal vein thrombosis after living-related liver transplantation (LRLT) is uncommon. The cause remains unclear. Methods After providing written informed consent, 25 recipients receiving LRLT at our institution from January 2011 to September 2013 were enrolled in this study. We performed triphase computerized tomographic (CT) study of the liver graft of each recipient 1 month after LRLT. The patencies of hepatic artery, portal vein, and hepatic vein were evaluated in detail. The triphase CT scans of the liver of each donor before transplantation also were reviewed. Thrombosis of the intrahepatic segmental portal vein was defined as the occlusion site of the portal vein being intrahepatic. Extrahepatic portal vein thrombosis was excluded in this study. Results Among the 25 patients, 2 (8%) developed thrombosis of intrahepatic segmental portal vein. One 47-year-old man received LRLT for hepatitis B viral infection–related liver cirrhosis (Child-Pugh class C) with 3 hepatocellular carcinomas (total tumor volume Conclusions Thrombosis of intrahepatic segmental portal vein is not common but is usually associated with complications of intrahepatic bile duct. Early detection is important, and follow-up CT study of liver is suggested.
Identification of resonantly excited auger electron spectra for N2

Abstract The Auger electron spectra (AES) of N2 excited with 5 keV electrons, 401 eV photons, and 418 eV photons are compared. This comparison implies that features in the 350–355 eV region of the electron-excited AES arise from the resonantly excited IsN−1lπg state. For the first time, Auger transitions initiating from the lsN−1lπu−11πg 5p Rydberg state, excited resonantly with 418 eV photons, are identified in the AES.
Beam Optics in the FXR 1.5 MeV, 4 kA Injector

The 20 MeV, 4 kA linear induction accelerator (FXR), currently under construction at LLNL, will use a cold cathode injector. The foil cathode consists of a 0.03 mm tantalum ribbon wound in a spiral with successive turns spaced 0.8 mm apart. The emitted current will be 15-20 kA but will be reduced to 4 kA by collimating immediately beyond the anode. This will minimize the beam emittance and maintain a good impedance match with the low impedance driving source. Computer simulation was used extensively to optimize the configuration of the beam forming electrodes, the emitter geometry, and the overall focusing and beam transport system in the injector region. This paper will discuss the approach used and the problems encountered in the design of the diode geometry and of the overall beam optics. Preliminary experimental results will be presented and will be compared with the computer model predictions.
Effect of Perceived Control on Stress Reduction in Pedodontic Patients

A signaling device was given to patients to reduce stress in the dental chair. Galvanic skin response during the dental procedures indicated a complex relationship. Patients with the signaling device showed less arousal under high stress conditions but somewhat higher arousal under low stress conditions when compared with a control group.
Multimodal in vivo imaging of oral cancer using fluorescence lifetime, photoacoustic and ultrasound techniques

This work reports a multimodal system for label-free tissue diagnosis combining fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIm), ultrasound backscatter microscopy (UBM), and photoacoustic imaging (PAI). This system provides complementary biochemical, structural and functional features allowing for enhanced in vivo detection of oral carcinoma. Results from a hamster oral carcinoma model (normal, precancer and carcinoma) are presented demonstrating the ability of FLIm to delineate biochemical composition at the tissue surface, UBM and related radiofrequency parameters to identify disruptions in the tissue microarchitecture and PAI to map optical absorption associated with specific tissue morphology and physiology.
Feedback invariants for linear systems defined over rings

In this paper, we present a coefficient-assignability theorem for systems defined over a commutative ring with 1. While examples show that the hypothesis is not a necessary condition, the recent counterexample given by Bumby and Sontag [5] shows that some hypothesis is required and the conditions given here do include, as special cases, all the general results (of which the author is aware) about coefficient-assignability previously discovered. It should be remarked, however, that if we restrict our attention to the weaker property of pole-placement and assume that R is a P.I.D., then our techniques gain no new leverage and, although it does not include our result, the well-known theorem of A.S. Morse [10] still seems to be the best result available in this situation.
Deregulated microRNA expression in biospecimens from patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder as a disease biomarker

The biological markers for schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) would represent a precious tool in evaluating the risk for the development of these common neuropsychiatric diseases and, possibly, in the prevention of either disease episodes and/or treatment efficiency monitoring. Since both SZ and BD are diseases with a significant genetic component, the research over the last decades has focused on the genes with altered function in the central nervous system (CNS) of individuals suffering from these illnesses. Recently, however, small non-coding RNA molecules (microRNAs, miRNAs, miRs) were shown to regulate the expression of human CNS genes involved in cell processes and functions negatively affected in neuropsychiatric disorders, including synaptic development and maturation, learning and memory. Differentially expressed sets of miRNAs have been reported in the tissues of SZ and BD patients in comparison to controls suggesting the emergence of a novel class of potential biomarkers. Here we review the reports on the changes in miRNA expression in postmortem brain tissue and peripheral blood in SZ and BD. We also evaluate the potential of miRNA packaged in exosomes, signaling vesicles released by neurons and glia, to contribute to the disaggregation of the molecular machinery underlying mental disorders and provide clinically useful biomarkers.
"True agonadism": a misnomer?

A 3 1/2-year-old "girl" whose condition had been diagnosed as "true agonadism" underwent endocrine evaluation, which suggested the presence of Leydig cells. The child was considered to be female, although born with mild phallic enlargement and posterior labial fusion. At one year of age, evaluation revealed a, 46,XY karyotype; at exploratory laparotomy, no gonads, uterus, Fallopian tubes, or Wolffian remnants were observed. Base-line gonadotropins (FSH, 0.72 ng.per milliliter; LH, 1.9 ng. per milliliter), were not elevated and a significant rise in plasma testosterone (63 to 169 ng. per 100 ml.) followed stimulation with HCG; both features suggested the presence of testosterone-secreting Leydig cells. The obsence of Mullerian anlagen suggests that at some time during fetal development Mullerian-inhibiting factor was secreted by testes. "True agonadism" is probably a misnomer and actually represents that form of male pseudohermaphroditism with a scant amount of functioning testicular tissue present.
Information encoding and reconstruction from the phase of action potentials.

Fundamental questions in neural coding are how neurons encode, transfer, and reconstruct information from the pattern of action potentials exchanged between different brain structures. We propose a general model of neural coding where neurons encode information by the phase of their action potentials relative to their subthreshold membrane oscillations. We demonstrate by means of simulations that action potential phase retains the spatial and temporal content of the input under the assumption that the membrane potential oscillations are coherent across neurons and between structures and have a constant spatial phase gradient. The model explains many unresolved physiological observations and makes a number of concrete, testable predictions about the relationship between action potentials, LFP, and subthreshold membrane oscillations, and provides an estimate of the spatio-temporal precision of neuronal information processing.
Quantum physics: Watching the wavefunction collapse.

The continuous random path of a superconducting system's quantum state has been tracked as the state changes during measurement. The results open the possibility of steering quantum systems into a desired state. See Letter p.211 A quantum state, such as a particle's superposition between two energy levels, quickly reverts to a classically described state on contact with the environment. To avoid this 'decoherence', large efforts are usually made to decouple quantum devices from their surroundings. But there is another way. Kater Murch et al. show that quantum coherence can be preserved by continuous, accurate monitoring of the environmental fluctuations. They studied a qubit consisting of a superconducting device embedded in a microwave cavity with fluctuations likely to cause decoherence. The act of accurately measuring either phase or amplitude of the fluctuations was found to steer the qubit's state along random trajectories that are purely quantum in nature. This work suggests a new type of control, harnessing action at a distance through measurement, for the manipulation of quantum systems in complex environments, ranging from biological systems to quantum computers.
Imaging nanoparticles in cells by nanomechanical holography

Nanomaterials have potential medical applications, for example in the area of drug delivery, and their possible adverse effects and cytotoxicity are curently receiving attention. Inhalation of nanoparticles is of great concern, because nanoparticles can be easily aerosolized. Imaging techniques that can visualize local populations of nanoparticles at nanometre resolution within the structures of cells are therefore important. Here we show that cells obtained from mice exposed to single-walled carbon nanohorns can be probed using a scanning probe microscopy technique called scanning near field ultrasonic holography. The nanohorns were observed inside the cells, and this was further confirmed using micro Raman spectroscopy. Scanning near field ultrasonic holography is a useful technique for probing the interactions of engineered nanomaterials in biological systems, which will greatly benefit areas in drug delivery and nanotoxicology.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Observations of Blood-Brain-Barrier Permeability in an Animal Model of Brain Injury

Rationale and Objectives. Knowledge of the in vivo relaxivity of paramagnetic contrast agents is important in the accurate measurement of the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This study was aimed at developing an animal model for the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging investigation of injuries to the BBB. Methods. MR imaging (1.9 T) was performed in 18 rats with acute, stable injuries to the brain caused by freezing. After injection of gadodiamide (0.05–0.20 mmol/kg), estimates were made of BBB permeability, leakage space, and relaxivity (also measured in saline). Results. The BBB was always disrupted at the injured site (permeability = 0.038 min −1 ± 0.0006). The central area of necrosis and the periphery of edema showed substantial differences in leakage space and relaxivity. The relaxivity of gadodiamide was much greater at the injured site than in saline. Conclusion. The in vivo relaxivity at a site of pathologic change in the brain may be substantially greater than that measured in aquo.
FOURIER-TRANSFORM INFRARED STUDY OF POLYETHYLENE SINGLE CRYSTALS IN SUSPENSION.

The infrared spectra of polyethylene single crystals suspended in liquid are reported and compared to dried mats of the same material. In order to observe the polyethylene bands, liquids with partial windows in complementary regions of the spectra were chosen. Any remaining bands of the suspending media were removed by substraction of the spectrum of the pure liquid. The crystalline bands of suspended polyethylene are much sharper than those of the dried material, indicating a decrease in lateral crystalline order upon drying. Drying also results in a change in the type and distribution of conformations associated with amorphous and fold structures, as determined by the observed frequencies of the methylene wagging mode.
New method of quantifying scale shape and an application to stock identification in walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum)

Abstract The planar shape of fish scales may be quantified by a method of unrolling the digitized scale outlines and describing the resultant series by Fourier series. Each scale shape is defined by a vector of harmonic amplitude coefficients and phase angles. Each harmonic in the vector generates a shape component which can be reconstructed graphically. The contribution of each harmonic to the goodness-of-fit between the model shape and the observed scale shape is known. The method was successfully applied to discriminate stock samples of 5-yr-old male walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) from two locations in eastern Lake Erie.
The Structure of Vocational Interests for African-American College Students.

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to examine the structure underlying the measured interests of African-American college students. The Strong Interest Inventory (SII; Hansen & Campbell, 1985 ) was administered to 357 subjects (189 females and 168 males). Intercorrelations among the General Occupational Theme (GOT) scales were (a) compared to correlations computed in the SII reference groups and (b) subjected to a nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis (MDS) to examine the configuration of the RIASEC scales in a two-dimensional space. MDS stimulus coordinates then were used to examine distances predicted by the hexagonal structure of Holland's (1985) model. Results indicated support for the validity of Holland's (1985) model.
The Social Information Processing Model of Task Design: A Review of the Literature

This paper reviews 10 studies dealing with the effects of social and information cues in the workplace on employee task perceptions, evaluations, and reactions. Both Judgmental and meta-analytic approaches are used to interpret the findings. The two basic conclusions of the review are that social and information cues have been shown consistently to influence perceptions and affect, but that the area needs additional theoretical articulation and integration. Unanswered questions and suggestions for future research are identified.