cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reshaping the Study of Recidivism: Exploring Variations in the Timing of Recidivism Following Release From Prison

While hazard analyses allow researchers to identify distributional changes over time, this powerful benefit is often underutilized. This article incorporates the shape parameter—in addition to level—into lognormal hazard models to examine recidivism patterns for individuals returning home from prison. Using a sample of adults released in 1994 from 15 state prison facilities, the results indicate that factors influencing the shape are both individual-level (race, age, prior arrest history) and jurisdiction-driven (prison admission type and state). While targeting the highest “risk” individuals is a well-established best practice, the present study suggests that reentry planners may benefit from focusing on groups undergoing change in the postrelease period in addition to those experiencing the highest hazard levels on average. Future research would benefit from incorporating the shape parameter into recidivism studies and including additional factors in shape analyses, such as social indicators, to further...
Benchmark results in the 2D lattice Thirring model with a chemical potential

We study the two-dimensional lattice Thirring model in the presence of a fermion chemical potential. Our model is asymptotically free and contains massive fermions that mimic a baryon and light bosons that mimic pions. Hence, it is a useful toy model for QCD, especially since it, too, suffers from a sign problem in the auxiliary field formulation in the presence of a fermion chemical potential. In this work, we formulate the model in both the world line and fermion-bag representations and show that the sign problem can be completely eliminated with open boundary conditions when the fermions are massless. Hence, we are able accurately compute a variety of interesting quantities in the model, and these results could provide benchmarks for other methods that are being developed to solve the sign problem in QCD.
Abstract 20173: Effects of Pulmonary Vasodilator Therapy on Hemodynamics and Exercise Capacity in Patients With Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Pulmonary Vascular Disease or Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Background: Both exercise induced pulmonary arterial hypertension (EIPAH) and early heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) can manifest as exercise induced PH. During exercise testi...
Neanderthals and Modern Humans Across Eurasia

Neanderthals, a European population was undoubtedly successful in surviving through several glacial periods. Their population, originally spread across Europe, composed of small communities but succeeded to maintain their relationships and their mating systems and thus secured their biological survival. Published samples of aDNA and teeth indicate that they formed a particular population, although morphological deviations from the western European relics are found at the edges of their geographic distribution. The expansions of Neanderthals into western Asia and reaching the Altai Mountains reflect their successful adaptations to variable environments. Their demise was caused, among others, by the expansion of groups of modern humans of African origins. The cultural traits of the new invading and colonizing people included high degree of mobility, signs of group identity, new cloths, use of ornaments, new hunting tools, and means of communication. The interactions of modern humans with the Neanderthals, discussed in the paper, provide a foundation for further research along economic and biological considerations that may provide a more sound explanation for the disappearance of a past successful meta-population.
Diabetic polyneuropathy. Risk factors, patterns of presentation, diagnosis, and treatment.

Diabetic symmetrical distal neuropathy (diabetic polyneuropathy) affects 10 to 50% of patients with diabetes. Presenting in the lower extremities, small unmyelinated fibers may initially be affected with loss of the ability to sense painful stimuli, loss of temperature sensation, and neuropathic pain. Dr. Poncelet discusses the development and diagnosis of this form of neuropathy, and pharmacologic options for treating neuropathic pain in geriatric patients.
Characterization of Bromethalin and its Degradation Products in Veterinary Toxicology Samples by GC–MS-MS

Bromethalin is a neurotoxicant with unusual instability and chromatographic behavior that make it difficult to analyze by gas chromatography (GC) in forensic examination of non-target animal deaths. Physicochemical breakdown of bromethalin produced multiple unique products with discernible mass spectra. This paper describes an investigation of the GC electron impact-mass spectrometric properties of bromethalin and its capacity to generate up to twenty heat- or light-induced breakdown products. Two principal breakdown products are isomeric with one another and involve release of both fluorine and methyl groups to develop dehydrofluorodesmethylbromethalin products. These compounds have proven to be excellent surrogate markers in screening forensic samples for bromethalin exposure, particularly in veterinary samples in which the active metabolite desmethylbromethalin has not yet accumulated to any appreciable extent, such as baits and animal stomach contents. The compounds as well as their parent bromethalin were easily monitored by GC interfaced with a tandem-quadrupole mass spectrometer using multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) modes. Unusual gas chromatographic properties of bromethalin included: (i) specific requirements for a maximum oven temperature; (ii) non-linear increases in detector response on increased injection volumes, hypothesized to result from variable diffusion coefficients. We report here the development of GC strategies that facilitate detection of bromethalin and its breakdown products, as well as their MRM analysis by tandem-quadrupole mass spectrometry. The developed approaches are applicable to feed, baits and stomach contents as well as extracted tissue samples such as liver and kidney.
Long-term simulation of space-charge effects

Abstract The long-term macroparticle tracking simulation is computationally challenging but needed in order to study space-charge effects in high intensity circular accelerators. To address the challenge, in this paper, we proposed using a fully symplectic particle-in-cell model for the long-term space-charge simulation. We analyzed the artificial numerical emittance growth in the simulation and suggested using threshold numerical filtering in frequency domain to mitigate the emittance growth in the simulation. We also explored alternative frozen space-charge simulations and observed qualitative agreement with the self-consistent simulations.
Application of a Microfluidic-Based Model of a Human Prostate Gland for Cancer Research

A Microfluidic-based model of a human prostate gland has been developed featuring a 3D co-culture of epithelial and stromal cells. The model was used to investigate the effects of normal stroma on normal luminal epithelial cell differentiation, and to measure the ability of cancerous epithelium to convert normal stroma to cancer stroma. The ability of PIM1 kinase to induce cancer stroma was also tested in the model. The results demonstrate a promising potential of the model for cancer research applications.
MEN, WOMEN, & MATTERS OF THE HEART EXPLAINING SEX DIFFERENCES IN RESPONSE TO CARDIAC RESYNCHRONIZATION THERAPY

Wide QRS duration, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM), and female sex portend favorable response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Among patients with NICM and left bundle branch block (LBBB), outcome differences between males and females remain poorly understood. We examined sex
Abstract P189: Blood Pressure Control Among Older Adults - Results From the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Introduction: Recent ACC/AHA guidelines recommend systolic blood pressure (SBP) treatment to <130 mmHg among adults ≥65 with hypertension, though treatment goals for older adults are controversial....
Smoking, Business Costs, And Social Cost

Most of the attention surrounding claims that smoking imposes significant costs on the nonsmoking majority of American society has focused on the claims that (1) smoking reduces economic output due to earlier death and greater illness and (2) smoking ipso facto increases medical costs. In Chapter 4 we explained why losses in production that may result from smoking are borne by smokers and not by nonsmokers. In Chapters 5 and 6 we undertook the same examination with respect to claims about excess medical expenses.
Effective separation of magnetite nanoparticles within an industrial-scale pipeline reactor

ABSTRACTWithin the field of wastewater treatment, nano-adsorbents are a significant emerging technology; however, separation of the nano-scale particles after loading has proved to be an impediment...
Social Movements for Freedom An Anti-Oppressive Approach to Literacy and Content Area Learning in an Urban Fourth Grade Classroom

In a unit on social movements for freedom, urban fourth grade students examined the activities and lives of activists who worked for social change. Using an integrative and strategic approach to literacy, children researched, wrote, and presented their ideas to family and community members through visual, textual, digital and artistic expressions. In this autoethnography, I present several stories of my encounters with children, to describe how they synthesized learning, explored the intersection of race, economics and power, identified tensions in approaches to civil rights, and challenged heteronormativity. Children learned the struggle for justice is complex and ongoing, and that people must work together and persist to bring about social change.
Stress field analysis in a stony meteorite under thermal fatigue and mechanical loadings

Abstract A micromechanical approach relying on 3D image-based finite element (FE) models, together with experimental testing, is employed to investigate the stress distribution in an L6 ordinary chondrite's microstructure subjected to thermal and mechanical loadings. An in-situ X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) setup capable of applying thermal and mechanical loads shed light on crack initiation mechanisms in chondrite samples. Micro-CT images were further used to reconstruct realistic microstructural models of the samples, which were transformed into FE models using an automated non-iterative mesh generation algorithm. FE approximation of stress fields showed that under mechanical loads, the stress often concentrates in matrix-particle interfacial regions with higher curvatures. This could result in the nucleation and eventually propagation of cracks in such regions. However, when the thermal cycling takes place, the stress concentrates more uniformly along with particle interfaces, resulting in their debonding from the surrounding matrix. Both observations were verified by experimental data obtained from in-situ micro-CT imaging.
A Dynamic Parameter Model of Harmonic Source Networks

The parameters of a harmonic source change with the fluctuating background voltage and current in electric power system, which makes it difficult to establish accurate harmonic models. To solve this problem, a dynamic parameter model (DPM) for harmonic source networks is proposed in this paper. By equating the parameters of a harmonic source as a polynomial of voltage and current, the proposed model can adjust parameters accordingly. The model is not only suitable for a single harmonic source but also for complex harmonic source networks. The process of modeling need no internal information of the harmonic source. The performance of the model is, for different configurations of the harmonic source, compared to the performance of other harmonic models. The results show that the proposed model has higher accuracy and is more suitable for practical power system.
Proton Therapy in the Treatment of Anal Cancer in Pelvic Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Case Series

Abstract Purpose: The incidence of anal cancer in patients with kidney transplants has increased. The definitive treatment for anal cancer is chemotherapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy....
Balloon Sinuplasty in Children

Balloon catheter dilation (BCD) is an important addition to the surgical treatment of pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Multiple studies have found it to be a safe technique; however, studies on efficacy have been limited by lack of control groups or standardization of adjuvant procedures. We review the available literature for the use of the technology in pediatric CRS as well as for expanded indications such as acute complications of sinusitis or critically ill patients. We also discuss pearls and pitfalls of the technique. Further studies are necessary to determine the long-term efficacy of BCD with and without adjuvant procedures, to examine BCD in expanded indications, and to analyze the comprehensive cost of the procedure.
Morbidity and Mortality Conference

Surgery morbidity and mortality conference [M&MC] is a valuable tool for the evaluation of adverse events. Although there is no standardized conference system, there are key components about the format, attendance, presentation style, and discussion that can optimize M&MC for the surgeon, trainee, and other attendees. Pertaining to bariatric surgery, it may be beneficial to have both an institutional and departmental M&MC at set intervals to allow a multitude of input as well as in-depth analysis of bariatric-specific outcomes. Each institution needs to analyze their current M&MC structure, surgery volume, and involved personnel to determine the ideal M&MC structure for the initial assessment of surgical complications. Discussions may be enriched by incorporating national database outcomes and recent literature.
Supernova Explosions - The Role of a Rayleigh-Taylor Instability

A two dimensional hydrodynamic study indicates that convectively unstable gradients which develop during core collapse and bounce give rise to large scale core overturn. It is also shown that the concomitant release of neutrini can deposit large amounts of energy and momentum in the infalling envelope and give rise to a powerful supernova explosion.
Measurement of Nonlinear Guided Waves

Characteristics of nonlinear guided waves provide information about the current state of the material that comprises the waveguide. Notably, the information is related to the material's microstructure, which in turn influences the strength properties. However, the dispersive nature of guided waves makes their nonlinear characteristics more complicated than those of bulk waves. This chapter strives to describe nonlinear features of guided wave propagation including higher harmonic generation and wave mixing. It provides a methodology for selecting wave modes and frequencies that provide the best opportunities for measurements as well as measurement techniques and a glimpse of some recent results.
Topological transitions in the configuration space of non-Euclidean origami

Origami structures have been proposed as a means of creating three-dimensional structures from the micro- to the macroscale and as a means of fabricating mechanical metamaterials. The design of such structures requires a deep understanding of the kinematics of origami fold patterns. Here we study the configurations of non-Euclidean origami, folding structures with Gaussian curvature concentrated on the vertices, for arbitrary origami fold patterns. The kinematics of such structures depends crucially on the sign of the Gaussian curvature. As an application of our general results, we show that the configuration space of nonintersecting, oriented vertices with positive Gaussian curvature decomposes into disconnected subspaces; there is no pathway between them without tearing the origami. In contrast, the configuration space of negative Gaussian curvature vertices remains connected. This provides a new, and only partially explored, mechanism by which the mechanics and folding of an origami structure could be controlled.
Path Dependence, Evolution of a Mandate and the Road to Statewide Sustainable Groundwater Management

SGMA is a landmark transition in California water policy. For local governments engaged in managing at-risk groundwater basins, SGMA brought a transformation of responsibility and authority. These ...
Durable disease control with local treatment for oligoprogression of metastatic solid tumors treated with immune checkpoint blockade.

Abstract Background While the concept of oligometastatic disease is increasingly recognized as a distinct clinical disease state, the concept of oligoprogression is less well-characterized. Oligoprogression may be particularly relevant in the context of immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPI) given the underlying mechanism of action and insights regarding acquired resistance. In this study, we sought to characterize the incidence of oligoprogression in patients on CPI and explore the impact of local therapy. Materials and Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients with advanced solid tumors (excluding glioblastoma multiforme) who received a PD-1, PD-L1, or CTLA-4 inhibitor at a single institution between 2011 and 2017. Oligoprogression was defined as progression at ≤3 metastatic lesions outside of the brain after achieving at least stable disease on CPI for 3 months. Progression-free survival (PFS) was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results Among 425 patients treated with CPI, 390 had advanced primary solid tumors outside of the central nervous system. 321 of these patients were evaluable for response, among whom 102 achieved at least stable disease. Oligoprogression was observed in 4.1% of the entire cohort and 15.7% of patients achieving at least stable disease on CPI. Among 16 patients experiencing oligoprogression, 15 received local therapy to the oligoprogressive lesions, many of whom continued CPI. At a median follow-up of 25.8 months, the median PFS for patients with oligoprogression after local therapy was 15.4 months. Conclusions Oligoprogression occurs in a subset of patients after an initial response to CPI. However, patients receiving local therapy to oligoprogressive sites may experience durable disease control. Further study is warranted. Microabstract Oligoprogression was observed in 4.1% of the entire cohort of patients on immune checkpoint inhibitors in this study and 15.7% of patients achieving at least stable disease. Among 16 patients experiencing oligoprogression, 15 received local therapy. At a median follow-up of 25.8 months, the median progression-free survival for patients with oligoprogression after local therapy was 15.4 months and zero patients had died. Oligoprogression occurs in a subset of patients after an initial response to CPI and local therapy to oligoprogressive sites may result in durable disease control.
Efficacy of gemcitabine plus doxorubicin (Gem + Dox) in patients with renal medullary carcinoma (RMC).

324Background: Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is one of the most lethal renal cell malignancies with a median overall survival (OS) of only 13 months from diagnosis (Shah et al. BJU Int., 2017). R...
K’iis Xaadas relations with sockeye salmon: contemporary efforts at constructing a neo-traditional regime of stewardship

K’iis Xaadas (Kaigani Haida) of the southern Prince of Wales Archipelago have deep relationships with sockeye salmon with whom they share the waters of the region. Sockeye are central to K’iis Xaadas residents of Hydaburg, Alaska, as daily food, ceremonial food, gifts to family and friends, commercial exchange, and customary trade and are a key component of cultural symbolism that provides an iconic indication of the status of the K’iis Xaadas as distinct people. This relationship was originally founded at the time of European contact on lineage leaders’ stream supervision and harvest decision-making coupled with a relationship grounded in a mythic charter of shared spiritual personhood. In the late 19th century, traditional principles were challenged and ultimately compromised as commercial exploitation of sockeye salmon by Euroamerican processors resulted in major decimations to the sockeye runs. This paper will trace the transformations of K’iis Xaadas relations with sockeye from the 19th into the 21st century culminating with a discussion of contemporary efforts to reestablish a tribal form of stewardship with sockeye salmon that has parallels with other Indigenous efforts elsewhere along the northwest coast of North America.
Optimizing the Expected Utility of Shape Distortion Compensation Strategies for Additive Manufacturing

Abstract In the past two decades, the field of additive manufacturing (AM) has seen tremendous growth, especially in the production of functional parts. Unfortunately, improving the dimensional accuracy of these printed parts to the point where they can be used for a broad range of applications has proven challenging. Several methodologies to improve the dimensional accuracy of 3D printed parts have been proposed in the literature. One approach that has seen a considerable amount of work in recent years is product design adjustment based on predictive modeling. Under this approach, predictions of geometric deviations across the surface of a part are used to modify the shape of a part before printing so as to counteract or compensate for the predicted deviations. However, a majority of compensation methods aim at minimizing expected geometric and dimensional error, with a lack of consideration of cost and uncertainty. This study presents a new strategy based on multi-attribute utility theory to account for cost and inherent uncertainty associated with a compensation decision. By establishing manufacturer preferences and prior beliefs about the efficacy of a predictive model, the proposed decision-making strategy for compensation significantly increases the value of a given print to a manufacturer under simulated preferences.
Pandemic-related parental distress: examining associations with family meals and child feeding practices during the COVID-19 pandemic

The present study examined associations between COVID-19-related negative impact and parental distress and aspects of the home food environment. Parents (N= 189) of children ages 7–17 completed an ...
Angela Merkel und der Fußball. Die Eroberung einer Männerbastion

Autofahren, Klatsch … und Fusball, das sind wohl die Bereiche, fur die die krassesten Stereotypen uber Frauen grassieren: Sie konnen nicht einparken, sie sind Klatschtanten und sie kennen die Abseitsregel nicht. Kein Wunder also, dass Angela Merkel sich schon als Aspirantin auf die Kanzlerkandidatur mit bangen Fragen der mannlichen Parteikollegen zu Fusballkompetenz und Schicklichkeit konfrontiert sah. Wie sollte sie gegen Gerhard Schroder ankommen, dessen Sachkunde in Sachen Fusball nicht einmal von der Opposition bezweifelt wurde? Wie sollte sich die Partei mit einer Frau an der Spitze die herannahende Fusball-WM, die eine besondere Gelegenheit bot, ein inniges und dem Image zutragliches Verhaltnis von Fusballspielern und Politikern zu demonstrieren, zunutze machen? Und uberhaupt: Besuche einer Frau bei unseren Jungs in der Kabine?
Health Policy and Economic Aspects of Late-Life Depression Prevention

We discuss the policy and economic implications of preventing depression among older adults. An overview of the US and global burden of late-life depression is provided, with special attention to numbers affected, quality of life impact, and estimated healthcare costs. Next, using both text and table illustrations, we summarize current policies and recommendations regarding screening for depression among older adults—as early detection activities are key elements in developing depression prevention strategies. Finally, we discuss current evidence from cost-benefit analysis studies of primary and secondary prevention of late-life depression.
Putrescine-mediated Degradation of Ribonucleic Acid in Chloramphenicol-treated Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli treated with chloramphenicol (CM) accumulated ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the absence of protein synthesis. The accumulated RNA (CM-RNA) was largely ribosomal (23 S and 16 S ) and soluble (4 S ). The stability of CM-RNA depended upon the incubation conditions following the removal of CM. Thus, conditions which allowed the complete recovery of cultures from CM inhibition resulted in only a 30% loss of CM-RNA. The addition of proflavine to recovering cultures, which prevented further RNA synthesis, also resulted in about 30 to 35% degradation of CM-RNA. However, when RNA synthesis was inhibited by starving the recovering cultures for the required amino acid, histidine, 55% of the CM-RNA was degraded. The decreased stability of CM-RNA in histidine-starved cultures appeared to be due specifically to the intracellular buildup of putrescine. Under the above conditions of incubation, that RNA which was stable sedimented in sucrose gradients as 23 S , 16 S , and 4 S RNA. It is suggested that intracellular putrescine plays a role in the stability of ribosomal RNA accumulated during CM treatment.
THE NEXT DECADE IN INTERNET TIME

In this paper, three features of the Internet/new media that have developed over the last decade are discussed: the relational Internet, the enclosed Internet, and the ‘mean world’ Internet. These features correspond to the three interrelated elements of new media infrastructure: the practices in which people engage to interact and share information and meaning; the tools, devices, or artifacts that people create and use in order to do so; and the social arrangements or institutional forms that develop out of and around those practices and tools. Together, the three features have had an important influence on the ways that new media are understood and used and have helped shift popular discourses and the study of new media from an emphasis on possibility, novelty, adaptability, and openness toward greater preoccupations with risk, conflict, vulnerability, routinization, stability, and control. Given these conditions, the author proposes that three problem areas – again corresponding to practices, tools, a...
Rho GTPases in platelet function.

The Rho family of GTP binding proteins – also commonly referred to as the Rho GTPases – are master regulators of the platelet cytoskeleton and platelet function. These low molecular weight or “small” GTPases act as signaling switches in the spatial and temporal transduction and amplification of signals from platelet cell surface receptors to the intracellular signaling pathways that drive platelet function. The Rho GTPase family members RhoA, Cdc42 and Rac1 have emerged as key regulators in the dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton in platelets and play key roles in platelet aggregation, secretion, spreading and thrombus formation. Rho GTPase regulators, including GEFs and GAPs and downstream effectors, such as the WASPs, formins and PAKs, may also regulate platelet activation and function. In this review, we provide an overview of Rho GTPase signaling in platelet physiology. Studies of Rho GTPases and platelets have had a shared history, as platelets have served as an ideal, non-transformed cellular model to characterize Rho function. Likewise, recent studies of the cell biology of Rho GTPase family members have helped to build an understanding of the molecular regulation of platelet function and will continue to do so through the further characterization of Rho GTPases as well as Rho GAPs, GEFs, RhoGDIs and Rho effectors in actin reorganization and other Rho-driven cellular processes.
Psychological Influences on the Childhood Diet

Psychological influences on the childhood diet are addressed. The focus is on factors that influence the formation of children's food preferences. Evidence for links among food preferences, dietary intake and children's adiposity is presented, with an emphasis on dietary fat. Few food and flavor preferences are innate; most are learned via experience with food and eating and involve associative conditioning of food cues to aspects of the child's eating environment, especially the social contexts and physiological consequences of eating. Parents' child-feeding practices are central in this early feeding environment and affect children's food preferences and their regulation of energy intake. An understanding of how children's food preferences are acquired is essential in developing strategies to improve the quality of children's dietary intake.
Above‐zone pressure monitoring and geomechanical analyses for a field‐scale CO2 injection project in Cranfield, MS

Pressure and temperature monitoring of an above-zone monitoring interval (AZMI), as well as of an injection zone (IZ), has been attempted at a field-scale CO2 injection site in Cranfield, MS. Recorded pressure data in the AZMI revealed a certain amount of increase with no evidence of direct fluid flow between the IZ and the AZMI. We therefore attempted to interpret the field-measurement data from a geomechanical perspective. First, we tried an analytical approach that combined Green's functions with a poroelastic theory that is based on Segall's derivation (1992). The analysis was shown to provide fast first-order and probabilistic estimation. Next, we attempted a numerical simulation in which fully coupled calculation between fluid flow and poroelasticity was implemented. Numerical-simulation results using COMSOL matched well with the field data at one monitoring location in the AZMI. However, field data differ from those of a numerical simulation at the other monitoring well. We suggest that field measurement at the other location in the AZMI might be disturbed during the pressure monitoring, based on bottom-hole pressure records in the IZ and thermal signals. Following the numerical simulation, we discuss the effect of single-phase fluid flow assumption, observations for thermal effect and pore-pressure–stress coupling, and desirable resolution of pressure gauges for the optimal utilization of above-zone pressure monitoring.
Eigenvalues of a symmetric tridiagonal matrix: A divide-and-conquer approach

The Symmetric Tridiagonal Eigenproblem has been the topic of some recent work. Many methods have been advanced for the computation of the eigenvalues of such a matrix. In this paper, we present a divide-and-conquer approach to the computation of the eigenvalues of a symmetric tridiagonal matrix via the evaluation of the characteristic polynomial. The problem of evaluation of the characteristic polynomial is partitioned into smaller parts which are solved and these solutions are then combined to form the solution to the original problem. We give the update equations for the characteristic polynomial and certain auxiliary polynomials used in the computation. Furthermore, this set of recursions can be implemented on a regulartree structure. If the concurrency exhibited by this algorithm is exploited, it can be shown that thetime for computation of all the eigenvalues becomesO(nlogn) instead ofO(n2) as is the case for the approach where the order is increased by only one at every step. We address the numerical problems associated with the use of the characteristic polynomial and present a numerically stable technique for the eigenvalue computation.
Prevalence of asthma and health service utilization of asthmatic children in an inner city

Abstract To determine the prevalence of asthma and to examine the pattern of health service utilization of asthmatic children in Baltimore, we sent questionnaires randomly to 4096 first and sixth graders attending Baltimore City public schools; 2898 completed the questionnaire. Asthma was defined as "a condition which causes difficulty in breathing, with wheezing noises in the chest." On the basis of this definition, we found that the cumulative prevalence of asthma was 10.5% and the 12 mo period prevalence was 7.2%. The prevalence was significantly higher for boys (male: female=1.6:1) and for blacks (black:white = 1.5:1). Nearly 50% of the children with active asthma missed 6 days or more out of the school year because of illnesses due to asthma. Almost half the asthmatic children obtained their care of asthma in the emergency room, and twice as many blacks as whites used the emergency room as their primary source of care. Moreover, emergency room users had a higher school absentee rate than non-emergency room users.
Issues of organic origins

The Emergence of Life: Darwinian Evolution from the Inside. By Sidney Fox. Basic Books: 1988. Pp. 208. $17.95.
A survey of validated automated home blood pressure monitors available for the Internet shopper

Objective Self-measurement of blood pressure using an automated home blood pressure monitoring (AHBPM) is increasingly used in hypertension management. Internet commerce increases dramatically each year. This study looked to identify the availability of validity of AHBPM and the correct cuff size to go with the AHBPM. Methods and results Using the search engine 'Google.com', the author identified 124 consecutive unique sites offering at least one AHBPM. Validated AHBPM were those devices that had published studies showing that they had passed a recognized validation protocol. Each site was evaluated for all forms of sphygmomanometer, number of AHBPM, manual blood pressure devices, all cuff sizes available, additional cost of large adult cuff, number of validated AHBPM offered, and whether the site mentioned device validation. Of the 124 sites, 109 (81%) offered arm AHBPM and 66 (53%) offered one or more (range, 1-11) validated AHBPM. Only six of the 66 (9%) offering a validated AHBPM mentioned that fact; 58 of the 109 (53%) sites offering arm AHBPM offered more than one size of cuff; and 46 of the 58 (80%) charged extra for a large adult cuff (average US dollars 23.75, range, US dollars 4.80-98). Conclusions Validated AHBPMs are readily available on the Internet. Currently, these sites do little to aid the consumer in purchasing a validated AHBPM. Large adult cuffs, commonly needed by hypertensive patients, are not always available for purchase. Charging extra for large adult cuffs is a potential hindrance to consumers purchasing the correct cuff size for accurate blood pressure measurement and should be eliminated.
Altruism, malice and public goods: A reply to Frech

As Frech (1978) points out, I am an economist and most of my professional contacts are with other economists. One of the problems of discussing biological altruism with economists has always been that they object to the use of the word 'altruism' because they argue that biological 'altruism' is not really what is meant by the word. I usually reply by saying that there is no point in fighting about words, but surely biologists could complain about some of the usages of words in economics, too. The point of the above paragraph, however, is to point out that the Frech version of 'altruism' raises even more severe problems with respect to the normal usage of the term. If Frech's calculations are correct, then altruism pays because the act of protecting your brother raises the death rate of unrelated individuals and therefore you make a net gain on it. Surely this is not what we normally mean by the word 'altruism'. Leaving aside this essentially verbal issue, when Frech first told me about his idea for a comment on my paper, I told him that he was reviving group selection but that kin selection and inclusive fitness would not, on the whole, work with his model. I remain of that opinion and, in order to explain why, let us explore the same simple arithmetical model further. For this purpose, I shall stick to Frech's assumption that the particular area in which our species lives will support only 100 individuals. Under these circumstances, then, if we use Frech's simple model, approximately one-eighth of the population would eventually be altruistic and the other seveneighths would not. (Throughout this note, I will assume that the only altruism is to direct siblings; altruism to more distant relatives is no different in principle but it is mathematically less tractable.) But when we begin considering the effect of crowding or resource scarcity in a little more detail, it seems dubious that this would occur. Suppose the problem is indeed one of crowding; let us assume that our referent species is some small rodent and there are only a certain number of hiding spaces in its area where it can hide from hawks. The stable community, then, is 100, and with more than 100 there will be more fatalities to hawks. This seems fairly simple, but note that the increase in density as a result of the altruist's acts is not spread evenly over the entire territory. It is concentrated where
Application of a coarse-grained model for DNA to homo- and heterogeneous melting equilibria

Abstract Configurational-bias Monte Carlo simulations were carried out on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) decamers using a coarse-grained molecular model. The effects of single mutations on the melting transition were investigated as were heterogeneous systems with immobilization of one strand on a surface, both with and without a spacer. The destabilizing effect of an internal mutation is attributed to a lack of cooperativity, which acts through a hydrogen bonding nucleotide’s restriction of the conformational freedom of neighboring bases. A surface-oligomer spacer is necessary for duplex stability with the destabilizing effect of the surface coinciding with the volume it excludes.
Impact of pump status and conduit choice in coronary artery bypass: A 15-year follow-up study in 1412 propensity-matched patients.

Objective Previous studies have demonstrated that bilateral internal mammary artery (BIMA) grafts lead to superior outcomes compared with single internal mammary artery grafts. This study examines whether cardiopulmonary bypass affects conduit-dependent outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. Methods From 1994 to 2013, a total of 6666 patients underwent isolated CABG surgery at our institution. Of these procedures, 3548 (53.2%) were performed off pump. A BIMA–saphenous vein graft (SVG) was used in 1544, and 5122 had left internal mammary artery–SVGs. These 2 conduit groups differed significantly in baseline characteristics. Propensity matching based on 22 preoperative variables and using a nearest-neighbor matching algorithm was used to make balanced cohorts, resulting in 2 groups of 1006. To account for the influence of pump status on conduit selection, a second propensity score was developed for pump use. These cases were matched to create 4 patient cohorts of 353 patients each (a total of 1412), balanced for both conduit use and pump status. Late mortality was determined using the Social Security Death Index. Results No difference was found in survival between patients receiving BIMA-SVGs on or off pump (78.9% vs 79.1%). BIMA-SVGs outperformed the left internal mammary artery–SVGs regardless of whether the procedure was performed off pump (73.9%) or on pump (69.9%). Conclusions This study demonstrates that the use of cardiopulmonary bypass does not significantly affect the long-term outcomes in these patients as long as full revascularization is achieved. In addition, these results are consistent with prior research showing that the use of BIMAs produces better outcomes than use of a single internal mammary artery when performing CABG.
Self-Propagative Replication of Amyloid-β Oligomers in Alzheimer Disease

The aggregation and deposition of the polypeptide Amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brain is implicated in the pathology of Alzheimer disease (AD). It has been known that soluble oligomeric forms of Aβ are the primary neurotoxic agents in AD, rather than insoluble fibrils. This has resulted in a plethora of research investigating the cellular mechanism of Aβ oligomer toxicity. However, how these toxic oligomers proliferate throughout the AD brain remains elusive. Emerging evidence implicates that a prion-like mechanism of propagation may cause the widespread proliferation of toxic Aβ oligomers in AD. We have observed that a specific oligomeric form of Aβ, called large fatty acid-derived oligomers (LFAOs), undergo self-propagative replication in a template-assisted manner, resulting in the formation of quantitatively more LFAOs. The current research investigates the experimental parameters governing the efficiency of LFAO replication by self-propagation, and shows that LFAOs specifically activate NF-κB in human neuroblastoma cells. Furthermore, structural characteristics of propagated LFAOs have been evaluated to assess the fidelity of the LFAO self-propagative replication process. This study is the first detailed investigation into the mechanisms governing self-propagating Aβ oligomers in vitro, revealing novel insight into the potential proliferation mechanism of toxic Aβ aggregates in AD.
Processes of participation in a mother-infant program as modified by stress and impulse control

Abstract Six groups of mothers participating in a comprehensive neighborhood-based parent educational support program for low-income mothers of new infants were studied for 1 year. Participation in the program was assessed using structured observations of verbal participation in group discussions, records of attendance, and a self-disclosure measure of peer ties. The sample of 42 white women was dichotomized on attitudes toward impulse control. More expressive mothers produced more verbal behavior and showed consistent correlations between early verbal behavior and later attendance and peer tie development. More controlled mothers showed correlations between aspects of program participation and preprogram measures of need, impulse control, and family support. A second dichotomy contrasted 15 persons showing indications of acute stress with 26 persons showing less stress. The acute-stress subsample received more service from staff members, showed lower attendance, and were delayed in participating in group processes of interaction and development of peer ties. Implications of the findings for theoretical perspectives on adult behavior, the design of parent programs, and evaluation research paradigms are discussed.
Fibrobullous disease of the upper lobes: An extraskeletal manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis

Fibrobullous disease of the upper lobes of the lungs is a rare extraskeletal manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis, occurring in 1.3% of patients with ankylosing spondylitis. We present a patient with this disease, and discuss this pulmonary manifestation. Because the radiographic appearance of the chest in this disease resembles that in tuberculosis, many patients are misdiagnosed and treated for tuberculosis despite negative bacteriology. Computed tomography is useful in delineating the extent of pleural thickening, bullous changes, volume loss, parenchymal fibrosis, and bronchiectasis, as well as identifying or excluding an intracavitary pulmonary mycetoma.
183 ETIOLOGY OF DELAYED PUBERTY IN 137 CHILDREN EVALUATED OVER A 9–5 YEAR PERIOD

To determine causes of delayed puberty in a referral population, we analyzed 137 children seen between 1975-84. Pubertal delay was defined in males as testicular volume <2cc beyond age 14 and in females as lack of breast development by age 13 or failure of menarche by age 15 years. Common complaints at clinical presentation included short stature or decreased growth in 82%, delayed puberty in 35%, amenorrhea in 28% of females, signs of intracranial tumor in 3.6%, and evidence of chronic disease in 12%. We obtained height, weight, growth rate, body proportions, parental heights, family history of delay, and Tanner staging. When indicated we measured thyroid function, bone age, gonadotropin and sex hormone levels, growth hormone responses and performed chromosome analysis, skull X-ray or CT scan. 65 patients had a final diagnosis of constitutional pubertal delay; 40% of these had a family history of delay. 46 children had delayed puberty secondary to hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction. Of 24 who were idiopathic, 7 had isolated gonadotropin deficiency and 17 had other pituitary abnormalities. Six others had congenital anomalies such as septo-optic dysplasia or Kallman's syndrome. The remaining 16 patients had tumors in the pituitary region, of which 7 were craniopharyngiomas. Eleven children had primary gonadal failure with 6 having Turner's syndrome. Two girls with amenorrhea presented with genital tract anatomic anomalies. The last 13 patients had delayed puberty secondary to associated medical problems or chronic disease. Delayed puberty appears most often to be due to constitutional delay, associated with a positive family history, and to idiopathic involvement of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.
Conflict datasets: Definitions and measurement

Data‐making in international politics is—explicitly or implicitly—driven by theory. A certain set of premises defines for the investigator what needs to be observed, how to observe, and how much to observe. Accordingly, datasets on international conflict differ from one another quite sharply along several dimensions. The consumer's choice of an appropriate dataset must be guided not only by the practical question of which dataset is available, but also by the question of which dataset is the most suitable in terms of the nature of its underlying theoretical assumptions. The paper discusses (1) the characteristics of some, but by no means all, conflict datasets and their underlying theoretical premises; (2) how these premises affect the results of the data‐generation effort and how differences in underlying premises result in substantial cross‐data differences; and (3) some possible directions toward standardizing conflict data in international politics as well as some inherent difficulties.
BCL6 rearrangement and mediastinal involvement in a case of B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

BCL6 rearrangement and mediastinal involvement in a case of B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Synthesis of polychlorinated dibenzofurans with confirmation by molecular structure/gas chromatographic retention relationships

Abstract Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) have been synthesized by pyrolysis of individual polychlorobiphenyl cogeners. In certain instances additional PCDFs were formed by either photolysis or chlorination of isolated PCDF congeners. The PCDFs formed by these independent reaction routes were cross correlated with each other to confirm the identity of a given congener. A final quality control step involved the development of a mathematical model which describes the relationship between molecular structure and gas chromatographic retention. The model variables include: 1) the substitution pattern of the chlorines on either of the aromatic rings and 2) interaction factors between chlorines on different rings. This model has been used to validate the many syntheses used to prepare the PCDFs and evidence suggests that the general principles may be applied to structurally similar systems.