cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiaxial crushing of open-cell foams

Abstract The paper investigates the crushing behavior of low-density foams under triaxial loadings. A micromechanically accurate cubical model of an Al-alloy random open-cell foam is surrounded by three pairs of orthogonal rigid planes and crushed simultaneously in three directions. The foams are crushed along radial displacement paths to volume changes of 70%. For all loading paths the foam traces initial stiff and stable branches during which it deforms as an elastic, isotropic solid. The branches terminate into stress maxima followed by localized crushing in narrow bands of cells. The crushing spreads with limited additional effort with crushed and relatively undeformed cells coexisting. The deformation becomes uniform again once the crushing has spread to the whole domain. Reported are stress-displacement responses in the three directions, and corresponding foam deformed configurations; the mean stress-volume change responses; and the energy absorbed as a function of the volume change. The results point to the need for constitutive models that can capture this partially unstable crushing behavior.
Food Insecurity Is Associated with Higher Added Sugar and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Among Low-Income Elementary Aged Children (P04-059-19)

Food insecurity is adversely associated with physical and mental health and wellbeing in children. The mechanism that underlies this association is assumed to be dietary intake; however, evidence linking food insecurity to child dietary intake has been mixed. This study examined the relationship between self-reported food insecurity and dietary intake among low-income 7–12 year old children. Cross-sectional data were used from TX Sprouts, a school-based cooking, gardening, and nutrition intervention in 16 central Texas schools. A sample of 680 children completed two 24-hour dietary recalls (24hDR) and a questionnaire that included an adapted version of the 5-item Child Food Security Assessment (CFSA). Four ordinal groups, High Food Security (HFS), Marginal Food Security (MFS), Low Food Security (LFS), and Very Low Food Security (VLFS), were generated based on summed scores from the CFSA. The Health Eating Index-2015 and dietary components (total energy, macronutrients, and servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs)) were derived from 24hDR. Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine the associations between food security and dietary outcomes. A priori covariates included sex, age, ethnicity, and daily energy. Children in the study were 45% male, 54% Hispanic, and had an average age of 9.3 years. Main effects of food security were significant for added sugar (P < 0.03) and SSBs (P < 0.04). Compared to children with HFS (referent), those who were LFS and VLFS consumed more added sugar (33.2 g vs. 39.9 g and 40.6 g, P < 0.03 and P < 0.003; respectively). Compared to the HFS referent group, those who were MFS and VLFS had higher mean intakes of SSBs (0.6 vs. 0.8 and 0.9 servings, P < 0.03 and P < 0.01; respectively). There were no significant associations between food security and other dietary outcomes. Self-reported food insecurity among children (7–12 years of age) was associated with higher added sugar and SSB intake. Future research should assess if the positive association between food insecurity and added sugar and SSB intake contributes to adverse health outcomes. This study was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
Cognitive, Affective, and General Empathy in Individuals Convicted of a Sexual Offense: A Meta-Analysis:

Empathy has an important role in promoting proper societal functions. Those who violate societal functions, such as those convicted of having committed a criminal offense, are theorized to possess ...
Semidualizing modules of 2 × 2 Ladder determinantal rings

Abstract We continue our study of ladder determinantal rings over a field k from the perspective of semidualizing modules. In particular, given a ladder of variables Y, we show that the associated ladder determinantal ring k [ Y ] / I 2 ( Y ) admits exactly 2 n non-isomorphic semidualizing modules where n is determined from the combinatorics of the ladder Y: the number n is essentially the number of non-Gorenstein factors in a certain decomposition of Y. From this, for each n, we show explicitly how to find ladders Y such that k [ Y ] / I 2 ( Y ) admits exactly 2 n non-isomorphic semidualizing modules. This is in contrast to our previous work, which demonstrates that large classes of ladders have exactly 2 non-isomorphic semidualizing modules.
Neutrino oscillations in supernovae: Angular moments and fast instabilities

Recent theoretical work indicates that the neutrino radiation in core-collapse supernovae may be susceptible to flavor instabilities that set in far behind the shock, grow extremely rapidly, and have the potential to profoundly affect supernova dynamics and composition. Here we analyze the nonlinear collective oscillations that are prefigured by these instabilities. We demonstrate that a zero crossing in ${n}_{{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{e}}\ensuremath{-}{n}_{{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{e}}$ as a function of propagation angle is not sufficient to generate instability. Our analysis accounts for this fact and allows us to formulate complementary criteria. Using fornax simulation data, we show that fast collective oscillations qualitatively depend on how forward peaked the neutrino angular distributions are.
Reversible M−M Bonding by Alkaline Earth Metals (Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) in Graphite Intercalation Compounds

The alkaline earth metals (M=Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba) exhibit a +2 oxidation state in nearly all known stable compounds, but MI dimeric complexes with M-M bonding, [M2 (en)2 ]2+ , (en=ethylenediamine) of all these metals can be stabilized within the galleries of donor-type graphite intercalation compounds (GICs). These metals can also form GICs with more conventional metal (II) ion complexes, [M(en)2 ]2+ . Here, the facile interconversion between dimeric-MI and monomeric-MII intercalates upon the addition/removal of en are reported. Thermogravimetry, powder X-ray diffraction, and pair distribution function analysis of total scattering data support the presence of either [M2 (en)2 ]2+ or [M(en)2 ]2+ guests. This phase conversion requires coupling graphene and metal redox centers, with associated reversible M-M bond formation within graphene galleries. This chemistry allows the facile isolation of unusual oxidation states, reveals M0 →M2+ reaction pathways, and present new opportunities in the design of hybrid conversion/intercalation materials for applications such as charge storage.
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN LIPOPROTEIN (A) WITH AORTIC VALVE CALCIUM IN SOUTH ASIANS AND COMPARISON TO OTHER RACE/ETHNIC GROUPS

South Asians (SAs) are at increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Aortic valve calcium (AVC) is associated with risk for both ASCVD and aortic stenosis. Elevated Lp(a) is heritable and an independent risk factor for ASCVD. Genetic variations in the LPA gene are associated
Chapter 37 – Program Management

Managing a program of laboratory animal husbandry and medicine is a demanding and complex task, regardless of the size or scope of the program. In addition to investigators’ needs, regulators’ requirements and society’s concerns about the care and use of laboratory animals, today’s manager is challenged by increasingly tight fiscal resources juxtaposed with growing global competition for life sciences talent and funding. The reader is (re)introduced to two related elements of management that are underrepresented in our field but of increasing importance for programs striving for affordability and high quality beyond merely following the rules. The first element requires appreciating programs as the small businesses they are, and adopting general management components essential for any business. The second element comprises quality management principles and tools (e.g., six-sigma and lean) developed in other industries in response to the same types of demands that programs face today. Those quality-management principles and tools are just as applicable to laboratory animal care and medicine, as evidenced by multiple examples provided. But their widespread adoption in this field will occur only when converging market forces leave program managers little choice but to embrace continuous improvement and become more familiar with business and management advances in industries beyond ours.
Overexpression of TGF-β1 induces renal fibrosis and accelerates the decline in kidney function in polycystic kidney disease.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by the presence of numerous fluid-filled cysts, extensive fibrosis, and the progressive decline in kidney function. Transformin...
The Arnold conjecture for Clifford symplectic pencils

We establish a version of the Arnold conjecture, both the degenerate and non-degenerate cases, for target manifolds equipped with Clifford pencils of symplectic structures and the domains (time-manifolds) equipped with frames of divergence-free vector fields meeting a certain additional requirement. This result generalizes the original work on the hyperkahler Arnold conjecture by Hohloch, Noetzel and Salamon for three-dimensional time and also the previous work by the authors.
Comparison of inpatient outcomes of pathological fractures in metastatic breast cancer and osteoporosis.

12115Background: In the United States, an estimated 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime. Of those with metastasis, over half have bone metastases leading to risk f...
The Return of Asiatic Citrus Canker to Texas: Surveys and Eradication Efforts

Citrus canker caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (syn. X. axonopodis pv. citri) was first reported in South Texas during the early 1900s, prompting quarantine and eradication programs by the ...
Collective emission of an atomic beam into an off-resonant cavity mode

We study the collective emission of a beam of atomic dipoles into an optical cavity. Our focus lies on the effect of a finite detuning between the atomic transition frequency and the cavity resonance frequency. By developing a theoretical description of the coupled atom-cavity dynamics we analyze the stationary atomic configurations including a superradiant phase where the atoms undergo continuous monochromatic collective emission. In addition, we derive an analytical formula for the cavity pulling coefficient which characterizes the displacement of the emission frequency towards the cavity frequency. We find that the pulling is small if the cavity linewidth is much larger than the collective linewidth of the atomic beam. This regime is desired for building stable lasers because the emission frequency is robust against cavity length fluctuations. Furthermore, we investigate the stability of the atomic phases and compare our theoretical predictions with numerical results. Remarkably, we also find polychromatic emission regimes, where the spectrum has several frequency components while the light output is still superradiant.
Risk, Reward, and Scientific Ontology: Reply to Bryant, Psillos, and Slater

Scientific Ontology: Integrating Naturalized Metaphysics and Voluntarist Epistemology contends that ontological commitments associated with scientific inquiry are infused with philosophical commitments. Interpretations of scientific ontology involve (what I call) metaphysical inferences, and furthermore, there are different ways of making these inferences, on the basis of different but nonetheless rational epistemic stances. If correct, this problematizes any neat distinction between naturalized and other metaphysics, and dissolves any presumption of there being a uniquely correct answer to ontological questions connected to the sciences. In this paper, I consider some weighty challenges to these contentions by Amanda Bryant, Stathis Psillos, and Matthew Slater.
The Letter to Nebetitef on her First Intermediate Period Stela in the Michael C. Carlos Museum

This paper offers a publication of the stela of Nebetitef with a letter to the deceased owner of the stela on the back. The letter was first published by Edward Wente more than four decades ago aft...
The Importance of Disaggregation in the Spatial Patterning of Sexual Crimes: A Local Analysis of Spatial Concentrations and Similarities Across Victim and Offense Types

The crime and place literature has consistently emphasized the importance of understanding spatial patterns of crime using increasingly smaller spatial units of analysis. Despite the growing number of studies that have used this perspective, very few of them have investigated sexual offenses specifically. The current study uses police event data to investigate the spatial distribution of sexual offenses that occurred between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2018 in Austin, Texas (N = 1381). Disaggregating offenses first by victim age (child versus adult) and then type of sexual act perpetrated (penetration, sexual contact, and sexual non-contact offenses), three measures of spatial clustering, kernel density analyses, and a spatial point pattern test are used. Findings indicate that sexual offenses perpetrated against children and adults are spatially concentrated, but the degree to which they cluster depends upon the type of sexual act committed. Furthermore, within each of these victim profiles, spatial point pattern findings suggest that the street segments (and intersections) affected by sexual crime differ according to the nature of the sexual act committed. Implications for situational crime prevention and policing are discussed.
Shifting Public Perceptions of Wichita’s Southeast High School, 1957–2000

Racial and socioeconomic segregation is a reality that has affected our schools for the entirety of American history. This chapter combines multiple perspectives through oral histories, archival data, and primary sources in a large urban high school in Wichita, Kansas from its opening in 1957 to the end of the century to grapple with the school's changing reputation and status. Through this analysis, one key issue arose: the district’s racial and socioeconomic composition shifted dramatically as a result of the opening of two academically rigorous high school programs in the 1980s. By pulling high achieving students from Southeast High to attend the new and prestigious test-in academic school options, this district initiative traded one social dilemma for another.
Through Streets Wide and Narrow

The solipsist who before was Belacqua, Murphy and Watt is brought to a third death, by suicide, in the Stories, but only to be resuscitated in the Texts for Nothing. In the meantime, however, he is made to live and die once more, just as the girl in that old Irish song lives and dies each time her song is sung, selling cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh — sweet Molly Malone,1 whose name will be used in the creation of two new Beckettian worlds, those of Molloy and Malone. To pronounce the very names the lips must be joined in that primeval, atavistic sucking reflex that draws the sweetness from a mother’s breasts. But that phenomenon is on the surface, and quickly fades into the background of the new worlding worlds. Once Malone dies, projecting the story of his own death, his spirit will go on, in the person of the Unnamable, whose song may be heard by all who have ears to hear the plaint of the unfinishable tale.
Cleft Extensions and Quotients of Twisted Quantum Doubles

Given a pair of finite groups F, G and a normalized 3-cocycle \(\omega\) of G, where F acts on G as automorphisms, we consider quasi-Hopf algebras defined as a cleft extension \(\mathbb{k}_{\omega }^{G}\#_{c}\,\mathbb{k}F\) where c denotes some suitable cohomological data. When \(F \rightarrow \overline{F}:= F/A\) is a quotient of F by a central subgroup A acting trivially on G, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a surjection of quasi-Hopf algebras and cleft extensions of the type \(\mathbb{k}_{\omega }^{G}\#_{c}\,\mathbb{k}F \rightarrow \mathbb{k}_{\omega }^{G}\#_{\overline{c}}\,\mathbb{k}\overline{F}\). Our construction is particularly natural when F = G acts on G by conjugation, and \(\mathbb{k}_{\omega }^{G}\#_{c}\mathbb{k}G\) is a twisted quantum double D ω (G). In this case, we give necessary and sufficient conditions that Rep(\(\mathbb{k}_{\omega }^{G}\#_{\overline{c}}\,\mathbb{k}\overline{G}\)) is a modular tensor category.
Earnings Announcements, Order Flow, and Returns

This paper is concerned with trading patterns around earnings announcements. We analyze order imbalances (buy orders less sell orders) following earnings surprises to determine if traders invest in a manner that is consistent with the representativeness heuristic (manifested by undue extrapolation of perceived patterns in random sequences). We then test whether such trading patterns affect returns. Our stimulus for this bias is a string of same-sign earnings surprises. Though not justified by subsequent price performance, we uncover evidence that investors extrapolate past trends in earnings performance. Specifically, following strings of consecutive positive earnings surprises, the amount of net buying after controlling for other regularities in trading activity is significantly greater than it is after an isolated positive surprise. This difference is increasing in the number of consecutive positive surprises in the string. Furthermore, subsequent to strings, purchasing activity is negatively correlated with returns throughout the remainder of the year.
Origins of the calculus of binary relations

The genesis of the calculus of binary relations, which was introduced by A. De Morgan (1860) and was subsequently greatly developed by C.S. Peirce (1933) and E. Schroder (1895), is examined. Its further development, from the perspective of modern model theory, in the 1940s and 1950s is described. >
Bounds on solutions to H/sub infinity / algebraic Riccati equations with applications

The authors give upper bounds on the stabilizing solutions of the algebraic Riccati equations arising in standard H/sub infinity / control problems for continuous time finite dimensional linear time invariant systems. Using these bounds they show that, in H/sub infinity / control with state-feedback, the so-called central solution satisfies an interesting H/sub 2/ norm bound. This bound may be readily used to find a state-feedback controller that guarantees an equal compromise between H/sub 2/ and H/sub infinity / objectives. >
Immunologic studies on the cystic effusions of ovarian epithelial neoplasms.

Abstract Cystic effusions from 12 epithelial tumors of the ovary and pooled normal ovarian tissue were studied by immunodiffusion for the presence of immunoglobulins G (IgG), M (IgM), and A (IgA) and free secretory component (FSC). In pooled normal ovarian tissue, IgG was the only immunoglobulin detected. In the neoplastic samples studied, IgG was detected in each of the 12 samples (100 per cent), IgM was found in 10 of the 12 samples (83 per cent), and IgA was detected in 11 of the 12 samples (92 per cent). There was no discernible correlation between the immunoglobulins detected and the composition of the effusions or the pathologic classification of the tumors. FSC was detected in all mucinous samples studied, malignant as well as benign. This substance was not detected in any of the nonmucinous samples or in pooled normal ovarian tissue. The data suggest a correlation between the presence of FSC and the mucinous composition of the tumor effusion. Possible use of FSC assays in the study of mucinous tumors of the ovary is discussed.
Suppression of amber codons in vivo as evidence that mutants derived from Escherichia coli initiator tRNA can act at the step of elongation in protein synthesis.

Abstract The absence of a Watson-Crick base pair at the end of the amino acid acceptor stem is one of the features which distinguishes prokaryotic initiator tRNAs as a class from all other tRNAs. We show that this structural feature prevents Escherichia coli initiator tRNA from acting as an elongator in protein synthesis in vivo. We generated a mutant of E. coli initiator tRNA in which the anticodon sequence is changed from CAU to CUA (the T35A36 mutant). This mutant tRNA has the potential to read the amber termination codon UAG. We then coupled this mutation to others which change the C1.A72 mismatch at the end of the acceptor stem to either a U1:A72 base pair (T1 mutant) or a C1:G72 base pair (G72 mutant). Transformation of E. coli CA274 (HfrC Su- lacZ125am trpEam) with multicopy plasmids carrying the mutant initiator tRNA genes show that mutant tRNAs carrying changes in both the anticodon sequence and the acceptor stem suppress amber codons in vivo, whereas mutant tRNA with changes in the anticodon sequence alone does not. Mutant tRNAs with the above anticodon sequence change are aminoacylated with glutamine in vitro. Measurement of kinetic parameters for aminoacylation by E. coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase show that both the nature of the base pair at the end of the acceptor stem and the presence or absence of a base pair at this position can affect aminoacylation kinetics. We discuss the implications of this result on recognition of tRNAs by E. coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase.
Effect of vancomycin on the growth of psittacosis-trachoma agents cultivated in eggs and cell culture.

The antibiotic vancomycin was effective in preventing bacterial contamination during studies with psittacosis and trachoma (PT) agents. This antibiotic was not toxic to chick embryos at 80 mg per egg, or to HeLa 229 cells cultivated in a medium containing 3,200 μg/ml of vancomycin; however, it was toxic to LLC-MK2 cells at a concentration of 1,600 μg/ml. Vancomycin did not affect the growth of a variety of PT agents at a concentration of 2 mg per egg or 800 μg per ml of cell culture medium, but it did inhibit the growth of common gram-positive bacterial air contaminants.
Fast robust adaptation of predictor weights from min/max neighboring pixels for minimum conditional entropy

Most linear predictors for image compression use only 2 or 3 weights, usually simple constants. Beyond that, intuitive models break down. Optimization does little better; the textbook minimum-variance model minimizes distortion at fixed rate, rather than minimizing entropy at fixed distortion. Its overemphasis of large prediction errors makes additional weights overly sensitive to small differences between large sums. Round-off error and singular matrices make one-pass adaptive coding difficult. This paper argues that simply bumping fixed-point weights of min/max neighboring pixels is closer to optimum, then demonstrates practicality and robustness up to 5 or 6 weights.
Market Distortions in Real Estate Transactions

The current commission system in real estate brokerage misaligns agent and house seller interests, so real estate agents have strong incentives to mislead their clients by convincing them to sell their houses too cheaply and too quickly. This paper studies, being motivated by the commission system, which types of agents are misleading which types of clients, so they need to renegotiate a better contract. We find that agents mainly mislead corporate, bank, and government clients, but not individual clients. Moreover, corporate clients are mainly misled by moderately experienced agents, while bank and government clients are mainly misled by less experienced agents. Highly experienced agents, on the other hand, mislead to the least extent on all types of clients. Greater information asymmetry leads to larger distortion on all types of clients, while greater motivation heterogeneity causes larger distortion on corporate and bank clients. We do not find evidence of agent shirking on effort.
Hypocupremia: A Possible Association with Late Cortical Cerebellar Atrophy

Background : We report a patient, diagnosed with late cortical cerebellar atrophy, who had persistent low serum copper levels. Case report : A 48-year-old male developed progressive difficulty with balance, frequent falls, and dysarthric speech, which worsened over a short time span. He had an extensive ataxia work-up, which was unremarkable except for persistent low serum copper levels despite adequate supplementation. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed marked cerebellar atrophy. The patient experienced progressive worsening of symptoms, which did not improve with either oral or parenteral copper supplementation. Discussion : To our knowledge, ours is the first case report of late cortical cerebellar atrophy in the setting of low serum copper levels. The current report should trigger further research in mechanisms leading to copper deficiency and its possible role in cerebellar disease.
Piecewise tri-linear contouring for multi-material volumes

The ability to model objects composed of multiple materials has become increasingly more demanded in scientific applications. The visualization of a discrete multi-material volume often suffers from voxelization of the boundary between materials. We propose a contouring method that can be efficiently implemented on the GPU to reduce the artifacts and jaggedness along the material boundaries. Our method extends naturally from the standard tri-linear contouring in a signed volume, and further provides sub-voxel accuracy for representing three or more materials.
DISTRIBUTED ADAPTIVE MULTIVARIATE FUNCTION VISUALIZATION

In this article, we introduce a new function visualization method and demonstrate that numerical integration and visualization of multi-dimensional functions are closely related. Adaptive numerical integration is utilized to reduce the number of function evaluations, and generate time series data. The integration region is partitioned into a uniform grid. A grid cell can be sampled many times, or is not sampled at all, depending on the function properties and the integration rule. Function properties are extracted during the process of function evaluation. An aging technique helps visualize functions by retaining the most recently sampled areas and making the older ones transparent. This also results in giving the non-smooth areas more attention than the smooth areas. The new function visualization method gives a view of the whole function while elaborating on important areas such as ridges and troughs, which are critical in many fields, including numerical integration. A Grid service, called Integration Service, is used to solve computationally intensive integration problems. Remote visualization based on the adaptive method helps monitor the progress of a computation, and can be utilized for computational steering. The data are filtered by the server and transferred to the client, which is responsible for visualization mapping and rendering.
Reliability and validity of the Self‐Efficacy for Performing Energy Conservation Strategies Assessment for persons with multiple sclerosis

The purpose of the study was to determine the test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity of the Self-Efficacy for Performing Energy Conservation Strategies Assessment (SEPECSA) for persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). The current study was part of a larger study (Mathiowetz et al., in review) to determine the effects of the Packer et al. (1995) energy conservation course. Thirty-six individuals were recruited from the local MS society. Participants completed the SEPECSA three times with a six-week control period between the first two assessments and the six-week Packer course between the second and third assessments. The test and retest correlation was high (r = .776, ICC = .771) indicating good reliability of the SEPECSA. Construct validity was supported by the significant increase in SEPECSA score after the Packer et al. course. The results of the study demonstrated that the SEPECSA is a reliable and valid assessment for individuals diagnosed with MS. Limitations of this study included its confinement within a larger study and the eight individuals who did not complete this study in its entirety. Future research will include a follow-up study of individuals who completed the course to determine the use and effectiveness of the energy conservation strategies.
Measuring the small-scale power spectrum of cosmic density fluctuations through 21 cm tomography prior to the epoch of structure formation.

The thermal evolution of the cosmic gas decoupled from that of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) at a redshift $z\ensuremath{\sim}200$. Afterwards and before the first stars had formed, the cosmic neutral hydrogen absorbed the CMB flux at its resonant 21 cm spin-flip transition. We calculate the evolution of the spin temperature for this transition and the resulting anisotropies that are imprinted on the CMB sky due to linear density fluctuations during this epoch. These anisotropies, at an observed wavelength of $10.56[(1+z)/50]\text{ }\mathrm{m}$, contain an amount of information that is orders of magnitude larger than any other cosmological probe.
Ovarian cancer in children and adolescents

Abstract Forty-six patients with ovarian cancer were treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (SJCRH) from 1963 to 1988. The mean age of the patients was 10.8 years (range 22 months-17 years), and the majority of the neoplasms were germ cell tumors (n = 43). Using the FIGO classification, 18 patients had stage I disease, four had stage II, 15 stage III, and 9 patients had stage IV disease. The overall survival rate was 69.6%. The age at the time of diagnosis did not seem to affect outcome. All patients with stage I disease survived, regardless of the type of neoplasm or the treatment modalities employed. For more advanced disease, survival rates were 50–60% for stages II and III, and only 11% for stage IV. The type of neoplasm also affected survival rates. Survival rates of 90–100% were recorded in patients with dysgerminomas and with mixed germ cell tumors, and the overall survival rates in patients with immature teratomas and endodermal sinus tumors were 64% and 50%, respectively. The series demonstrates the importance of early diagnosis of ovarian germ cell tumors.
What are the spermatocyte's requirements for successful meiotic division?

The consequences of error during meiotic division in spermatogenesis can be serious: aneuploid spermatozoa, embryonic lethality, and developmental abnormalities. Recombination between homologs is essential to ensure normal segregation; thus the spermatocyte must time division precisely so that it occurs after recombination between chromosomes and accumulation of the cell-cycle machinery necessary to ensure an accurate segregation of chromosomes. We use two systems to investigate meiotic division during spermatogenesis in the mouse: pharmacological induction of meiotic metaphase in cultured spermatocytes and transillumination-mediated dissection of stage XII seminiferous tubule segments to monitor progress through the division phase. By these approaches we can assess timing of acquisition of competence for the meiotic division phase and the temporal order of events as division proceeds. Competence for the meiotic division arises in the mid-pachytene stage of meiotic prophase, after chromosomes have synapsed and coincident with the accumulation of the cell-cycle regulatory protein CDC25C. The activity of both MPF and topoisomerase II are required. The earliest hallmarks of the division phase are nuclear envelope breakdown, followed by phosphorylation of histone H3 and chromosome condensation. These events are likely to be monitored by checkpoint mechanisms since checkpoint proteins can be localized in nuclei and DNA-damaging agents delay entry into the meiotic division phase. Understanding how the spermatocyte regulates its entry into the meiotic division phase can help clarify the natural mechanisms ensuring accurate chromosome segregation and preventing aneuploidy. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 285:243-250, 1999.
Teaching computer organization/architecture by building a computer

This paper describes a series of exercises and assignments suggested for an introductory computer organization or computer architecture course. The primary objective of these exercises is to engage a class of students by introducing the practical, hands-on application of assembling a computer by selecting or purchasing individual components. While the ideal implementation involves the purchasing and assembling of components, various alternatives will be presented that do not require any additional funds to be secured.
Molecular Epidemiology of Transmissible Gentamicin Resistance Among Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci in a Cardiac Surgery Unit

The prevalence of colonization of patients in a cardiac surgery unit with gentamicin-resistant, coagulase-negative staphylococci increased from 20% to 68% over a period of four years. Gentamicin resistance was found to be plasmid associated and transmissible from wild-type coagulase-negative staphylococcal donors to a Staphylococcus aureus recipient by filter mating (conjugative). These plasmids were present in isolates from 50 (74%) of 69 individuals examined. This figure included isolates from colonized patients, colonized staff, and patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis. A common restriction-endonuclease digestion pattern (pG02; 50 kilobases) was seen in only 19 (38%) of the 50 conjugative plasmids. However, filter hybridization, restriction-endonuclease mapping, and transposon insertional mutagenesis showed that representatives of the other 10 restriction-endonuclease digestion patterns were physically related to pG02 over greater than 80% of their genome, with differences largely due to deletions or insertions of DNA in three areas, and that their gentamicin-resistance genes were identical. Molecular analysis may be required to ascertain the physical similarity among phenotypically and epidemiologically related plasmids.
Outbreak of lepidopterism at a Boy Scout camp.

Background Lepidopterism refers to moth- or butterfly-associated illness, including contact dermatitis, urticaria, and occasional systemic reactions. Lepidopterism outbreaks are rare. Objective To investigate a lepidopterism outbreak associated with caterpillars of the Douglas-fir tussock moth (DFTM; Orgyia pseudotsugata ) among Boy Scouts attending summer camp in New Mexico. Methods Retrospective cohort analysis; environmental investigation. Results Attendees were primarily male (100/107; 94%) and less than 18 years old (82/107; 77%). Itch, rash, or hives were reported by 56 of 102 (55%) of campers. Patients were more likely to report direct caterpillar contact (relative risk [RR]: 2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-5.5); playing a caterpillar-flicking game (RR: 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1-3.4); and sleeping at campsite 6, where caterpillars were most numerous (RR: 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3-2.4). All patients recovered. Limitations Data on disease status and risk factors were collected retrospectively. Conclusion Modifying behaviors associated with lepidopterism and avoiding areas of heavy infestation can reduce illness risk.
Adenoviral Bid Overexpression Induces Caspase-dependent Cleavage of Truncated Bid and p53-independent Apoptosis in Human Non-small Cell Lung Cancers

Proapoptotic gene transfer to promote death or to augment killing by DNA-damaging agents represents a promising strategy for cancer therapy. We have constructed an adenoviral Tet-Off trade mark vector with tightly controlled expression of Bid (Ad-Bid) (Clontech, Palo Alto, CA). Using the non-small cell lung cancer cell lines H460, H358, and A549, low dose Ad-Bid was shown to induce high levels of full-length Bid as well as caspase-3 and -9 activity. Although only a small fraction of Bid was processed to truncated Bid (a step inhibited by benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone), Ad-Bid gene transfer resulted in mitochondrial changes consistent with apoptosis (mitochondrial depolarization, cytochrome c release), DNA fragmentation, and a dramatic loss of cell viability. The proapoptotic effects of Ad-Bid were independent of p53 status and were augmented markedly by caspase-8 activators such as the DNA-damaging agent cisplatin. When Ad-Bid and cisplatin were used together, chemosensitivity was restored in p53-null H358 cells, increasing death from 35% following treatment with cisplatin and Ad-LacZ to >90% death with Ad-Bid and cisplatin (Ad-Bid alone induced 50% cell death under these conditions). Ad-Bid can induce apoptosis in malignant cells and enhance chemosensitivity in the absence of p53, suggesting this approach as a potential cancer therapy.
Open repair of juxtarenal aortic aneurysms (JAA) remains a safe option in the era of fenestrated endografts.

Objectives Widespread application of infrarenal endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) has resulted in a proportionate increase in open juxtarenal aortic aneurysm (JAA) repairs. Fenestrated endograft technology for JAA is developing rapidly, but only limited outcomes are known. The aim of this study was to review our open JAA experience in an era of fenestrated endograft technology, identify factors associated with increased surgical risk, determine early and midterm outcome, and provide a basis for comparison for future endovascular procedures. Methods Data from 126 consecutive patients who underwent elective JAA repair requiring suprarenal aortic clamping from 2001 to 2006 were analyzed retrospectively. Electronic medical chart reviews were used to record 30-day complication rates. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors associated with surgical morbidity. Mail-out questionnaires and telephone surveys were conducted to determine long-term follow-up. Results Ninety-eight males and 28 females (median age 74 years; range 55 to 93) were included in the study. Preoperative risk factors included: coronary artery disease (CAD) 58%, pulmonary disease 41%, renal insufficiency (serum creatinine [Cr] > 1.5mg/dL) 17%, and diabetes 9%. Fifteen patients underwent concomitant renal artery revascularization. Mean operative time was 319 minutes (range 91 to 648). Thirty-day mortality was 1/126 (0.8%). Median hospital length of stay was 7 days (range 3 to 85); median intensive care unit length of stay was 2 days (1 to 64). Complications included renal insufficiency (Cr increase > 0.5 mg/dL) in 22 (18%), cardiac in 17 (13%), and pulmonary in 14 (11%). Five patients required temporary hemodialysis; only one after hospital dismissal. Mean follow-up was 48 months (range 9-80). On multivariate analysis, age ≥ 78 years ( P = .001), male gender ( P = .04), hypertension ( P =.01), previous myocardial infarction ( P = .047), and diabetes ( P =.009) were predictive of cardiac complications. Renal artery revascularization ( P = .01) and prior MI ( P = .04) were multivariate predictors of pulmonary complications. Both prolonged operative (≥351 minutes, P = .02) and renal ischemia (≥23 minutes, P =.004) times predicted postoperative renal insufficiency. One, 3, and 5-year cumulative survival rates were 93.9%, 78.3%, and 63.8%, respectively and were not significantly different than an age- and gender-matched sample of the US population ( P = .16). Mortality was not predicted by any specific risk factors. Conclusions Open surgical repair of JAA is associated with low mortality and remains the gold standard. Although 18% had renal complications, only one patient had permanent renal failure. Patients with a combination of physiologic and anatomic risk factors identified on multivariate analysis may benefit from fenestrated endograft repair.
Exploiting spectral-spatial proximity for classification of hyperspectral data on manifolds

Similarity measures for classification of hyperspectral data in the manifold space are typically based on spectral characteristics. However, samples that are not spectrally separable may cause incorrectly connected graphs and result in noninformative data manifolds. Spatial relationships inherent in remote sensing images can be beneficial for constructing connectivity graphs. A spectral-spatial proximity graph utilizing both spectral characteristics and spatial homogeneity is proposed for robust manifold learning. With the proposed spectral-spatial graph, we are able to extract essential features and preserve important knowledge in a lower dimensional manifold space, where classification tasks can be performed effectively. Two hyperspectral data sets were used to validate the proposed approach. Classification results obtained by the nearest neighbor classifier demonstrate the usefulness of exploiting spectral similarity and spatial proximity for the manifold-based classification.
Do Stockholders Share Risk More Effectively than Nonstockholders

Abstract This paper analyzes the extent of risk-sharing among stockholders and nonstockholders. To evaluate the empirical importance of market incompleteness, it is essential to determine whether idiosyncratic shocks are important for the wealthy who have access to better insurance opportunities, but also face different risks, than the average household. We study a model where each period households decide whether to participate in the stock market by paying a fixed cost. Due to this endogenous entry decision, the testable implications of perfect risk-sharing take the form of a sample selection model, which we estimate using a semiparametric GMM estimator proposed by Kyriazidou (2001). Using data from PSID, we strongly reject perfect risk-sharing among stockholders, but perhaps surprisingly, do not find evidence against it among nonstockholders. This result appears to be robust to several extensions. This finding suggests further focus on risk factors that primarily affect the wealthy, such as entrepreneu...
XX Sex Reversal in the Human

Publisher Summary Normal differentiation of the human ovary requires the presence of two X chromosomes. In 45,X embryos—those lacking a second sex chromosome—the ovary develops normally for about the first trimester of gestation, after which there is a progressive loss of germ cells and follicles, and an increase in the amount of connective tissue. Although a few germ cells and follicles might persist into adulthood, the 45,X gonad is represented at or around the time of birth by a white fibrous streak, called a “streak gonad.” In affected adults, the streak gonad is about 2-3 cm long and 0.5 cm thick, and contains whorls of fibrous tissue resembling the tissue found in the normal ovary. The rete ovarii might be present and a few hilar cells, but streak gonads are endocrinologically inert. The mammalian X and Y chromosomes originated from an ancestral pair of homologous autosomes, and the Y lost most of its genetic material to become a specialized testis inducer while the X remained more or less invariant. It has been assumed that the genes that are necessary for normal ovarian development were among those lost from the Y. However, when the Y fails to induce a testis, the gonadal primordium initiates ovarian development, so it can be deduced that some of the genes necessary for ovarian development are retained.
trans-Splicing: An update

5′-end maturation of messenger RNAs via acquisition of a trans-spliced leader sequence occurs in several primitive eukaryotes, some of which are parasitic. This type of trans-splicing proceeds though a two-step reaction pathway directly analogous to that of cis-splicing and like cis-splicing it requires multiple U snRNP cofactors. This minireview attempts to provide a brief synopsis of our current understanding of the evolution and biological significance of trans-splicing. Progress in deciphering the mechanism of trans-splicing, particularly as it relates to current models of cis-splicing, is also discussed.
Will high usage of synthetic chelating agents eventually harm soils

Abstract To test the hypothesis that long‐usage of metal chelates on soils will eventually result in abnormal plant nutrition, bush bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Improved Tendergreen) were grown in Yolo loam soil which had been equilibrated with high levels of DTPA and EDDHA as Na salts; the levels were 500 and 1000 ng/g for each. Two crops of plants were grown at different points in the leaching stages. Yields were not affected by the treatments. Several trace elements were elevated in leaves after partial leaching and, after apparent complete leaching, Mn was elevated in primary leaves of 3 of 4 chelate treatments but in only one of four treatments in trifoliate leaves. There was a residual effect on Zn and P in primary leaves but not in trifoliate leaves. There was no real indication of adverse effects of the high levels of chelating agents after they had been leached from the soil.
Ozone concentrations in the Central Wasatch Mountains of Utah.

In the Salt Lake Valley, a June through August SUM60 value (sum of hourly average ozone concentrations ≥60 parts per billion by volume [ppbv]) of 25,000 ppbv-hr was exceeded in 9 yr between 1978 and 1998. Ozone concentrations in the nearby Central Wasatch Mountains were monitored to determine the potential for vegetation injury. The SUM60 value of 19,000 ppbv-hr in these mountains and peak hourly concentrations >100 ppbv suggests that ozone-sensitive species may be injured. Ozone concentrations in the mountains were greatest during periods of strong upslope winds from the Salt Lake Valley. Both SUM60 values and hourly average concentrations in the Central Wasatch Mountains were strongly correlated with those in the Salt Lake Valley, suggesting that data from valley stations could be used to estimate ozone in the mountains.
Theory and Ideology in Soviet Administration A Rejoinder to Vidmer

The idea of a "Soviet administrative paradigm" is criticized and found wanting on a number of conceptual grounds. In its place, the concept of ideology is proposed to account for observable patterns in the Soviet literature on administration and to explain the form taken by these patterns.
H+/Ca2+ exchange in rabbit renal cortical endosomes.

We have examined the effect of second messengers on ATP-driven H+ transport in an H+ ATPase-bearing endosomal fraction isolated from rabbit renal cortex. cAMP (0.1mm) had no effect on H+ transport. Acridine orange fluorescence in the presence of 0.5mm Ca2+ (+1mm EGTA) was 19±6% of control. Inhibition of ATP-driven H+ transport by Ca2+ was concentration dependent; 0.25 and 0.5mm Ca2+ (+1mm EGTA) inhibited acridine orange fluorescence by ∼50 and ∼80%, respectively. Ca2+ also produced a concentration-dependent increase in the rate of pH-gradient dissipation. Ca2+ did not affect ATP hydrolysis. ATP-dependent Br− uptake was virtually unchanged in the presence of 0.5mm Ca2+ (+1mm EGTA). These vesicles were also shown to transport Ca2+ in an ATP-dependent mode. Inositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate had no effect on ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake. These results are consistent with the co-existence of an H+ ATPase and an H+/Ca2+ exchanger on these endosomes, the latter transport system using the H+ gradient to energize Ca2+ uptake. Attempts to demonstrate an H+/Ca2+ antiporter in the absence of ATP have been unsuccessful. Yet, when a pH gradient was established by preincubation with ATP and residual ATP was subsequently removed by hexokinase + glucose, stimulation of Ca2+ uptake could be demonstrated. A Ca2+-dependent increase in H+ permeability and an ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake might have important implications for the regulation of vacuolar H+ ATPase activity as well as the homeostasis of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration.