cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transformation of tragedy among women surviving breast cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To describe the process of how women with breast cancer attribute positive meaning to their illness. DESIGN: Descriptive, qualitative. SETTING: Major metropolitan area in the southwestern United States. SAMPLE: Twenty-four women diagnosed with breast cancer within the past two years. METHODS: Data collected during semistructured interviews were coded and analyzed using Grounded Theory techniques. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Process and outcomes of ascribing positive meanings to cancer. FINDINGS: The author observed a basic social-psychospiritual process of transforming personal tragedy. This process involved phases labeled as encountering darkness, converting darkness, encountering light, and reflecting light. CONCLUSIONS: Varying degrees of positive meaning can be attributed to breast cancer. Encountering the darkness and moving through the other phases are normal and adaptive. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Recognizing that positive meanings are independent of questions of causality but that encountering the darkness is necessary for transformation can help patients and nurses to face tragedy. Future research should seek to understand why some patients get "stuck" encountering or converting darkness.
Androgen receptor immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded tissue

Androgen deprivation remains the primary therapy for patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Response to hormonal manipulation, however, has been quite variable. Androgen receptor (AR) expression has been used to predict clinical response to antiandrogenic treatment. However, methods of detection of AR expression have been limited to receptor biochemical assays in cytosolic or nuclear fractions of frozen tissue homogenates with obvious contamination problems by nonmalignant epithelial and stromal cells. As a result, studies correlating AR expression with response to hormonal therapy have been limited and controversial. More recently, immunohistochemical methods of analysis have become available, but only on frozen tissue. We describe a simple method to evaluate ARs on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections using antigen retrieval methods. Primary, as well as metastatic, prostate carcinomas showed nuclear staining for ARs. Secretory cells stained uniformly in hyperplastic and normal prostatic glands. The majority of stromal cells had strong nuclear positivity. All other cancers tested (colon, breast, lung, skin, kidney) were negative. This immunohistochemical technique allows evaluation of prostate cancer AR status in routinely processed tissues. Thus, application of this technology to archival material should permit assessment of whether AR expression is predictive of response to endocrine therapy in advanced prostate cancer.
Imaging for Synovitis, Acne, Pustulosis, Hyperostosis, and Osteitis (SAPHO) Syndrome

Multifocal osteomyelitis and synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, and osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome constitute a spectrum of disease that includes inflammatory bone lesions and dermatologic findings. Radiographic features resemble those of the spondyloarthropathies with anterior chest wall involvement. Early radiographic findings are osteodestructive with lytic lesions. Bone scintigraphy of the sternoclavicular region classically yields a 'bull's head' pattern of radionuclide uptake. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can demonstrate corner lesions of vertebral bodies. Ultrasound often reveals peripheral enthesitis. Late radiographic features are usually osteoproliferative. PET/CT can identify chronic lesions. Differential diagnostic considerations include osteomyelitis and malignancy, which often prompt bone biopsy.
Lumbar Herniation of Kidney following Iliac Crest Bone Harvest

The iliac crest is a popular source for autogenous bone harvesting, but the process is rife with complications. This case report presents a patient that experienced incisional lumbar herniation of her kidney following an iliac crest bone harvesting procedure. A discussion is included on the underappreciated complications of this procedure and recommendations for improving outcomes with more thorough evaluation and documentation.
Establishment of a Retroviral Mouse Model for inv(16)-Mediated Acute Myeloid Leukemia Suggests That the p14ARF Tumor Suppressor Is a Transcriptional Target for Repression by the inv(16) Fusion Protein.

The inv(16) is one of the most frequent chromosomal translocations associated with acute myeloid leukemia. The chimeric gene encodes a fusion protein consisting of most of the RUNX1 co-factor core binding factor beta (CBFβ) fused to a smooth muscle myosin heavy chain, SMMHC. Given that RUNX1 and RUNX1-ETO regulate the p14 ARF promoter, we tested whether the inv(16) fusion protein (IFP) can also repress p14 ARF expression. In reporter assays, the IFP cooperated with RUNX1 to repress the p14 ARF promoter. To investigate whether the IFP can regulate endogenous ARF expression, we triggered the oncogene checkpoint and the expression of p19 ARF (the murine homologue) by expressing c-Myc in primary myeloid progenitor cells. After induction of c-Myc activity, p19 ARF levels increase 20–50 fold; however, the co-expression of the IFP and c-Myc effectively blunted the induction of p19 ARF . Next, we sought to take advantage of this information to establish a murine model of the inv(16). We reasoned that the IFP provides a growth advantage and perhaps allows mutations to accumulate by repressing p19 ARF . If so, then removing p19 ARF during the rapid growth of hematopoietic stem cells and progenitors during embryogenesis might allow the formation of the same mutations that would occur after expression of the IFP, but accelerate leukemogenesis upon IFP expression. Therefore, we used p19 ARF -null mice as bone marrow donors and used recombinant retroviruses to express the IFP together with a green fluorescent protein (GFP). Given that repression of the p19 ARF promoter is likely to be incomplete, we also tested whether removing one allele of p19 ARF might enhance the ability of the IFP to induce leukemia by further reducing the expression of p19 ARF . We found that expression of the IFP induced a myelomonocytic AML in 10 to 12 weeks when expressed in p19 ARF -null cells. In addition, the IFP cooperated with the removal of only a single allele of p19 ARF and the complete deletion of p19 ARF only modestly shortened the latency period. The leukemic blasts in all the cases showed large nuclei and many of them contained granules and/or vacuoles in the cytoplasm. In addition, the GFP+ blast cells that express the IFP did not express any of the standard lineage markers and the majority of these cells were ckit+/Sca1−. All these findings are consistent with a myeloblastic acute leukemia. We conclude that repression of p19 ARF by the IFP may stimulate formation of AML and that the IFP sets the stage for the rapid development of AML.
Blogs in Thailand and Malaysia: Contrasting Contexts, Contrasting Contents

Governments in Southeast Asia have generally maintained stringent control over mainstream media, especially on matters related to politics, but the Internet’s rise has enabled citizen journalists to bypass those controls. This study examined popular blogs in Thailand and Malaysia, two countries that have quite different political and historical settings, looking at the range of contents presented by blogs in each nation. We found that while Thailand has a policy blocking many Websites, Malaysia has maintained an open Internet policy in support of its Multimedia Super Corridor project. Blogging in both countries enjoyed a tremendous boost in popularity because of limitations imposed on mainstream media. In both countries, blogs tend to be associated with politics. And yet, because of government policies that influence information exchange, in neither country are bloggers free to freely exercise their rights of self-expression.
Global existence theory for general hyperbolic-parabolic balance laws with application

We study a general system of hyperbolic-parabolic balance laws in m space dimensions (m ≥ 1). The system has rank deficient viscosity matrices and a lower order term whose Jacobian matrix is rank deficient as well. We consider the Cauchy problem when initial data are small perturbations of a constant equilibrium state. Under a set of reasonable assumptions including Kawashima–Shizuta condition, we establish the existence of solution global in time via energy method. The proposed assumptions are sufficiently general for applications to physical models such as electro-magneto flows and physical gas flows. In particular, we study the gas flow with an internal non-equilibrium mode besides the translational non-equilibrium. The general result in this paper recovers the existing results in literature on hyperbolic-parabolic conservation laws and hyperbolic balance laws, respectively, as two special cases.
Effects of Naloxone and Shock Intensity on Variable-Cycle Avoidance Performance in Rats

After extensive training on a variable cycle 15-s schedule of shock avoidance, rats were exposed to shock intensity variations from 0.1 to 0.8 mA. In addition, prior to each session rats received injections of a moderate dose of the opiate antagonist, naloxone (3 mg/kg), or saline vehicle. Response rates and percentage of shocks avoided increased with increasing shock intensity for all three rats. At the high shock intensities naloxone depressed response rates and percentage of avoidance. This naloxone-induced impairment of avoidance was particularly evident in the latter part of the 1-hr sessions. However, at the lower shock intensities, naloxone had no effect for two animals and appeared to increase performance in the third rat. Effects of naloxone on variable-cycle avoidance thus depended on the programmed shock intensity.
Determining Topological Charge of an LG beam using a wedged optical flat

We present a method to determine the magnitude and sign of the topological charge of an optical beam carrying orbital angular momentum using a wedged optical flat and two confocal lenses.
A simulation testbed for cascade analysis

Electrical power systems are heavily instrumented with protection assemblies (relays and breakers) that detect anomalies and arrest failure propagation. However, failures in these discrete protection devices could have inadvertent consequences, including cascading failures resulting in blackouts. This paper aims to model the behavior of these discrete protection devices in nominal and faulty conditions and apply it towards simulation and contingency analysis of cascading failures in power transmission systems. The behavior under fault conditions are used to identify and explain conditions for blackout evolution which are not otherwise obvious. The results are demonstrated using a standard IEEE-14 Bus System.
Congress of Neurological Surgeons Systematic Review and Evidence-Based Guidelines on Pathological Methods and Prognostic Factors in Vestibular Schwannomas.

TARGET POPULATION Adults diagnosed with vestibular schwannomas. QUESTION 1 What is the prognostic significance of Antoni A vs B histologic patterns in vestibular schwannomas? RECOMMENDATION No recommendations can be made due to a lack of adequate data. QUESTION 2 What is the prognostic significance of mitotic figures seen in vestibular schwannoma specimens? RECOMMENDATION No recommendations can be made due to a lack of adequate data. QUESTION 3 Are there other light microscopic features that predict clinical behavior of vestibular schwannomas? RECOMMENDATION No recommendations can be made due to a lack of adequate data. QUESTION 4 Does the KI-67 labeling index predict clinical behavior of vestibular schwannomas? RECOMMENDATION No recommendations can be made due to a lack of adequate data. QUESTION 5 Does the proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index predict clinical behavior of vestibular schwannomas? RECOMMENDATION No recommendations can be made due to a lack of adequate data. QUESTION 6 Does degree of vascular endothelial growth factor expression predict clinical behavior of vestibular schwannomas? RECOMMENDATION No recommendations can be made due to a lack of adequate data. The full guideline can be found at: https://www.cns.org/guidelines/guidelines-management-patients-vestibular-schwannoma/chapter_6.
Evidence for plasticity, but not local adaptation, in invasive Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) in North America

While local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity are commonly observed in species occupying heterogeneous environments, these phenomena are less well understood in invasive species. However, plant invasions offer the opportunity to study these dynamics as they occur in species colonizing new habitats. In this study, we examined local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in an invasive plant, Reynoutria japonica, across a broad latitudinal range within North America. We performed full-factorial reciprocal transplants using plants from three sites and examined fitness responses in both sexual and clonal reproductive measures, as well as vegetative responses in height, basal stem diameter, and biomass. For all vegetative traits, there was a significant effect of source population, indicating genetic differentiation among populations. There was also a significant effect of transplant site, suggesting phenotypic plasticity. However, there was no evidence of local adaptation at the North American meta-population level for either measure of sexual or clonal fitness. All three comparisons for sexual fitness failed to show any differences between source populations, indicating a lack of local adaptation. For clonal fitness, two of the three comparisons showed local maladaptation, and only one showed greater fitness at the home compared to foreign sites, but this population had greater fitness at all sites, indicating greater fitness overall for this population rather than local adaptation. The fact that we did not detect consistent patterns of local adaptation in these populations across a broad geographic range is somewhat surprising given that local adaptation appears common in many species, including invasives, and that the populations have been established for over a century. However, the lack of local adaptation observed in this species may indicate that phenotypic plasticity within the species is sufficient to allow the persistence of R. japonica in a variety of environments across its invaded range.
Assigning Responsibility for Failed Obligations

Traditional security policies largely focus on access control. Though essential, access control is only one aspect of security. In particular, the correct behavior and reliable operation of a system depends not only on what users are permitted to do, but oftentimes on what users are required to do. Such obligatory actions are integral to the security procedures of many enterprises. Unlike access control, obligations assigned to individual users are often unenforceable, that is, the system cannot ensure that each obligation will be fulfilled. Accurately determining who was at fault when obligations are not met is essential for responding appropriately, be it in terms of modified trust relationships or other recourse. In this paper, based on a formal metamodel of obligations, we propose an approach for fault assessment through active online tracking of responsibilities and dependencies between obligations. We identify and formalize two key properties for the correct assessment of fault, and design responsibility assignment and fault assessment algorithms for a concrete yet general access control and obligation system.
Use of hair nets and face masks to decrease blood culture contamination rates.

Abstract Owing to a persistently high blood culture contamination rate of 3.2% exceeding the target rate of
SYNTHETIC OXYGEN CARRIERS RELATED TO NATURAL SYSTEMS

Abstract A brief summary is given of the research done, primarily in our laboratory, during the past decade on synthetic oxygen carriers of biological interest. This includes mention of the isolation and characterization of the first series of monomeric dioxygen adducts of some cobalt(II) Schiff base chelates, the reversible oxygenation in solution at low temperatures and on rigid surfaces of iron(II) porphyrins, and the discovery of a manganese(II) porphyrin oxygen carrier. Recent studies on the ligation and the dioxygen affinity of the Baldwin capped porphyrins of iron(II) and cobalt(II), are reported. The Fe(Cap) permits the first direct quantitative measurement of the addition of the first axial ligand to an iron(II) porphyrin for a series of different monodentate ligands. Both the ligation and the dioxygen affinity of the iron(II) capped porphyrins are smaller than for the corresponding flat porphyrins, including the oxygen affinity of natural heme proteins. Finally, the larger cap size of Fe(HmCap) yields certain bis- base complexes of intermediate electronic spin (S=l) and form the unique pseudo-seven-coordinate complex Fe(HmCap)(l-MeIm)(O2).
Not Everything is Dark and Gloomy: Power Grid Protections Against IoT Demand Attacks

Author(s): Huang, B; Cardenas, AA; Baldick, R | Abstract: Devices with high energy consumption such as air conditioners, water heaters, and electric vehicles are increasingly becoming Internet-connected. This new connectivity exposes the control of new electric loads to attackers in what is known as Manipulation of demand via IoT (MadIoT) attacks. In this paper we investigate the impact of MadIoT attacks on power transmission grids. Our analysis leverages a novel cascading outage analysis tool that focuses on how the protection equipment in the power grid as well as how protection algorithms react to cascading events that can lead to a power blackout. In particular, we apply our tool to a large North American regional transmission interconnection system consisting of more than 5,000 buses, and study how MadIoT attacks can affect this power system. To help assess the effects of such cyber attacks, we develop numerical experiments and define new and stronger types of IoT demand attacks to study cascading failures on transmission lines and their effects on the system frequency. Our results show that MadIoT attacks can cause a partition of the bulk power system, and can also result in controlled load shedding, but the protections embedded in the operation of the transmission grid can allow the system to withstand a large variety of MadIoT attacks and can avoid a system blackout.
Alemtuzumab Reduces Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease (cGVHD) and Treatment Related Mortality (TRM) after Reduced Intensity Conditioning for AML and MDS.

Abstract In vivo T-cell depletion with alemtuzumab has been used to reduce acute and chronic GVHD. In order to evaluate its overall effect on transplant outcomes in AML and MDS we compared 90 pts who received fludarabine/melphalan/alemtuzumab (FMA) conditioning and post-transplant tacrolimus at the University of Chicago, with 112 who received fludarabine/melphalan (FM) and post-transplant tacrolimus/methotrexate at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Pt and transplant characteristics were well balanced except for a higher proportion of MDS in the FM group. Median age, proportion unrelated donor tx and proportion high/intermediate and low risk by ASBMT criteria were balanced between the groups. With median follow up of 28 months in both groups, one year progression free survival and overall survival are identical. TRM is significantly higher after FM, but relapse is higher in FMA. 19/103 d 28 survivors after FM vs 7/84 after FMA developed gr III–IV acute GVHD (p=0.04). 46/77 d100 survivors after FM developed ext cGVHD vs 7/63 after FMA (p=0.0000). 43 patients remain alive after FM and 27 have ext cGVHD. 41 remain alive after FMA and 1 has ext cGVHD. Alemtuzumab results in a considerable reduction in acute and particularly chronic GVHD. TRM is reduced compared with standard GVHD prophylaxis. Low incidence of chronic GVHD and reduced TRM may be the major benefit of this strategy. Relapse rates are increased, because of reduced GVL effects or because of improved early survival of high risk patients. Other approaches are necessary for improving long term outcomes. Patient Characteristics and Outcome FMA FM P-value N 90 102 Age (range) 54 (22–74) 51 (17–77) 0.6 AML/MDS 13/77 29/83 0.04 MUD/related 42/48 59/63 0.5 High./Intermediate/LowRisk 48/13/28 76/10/26 0.12 Median Follow up mths (range) 28 (3–89) 28 (1–66) 0.07 TRM@ 100 days 13% + 7% 24% + 8% 0.04 TRM@ 1 year 30% + 12% 42% + 10% 0.04 Relapse @ 1 year 40% + 12% 26% + 10% 0.01 PFS @ 2 years 33% + 11% 37% + 9% 0.9 OS @ 2 year 42% + 11% 44% + 9% 0.5 AGVD gr III–IV 7/84 19/103 0.04 Ext cGVHD 7/63 46/77 0.0000 Ext cGVHD in survivors 1/41 27/43 0.0000
Case 7-2020: A 52-Year-Old Man with a Mass in the Left Breast.

A Man with a Mass in the Left Breast A 52-year-old man was referred to the hospital for management of a lump in the left breast. Mammography confirmed a round mass with irregular margins; ultrasono...
Consistency of patient versus investigator reporting of symptomatic adverse events (AEs) in international trials.

38Background: FDA approved 3 androgen receptor inhibitors for nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) based on global randomized trials with control arms of placebo + ADT. Despi...
Does Dark Matter Consist of Cosmic String Remnants

If cosmic strings have an irreducible core, then dark matter may consist of entities that are core-sized string remnants. As such they may interact solely by gravity. These talons may be many orders of magnitude more massive than any known fundamental particle. Due to interacting solely via gravity it would seem almost impossible to detect talons in any laboratory search.
Effects of Erythropoietin in White Adipose Tissue and Bone Microenvironment

Erythropoietin (EPO) is expressed primarily in fetal liver and adult kidney to stimulate red blood cell production. Erythropoietin receptor expression is not restricted to erythroid progenitor cells, and non-erythroid EPO activity includes immune response and bone remodeling. In bone fracture models, EPO administration promotes bone formation and accelerates bone healing. In contrast, in healthy adult mice, exogenous EPO-stimulated erythropoiesis has been concomitant with bone loss, particularly at high EPO, that may be accompanied by increased osteoclast activation. Other EPO-associated responses include reduced inflammation and loss of fat mass with high-fat diet feeding, especially in male mice. While EPO exhibited a sex-dimorphic response in regulation of fat mass and inflammation in obese mice, EPO-stimulated erythropoiesis as well as EPO-associated bone loss was comparable in males and females. EPO administration in young mice and in obese mice resulted in bone loss without increasing osteoclasts, suggesting an osteoclast-independent mechanism, while loss of endogenous EPO decreased bone development and maintenance. Ossicle formation of bone marrow stromal cell transplants showed that EPO directly regulates the balance between osteogenesis and adipogenesis. Therefore, during development, endogenous EPO contributes to normal bone development and in maintaining the balance between osteogenesis and adipogenesis in bone marrow stromal cells, while EPO treatment in mice increased erythropoiesis, promoted bone loss, decreased bone marrow adipogenesis, and increased osteoclast activity. These observations in mouse models suggest that the most prevalent use of EPO to treat anemia associated with chronic kidney disease may compromise bone health and increase fracture risk, especially at a high dose.
Wenker aziridine synthesis

Aziridine synthesis via treatment of a β-amino alcohol with sulfuric acid to give β-aminoethyl sulfuric acid, which is subsequently treated with base.
Artifact for improving fault localization by integrating value and predicate based causal inference techniques

This work presents an overview of the artifact for the paper titled "Improving Fault Localization by Integrating Value and Predicate Based Causal Inference Techniques". The artifact was implemented in a virtual machine and includes the scripts for the UniVal algorithm for fault localization employing the Defects4J test suite. Technical information about the individual components for the artifact's repository as well as guidance on the necessary documentation for utilizing the software are provided.
Source attribution and quantification of benzene event emissions in a Houston ship channel community based on real-time mobile monitoring of ambient air

ABSTRACTA mobile laboratory equipped with a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) operated in Galena Park, Texas, near the Houston Ship Channel during the Benzene and other Toxics Exposure Study (BEE-TEX). The mobile laboratory measured transient peaks of benzene of up to 37 ppbv in the afternoon and evening of February 19, 2015. Plume reconstruction and source attribution were performed using the four-dimensional (4D) variational data assimilation technique and a three-dimensional (3D) micro-scale forward and adjoint air quality model based on mobile PTR-MS data and nearby stationary wind measurements at the Galena Park Continuous Air Monitoring Station (CAMS). The results of inverse modeling indicate that significant pipeline emissions of benzene may at least partly explain the ambient concentration peaks observed in Galena Park during BEE-TEX. Total pipeline emissions of benzene inferred within the 16-km2 model domain exceeded point source emissions by roughly a factor of 2 during the obs...
Infrared and raman spectroscopy of carbohydrates. : Part II: Normal coordinate analysis of α-D-glucose.

Abstract A theoretical study of the vibrational spectra of α- D -glucose has been made by normal coordinate analysis. The predicted vibrational frequencies are compared with those observed in the infrared and Raman spectra of α- D -glucose, both as a crystalline solid and in aqueous solution. The computed potential-energy distribution shows that most of the modes are highly coupled vibrations. In most cases, this distribution is compatible with the experimental band-assignments, based on deuterium exchange methods, and the like. Overall, the agreement between the observed and calculated data is considered reasonably satisfactory for a molecule as large as α- D -glucose.
How Do We Know Mediation Training Works

Considering training's importance to the mediation field and its centrality in the debate about mediator credentialing, one would expect to find empirical studies that shed light on the following questions. How much do trainees improve their mediation knowledge and skills as a result of training? Do trainees reach an acceptable level of performance after training? Is a particular content, type or amount of training more effective than another approach? These basic questions about the effectiveness of mediation training, however, have not been the subject of empirical analysis. The article reviews the few existing empirical studies that address the broader issue of the effects of mediation training on mediator performance or mediation outcomes. Then the article discusses how the above questions about the effectiveness of mediation training programs can be answered by explaining how studies can be designed to measure cognitive, skill-based, and affective learning outcomes.
Energy density in classical electrodynamics

It is shown that once the Maxwell equations have been couched in terms of a system of first-order partial time derivatives, a novel type of energy density function becomes apparent. Analysis of some classical radiation and charge configurations suggests that the new measures are interesting alternatives to the conventional Poynting measures. In many instances the proposed measures and the Poynting measures have identical values, but generally they differ. An experiment is proposed that might validate one system or the other. >
Privacy-preserving record linkage

Record linkage has a long tradition in both the statistical and the computer science literature. We survey current approaches to the record linkage problem in a privacy-aware setting and contrast these with the more traditional literature. We also identify several important open questions that pertain to private record linkage from different perspectives.
Low-Mass Stellar and Brown Dwarf Binary Systems

Binary systems have long been recognised as providing one of the most powerful methods of probing the physical properties of stars drawn from the full range of the HR diagram. Most notably, the overwhelming majority of measurements of mass, the fundamental stellar parameter, rest on observations of astrometric or spectroscopic binaries. For main sequence stars, those individual measurements can be combined to define a mass-luminosity relation which, applied to a suitably-constructed sample, permits derivation of Ψ(M), the mass function. The latter, in its turn, provides a valuable constraint on star formation theory by defining the end product of an assortment of processes, including collapse, fragmentation, coagulation and accretion, which combine to transform gas into stars. In similar fashion, the frequency of binaries as a function of mass and the distribution of mass ratios and separations offer important clues to the underlying mechanism(s) which conspire reduce individual molecular cloud cores to to gaseous spheres in hydrostatic equilibrium.
Cooperation in International Security

Arms Control and Cooperative Security. Edited by Jeffrey A. Larsen, James J. Wirtz Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner. 288 pp., $24.50 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-1-588-26660-6). Cooperating for Peace and Security: Evolving Institutions and Arrangements in a Context of Changing U.S. Security Policy. Edited by Bruce D. Jones, Shepard Forman, Richard Gowan. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. 348 pp., $88.00 hardcover (ISBN-13: 978-0-521-88947-6). Cooperating Without America: Theories and Case Studies of Non-Hegemonic Cooperation. Edited by Stefan Brem, Kendall Stiles. London: Routledge, 2009. 208 pp., $42.95 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0-415-77727-8). The International Politics of Intelligence Sharing. By James Igoe Walsh. New York: Columbia University Press, 2010. 208 pp., $40.00 hardcover (ISBN-13: 978-0-231-15410-9). Nuance and detail are inevitable casualties in a review of four books that include three edited volumes. These works differ markedly in their explicit use of theory, breadth, preferred units of analysis, and reliance on rationality, power, and exogenously defined interest to explain state behavior. They also render opposing verdicts on the US contribution to global order and progress. But, in their scope and variety, these works say much about how we study—and no longer study—international security. Cooperation arising from shared interests, norms, international institutions, and even concessions of sovereignty is as prominent in these works as are rivalry and competition. Cooperating Without America , edited by Stefan Brem and Kendall Stiles, makes a commendable effort to link case evidence to realist, liberal, and constructivist theories, as outlined in the book's introduction. The explicit goal of each contributing author is to determine whether non-realist theories explain recent success in changing the international organizational agenda, forging new agreements, and altering norms of international behavior. The result is a provocative collection of essays on efforts to negotiate solutions to global problems posed by the trade in small arms, child soldiering, climate change, biosafety hazards, landmines, and violations of humanitarian law. In studying these cases, the authors refer to the lead role of NGOs, global activists, key states, and interstate coalitions; they recognize the advantages of forum shopping, building momentum through publicity campaigns, and lobbying at the national and regional levels; they acknowledge the value of applying lessons that are learned from promoting one issue (for example, landmines) to another (for example, child soldiers); and they see political payoffs in constructing coalitions both through compromise and through redefinition of interests. Together, the essays make a strong argument that scholars and policymakers must acknowledge the power of ideas, norms, non-state actors, and non-hegemonic coalitions—conceivably, …
The Library is Undead: Information Seeking During the Zombie Apocalypse

Academic libraries should be aware of trends in popular culture that appeal to students and design programs that engage them in participatory experiences. At the University of Florida, more than 1,000 undergraduates participate in the campus-wide alternate reality game, Humans vs. Zombies. Through a partnership with the game designers, librarians successfully created a library mission that allowed zombie-hunting students to apply 21st century learning skills such as communication; collaboration; critical thinking; problem solving; creativity; innovation; and information, media, and technology literacy. This article describes the development, marketing, and assessment of the game.
Simple method for differential staining of paraffin embedded plant material using toluidine blue O

Differential staining of paraffin embedded plant material is accomplished without removing the paraffin. Material fixed in 3% glutaraldehyde in 0.02 M phosphate buffer is dehydrated, embedded, sectioned, and mounted on glass slides using conventional methods. The slides are placed in 0.05% toluidine blue O in distilled water for 2–30 min, rinsed in water for 1 min, and allowed to air dry. Paraffin is removed with 2 changes of xylene and the cover slip mounted with resin. Lignified tissue, suberized tissue, and some tannins are stained blue-green, while nonlignified walls are stained red-purple. An advantage of the method is the short time required for staining and mounting. Also, critical counterstaining is not required.
Answering exact distance queries on real-world graphs with bounded performance guarantees

The ability to efficiently obtain exact distance information from both directed and undirected graphs is desired by many real-world applications. In this work, we unified the query indexing efforts on directed and undirected graphs into one by proposing the TreeMap approach. Our approach has very tight bounds on query time, index size, and construction time for answering queries on both directed and undirected graphs. The query time complexity is close to constant for graphs with a small width of tree decomposition, and the index construction can be completed without materializing the distance matrix or other high-cost operations. In the empirical study, we demonstrated that the TreeMap approach in general performs much better than competitive methods in indexing real graphs for answering exact distance queries.
Pitfalls of the Application of the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Equation to Drug-Dosing Practices : A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital Experience

Medications that are predominantly renally eliminated can result in accumulation and/or toxic adverse effects if prescribed in normal doses to a patient with renal dysfunction. Methods including mathematical formulas such as the Cockcroft-Gault equation have been used to estimate renal function. The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation has proven useful in staging the degree of renal dysfunction that a patient may have. However, the application of the MDRD equation for the purpose of determining drug dosage adjustments in patients with renal dysfunction has not yet been validated. Several examples are reported that depict how the use of the MDRD equation for the basis of drug dosing could lead to negative patient outcomes. The process undertaken at our institution to implement a policy prohibiting the use of the MDRD equation for the purpose of drug-dosing adjustments is described.
Silicate glass coatings on Ti-based implants

Coating Ti-based implants with bioactive materials, able to form hydroxyapatite layers in viva, facilitates joining between the prostheses and bone and increases the long-term stability of the implants. The present work describes a new route to coat Ti alloys with bioactive silica-based glasses. A new family of potentially bioactive glasses that display good physical compatibility with Ti has been developed. In order to fabricate dense coatings, glass powder has been painted over the metal substrates and the assem- blies have been fired to make the glass flow and adhere to the metal. The reactions that occur between the glass and the metal during this process have been studied by thin film X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe. By tailoring the glass composition and controlling the firing conditions (atmosphere, tempera- ture and time) homogeneous coatings with good adhesion to the metal have been prepared. The physical characteristics of the glasses and their behavior in simulated body fluid are also reported. 0 I998 Acta Metallurgica Inc.
Bioabsorbable interference screw failure in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A case series and review of the literature

Abstract Background To report a case series of failures of bioabsorbable interference screws with possible identification of a novel failure mechanism. Methods A retrospective review of ACL reconstructions by the senior author utilizing BioComposite™ Interference Screws (Arthrex, Inc., Naples, FL) was performed. Complications related to screw placement, including fracture, breakage or bending were examined. Our rate and methods of failure were compared to those quoted in the current literature. Results Eighty-seven patients of average age 23.8 years met inclusion criteria. There were eight screw failures in six patients, with femoral failure in seven and tibial failure in one. The femoral screw fractured halfway between the tip and head in five, while the head of the screw broke in one and the screw bent in another. In the case of tibial interference screw fracture, failure occurred halfway between the tip and head. The insertion device that was used was replaced after recognition of material deformation and considered a potential contributor to the breakage risk as no further screw failures have occurred since. Conclusions We demonstrate a unique failure mechanism of bio-absorbable interference screws. In each case, the reconstruction was salvaged. Regular inspection of materials and implants can ensure optimal outcomes and decrease complications intra-operatively.
Harmonic analysis of stochastic descriptors and the interpretation of sup 252 Cf neutron source experiments

The harmonic expansion of the detector field of view in terms of direct and adjoint kinetic eigenfunctions together with the use of a modified version of the Schottky prescription of the equivalent source of noise make possible the harmonic analysis of stochastic descriptors used in the measurement of kinetic parameters. The results are general in the sense that they do not depend on the approximations of the Boltzmann operator, the distribution of fissile materials, or the multiplicity of the neutron source that drives the subcritical system. The results are applied to analyze the particular case of a system drive by a {sup 252}Cf source, with the californium deposited in one of the electrodes of a fission chamber and monitored by two sets of neutron detectors. This analysis is oriented toward the interpretation of experiments to measure reactivities with the stochastic method of the {sup 252}Cf source (ratio method). The theory is then used to synthesize stochastic observables using a simple approximation of the Boltzmann operator, i.e., two-point kinetics, which show the general features of the spatial effects observed experimentally.
Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose by Coniophora cerebella.

During the course of the investigation of the enzymatic activities of wood-destroying moulds1, an attempt was made to depict the phase sequence of the degradation of the cellulosic fraction of wood; cellulose itself, in the forms of filter paper and surgical cotton, was utilized. Coniophora cerebella was found to degrade both forms of cellulose to oxalic acid. Inasmuch as traces of reducing material were found to be formed, and oxalic acid was also obtained by the action of the fungus on glucose, it appeared that an introductory hydrolysis was a necessary prerequisite for the formation of oxalic acid.
Thyroid hormone regulation of myocardial Na/K-ATPase gene expression.

Employing published methods for isolation of cardiac myocyte nuclei from adult rat ventricular myocardium with the use of mechanical disruption without digestive enzymes, we obtained transcriptionally active cardiac myocyte nuclei with sufficient yield and purity. The relative content of Na/K-ATPase subunit mRNAs (alpha 1, alpha 2, and beta 1) in ventricular myocardium of euthyroid rats closely matched the relative rates of transcription of the respective subunit genes determined by nuclear run-on assay. Treatment of hypothyroid rats with T(3)to elicit hyperthyroidism was associated with 2.9-, 7.5-, and seven-fold increases in the contents of alpha 1-, alpha 2, beta 1-mRNAs, respectively. In contrast, rates of transcription of the subunit genes were not changed significantly by T(3), while transcription of the 18 S ribosomal gene was stimulated identical with three-fold by the treatment. A quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay for measurement of primary RNA transcripts of the beta 1 gene was developed employing a rat genomic DNA fragment that contains the first exon and part of the first intron of the beta 1 gene. The relative abundance of beta 1 primary transcripts did not change in RNA isolated from hypothyroid, euthyroid, and hyperthyroid rats. It is concluded that: (1) The relative contents of Na/K-ATPase subunit mRNAs in euthyroid adult myocardium is primarily controlled at the transcriptional level, and (2) T(3)-induced increases in the contents of Na/K-ATPase subunit mRNAs in the heart is not associated with increased rates of transcription of the subunit genes, and the effect is mediated at the post-transcriptional level.
Selling your soul to the devil: an autoethnography of pain, pleasure and the quest for a child

In this article I present an autoethnography in the form of a quest narrative linked as a self‐reflexive text to my continuing research of children and adults with spina bifida. My story centers on the themes of chronic illness, pain and sexuality, highlighting gaps in the literature related to these topics. I narrate my story as a manifesto for women with physical impairments to break their silence and talk about their sexuality. I recommend autoethnography as a method of understanding disability as embodied. Faustus: Now tell me, what says Lucifer thy lord? Mephistopheles: That I shall wait on Faustus whilst he lives, So he will buy my service with his soul. (Christopher Marlowe, Dr Faustus)
Marked ion dependence of 125I-angiotensin I binding to atypical sites on Mycoplasma hyorhinis.

Abstract 125 I-Ang I binding to atypical sites on Mycoplasma hyorhinis -contaminated IEC-18 cell membranes increased with increasing pH and [NaCl] (ED 50 at 500 mM; maximal 13-fold increase at 2 M NaCl). Alkali metal chlorides and sodium halides increased binding with rank orders of Na + + + + = Li + and F − − − 125 I-Ang I labeled a discrete band of 97 kDa. These findings suggest that the site is not a G protein-coupled receptor, but may play a role in the sensing by Mycoplasma of the ionic composition and/or pH of its environment.
Short-Run Monetary Policy and the Macroeconomic Environment

This study investigates factors influencing monetary policy decisions of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) over the period 1960-1998. Competing perspectives regarding the process of monetary policy making exist, with some researchers contending the FOMC makes short-run policy decisions based solely on "objective" macroeconomic considerations and others arguing that political and other nonmacroeconomic considerations significantly influence monetary policy voting. Empirical studies support both views in varying degrees. This article presents a model of FOMC decision making which posits that (1) the current/prospective macroeconomic environment at the time of FOMC meetings is the most important consideration of monetary policy makers, and (2) nonmacroeconomic variables receive little attention unless macroeconomic conditions are difficult for policy makers to assess. Probit results support the implications of the model.
Inverse problems as statistics

What mathematicians, scientists, engineers, and statisticians mean by “inverse problem” differs. For a statistician, an inverse problem is an inference or estimation problem. The data are finite in number and contain errors, as they do in classical estimation or inference problems, and the unknown typically is infinite-dimensional, as it is in nonparametric regression. The additional complication in an inverse problem is that the data are only indirectly related to the unknown. Standard statistical concepts, questions, and considerations such as bias, variance, mean-squared error, identifiability, consistency, efficiency, and various forms of optimality apply to inverse problems. This article discusses inverse problems as statistical estimation and inference problems, and points to the literature for a variety of techniques and results.
Quantitative measurement of outgas products from EUV photoresists

The photon-stimulated emission of organic molecules from the photoresist during exposure is a serious problem for extreme-ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) because the adsorption of the outgassing products on the EUV optics can lead to carbonization and subsequent reflectivity loss. In order to accurately quantify the total amount of outgassing for a given resist during an exposure, we have constructed a compact, portable chamber that is instrumented with a spinning rotor gauge and a capacitance diaphragm gauge that, unlike the more commonly used ionization gauge or quadrupole mass spectrometer, provides a direct and accurate measurement of the total pressure that is largely independent of the composition of the outgas products. We have also developed a method to perform compositional analysis on the outgas products and, more generally, on any contaminants that might be present in the stepper vacuum. The method involves collecting the vacuum contaminants in a trap cooled to liquid-nitrogen temperature. Once collected, the products from the trap are transferred to a system for analysis with gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. We will describe the workings of the instruments in detail as well as results of initial tests.
Enhanced Cu2S/CdS Coaxial Nanowire Solar Cells by Piezo-Phototronic Effect

Nanowire solar cells are promising candidates for powering nanosystems and flexible electronics. The strain in the nanowires, introduced during growth, device fabrication and/or application, is an important issue for piezoelectric semiconductor (like CdS, ZnO, and CdTe) based photovoltaic. In this work, we demonstrate the first largely enhanced performance of n-CdS/p-Cu2S coaxial nanowire photovoltaic (PV) devices using the piezo-phototronics effect when the PV device is subjected to an external strain. Piezo-phototronics effect could control the electron–hole pair generation, transport, separation, and/or recombination, thus enhanced the performance of the PV devices by as high as 70%. This effect offers a new concept for improving solar energy conversation efficiency by designing the orientation of the nanowires and the strain to be purposely introduced in the packaging of the solar cells. This study shed light on the enhanced flexible solar cells for applications in self-powered technology, environment...