cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Offender Decision-Making in Criminology: Contributions from Behavioral Economics

If there is agency and some decision-making process entailed in criminal behavior, then what are the incentives for crime and for conformity, and what is their role in offending decisions? Incentives have long been the province of economics, which has wide influence in criminology (e.g., Becker 1968). However, economics has evolved considerably since Becker's influential model. An important development has been the advent of behavioral economics, which some consider a branch of economics on par with macroeconomics or econometrics (Dhami 2016). Behavioral economics integrates empirical departures from traditional microeconomic theories into a rigorous and more descriptively accurate economic model of choice. This review explains how behavioral economic applications on offender decision-making can help refine criminological theories of choice and identify innovative possibilities for improving crime-control policies.
The Impact of Specialized Domestic Violence Units on Case Processing

This study involves an evaluation of an innovative approach to the handling of domestic violence (DV) cases in the city of Cleveland, Ohio that includes (1) a DV Project composed of specially trained police detectives, prosecutors and victim advocates for investigating and prosecuting domestic violence cases involving adult female victims who are married to, cohabitating with, or have a child with the defendant; and (2) a Dedicated Domestic Violence Docket that involves two Municipal Court judges hearing all of the domestic violence cases that are handled by the DV Project. We collected data on six months of domestic violence cases occurring in the latter half of 2008 (N = 1388), by linking records from the Cleveland Police Department, the Prosecutor’s Office, and the Municipal Court. We found that very few victims in police districts lacking the DV Project follow up with a prosecutor to pursue the case further, indicting that specialized DV units in police departments can have a significant impact on the number of DV cases that move forward through the criminal justice system. DV Project cases were slightly less likely to result in charges issued by prosecutors (OR = .499) but more likely to result in dismissals (OR = 2.545) and referrals to DV treatment programs (χ2 = 3.88).
A data set of bloodstain patterns for teaching and research in bloodstain pattern analysis: Impact beating spatters

This is a data set of 61 blood spatter patterns scanned at high resolution, generated by controlled impact events corresponding to forensic beating situations. The spatter patterns were realized with two test rigs, to vary the geometry and speed of the impact of a solid object on a blood source - a pool of blood. The resulting atomized blood droplets travelled a set distance towards a poster board sheet, creating a blood spatter. Fresh swine blood was used; its hematocrit and temperature were measured. Main parameters of the study were the impact velocity and the distance between blood source and target sheet, and several other parameters were explored in a less systematic way. This new and original data set is suitable for training or research purposes in the forensic discipline of bloodstain pattern analysis.
Investigating the Effects of Modality and Multimedia on the Learning Performance of College Students with Dyslexia.

There has been a lack of research on how people with individual differences learn with multimedia materials, in particular with regard to individuals with dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning disabilit...
Thoracolumbar Metastatic Spinal Disease

Anterolateral or lateral approach to the thoracolumbar junction is a powerful method to perform corpectomy in the setting of tumor. The presence of the diaphragm and the transition between the chest and abdominal cavities are the main obstacle to this case. The open thoracoabdominal approach has stood the test of time as the dependable workhorse. It provides a safe and reliable exposure to perform corpectomy for tumors in this T12–L2 region where blood loss and distorted regional anatomy from tumor invasion are not uncommon. Above T11, a lateral transthoracic approach gives excellent visualization and is straightforward. Similarly at this level, retropleural thoracotomy provides excellent access without the need for a chest tube. Below L2 the lateral retroperitoneal approach usually provides access, but variability of the crural attachments occasionally prompts proximal extension into a thoracoabdominal approach. The mini-open lateral thoracotomy minimal access technique detailed here is another safe and effective means to perform corpectomy for tumor. We suggest this is best suited for anterior tumor burden and possibly unilateral pedicular involvement. The limited view this affords is sufficient to accomplish the surgery and may be less morbid, but working in a long narrow corridor may prove challenging for those less familiar with minimally invasive techniques. Additionally, pleural adhesions may make an extracoelomic approach difficult in a tumor setting. Particularly, tumors with bilateral posterior element involvement would best be served with a more traditional bilateral transpedicular corpectomy. The literature is less populated with outcomes for tumor surgery via this approach, but those available demonstrate reasonable outcomes. Finally, some lesions, in selected patients, may prove accessible and most easily treated through a true MISS (minimally invasive spine surgery) approach, made feasible through advances in intraoperative image guidance and improved retractor and instrument design. An understanding of the regional anatomy and familiarity with more conventional thoracoabdominal approach as well as lateral lumbar interbody fusion help transition to the mini-open lateral approach to the thoracolumbar junction.
Preclinical antitumor efficacy of analogs of XK469: sodium-(2-[4-(7-chloro-2-quinoxalinyloxy)phenoxy]propionate

A series of quinoxaline analogs of the herbicide Assure® was found to have selective cytotoxicity for solid tumors of mice in a disk-diffusion-soft-agar-colony-formation-assay compared to L1210 leukemia. Four agents without selective cytotoxicity and 14 agents with selective cytotoxicity were evaluated in vivo for activity against a solid tumor. The four agents without selective cytotoxicity in the disk-assay were inactive in vivo (T/C > 42%). Thirteen of the fourteen agents with selectivity in the disk-assay were active in vivo (T/C < 42%). Five of the agents had curative activity. These five agents had a halogen (F, Cl, Br) in the 7-position (whereas Assure® had a Cl in the 6 position). All agents with curative activity were either a carboxylic acid, or a derivative thereof, whereas Assure® is the ethyl ester of the carboxylic acid. All other structural features were identical between Assure® and the curative agents. Assure® had no selective cytotoxicity for solid tumors in the disk-assay, and was devoid of antitumor activity. The analog XK469 is in clinical development.
Peptide Growth Factors and Prostate Cancer: New Models, New Opportunities

Prostate cancer is the leading form of newly diagnosed cancer cases in men in the United States. However, the molecular mechanisms contributing to the initiation, progression and ultimate development of metastatic and androgen independent disease are poorly understood. This is due in part to the difficulty in obtaining clinical samples representing early disease and the lack of animal models that recapitulate the full spectrum of the clinical disease. To this end we have developed and characterized the Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate (TRAMP) animal model that expresses the oncogene SV40 T antigen specifically in the epithelium of the prostate. TRAMP develops spontaneous autochthonous prostate cancer compelte with distant site metastasis and can progress to androgen independent disease. Changes in the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) axis and the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis have been examined during prostate cancer progression utilizing the TRAMP model and these data generally support observations reproted in the clinical disease. Moreover, we report novel changes in the FGF axis and IGF axis utilizing TRAMP. Thus, TRAMP can be used as a potent tool in understanding the mechanism of prostate cancer initiation and progression.
Colonic Cell Proliferation, Differentiation, and Apoptosis

Homeostasis in the colonic epithelium is established by maintaining a balance among proliferating, differentiating, and apoptotic cells. This balance is regulated by a complex interaction of intrinsic genetic signals with external stimuli including growth and dietary factors. Moreover, the interaction of signals maintains not only the quantitative balance between dividing and terminally differentiated cells, but a spatial and temporal coordination of cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis within the crypt architecture as well.
Biomimetic Actuation Method for a Miniature, Low-Cost Multi-jointed Robotic Fish

This paper presents the Miniature Oscillating Robot Agent (MORA). MORA is a small (12 cm) and low-cost (~$100) robotic fish which was designed to demonstrate a biomimetic actuation method for efficient swimming. Our goal is to enable the development of underwater robot swarms that can access tight, fragile environments and gather data from the perspective and scale of real fish. Conventional actuation methods are often too large, expensive, or mechanically complex to use in collective behavior applications, which to be practical must be easy to manufacture, low-cost, and small. We arranged six magnet-incoil (MIC) actuators, at $1/unit, in a multi-jointed configuration of three independently controlled joints. Oscillating the joints in a sinusoidal waveform allowed us to replicate the efficient undulatory body motion seen in fish. to replicate the efficient undulatory motion seen in fish. In initial straight-line swimming experiments, MORA achieved a speed of 0.37 BL/s with the potential for faster and more coordinated movement with further experimentation of MIC control settings.
3-Chloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD), 2-chloro-1,3-propanediol (2-MCPD) and glycidyl esters in infant formula: a review

Methods and survey results for the detection of monochloropropanediol (MCPD) esters and glycidyl esters in infant formula will be reviewed. These process-induced contaminants have been shown to be potentially carcinogenic and/or genotoxic, making their occurrence in foods a potential concern. The presence of MCPD and glycidyl esters in infant formula is of specific concern, due to infants’ low bodyweights and the potential that infant formula is the sole source of nutrition. Methods employing various approaches for the extraction and detection of these contaminants in infant formula will be reviewed, as will the results of occurrence studies and exposure estimates that have been conducted around the world.
Defluorination of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) by Acidimicrobium sp. Strain A6

Incubations with pure and enrichment cultures of Acidimicrobium sp. strain A6 (A6), an autotroph that oxidizes ammonium to nitrite while reducing ferric iron, were conducted in the presence of PFOA or PFOS at 0.1 mg/L and 100 mg/L. Buildup of fluoride, shorter-chain perfluorinated products, and acetate was observed, as well as a decrease in Fe(III) reduced per ammonium oxidized. Incubations with hydrogen as a sole electron donor also resulted in the defluorination of these PFAS. Removal of up to 60% of PFOA and PFOS was observed during 100 day incubations, while total fluorine (organic plus fluoride) remained constant throughout the incubations. To determine if PFOA/PFOS or some of their degradation products were metabolized, and since no organic carbon source except these PFAS was added, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was tracked. At concentrations of 100 mg/L, PFOA/PFOS were the main contributors to DOC, which remained constant during the pure A6 culture incubations. Whereas in the A6 enrichment culture, DOC decreased slightly with time, indicating that as defluorination of PFOS/PFOA occurred, some of the products were being metabolized by heterotrophs present in this culture. Results show that A6 can defluorinate PFOA/PFOS while reducing iron, using ammonium or hydrogen as the electron donor.
The Channeled Scabland: Back to Bretz?: Comment and ReplyCOMMENT

[Shaw et al. (1999)][1] say that only one big flood went through the Channeled Scabland during the last glaciation. They also say this flood did not come from Glacial Lake Missoula; they propose that the water flowed southward from a reservoir beneath the Cordilleran ice sheet. These ideas clash
Optimized LEDs Positions for Channel Analysis Performance of an Intra-Vehicle Visible Light Communication System

This paper investigates the effect of light emitting diodes (LEDs) positioning and allocation in the channel analysis performance for an indoor intra-vehicle visible light communication (VLC) system. The MATLAB simulation results focus on the received power and the signal to noise ratio (SNR) within a sports utility vehicle. Furthermore, this work aims to validate by investigating two different scenarios, one utilizing two sources of power and the other using three sources of power with various locations, how LED’s spatial positioning affects the VLC system and the probability of error. Proving the demand for considering LEDs layout positioning while designing a VLC system.
Learning from Self-Study: Gaining Knowledge about How Fourth Graders Move from Relational Description to Algebraic Generalization

In this article, Laura Grandau traces a self-study research project focused on teaching algebra to fourth-grade students. Facing a new curriculum and a new grade level, Grandau considers what good instruction and "good habits of practice" may be. Through journaling, videos, observations, analysis of students' verbal and written responses, and consultations with her "critical friend" Sean (also a teacher), Grandau develops a "critical distance" from her teaching. While doing this reflective work, she negotiates the ambiguities of teaching and learning. Although Grandau's work is of interest to teachers of mathematics, those in critical friend or peer mentoring relationships, and teacher researchers, it also serves as a model of how inquiry teaches, fostering growth in teachers, students, and communities of practice.
Comparison of Burnout and Empathy Among Millennial and Generation X Residents and Fellows: Associations with Training Level and Race but Not Generation Affiliation.

The authors examine the associations of generational affiliation on empathy and burnout in a sample of millennial (born between 1982 and 2000) and Generation X (born between 1965 and 1981) residents and fellows. At a single large institution during the 2013–2014 academic year, residents and fellows were asked to complete the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Responses were combined with GME database content. Multivariable regression analysis included generation affiliation, race, gender, and post-graduate year (PGY) as covariates. The study sample included 388 millennial (mean age = 29.3) and 200 Generation X trainees (mean age = 34.6), with the response rate being 96.5%. Groups were statistically different by gender (p < 0.001) and PGY level (p < 0.001). After adjustment for gender, race, and PGY level, no statistically significant differences were found between millennial and Generation X groups in mean scores of empathy or burnout. Empathy was associated with PGY level (p = 0.0008) and race (p < 0.0001), with decreased empathy in advanced training levels and increased empathy in Hispanic/Latino race. Burnout rate was associated with PGY level (p = 0.001) but not generational affiliation (p = 0.6). The MBI depersonalization subscale was associated with PGY level (p < 0.001) and race (p = 0.0034), with decreased depersonalization in advanced training levels and Hispanic/Latino race. The emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment MBI subscales did not demonstrate any significant associations in the multivariable regression model. In a compared sample of millennial and Generation X residents and fellows, PGY level and Hispanic/Latino race (though not generation affiliation) were significantly associated with both empathy and MBI depersonalization subscale scores, while only PGY level was significantly associated with burnout rate. This study presents further evidence of de-escalating burnout and declining empathy over the course of medical residency.
Clonidine versus phenobarbital as adjunctive therapy for neonatal abstinence syndrome

To compare clonidine versus phenobarbital as adjunctive therapy in infants who failed monotherapy with morphine for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Prospective, randomized, open-label study of infants ≥ 35 weeks’ gestation. Infants received clonidine or phenobarbital per protocol. Primary outcome was morphine treatment days. Secondary outcomes were inpatient adjunctive days, length of stay (LOS), triple therapy, safety, and readmission rates. A total of 25 infants were treated with clonidine (n = 14) or phenobarbital (n = 11). Mean morphine treatment duration was significantly longer with clonidine (34.4 days, SD = 10.6) compared with phenobarbital (25.5 days, SD = 7.3, p = 0.026). The clonidine group also had higher inpatient adjunctive days (mean: 33.8 days [SD = 14.3] vs. 22 days [SD = 12.6], p = 0.042) and LOS (mean: 41.8 days [SD = 10.9] vs. 31 days [SD = 10]; p = 0.018) compared with phenobarbital. Phenobarbital, as adjunctive therapy, led to significantly shorter duration of morphine therapy, inpatient adjunctive days, and length of stay compared with clonidine.
Effects of Diaphragmatic Breathing on the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Upright Gastroesophageal Reflux: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION Uncontrolled results suggest that diaphragmatic breathing (DB) is effective in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) but the mechanism of action and rigor of proof is lacking. This study aimed to determine the effects of DB on reflux, lower esophageal sphincter (LES), and gastric pressures in patients with upright GERD and controls. METHODS Adult patients with pH proven upright GERD were studied. During a high-resolution impedance manometry, study patients received a standardized pH neutral refluxogenic meal followed by LES challenge maneuvers (Valsalva and abdominal hollowing) while randomized to DB or sham. After that, patients underwent 48 hours of pH-impedance monitoring, with 50% randomization to postprandial DB during the second day. RESULTS On examining 23 patients and 10 controls, postprandial gastric pressure was found to be significantly higher in patients compared with that in controls (12 vs 7 mm Hg, P = 0.018). Valsalva maneuver produced reflux in 65.2% of patients compared with 44.4% of controls (P = 0.035). LES increased during the inspiratory portion of DB (42.2 vs 23.1 mm Hg, P < 0.001) in patients and healthy persons. Postprandial DB reduced the number of postprandial reflux events in patients (0.36 vs 2.60, P < 0.001) and healthy subjects (0.00 vs 1.75, P < 0.001) compared with observation. During 48-hour ambulatory study, DB reduced the reflux episodes on day 2 compared with observation on day 1 in both the patient and control groups (P = 0.049). In patients, comparing DB with sham, total acid exposure on day 2 was not different (10.2 ± 7.9 vs 9.4 ± 6.2, P = 0.804). In patients randomized to DB, esophageal acid exposure in a 2-hour window after the standardized meal on day 1 vs day 2 reduced from 11.8% ±6.4 to 5.2% ± 5.1, P = 0.015. DISCUSSION In patients with upright GERD, DB reduces the number of postprandial reflux events pressure by increasing the difference between LES and gastric pressure. These data further encourage studying DB as therapy for GERD.
Thinking about Racism in Engineering Education in New Ways [Commentary]

In this paper, we seek to explore the impact of engineering’s persisting predominant whiteness in the United States. Its persisting maleness is also relevant, and we will address this a little more below, but what we want to do here is share a framework that has helped our thinking in this space, and we hope it can inform yours.
Factors associated with endowed chair allocation in medical oncology divisions and departments in the United States.

11044Background: Despite an increasing number of female physicians in the workforce, a gender disparity remains in many leadership roles in medicine. Endowed chairs can provide a multitude of resea...
On the Nature of Technical Change: Original Endowment Theory

While understood as the essence of long-run economic growth, existing conceptions of technical change nonetheless tend to be “unbelievable” and antiquated in relation to our present state of scientific knowledge. This paper views technical change as the remixing of the most fundamental building blocks of nature that can both be observed and manipulated in order to augment the creativity and productivity of the human condition and the physical world. With on-going advances in nanotechnology and neuroscience, such building blocks now consist of the elements that comprised the original endowment of the Earth, having been remixed into countless successive physical and life forms. These elements or “natural units” that comprise nature’s tool kit conform with three essential properties of a workable, baseline unit of technical change. Natural units are immutable and non-decomposable, thus providing an enduring baseline measure of change; they are recombinable, meaning that they can be continuously repurposed; and they are transferable across a wide range of new vintages, including as between physical capital and labor. Once we acknowledge the fixity of our physical endowment and the fact that all new ideas and objects entail a remix of natural units or atoms, far-ranging implications ensue. Among these are that our interpretation of technical change transforms from “purely labor augmenting” to invention neutrality, thus altering our understanding of long-run growth. This interpretation also forges bridges between economics and other disciplines, including the physical sciences and moral philosophy.
Strategies for Bladder Cancer Screening

To date, screening for bladder cancer (BC) in asymptomatic adults, even if high-risk, is not recommended. Herein, we highlight the rationale to BC screening in high-risk populations for BC diagnosis, review past BC screening trials and methods, and discuss challenges in BC screening trial design.
Parental Bonding in Trichotillomania and Skin Picking Disorder.

One means of understanding the effect of environmental factors on psychiatric disorders is by examining perceived parenting behavior in the childhood of individuals with trichotillomania and skin picking disorder (i.e. body focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs)). We hypothesized that adults with BFRBs would show higher scores on dimensions of “care” and “overprotection”. Specifically, we predicted that adults with BFRBs would have parents in the “affectionate constraint” quadrant, based on a combination of high care and high protection scores. We assessed demographic and clinical differences in 184 adults between the ages of 18 and 65 with Trichotillomania (TTM) (n = 43) and Skin Picking Disorder (SPD) (n = 75), and both (n = 66). The Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) measured “care” and “overprotection” items. Results from the PBI were compared across groups and with normal control data using independent sample t-tests. Individuals in the BFRB group had significantly lower maternal and paternal care scores compared to controls. The TTM, SPD, and TTM + SPD (combined) groups all had lower maternal care scores than controls. The TTM + SPD (combined) group had significantly lower paternal care scores and higher maternal protection scores than the normative averages. The most common parenting patterns in subjects with BFRBs were maternal and paternal affectionless control (low care/high protection). From our sample, only 27 % reported optimal maternal parenting and 28 % reported optimal paternal parenting. These preliminary data suggest that low maternal and paternal care may be associated with BFRBs. However, the nature of this relationship should be further explored, as these results do not necessarily mean that affectionless control parenting leads to a predisposition to BFRBs, and there may in fact be other environmental factors at play. Identifying how individuals perceive familial relationships may provide direction for clinicians in developing tools to address the burden caused by BFRBs.
Taproot: Resilient Diversity Routing with Bounded Latency

As we increasingly depend on networked services, ensuring resiliency of networks against network failures and providing bounded latency to applications become imperative. Adding ample redundancy in the network substrate alone is not sufficient; resilient routing mechanisms that can effectively take advantage of such topological diversity also play a critical role. In this paper, we present Taproot, a resilient diversity routing algorithmthat ensures bounded latencyfor packet delivery under failures by leveraging a preordeR@routing structure with precomputed routing rules. Leveraging the centralizedcontrol plane and programmable match-actionrules in the data plane, we describe how Taproot can be realized in SDN networks. We implement Taproot in OVS and conduct extensive simulations and experiments to demonstrate its superior performance over existing solutions. Our results show that by tuning the latency allowance upon failure, Taproot reduces/eliminates the number of disconnected src-dst pairs even under 10 link failures. Finally, as a use case, we illustrate the impact of control channel failures on SDN data plane/application performance, and employ Taproot to provide a "hardened" SDN control network with bounded latency against failures. Our results show that Taproot immediately detects the failure and re-routes the control messages to a different path avoiding failed links/nodes. Hence, the control channel is maintained without interruption, or involvement from the controller, and the throughput was not affected.
Central Nervous System Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors and Medulloepithelioma

Embryonal tumors at extracerebellar sites are composed of undifferentiated neuroepithelial cells with capacity for divergent differentiation, including neuronal, astrocytic, myoid, or melanocytic differentiation. Tumors may recapitulate the primitive neural tube (medulloepithelioma) or have ependymoblastomatous rosettes (ependymoblastoma) or have extensive neuronal differentiation (cerebral neuroblastoma) with ganglion cells (ganglioneuroblastoma).
Tissue-Specific and Dose-Related Accumulation of Arsenic in Mouse Offspring Following Maternal Consumption of Arsenic-Contaminated Water

The developmental toxicity of arsenic is not as well characterized as other metals such as lead or mercury. Many previous animal studies have used an acute exposure paradigm, which does not model chronic, low-level human exposure. The following study administered 10, 20, 40, 80 or 100 ppm sodium arsenite in drinking water to pregnant C57BL6/J mice. Adipose, blood, brain, breastmilk in stomach, kidney and liver tissues were collected from male and female offspring on postnatal day (PND) 1 and 21 to allow for disposition comparisons between tissues, sexes and across time. The 100 ppm dose was foetotoxic. Significantly fewer female pups were born in litters exposed to 80 ppm, while significantly more male pups were born in litters exposed to 20 ppm. Total arsenic levels differed between tissues with the highest levels in the brain and kidney in PND1 offspring. Levels were higher on PND1 than PND21, and there were few sex differences. The dose-response relationships in PND1 tissues were curvilinear, but in PND21 liver and kidney tissues, arsenic levels in control animals were significantly higher than levels in exposed animals. The tissue and age-specific disposition suggests that common biomarkers such as blood and urinary arsenic are not accurate predictors of levels in sensitive organs such as the brain.
The Changing Structure of US Corporate Boards: 1997–2003

We document changes in board characteristics in public US firms between 1997 and 2003. We find significant changes in board independence, committee independence, board size, interlocking directorships, director occupation and multiple directorships. Most of the changes occur between 2000 and 2003. In general, these changes appear both in small and large firms. However, changes in board size and in multiple directorships are statistically significant in large firms only. We find weaker trends in the financial stake of independent directors and in separating CEOs from the chairman position. In 2003 many independent directors have small holdings in the firms they direct and CEOs chair around two-thirds of the boards in our sample. Together, these results shed light on the types of board structures that have recently become the norm in US public firms.
FOBT Completion in FQHCs: Impact of Physician Recommendation, FOBT Information, or Receipt of the FOBT Kit

Between a third and one half of eligible adults in the United States have not received recommended colorectal cancer (CRC) screening services, with socioeconomically disadvantaged, racial/ethnic minority, and rural individuals at greatest risk for not being screened.1–6 Barriers have been extensively studied and include patient (eg, knowledge and awareness of screening, motivation, transportation, health insurance coverage),4,7–11 health system (physician shortages, insurance), and provider (rates of screening recommendation) factors.12–17 Previous research has found that low-income, medically underserved patients, despite provider perceptions, are aware of CRC, want to know if they have cancer, and have positive beliefs about fecal occult blood test (FOBT).7,9,16 This suggests that cost-effective interventions centered around annual occult blood testing can be a convenient method of screening and detecting CRC for safety net clinics such as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) whose patients disproportionately face cost and access barriers to colonoscopy.7,18 Identifying effective, efficient, and sustainable practices that can improve CRC screening among less educated (and lower literate), lower-income adults could dramatically advance public health preventive practices and reduce known disparities. To date, a diverse set of interventions has been tried with variable success and intensity. These interventions range from public health strategies that usually involve mailed reminders or test kits to primary care-based education using decision aids, multimedia tools, or targeted provider education to promote recommendation and organizational change such as nurses giving FOBT cards, instructions, and reminders.7,11,12,19 To our knowledge, no research investigation has currently deconstructed the value of core elements that have been perceived as requisite components to primary care screening strategies to best understand exactly which activities are necessary to engage patients in screening. In this study, our purpose was to determine the effect of common components of primary care-based CRC screening interventions on FOBT completion within rural and urban community clinics, including: (1) a physician’s spoken recommendation, (2) providing information or education about FOBTs, and (3) a physician providing the FOBT kit. Each of these components may appear simple and easily administered, although each can be challenging to deliver and sustain in safety net environments. Therefore, a second purpose was to determine the relative effect of these interventions within rural and urban FQHCs. Finally, comparison of the effect of each intervention between rural and urban clinics was investigated to provide tailored guidance to support the development and implementation of CRC screening promotions for both low-income urban and rural patients in order to best achieve health care equity.
The Auto-Reduction of Hexavalent 239Pu in Acid Solution

Historical measurements on the alpha-particle reduction of hexavalent 239Pu can be interpreted as a succession of near-equilibrium steps. The phenomenon can be simulated by plotting the distribution of the oxidation states for decreasing values of the Pu oxidation number.
Dietary Assessment in Kidney Disease

Understanding the dietary intake of people with kidney disease is fundamental to addressing their treatment or for the prevention or progression of disease. Several recent guidelines on chronic kidney disease (CKD) vary on recommendations for assessing the dietary intake of patients (Table 3.1) [1–8]. Whether the approach to assessing dietary intake is considered warranted is not discussed in these guidelines, so perhaps it is not an issue of the reliability of dietary intake assessment methods but rather one of the origin of the guidelines. For example, the guidelines from the National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (NKF KDOQI) on nutrition [1] are written to be multidisciplinary and include guidelines for dietitians. The guidelines for CKD that were produced by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics are written specifically for dietitians [4]. However, many of the other guidelines for CKD are physician specific, and obtaining the dietary record is not included in their guidelines, perhaps because physicians do not normally collect this information. In contrast, assessment of dietary intake is a significant practice of dietetics, and they routinely evaluate dietary intake in assessing the nutritional status of patients.
The use of nitroglycerin for treatment of progressive moyamoya disease: A prospective pilot study of safety and efficacy

No proven medical therapy exists for the treatment of moyamoya disease. Case reports have suggested that calcium channel blockers may be beneficial, potentially improving cerebral blood flow through a vasodilatory effect. The first objective of this pilot study was to prospectively evaluate whether intraarterial nitroglycerin, a potent vasodilator, could improve angiographic cerebral circulation in moyamoya patients. The second objective was to monitor the safety profile of transdermal nitroglycerin in our cohort of patients. Intraarterial nitroglycerin was infused in five patients with moyamoya disease at escalating doses. Angiography was performed before and after the nitroglycerin infusion. Pre- and post-infusion angiograms were compared for angiographic improvement. The contralateral side was used as an internal control in patients with unilateral moyamoya disease. The patients were then placed on a transdermal nitroglycerin patch and followed with serial neurological exams, blood pressure measurements, and either follow-up angiography or single photon emission computed tomography scans. All five patients had evidence of angiographic improvement after nitroglycerin infusion in the affected arteries, but no change was identified in the control arteries of patients with unilateral disease. No patient had adverse effects from either intraarterial or transdermal nitroglycerin. This small pilot study demonstrates angiographic improvement after intraarterial nitroglycerin in affected moyamoya arteries, but not in control arteries in the same patients, if present. There were no complications associated with transdermal nitroglycerin in these patients.
A review of wildland fire smartphone applications: A classification study from Australia, USA, Canada and South Africa

Purpose – Fire management professionals are using smartphone applications to communicate information about wildland fires. The purpose of this paper is to examine English language wildland fire apps available to the general public to learn what information these apps contain and whether they match what are considered characteristics of well-designed apps. Design/methodology/approach – Content analysis of global app markets and other directories revealed ten relevant apps. Two coders installed the apps on identical smartphones and proceeded to review the apps’ content, features, and design characteristics. Findings – Results reveal that the ten English language wildland fire apps on the global app markets fall into three groups: apps that show nearby fires, emergency plan creation apps, and apps that inform on preparedness, response, and recovery. Strengths of these apps include that most load quickly on devices, they offer real-time contextual information, they can be used even when a device is offline, a...
Nursing-sensitive safety and quality outcomes: the taming of a wicked problem?

Abstract There are tremendous opportunities associated with the increasing interest in outcomes that are sensitive to the effects of nursing. However, the challenges in realizing these opportunities are significant, and can be characterized as "wicked". Taming these challenges requires that we manage highly interdependent processes and techniques, including health information technologies.
Aneusomy of chromosomes 7, 8, and 17 and amplification of HER-2/neu and epidermal growth factor receptor in Gleason score 7 prostate carcinoma: A differential fluorescent in situ hybridization study of Gleason pattern 3 and 4 using tissue microarray

Abstract Recent evidence shows that the proportion of poorly differentiated prostate carcinoma (Gleason pattern [GP] 4/5) is a surrogate factor for biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy (RP). However, little is known about specific molecular and cytogenetic changes in this aggressive component of localized prostate cancer. We constructed a tissue microarray containing areas of GP 3 and 4 from formalin-fixed radical prostatectomy specimens of 39 patients with Gleason score 7 carcinoma (≥50% GP 4), known pathologic staging parameters (stage neu and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) genes. Low-level amplification of HER-2/ neu was found in 26% of cases (3 to 5 signals per nucleus, corrected for chromosome 17 aneusomy). Aneusomy of chromosomes 7, 8, and 17 was identified in 21%, 15%, and 5% of cases, respectively. All aberrations occurred almost exclusively in GP 4 carcinoma (8 of 8 aneusomies 7, 2 of 2 trisomies 17, 9 of 10 HER-2/ neu amplifications, and 5 of 6 aneusomies 8; P neu amplification was associated with high tumor volume (>2.0 cm 3 , P = 0.004). Among patients with negative surgical margins, gain of chromosome 7 was associated with biochemical failure after RP ( P =.004, log-rank). Amplification of the EGFR gene occurred in only 1 case (3%). Significant differences in HER-2/ neu amplification and gain of chromosomes 7, 8, and 17 were detected between GP 4 prostate carcinoma and GP 3. The frequency of aberrations increased with tumor volume. Chromosome 7 abnormalities may play an important role in cancer progression in margin-negative patients. EGFR amplification was rare, suggesting that this oncogene is not altered at the gene copy number level. HUM PATHOL 32:1392-1397. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company
The Ethics of Consent—Regime and People in the Historiographies of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany

In his trenchant and stimulating review article Patrick Bernhard surveyed a series of English-language studies that focus in one way or another on the relationship between the fascist regime and the Italian people. Drawing on the historiography of Nazi Germany, Bernhard took these studies as his cue to argue that much of the historiography on Italian Fascism is outdated. In particular, he sees the approach adopted to assessing the regime's appeal as often old-fashioned, with the result that Italian historians have vastly underestimated ordinary Italians’ embrace of fascism and their complicity in its violence and war crimes. At the same time, he argues that histories of Nazi Germany and fascist Italy show far more parallels and intersections than have been acknowledged of late and calls on Italian historians to turn their attention to this entangled history.
Development of an Improved Kirchhoff Method for Jet Aeroacoustics

Research in the development of an improved Kirchhoff method is described. The Kirchhoff method is a means of evaluating radiated sound from flow acoustic quantities on a computational surface. The linear, homogeneous wave equation is assumed to be valid in the propagation region, outside this surface (the Kirchhoff surface). The surface quantities are generally obtained from a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculation of the acoustic near field. We outline the development of a Kirchhoff method for use when the linear, homogeneous wave equation is not valid in a portion of the region outside of the Kirchhoff surface. The new method is derived through the use of a permeable-surface formulation of the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings equation. This modified integral equation allows the Kirchhoff methodology to be employed in problems with large, noncompact source regions that extend beyond the limits of the CFD calculation. Test calculations are presented in an attempt to validate the method for use in jet aeroacoustics studies. However, the method is presented in a manner to make it easily applicable in cases where Kirchhoff methods have been used in the past.
An analysis of block successive overrelaxation for a class of matrices with complex spectra

Optimal block successive overrelaxation (BSOR) parameters are derived for a special class of matrices having complex spectra. These matrices arise from the central difference approximation to singularly perturbed convection-diffusion equations using a coarse grid and thus have large cell Reynolds number. A simple problem is examined in detail and it is shown that BSOR is an excellent method for cell Reynolds numbers near 1 and that the rate of convergence is invariant to the cell Reynolds number for large cell Reynolds number.
Disparities in participation in cancer clinical trials in the United States : a symptom of a healthcare system in crisis.

Disparities in minorities' representation in cancer clinical trials have been shown only in adult populations, which suggest that the main causes of these disparities relate to health system-based barriers, including issues of poverty (lack of insurance), poor access to trials, and an inadequate number of clinical trials. Initiatives that increase the participation of community physicians in cancer clinical research trials and increase low socioeconomic status patients' access to cancer trials will likely ameliorate this problem. Cancer 2008. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Syntheses and Crystal Structures of [K(2.2.2-cryptand)](2)[(m-O){m-O(2)Si(CH(3))(2)}(2)(GeSe)(2)] and [K(2.2.2-cryptand)](2)[Sb(2)Se(6)].

[K(2.2.2-cryptand)]2[(μ-O){μ-O2Si(CH3)2}2(GeSe)2] (1) forms from the adventitious reaction of silicone grease with the residue (dissolved in CH3CN) from the reduction of GeSe2 by K in NH3(l) in the presence of 2.2.2-cryptand. Reduction of SbSe under similar conditions leads to the isolation of [K(2.2.2-cryptand)]2[Sb2Se6] (2).
Inspirations from Biological Optics for Advanced Photonic Systems

Observing systems in nature has inspired humans to create technological tools that allow us to better understand and imitate biology. Biomimetics, in particular, owes much of its current development to advances in materials science and creative optical system designs. New investigational tools, such as those for microscopic imaging and chemical analyses, have added to our understanding of biological optics. Biologically inspired optical science has become the emerging topic among researchers and scientists. This is in part due to the availability of polymers with customizable optical properties and the ability to rapidly fabricate complex designs using soft lithography and three-dimensional microscale processing techniques.
Indirect inhibition of myocyte RNA and protein synthesis by interleukin-1

Soluble mediators of the inflammatory response may directly influence myocardial function and metabolism in the absence of myocardial cell necrosis. Previous reported experimental data have demonstrated that the monokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) can produce myocardial depression and may influence muscle protein metabolism. To further investigate this hypothesis, IL-1 was added to neonatal rat cardiac muscle cell (MC) cultures with and without additional rat cardiac non-muscle cells (NMC). Incorporation of 3H-uridine or 14C-phenylalanine into acid-insoluble material was utilized as a measure of RNA or protein synthesis. IL-1 in concentrations of up to 500 units/ml had no effect on MC RNA or protein synthesis. When NMC were added to the MC culture, IL-1 exhibited a concentration-dependent inhibition of both RNA and protein synthesis, with effects apparent at concentrations as low as 5 units/ml. Supernatants from IL-1-treated NMC cultures exerted a dose dependent reduction on the incorporation of radiolabeled precursor into MC cultures, suggesting production of a soluble substance mediating the IL-1 effect. Supernatants from IL-1 treated rat skin fibroblasts or rat skeletal muscle myoblasts increased MC radiolabeled precursor incorporation slightly, in contrast to the decrease seen with NMC supernatant. Furthermore, IL-1 treated NMC supernatant had no inhibitory effect on skeletal myoblasts. We conclude that IL-1 decreases protein and RNA synthesis in MC cultures through a second mediator elaborated from the NMC population.
Does microstimulation evoke fixed-vector saccades by generating their vector or by specifying their goal?

Electrical stimulation was performed at several sites of the monkey's forebrain producing fixed-vector saccades when the eyes were steady. When the same stimulation was applied during or immediately after a spontaneous eye movement, the saccade trajectory was considerably modified: the eyes were driven, from wherever they were deviated by the spontaneous movement, to the point where the fixed-vector saccade would have brought them if the spontaneous movement had not occurred. This finding implies first, that saccades evoked from these sites are directed toward a goal and, second, that the goal is defined with respect to an eye position sampled long in advance (before the spontaneous eye movement). This is consistent with the hypothesis that the electrical stimulation evoked the retinotopic representation of a target whose spatial coordinates were then computed at further stages to produce a saccade. Using the present paradigm, it may be possible to distinguish brain sites processing retinal error (at the visual stage) from those processing motor error (at the motor stage).
Interpretation of experimental data from rapid compression machines without creviced pistons

Abstract Over the last two decades, experimental data of the nature of species evolution profiles and ignition delays from rapid compression machines (RCMs) has been used to develop and validate chemical kinetic mechanisms at low-to-intermediate temperatures and elevated pressures. A significant portion of this overall dataset is from RCMs that had not employed a creviced piston to contain the roll-up vortex. The detrimental influence of the roll-up vortex and the thermokinetic interactions due to the resulting temperature non-homogeneity during the negative temperature coefficient (ntc) regime have been documented in the literature. However, the adequacy of the homogeneous modeling of RCMs without creviced pistons during reactive conditions has not been investigated. In this work, computational fluid dynamics simulations of an RCM without a creviced piston are conducted for autoignition of n-heptane over the entire ntc regime over a range compressed pressures from 5 to 18 bar. The results from the CFD simulations highlight the non-homogeneity of autoignition and reveal significant quantitative discrepancy in comparison to homogeneous modeling, particularly for the hot ignition delay in the ntc regime. Specifically, the roll-up vortex induced temperature non-homogeneity leads to diminution of the ntc behavior. The experimental data from RCMs without creviced piston needs to be taken with caution for quantitative validation and refinement of kinetic mechanism, particularly at conditions when ntc behavior is highly pronounced.