cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The psychiatric profile of patients with psychogenic excoriation.

Background Psychogenic excoriation describes patients who excoriate without apparent primary skin abnormality. Objective This study compares the psychiatric profile of patients with psychogenic excoriation with a control group. Methods Fifty consecutive patients with psychogenic excoriation were matched with 50 control patients and given a questionnaire related to psychiatric history. Results Study and control groups differed significantly in relation to psychiatric comorbidity, use of psychotropic drugs, history of depression, and history of bipolar disorder. Psychogenic excoriation was not associated with personal history of other psychiatric disorders or family history of psychiatric comorbidity, except alcoholism. Limitations Nonpsychiatrists may have made the psychiatric diagnoses. Conclusion Psychogenic excoriation is significantly associated with psychiatric comorbidity, especially depression and bipolar disorder. Awareness by the patient of a link between the psychiatric disorder and the cutaneous condition may help patients in dealing with the distress caused by the unknown nature of the excoriating behavior.
A HUMAN FACTORS APPROACH FOR SELECTING PROSPECTIVE PRODUCTION WORKERS AND PREDICTING THEIR FUTURE PERFORMANCE

SUMMARY A set of personnel selection tests was developed to give employers a guide for selecting prospective production workers for bench type assembly operations. The resulting methodology incorporated a battery of eight personnel selection tests which were administered to 29 production workers for measuring the individual's sensory, motor and psychomotor abilities believed pertinent to such tasks. Using the test measurements as independent variables, time to perform elemental motions of the Methods-Time Measurement predetermined time system was predicted. Elemental motion performance predictions were then combined to provide a prediction of total job performance for a prospective employee. Such an approach is unique in that the methodology predicts performance on elemental motions. Thus, the prediction of performance on any job could be attempted if the basic elements of the job were known.
Life Cycle Testing of Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO3 Ferroelectric Thin Films in a Tunable Microwave Device

Thin film ferroelectrics are being studied as candidates for novel tunable microwave components such as tunable filters, tunable oscillators, and phase shifters for applications in phased array antennas. Much work has been done optimizing the ferroelectric material and in producing proof-of-concepts of these components. However, little attention has been given to their reliability. In this study we present our results on the reliability of high quality K-band phase shifters made of Ba(sub x)Sr(sub 1-x)TiO3 (BSTO) ferroelectric thin films (0.5 to 0.75 micrometers thick) on MgO and LAO. The phase shift and insertion loss were measured at 300 K over 104 operation cycles within a 0 to 400 V dc bias range (0 to 40 V/micrometer) at 15, 18, and 22 GHz. Results for these phase shifters indicate that in general there were no appreciable changes in phase shift after 4x10(exp 4) cycles, suggesting that these phase shifters are robust enough to sustain optimal performance under the operating mode typical of fast tracking phased arrays.
Introduction to the Special Issue: Alternative Schooling—A Viable Approach to Educating Our Children and Youth

(2006). Introduction to the Special Issue: Alternative Schooling—A Viable Approach to Educating Our Children and Youth. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth: Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 3-4.
Female-to-male transsexuals compared to lesbians: behavioral patterns of childhood and adolescent development.

We report detailed interview data on a clinical sample (N = 15) of female-to-male transsexuals (FTs) compared to a matched research sample (N = 15) of lesbians (Ls). Both groups were relatively young, with a mean age of 21 years 10 months (FTs) and 23 years 8 months (Ls), respectively, and were of middle or lower SES. Both groups did not differ from each other in respect to frequency of tomboyish behavior or interest in doll play and other aspects of maternal rehearsal. Male peer preference was more often remembered among the FTs, but the difference between the groups was only of borderline significance. The groups differed significantly regarding childhood cross-dressing (80% for FTs, 0% for Ls), gender identity confusion in adolescence (absent among Ls), and negative reaction to breast development and menarche (approximately 70% for FTs, 10% for Ls). The similarities and differences between the two groups in childhood and adolescent development are relevant for clinical management and the differential diagnosis of transsexualism vs. lesbianism.
Modeling of Carbon Nanotube Emission Using Airy Functions

Modeling of electron field emission has not advanced significantly since Fowler and Nordheim described the phenomenon eighty years ago. While their approach provides remarkable agreement with experiments for a large number of cases, the theory is strictly valid for planar geometries and low temperatures. Carbon nanotubes have been considered for field emission energy conversion devices. Under high-temperature conditions and significant field enhancement, the approximations used in the Fowler-Nordheim formalism become invalid. The present work predicts electron current densities emitted from carbon nanotubes using Airy functions to predict transmission and temperature dependent supply functions. Results indicate that Fowler-Nordheim compares favorably with the Airy function model for materials with large work function (φ ≈ 5eV, in the present study) at room temperatures. However, for materials with smaller work functions, the difference between the Airy function model and Fowler-Nordheim can be significant.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Giant gastric and duodenal ulcers: a population-based study with a comparison to nongiant ulcers.

Among 454 operations done for peptic ulcer between 1956 and 1985 on residents of Rochester, Minnesota, U.S.A. in whom ulcer size could be determined accurately, 50 operations (11% of the total) were performed for giant ulcers and 404 (89%) for nongiant ulcers. The annual operation rate per 100,000 residents for giant ulcer did not clearly decline during the 30-year period in contrast to the dramatic fall in operation rates for nongiant ulcers. Nonetheless, the ratio of operation rates for giant ulcer compared to nongiant ulcer changed relatively little. Giant ulcers required emergency operation for massive bleeding more often than nongiant ulcers. Also, giant ulcers presented with unusual and severe complications such as gastrocolic fistula. Survival after surgery for giant ulcer was poorer than survival after an operation for nongiant ulcer. We conclude that giant ulcers are operated on somewhat less often today than in the past, while operations for nongiant ulcers are much less frequent. The giant ulcers that are operated on, however, are more prone to massive bleeding and are associated with poorer postoperative survival than their nongiant counterparts.
Clusterin as a biomarker in murine and human intestinal neoplasia

Early detection of colorectal cancer is critical for the management of this disease. Biomarkers for early detection of several cancers have been developed and applied clinically in recent years. We have sought to discover candidate biomarkers without the restricted choice of markers placed on microarrays, and without the biological complications of genetic and environmental heterogeneity. We have compared by cDNA subtraction two genetically matched sets of mice, one developing multiple intestinal neoplasia (C57BL/6J-ApcMin) and the other tumor-free (C57BL/6J). One prominent candidate biomarker, clusterin, was then subjected to a series of validation steps. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze clusterin expression at a cellular level on a series of murine intestinal and human colonic neoplasms. Elevated clusterin expression was characterized within certain regions of murine and human tumors regardless of tumor stage, location, or mode of initiation. The cells showing high clusterin levels generally lacked differentiation markers and adenomatous polyposis coli antigen. Tumor cells undergoing apoptosis expressed low levels of clusterin. Its specific expression patterns and correlation with cellular events during tumorigenesis make it a useful diagnostic tool in the mouse and a potential contributor to the set of biomarkers for early detection of human colon cancer.
Low dark-current, high gain GaInAs/InP avalanche photodetectors

High performance inverted-mesa GaInAsP/InP avalanche photodiodes responding out to 1.25 μm have been fabricated. Uniform avalanche gains M , of 700 dark-current densities of 3 \times 10^{-6} A/cm2at M = 10 , and an excess noise factor of ∼3 at M = 10 have been achieved by placing the p-n junction in the InP and using a new passivation technique. Pulse-response rise times of less than 160 ps, limited by the rise time of the mode-locked Nd:YAG laser pulse, were measured with an avalanche gain of 40.
The exercise dose affects oxidative stress and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation in trained men.

The aim of this investigation was to establish whether changes in oxidative stress and endothelial function following acute aerobic exercise are dose-dependent. Ten healthy trained men completed four exercise sessions: 50% VO2peak for 30 min (moderate intensity moderate duration, MIMD), 50% VO2peak for 60 min (moderate intensity long duration, MILD), 80% VO2peak for 30 min (high intensity moderate duration, HIMD), and 80% VO2peak for the time to reach the caloric equivalent of MIMD (high intensity short duration, HISD). Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were measured as an index of oxidative stress and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was assessed as an index of endothelial function. Variables were measured at baseline, immediately post-exercise, 1 and 2 h post-exercise. Both HIMD (14.2 ± 2.5 μmol/L) and HISD (14.7 ± 1.9 μmol/L) TBARS differed from MIMD (11.8 ± 1.5 μmol/L) immediately post-exercise. TBARS increased from pre to immediately post-exercise for HIMD (12.6 ± 2.1 vs.14.2 ± 2.5 μmol/L) and HISD (12.3 ± 2.8 vs. 14.7 ± 1.9 μmol/L). Both MIMD (7.2 ± 2.2%) and HISD (7.6 ± 2.7%) FMD immediately post-exercise were greater than HIMD (4.7 ± 2.2%). An increase of FMD from pre to immediately post-exercise was found for MIMD (5.0 ± 2.5 vs. 7.2 ± 2.2%) and HISD (5.9 ± 2.4 vs. 7.6 ± 2.7%). These data suggest that acute exercise-induced TBARS are exercise intensity-dependent whereas FMD appears to improve following energy expenditure equivalent to 30 min 50% VO2peak, regardless of intensity or duration.
Evidence on the relationship between procedural and distributive justice in performance appraisal and accounting faculty attitudes and performance

Abstract This study examined the relationship between procedural and distributive justice in performance appraisal and accounting faculty attitudes and performance. Data were gathered with a mail survey of nonadministrative accounting faculty at U.S. colleges and universities and analyzed with regression analysis. Procedural justice was more strongly associated with commitment to the institution, trust in department head, and intent to stay with the institution than was distributive justice. Conversely, distributive justice was more strongly associated with performance. We discuss the implications of our results to persons responsible for performance appraisal of accounting faculty and to researchers.
Enlarging the street and negotiating the curb: public space at the edge of an African market

Outlines a case study detailing how a road enlargement project eliminated sidewalk selling space and restructured the edge of a major market in Dakar, Senegal. Explains how the crucial role of location for street and market trade to the fore, covering the ensuing negotiations which revealed powerful hierarchies based on gender, age and class. Shows how these shaped the process of duscussion and led to differential outcomes for individual traders.
The Patterns of International Politics and of International Law

The principal aim of this paper is to relate the normative structure of international law to the underlying patterns of political behavior that have characterized the modern state system. The political constraint upon the normative structure of the law is only one of many; there are also economic, social, and ethical constraints, among others. Nonetheless, it provides many insights into the changing substantive content of the law and also illustrates the way in which theory helps to provide an understanding of subject matter.A systematic study of the structure of the international society has been attempted elsewhere by one of the authors. Two different models of international systems delineated there have particular relevance to the present topic. These are the “balance of power” system, a model of the international politics of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the “loose bipolar” system, a model of present-day international politics. The two models, though no doubt less complex than the actual patterns of action, suffice to demonstrate important differences in system structure and behavior that can be related to normative standards.
Testing vaccines in pediatric research subjects

Past difficulties encountered in pediatric vaccine research have positively influenced the development of modern regulations of human subjects' research. These regulations permit pediatric research but impose special restrictions on the types of studies to which children may participate, and these restrictions have important implications for modern vaccine trials. These ethical issues pose real but surmountable concerns. Considerations also include the use of placebos, critical for trial design but an impediment to parental permission. Recent pediatric vaccine studies illustrate practical alternatives to placebos that preserve allocation concealment and blinding yet obtain parental support. Vaccine researchers must consider the role parents play, not just in giving formal permission for their children's participation, but also for their roles in active recruitment, successful retention, and data acquisition. Studies of parents' attitudes do identify consistencies among motivating forces that drive parents to participate or refuse their children's participation. These studies should influence how we design and execute pediatric vaccine trials. Finally, ethical considerations and current regulations raise certain issues concerning the remuneration of the research volunteer when that volunteer is a child. The published literature illustrates wide variation in practice. Better understanding of the restrictions in pediatric research, the use of placebos, the attitude of parents, and the concerns with remuneration can better equip the vaccine researcher in pursuing successful studies in children.
Philosophical Aspects of 500-Year Planning:

A class of environmental problems, termed 500-year problems, poses significant threats to the world's societies. In 500-year planning there is a need for a sound philosophical foundation to guide the development of appropriate methods which analyze problems that cover very long time periods and that involve large uncertainties. In this paper philosophical aspects of 500-year planning, related to determining whether present generations are meeting their obligations to future generations, are addressed. Topics discussed include the treatment of future populations (as identifiable individuals or as enumerable groups) and the appropriate base for 500-year planning (utilitarianism or social contract theory). Adopting Rawls's concepts of the original position and of the veil of ignorance, a social contract is developed that guarantees the possibility of existence for all potential individuals, and sets limits on the risks that current and future populations might endure as a result of their ancestors' abuse of ...
On the Low-Temperature Oxidation and Ultrathin Oxide Growth on Zirconium in the Presence of Atomic Oxygen: A Modeling Study

Variable charge molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate oxidation kinetics and nanoscale oxide growth on Zr(0001) surfaces due to atomic and molecular oxygen. Oxidation kinetics using atomic oxygen were significantly enhanced and resulted in an oxide scale with self-limiting thickness of ∼20−22 A in the simulated low-temperature range of 300−600 K. This represented a 2-fold increase over molecular oxygen. Enhanced oxidation kinetics resulted from lowering of activation energy barrier by 0.46 eV in the case of atomic oxygen. Structural and dynamic correlations indicate that the oxide growth is primarily inward in both cases with oxygen diffusivities being ∼88% higher for oxidation in atomic oxygen. Our analysis indicated the formation of an oxide film with O/Zr ratio varying from 1.74 to 1.92 in the 300−600 K range in the presence of atomic oxygen, whereas that formed by natural oxidation was substoichiometric and oxygen deficient with O/Zr values varying from 1.42 to 1.57 in the 300−600 K t...
Chromospherically Active Stars. XVIII. Sorting Out the Variability of HD 95559 and Gliese 410=DS Leonis

We have obtained spectroscopy and photometry of HD 95559 and photometry of Gliese 410 = DS Leonis. HD 95559 consists of a pair of essentially identical K1 V stars, whose orbital period we refine to 1.52599775 ± 0.00000104 days. The system is photometrically variable with a mean period of 1.5264 ± 0.0003 days. Despite minimum masses greater than 0.8 M⊙ for each component, a search for eclipses proved negative. The lithium abundances of the components of HD 95559 indicate that the system is younger than the Hyades cluster, and its components may even have just arrived on the zero-age main sequence. Gl 410 = DS Leo is also a photometric variable, but we conclude that the photometric period originally ascribed to this star is an alias of the period for HD 95559. We find periods of 13.99 and 15.71 days for the first and second seasons of observation, respectively. Both HD 95559 and Gl 410 are BY Draconis variables, with variability resulting from the rotational modulation of starspots. We also find HR 4269, the check star for our photometry of HD 95559 and Gl 410, to be a variable K4 III with a photometric period of 26.4 days in the first season of observation and periods of 13.96 and 83 days in the second. We suggest that its variability mechanism is radial pulsation, the same as that for M giant semiregular variables.
Kant's non-voluntarist conception of political obligations: Why justice is impossible in the state of nature

In this paper, I present and defend Kant's non-voluntarist conception of political obligations. I argue that civil society is not primarily a prudential requirement for justice; it is not merely a necessary evil or a moral response to combat our corrupting nature or our tendency to act viciously, thoughtlessly or in a biased manner. Rather, civil society is constitutive of rightful relations among persons because only in civil society can we interact in ways reconcilable with each person's innate right to freedom. Civil society is the means through which we can rightfully interact even on the ideal assumption that no one ever succumbs to immoral temptation. Kant's account, therefore, provides ideal reasons to support the claim that voluntarism cannot be the liberal ideal of political obligations.
Design of reliable decentralized controllers: a unified continuous/discrete formulation

Abstract We present observer-based controller designs for decentralized systems that are reliable to sets of control-channel outages. The designs guarantee stability and a H∞ norm bound on the closed-loop system despite complete sensor or actuator outages for any subset of a preselected set of control channels. The results are presented in a unified discrete/continuous setting. We show how the continuous-time and discrete-time results can be generated from the unified formulation and present an algorithm for solving the discrete-time design equations by making use of the delta-operator formulation.
The $147,000 Misunderstanding: Repercussions of Overestimating the Cost of AIDS

The increasing incidence of AIDS in the 1980s prompted inquiry into the resources required to meet projected needs. In the first economic study to appear on the illness, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that the costs of inpatient care were $147,000 per AIDS patient, heightening concern that the health care system would be overwhelmed by the epidemic. However, every study published subsequently has produced much lower cost estimates. As a result, many have concluded that treatment costs declined due to improved delivery of AIDS care. We offer an alternative interpretation, based on evidence demonstrating that the CDC's methods and assumptions yielded a figure about three times too high. The CDC's erroneous estimate had significant policy repercussions. Using the $147,000 figure, the health insurance industry lobbied successfully for the right to screen applicants for HIV. Next, when a study of San Francisco AIDS patients found local hospital costs per case to be $27,571, many concluded that billions of dollars could be saved if the "San Francisco model" of care (emphasizing home and community-based services and case management) were universalized. Since then, most programs for AIDS services have provided funds for community care. While such programs improve access to vital services, they are unlikely to guarantee "better care for less money." A more informed understanding of the cost of AIDS should lead to programs that also strengthen inpatient care.
Repeatable quasi periodic placement schemes

The problem of placing known symbols in a continuous data stream is considered from an information-theoretic perspective. Given the amount of redundancy associated with known symbols and under the assumptions that the transmit shaping filter is linear and time invariant with a finite impulse response and that the known symbols are placed in clusters of length /spl alpha/ that is greater than or equal to the order of the composite channel, placement schemes that maximize the asymptotic mutual information between the channel input and output are obtained. It is found that these schemes, referred to as repeatable quasi periodic placements, do not depend on the channel coefficients.
Low Gravity Solidification Structures in the tin-15wt%lead and tin-3wt%bismuth Alloys

The tin-15wt%lead and tin-3wt%bismuth alloys have been solidified in the low-gravity environment provided by the Space Processing Applications Rocket (SPAR), on the KC-135 airplane, and at high “g” levels in a centrifuge furnace. In each case the resultant cast structure was significantly different from that obtained in ground based experiments. Earlier low-gravity studies with the metal-model system NH4CI-H2O presaged these results. This paper presents and discusses the influence of changes in the gravity force on the grain structure of these materials.
Development and student evaluation of an introductory biostatistics course as a required course in the doctor of pharmacy curriculum

Abstract Objectives To describe the design, content, and student evaluation of an introductory biostatistics course in the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum. Design This is a required course for first professional year pharmacy students at Purdue University. The course was offered for the first time in the fall semester of 2005 and has been since offered yearly. The course is a 1.5-credit hour course dedicated to biostatistics instruction. Assessment Student evaluations of the course have improved in almost all categories since its implementation. Although the relevance of statistics to the profession of pharmacy is the most commonly recurring written comment, it is not reflected by quantitative course evaluations. Furthermore, the student evaluations of the relevance of statistics to the profession of pharmacy has improved since the implementation of this course ( p = 0.0024). Conclusions This course in biostatistics provided students with an understanding of the use and application of biostatistics to problems related to pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences. The course is useful in the preparation of students for future courses in the professional curriculum.
Cluster-Based Minimum Mean Square Estimation for Secure and Resilient Localization in Wireless Sensor Networks

To support a wide variety of applications ranging from military surveillance to health care clinic monitoring, a wireless sensor network must obtain accurate location for each sensor. A number of localization schemes have been developed to allow each sensor node to acquire its location. However, most of these techniques assume benign environments, and thus cannot survive malicious attacks in hostile environments where external and/or compromised nodes may launch attacks. This paper proposes a new computationally efficient and resilient localization scheme based on the clustering of benign location reference anchors. Moreover, this paper reports both simulation and field experiments using a test-bed of MICAz motes performed to compare the proposed approach with several recent secure localization schemes. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed scheme has the fastest execution time among all resilient localization schemes that can be used for the current generation of sensor platforms (e.g., MICA series of motes).
Human Toll-Like Receptor 4 Mutations but Not CD14 Polymorphisms Are Associated with an Increased Risk of Gram-Negative Infections

Human toll-like receptor 4 (hTLR4) and CD14 are known to be components of the lipopolysaccharide receptor complex. Our study investigated the association between TLR4 mutations (Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile) and CD14 polymorphism(s) with outcome in an intensive care unit (ICU) population at risk for sepsis. By use of a polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis technique, the hTLR4 gene was altered in 14 (18%) of 77 ICU patients (all positive for systemic inflammatory response syndrome) and in 5 (13%) of 39 volunteers. There was a significantly higher incidence of gram-negative infection among patients with the mutations (11 [79%] of 14), compared with that in the wild-type population (11 [17%] of 63; P=.004). No association between CD14 polymorphism(s) and the incidence of infection or outcome was observed. These findings indicate that hTLR4 mutations are associated with an increased incidence of gram-negative infections in critically ill patients in a surgical setting.
Plasma Fatty Acid Binding Protein 4 and Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death in Older Adults

s associated with higher risk of SCD in nondiabetic participants, (RR per SD higher FABP4: 1.33 (95% CI: 1.07–1.65),�� = 0.009 ) but not in diabetic participants (RR per SD higher FABP4: 0.88 (95% CI: 0.62–1.27), �� = 0.50 ), �� for diabetes-FABP4 interaction 0.049. In summary, as ingle measure of plasma FABP4 obtained later in life was not associated with the risk of SCD in older adults overa ll. Confirmation of our post-hoc results in nondiabetic people in other studies is warranted.
The Wsc1p cell wall signaling protein controls biofilm (Mat) formation independently of Flo11p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains of the ∑1278b background generate biofilms, referred to as mats, on low-density agar (0.3%) plates made with rich media (YPD). Mat formation involves adhesion of yeast cells to the surface of the agar substrate and each other as the biofilm matures, resulting in elaborate water channels that create filigreed patterns of cells. The cell wall adhesion protein Flo11p is required for mat formation; however, genetic data indicate that other unknown effectors are also required. For example, mutations in vacuolar protein sorting genes that affect the multivesicular body pathway, such as vps27∆, cause mat formation defects independently of Flo11p, presumably by affecting an unidentified signaling pathway. A cell wall signaling protein, Wsc1p, found at the plasma membrane is affected for localization and function by vps27∆. We found that a wsc1∆ mutation disrupted mat formation in a Flo11p-independent manner. Wsc1p appears to impact mat formation through the Rom2p-Rho1p signaling module, by which Wsc1p also regulates the cell wall. The Bck1p, Mkk1/Mkk2, Mpk1p MAP kinase signaling cascade is known to regulate the cell wall downstream of Wsc1p-Rom2p-Rho1p but, surprisingly, these kinases do not affect mat formation. In contrast, Wsc1p may impact mat formation by affecting Skn7p instead. Skn7p can also receive signaling inputs from the Sln1p histidine kinase; however, mutational analysis of specific histidine kinase receiver residues in Skn7p indicate that Sln1p does not play an important role in mat formation, suggesting that Skn7p primarily acts downstream of Wsc1p to regulate mat formation.
Development of a High-Speed On-Off Valve for Switch-Mode Control of Hydraulic Circuits With Four-Quadrant Control

Hydraulic circuits are typically controlled by throttling valves or variable displacement pump/motors. The first method throttles fluid for a desired pressure output and excess energy is lost through heat. While variable displacement pumps are more efficient, they are often large and expensive. An alternate method is the switch-mode control of hydraulic circuits through high-speed on-off valves. The proposed on-off valve design makes use of a continuously rotating disc to modulate flow between on and off states; the average power output or pulse duration is determined by the relative phase shift between the input and output ports. The addition of a directional valve to the the high-speed three-way valve allows any fixed displacement actuator to behave like a virtually variable displacement unit that is capable of four-quadrant control. In this paper a mathematical model focusing on the throttling, compressibility, internal leakage and viscous friction losses is developed and utilized to optimize the valve design for highest efficiency.
Orthotopic urinary diversion is a viable option in patients undergoing salvage cystoprostatectomy for recurrent prostate cancer after definitive radiation therapy

Abstract Objectives To evaluate whether orthotopic urinary diversion is a viable option for patients undergoing cystoprostatectomy for radio-recurrent prostate cancer (RRPC). Methods Between 1990 and 1996, we performed 34 salvage surgeries for RRPC, including 26 radical retropubic prostatectomies and 8 cystoprostatectomies. We determined the operative and postoperative complication rates and pathologic stage for the 8 patients undergoing cystoprostatectomy. Results Of the 8 patients in whom cystoprostatectomy was performed, 5 underwent ileal conduit diversion and 3 underwent orthotopic neobladder reconstruction. There were no intraoperative complications or peri-operative mortalities. In the group with orthotopic neobladder, postoperative complications included pyelo-nephritis in 1 patient and prolonged ileus in another. In the group with ileal conduit, no short-term complications occurred; 1 patient developed an incisional hernia on long-term follow-up. All patients with neobladder reconstruction are continent during the day. One patient wears one pad at night. The other 2 are continent at night. Conclusions Orthotopic urinary diversion is a valid option for selected patients with RRPC who require a cystoprostatectomy. This procedure can be performed with minimal complications, resulting in good continence and good quality of life.
Modified Talbot interferometer for fabrication of fiber-optic grating filter over a wide range of Bragg wavelength and bandwidth using a single phase mask

A technique involving a compact apparatus that combines the phase mask and two-beam interferometric techniques is presented. It involves the use of a phase mask to diffract the ultraviolet (UV) beam and a cylindrical lens combined with a pair of mirrors to produce two symmetric virtual line sources of UV light. Bragg wavelength and bandwidth of the fiber gratings can be controlled with a simple translation of the fiber and/or the phase mask. Using a 40-mw continuous-wave frequency-doubled argon-ion laser at 244 mm and a single phase mask, a series of chirped fiber gratings with the Bragg wavelength in a wide range around 600 nm and 1300 nm are fabricated in hydrogen-loaded ordinary fibers.
Chromosomal translocation t(1;13)(p36;q14) in a case of rhabdomyosarcoma.

Cytogenetic studies of a rhabdomyosarcoma of mixed embryonal and alveolar histology in an II -month-old male revealed a single structural abnormality, t(1;13)(p36;q14). This abnormality may define a subset of patients with a variant of the t(2;13)(q35;q14) translocation frequently seen in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.
Alcohol, protein metabolism, and liver injury.

Until a couple of decades ago, the interrelationship between alcohol abuse, proteins, and liver injury appeared relatively simple: Protein deficiency was recognized as a complication of alcohol abuse, and protein malnutrition was considered the sole culprit of liver injury in the alcoholic. The following statement, quoted from an authoritative textbook, is fully representative of the prevailing dogma of the time: It was “generally agreed that alcohol is not a hepatotoxin and that its effects on the liver probably are secondary to an associated nutritional disturbance.“’ This exclusively nutritional theory was plausible since alcoholics do commonly suffer from malnutrition.” Chronic alcohol consumption does indeed interfere with normal food digestion and absorption because of its well-known effects on gut and pancreas. Furthermore, alcohol, high in caloric value, displaces other foods in the diet. Each gram of ethanol provides 7.1 calories. Twelve ounces of an 86proof beverage contains about 1200 calories or approximately one-half of the recommended daily dietary allowance for calories. But, unlike regular food, alcoholic beverages contain few, if any, vitamins, minerals, protein, or other nutrients, and, therefore, the alcoholic’s intake of these nutrients may readily become insufficient. Economic factors
Enzymatically cross-linked hydrogels and their adhesive strength to biosurfaces.

Structured Abstract Authors – Hu B-H, Messersmith PB Objectives – To design an in-situ gelling hydrogel capable of solidifying rapidly under physiologic conditions into a hydrogel capable of adhering tissue surfaces together. Design – Multifunctional polymers containing covalently bound peptide substrates of transglutaminase were designed. Experimental Variable – Enzyme cross-linked hydrogels were compared with commercial fibrin tissue adhesive. Outcome Measure – The shear strength between tissue surfaces or type 1 collagen membranes bonded with hydrogel was measured. Results – The shear adhesive strength of transglutaminase cross-linked hydrogels was found to be equal to or better than fibrin sealant for tissue and collagen surfaces, respectively. Conclusion – Transglutaminase cross-linked hydrogels are injectable, in-situ formed, biodegradable, and expected to be useful in a variety of applications including sustained drug delivery, medical and dental adhesives, tissue repair and engineering as polymeric scaffolds, and gene therapy.
Melanoma-in-transit presenting as panniculitis.

Malignant melanoma presenting as an inflammatory skin metastasis has been described but is an exceedingly rare phenomenon. We report an unusual case of a patient who developed right leg lesions that were initially thought to be infectious in origin. There was no resolution of these lesions with antibiotic therapy, and the patient subsequently underwent an incisional biopsy that showed atypical S-100 positive cells within dermal vessels. On further questioning, the patient revealed that 20 years earlier she had a pigmented lesion removed from her right posterior calf. Review of that material revealed malignant melanoma, approximately 3.2 mm in depth. Although the patient was subsequently treated with a right groin lymph node dissection and isolated limb perfusion chemotherapy, she has continued to develop locally recurrent disease. This case is unusual both in terms of clinical presentation and interval of disease progression. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1998;39:876-8.)
On The Time–Eternity ‘Link’: Some Aspects Of Recent Christian Eschatology

In Christian tradition there have been three broadly different ways in which eternity (however conceived) 1 has been connected with time We find (I) a moral view: eternal life is the ‘due reward’, the ‘prize’ owed to certain states of consciousness and types of behaviour which have occurred in this life; (2) a voluntarist theory: eternal life is the unowed and thus gratuitous gift given subsequent to the occurrence of certain conscious states and behaviour patterns; and (3) the ‘ontological’ approach: eternal life is the final, culminating phase or development of those conscious states and patterns of action. All three of these views co-exist in Christian literature from the New Testament era on.
Viscoelastic properties of restructured sweetpotato puree

Summary The viscoelastic properties of sweetpotato (SP) puree restructured with alginate were determined and compared with those of non-restructured SP puree. Results from oscillatory shear experiments showed that both purees behaved like a gel with the storage modulus (G′) predominant over the loss modulus (G′′). The addition of a calcium/alginate complex increased the firmness of SP puree. Gel strength of both restructured and non-restructured puree was highest at room temperature (25 °C).
Modeling reaching impairment after stroke using a population vector model of movement control that incorporates neural firing-rate variability

The directional control of reaching after stroke was simulated by including cell death and firing-rate noise in a population vector model of movement control. In this model, cortical activity was assumed to cause the hand to move in the direction of a population vector, defined by a summation of responses from neurons with cosine directional tuning. Two types of directional error were analyzed: the between-target variability, defined as the standard deviation of the directional error across a wide range of target directions, and the within-target variability, defined as the standard deviation of the directional error for many reaches to a single target. Both between- and within-target variability increased with increasing cell death. The increase in between-target variability arose because cell death caused a nonuniform distribution of preferred directions. The increase in within-target variability arose because the magnitude of the population vector decreased more quickly than its standard deviation for increasing cell death, provided appropriate levels of firing-rate noise were present. Comparisons to reaching data from 29 stroke subjects revealed similar increases in between- and within-target variability as clinical impairment severity increased. Relationships between simulated cell death and impairment severity were derived using the between- and within-target variability results. For both relationships, impairment severity increased similarly with decreasing percentage of surviving cells, consistent with results from previous imaging studies. These results demonstrate that a population vector model of movement control that incorporates cosine tuning, linear summation of unitary responses, firing-rate noise, and random cell death can account for some features of impaired arm movement after stroke.
Nanoindentation of soft hydrated materials for application to vascular tissues.

Soft hydrated materials, such as vascular tissues and other biomaterials, provide a number of challenges in the field of nanoindentation. However, the ability of nanoindentation to probe local, nanoscale mechanical properties of heterogeneous materials makes it desirable to adapt this technique for application to biologic tissues. To develop the field of nanoindentation for the analysis of soft hydrated materials, the goals of this study were fourfold: develop a sample hydration system, select an appropriate tip for soft material indentation, identify a substrate to be used for blunt tip alignment, and determine an appropriate control material for the development of future indentation protocols. A hydration system was developed that maintained sample hydration for over 8 h without completely submerging the sample. Further, a 100-μm radius of curvature conospherical tip was shown to be a suitable tip for indenting a variety of soft hydrated materials and back-illuminated agarose gel was found to be an effective material for use in tip alignment. Finally, agarose gel demonstrated similar qualitative and quantitative nanomechanical behavior to vascular tissue, suggesting that it will be an appropriate control material for the development of future indentation protocols for soft biologic tissues. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 69A: 222–232, 2004
Heart rate and antisocial behavior: the mediating role of impulsive sensation seeking

Although a low resting heart rate is considered the best-replicated biological correlate of antisocial behavior, the mechanism underlying this relationship remains largely unknown. Sensation-seeking and fearlessness theories have been proposed to explain this relationship, although little empirical research has been conducted to test these theories. This study addressed this limitation by examining the relationship between heart rate and antisocial behavior in a community sample of 335 adolescent boys. Heart rate was measured during a series of cognitive, stress, and rest tasks. Participants also completed self-report measures of state fear, impulsive sensation seeking, and both aggressive and nonaggressive forms of antisocial behavior. As expected, increased levels of aggression and nonviolent delinquency were associated with a low heart rate. Impulsive sensation seeking, but not fearlessness, significantly mediated the association between heart rate and aggression. This study is the first to show that impulsive sensation seeking partly underlies the relationship between aggression and heart rate, and it is one of the few to examine the mechanism of action linking heart rate to antisocial behavior. FINDINGS at a theoretical level highlight the role of impulsive sensation seeking in understanding antisocial behavior and at an intervention level suggest it as a potential target for behavioral change. Language: en
Our Mission Impossible, a Land Ethic for Every Child

A s the human population grows, less land is available to support each person. Both the land and the people who depend on it are changing. Land care professionals and the organizations they form must also change. Whether those changes are for better or worse depends on how well we understand and adapt to change. I was a Texas A&M graduate student when I attended the Society of Range Management (SRM) Convention in Great Falls, Montana. My young wife asked if I was sure I should spend our scarce money to become part of an organization that held its annual meeting in the middle of winter at frigid locations. Dad was equally skeptical. But I took my GI issued overcoat from mothball storage and went anyway. The meeting changed our lives. DOI: 10.2458/azu_rangelands_v36i3_box
Judicial Behavior in the U.S. Courts of Appeals: Does the Race and Ethnicity of the Appellant Matter?

There is a growing body of literature that focuses on the relationship between a defendant's background characteristics and the voting behavior of African American and Latino judges in the courtroom. Many of these studies, however, tend to analyze this relationship by focusing on criminal cases in state or municipal-court settings (e.g. Steffensmeier and Britt, 2001; Holmes et al., 1993). This paper extends this research by focusing on race and national origin discrimination cases in the U.S. Courts of Appeals between 2001 and 2009. Utilizing Logistic Regression analysis, I hypothesize that Latino and African American judges will be more likely than White judges to rule in favor of the appellant when the appellant shares similar racial or ethnic characteristics. This research not only has important implications for racial discrimination in the workplace, but also judicial behavior in the federal courts.
Judicial Checks on the President

The judicial check on the American presidency is a supplemental tool for limiting executive power. Even so, the courts do provide a potential mechanism for constraining the executive branch. This chapter reviews both the doctrinal framework and the empirical literature regarding how courts monitor and check the executive branch.
Partial Characterization of a Novel Bacteriocin from Bacillus cereus GS1, a Soil Isolate

ABSTRACT Bacillus cereus GS1 secretes a diffusible bacteriocin-like molecule into culture medium that can be detected by a modified spot-on-lawn agar plate method. The secreted molecule exhibits a narrow inhibitory spectrum, affecting only the growth of Bacillus subtilis 6633 and certain other Gram-positive species. The molecule, in cell-free supernatant, is heat-stable and resistant to degradation by a number of proteases and to denaturation by several solvents. Clearing on agar plates is inversely related to the ionic strength of the growth medium, consistent with a membrane-directed activity. Analysis of activity gels reveals a clearing that coincides with a low molecular weight protein of about three kilodaltons. The inhibitory spectrum and protease sensitivity profile observed for this bacteriocin-like molecule distinguish it from similarly described molecules produced by other strains of Bacillus cereus. Our results support our hypothesis that the inhibitory molecule is a novel, low molecular weight...
Preterm Versus Term Children: Analysis of Sedation/Anesthesia Adverse Events and Longitudinal Risk.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Preterm and former preterm children frequently require sedation/anesthesia for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Our objective was to determine the age at which children who are born METHODS: This is a prospective observational study of children receiving sedation/anesthesia for diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedures outside of the operating room by the Pediatric Sedation Research Consortium. A total of 57 227 patients 0 to 22 years of age were eligible for this study. All adverse events and descriptive terms were predefined. Logistic regression and locally weighted scatterplot regression were used for analysis. RESULTS: Preterm and former preterm children had higher adverse event rates (14.7% vs 8.5%) compared with children born at term. Our analysis revealed a biphasic pattern for the development of adverse sedation/anesthesia events. Airway and respiratory adverse events were most commonly reported. MRI scans were the most commonly performed procedures in both categories of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Patients born preterm are nearly twice as likely to develop sedation/anesthesia adverse events, and this risk continues up to 23 years of age. We recommend obtaining birth history during the formulation of an anesthetic/sedation plan, with heightened awareness that preterm and former preterm children may be at increased risk. Further prospective studies focusing on the etiology and prevention of adverse events in former preterm patients are warranted.