cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Primary Mediastinal and Gray Zone Lymphomas

Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) is now recognized as a distinct clinicopathologic entity that is principally diagnosed in adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Its clinical, morphological, and biological characteristics overlap significantly with those of nodular sclerosing Hodgkin lymphoma (NSHL). Recently, the common biology of these two entities has been highlighted across several studies and mediastinal gray zone lymphoma (MGZL), with histologic and molecular features intermediate between PMBCL and NSHL being recognized as a unique molecular entity. There is lack of consensus regarding the optimal therapeutic strategy for newly diagnosed AYA patients with PMBCL, but highly curative strategies that obviate the need for mediastinal radiation are favored by most. Recent refined understanding of the biology of PMBCL has paved the way for investigating novel approaches such as targeting CD30, immune checkpoint inhibition, and adoptive T-cell therapy.
Calculating B-meson decay constants using domain-wall light quarks and nonperturbatively tuned relativistic b-quarks

We calculate B-physics quantities using the RBC/UKQCD 2+1 flavor domain-wall plus Iwasaki lattices and the relativistic heavy quark action developed by Christ, Li and Lin. After tuning these parameters nonperturbatively, we present our preliminary results for the calculation of the decay constants f_B and f_{B_s} analyzing data at two lattice spacings of a ~ 0.11 fm and a ~ 0.08 fm.
Health Care Spending and New Persistent Opioid Use After Surgery.

OBJECTIVE We sought to describe the differences in health care spending and utilization among patients who develop persistent postoperative opioid use. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Although persistent opioid use following surgery has garnered concern, its impact on health care costs and utilization remains unknown. METHODS We examined insurance claims among 133,439 opioid-naive adults undergoing surgery. Outcomes included 6-month postoperative health care spending; proportion of spending attributable to admission, readmission, ambulatory or emergency care; monthly spending 6 months before and following surgery. We defined persistent opioid use as continued opioid fills beyond 3 months postoperatively. We used linear regression to estimate outcomes adjusting for clinical covariates. RESULTS In this cohort, 8103 patients developed persistent opioid use. For patients who underwent inpatient procedures, new persistent opioid use was associated with health care spending (+$2700 per patient, P < 0.001) compared with patients who did not develop new persistent use. For patients who underwent outpatient procedures, new persistent opioid use was similarly correlated with higher health care spending (+$1500 per patient, P < 0.001) compared with patients who did not develop new persistent use. Patients without persistent opioid use returned to baseline health care spending within 6 months, regardless of other complications. However, patients with persistent opioid use had sustained increases in spending by approximately $200 per month. CONCLUSION Unlike other postoperative complications, persistent opioid use is associated with sustained increases in spending due to greater readmissions and ambulatory care visits. Early identification of patients vulnerable to persistent use may enhance the value of surgical care.
Food Acquisition Strategies of Homeless Youth in the Greater Seattle Area: A Cross- Sectional Study

Abstract Objectives The aims of this study were to describe how homeless youths access food in the Seattle area, and to describe the nutritional adequacy and quality of food obtained. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2018 and May 2019. Data collection took place at seven organizations in the greater Seattle area at which homeless youths typically access food. Trained research assistants verbally administered an ∼50-item survey to homeless youths aged 14 to 24 years on their general demographic characteristics, current housing situation, ability to access food, and quantity and quality of foods acquired. Each participant was given $10 at the completion of the survey. Results Participants were 122 homeless youths with an average age of 21.6±1.94 years. During the previous week, 79.3% obtained meals from drop-in centers and 69.8% from a shelter. Most (75.2%) had not utilized a food bank during the previous month. The majority (73.6%) reported having enough food to eat, but not always the kind they wanted, and 75.4% rated the overall nutritional quality of their diet as average or below. Not having enough food or money for food contributed to skipping meals (50.4%), eating less than desired (47.1%), being hungry (45.5%), and losing weight (20.5%). Conclusions Information from this study can be used to identify barriers that homeless youths experience in acquiring adequate nutrition; to make suggestions for future research and program development; and to help social service organizations improve the network of nutrition services and the quality of food available to this vulnerable population through policy, community partnership, and public health action.
Achilles tendon rupture in the emergency department

Overview Complete submission template and then save to your computer: Make sure to address each prompt or your submission cannot be accepted. Upload (1) the saved template and (2) at least one image or video into the submission system
Synthetic gene circuits as tools for drug discovery

Within mammalian systems, there exists enormous opportunity to use synthetic gene circuits to enhance phenotype-based drug discovery, to map the molecular origins of disease, and to validate therapeutics in complex cellular systems. While drug discovery has relied on marker staining and high-content imaging in cell-based assays, synthetic gene circuits expand the potential for precision and speed. Here we present a vision of how circuits can improve the speed and accuracy of drug discovery by enhancing the efficiency of hit triage, capturing disease-relevant dynamics in cell-based assays, and simplifying validation and readouts from organoids and microphysiological systems (MPS). By tracking events and cellular states across multiple length and time scales, circuits will transform how we decipher the causal link between molecular events and phenotypes to improve the selectivity and sensitivity of cell-based assays.
Early Incarceration, Marriage, and the Risk of Poverty Across the Life Course: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study

This research examined whether the putative effect of incarceration on income poverty over the life course differs by marital status among a sample of male high school graduates. The purpose was to better understand the effects of imprisonment on a study population with relatively stronger economic prospects who have not been the focus of prior studies on the topic. Data were drawn from the 1975, 1992, and 2004 waves of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study to yield an analytic sample of 2678 male high school graduates. We then estimated discrete-time hazard models to investigate (1) whether incarceration is associated with marital dissolution among married men, (2) whether incarceration is associated with marriage among unmarried men, and whether the effect of incarceration on income poverty differs by marital status among an aggregated sample of both married and unmarried men. Event history analysis revealed that men who experienced incarceration before age 25 were significantly more likely to fall into income poverty relative to men who were never incarcerated. However, men who experienced incarceration after marriage were also significantly more likely to separate or divorce, and unmarried men who experienced incarceration were significantly less likely to marry in the first place. The results imply that marriage as a path towards avoiding economic hardship in old age is seldom available to returning prisoners. Thus, the findings reinforce policy efforts aimed at education, job skills, and training as well as comprehensive family case management programs for formerly incarcerated individuals, couples, and families.
What a Long Strange Trip Its Been, or, The Metaphysics of Presence: Derrida and Dewey on Human Development

What am I doing here? Well, what a long strange trip its been. Many interactions with diverse individuals is the philosophical answer whose metaphysics I explore later. Where does one begin when they recognize the arbitrariness of every beginning? Here is an incident. I spent two years as a junior investigator on a National Science Foundation grant in mathematical logic working with my former teachers Jim Macmillan and Jaakko Hintikka. The first philosopher of education I met besides Jim and Manny Shargel was Jim Giarelli. He was attending the South Eastern Philosophy of Education Society meeting where Macmillan and I read our first essay on the erotetic logic of teaching. I immediately liked Jim’s attitude and ideas. I still see him standing there in the hallway with boots and beard, a memorable first interaction.
Evaluation of the association of prostate cancer-specific anxiety with sexual function, depression and cancer aggressiveness in men 1 year following surgical treatment for localized prostate cancer

Background Cancer-specific anxiety (CSA) can affect treatment decisions and is common in men following surgery for prostate cancer (PCa). We hypothesized that CSA is also associated with factors affecting quality of life. Herein, we examine the association of CSA with psychosocial factors and PCa aggressiveness in a cohort of men 1 year after prostatectomy for localized PCa. Methods From our prospective PCa Registry, we identified 365 men who underwent prostatectomy for localized PCa who completed the Memorial Anxiety Scale for Prostate Cancer (MAX-PC) and Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite at 1-year follow-up. We evaluated the association of scores on the MAX-PC with demographics, clinicopathologic features, sexual function, and depression scores using Wilcoxon Rank Sum and Kendall's tau correlation tests. Results Higher scores on the MAX-PC (i.e., higher anxiety) are associated with younger age (p < 0.01) and non-Caucasian race (p < 0.01). Men with higher MAX-PC scores also reported poor sexual satisfaction/function (p < 0.01) and increasing depressive symptoms (p < 0.01). Finally, although higher anxiety is associated with several pathologic features of aggressiveness (stage, positive margins, PSA at 1 year; all p-values < 0.01), we noted several men with clinically indolent disease who reported significant anxiety. Conclusions Our data suggest that higher levels of CSA are associated with poor sexual function and increased depressive symptoms 1 year after prostatectomy. Moreover, we noted demographic and pathologic features associated with higher CSA as well. If confirmed, our data support development of models to predict men at high risk of CSA following PCa surgery and targeted referral for additional counseling. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
HIGH INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IN PIMA INDIANS

A longitudinal epidemiologic study has been conducted to estimate the incidence and prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in an American Indian population, the Pima and Papago Indians of Arizona. Clinical, serologic, and radiologic data were collected during biennial examinations of subjects aged 20 years or more during the period 1967-1986. Rheumatoid arthritis was diagnosed by criteria for the active and the inactive disease. Age-adjusted to the 1980 US population at least 20 years of age, the prevalence of classical and definite rheumatoid arthritis in 1984 was 5.3% (3.23% in males and 6.95% in females), a rate appreciably higher than that reported in studies in Rochester, Minnesota, and in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Among Pimas, during the study period, 70 incident cases of rheumatoid arthritis occurred. The age-adjusted incidence rate was 42.2 cases per 10,000 person-years (29.7 in males and 51.8 in females), 10.3 times as high as the age-adjusted rate in Rochester (4.1/10,000 person-years), and 5.7 times as high as in Japan (7.4/10,000 person-years). Rates generally increased with age. No secular trend was found. On the basis of both prevalence and incidence data, this study confirms that rheumatoid arthritis does not have uniform occurrence in different populations. This has to be taken into account in the search for the factors related to the differences in risk of disease.
Principles for Human-Centered Interaction Design, Part 2: Can Humans and Machines Think Together?

This column introduces the Network Observatory, a human-centered cyber sensemaking system, and discusses the visual and sensemaking design principles employed therein.
Adequacy of Retirement Income after Pension Reforms in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe: Eight Country Studies

All of the former transition economies in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe (CESE) inherited from the era of central planning traditional defined-benefit pension systems financed on a pay-as-you-go basis. Like many pay-as-you-go public pension systems elsewhere in the world, CESE pension systems were in need of reforms to address short-term fiscal imbalances and longer-term issues relating to population aging. Reforms were also needed to adjust benefit and contribution structures to meet the challenges of-as well as to take advantage of opportunities relating to the transition to a market economy, including the widespread adoption of multiplier designs with improved risk-sharing across funded and unfunded pillars. By 2006, most countries in Europe and Central Asia had introduced a voluntary private pension scheme. By 2008, 14 countries roughly half of all countries in the region had legislated mandatory private pension schemes, and all but one of those schemes (the one in Ukraine) had been introduced. These reforms shared a number of common objectives, in particular putting the systems on a sounder financial footing and better aligning them with the (very different) incentives of a market economy. This report is organized as follows. The first section discusses the motivation for reform across the eight countries included in the study against the backdrop of the regional (and global) trend toward multiplier pension arrangements. The second section summarizes the key provisions of the reformed systems in the eight countries within the World Bank's five-pillar framework for pension system design. The third section summarizes pension system performance against the two crucially important dimensions of adequacy and sustainability. The last section provides some policy recommendations for addressing gaps in reforms and taking advantage of further opportunities.
Effects of Disease on Clinical Laboratory Tests, 4th Edition, Vol. 1 and 2. D.S. Young and R.B. Friedman, eds. Washington, DC: AACC Press, 2001, $199.00 ($159.00 AACC members), softcover. ISBN 1-890883-45-X.

What a great book! What a tour de force! This book contains virtually every clinical laboratory test in use and the values associated with various disease states. The information is presented in two complementary ways. The first volume is categorized by laboratory tests listed in alphabetical order, with values in various diseased states listed below each relevant laboratory test. The second volume is categorized by disease state (in …
An automated system for documentation of COBOL systems or programs

This paper presents a view of what constitutes good system/program documentation, the need for such documentation, and a broad overview of an automated system to provide this documentation. The system was developed at Clemson University's Division of Information Systems Development and can be used on any system written entirely in COBOL. Documentation information is extracted from a system descriptive data set and all programs listed as members in the system.Features provided by the system include expansion of COBOL and IDMS copy statements, printing of the linkage section (if applicable), extraction of all input/output verb statements used in the procedure division, table of contents generation, and automated block/database diagram generation. The system provides enough flexibility to allow any portion or an entire system to be input. Checklists of missing diagrams, reports, and programs not found in the specified library are also provided.
A review of spray ignition phenomena: Present status and future research

Theoretical and experimental studies dealing with the spray ignition phenomena are reviewed. Two major topics covered are external-source ignition of liquid fuel sprays and spontaneous spray ignition. Experimental and theoretical investigations of external-source ignition of sprays employing different configurations are discussed first. Three major topics included here are: (i) ignition of quiescent and flowing fuel sprays; (ii) ignition of monodisperse and polydisperse sprays; and (iii) ignition of single-component and multicomponent fuel sprays. Then, experimental studies of autoignition of sprays employing constant-volume enclosures, injection in a uniform air flow, and shock tube techniques, are discussed. Theoretical investigations dealing with spray autoignition phenomena range from phenomenological models to one-dimensional numerical models using global one-step as well as detailed multistep chemistry, and to multidimensional simulations with reduced mechanisms. These models are also discussed in the review. Finally, some advanced topics which are common to both external-source ignition and spontaneous ignition are identified and discussed. An attempt is made to provide a common link between the three dominant ignition modes in sprays, namely individual droplet ignition, droplet cluster ignition, and spray ignition. In a similar manner, common features of external-source ignition and spontaneous ignition of sprays are identified. A general spray ignition model along with important numerical and physical issues are presented. The effect of pressure on spray ignition processes is also discussed. Potential topics for further research are suggested.
Climatic control of bedrock river incision

Bedrock river incision drives the development of much of Earth's surface topography, and thereby shapes the structure of mountain belts and modulates Earth's habitability through its effects on soil erosion, nutrient fluxes and global climate. Although it has long been expected that river incision rates should depend strongly on precipitation rates, quantifying the effects of precipitation rates on bedrock river incision rates has proved difficult, partly because river incision rates are difficult to measure and partly because non-climatic factors can obscure climatic effects at sites where river incision rates have been measured. Here we present measurements of river incision rates across one of Earth's steepest rainfall gradients, which show that precipitation rates do indeed influence long-term bedrock river incision rates. We apply a widely used empirical law for bedrock river incision to a series of rivers on the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i, where mean annual precipitation ranges from 0.5 metres to 9.5 metres (ref. 12)-over 70 per cent of the global range-and river incision rates averaged over millions of years can be inferred from the depth of river canyons and the age of the volcanic bedrock. Both a time-averaged analysis and numerical modelling of transient river incision reveal that the long-term efficiency of bedrock river incision across Kaua'i is positively correlated with upstream-averaged mean annual precipitation rates. We provide theoretical context for this result by demonstrating that our measurements are consistent with a linear dependence of river incision rates on stream power, the rate of energy expenditure by the flow on the riverbed. These observations provide rare empirical evidence for the long-proposed coupling between climate and river incision, suggesting that previously proposed feedbacks among topography, climate and tectonics may occur.
Management of the chronically ventilated patient with a tracheostomy

Tracheostomy is the most common surgical procedure performed on critically ill patients. For those who survive their critical illnesses but remain ventilator-dependent, tracheostomy provides patients with a secure airway that frees the mouth for oral nutrition, enhances verbalized speech, and promotes generalized comfort. Avoiding complications from tracheostomy requires a skilled multi-disciplinary approach to ensure that the benefits outweigh the risks of the procedure.
Effect of thermomechanical factors on the properties of steel 15GFB

Such factors of thermomechanical treatment as the number of deformations, the length of time between them, and the temperature at the end of deformation are important in determining the optimum parameters of controlled rolling. Studies have shown that in order to obtain steel with a fine-grained ferritic-pearlitic structure having a developed substructure, it is necessary to repeatedly deform the semifinished product 15–33% in each pass within the temperature range 800–1150°C. Controlled rolling of the investigated low-alloy steel in the two-phase region ensures that the finished steel will have high strength characteristics.
Early Language and Literacy Achievement of Early Reading First Students in Kindergarten and 1st Grade in the United States.

Early literacy intervention programs are predicated on the understanding that children's early literacy performance in preschool is one of the most important early predictors of subsequent school success. As the largest U.S.-funded early literacy intervention program, Early Reading First (ERF) sought to advance the language and literacy outcomes of economically disadvantaged preschool children by improving the quality of language and literacy instruction these children received. To date, however, little research exists on the longitudinal outcomes of children who participated in ERF programs. This study examined the long-term language and literacy developmental trajectories of 75, primarily African American, children who participated in an ERF program as prekindergartners. Results reveal that children in kindergarten and 1st grade were performing at average levels on standardized reading measures. In addition, children significantly improved their oral language skills in prekindergarten, and these effects...
Postbuckling of an externally pressurized ring with a hinge

Abstract An inextensible, elastic circular ring is weakened by a hinge. Due to external pressure, the ring buckles and collapses in three stages. The large deformation equations are formulated and integrated numerically. The introduction of a hinge lowers the buckling pressure by more than half. Postbuckling configurations show marked asymmetry.
Constructing strength three covering arrays with augmented annealing

A covering arrayCA(N;t,k,v) is an Nxk array such that every Nxt sub-array contains all t-tuples from v symbols at least once, where t is the strength of the array. One application of these objects is to generate software test suites to cover all t-sets of component interactions. Methods for construction of covering arrays for software testing have focused on two main areas. The first is finding new algebraic and combinatorial constructions that produce smaller covering arrays. The second is refining computational search algorithms to find smaller covering arrays more quickly. In this paper, we examine some new cut-and-paste techniques for strength three covering arrays that combine recursive combinatorial constructions with computational search; when simulated annealing is the base method, this is augmented annealing. This method leverages the computational efficiency and optimality of size obtained through combinatorial constructions while benefiting from the generality of a heuristic search. We present a few examples of specific constructions and provide new bounds for some strength three covering arrays.
Horizontal and Vertical Migration Patterns of Phormidium corallyticum and Beggiatoa spp. Associated with Black-Band Disease of Corals

An in situ field study of the motility patterns exhibited by Phormidium corallyticum and Beggiatoa spp. in black-band disease of corals was conducted over a 5-day period. Measurements were made at a spatial resolution of 50 mm to document the horizontal migration of black-band across living coral tissue, while vertical migrations within the band were documented by observation and macrophotography of the black-band surface. It was determined that horizontal migration occurred both day and night, with the fastest movements by the front of the band during the day and the back of the band at night. Beggiatoa would rise to the band surface at night, and would often remain above the cyanobacterial population during extended periods of illumination the following day. The migration patterns are discussed in terms of motility cues and microbial physiology.
Budding yeast Cdc6p induces re-replication in fission yeast by inhibition of SCF(Pop)-mediated proteolysis.

In fission yeast, overexpression of the replication initiator protein Cdc18p induces re-replication, a phenotype characterized by continuous DNA synthesis in the absence of cell division. In contrast, overexpression of Cdc6p, the budding yeast homolog of Cdc18p, does not cause re-replication in S. cerevisiae. However, we have found that Cdc6p has the ability to induce re-replication in fission yeast. Cdc6p cannot functionally replace Cdc18p, but instead interferes with the proteolysis of both Cdc18p and Rum1p, the inhibitor of the protein kinase Cdc2p. This activity of Cdc6p is entirely contained within a short N-terminal peptide, which forms a tight complex with Cdc2p and the F-box/WD-repeat protein Sud1p/Pop2p, a component of the SCFPop ubiquitin ligase in fission yeast. These interactions are mediated by two distinct regions within the N-terminal region of Cdc6p and depend on the integrity of its Cdc2p phosphorylation sites. The data suggest that disruption of re-replication control by overexpression of Cdc6p in fission yeast is a consequence of sequestration of Cdc2p and Pop2p, two factors involved in the negative regulation of Rum1p, Cdc18p and potentially other replication proteins.
Employee Assistance Programs and the Troubled Employee in the Public Sector Workplace

This article provides an overview of public sector Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and identifies issues to which public sector managers should be sensitive EAPs can assist troubled employees and their supervisors and reduce health care costs related to the behavior of troubled employees and their families The continued escalation of health care costs will motivate many employers to turn to EAPs as part of their health care cost containment efforts However, there are many barriers to EAP effectiveness, and measuring EAP success is difficult To he effective, public sector EAP administra tors must be sensitive to the unique characteristics of the public sector workplace and the changing nature of the government workforce, and must have access to the or gani zation's personnel system
FT-Raman Spectroscopy of Wood: Identifying Contributions of Lignin and Carbohydrate Polymers in the Spectrum of Black Spruce (Picea Mariana):

Good-quality Raman spectra of most wood species can now be obtained by using near-infrared Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy. To make effective use of such spectroscopic information, one needs to interpret the data in terms of contributions from various wood components and, for each component polymer, in terms of vibrational modes of its substructural units/groups. In the present work, Raman spectral features of black spruce (Picea mariana) wood were associated with lignin and/or carbohydrate polymers. Lignin's spectral contributions were recognized in several ways. In addition to spectra of milled-wood and enzyme lignins, a spectrum of native lignin was obtained by subtracting the spectrum of acid chlorite delignified black spruce from the spectrum of an untreated wood sample. A comparison of lignin spectra indicated that the Raman features of the three lignins are very similar. Raman contributions of carbohydrate polymers, namely, those of cellulose and hemicellulose, were identified by using authentic and/or isolated samples and, in the case of cellulose, by using previously published spectra. Such an analysis showed that the hemicellulose present in black spruce did not give rise to any new, unique features that were not already present due to cellulose. Therefore, it was concluded that the hemicellulose contribution is broad and is hidden under the Raman contribution of cellulose. Also, peak positions of lignin contributions did not overlap with those of cellulose, and there were spectral regions where either lignin or cellulose contributed.
Tribological properties of undoped and boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond films

Undoped and boron-doped nanocrystalline (NCD) diamond films were deposited on mirror polished Ti-6Al-4V substrates in a Microwave Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition system. Sliding wear tests were conducted in ambient air with a nanotribometer. A systematic study of the tribological properties for both undoped and boron-doped NCD films were carried out. It was found for diamond/diamond sliding, coefficient of friction decreases with increasing normal loads. It was also found that the wear rate of boron-doped NCD films is about 10 times higher than that of undoped films. A wear rate of ~5.2×10(-9) mm(3)/Nm was found for undoped NCD films. This value is comparable to the best known value of that of polished polycrystalline diamond films. Although no surface deformation, film delamination or micro-cracking were observed for undoped films, boron-doped NCD film undergoes a critical failure at a normal stress of 2.2 GPa, above which surface deformation is evident. Combined with high hardness and modulus, tunable conductivity and improved open air thermal stability, boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond film has tremendous potentials for applications such as Atomic Force Microscope probes, Micro-Electro-Mechanical System devices and biomedical sensors.
An electromagnetic field algorithm for 2d implicit plasma simulation

Abstract A new, robust algorithm is presented for the implicit calculation of the electromagnetic fields used in the full-particle and hybrid modeling of 2D simulation plasmas. The algorithm allows for calculations at time steps Δt well in excess of the plasma period and for mesh scales Δξ far exceeding the Debye length-with electron inertial terms retained. The implicit fields suppress the numerical instability associated with plasma waves. Still, the At remain constrained by an electron Courant limit. The algorithm is considerably simpler than earlier implicit schemes, and more complete in its treatment of field errors. In its present form the algorithm is limited to plasmas moving and accelerating in a plane across a single component of magnetic field. An extension to include all the field components is suggested, however. In accordance with the implicit moment method, estimated electric and magnetic fields are obtained by solving Maxwell's equations self-consistently for a set of implicit sources, estimated with the aid of an auxiliary set of lower fluid moment equations (for component fluxes and density). The fluid pressure terms are treated explicitly, and the spatial differencing of the auxiliary moments is centered to facilitate the solution of the resultant field equations. Solution for the single magnetic field component is obtained by one elliptic equation .inversion, readily managed by a vectorized solver package. A subsequent irrotational old E-field correction is found to be crucial for the maintainence of anticipated quasi-neutrality. A concomitant rotational correction is needed for physical solutions in steep density gradient problems. We show that both corrections can be obtained simultaneously by referencing the deviations between the true currents flowing, and the currents predicted to flow in the plasma at the end of a cycle. The current correction is shown to be equivalent to the first (and usually sufficient) step of an iterative procedure leading to an exact solution for the fields. In addition, we demonstrate that electrostatic solutions can be obtained from the implicit algorithm by setting the speed of light to very large multiples of its physical value. Comparisons are made with earlier moment and direct method approaches, and the scheme is related to previous classical hybrid models. Demonstrative applications are discussed.
Myxoid Spitz nevus

Background: The deposition of extracellular mucin has not been described in Spitz nevus and herein such a case is reported. Methods: A 6-year-old male presented with a growing 1.0-cm pigmented lesion on his left anterior knee. The lesion was excised. Results: The histologic sections demonstrated a symmetrical and dome-shaped proliferation of spindle and epithelioid melanocytes with sharp lateral demarcation at the dermal–epidermal junction and within the superficial dermis. Features of Spitz nevus such as retraction from the epidermis, eosinophilic bodies, and uniform cytologic atypia were seen. Of interest, there was marked mucin deposition within the epidermal clefts and between the neoplastic cells. The mucin was highlighted by alcian blue and colloidal iron stains, and it was negative with mucicarmine and periodic acid–Schiff stains. Conclusion: Awareness that soitz nevi can rarely have extracellular mucin helps in avoiding diagnostic pitfalls.
Silver–polyimide nanocomposite membranes: Macromolecular-matrix-mediated metallization of an aromatic, fluorinated polyimide yielding highly reflective films at low metal concentrations

Highly reflective, surface-metalized, flexible polyimide films were prepared by the incorporation of a soluble silver-ion complex, (hexafluoroacetylacetonato)silver(I) (AgHFA), into dimethylacetamide solutions of poly(amic acid) prepared from 2,2-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane dianhydride and 2,2-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]hexafluoropropane. The thermal curing of solution-cast silver(I)–poly(amic acid) films to 300°C led to cycloimidization of the amic acid with concomitant silver(I) reduction and the formation of a reflective, air-side-silvered surface at very low (2 wt % and 0.3 vol %) silver concentrations. The reflective surface evolved only when the cure temperature reached about 275°C, although X-ray diffraction showed metallic silver in the hybrid film by 200°C. After a maximum specular reflectivity greater than 80% was achieved for the 2 wt % silver film, the specular reflectivity diminished sharply with further heating at a constant temperature of 300°C. Incorporating the AgHFA complex into the soluble, fully imidized form of poly{(1,3-dihydro-1,3-dioxo-2H-isoindole-2,5-diyl)[2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethylidene](1,3-dihydro-1,3-dioxo-2H-isoindole-5,2-diyl)-1,4-phenyleneoxy-1,4-phenylene[2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethylidene]-1,4-phenyleneoxy-1,4-phenylene} gave films that were 25% less reflective than those beginning with poly(amic acid). Though highly reflective, the films were not electrically conductive. The metalized membranes were thermally stable and maintained mechanical properties similar to those of the parent polyimide. Transmission electron microscopy revealed an air-side, near-surface layer of silver that was about 40 nm thick; the interior of the film had well-dispersed metal particles with diameters mostly less than 2 nm. The near-surface silver layer maintained its integrity because of physical entrapment of the metal nanoparticles beneath a thin layer of polyimide; that is, the practical adhesion of the metal layer was good. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 2409–2418, 2007
Critical values for the correlated t-test when there are missing observations

Bhoj proposed a method of handling missing observations in the correlated t-test that requires the percentage points of T=T1+T2 where T1 and T2: are independent Student's t random variables having v1: and v2: degrees of freedom. When both v1: and v2: are large, which corresponds to a large number of missing observations, accurate approximations of the percentage points are available. This paper provides percentage points for the case of a small number of missing observations. The values reported here are accurate to within one unit of the third decimal place with the possible exception of v2: and α=.005 where the accuracy is within two units of the third decimal place.
President's page: quality of care: a moving target worthy of pursuit.

If I were to informally survey 100 prospective medical students, asking all of them the same question, “Why do you want to be a doctor?” I suspect that at least 90 would reply with some variation on “I want to help people.” A similar study of seasoned physicians, asked why they chose
Comparative linkage maps suggest that fission, not polyploidy, underlies near-doubling of chromosome number within monkeyflowers (Mimulus; Phrymaceae).

Changes in chromosome number and structure are important contributors to adaptation, speciation and macroevolution. In flowering plants, polyploidy and subsequent reductions in chromosome number by fusion are major sources of chromosomal evolution, but chromosome number increase by fission has been relatively unexplored. Here, we use comparative linkage mapping with gene-based markers to reconstruct chromosomal synteny within the model flowering plant genus Mimulus (monkeyflowers). Two sections of the genus with haploid numbers ⩾14 have been inferred to be relatively recent polyploids because they are phylogenetically nested within numerous taxa with low base numbers (n=8–10). We combined multiple data sets to build integrated genetic maps of the M. guttatus species complex (section Simiolus, n=14) and the M. lewisii group (section Erythranthe; n=8), and then aligned the two integrated maps using >100 shared markers. We observed strong segmental synteny between M. lewisii and M. guttatus maps, with essentially 1-to-1 correspondence across each of 16 chromosomal blocks. Assuming that the M. lewisii (and widespread) base number of 8 is ancestral, reconstruction of 14 M. guttatus chromosomes requires at least eight fission events (likely shared by Simiolus and sister section Paradanthus (n=16)), plus two fusion events. This apparent burst of fission in the yellow monkeyflower lineages raises new questions about mechanisms and consequences of chromosomal fission in plants. Our comparative maps also provide insight into the origins of a chromosome exhibiting centromere-associated female meiotic drive and create a framework for transferring M. guttatus genome resources across the entire genus.
Intracellular collagen fibers in the capsule around silicone expanders in guinea pigs

Ultrastructural studies of fibrous capsules surrounding silicone tissue expanders in guinea pigs revealed a number of fibroblasts containing collagen fibers inside cytoplasm with typical periodicity. These fibers were single or multiple, appeared straight, coiled, or bent, and lay in narrow, undulating membrane spaces. These intracellular collagen fibers were found in as many as 15% of the cells in capsules between 7 and 12 weeks of expansion. These observations suggest that during capsule development there is some imbalance between the synthesis of collagen fibers and their degradation. It is possible that increased synthesis of collagen fibers as well as their phagocytosis by fibroblasts may exist simultaneously.
Efficacy and Persistence of Chorpyrifos, Chorpyrifos-methyl, and Lindane for Preventive and Remedial Control of the Southern Pine Beetle

Field tests with selected insecticides for preventive and remedial control of Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann were conducted in 1975 and 1976. In preventive control tests, 1 and 2% chlorpyrifos (Dursban® formulation) 1 and 2% chlorpyrifos-methyl (Reldan® formulation) compared favorably with 0.5% lindane at 2 and 4 months posttreatment. At later intervals, lindane was more effective than either chlorpyrifos or chlorpyrifos-methyl. The persistence of lindane, chlorpyrifos, and chlorpyrifos-methyl was compared to efficacy data from the preventive control studies. Results indicate that lindane dissipated from bark more rapidly than either chlorpyrifos or chlorpyrifos-methyl. As a remedial control agent, 1 and 2% chlorpyrifos compared favorably with 0.5% lindane. Selected extender-sticker adjuvants were only slightly effective in improving the persistence of chlorpyrifos and lindane on bark.
MATERNAL LIFESTYLES STUDY (MLS): HEALTH CARE RESOURCE UTILIZATION FOLLOWING COCAINE/OPIATE EXPOSURE. † 1661

Information on health care resource utilization associated with substance use during pregnancy is scarce. An objective of this study was to define health care resource utilization among 11,810 mother/infant dyads, 1,185 who were categorized as exposed (EXP) to cocaine/opiates (C/O) and 10,625 non-exposed (NON) based on maternal history of C/O use or presence of C/O metabolites in meconium by GC/MS assay. MLS study sites were Brown U, U of Miami, U of Tenn Memphis, and Wayne State U; study period was 5/93 to 5/95. Infant resource utilization is reported by birthweight (≤ and>1500g).
Curative radiotherapy following chemotherapy for invasive bladder carcinoma (a preliminary report)

Twenty-five patients with invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (Stage T2, T3, T4) received combined modality therapy using four cycles of methotrexate, vinblastine, adriamycin, and cisplatin (MVAC) chemotherapy followed by surgery or radiation therapy (RT). Sixteen patients had complete (N = 8) or partial (N = 8) response to MVAC. Curative RT was delivered to 11 responders with T2 or T3 disease and to 2 patients with T4 disease. All 11 with T2 and T3 disease are currently alive, 7 with normal bladder function. The two with T4 disease are dead of disease. Three patients required salvage cystectomy for local recurrence and one patient had cystectomy for bladder stones. Follow-up ranged from 11 to 50 months with a median of 31 months. No late chemo-radiotherapy treatment-related complications to the intestines or in bladder function (other than one bladder stone formation) occurred. These preliminary results are encouraging and warrant further evaluation of this innovative approach in treating invasive carcinoma of the bladder. T2 and T3 patients with a complete or partial response to MVAC may be excellent candidates for a bladder-sparing treatment.
The many faces of bicuspid aortic valve disease

Abstract Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is one of the most common types of congenital heart disease. Not only does BAV lead to important valvular complications such as aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation and infective endocarditis, but also BAV is associated with an underlying aortopathy. The aortic disease accompanying BAV may involve the ascending aorta causing aneurysm formation and increased risk of aortic dissection. Patients with BAV may have many different coexisting congenital abnormalities, including sinus of Valsalva aneurysm and patent ductus arteriosus. Importantly, BAV frequently accompanies coarctation of the aorta and when it does, imparts an increased risk of aortic complications. It has been recently recognized that BAV and thoracic aortic aneurysm may be a familial disorder inherited as an autosomal dominant condition with reduced penetrance. Additionally, BAV may be present in other thoracic aneurysm syndromes like Loeys–Dietz syndrome and familial thoracic aortic aneurysm syndrome due to ACTA2 mutations. Because of the many faces of BAV disease, it is important to fully evaluate patients with BAV for associated conditions.
Stratigraphical notes on the Okote Tuff Complex at Koobi Fora, Kenya

The Okote Tuff Complex of the Koobi Fora Formation in northern Kenya contains many archaeological sites1 and many hominid specimens derive from levels nearby2. The complex lies between the KBS Tuff and the Chari Tuff, both of which have been precisely dated3,4, and recently McDougall (in the accompanying manuscript)5 has measured the age of pumice clasts derived from the complex. The pumices, however, differ in composition from the tuff in which they were deposited. The age is still useful, because a tuff of known Stratigraphical position in the Shungura Formation is of the same composition. Here we discuss Stratigraphical relations between the Okote Tuff Complex and other related strata at Koobi Fora, in the lower Omo Valley, and west of Lake Turkana based on compositional study of ash layers. This allows us to estimate an age of 1.60±0.05 Myr for the Homo erectus skeleton recovered at Nariokotome in 1984 (see accompanying article6).
Changes in the Quantity and Nature of Collagen in Rabbit Skin as a Function of Age

THE process of ageing is known to be accompanied by changes in the chemistry of connective tissue. In general collagen seems to accumulate with increasing age. Nevertheless, this is only true for the insoluble fraction, since the soluble collagens, which represent the newly formed molecules, decrease with age, reflecting the lowered rate of synthesis. Most of the work in this connexion has been reviewed in detail by Harkness1.
The Deubiquitinating Enzyme USP8 Promotes Trafficking and Degradation of the Chemokine Receptor 4 at the Sorting Endosome

Reversible ubiquitination orchestrated by the opposition of ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinating enzymes mediates endocytic trafficking of cell surface receptors for lysosomal degradation. Ubiquitin-specific protease 8 (USP8) has previously been implicated in endocytosis of several receptors by virtue of their deubiquitination. The present study explores an indirect role for USP8 in cargo trafficking through its regulation of the chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4). Contrary to the effects of USP8 loss on enhanced green fluorescent protein, we find that USP8 depletion stabilizes CXCR4 on the cell surface and attenuates receptor degradation without affecting its ubiquitination status. In the presence of ligand, diminished CXCR4 turnover is accompanied by receptor accumulation on enlarged early endosomes and leads to enhancement of phospho-ERK signaling. Perturbation in CXCR4 trafficking, resulting from USP8 inactivation, occurs at the ESCRT-0 checkpoint, and catalytic mutation of USP8 specifically targeted to the ESCRT-0 complex impairs the spatial and temporal organization of the sorting endosome. USP8 functionally opposes the ubiquitin ligase AIP4 with respect to ESCRT-0 ubiquitination, thereby promoting trafficking of CXCR4. Collectively, our findings demonstrate a functional cooperation between USP8, AIP4, and the ESCRT-0 machinery at the early sorting phase of CXCR4 and underscore the versatility of USP8 in shaping trafficking events at the early-to-late endosome transition.
Mixed integer programming models for detailed placement

Existing detailed placement optimization methods typically involve the use of enumeration to determine the optimal location of a small number of cells. We propose two Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) models that can optimize the detailed placement of more cells efficiently. Compared with existing models, the first proposed model has fewer integer variables. The second proposed model, derived based on Dantzig-Wolfe decomposition principle, is with tighter bounds during its solution. Experimental results show that both models are capable of optimizing in reasonable time the detailed placement of much larger problem instances than existing models. Experiments on large-scale real benchmark circuits also show that detailed placer based on advanced MIP models can effectively reduce half-perimeter wirelengh (HPWL), as well as routed wirelength and vertical vias, of the original placement results generated by enumeration approach.
The prehistory of sociology: Montesquieu, Vico, and the legal tradition

In this article the history of sociology is set in the context of the European legal tradition, especially that of Roman law and its modern interpretations and transmutations; and Montesquieu and Vico are briefly examined as social thinkers illustrating a kind of paradigm-shift from the old art of law to the new science of society.