cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glioma trials and viral tribulations: can anything be concluded from non-controlled trials?

The highest standards of clinical evidence are phase III randomised, double-blind, controlled clinical trials. Their significance to clinical medicine is given theoretically by the fact that patients as well as doctors are blind to the treatment and no bias can subvert patients’ assignments to either treatment arm. Their practical significance is established by the fact that a large majority of potential treatments that are apparently effective in early phase trials fail in phase III trials. The reasons for failure of phase III trials are multiple: from the clinical translation of potential therapies of doubtful significance even in animal models and the clinical testing of drugs that were only tested in vitro during preclinical development, to inadvertent bias in patient selection in early phase trials (sometimes mandated by the characteristics of early phase clinical protocols).1 Dey et al 2 provide …
Facilitating Personal Transformations in Small Groups: Part I

This is Part One of a two-part article that describes a method to facilitate personal transformations in small groups. The Matrix Model forms the operational structure for the method. The roles of ...
How Voters Reward Transfers Compared to Competence: Explaining Pocketbook Voting

This paper uses state-level election returns and individual-level survey data to show that American voters have systematically punished the incumbent party for extreme weather in presidential election years. A moderate drought has cost the incumbent party an average of 2.6 percent of the presidential vote in rural areas, with no significant effect in urban and suburban areas. Weather's impact has diminished over time as agriculture's economic importance has decreased. The results indicate that a voter's partisan preferences and education predict his rationality. Election-year weather does not significantly affect the behavior of moderate voters or those voters who have attended college.
Digestion and absorption of 15N-labelled microbial protein in the large intestine of the horse.

SUMMARY A 15 N-labelled washed cell suspension prepared from the caecal contents of a horse were injected into the caecum of a live anaesthetized horse. Labelling of the essential, and non-essential amino acids, urea, ammonia and specifically lysine were measured in the venous drainage from the caecum. The data support the hypothesis that mature horses are capable of utilizing microbial protein originating in the large intestine.
Memory for Emotional Content from Entertainment Film: The Role of Subtitles, Sex, and Empathy

A major component of consuming filmed entertainment is vicariously experiencing emotions of the filmed characters, yet little is known about how this occurs. Four experiments assessed memory for emotions felt by characters in extended film clips from either a contemporary farce (Overboard) or a historical drama (Sense and Sensibility) under various conditions of native or foreign language in the dialogue or subtitles. English-speaking participants watched a clip and then assessed on 6-point scales specific positive and negative affect felt by characters at various points during the film. Both positive and negative affect felt by characters in both films were perceived and remembered better in conditions with English sound or subtitles than in conditions with no English channel, although, unexpectedly, spoken dialogue or subtitles alone were equally effective at conveying emotion. Overall, emotion memory from the contemporary farce was better than from the historical drama and was surprisingly good even in...
Infrared and Red Stimulated Luminescence Dating of Late Quaternary Near- shore Sediments from Spitsbergen, Svalbard

This study examined the potential of infrared (IRSL) and red (RSL) stimulated luminescence to provide ages for fine-grained polymineral extracts from sublittoral strata from deglacial-emergence sequences on Br0ggerhalv0ya, Linnedalen, and Kapp Ekholm, west Spitsbergen. IRSL analyses of modem and ca. 12-ka-old sediment indicate that residual levels defined after 10 and 60 min of filtered sunlight provide close minimum and maximum age estimates, respectively, whereas full solar resetting gave age overestimates by 2 to 18 ka. Although red stimulation yields concordant ages for modem and Holocene sediments, RSL is not currently as robust a geochronometer as IRSL, but is a complementary measure to evaluate IRSL age estimates. Sublittoral strata from the penultimate deglacial sequence (Episode B) on Br0ggerhalv0ya gave IRSL and RSL ages of ca. 80 ? 10 ka and presumably correlative strata from Kapp Ekholm and Linnedalen yielded IRSL ages of ca. 70 ? 10 ka. Pre-penultimate deglacial event sediments (Episode C) from Br0ggerhalv0ya gave bracketing average IRSL ages of 118 +
TAD disruption as oncogenic driver

Topologically Associating Domains (TADs) are conserved during evolution and play roles in guiding and constraining long-range regulation of gene expression. Disruption of TAD boundaries results in aberrant gene expression by exposing genes to inappropriate regulatory elements. Recent studies have shown that TAD disruption is often found in cancer cells and contributes to oncogenesis through two mechanisms. One mechanism locally disrupts domains by deleting or mutating a TAD boundary leading to fusion of the two adjacent TADs. The other mechanism involves genomic rearrangements that break up TADs and creates new ones without directly affecting TAD boundaries. Understanding the mechanisms by which TADs form and control long-range chromatin interactions will therefore not only provide insights into the mechanism of gene regulation in general, but will also reveal how genomic rearrangements and mutations in cancer genomes can lead to misregulation of oncogenes and tumor suppressors.
Analysis the Project of Blasting Volume and Pressure to Natural Latex Rubber Condoms

Natural rubber latex condoms have been listed as target in state food and drug administration regulation of medical devices,and the effective monitoring will greatly reduce or contain such as AIDS,syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases spread and playing a certain role in family planning,and also have effective protection for the masses of the people of safe armed. In 2007,we focused on area of production,manufacturers operating a special supervision and testing,and have analyzed the project of blasting volume and pressure,in order to further improve product quality to provide technical information,which also have played a certain role in promoting the regulation of the market.
A COUPLED POROCHEMOTHERMOELASTIC MODEL FOR A BOREHOLE IN SHALES

The evolution of borehole stresses and borehole stability in chemically active shales is profoundly affected by their complex physical and chemical interactions with drilling fluids(e.g.hydraulic flow, diffusion of ions, heat transport, thermo-osmosis, electro-osmosis, chemo-osmosis, ion exchange, and changes in swelling pressure).In this paper, a coupled porochemothermoelastic model for chemically active rocks is presented to evaluate these complex intricate links and their impact on the evolution of borehole stresses and pore pressure, which incorporates cross-coupled fluid flow equation, energy conservation equation, ion diffusion equation and mechanical equilibrium equation with many cross-coupling terms.A 2-D coupled porochemothermoelastic example of drilling in shales is solved by using a COMSOL-based simulator, which is the first engineering tool that performs partial differential equation-based multiphysics modelling in an interactive environment.The evolutions of borehole stresses, pore pressure, temperature and solute concentration in the vicinity of the borehole due to cooling and the difference of ion concentration between formulation fluid and drilling mud are presented todemonstrate the significant thermo-chemical effects on stress and pore pressure distributions.
DIRECT POSITIVE EFFECT OF EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR ON THE CYTOPLASMIC MATURATION OF MOUSE AND HUMAN OOCYTES

Objective Immature mammalian oocytes cultured in vitro undergo inadequate cytoplasmic maturation and hence have a limited potential for fertilization. Our primary objective was to determine if the addition of epidermal growth factor (EGF) to the in vitro culture system would have a positive effect on oocyte cytoplasmic maturation. Design We studied the effect of different EGF concentrations on both denuded and cumulus-enclosed mouse oocytes cultured in vitro. Main Outcome Measures The percentage of oocytes undergoing germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and polar body one formation over time as a function of EGF concentration was determined. Results A dose-related positive effect of EGF on both GVBD and polar body one formation over time was observed for mouse oocytes. As well, a similar effect of EGF was seen on immature human oocytes that had not been stimulated with exogenous gonadotropins. Conclusions The use of EGF may allow for the performance of successful in vitro fertilization procedures using immature human oocytes retrieved during unstimulated cycles.
Stable chlorine isotopes in arid non-marine basins: Instances and possible fractionation mechanisms

Abstract Stable chlorine isotopes are useful geochemical tracers in processes involving the formation and evolution of evaporitic halite. Halite and dissolved chloride in groundwater that has interacted with halite in arid non-marine basins has a δ 37 Cl range of 0 ± 3‰, far greater than the range for marine evaporites. Basins characterized by high positive (+1 to +3‰), near-0‰, and negative (−0.3 to −2.6‰) are documented. Halite in weathered crusts of sedimentary rocks has δ 37 Cl values as high as +5.6‰. Salt-excluding halophyte plants excrete salt with a δ 37 Cl range of −2.1 to −0.8‰. Differentiated rock chloride sources exist, e.g. in granitoid micas, but cannot provide sufficient chloride to account for the observed data. Single-pass application of known fractionating mechanisms, equilibrium salt-crystal interaction and disequilibrium diffusive transport, cannot account for the large ranges of δ 37 Cl. Cumulative fractionation as a result of multiple wetting-drying cycles in vadose playas that produce halite crusts can produce observed positive δ 37 Cl values in hundreds to thousands of cycles. Diffusive isotope fractionation as a result of multiple wetting-drying cycles operating at a spatial scale of 1–10 cm can produce high δ 37 Cl values in residual halite. Chloride in rainwater is subject to complex fractionation, but develops negative δ 37 Cl values in certain situations; such may explain halite deposits with bulk negative δ 37 Cl values. Future field studies will benefit from a better understanding of hydrology and rainwater chemistry, and systematic collection of data for both Cl and Br.
Beam Subjected to Transverse Loading

Transverse loading of a beam refers to loads that are applied perpendicular to the planar surface of the beam.
Coccidioidomycosis: Surgical Issues and Implications.

Abstract Background: Coccidioidomycosis, commonly called “valley fever,” “San Joaquin fever,” “desert fever,” or “desert rheumatism,” is a multi-system illness caused by infection with Coccidioides fungi (C. immitis or C. posadasii). This organism is endemic to the desert Southwest regions of the United States and Mexico and to parts of South America. The manifestations of infection occur along a spectrum from asymptomatic to mild self-limited fever to severe disseminated disease. Methods: Review of the English-language literature. Results: There are five broad indications for surgical intervention in patients with coccidioidomycosis: Tissue diagnosis in patients at risk for co-existing pathology, perforation, bleeding, impingement on critical organs, and failure to resolve with medical management. As part of a multidisciplinary team, surgeons may be responsible for the care of infected patients, particularly those with severe disease. Conclusion: This review discusses the history, microbiology, epidemiol...
Spatially explicit survival modeling for small area cancer data.

In this paper we propose a novel Bayesian statistical methodology for spatial survival data. Our methodology broadens the definition of the survival, density and hazard functions by explicitly modeling the spatial dependency using direct derivations of these functions and their marginals and conditionals. We also derive spatially dependent likelihood functions. Finally we examine the applications of these derivations with geographically augmented survival distributions in the context of the Louisiana Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry prostate cancer data.
Surgical and Clinical Decision Making in Isolated Long Thoracic Nerve Palsy.

Background: Isolated long thoracic nerve palsy results in scapular winging and destabilization. In this study, we review the surgical management of isolated long thoracic nerve palsy and suggest a ...
Psychology and Missions: Reflections on Status and Need:

This article is the Editors’ introduction to the second Journal of Psychology and Theology special issue on Psychology and Missions. It proposes some reasons for the uneasy acceptance by conservati...
Different Strokes for Different Folks

This paper argues that the false acquittals of serial offenders are much costlier than the false acquittals of first-time offenders. Because that is so, it is plausible to entertain the idea that different standards of proof should be used in trying criminal cases of the two sets of defendants. First-time offenders should continue to be tried using proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Known serial felony offenders should be tried by the clear and convincing evidence standard.
L'Travail de la Memoire en Paul Ricoeur: La significación como aporte epistemológico para el estudio de la Historia

The aim of this paper is to propose the hermeneutics presented by the French philosopher Paul Ricoeur as an intelligible way to access the epistemology of history. We take his phenomenology of memory as a condition of the human in the significant narration of language. Situated between stances close to post-modern relativism and historiographical traditions close to positivism, cultural history appears deficient regarding reflexivity from an ontological point of view, even though its postulates are varied and wide-ranging. For this reason, the main problem of this article is focused around the signification of reality. Keywords : Ricoeur, signification, phenomenology of memory, cultural history.
What is Said

Some of us sometimes understand some of what is said. The problem is to understand how we manage to do this. The matter is complex. No reasonably complete answer is at present possible. We maunder about in ignorance. But only the barest speculative sketch is aimed at here: a few possible bones will be provided on which flesh may some day be hung.
Seizure, headaches, and right hemiparesis.

An 81-year-old woman consulted her physician because of a recent seizure. She also stated that she had frequent headaches and that her right arm and leg were weak. Radiographs of the skull were normal. Magnetic resonance (MR) images are shown below (Figures ​(Figures11–4).
Steroids? Antibiotics? Biologics? Immunomodulators? What Are the Optimal Discharge Medications for an IBD Flare?

Inflammatory bowel disease flare presentations can be variable. Some patients present with mild complaints and simply need their prior medication regimens restarted, while others may present in septic shock requiring fluid resuscitation, admission for intravenous antibiotics, and possible surgical evaluation. Others will present somewhere in between—they can be safely discharged, but their medication regimens are not ideal. This chapter discusses medications that may improve the likelihood of successful outpatient management.
Advancing the Rehabilitative and Therapeutic Potential of BCI and Noninvasive Sensing Systems.

Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technologies have the capacity to go beyond serving as a basic communication medium for the motor-impaired, as they can also extend creative expression for application within therapeutic processes. By examining the ways in which BCI technologies can mediate communication, provide a venue for embodied interaction, and act as a medium for sharing both individual and collective experiences through the creative process, more can be understood about the ways these technologies can advance and improve the user-system interactions that occur within both digital and physical spaces. This study articulates the differences between neurofeedback and biofeedback, and explores a proof of concept application of both types of interventions. In doing so, it explores conceptual frameworks from a transdisciplinary approach, and demonstrates the potential new interface design strategies have for enabling original forms of creative expression through technology. It also examines the potential of noninvasive tools for expanding boundaries of digital spaces to offer more inclusive means for self-expression and identity formation for users. Using newly designed TCRE electrodes, these efforts explore how more precise scalp recordings may help uncover new methods for discovering patterns of brain activity while engaged with artistic creation for therapeutic processes.
A comparison of adherence to antiretroviral therapy amongst adolescent patients of the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative Children’s Centers of Excellence before and after attendance at recreational therapy camp

Adherence rates among adolescents to antiretroviral medications are poor and average well below the accepted optimal level of greater than 95%. Attendance at recreational therapy camp (RTC) offers ...
Reconstruction of Central Tip: Three Methods of Repair

Presented are three individuals with cutaneous defects of the central portion of the nasal tip. Each defect was repaired with a different surgical approach. Selection of the method of repair was based on a number of factors.
Kinetics of environmentally assisted cracking in SiNx barrier films

Kinetics of environmentally assisted subcritical cracking in SiNx barrier films is studied by in situ optical microscopy experiments and quantum chemical molecular orbital theory simulations. The activation volume of 0.83–1.11 cm3/mol and the activation energy of 138 kJ/mol (1.43 eV) are experimentally measured for subcritical crack growth in moist air. The quantum chemical simulations reveal the molecular mechanism of stress corrosion in mechanically strained SiNx under water attack, and the predicted activation energy and activation volume are in good agreement with the experimental results. The combined experimental and modeling studies provide a fundamental understanding of subcritical crack growth in SiNx barrier films for flexible electronic device applications.Kinetics of environmentally assisted subcritical cracking in SiNx barrier films is studied by in situ optical microscopy experiments and quantum chemical molecular orbital theory simulations. The activation volume of 0.83–1.11 cm3/mol and the activation energy of 138 kJ/mol (1.43 eV) are experimentally measured for subcritical crack growth in moist air. The quantum chemical simulations reveal the molecular mechanism of stress corrosion in mechanically strained SiNx under water attack, and the predicted activation energy and activation volume are in good agreement with the experimental results. The combined experimental and modeling studies provide a fundamental understanding of subcritical crack growth in SiNx barrier films for flexible electronic device applications.
HDQLIFE and neuro-QoL physical function measures: Responsiveness in persons with huntington's disease

Background Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurological disorder that causes severe motor symptoms that adversely impact health-related quality of life. Patient-reported physical function outcome measures in HD have shown cross-sectional evidence of validity, but responsiveness has not yet been assessed. Objectives This study evaluates the responsiveness of the Huntington Disease Health-Related Quality of Life (HDQLIFE) and the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QoL) physical function measures in persons with HD. Methods A total of 347 participants completed baseline and at least 1 follow-up (12-month and 24-month) measure (HDQLIFE Chorea, HDQLIFE Swallowing Difficulties, HDQLIFE Speech Difficulties, Neuro-QoL Upper Extremity Function, and/or Neuro-QoL Lower Extremity Function). Of the participants that completed the baseline assessment, 338 (90.9%) completed the 12-month assessment, and 293 (78.8%) completed the 24-month assessment. Standardized response means and general linear models evaluated whether the physical function measures were responsive to self-reported and clinician-rated change over time. Results Small to moderate effect sizes for the standardized response means supported 12-month and 24-month responsiveness of the HDQLIFE and Neuro-QoL measures for those with either self-reported or clinician-rated declines in function. General linear models supported 12-month and 24-month responsiveness for all HRQOL measures relative to self-reported declines in health, but generally only 24-month responsiveness was supported relative to clinician-rated declines in function. Conclusions Longitudinal analyses indicate that the HDQLIFE and the Neuro-QoL physical function measures are sensitive to change over time in individuals with HD. Thus, these scales exhibit evidence of responsiveness and may be useful outcome measures in future clinical trials. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
TBK1 Activation by VHL Loss in Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Novel HIF-Independent Vulnerability.

Summary: The Von Hippel-Lindau gene product is a tumor suppressor whose ubiquitin ligase function is key to oxygen-sensing in cells, whereas Tank-binding kinase (TBK1) is a kinase mostly implicated in innate immune response. The study by Hu and colleagues in this issue reveals that VHL suppresses TBK1 activity under normoxic conditions, and that loss of VHL in kidney cancer cells renders them sensitive to TBK1 inhibition, providing a new potential target for the treatment of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. See related article by Hu et al., p. 460.
What was washed away and what remained: an assessment of the impact of Hurricane Katrina on index crimes

A substantial body of research has found crime was lower in areas characterized by a stronger community, but research on the importance of community for post-disaster levels of crime suggests a mor...
8 – Specific Materials

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses a broad range of materials, including oxides and metals as well as semiconductors.. It provides a discussion of the optimum growth processes for individual III/V and II/VI semiconductor materials focusing on the empirical optimization of individual materials for specific device applications. The chapter considers the results in terms of the basic thermodynamic, kinetic, and mass-transport aspects of the OMVPE process and the characteristics of specific precursors. Based on this understanding, it provides an insight into the basic OMVPE process and presents an assessment of the most suitable process parameters and precursor combinations for specific device applications in terms of fundamental strengths and limitations rather than in terms of the current state of the art, which is progressing continuously for most materials. Finally, oxides for high-temperature superconductors are also discussed in the chapter.
Evaluation of the benchmark datasets for testing the efficacy of deep convolutional neural networks

Abstract In the past decade, deep neural networks, and specifically convolutional neural networks (CNNs), have been becoming a primary tool in the field of biomedical image analysis, and are used intensively in other fields such as object or face recognition. CNNs have a clear advantage in their ability to provide superior performance, yet without the requirement to fully understand the image elements that reflect the biomedical problem at hand, and without designing specific algorithms for that task. The availability of easy-to-use libraries and their non-parametric nature make CNN the most common solution to problems that require automatic biomedical image analysis. But while CNNs have many advantages, they also have certain downsides. The features determined by CNNs are complex and unintuitive, and therefore CNNs often work as a “Black Box”. Additionally, CNNs learn from any piece of information in the pixel data that can provide a discriminative signal, making it more difficult to control what the CNN actually learns. Here we follow common practices to test whether CNNs can classify biomedical image datasets, but instead of using the entire image we use merely parts of the images that do not have biomedical content. The experiments show that CNNs can provide high classification accuracy even when they are trained with datasets that do not contain any biomedical information, or can be systematically biased by irrelevant information in the image data. The presence of such consistent irrelevant data is difficult to identify, and can therefore lead to biased experimental results. Possible solutions to this downside of CNNs can be control experiments, as well as other protective practices to validate the results and avoid biased conclusions based on CNN-generated annotations.
Virtual auditing agents: the Edgar Agent example

The paper discusses the use of intelligent Internet agents as a way of expanding audit practices in the virtual world. A quality/service framework is presented that suggests ways that accounting firms can evolve in this era of online opportunities. The Edgar Agent is presented as an example of an intelligent Internet agent that gathers financial information. This information can be provided as a value added service by auditors to their clients and used by the accounting firm itself in performing the audit function.
Chapter 10 The Desmosome: A Component System for Adhesion and Intermediate Filament Attachment

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the organization of the desmosome as a component system for adhesion and intermediate filament attachment. The chapter reviews what is currently known about the molecular components of the desmosome, an intercellular junction that mediates cell–cell adhesion and couples this adhesion to the intermediate filament (IF) cytoskeleton. Emerging information on desmosomes as targets of intracellular-signaling pathways and as sites of signal initiation is discussed in the chapter. A major function of adhesive cell–cell and cell–matrix junctions is to couple the forces of adhesion to the cytoskeleton. In addition to this structural role, it is becoming increasingly apparent that these macromolecular complexes serve to integrate mechanical and chemical signaling pathways. The identification of disease states that involve desmosomal components and the generation of transgenic animals with disrupted desmosomal genes should further understanding of the function of these proteins on the tissue level.
Condensed thymine films at the mercury/water interface: Part V. Phase transitions

Abstract The topography of the various phase transitions in a supersaturated thymine solution is described. Most transitions leading from a non-condensed to a condensed film involve nucleation and growth, via a metastable intermediate surface state, as do some transitions between condensed films. The latter have unusually high Avrami slopes and, sometimes, involve multiple intermediate states. Other transitions exhibit exponential transients. Of the three pit regions observed, that at the most positive potentials is present only in super-saturated solutions, is clearly associated with three-dimensional phase formation, and does not lead to a well-defined steady-state interfacial capacitance. Most transitions leading to a non-condensed final state exhibit exponential transients.
Lo Hegemónico en la Oscuridad. Una mirada desde el proceso de obra

Este articulo se concentra en reflexiones teoricas surgidas a partir de la experiencia artistica “Galeria de relieves escultoricos para personas ciegas”, cuyo planteamiento central es que la practica artistica, no solo sugiere las tecnicas o medios que un artista usa para crear arte, sino mas bien, articula una aproximacion conceptual, por medio de la cual es posible develar formas de hegemonia – en este caso en oscuridad – , que absolutizan discursos e imaginarios en las artes plasticas-visuales. Para ello se indagan cuatro lineas de analisis: la preponderancia de algunos sentidos por sobre otros, o sea, los estados de marginalidad entre estos; la colonizacion estetica solapada del imaginario tactil — y visual—; la obra en los sentidos como posibilidad y apertura; finalmente, los reduccionismos de la dominacion presentes en el espacio publico para la diversidad.
Membrane Clusters of Ion Channels: Size Effects for Stochastic Resonance

By use of a stochastic generalization of the Hodgkin-Huxley model we investigate the phenomenon of Stochastic Resonance (SR) for a distribution of ion channels within a cluster of variable size. In the presence of a periodic stimulus we demonstrate intrinsic SR vs. decreasing patch size, or, put differently, vs. increasing internal noise strength. SR with external noise occurs only for large cluster sizes which possess sub-optimal internal noise levels. In particular, SR in biology thus seemingly is rooted in the collective properties of optimally selected ion channel assemblies. Moreover, upon investigating the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for sub-threshold sinusoidal driving vs. driving frequency we encounter also a stochastic resonance behavior which reflects the existence of a random internal limit cycle. The occurrence of intrinsic SR in a combination with the conventional frequency resonance may be of importance for the frequency tuning in biological signal processing.
Long-term Outcomes Following Artificial Urinary Sphincter Placement: An Analysis of 1082 Cases at Mayo Clinic.

Objective To evaluate long-term device outcomes following primary artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) implantation. Materials and Methods We identified 1802 male patients with stress urinary incontinence that underwent AUS placement from 1983 to 2011. Of these, 1082 (60%) were involving primary implantations and comprise the study cohort. Multiple clinical and surgical variables were evaluated for potential association with treatment failure, defined as any secondary surgery. Patient follow-up was obtained through office examination, operative report, and written or telephone correspondence. Results Patients undergoing AUS implantation had a median age of 71 years (interquartile range 66-76) and median follow-up of 4.1 years (interquartile range 0.8-7.7). Overall, 338 of 1082 patients (31.2%) underwent secondary surgery, including 89 for device infection and/or erosion, 131 for device malfunction, 89 for urethral atrophy, and 29 for pump malposition or tubing complications. No patient-related risk factors were independently associated with an increased risk of secondary surgery on multivariable analysis. Secondary surgery-free survival was 90% at 1 year, 74% at 5 years, 57% at 10 years, and 41% at 15 years. Conclusion Primary AUS implantation is associated with acceptable long-term outcomes. Recognition of long-term success is important for preoperative patient counseling.
Effects of relaxing music on cardiac autonomic balance and anxiety after acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND Acute myocardial infarction places additional demands on an already compromised myocardium. Relaxing music can induce a relaxation response, thereby reversing the deleterious effects of the stress response. OBJECTIVES To compare the effects of relaxing music; quiet, uninterrupted rest; and "treatment as usual" on anxiety levels and physiological indicators of cardiac autonomic function. METHODS A 3-group repeated measures experimental design was used. Forty-five patients, 15 per group, with acute myocardial infarction were assigned randomly to 20 minutes of (1) music in a quiet, restful environment (experimental group); (2) quiet, restful environment without music (attention); or (3) treatment as usual (control). Anxiety levels and physiological indicators were measured. RESULTS Immediately after the intervention, reductions in heart rate, respiratory rate, and myocardial oxygen demand were significantly greater in the experimental group than in the control group. The reductions in heart rate and respiratory rate remained significantly greater 1 hour later. Changes in heart rate, respiratory rate, and myocardial oxygen demand in the attention group did not differ significantly from changes in the other 2 groups. The 3 groups did not differ with respect to systolic blood pressure. Increases in high-frequency heart rate variability were significantly greater in the experimental and attention groups than in the control group immediately after the intervention. State anxiety was reduced in the experimental group only; the reduction was significant immediately and 1 hour after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS Patients recovering from acute myocardial infarction may benefit from music therapy in a quiet, restful environment.
Chordin regulates primitive streak development and the stability of induced neural cells, but is not sufficient for neural induction in the chick embryo

We have investigated the role of Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 (BMP-4) and a BMP antagonist, chordin, in primitive streak formation and neural induction in amniote embryos. We show that both BMP-4 and chordin are expressed before primitive streak formation, and that BMP-4 expression is downregulated as the streak starts to form. When BMP-4 is misexpressed in the posterior area pellucida, primitive streak formation is inhibited. Misexpression of BMP-4 also arrests further development of Hensen's node and axial structures. In contrast, misexpression of chordin in the anterior area pellucida generates an ectopic primitive streak that expresses mesoderm and organizer markers. We also provide evidence that chordin is not sufficient to induce neural tissue in the chick. Misexpression of chordin in regions outside the future neural plate does not induce the early neural markers L5, Sox-3 or Sox-2. Furthermore, neither BMP-4 nor BMP-7 interfere with neural induction when misexpressed in the presumptive neural plate before or after primitive streak formation. However, chordin can stabilise the expression of early neural markers in cells that have already received neural inducing signals. These results suggest that the regulation of BMP signalling by chordin plays a role in primitive streak formation and that chordin is not sufficient to induce neural tissue.
Radiation in management of patients with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.

Purpose The preferred treatment of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is wide resection, namely, margins > or = 3 cm beyond the evident disease and histologically negative margins. We assess the success achieved by radiation combined with surgery for positive/close margins or by radiation alone for those tumors that are not resectable for technical/medical reasons. The literature on this point is virtually nonexistent. Materials and methods The outcome of treatment of 18 patients with DFSP by radiation alone (n = 3) and radiation and surgery (n = 15) at the Massachusetts General Hospital was assessed. All of the lesions at the time of the treatment by radiation alone or combined with surgery were less than 10 cm. This was the maximum dimension. The actual tumor volume was much less than indicated by this maximum dimension, as the tumors were usually relatively flat. Results The 10-year actuarial local control rate was determined to be 88%. Local control was realized in the three patients treated by radiation alone, with follow-up periods of > or = 9 years. Among 15 patients treated by radiation and surgery, there have been three local failures; the 10-year actuarial local control rate was 84%. The three local failures occurred in 12 patients whose surgical margins were positive. One of these three local failures developed in the group of two patients whose lesions were scored as grade II. Conclusion Radiation in well-tolerated dose schedules is an effective option in the management of patients with DFSP. This appears to be true for radiation alone or postoperatively for margin-positive disease (primary or recurrent).
Isoflavone Genistein: Photoprotection and Clinical Implications in Dermatology

Genistein is a soybean isoflavone with diverse biological activities. It is a potent antioxidant, a specific inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinase, and a phytoestrogen. In recent years, increasing evidence has accumulated that this natural ingredient shows preventative and therapeutic effects for breast and prostate cancers, postmenopausal syndrome, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular diseases in animals and humans. In the past decade we have conducted a series of studies and demonstrated that genistein has significant antiphotocarcinogenic and antiphotoaging effects. Genistein substantially inhibits skin carcinogenesis and cutaneous aging induced by ultraviolet (UV) light in mice, and photodamage in humans. The mechanisms of action involve protection of oxidative and photodynamically damaged DNA, downregulation of UVB-activated signal transduction cascades, and antioxidant activities. In this article, we review the biological activities of genistein, as well as published and unpublished research from our laboratory. In addition, we discuss the potential application of genistein to clinical dermatology.
Palaemnema Joanetta a New Dragonfly from Panama (Platystictidae: Odonata)

A brownish black species with clear wings, a bluish stripe across the face, anterior lobe of prothorax largely blue, two lateral blue stripes on metathorax and the dorsum each of abdominal segments 8–10 pale blue.
Musculoskeletal pareidolia in medical education.

SummaryBackground Medical educators use a variety of strategies to help medical students and resident doctors understand and remember complex topics. Methods One teaching tool is matching up radiographic appearances with unrelated, common, non-medical images, in order to help students easily recognise clinical patterns. Discussion However, even among medical educators who use this approach, many are not aware of the neuropsychiatric phenomenon they are using, known as pareidolia. We will describe pareidolia (a form of patternicity) and give two examples of its use in the clinical teaching of musculoskeletal imaging abnormalities: the winking owl and the Scottie dog.
Calculations on the palladium-lithium system for cold fusion

Abstract A mechanism is proposed involving lithium atoms in the palladium lattice to explain some of the puzzling aspects of the Pons and Fleischmann cold fusion process. Data on the Pd-Li binary system is required for an analysis of the Pd-Li-D ternary system. This paper presents a thermodynamic analysis of the Pd-Li system based on the limited published data, providing a full calculated phase diagram and thermodynamic parameters for the eight known solid LiPd x compounds.
Recurrence of Diabetic Pedal Ulcerations Following Tendo-Achilles Lengthening

Foot and ankle surgeons are frequently challenged by the devastating systemic consequences of diabetes mellitus manifested through neuropathy, integumentary and joint breakdown, delayed healing, decreased ability to fight infection, and fragile tendon/ligaments. Diabetic neuropathic pedal ulcerations lead to amputations at an alarming rate and also carry a high mortality rate. This article will discuss causes of diabetic pedal ulcerations that persist or recur after tendo-Achilles lengthening and will highlight areas that need to be addressed by the practitioner such as infection, vascular and nutritional status, glucose control, off-loading, biomechanics, and patient compliance.
The Human Rights Peace: How the Respect for Human Rights at Home Leads to Peace Abroad

Respect for human rights represents self-imposed restraints on the behavior of a government. These limits signify both a domestic norm and a state that has decided to settle political disputes through nonviolent methods. When these governments interact in the international system, we suspect that their basic norms of behavior will remain and generate relatively peaceful interactions. We test this contention on pairs of all states from 1980 to 2001 and find that joint respect for human rights decreases the probability of conflict. This relationship is maintained even when one controls for the effect of democracy and its influence on the human rights record of states.
Mind among the spindles: An examination of some of the journals, newspapers, and memoirs of the lowell female operatives

A number of the women who worked in the Lowell textile mills during the mid-nineteenth century wrote of their experiences. The best known of these, The Lowell Offering often idealized the conditions of factory life and failed to reflect the “rights” and “wrongs” of the operatives. However, some of the records pay tribute to the spirit of co‐operation that existed among the women workers.
Reporting suspected child abuse: a pilot comparison of middle and high school counselors and principals.

A survey on experiences with child abuse reporting was obtained from 116 middle and high school counselors and principals across the U.S. Results revealed that counselors throughout their careers had made more reports than principals and perceived themselves to be better trained on child abuse. Those school professionals with fewer years of experience reported more adequate pre-service training. Counselors also failed to report in more instances than principals, citing as deterrents the lack of physical evidence and little faith in child protective services. Most counselors and principals took appropriate action when presented with case examples of child sexual abuse. Recommendations for future research are provided.
Evidence of surface migration and formation of catalytically “inactive” Pt in corrosion studies of Pt+ implanted Ti

Abstract This investigation is part of an ongoing research project directed at applying the techniques of ion implantation doping and ion scattering analysis to identify the mechanisms associated with the anodic dissolution of TiPt alloys. The TiPt alloys produced by ion implantation were electrochemically examined in hydrogen-saturated 1N H 2 SO 4 by both potentiostatic polarization and open-circuit potential methods. In this study, Ti samples implanted to relatively high doses (5.4 × 10 15 −2.9 × 10 16 atoms/cm 2 ) were examined by ion scattering analysis at various stages in the electrochemical measurements. Quantitative measurements showed that the majority of the implanted Pt accumulated on the surface during anodic dissolution and underwent large scale surface migration. Evidence is also presented for the transition of the Pt on the surface from a catalytically “active” to “inactive” state. Possible mechanisms for the observed catalytically “inactive” Pt are discussed.
ETHANOL INHIBITION OF Staphylococcus aureus AT LIMITED WATER ACTIVITY

The effectiveness of ethanol as an antimicrobial agent in model systems at limited water activity (aw) was tested. The effectiveness of ethanol against Staphylococcus aureus was a function of a, and test medium, but the antimicrobial effect was more than from just the a, lowering ability of ethanol. The results indicate that in a, lowered foods, low concentrations of ethanol (2-4%) have a specific antimicrobial effect, thus making it a. useful agent to be used in conjunction with other humectants.
Book Review: Imaging Databases and Neuroscience:

Brain atlases are equivalent to neuroimage databases provided an appropriate coordinate system to enable multisubject comparisons, along with comprehensive descriptions of the data, are included. Warping tools, visualization, and statistical analyses that accommodate the various neuroimaging modalities can be used to integrate diverse data and form comprehensive maps describing a particular subpopulation’s brain structure and function. By linking task performance and genetic information to brain morphology, complex interrelations between genotype, phenotype, and behavior can be established. Several examples of these multimodal, multisubject atlases, including those that are dynamic, are presented.
Therapeutic approaches to obesity

Obesity is a major healthcare problem both in the United States and Europe and its prevalence continues to escalate. Accordingly, there is intense investigation into pharmacological therapies for the long-term treatment of obesity and associated co-morbidities such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Efforts have been focused on agents which suppress appetite, influence energy expenditure and influence nutrient handling. The diversity of molecular targets implicated as important in the regulation of food intake/body weight is evident by the >> 250 patents which are the focus of this article on therapeutic approaches to obesity. The patents covered date from 1995 through to the first quarter of 1998.
Spin and charge response to magnetic frustration in strongly correlated itinerant electron systems

We investigate the effects of magnetic frustration on spin and charge dynamics in strongly correlated itinerant electron systems by using the exact diagonalization technique. A Hubbard model with adjustable degree of magnetic frustration is constructed. Static and dynamic spin and charge correlation functions show different dependence on the degree of magnetic frustration in the system. With increasing magnetic frustration, the spin and charge correlation function spectra become more sparse, indicating a decreased level of mixing of the spin and charge degrees of freedom or a partial spin-charge separation.
Impedance calculations for travelling wave gyrotrons operating at harmonics of the cyclotron frequency in magnetron-type circuits

A Pierce-type approach to the analysis of a travelling wave gyrotron which utilizes an impedance formulation much like that used for O-type travelling wave tubes has been previously discussed (Grow and Shrivastava 1980 a, 1981, 1982, Grow 1980). The theory is based on a determinental equation that is obtained from the simultaneous solution of a relativistic, cyclotron-rotating electronic equation and a waveguide circuit equation. Expressions for the interaction impedance are presented as a basis for considering the magnetron circuit operating in the 2π mode. The cutoff constants are determined for values of the ratio of vane radius to the outer waveguide radius from 015 to 1.00. The normalized interaction impedance and the stream voltage are then calculated for each of these magnetron circuit configurations. The results can be used to design a gyrotron travelling wave tube with magnetron-type circuits.