cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gender differences in alcohol demand: a systematic review of the role of prices and taxes.

Gender differences in drinking patterns are potentially important for public policies, especially policies that rely extensively on higher alcohol taxes and prices. This paper presents a systematic review of alcohol prices and gender differences in drinking and heavy drinking by adults and young adults. Starting with a database of 578 studies of alcohol demand and other outcomes, 15 studies are reviewed of adult drinking including discussion of samples, measurement issues, econometric models, special variables, and key empirical results. A similar discussion is presented for eight studies of drinking by young adults, ages 18-26 years. Four conclusions are obtained from the review. First, adult men have less elastic demands compared with women. Second, there is little or no price response by heavy-drinking adults, regardless of gender. Third, although the sample is small, price might be important for drinking participation by young adults. Fourth, the results strongly suggest that heavy drinking by young adults, regardless of gender, is not easily dissuaded by higher prices. Policy implications, primary study limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Language: en
Derivation of Benefits from Dislikes in the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) College Readiness System

This phenomenological study employed a sequence of three interviews per student to explore the experiences of 20 students in the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) college readiness program. Data from recorded interviews was analyzed using categorizing and connecting strategies. Responses indicated that students varied most in their perceptions of the utility of various AVID strategies, but that students recognized they acquired skills that would serve them in the future. Some participants indicated that they disliked specific strategies of the AVID program. Nevertheless, findings showed that students benefitted from strategies, which they stated that they did not enjoy.
Resource Recommendation in Collaborative Tagging Applications

Collaborative tagging applications enable users to annotate online resources with user-generated keywords. The collection of these annotations and the way they connect users and resources produce a rich information space for users to explore. However the size, complexity and chaotic structure of these systems hamper users as they search for information. Recommenders can assist the user by suggesting resources, tags or even other users. Previous work has demonstrated that an integrative approach which exploits all three dimensions of the data (users, resources, tags) produce superior results in tag recommendation. We extend this integrative philosophy to resource recommendation. Specifically, we propose an approach for designing weighted linear hybrid resource recommenders. Through extensive experimentation on two large real world datasets, we show that the hybrid recommenders surpass the effectiveness of their constituent components while inheriting their simplicity, computational efficiency and explanatory capacity. We further introduce the notion of information channels which describe the interaction of the three dimensions. Information channels can be used to explain the effectiveness of individual recommenders or explain the relative contribution of components in the hybrid recommender.
Synthetic aperture radar imaging using a small consumer drone

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging is demonstrated using a small consumer drone. The entire imaging system including an ultra-wideband radar, antennas, and a single-board computer fits on a small drone and is controlled through a Wi-Fi connection. Motion compensation is carried out based on a prominent scatterer algorithm. The focused SAR image of four trihedrals is validated against simulation. Measured SAR images of a human and a car are also presented.
Are post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and temporomandibular pain associated? Findings from a community-based twin registry.

Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs) are a group of conditions characterized by signs and symptoms of the muscles of mastication, temporomandibular joint, and related structures. Chronic pain is the most common symptom of TMDs and the primary reason for seeking treatment. TMDs are the most frequent diagnoses among patients with chronic orofacial pain problems.1 The estimated prevalence of painful TMDs is 10 – 12% with a predominance of young women.2–4 TMDs also share common characteristics with other types of chronic pain including pain features and behavioral and psychosocial dysfunction.5 Further, the chronic regional pain associated with TMDs may become generalized and extend beyond the facial region.6–8 In these cases, patients may experience chronic widespread pain (CWP) and fibromyalgia, a common form of non-articular rheumatism characterized by diffuse musculoskeletal pain and tender points on examination.9 Depression, somatization, and pain-related catastrophizing strongly influence the symptoms and functioning of TMD patients.10–12 Several clinic-based studies, but no community-based studies, have documented that TMDs are also associated with the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)13–15 and with the clinically diagnosed disorder.15, 16 PTSD appears to be the second most common psychiatric diagnosis among chronic orofacial pain patients after depression.16 Likewise, the association between PTSD and CWP and fibromyalgia is well documented in clinical as well as community samples.17–22 Previous studies, however, did not address whether the association of PTSD with TMD could be partially explained by the co-existence of TMDs with CWP and fibromyalgia.13–15 This study examines the association of PTSD and TMD pain among female twins enrolled in a community-based twin registry in Washington State. In these analyses, we address the following questions: 1) Are the symptoms of PTSD and TMD pain associated? 2) Does CWP account for the association between PTSD and TMD pain? and 3) Do familial/genetic factors account for the association of PTSD symptoms and TMD pain?
Polynomial programming using multi-homogeneous polynomial continuation

Abstract A polynomial programming problem is a nonlinear programming problem where the objective function, inequality constraints and equality constraints all consist of polynomial functions. The necessary optimality conditions for such a problem can be formulated as a polynomial system of equations, among whose zeros the global optimum must lie. This note applies the theory of multi-homogeneous (also called m-homogeneous ) polynomials and recent homotopy algorithms to the polynomial system formulation of the necessary optimality conditions, significantly reducing the work of a naive homotopy approach. The m -homogeneous homotopy approach, providing the global optimum, is practical for small problems. For example, the geometric modeling problem of finding the distance between two polynomial surfaces is a polynomial programming problem. The theory is illustrated in the last section by this geometric modeling problem and a prototype structural design problem.
Recurrent carotid stenosis after autologous tissue patching

Abstract This study was carried out to evaluate two techniques of widening the carotid bifurcation with autologous material after endarterectomy to determine whether the incidence of recurrent stenosis could be reduced. As a control, a similar series was performed without patching. Autologous saphenous vein was used as a patch in one group of patients, whereas in another, the bifurcation was widened by suturing the external carotid to the internal carotid artery, advancing the bifurcation by several centimeters, a technique we termed bifurcation advancement. All three groups were studied at least 1 year after operation by means of Doppler ultrasonography. We found no difference in either of the patched techniques compared with unpatched controls. Significant recurrent stenosis (greater than 50% diameter reduction) was found in 12.5% of reconstructions with a vein patch, 12.5% of those with bifurcation advancement, and 16.6% of those with simple closure. The overall incidence of significant recurrent stenosis was 13.8%, with symptoms occurring in 2.7%. (J VASC SURG 1987;6:350-4.)
Sampling for Confidence

Abstract A stopping rule for the process of sequential sampling inspection of finite lots is obtained which, with confidence 1—α, guarantees a prespecified upper confidence limit on the number of defective items in the uninspected portion of the lot. Usual assumptions of “control” are not invoked here and, in that sense, the plans are called nonparametric.
To Die on the Steppe: Sino-Soviet-American Relations and the Cold War in Chinese Central Asia, 1944–1952

Through a narrative retelling of a little known but incredible journey from Xinjiang to New York City made by a group of ethnic Russians in the mid-twentieth century, this article shows how some of the earliest and most poignant manifestations of the Cold War, including nuclear rivalry and espionage, were made evident in Chinese Central Asia. Wrapped up within an intense competition for resources, information, and influence between the United States, the Soviet Union, and two Chinese regimes, the Russians at the heart of this article reveal how the Cold War was a truly global conflict which was intimately experienced by ordinary peoples and often times in the places most far removed. This episode is furthermore a reminder that even if the Cold War did produce stability at the macro-level, the outcomes of the strategic rivalry and competition between the Soviet Union and the United States were violent and tragic, not necessarily or exclusively for these countries but especially for their allies and accompl...
SEU characterization of a hardened CMOS 64K and 256K SRAM

The first single-event-upset (SEU) tests of the AT&T 64K and 256K SRAMs (static random-access memories) have been performed. Feedback resistor values for these parts ranged from 200 k Omega to 1 M Omega . All were fabricated using the 1- mu m, 2-level-poly, 2-level-metal process. Ions used for the tests were Ar, Cu, Kr, and Xe, providing a range of effective LET (linear energy transfer) values from 20 to 129 MeV-cm/sup 2//mg. With the 64K SRAM operating at 4.5 V and 90 degrees C, an upset threshold LET of 30 MeV-cm/sup 2//mg and saturation cross section of 1.5*10/sup -2/ cm/sup 2/ were measured with a nominal room-temperature feedback resistance of 450 k Omega . In Adam's 10% worst-case environment using the Petersen approximation (see E.L. Petersen et al., ibid., vol.NS-30, p.4533-9, Dec. 1983) this implies an error rate of 1.3*10/sup -7/ errors per bit-day. With a nominal 650-k Omega feedback resistance, a 256K SRAM had a calculated error rate of about 3*10/sup -8/ errors power bit-day at 4.5 V and 90 degrees C. These data agree well with earlier data for a 1 kb test chip. The minimal feedback resistance required to prevent upset versus LET is calculated, using an activation energy of 0.10 eV to estimate the decrease in feedback resistor value as a function of temperature. >
Light-, nitrogen-, and phosphorus-limited growth of Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin strain TFX-1: chemical composition, carbon partitioning, and the diel periodicity of physiological processes

Abstract Phaeodactylum tricomutum Bohlin (strain TFX-1) was grown under light-, nitrogen-, and phosphorus-limited conditions in continuous or semicontinuous cultures under a 12L-12D light regime. The C, N, and P contents were determined at each steady state, as was the partitioning of cellular organic carbon into protein, lipids, polysaccharides, and metabolic intermediates. All determinations were made at the beginning and again at the end of the light period. The rates of nutrient assimilation and of synthesis of biochemical constituents during the light and dark periods were calculated from the above data, and the periodicities of these processes characterized. The elemental composition of the cells was different under each limitation. In particular, phosphorus limitation severely restricted the ability of the cell to store nitrogen in non-protein forms. Biochemical composition and the diel periodicity of cellular processes also differed between limitations. Nutrient uptake was most strongly periodic under light limitation. Protein synthesis showed increased periodicity under nitrogen limitation, relative to the other limitations, while the periodicity of lipid synthesis was reduced under phosphate limitation. Polysaccharide was synthesized at high rates during the light period and consumed in the dark under all limitations.
From insects to machines

Insects and hummingbirds remain unmatched in their aerodynamic ability to hover in place in addition to other acrobatic feats such as flying backward and sideways by exploiting flapping-wing motion. Although this remarkable ability is key to making small-scale aircraft, flapping-hovering behavior has been difficult to reproduce artificially because of the challenging stability, power, and aeroelastic phenomena involved. Recent interest in small-scale unmanned air vehicles, especially those capable of hovering like insects and hummingbirds, is driven by many potential applications. A number of flapping machines have been developed, but only two are capable of untethered hovering flight. A key challenge is to demonstrate a stable untethered flapping-hovering ability at a weight and power approximating that of insects and birds where flapping-hovering flight is observed in nature. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, a passively stable 24-g machine capable of flapping-hovering flight at a Reynolds number similar to insects (Re = 8 times 103). This architecture, particularly the passive stability, may help in the design of insect-sized hovering vehicles as well as shed light on the aeroelastic dynamic principles underlying insect flight.
Iodoacetate inhibition of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase as a model of human myophosphorylase deficiency (McArdle's disease) and phosphofructokinase deficiency (Tarui's disease) ☆

A model of the human neuromuscular disorders myophosphorylase deficiency and phosphofructokinase deficiency has been developed using intra-aortic injection of sodium iodoacetate in adult male rats. Iodoacetate selectively inhibits in vivo the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. The iodoacetate-injected rats develop electrically silent cramps in leg musculature during ischemic (or vigorous non-ischemic) exercise. Post-exercise rhabdomyolysis is evidenced by a 10-fold serum CPK elevation, excessive uptake of 99mTc-diphosphonate by cramped muscle, and type IIB fiber damage (histochemically-demonstrated) in cramped muscle. Further analysis of this model will allow a greater understanding of the clinical syndrome associated with the human disorders and permit development of successful treatment programs.
Surface characteristics of selected carbon materials exposed to supercritical water

Abstract Interactions of supercritical water (SCW) with several carbon (including polycrystalline graphite, highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), pyrolytic carbon, and diamond) and selected ceramic materials under oxic or anoxic conditions are investigated. Wettability and surface/material properties of samples, before and after the SCW exposure, are characterized with sessile drop contact angle measurement, profilometry, XPS, XRD, and ToF-SIMS. All tested ceramic materials became more hydrophilic during the SCW exposure, mainly due to hydrolysis reactions. Carbon samples exposed to oxic SCW became more hydrophilic as a result of surface oxidation. Carbon materials, except HOPG and diamond, became more hydrophobic when exposed to anoxic SCW because of degradation of hydrophilic oxygen functionalities. HOPG and diamond became more hydrophilic after anoxic SCW exposure mainly due to the removal of hydrophobic hydrocarbon contaminants. Hydrophobicity of different carbon samples exposed to SCW are explained based on the abundance of surface hydrophilic sites (i.e., oxygen functionalities, reactive carbon dangling bonds or defects), hydrocarbon impurities, and surface roughness.
Electronic quadrupole and hexadecapole moment of the Ni II ground state

We obtain the electronic quadrupole and hexadecapole moments of the Ni II ground state to be −0.493 au and 0.204 au using relativistic configuration interaction methodology. These results are in good agreement with available experimental results. Apparently this is the first time an electronic hexadecapole moment has been calculated for an atom.
Continuous Flow Nonthermal CO2 Processing: The Lethal Effects of Subcritical and Supercritical CO2 on Total Microbial Populations and Bacterial Spores in Raw Milk

Abstract The effect of pressurized ( 2 as a nonthermal process for bacterial reduction in raw skim milk was examined using a unique pressurized continuous flow system. The lethal effects of subcritical and super-critical CO 2 applied at different temperatures and pressures toward total native psychrotrophic microbial populations, total inoculated Pseudomonas fluorescens , and total inoculated spore populations were studied and compared. Pressures between 10.3 and 48.3MPa; temperatures of 15, 30, 35, and 40°C; and CO 2 concentrations of 0, 3, 66, and 132 g/kg of milk were studied. For both native populations and inoculated P. fluorescens , greater total microbial lethality was observed under supercritical CO 2 conditions than under subcritical CO 2 conditions. At 30°C, there was no effect on total microbial lethality of increasing pressure up to 20.7MPa with either 66 or 132 g/kg of CO 2 ; at 35°C, there was a positive relationship between pressure and lethality at CO 2 levels of 132 g/kg, but no relationship at 66 g/kg of CO 2 . For total microbial populations and P. fluorescens , CO 2 applied at 132 g/kg at 30°C and pressures of 10.3 to 20.7MPa resulted in an average standard plate count reduction of 3.81 and 2.93 log, respectively; at 35°C and 20.7MPa, maximum reductions achieved were 5.36 and 5.02 log, respectively. For both total microbial populations and inoculated P. fluorescens , CO 2 exhibited a greater overall lethal effect at 132 g/kg than at 66 g/kg and a greater effect at 35°C than at 30°C. At 24.1 and 48.3MPa and 40°C, microbial lethality in raw aged milk treated with 3 g/kg of CO 2 was not significantly different than that observed for uncarbonated milk; lethality achieved in milk treated with 132 g/kg of CO 2 was significantly higher than that achieved in these 2 low-level CO 2 treatments. No treatment studied had any significant impact on spore populations. Our work shows that, using the studied system, pressurized CO 2 results in greater microbial lethality in milk above critical temperatures than below and suggests that a critical concentration threshold level of CO 2 is required for lethal effects. Our work also suggests that supercritical CO 2 processing in a continuous flow system can achieve reductions in some microbial populations equal to or better than that typically achieved during high-temperature, short-time pasteurization.
Regionally specific regulation of ERK MAP kinase in a model of antidepressant-sensitive chronic depression.

Background Elevated phosphorylation of neurotrophin-regulated transcription factors, such as cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-response element binding protein (CREB), in the hippocampus has been proposed as a common mediator of antidepressant (ADT) efficacy in otherwise naive rodents. The intracellular factors by which ADTs and glucocorticoids, causal factors in depression, regulate depression-like behavior remain unclear, but extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), upstream of CREB, is a likely candidate. Methods We explored the long-term consequences of glucocorticoid exposure and subsequent ADT treatment in a novel model of chronic depression. Motivated behaviors, immobility during tail suspension, and ERK1/2, known to be required for behavioral response to ADTs, were quantified. Results Chronic corticosterone (CORT) increased immobility, decreased responding in an operant conditioning task of motivation, and selectively reduced phosphorylated ERK1/2 (pERK1/2) in the dentate gyrus. Behavioral and biochemical measures were restored to baseline by amitriptyline (AMI) treatment. Corticosterone regulated pERK1/2 on a time course that paralleled increases in heat shock proteins associated with depression and decreased tyrosine kinase receptor B (trkB) phosphorylation. Chronic AMI also produced regionally dissociable effects on pERK1/2 in CA1/CA3, amygdala, and striatum, but not prefrontal cortex. Conclusions Antidepressant efficacy in a motivational task and behavioral despair assay are associated with altered limbic pERK1/2, including restored pERK1/2 in the dentate gyrus after stress-related insult.
The association between extent of lymphadenectomy and survival among patients with lymph node metastases undergoing radical cystectomy

BACKGROUND. Long-term survival in patients with lymph node-positive bladder cancer who undergo cystectomy suggests a therapeutic role for lymphadenectomy. The objective of this study was to describe the association between extent of lymphadenectomy and survival in lymph node-positive patients who underwent radical cystectomy. METHODS. The cohort consisted of patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry with transitional cell carcinoma who underwent cystectomy with lymphadenectomy and had at least 1 positive lymph node and no distant metastases. The Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression analyses were used to estimate differences in survival among different lymphadenectomy variables. RESULTS. In total, 1260 patients had at least 1 positive lymph node. A median of 9 lymph nodes were removed (range, 1–48 lymph nodes) with a median of 2 positive lymph nodes (range, 1–18 positive lymph nodes), and the median lymph node density was 22%. In multivariate analysis controlling for patient demographics, tumor classification, and year of diagnosis, the number of positive and total lymph nodes removed remained independent predictors of survival. There was an inverse association between the number of lymph nodes removed and the risk of death for all quartiles. Removal of > 10 lymph nodes was associated with increased overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.43–0.64). In addition, with a lymph node density from 0.1% to 12.5% as the referent group, each higher quartile experienced worse survival. CONCLUSIONS. An increased number of lymph nodes removed at the time of cystectomy was associated with improved survival in patients with lymph node-positive bladder cancer. Improved survival was observed at a lower lymph node density threshold than previously reported. The current findings support performing a more extensive lymphadenectomy at the time of cystectomy. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Molecular genetic alterations in carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenoma: a putative progression model?

To determine the genetic changes associated with the development of carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenoma (Ca Ex-PA), we analyzed 15 microsatellite loci at chromosome arms 8q, 12q, and 17p on DNA from 26 neoplasms (including 8 microdissected benign and malignant components), and 13 pleomorphic adenomas for comparison. Pleomorphic adenomas and the adenoma component of Ca Ex-PAs showed a higher incidence of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at chromosome arms 8q (52%) and 12q (28%) than at 17p (14%) loci. In the carcinoma component, the combined LOH at chromosome arm 8q, 12q, and 17p regions was 69%, 50%, and 69%, respectively; within these chromosomal regions, 8q11.23-q12 (42%), 12q23-qter (39%), 17p13 (41%), and 17p11 (45%) loci manifested the highest incidence of LOH. Eight carcinomas (30.7%) showed loss at all three chromosomal arms tested. Of the eight microdissected Ca Ex-PAs analyzed, four adenoma and corresponding carcinoma components (50%) had the same LOH at 12q loci and additional LOH at 17p loci only in carcinomas. Chromosome arm 17p alterations correlated significantly with high disease stage and an increased proliferative rate in these tumors. Our results indicate that alterations at regions on chromosome arms 8q and/or 12q may constitute early events associated with pleomorphic adenomas; that LOH at 12q loci may identify a subset of adenoma with potential progression to carcinoma; that acquisition of additional alterations at chromosome arm 17p loci might represent an event preceding malignant transformation and progression; and that 8q, 12q, and 17p regions may harbor tumor suppressor genes involved in the genesis of PA and Ca Ex-PA. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 27:162-168, 2000.
Concepts of Time in Clinical Research

The study of events in time is fundamental to biomedical research and public health surveillance. Clinicians have an intuitive appreciation for the relevance of time to health and disease, and patients invariably ask questions relating to time for which clinicians need answers. An appreciation of the picture of health and disease over time is equally fundamental to public health. Research designs that incorporate time have long been in use; the cohort study, which involves follow-up of persons overtime, is the fundamental design. Analysis of longitudinal data, generated by cohort studies and related approaches, has been enhanced by new statistical methods that are appropriate to data collected over time from repeated observations. In the next millennium, new and increasingly complex questions will undoubtedly require investigation. The research designs and analytic methods used to address clinical questions in time will continue to evolve and will provide better, sharper answers.
Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy after pancreatic resection for invasive carcinoma associated with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas.

Purpose Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms are mucin-producing cystic neoplasms of the pancreas. One-third are associated with invasive carcinoma. We examined the benefit of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for this cohort. Methods and Materials Patients who had undergone pancreatic resection at Johns Hopkins Hospital between 1999 and 2004 were reviewed. Of these patients, 83 with a resected pancreatic mass were found to have an intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm with invasive carcinoma, 70 of whom met inclusion criteria for the present analysis. Results The median age at surgery was 68 years. The median tumor size was 3.3 cm, and invasive carcinoma was present at the margin in 16% of the patients. Of the 70 patients, 50% had metastases to the lymph nodes and 64% had Stage II disease. The median survival was 28.0 months, and 2- and 5-year survival rate was 57% and 45%, respectively. Of the 70 patients, 40 had undergone adjuvant CRT. Those receiving CRT were more likely to have lymph node metastases, perineural invasion, and Stage II-III disease. The 2-year survival rate after surgery with vs. without CRT was 55.8% vs. 59.3%, respectively ( p = NS). Patients with lymph node metastases or positive surgical margins benefited significantly from CRT ( p = .047 and p = .042, respectively). On multivariate analysis, adjuvant CRT was associated with improved survival, with a relative risk of 0.43 (95% confidence interval, 0.19–0.95; p = .044) after adjusting for major confounders. Conclusion Adjuvant CRT conferred a 57% decrease in the relative risk of mortality after pancreaticoduodenectomy for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms with an associated invasive component after adjusting for major confounders. Patients with lymph node metastases or positive margins appeared to particularly benefit from CRT after definitive surgery.
Query Aware Determinization of Uncertain Objects

This paper considers the problem of determinizing probabilistic data to enable such data to be stored in legacy systems that accept only deterministic input. Probabilistic data may be generated by automated data analysis/enrichment techniques such as entity resolution, information extraction, and speech processing. The legacy system may correspond to pre-existing web applications such as Flickr, Picasa, etc. The goal is to generate a deterministic representation of probabilistic data that optimizes the quality of the end-application built on deterministic data. We explore such a determinization problem in the context of two different data processing tasks -- triggers and selection queries. We show that approaches such as thresholding or top-1 selection traditionally used for determinization lead to suboptimal performance for such applications. Instead, we develop a query-aware strategy and show its advantages over existing solutions through a comprehensive empirical evaluation over real and synthetic datasets.
Accuracy of pathologic techniques for the diagnosis of metastatic melanoma in sentinel lymph nodes.

Background: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy can accurately predict the presence of metastatic melanoma (MM) and has been used to identify patients with occult metastases. We present an analysis of the sensitivity and specificity of standard pathological techniques including intraoperative frozen section, permanent section, and immunohistochemistry in diagnosing MM within the SLN. Methods: Sixty-nine consecutive patients with primary malignant melanoma thickness of .1.0 mm or thinner lesions invading the reticular dermis (Clark level IV) who underwent SLN biopsy were reviewed. Lymph nodes were examined intraoperatively by frozen section (FS), permanent section (H&E), and by immunohistochemistry (IH) for S-100 protein and HMB45. Results: MM was found in 14 of 69 cases (20%). Permanent section H&E was performed in all cases, FS in 64 cases, and IH in 65 cases. FS analysis diagnosed MM in 4 of 14 cases (29%), was suspicious in 2 of 14 (14%), and falsely negative (FN) in 8 of 14 (57%) ultimately found to be positive with further workup. Within the FN group, MM was identified on review of the original FS slides in 3 of 8 cases (38%). Furthermore, within the FN group, the remaining 5 cases were identified as positive for MM by either permanent and/or deeper H&E sections and IH. IH alone with permanent H&E sections would have diagnosed MM in only 8 of 10 cases (80%) that were FS negative or suspicious. In no cases was MM identified by IH alone with the permanent and deeper H&E sections being negative. It is noteworthy that no false-positive cases were identified. Conclusions: Intraoperative FS has low sensitivity in identifying MM within the SLN. IH alone does not increase the diagnostic yield. A combination of permanent H&E sections with deeper levels and S-100 and HMB45 IH dramatically increases the overall diagnostic sensitivity of SLN biopsy. Definitive diagnosis should await permanent H&E sections and IH staining.
Reflections on Ukraine's Current Economic Dilemma

A prominent specialist on economic transition in the former Soviet Union presents an overview of Ukraine's economic dilemma in the aftermath of the most recent elections in that country. The author, a former economic advisor to Ukraine's government and co-chair of the UN's Blue Ribbon Commission for Ukraine, relates his insights into the causes of three acute problems (inflation, corruption, and the lack of structural reforms). Focusing on the state of economic affairs in 2008, the paper, which includes data on economic growth and exchange rates, discusses inter alia the hryvnia's peg to the dollar and the potential consequences of rising food and commodity prices. Included in the analysis is a comparison with Russia. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: E58, E60, O52, P26. 34 references.
A High-Pressure 3He Gas Scintillation Neutron Spectrometer

A high-pressure, 3He-Xe gas scintillation spectrometer has been developed for neutron spectroscopy on D-D fusion plasmas. The spectrometer exhibits an energy resolution of (121 ± 20 keV) keV (FWHM) at 2.5 MeV and an efficiency of (1.9 ± 0.4) × 10-3 (n/cm2)-1. The contribution to the resolution (FWHM) from counting statistics is only (22 ± 3 keV) keV and the remainder is due predominantly to the variation of light collection efficiency with location of neutron events within the active volume of the detector.
Developmental Pharmacogenetics: A General Paradigm for Application to Neonatal Pharmacology and Toxicology

Therapy in newborn infants presents unique challenges. The consequences of exposure of the fetus to medications and environmental contaminants in utero (following the mother's exposure to these) may present, in the newborn, as congenital malformations or adverse drug reactions or have unknown long-term consequences. Risk is not uniformly distributed across a population. Rather, pharmacogenomic principles assert that an individual's unique clinical, genomic, and environmental information can be used to accurately predict predisposition to risk. The challenge is to identify the specific factors--genetic and nongenetic--that contribute to increased risk.
Multi-objective shape optimization of transonic airfoil sections using swarm intelligence and surrogate models

In this article, the optimization problem of designing transonic airfoil sections is solved using a framework based on a multi-objective optimizer and surrogate models for the objective functions and constraints. The computed Pareto-optimal set includes solutions that provide a trade-off between maximizing the lift-to-drag ratio during cruise and minimizing the trailing edge noise during the aircraft's approach to landing. The optimization problem was solved using a recently developed multi-objective optimizer, which is based on swarm intelligence. Additional computational intelligence tools, e.g., artificial neural networks, were utilized to create surrogate models of the objective functions and constraints. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed optimization framework when applied to simulation-based engineering design optimization problems.
Projections of the zona incerta in the cat, with stimulation controls.

Abstract In eight cats single electrolytic lesions were placed in the zona incerta, and resultant fiber degeneration studies were made. In seven additional cats, stimulating electrodes were chronically implanted bilaterally into the zona incerta, H 2 (lenticular fasciculus), or H (prerubral) fields of Forel. The animals were placed in a two-compartment shuttle box, and a routinely established procedure of subthalamic stimulation was instituted. When the sensory (nociceptive) or motor manifestations and reactions were established, small lesions were made through both poles of the electrodes. The brains were studied by silver techniques for degenerating axons and terminals. Findings in the latter group of animals with physiologic substrates, compared to those in the first group, indicated that the zona incerta contains at least two major physiologic-anatomic components with differential fiber projections. The first component is a medial zona incerta proper or caudalis, paleospinothalamic, nociceptive-conducting system which causes typical escape responses. Its unequivocal projections are to the nucleus of the H 1 field, posterior and dorsal hypothalamus, part of the intralaminar system, ventromedial and ventralis anterior nuclei, nucleus reuniens, reticular nucleus, pulvinar, posterior nucleus, central gray, red nucleus, and the central tegmental tract. The second constitutent concerns pyramidal-extrapyramidal motor type responses that arise with avoidance reactions from other portions of the zona incerta. In these cases there is heavy projection to the caudate, entopenduncular, globus pallidus, and putamen nuclei. In contrast, degeneration from the nociceptive part of the zona incerta or H 2 and H fields to these nuclei is minimal.
Complexes of stannous fluoride and other group IVB dihalides with mammalian hemoproteins

Stannous fluoride, the widely used anticaries toothpaste additive, and other tin and germanium dihalides form complexes with hemoproteins such as hepatic cytochrome P-450, hemoglobin, and peroxidase. These complexes are characterized by visible spectra closely similar in shape, molar absorptivity, and absorbance maxima to those obtained with analogous complexes of carbon monoxide. Evidence is presented that the observed complexes are formed with uncharged MX2 or LMX2, moieties (where L is a neutral Lewis base, M is a metal, and X is a halogen) acting as pi-acceptor ligands.
Osteochondrogenic potential of marrow mesenchymal progenitor cells exposed to TGF-β1 or PDGF-BB as assayed in vivo and in vitro

Mesenchymal progenitors cells can be isolated from rat bone marrow and mitotically expanded in vitro. When these cells, which we operationally call mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are placed in an appropriate environment, they have the capacity to differentiate into bone and/or cartilage. This capacity is called osteochondrogenic potential. In this study, preconfluent MSCs were exposed in vitro to 5 ng/ml transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) or platelet-derived growth factor, isoform BB (PDGF-BB) for a pulse of 48 h and assayed for cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, and osteochondrogenic potential; untreated MSC's served as controls. In these cell culture conditions, TGF-beta 1 or PDGF-BB had similar effects on proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity. Both growth factors increased cell proliferation and decreased alkaline phosphatase activity of MSCs. Sister cultures of TGF-beta 1- or PDGF-BB-treated MSCs and untreated MSCs were trypsinized. For each type of culture, the trypsinised MSCs were split in two parts: one part was replated in an osteogenic medium to assess its in vitro osteogenic potential, whereas the other part was seeded into porous calcium phosphate ceramics and implanted subcutaneously in syngeneic rats to assess its in vivo osteochondrogenic potential. PDGF-pretreated MSCs showed no difference in in vivo and in vitro osteochondrogenesis from that of control MSCs, while TGF-beta 1 pretreatment blocked the osteochondrogenic potential of MSCs when assayed in vitro for bone nodule formation. However, when tested in vivo, TGF-beta 1-pretreated MSCs were able to form bone and cartilage. These data show that measurements of proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity of preconfluent MSCs immediately after exposure to growth factor were not predictive of their subsequent osteochondrogenic potential. Moreover, the variation of the osteochondrogenic potential of MSCs after exposure to growth factor was further modulated by the environment in which the MSCs were assayed.
Epithelioid sarcoma: a clinicopathologic review of 55 cases.

Objective To identify any clinical and pathologic features or treatment modalities that are predictive of outcome in patients with epithelioid sarcoma, a rare slow-growing soft tissue tumor most commonly occurring in the distal extremities of young adults. Design We reviewed the institutional files for cases of epithelioid sarcoma for the period 1956 to 1991 and analyzed the effect of various factors on survival. Material and Methods Fifty-five cases of epithelioid sarcoma were found, and the relevant clinical, pathologic, treatment, follow-up, and outcome features were assessed. Results All tumors were treated initially by operative resection. The recurrence rate progressively decreased with increasing aggressiveness of the initial operation; however, no difference was noted in metastatic rate. Overall, the recurrence rate was 38% and the metastatic rate was 47%. At the end of a mean follow-up of 102 months, 69% of patients had no evidence of disease, 27% had died of the disease, and 4 % were alive with disease. Increasing tumor size, necrosis of more than 30%, and vascular invasion correlated significantly with a worse prognosis. Conclusion Epithelioid sarcoma should be considered a malignant neoplasm with a significant potential for aggressive behavior, and close follow-up of affected patients should be maintained for many years. Initial treatment should be aggressive in an attempt to prevent recurrence.
Effect of electrical stimulation of nerve roots on amino-acid incorporation into axonal protein in vitro.

VERY little is known about protein synthesis associated with membrane renewal and about whether it is modulated in any way by excitation. In vitro studies on synaptosome preparations have shown that a significant proportion of amino-acids is incorporated into the membrane fraction1–4. Moreover, manipulation of the ratio of Na+ : K+ in the incubation medium has shown that the rate of amino-acid incorporation into synaptosome protein can be maximized by an optimum ratio as long as the external potassium concentration exceeds normal5,6. Because membrane ATPase activity increases similarly with changes in ionic composition5,7, it is thought that increased functional activity, resulting in significant redistribution of cations, will enhance the rate of protein synthesis in excitable structures8.
Construct validity of the dependence syndrome as measured by DSM-IV for different psychoactive substances.

The Diagnosis of Drug Dependence in the Official Psychiatric Nomenclatures (DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, and ICD 10) are based on the Drug Dependence Syndrome construct. Although the validity and utility of the dependence syndrome has been widely documented for alcohol, the generalizability of the dependence syndrome to other psychoactive substances is still not clear. Thus, this article examines the construct validity of the drug dependence syndrome, as measured by diagnostic criteria for DSM-IV, using both internal consistency analyses and confirmatory factor analyses. Data were obtained from non-mutually exclusive groups of abusers for five drugs (alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, opioids, sedatives, stimulants) drawn from a pool of 521 subjects obtained from drug treatment, general psychiatric and community samples. As predicted by the theory, drug dependence items were found to be unidimensional and factorially distinct from measures of the consequences of substance abuse (e.g. legal problems) for all drug groups. Moreover, the drug dependence items yielded internally consistent scales that produced a distribution of scores reflecting a continuum from low to high severity of abuse for all drugs.
Covalently Linked Nanocomposites: Poly(methyl methacrylate) Brushes Grafted from Zirconium Phosphonate

Fully covalently connected polymer−clay nanocomposites have been prepared by growing the polymer chains from initiator sites on the lamellae of a zirconium phosphonate clay. The zirconium phosphonate material was synthesized with an approximately 1:3 ratio of 4-aminobenzylphosphonate and ethylphosphonate groups (Zr(AbPO3)x(EtPO3)2-x, x ≈ 0.5) in a “solid solution” distribution within the lamellae. After conversion of the amine groups to 2-bromo-2-methylpropionamide moieties, composites of the zirconium phosphonate and tethered poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) brushes were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP); the tethered initiator within Zr(Init-AbPO3)x(EtPO3)2-x and its soluble analogue are the first examples of aromatic amide-based initiators for ATRP. To facilitate characterization of the composites, the polymerization conditions were intentionally not optimized for high molecular weight polymer, but PMMA was nonetheless formed at the conditions studied, and the weight fraction o...
A procedure for the serum-free growth of normal human diploid fibroblasts

We have developed a method for the growth of WI-38 cells in a serum-free medium. Basal medium MCDB-104 is supplemented with platelet-derived growth factor (30 µg/ml), epidermal growth factor (100 ng/ml), insulin (5 µg/ml), transferrin (5 µg/ml), and dexamethasone (55 ng/ml). With this medium cells will grow at a rate and to an extent similar to that produced by medium containing 10% serum. During one growth cycle the cultures can accomplish up to seven population doublings.
Thermodynamic properties of ϵ phase AuZn alloys

Abstract Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to measure the thermodynamic activity of zinc at 643°K in solid ϵ phase AuZn alloys. Data were obtained by measuring the attenuation of the resonance line of zinc at 3076 A by zinc vapor in equilibrium, with the alloy contained in an evacuated, sealed quartz cell. Relative partial molar and excess relative partial molar quantities were calculated from the data. The results indicate a decrease in slope of the activity coefficient of zinc with respect to mole fraction at approximately the same composition at which Massalski and King observed a reversal in the crystallographic axial ratio. The occurence of this anomaly in the thermodynamic data is also attributed to a zone overlap. The stability function, as proposed by Darken, was also evaluated for these alloys. It indicates the presence of a miscibility gap in the system.
Static and Dynamic FT-IR Linear Dichroism Studies of Plasticization Effects in a Polyurethane Elastomer

By combining FTIR data of plasticized Estane (a polyester polyurethane copolymer) subjected to mechanical deformation with spectral differences as a function of added plasticizer, insight into the physical role of plasticization is gained. For Estane, the orientation functions and dichroic difference data show that, in static stretching, the soft domains reach orientation saturation before the hard domains. With added plasticizer, hydrogen bonding to the hard segments is disrupted and the glass transition of the soft domain decreases, indicating that plasticizer remains solubilized in the soft domain. On the time scale of the static experiment, plasticization diminishes the ability of both domains to reorient, while the plasticizer itself does not orient. With added plasticizer, neither domain reaches orientation saturation during the prestretching process, and dynamic distortion results in a similar response from both domains. Bimodal bands in the dynamic data indicate that the strain applied on a rapid ...
Continuous sensors for mode selective actuation and reception of waves for structural health monitoring of woven composite laminates

The quantitative evaluation of damage in woven composites using mode selective excitation of Lamb waves is reported in this paper. PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) comb sensors are used to generate and detect a single plate mode. The top electrode is a single set of equidistant fingers connected in parallel to the same potential while the bottom electrode is kept at ground. First, a pair of such sensors is used to generate and detect a single plate mode. Group velocity changes of a wave packet traveling through the damaged area are used for quantitative damage estimation. Second, a new electrode configuration is used in order to improve the receiver signal. The proposed configuration referred to as continuous sensors, is used in structural health monitoring (SHM) for detection of growing cracks. Theoretical and experimental results are presented. In addition, an analog circuitry to actuate the structure at high frequency (~1MHz) based on energy tapped from a vibrating cantilever beam (~20Hz) is developed, towards a high-frequency energy-harvested SHM.