cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Foster care youth and the development of autonomy

Homelessness, unemployment, and food insecurity are the unfortunate reality for many young adults who age out of the foster care system. These rates remain high even for youth who participate in independent living programmes prior to exiting foster care. These high rates of poor outcomes suggest that many foster care youth are inadequately prepared to transition to adulthood. In order to improve services for youth preparing to age out of foster care, it is important to identify factors that contribute to these adverse outcomes and that could become targets of further interventions. One such factor, an underdeveloped sense of autonomy, may predispose youth to poor outcomes such as limited educational attainment, unstable housing, and unemployment. At least in Western cultures that value individualism, interventions that foster the development of autonomy during adolescence could potentially improve outcomes for youth in foster care. This article aims to review factors that promote the development of autonomy and discusses the unique barriers to autonomy development faced by youth in foster care. I conclude with several intervention strategies that could facilitate the development of autonomy in foster care youth and recommendations for future research.
Intentions, Meanings, and Whys: Designing Content for Voice-based Conversational Museum Guides

If an artwork could talk, what would visitors ask? This paper explores what types of content voice-based AI conversational systems should have to attend visitors' expectations in a museum. The study analyses 142,463 conversation logs from 5,242 unique sessions of a nine-month long deployment of a voice-based interactive guide in a modern art museum in Brazil. In this experiment, visitors freely asked questions about seven different artworks of different styles. By grouping the visitor utterances into eight types of content, we determined that more than half of the visitors asked about the meanings and intentions behind the artwork, followed by facts about the artwork and author-related questions. We also determined that the types of questions were not affected by each artwork, the artwork style, or its physical location. We also saw some relationships between the visitor's overall evaluation of the experience with the types of questions she asked. Based on those results, we identified implications for designing content for voice-based conversational systems in museums.
Selective actuation and sensing of antisymmetric ultrasonic waves using shear-deforming piezoelectric transducers:

Structural health monitoring of thin plate and beam structures using ultrasonic guided wave techniques has been widely studied and demonstrated advanced capabilities dependent on detailed analysis ...
Emotional Intelligence Level Higher in Residents Who Took a Gap Year Before Medical School.

Introduction Emotional intelligence (EI) is the skill of understanding yourself, managing yourself, understanding others, and managing relationships. Studies have begun analyzing the level of EI demonstrated by resident physicians in various specialties. Very few studies have assessed EI levels of residents in multiple specialties within one institution. The purpose of our study was to assess the EI level of all residents at our institution and to determine which variables were associated with higher EI scores. Methods In 2018, residents voluntarily participated in the study by completing two online surveys. The first survey was a de-identified survey monkey asking demographic and other training information. The second survey was an online emotional intelligence survey assessing their EI skills, the Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0 (EQ-i 2.0). Results A total of 176 of 486 residents (36.2%) completed the study. There was no significant association between EI level and age, gender, type of medical degree, having an advanced degree, or being in a specific specialty. We found that residents who took time off before matriculating into medical school had higher overall EI scores than those who did not take time off (p = 0.02). Similarly, those who took time off before medical school scored higher in interpersonal skills (p = 0.04), empathy (p = 0.03), decision-making (p = 0.02), and impulse control (p = 0.03). Conclusion Residents who had taken time off before matriculating in medical school had higher overall EI scores and higher scores in the EI components of interpersonal skill, empathy, decision-making, and impulse control.
Skin Preparation and Electrode Replacement to Reduce Alarm Fatigue in a Community Hospital Intensive Care Unit.

Background Nurses in intensive care units are exposed to hundreds of alarms during a shift, and research shows that most alarms are not clinically relevant. Alarm fatigue can occur when a nurse becomes desensitized to alarms. Alarm fatigue can jeopardize patient safety, and adverse alarm events can lead to patients dying. Objective To evaluate how a process intervention affects the number of alarms during an 8-hour shift in an intensive care unit. Methods A total of 62 patients from an intensive care unit were included in the study; 32 of these patients received the intervention, which included washing the patient's chest with soap and water and applying new electrocardiography electrodes at the start of a shift. The number of alarms, clinical diagnoses, and demographic variables were collected for each patient. A Poisson regression model was used to evaluate the impact of the intervention on the overall number of clinical alarms during the shift, with no adjustments to the alarm settings or other interventions. Results After relevant covariates are controlled for, the results suggest that patients in the intervention group presented significantly fewer alarms than did patients in the control group. Conclusions Managing clinical alarms is a main issue in terms of both patient safety and staff workload management. The results of this study demonstrate that a relatively simple process-oriented strategy can decrease the number of alarms.
MTurk Research: Review and Recommendations:

The use of Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) in management research has increased over 2,117% in recent years, from 6 papers in 2012 to 133 in 2019. Among scholars, though, there is a mixture of exc...
The Role of Risk in Franchising

The empirical literature on franchising suggests that the proportion of risk borne by franchisees increases as the amount of risk to be shared goes up. This has been interpreted by some as evidence that franchisers use franchising as a way to "shed" risk. This paper argues against this conclusion. First we show that the evidence is weak given the problems associated with measuring risk in franchising. Second, we show how a model emphasizing incentive issues and informational problems can give rise to the patterns found in the data. We conclude that risk shedding need not be invoked to explain franchising.
The influence of emotional narrative content on the self-reference effect in memory

Abstract This study investigated how emotional language usage impacts self-referential effects in memory in healthy older adults and individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). To heighten self-focus, 37 healthy older adults and 22 aMCI participants narrated autobiographical memories and then encoded words using a self-referencing or a semantic strategy. We were interested in how narrating autobiographical memories impacted subsequent memory. We probed narrative language usage with the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count text analysis program, testing the degree to which language from the narrated autobiographical memories contain emotional (positive and negative) words that predicted the self-reference effect across groups. Results indicated that higher levels of positive emotional language were related to larger self-reference effects in memory. In conclusion, narrating autobiographical memories using emotional language influenced the effectiveness of self-referencing as a memory strategy for both healthy older adults and aMCI participants.
Scalar mixing in a Kelvin-Helmholtz shear layer and implications for Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes modeling of mixing layers.

Large-eddy simulation of a temporally evolving Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) mixing layer is performed with the tenth-order compact difference code miranda to examine the steady-state behavior of a passive scalar in a shear-driven mixing layer. It is shown that the integral behavior of scalar variance in a KH mixing layer behaves similarly to the integral behavior of scalar variance in a Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) mixing layer, and mixedness of the simulated KH shear layer tends towards a value of about 0.8. It is further shown that if the $k\text{\ensuremath{-}}L\text{\ensuremath{-}}a\text{\ensuremath{-}}V$ Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) model [B. E. Morgan et al., Phys. Rev. E 98, 033111 (2018)], calibrated to reproduce steady-state mixing in an RT layer, is applied to simulate a KH mixing layer, the RANS model will significantly overpredict the magnitude of scalar variance in the KH layer. A straightforward addition to the $k\text{\ensuremath{-}}L\text{\ensuremath{-}}a\text{\ensuremath{-}}V$ model is then suggested, and self-similarity analysis is applied to determine constraints on model coefficients. It is shown that with the addition of a buoyancy production term in the model equation for scalar variance, it becomes possible to eliminate the model deficiency and match steady-state mixedness in simulations of both RT and KH mixing layers with a single model calibration.
Traditional Neuroma Management

With the development of newer techniques for symptomatic neuroma treatment, such as regenerative peripheral nerve interface and targeted muscle reinnervation, transposition and coverage techniques often have been referred to as "passive techniques." In spite of its negative connotation, these passive techniques yield positive results in a majority of patients treated. The experienced surgeon has more options than ever before in the prevention and management of problematic neuromas. Critical appraisal of the current literature reveals no single, optimal standard of care. Instead, surgeons have a plethora of useful techniques that can be implemented on a case-by-case basis to optimize outcomes.
U.S. News Coverage of Transgender Victims of Fatal Violence: An Exploratory Content Analysis:

Media portrayals of crime help shape public perceptions of victims and the demographic groups to which they belong. For transgender people, who already face heightened disparities and stigma, news ...
Effect of Fragmenting Dielectric Metasurfaces on their Dipolar and Lattice Resonances

Parameters of unit cells in metasurfaces (MSs) are usually determined by applying the infinitely periodic conditions in numerical analysis. However, real-world samples of MSs are implemented with finite number of resonators. We conduct studies to reveal the effects of fragmenting MSs, comprised from $\text{n} \times \text{m}$ low-loss identical dielectric disks, on their electromagnetic responses. It is seen that in fragmental MSs, new odd-mode dipolar resonances with extraordinary intensity and Q-factors can appear that were not detected in infinite MSs. Such modes are associated with out-of-phase oscillations in neighbor resonators. Meanwhile, presented results demonstrate that fragmenting the MSs does not deteriorate the formation of lattice resonances at approaching the Rayleigh anomaly (RA) in very sparse fragments. In RA area, conventional even-mode dipolar resonances show red-shifting while odd-modes are spectrally stable. Responses of MS fragments can make them promising platforms for developing applications such as sensing, imaging, and absorption.
Insider Trading Regulation in Transition Economies

Insider trading in the United States has been receiving a lot of press coverage in recent years. The press has given the public the impression that insider trading is evil, unethical and illegal, when in fact such is not always the case. In some cases, insider trading is beneficial to the economy and to shareholders. It is not always unethical and it is not always illegal. Whether insider trading is harmful, unethical or illegal depends on many factors, yet the press ignores such nuances. A number of economists have pointed out some beneficial effects of insider trading and legal theorists have written treatises discussing when insider trading is illegal and when it is not. Philosophers have said some good things about insider trading, too, but their scholarly treatises have, understandably, been ignored by journalists. Policymakers in transition economies are trying to reform their legal and economic systems to more closely reflect those of the developed market economies. The OECD, World Bank, IMF and other organizations are assisting them in this endeavor. One aspect of their reform is to adopt insider trading laws and regulations that mirror those of the developed western economies. However, those policies are often flawed because they tend to outlaw some forms of insider trading that are beneficial to the economy and not unethical in nature. This paper begins with an overview of the different philosophical approaches that may be taken toward insider trading, then reviews the basic theoretical and empirical literature on insider trading in an attempt to differentiate good insider trading from bad insider trading. The paper then examines some documents that policy makers in transition economies rely on when making laws and regulations regarding insider trading. The paper concludes with some recommendations and guidelines.
Chapter 1: Obtaining and Maintaining Microbial Pathogens

Publisher Summary This chapter helps provide the right direction to the cell biologist prior to embarking on any work involving pathogens. The chapter discusses ways to obtain and culture the pathogen of interest and ways to avoid becoming the culture vessel for the selected pathogen. Although there are certainly common precautions and practices applicable to the handling of all pathogenic organisms, each individual pathogen has its own specific hazards. For this reason, it is vital that a cell biologist wishing to work with pathogens contact, and preferably spend some time in, a laboratory that has an established expertise in handling that particular pathogen. Contact with clinical laboratories or infectious diseases laboratories may not be enough because these laboratories may be able to culture the pathogen for diagnostic purposes, but do not necessarily appreciate the precautions required for experimental manipulation of the pathogen avoid becoming the culture vessel for the selected pathogen.
Reconfiguration algorithms for robotically manipulatable structures

This paper addresses the design and optimization of robotically-reconfigurable structures from an algorithmic point of view. First, we address the algorithmic challenge of searching for a sequence of structural modifications that can transform a given modular structure into a new target structure that serves a different function. The target structure is not explicitly specified, only its desired function, and so the planning algorithm needs to account for both design and the corresponding deconstruction and construction sequence simultaneously. A number of different internal representations are considered and compared. We then demonstrate the algorithm under uncertainty in resource availability, where components may become missing during the build. Finally, we physically implement a robotically manipulatable structure design and manually confirm the reconfiguration process. We suggest that a combination of reconfigurable structures, robust reconfiguration algorithms that function under resource uncertainty, and reconfiguration robots, could open the door to a metabolic process where structures are decomposed and recomposed autonomously to meet varying needs for a variety of applications from infrastructure recovery to space exploration.
Carbohydrate metabolism during treatment with estrogen, progestogen, and low-dose oral contraceptives

The combination oral contraceptives have generally been shown to have an adverse effect on carbohydrate metabolism with resultant elevations of bath blood glucose and insulin in users. Studies of the individual steroid components suggest that the estrogen is not at fault. The 19-norprogestins can produce these carbohydrate changes and seem to act at the insulin receptor level. Norgestrel, ethynodiol diacetate, and norethindrone alter carbohydrate metabolism, but norgestrel produces the most marked changes. Use of oral contraceptives containing less than 50 μ g of estrogen resulted in fewer metabolic changes than were seen with the drugs containing higher doses of estrogen.
Performance modeling and programming environments for petaflops computers and the Blue Gene machine

Summary form only given. We present a performance modeling and programming environment for petaflops computers and the Blue Gene machine. It consists of a parallel simulator, BigSim, for predicting performance of machines with a very large number of processors, and BigNetSim, an ongoing effort to incorporate a pluggable module of a detailed contention-based network model. It provides the ability to make performance predictions for machines such as BlueGene/L We also explore the programming environments for several planned applications on the machines including finite element method (FEM) simulation.
The aging penis: what is it trying to tell us?

Aging is the price we all pay for living long. While the alternative to aging is a less attractive option, what clinically affect us most during this aging process are the detrimental effects aging has on the smooth muscle throughout our body. Those of us, who have been fortunate enough to enter middle age or better yet, senescence, know how true this is. Consider during this time period the onset of maladies such as essential hypertension, GERD, overactive bladder, farsightedness, constipation, bladder outlet obstruction and the most feared of all aging related symptoms that can afflict any man, erectile dysfunction. All of these conditions have essentially one thing in common-the smooth muscle in that tissue does not function optimally. The main reason for these aging associated dysfunctions is that the smooth muscle mass, at least part of it, within each of these tissues has begun to undergo apoptosis with replenishment by fibrous tissue.
Activities of Krebs-Henseleit enzymes in normal and cirrhotic human liver

Activities of 5 Krebs-Henseleit (KH) enzymes [carbamyl phosphate synthetase (CPS), ornithine transcarbamylase (OT), argininosuccinic acid synthetase (ASS), argininosuccine acid lyase (AS], and arginase (A)] were determined in liver tissue obtained at laparotomy from 17 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, and from 19 individuals without liver disease. Specific activities of the 5 enzymes were calculated on the basis of 4 units of reference: wet weight, total N, noncollagen N, and DNA. Specific activities of all 5 enzymes were depressed in the cirrhotic liver. Degree of reduction was similar regardless of which unit of reference was employed to calculate specific activity. Average extent of depression for activity per milligram of DNA was 54 per cent, 37 per cent, 50 per cent, 64 per cent, and 69 per cent for CPS, OT, ASS, AS, and A, respectively. Rate-limiting enzymes for operation of KH cycle were CPS, ASS, and AS in both normal and cirrhotic livers. Extent of loss of these three enzymes in cirrhotic liver measured in vitro correlated with reduction in maximal rate of urea synthesis and with severity of NH,CI intolerance measured in vivo. I n cirrhotic patients, plasma concentrations of urea and NH, tend to be below and above normal, respectively. We recently found the maximal rate of urea synthesis (MRIJS) in cirrhotic patients, following ingestion of casein or infusion of free amino acids, was 8 to 89 per cent of this rate in normal subjects.’ Hepatic patients whose MRIJS was less than 20 per cent of normal were usually hyperammonemic. These observations indicated that in cirrhotic patients, the pathway NH, + urea is restricted. Where is the obstruction ? Possibilities include : (1) diminished delivery of substrates (amino acids and NH,) to hepatic enzyme systems because of vascular shunting; (2) reduced activities of one or more hepatic enzymes of the Krebs-Henseleit (KH) cycle [carbamyl phosphate synthetase (CPS), ornithine transcarbamylase (CT), argininosuccinic acid synthetase (ASS), argininosuccinic acid lyase (AS), and arginase (A) ] ; (3) subnormal activity of hepatic glutamine synthetase. To investigate (2) above, we have measured activities of KH enzymes in
ELECTROPHORETIC PATTERN OF LACTIC DEHYDROGENASE IN CARRIERS AND PATIENTS WITH DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY.

THE electrophoretic pattern of the enzyme lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) is composed of several bands. These bands are believed to be different molecular forms of the enzyme and have been called ‘isozymes’1. It has been suggested that these isozymes result from various tetrameric associations of two sub-units A and B2,3 for which there is some experimental evidence4. The pattern of LDH isozymes is tissue specific5, though the pattern in fœtal tissues is usually different from that found in adult tissues6,7.
Separation and chemical characterization of finely-sized fly-ash particles

The concentrations of 43 major, minor, and trace elements were measured by x-ray fluorescence, atomic absorption, and instrumental neutron activation for nine well-defined size fractions, with mass median diameters of 0.5 ..mu.. to 50 ..mu..m, of fly ash from a western coal-fired steam plant. There was generally good agreement in concentrations of elements analyzed by more than one technique. Concentration profiles as a function of mean particle size were established for various elements. Based on the concentration profiles, the elements can be divided into three distinct groups. One group consists primarily of the volatile elements or elements partially volatilized during coal combustion (examples include As, Se, Zn, Ga, etc.), and their concentrations decrease with increasing particle size. A second group, which shows a minor or direct dependence on particle size, as in the case of Si, is apparently associated primarily with the fly-ash matrix. The last group of elements, which includes Ca, Sr, Y, and the rare earths, shows small changes in their concentration profiles with a maximum in concentration at approximately 5 ..mu..m. 6 tables, 6 figures.
EVIDENCE OF AN ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POINT MUTATIONS AND CHROMOSOME BREAKS INDUCED BY TRIETHYLENE MELAMINE IN DROSOPHILA SPERMATOZOA.

Storing of triethylene melamine-treated mature spermatozoa in untreated females was found to result in increased frequencies of both sex-linked recessive lethals and translocations involving the Y, II and III chromosomes. Frequencies of these mutations in effectively unstored spermatozoa were determined from progenies produced using sperm 2–4 days after treatment. The increase in translocation frequencies was on the order of 12-fold in progenies from sperm utilized 11–13 days after treatment when the sperm were stored at 25°C, and 3- to 6-fold when comparable sperm were stored at 12.5°C. Consistent but much smaller increases in frequencies of sex-linked lethals were found, with the increase in lethals tending to be correlated with relative increase in translocation frequency in a given experiment. On the assumption that sex-linked lethals related to chromosome breakage would be expected to increase in frequency in the same proportion as do translocations, approximate agreement was obtained when the proportions of breakage-related lethals among unstored lethals were estimated from the data in the four experimental series. The data are thus consistent with the hypothesis that chromosome breaks but not point mutations are realized during storage of treated spermatozoa. Possible interpretations of a differential effect of storage on treated chromosomes are discussed.
Corrections for self-focusing in laser-damage experiments

For sufficiently intense pulses propagating in a dielectric medium of positive nonlinear index, the axial peak intensity of an incident Gaussian beam will be enhanced, but a comprehensive expression for the self-focusing factor (SFF) of interest in assessing laser-induced breakdowns is not yet available. A simple formula derived from Marburger’s theory of self-focusing [ Prog. Quantum Electron.4, 35 ( 1975)] and suitable for numerical evaluation shows that any irradiance enhancement depends not only on the peak pulse power but also on the position of the diffraction prefocus (z0) and the length of the Rayleigh range (ZR); Soileau’s approximation [ Opt. Eng.28, 113 ( 1989), SFF ≃ 1/(1 − P/P2)] holds only if the condition z0 ≫ ZR applies. On reevaluating an earlier laser-damage experiment performed on diamond, I find that the threshold for dielectric breakdown is at 1.22 TW/cm2 for 30-ps pulses of 1.06-μm light and spot sizes of 3.92 μm (HW 1/e M) in intensity.
Clinical Validity of Central Auditory Tests

Six audiometric procedures were administered to seventy patients divided into seven groups: normal, eighth nerve, brain stem, temporal lobe, non-auditory CNS, aphasic, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Pure-tone sensitivity was equated among groups. For the eighth nerve group, performance was consistently poor for all measures. For the brain stem group, performance was consistently depressed for difficult monotic speech tasks. For the temporal lobe group, performance was most severely affected for difficult dichotic speech messages. For the aphasic group, performance was generally poor for both monotic and dichotic speech procedures. For the non-auditory CNS and ALS groups, results were normal. Inter- and intra-group variability were substantial.
Identification of HHV-8 DNA in the skin lesions of Kaposi’s sarcoma in an immunosuppressed patient with bullous pemphigoid

Abstract Kaposi's sarcoma rarely occurs as an opportunistic tumor in iatrogenically immunosuppressed patients. We describe the clinical presentation, treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma skin lesions in an immunosuppressed patient with bullous pemphigoid. Using the polymerase chain reaction, HHV-8 DNA was detected in two separate Kaposi's sarcoma lesions but not in control tissues. The amplified DNA fragments derived from our patient's Kaposi's sarcoma skin lesions contained unique point mutations that distinguished the virus isolated from Kaposi's sarcoma lesions derived from other patients. This is the first demonstration that HHV-8 DNA is associated with Kaposi's sarcoma skin lesions in an HIV-negative, immunosuppressed patient with bullous pemphigoid. HHV-8 is probably a common latent herpesvirus that is activated by immunosuppressive therapy in genetically predisposed patients and may be involved in the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1997;37:843-7.)
Mechanism by which H-2g, a glucose analog of blood group H antigen, mediates angiogenesis

The 4A11 antigen is a unique cytokine-inducible antigen up-regulated on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial endothelial cells (ECs) compared with normal ECs. Previously, we showed that in soluble form, this antigen, Lewis(y)-6/H-5-2 (Le(y)/H) or its glucose analog, 2-fucosyl lactose (H-2g), induced the expression of EC intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and leukocyte-endothelial adhesion through the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway. Currently, we show that H-2g induces release of EC angiogenic basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an effect inhibited by decoy nuclear factor kappaB (NFkappaB) oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN). JAK2 and phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) are 2 upstream kinases of NFkappaB activated by H-2g, as confirmed by an inhibitor of kappa B kinase (IKKbeta) assay. In vitro, H-2g induces vascular sprouting in the rat aortic ring model, whereas blockade of JAK2, PI3K, or NFkappaB inhibits sprouting. Likewise, in the in vivo mouse Matrigel plug angiogenesis assay, chemical inhibitors and antisense or decoy ODNs of JAK2, PI3K, or NFkappaB decrease angiogenesis, confirming the importance of these pathways in H-2g-induced EC signaling. The critical role of Le(y)/H involvement in angiogenesis and its signaling pathways may provide new targets for therapy of diseases characterized by pathologic neovascularization.
Biphasic actions of estrogen on colon cancer cell growth: possible mediation by high- and low-affinity estrogen binding sites.

The present experiments were carried out to investigate the possible direct effects of estrogens (E) on the growth of colon cancer cells. Estradiol exhibited a concentration-dependent biphasic growth effect on a mouse colon cancer cell line (MC-26). Low concentrations of estradiol (10−10 m to 10−8 m) had a growth-stimulatory effect, while higher concentrations (10−7 m to 10−6 m) were growth-inhibitory. Estrogen receptor (ER) mRNA as well as specific, saturable binding of estradiol to ER (Kd=0.3nm, Bmax=0.72 fmol/μg DNA) was identified in these cells. In addition to the classical high affinity ER, lower affinity, higher capacity estrogen binding sites (Kd=35mm, Bmax=30 fmol/μg DNA) were also characterized in MC-26 cells. These two types of estrogen binding sites exhibited distinct binding specificities for E and antiestrogens. Treatment of MC-26 cells with an oligodeoxy-nucleotide antisense to the translation start codon of ER mRNA did not alter the grown-inhibitory effect of 10−6 m estradiol, demonstrating that the growth-inhibitory effect of high concentrations of E was not mediated by ER; we have previously shown that under the same conditions, ER antisense oligonucleotides do block the growth-stimulatory effects of 10−9 m E2 in MC-26 cells. The data suggest that physiological concentrations of estradiol acting via the classical ER may have a proliferative effect on the growth of colon cancer cells. However, in situations where there are high luminal concentrations of estrogenic compounds, they may act on low affinity estrogen binding sites that mediate the growth-inhibitory effect.
Extranodal extension in regional lymph nodes is associated with outcome in patients with renal cell carcinoma

Purpose: The 2002 American Joint Committee on Cancer pN classification for renal cell carcinoma is based on the number of positive regional lymph nodes. We examined the associations of pathological features of lymph node metastases with patient outcome to improve the prognostic accuracy of the current classification.Materials and Methods: We studied the records of 2,076 patients treated with radical nephrectomy for unilateral, sporadic pM0 renal cell carcinoma between 1970 and 2000. There were 34 patients with metastasis in a single regional lymph node (pN1) and 35 with metastases in more than 1 lymph node (pN2). Pathological features of lymph node metastases, including the number and percent of positive lymph nodes, total number of lymph nodes removed, grade, necrosis, extranodal extension, and largest dimension and surface area of metastases were determined by 2 urological pathologists (HHD and JCC).Results: There was no statistically significant association between the pN classification and death from ...
Stent-Induced Arterial Flow Disturbance: Whole Vessel and Cellular Considerations

Although the use of endovascular stents has significantly reduced the incidence of restenosis following balloon angioplasty, restenosis rates remain unacceptably high (20–35% of all angioplasty procedures [1]). Placement of a stent within an arterial segment locally injures vascular endothelium thereby stimulating thrombotic responses that contribute to the development of in-stent restenosis. Recent research suggests that the local fluid mechanical environment in the vicinity of a stent impacts the rate of vessel re-endothelialization following stent-induced injury [2]. This is supported by in vitro data demonstrating that endothelial repair after injury is sensitive to fluid mechanical forces [3]. Recent in vivo data suggest that in-stent restenosis preferentially develops in arterial regions exposed to low and/or oscillatory shear stress [1]. Therefore, it is essential to establish the detailed flow environment in the vicinity of a stent and to investigate the impact of this environment on EC function.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Zinc Modulates the Interaction of Protein C and Activated Protein C with Endothelial Cell Protein C Receptor

Zinc is an essential trace element for human nutrition and is critical to the structure, stability, and function of many proteins. Zinc ions were shown to enhance activation of the intrinsic pathway of coagulation but down-regulate the extrinsic pathway of coagulation. The protein C pathway plays a key role in blood coagulation and inflammation. At present there is no information on whether zinc modulates the protein C pathway. In the present study we found that Zn2+ enhanced the binding of protein C/activated protein C (APC) to endothelial cell protein C receptor (EPCR) on endothelial cells. Binding kinetics revealed that Zn2+ increased the binding affinities of protein C/APC to EPCR. Equilibrium dialysis with 65Zn2+ revealed that Zn2+ bound to the Gla domain as well as sites outside of the Gla domain of protein C/APC. Intrinsic fluorescence measurements suggested that Zn2+ binding induces conformational changes in protein C/APC. Zn2+ binding to APC inhibited the amidolytic activity of APC, but the inhibition was reversed by Ca2+. Zn2+ increased the rate of APC generation on endothelial cells in the presence of physiological concentrations of Ca2+ but did not further enhance increased APC generation obtained in the presence of physiological concentrations of Mg2+ with Ca2+. Zn2+ had no effect on the anticoagulant activity of APC. Zn2+ enhanced APC-mediated activation of protease activated receptor 1 and p44/42 MAPK. Overall, our data show that Zn2+ binds to protein C/APC, which results in conformational changes in protein C/APC that favor their binding to EPCR.
Thwarting traceback attack on Freenet

A traceback attack was recently developed on Freenet, which can identify the originating machine of a content request message, even if a single content request message has been issued by a content retriever. The traceback attack exploited a few fine-grained design and development decisions made in Freenet, including the unique identifier (UID) based mechanism to prevent routing loops of content request messages. In this paper we develop a simple yet effective scheme named dynID to thwart the traceback attack on Freenet. In dynID, the UID associated with a content request message is dynamically changed at the beginning portion of the message forwarding path. As a consequence, an attacker can only trace back a content request message to the node where the UID value is last changed; it cannot uniquely determine the originating machine of the message. Importantly, dynID only has negligible impacts on the performance of Freenet in locating content on the network. For example, our simulation studies based on the original Freenet source code show that, for all content requests, we can successfully locate the corresponding requested content.
Effect of Carbon Dioxide on Evaporation of Water

As meteorologists probe more deeply into the physical processes involved in the growth of cloud droplets, they are rapidly led to a conclusion which physical chemists have appreciated for quite some time: the varied and unique properties of ordinary water suggest a highly complex structure much of which still remains obscure. On this point there is little disagreement. There is considerably less agreement, however, on the best way in which to re-examine some of the classical concepts on which our facile and inadequate models of liquids are based. Evidence mounts that a fresh start must be made before we can obtain a realistic and fruitful working model. In this connexion, we have chosen to scrutinize the classical concept of evaporation.
Inappropriate Medications for Elderly Patients

The use of medications is common in elderly persons, and this population has the highest risk of medication-related problems. Elderly persons are more susceptible to the effects of various medications for a number of reasons. It is well known that polypharmacy is one of the most serious problems in caring for elderly persons; however, many of these patients continue to receive medications that have an increased risk of causing harm. In 1991, an important article was published about inappropriate medication use in the elderly population. This article raised awareness of the problem and presented explicit criteria for determining which medications were inappropriate for elderly patients residing in long-term care facilities. This list of drugs is still used for evaluating medications taken by elderly persons and for determining whether satisfactory prescribing practices are being used. We reviewed the medications described as inappropriate for elderly persons and searched the scientific literature to determine whether evidence exists to defend or refute the labeling of particular drugs. At times, evidence was difficult to find, and many of the original studies were dated. For most medications listed as inappropriate, we found evidence to support these designations.
APC Activation Restores Functional CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells in NOD Mice that Can Prevent Diabetes Development

Background: Defects in APC and regulatory cells are associated with diabetes development in NOD mice. We have shown previously that NOD APC are not effective at stimulating CD4 + CD25 + regulatory cell function in vitro. We hypothesize that failure of NOD APC to properly activate CD4 + CD25 + regulatory cells in vivo could compromise their ability to control pathogenic cells, and activation of NOD APC could restore this defect, thereby preventing disease. Methodology/Principal Findings: To test these hypotheses, we used the well-documented ability of complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA), an APC activator, to prevent disease in NOD mice. Phenotype and function of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory cells from untreated and CFA-treated NOD mice were determined by FACS, and in vitro and in vivo assays. APC from these mice were also evaluated for their ability to activate regulatory cells in vitro. We have found that sick NOD CD4 + CD25 + cells expressed Foxp3 at the same percentages, but decreased levels per cell, compared to young NOD or non-NOD controls. Treatment with CFA increased Foxp3 expression in NOD cells, and also increased the percentages of CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + cells infiltrating the pancreas compared to untreated NOD mice. Moreover, CD4 + CD25 + cells from pancreatic LN of CFA-treated, but not untreated, NOD mice transferred protection from diabetes. Finally, APC isolated from CFA-treated mice increased Foxp3 and granzyme B expression as well as regulatory function by NOD CD4 + CD25 + cells in vitro compared to APC from untreated NOD mice. Conclusions/Significance: These data suggest that regulatory T cell function and ability to control pathogenic cells can be enhanced in NOD mice by activating NOD APC.
Evaluation of different training strategies to improve decision-making performance in inspection

Various studies in inspection have demonstrated the usefulness of feedforward (FF) and feedback (FB) in improving the performance of inspectors. However, the results of these studies are not conclusive as to their effect on the sensitivity and response strategy of inspectors. Hence, this study evaluates the individual and collective effect of FF and FB on the sensitivity and response strategy of the inspectors using a computer simulation of a contact lens inspection task. Twenty-four subjects, randomly assigned to various conditions, performed an inspection task wherein the FF and FB conditions were manipulated between the subjects. In addition, the defect probability and the discriminability were manipulated within the subjects. Subsequently, the results were interpreted using signal detection theory. Although feedback improved the sensitivity, a finding consistent with earlier studies, feedforward was more effective in assisting the inspectors in setting their response strategy closer to the optimum. Moreover, providing both FF and FB resulted in improved sensitivity as well as a more optimal response strategy. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Aggregate health care expenditure in the United States: evidence from cointegration tests

Unlike recent studies that are based on international cross-sectional series, this paper attempts to quantify the role of the determinants of aggregate health care expenditure per capita, using time-series data for the period of 1960–87 for the United States. The paper applies the relatively new procedures of unit root testing, cointegration and error-correction modelling. The evidence supports cointegration. Although, the results indicate that per capita income, age of the population, number of practising physicians, and public financing of health care are important determinants, the age structure of the population and number of practising physicians emerge as the major determinants of aggregate health care expenditure in the United States.
Immunohistochemical localization of epoxide hydratase in rat liver

Abstract An antibody produced against epoxide hydratase (EC 4.2.1.63) which had been purified to apparent homogeneity from hepatic microsomes of phenobarbital pretreated rats was employed in an unlabeled antibody peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique to localize the enzyme at the light microscopic level in the livers of untreated rats. Immunohistochemical staining for epoxide hydratase was detected in parenchymal cells throughout the liver lobule. Cells within the centrilobular regions, however, were observed to be stained more intensely than were those within the midzonal and periportal regions of the lobule. The results of this immunohistochemical study thus demonstrate that epoxide hydratase does not exhibit a uniform pattern of distribution within the liver lobule in untreated rats.
A systematic approach to improving intrauterine device services in family planning clinics.

Abstract Objectives To improve the quality of intrauterine device (IUD) services at Title X clinics. Study Design Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) is a step-by-step approach, adopted for healthcare, in which team members evaluate the systems and processes of a specific type of clinical care (e.g., IUD care) in order to identify practices that contribute to poor quality, unsafe, unreliable, or inefficient care. These weaknesses are termed “failures.” The FMECA uses qualitative (e.g., meetings) and quantitative (e.g., clinical operations) data to determine failure frequency and impact in order to prioritize the parts of a clinical care system or process to be redesigned and improved. An FMECA was conducted in three community-based Title X family planning clinics on the South and West Sides of Chicago, IL with all care team members; IUD clients were also interviewed regarding their visit. Clinic administrative data was also assessed to determine the frequency and impact of the identified failures. Results After combining the FMECA and clinical operations data, “critical” areas across all three clinics were: (1) client does not show up for or cancels appointment; (2) client is ineligible for an IUD insertion due to unprotected intercourse; and (3) limited time for counseling, informing, and placing IUDs. As most insertions were successful, failed IUD insertion was not considered a high-risk failure. Conclusions This process revealed that the failures most in need of improvement and redesign were the scheduling and intake processes and the lack of time for counseling during certain types of visits. Implications A systematic assessment of the underlying problems in IUD-care revealed three important issues across three clinics: (1) client does not show up for appointment or cancels appointment; (2) client recently had unprotected intercourse; and (3) limited time for counseling, informing, and placing IUDs.
Rational design of shape selective separation and catalysis-II: Mathematical model and computational studies

In our previous work [Gounaris, C.E., Floudas, C.A., Wei, J., 2006. Rational design of shape selective catalysis and separation: I. Concepts and analysis. Chemical Engineering Science, in press, doi: 10.1016/j.ces.2006.09.012], we introduced the concept of molecule projections, referred to as footprints, and briefly described rigorous criteria that define them. We also introduced the concept of strain index and showed how it can be used to identify portals that have the potential of being highly selective between two molecules. In this paper, we present in detail the mathematical formulations for the calculation of footprints and the complete mathematical model and algorithmic framework developed for the calculation of the strain index of any given molecule/portal pair. Thirty-eight molecules of interest, as well as a collection of 123 zeolite structures, involving 217 different windows, have been considered and selectivity results at ambient temperature are presented. A number of commercially interesting examples are studied in further detail, across a wide range of temperatures. It should be noted that the methodology is generic and can be applied for any pair of molecule and portal. The results indicate that there is a great potential in systems involving non-regular portals that are usually not considered in the selection process of a catalyst or molecular sieve.
Hydrolyzed Fish Muscle as a Modifier of Rice Flour Extrudate Characteristics

The effects of fish protein hydrolysis time and fish solids level on macroscopic properties of extrudates were investigated. Arrowtooth flounder muscle was autolyzed for varying times; hydrolyzed muscle was recovered, dried, blended with rice flour at varying levels, and extruded using a twin-screw extruder. Hydrolysis beyond 5 min had little effect on extrudate properties. Addition of hydrolyzed fish solids strikingly decreased the apparent density and breaking strength but increased extrudate porosity and expansion ratios. In general, the effect was greater when the level of fish solids was higher. Opposite and expected trends were observed for blends with unhydrolyzed fish solids. Fish solids level played a dominant role in increasing true density.
The Evaluation and Demonstration of Recycling Economy Development Based on the Combination of Entropy Weight and AHP

Screening four subsystems specific indicators of recycling economy development: economy, environment, society and resources, using frequency statistics analysis and expert investigation method, to establish the evaluation index system of recycling economy. Weighting by means of entropy and AHP, and taking Hebei as an example to analyze, the results of the study shows that overall development of Hebei recycling economy shows ascendant trend between 2004 and 2010. The development of each subsystem has an unstable upward trend, unstable factors are: energy comprehensive utilization rate, industrial wastewater emissions and fixed assets investment etc.
Statistical mechanical theories of the glass transition — a new perspective

The statistical mechanical functions of Gibbs and DiMarzio are briefly reviewed, and subsequent modifications of these equations by other workers are described. Then using computer analysis, three-dimensional representations of the two original expressions are developed to illustrate the overall multifunctional dependence. By recognizing that the free volume (V0) is of secondary importance but that the ratio of the dimensionless parameter (β = −ekTg) is crucial, a reduced variables plot of TgTg∞ versus 103P is introduced. From a representative data sampling, the applicability of a single curvilinear function is established along with some initial observations.