cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wigest: A Ubiquitous Wifi-based Gesture Recognition System

Motivated by freeing the user from specialized devices and leveraging natural and contextually relevant human movements, gesture recognition systems are becoming popular as a fundamental approach for providing HCI alternatives. Indeed, there is a rising trend in the adoption of gesture recognition systems into various consumer electronics and mobile devices. These systems, along with research enhancing them by exploiting the wide range of sensors available on such devices, generally adopt various techniques for recognizing gestures including computer vision, inertial sensors, ultra-sonic, and infrared. While promising, these techniques experience various limitations such as being tailored for specific applications, sensitivity to lighting, high installation and instrumentation overhead, requiring holding the mobile device, and/or requiring additional sensors to be worn or installed. We present WiGest, a ubiquitous WiFi-based hand gesture recognition system for controlling applications running on off-the-shelf WiFi-equipped devices. WiGest does not require additional sensors, is resilient to changes within the environment, and can operate in non-line-of-sight scenarios. The basic idea is to leverage the effect of the in-air hand motion on the wireless signal strength received by the device from an access point to recognize the performed gesture. As shown in Figure 1, WiGest parses combinations of signal primitives along with other parameters, such as the speed and magnitude of each primitive, to detect various gestures, which can then be mapped to distinguishable application actions. There are several challenges we address WiGest including handling noisy RSSI values due to multipath interference and other electromagnetic noise in the wireless medium; handling gesture variations and their attributes for different humans or the same human at different times; handling interference due to the motion of other people within proximity of the user's device; and finally being energy-efficient to suit mobile devices. To address these challenges, WiGest leverages different signal processing techniques that can preserve signal details while filtering out the noise and variations in the signal. We implement WiGest on off-the-shelf laptops and evaluate frequencies on the RSSI, creating a signal composed of three primitives: rising edge, falling edge, and pause. We evaluate its performance with different users in an apartment and engineering building settings. Various realistic scenarios are tested covering more than 1000 primitive actions and gestures each in the presence of interfering users in the same room as well as other people moving in the same floor during their daily life. Our results show that WiGest can detect the basic primitives with an accuracy of 90% using a single AP for distances reaching 26 ft including through-the-wall non-line-of-sight scenarios. This increases to 96% using three overheard APs, a typical case for many WiFi deployments. When evaluating the system using a multimedia player application case study, we achieve a classification accuracy of 96%.
11C-Acetate Advantage over 18F-FDG in PET Imaging of Prostate Cancer.

2817 Objectives Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men today. To help diagnose this and other types of cancers, 18F fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) has been utilized for years. The introduction of 11C-acetate PET is the newest addition to the diagnosis of prostate cancer. The purpose of this study is to determine and define the benefits of utilizing 11C acetate in imaging prostate cancer and its tracer identification of primary and or metastatic prostate cancer localization when compared to 18F-FDG. Methods Twenty-two patients took part in a dual tracer comparison study with PET imaging to be evaluated for prostate cancer. Twenty-two patients received 11C-acetate PET imaging followed seven days later by nineteen of the twenty-two patients receiving 18F-FDG PET imaging. 11C-acetate study was administered in a 740-MBq dose in the cubital vein over ten seconds followed by imaging ten to twenty minutes after injection. 18F-FDG patients were then administered 350MBq in the cubital vein over ten seconds, followed by imaging forty to sixty minutes after injection. PET images were compared to identify the accumulation of 11C-acetate and/or 18F-FDG in the region of interest. Results After the 11C-acetate and 18F-FDG imaging was concluded, an evaluation of patient images was made. All twenty-two patients recorded uptake of 11C-acetate in all primary tumors in comparison to 15 out of 19 utilizing 18F-FDG PET imaging. In addition to the higher sensitivity for 11C-acetate, it was also noted that the standardized uptake values were noticeably higher for 11C-acetate (3.27-9.87) in comparison to 18F-FDG (1.97-6.34). In this study, 11C-acetate was proven to be more sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Conclusions The introduction of 11C-acetate in PET prostate cancer imaging has been shown to be superior to 18F-FDG in acquiring higher sensitive images for prostate cancer diagnosis. The 11C-acetates ability to accumulate in the lipid pool in cancer tissues with low oxidative metabolism and high lipid synthesis makes it superior to 18F-FDG. In comparison to 18F-FDG, the increased sensitivity of uptake in 11C-acetate could prove to be the primary tracer for imaging prostate cancer in the future.
Preparing the Next Generation of After-School Educators: College Students’ Perceived Learning and Civic Engagement Associated with the CASE Program

First-year evaluation findings from the University of California, Irvine Department of Education’s Certificate in After-School Education (CASE) program are reported in this paper. The goal of CASE is to promote positive youth development in diverse learners through education and training of the after-school workforce. CASE blends instruction across five, 10-week long courses with 70+ hours of fieldwork in local after-school programs (ASPs). CASE course and fieldwork enrollment, perceived understanding of course material, multicultural education, and civic interests and engagement were measured through student surveys. Students in CASE courses report higher levels of perceived course understanding (p < .01), civic responsibility (p < .01) and empowerment (p < .05) than students in the non-CASE courses. Students enrolled in CASE courses requiring fieldwork report greater perceived course understanding (p < .01) and academic engagement (p < .01) than CASE students without fieldwork. The findings suggest the program is achieving several of its early goals.
Incidence of cardiovascular events in the real-world population of cancer patients treated with targeted therapies.

1605 Background: Population-based risks of cardiovascular events (CV) among cancer patients treated with targeted therapies (tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) or drugs with similar mechanism of act...
Placement of Internal Jugular Central Venous Catheter

The internal jugular vein is a frequent site for placement of central venous catheters. This chapter describes the indications, common technical variations, essential steps, and complications of the placement of an internal jugular central venous catheter. A detailed operative dictation note template is included. Ultrasound-guided insertion is described in Chap. 171.
Assessing Hospital Employees' Readiness for Change for a Workplace Wellness Program

The aims of this study were to measure attitudes of hospital employees towards health and healthy behaviors and provide exploratory research that will guide stakeholders in strategically planning a worksite wellness (WW) program at a Catholic hospital. Methods used included a cross-sectional study with census data from a population of employees in a hospital utilizing Prochaska’s Stages of Change to assess their readiness. Participants (N=705) were also asked to identify 1) meaningful WW incentives, 2) job stressors encountered and 3) if spirituality/religiosity played a role in their health. Using frequency and Chi-square distributions, this census survey revealed a readiness to engage in exercise, weight control and stress management. A higher engagement in positive health behaviors was seen in those who reported spirituality/religiosity, especially when involved in a spiritual/religious community. Major themes suggested that this hospital would benefit from WW incentives that target exercise, weight control and stress management and that allow employees to pursue these health goals in supportive relationships with each other. A unique holistic approach to worksite wellness, incorporating “body”, “mind”, and “spirit” is discussed and ultimately guided the interpretation and application of the survey data.
Growing interest in carbon capture and storage (CCS) for climate change mitigation

Interest in technologies associated with carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been growing rapidly in both the public and private sectors over the past five to ten years as governments, industry, a...
Gerhard Krüger and Leo Strauss: The Kant Motif

One of the persistent puzzles of Strauss scholarship is the absence in any of his published works of a thematic treatment of Immanuel Kant (The sole exception is his early dissertation on Jacobi, which includes an extensive treatment of Kant from the perspective of Jacobi’s critique. See Strauss, Das Erkenntnisproblem in der philosophischen Lehre Fr. H. Jacobis (1921)). This absence is all the more striking given Kant’s importance in shaping the intellectual milieu in which the younger Strauss was educated and against which he, along with many of his early intellectual companions, including Gerhard Kruger, Jacob Klein, Gerschom Scholem, and others, rebelled more or less explicitly. And it gives the two seminars that he dedicated to Kant, in 1958 and 1967, respectively (an additional seminar, given in the early 1950s, was evidently not recorded), (with the sole exception of his early dissertation on Jacobi) special importance for anyone wishing to better grasp Strauss’s understanding and appraisal of Kant’s thought, including the meaning of that relative public silence.
Adolescent Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction: A Comparison of the Use of Autograft Versus Allograft Hamstring.

Background:Recurrent patellar instability is commonly treated with medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFLR), and the use of allograft in anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions has ...
The Supreme Common Law Court of the United States

The U.S. Supreme Court's primary role in the history of the United States, especially in constitutional cases (and cases hovering in the universe of the Constitution), has been to limit Congress's ability to redefine and redistribute rights in a direction most people would characterize as liberal. In other words, the Supreme Court, for most of the history of the United States since the adoption of the Constitution, has been a conservative force against change and redistribution. The Court has used five distinct devices to advance its control over the law. First, it has construed rights-creating constitutional provisions narrowly when those provisions are advanced by minorities and other disadvantaged groups. Second, it has construed Congress's power to create rights narrowly, holding unconstitutional many efforts by Congress to either expand the rights of minorities and other disadvantaged groups, or to create new rights for such people. Third, the Court has construed civil rights statutes narrowly, often provoking legislative responses by Congress. Fourth, the Court has construed some constitutional provisions broadly in order to take control of areas of the law that had been thought of as within the control of the states. Fifth, the Court has expanded the scope of federal preemption of state law which results in reducing the sphere governed by state common law. While these devices do not all necessarily result in taking the law in a conservative direction, by and large that has been the use to which the Court has put them.One way in which the Court has advanced its agenda is by seizing power that, under federalism traditions, belong to state courts and state legislature. In several senses, the Supreme Court has begun to function like a Supreme Common Law Court of the United States. First, despite all of its federalism rhetoric, the Court seizes control of areas of the law that have traditionally been the domain of the states and imposes federal norms that is has created for the purpose. Second, the Court applies interpretive methods, in both constitutional and non-constitutional cases, that draw from traditional common law methodology and allow for a high degree of creativity.
Γ-Category and Ends

In this chapter we prepare the ground for our applications to problems of the k-body type, to be presented in Chapter XIV. We are chiefly motivated by the notion of neighborhoods of infinity, introduced in [8, Bahri-Rabinowitz] in their study of 3-body problems. Intuitively speaking, the neighborhoods of infinity consist of configurations of three bodies that separate into simpler clusters moving away from each other. Another approach that deals with this is that of admissible and non-admissible sets, introduced in [75, 76, 77, Majer-Terracini]. In an attempt to bring the two points of view together, we offer the concept of ends. This concept makes it possible to adopt a variational approach that depends on the use of a category theory of the relative type.
A Dose Falloff Gradient Study in RapidArc Planning of Lung Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy.

Introduction: Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) report #0813 and 0915 recommends using D2cmand R50%as plan quality metrics for evaluation of normal tissue sparing in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of lung lesion. This study introduces dose falloff gradient (DFG) as a tool for analyzing the dose beyond the planning target volume (PTV) extending into normal tissue structures. In ascertaining the impact of PTV size and SBRT planning techniques in DFG, this study questions the independence of the RTOG recommended metrics. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, 41 RapidArc lung SBRT plans with 2 or 3 complete or partial arcs were analyzed. PTV volumes ranged between 5.3 and 113 cm3 and their geographic locations were distributed in both lungs. 6MV, 6 MV-FFF, 10 MV, or 10 MV-FFF energies were used. RTOG-0915 metrics conformity index, homogeneity index, D2cm, R50%, and HDlocwere evaluated. DFG was computed from the mean and maximum dose in seven concentric 5 mm wide rings outside the PTV. DFG was investigated against the volume of normal lung irradiated by 50% isodose volume. Treatment plans with alternate energy and couch rotations were generated. Results: The dose falloff beyond PTV was modeled using a double exponential fit and evaluated for relationship with intermediate lung dose. Photon energy and beam configuration had a minimal impact on the dose falloff outside. The product of normalized D2cmand R50%was estimated to have a slowly varying value. Conclusions: Dose falloff outside PTV has been studied as a function of radial distance and ascertained by intermediate dose to normal lung. DFG can serve as a complementary plan quality metric.
Qualitative research synthesis: An appreciative and critical introduction:

This paper introduces models and techniques for synthesizing multiple qualitative studies on a topic. Qualitative research synthesis is a diverse set of methods for combining the data or the result...
Functional characterization of four ATP-binding cassette transporter A3 gene (ABCA3) variants

ABCA3 transports phospholipids across lamellar body membranes in pulmonary alveolar type II cells and is required for surfactant assembly. Rare, biallelic, pathogenic ABCA3 variants result in lethal neonatal respiratory distress syndrome and childhood interstitial lung disease. Qualitative functional characterization of ABCA3 missense variants suggests two pathogenic classes: disrupted intracellular trafficking (type I mutant) or impaired ATPase-mediated phospholipid transport into the lamellar bodies (type II mutant). We qualitatively compared wild-type (WT-ABCA3) with four uncharacterized ABCA3 variants (c.418A>C;p.Asn140His, c.3609_3611delCTT;p.Phe1203del, c.3784A>G;p.Ser1262Gly, and c.4195G>A;p.Val1399Met) in A549 cells using protein processing, colocalization with intracellular organelles, lamellar body ultrastructure, and ATPase activity. We quantitatively measured lamellar body-like vesicle diameter and intracellular ABCA3 trafficking using fluorescence-based colocalization. Three ABCA3 variants (p.Asn140His, p.Ser1262Gly, and p.Val1399Met) were processed and trafficked normally and demonstrated well-organized lamellar body-like vesicles, but had reduced ATPase activity consistent with type II mutants. P.Phe1203del was processed normally, had reduced ATPase activity, and well-organized lamellar body-like vesicles, but quantitatively colocalized with both endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomal markers, an intermediate phenotype suggesting disruption of both intracellular trafficking and phospholipid transport. All ABCA3 mutants demonstrated mean vesicle diameters smaller than WT-ABCA3. Qualitative and quantitative functional characterization of ABCA3 variants informs mechanisms of pathogenicity.
A dual-LSTM framework combining change point detection and remaining useful life prediction

Abstract Remaining Useful Life (RUL) prediction is a key task of Condition-based Maintenance (CBM). The massive data collected from multiple sensors enables monitoring the complex systems in near real-time. However, such multiple sensors data environments pose a challenging task of combining the sensor data to infer the quality and RUL of the system. To address this task, we propose a Dual-LSTM framework that leverages Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) for degradation analysis and RUL prediction. The Dual-LSTM relaxes the strong assumption of the fixed change point and detects the uncertain change point unit by unit at first. Then, the Dual-LSTM predicts the health index beyond the change point which can be leveraged to calculate the RUL. The proposed Dual-LSTM (i) achieves real-time high-precision RUL prediction by connecting the change point detection and RUL prediction with the health index construction, (ii) introduces a novel one-dimension health index function, (iii) leverages historical information to achieve detection and prediction tasks by characterizing both long and short-term dependencies of sensor signals through LSTM network. The effectiveness of the proposed Dual-LSTM framework is validated and compared to state-of-art benchmark methods on two publicly available turbofan engine degradation datasets.
Energy and Food: The Megatrend of Megatrends

This chapter introduces the core data and concepts of energy. It provides a brief history of the concept of energy and distinguishes the concept of energy from that of power. The chapter focuses on historical data for both energy consumption and spending on energy, including food, for the United Kingdom, USA, and world economies. The data provide the context for understanding both how the world economy has grown to the present time and how contemporary economic struggles relate to the rate and cost of energy consumption. The data show that in the history of mankind, the cost of energy plus food has never been cheaper than around the year 2000.
Predictive clinical exam findings in post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage.

Abstract Objectives Post tonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH) is a common complication of tonsillectomy. Our objectives were to: 1) Examine the postoperative course of patients presenting to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children (SCHC) with PTH; 2) Compare patients with and without a blood clot visualized in the tonsillar fossa at time of presentation to determine if outcomes regarding return to the operating room (OR) differ. Methods This was a retrospective chart review conducted at an academic, tertiary, pediatric hospital in an urban setting. Pediatric patients who underwent a tonsillectomy with concurrent adenoidectomy and were admitted for observation following secondary post tonsillectomy hemorrhage were reviewed. The effects of age, gender, indication, and clinical exam findings on admission on the rate of eventual return to the OR for control of hemorrhage were also analyzed. Chi-square analysis and Fisher's exact test were used to compare the significance of categorical frequencies. Results The rate of blood clot presence in our cohort was 50.9% (28/55). Return to OR rates were defined as patients who began actively hemorrhaging following admission for observation, further stratified by presence or absence of clot on admission physical exam. There was a statistically significant higher rate of return to OR in patients who presented with a clot (46.6%) on clinical exam versus no clot (18.5%) after resolved post tonsillectomy hemorrhage (p Discussion Pediatric patients presenting after resolved secondary PTH with a blood clot visualized in the tonsillar fossa are more likely to require return to the OR for hemostasis and cautery than are those without a blood clot, and this is more likely to occur within 24 h of admission. Thus, patients with a blood clot on initial presentation may benefit from admission for a 24-h observation period, while a similar observation period may be unproductive for patients without a blood clot. Conclusions Patients who present with a resolved secondary PTH and a blood clot present on clinical exam require return to the OR more often than patients presenting without a blood clot. While previously controversial, we feel that this demonstrates that a 24-h observation of a patient with a clot on exam is reasonable.
Ways of Knowing in Early Modern Germany: Johannes Praetorius as a Witness to his Time

Contents: Introduction Wondrous people: early modern diversity (Anthropodemus plutonic) Demonology and topography: locating giants and witches The global and the local: wonders in the news Gender and class: the woman's lot Conclusion Bibliography Index.
Will the Real Fundamental Difference Underlying Ideology Please Stand Up? Negativity Bias and the Preference for Coherence Among Attitudes, Communities, and Psychological States

Negativity bias explains many ideological differences, yet does not explain research such as conservatives’ greater life satisfaction. Conservatives live in safer communities, perhaps to escape negative emotions, yet display numerous other community preferences unrelated to negativity. This tendency toward cognitive consistency can explain both these phenomena and many of the phenomena described in the target article.
Is Citizen Suit Notice Jurisdictional and Why Does It Matter

The question of whether notice is jurisdictional or not has important ramifications for citizen suit Litigation. The characterization of the notice requirement as "jurisdictional" implicates the proper procedure for raising notice objections, the means of curing notice defects, the question of waiver of notice objections, and the timing of raising notice objections. This article will conduct a brief review of the caselaw concerning the jurisdictional nature (or not) of the notice requirement, a consideration of the as-yet unnoticed impact of Steel Co. on the issue, and a discussion of the procedural and litigation ramifications of characterizing the notice element as jurisdictional.
Effects of negative pressure wound therapy on healing of free full-thickness skin grafts in dogs.

Objective To compare healing of free, full-thickness, meshed skin grafts under negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) with bolster dressings in dogs. Study design Randomized, controlled experimental study, paired design. Animals Dogs (n = 5) Methods Full-thickness skin wounds (4 cm × 1.5 cm) were created bilaterally on the antebrachia of 5 dogs (n = 10). Excised skin was grafted to the contralateral limb. Grafts were randomized to NPWT or bolster dressings (control; CON). NPWT was applied continuously for 7 days. Grafts were evaluated on Days 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, and 17, biopsied on days 0, 4, 7, and 14, and had microbial culture on Day 7. Outcome variables were: time to first appearance of granulation tissue, percent graft necrosis, and percent open mesh. Significance was set at P < .05. Histologic findings, culture results, and graft appearance were reported. Results Granulation tissue appeared earlier in the NPWT grafts compared with CON grafts. Percent graft necrosis and remaining open mesh area were both greater in CON grafts compared with NPWT grafts at most time points. Histologic results showed no significant difference in all variables measured, and all cultures were negative. Conclusions Variables of graft acceptance were superior when NPWT was used in the first week post-grafting. Fibroplasia was enhanced, open meshes closed more rapidly and less graft necrosis occurred with NPWT application. More preclinical studies are required to evaluate histologic differences.
Measurement Error, Misspecification, and the Return to Foreign Education

I use unique data from the October Supplement of the Current Population Survey to show that the return to foreign education among immigrants is 3.3 percent. Previous studies generate upwardly biased estimates of this parameter because they (1) systematically misattribute domestic education as foreign education and (2) include domestic education as an endogenous control variable. The results indicate that foreign education is less portable than previously thought. Non-linear specifications indicate that the difference in the return to foreign education among immigrants and the return to domestic education among natives is limited to workers with less than twelve years of schooling.
The Role of Information Extraction for Textual CBR

The benefits of CBR methods in domains where cases are text depend on the underlying text representation. Today, most TCBR approaches are limited to the degree that they are based on efficient, but weak IR methods. These do not allow for reasoning about the similarities between cases, which is mandatory for many CBR tasks beyond text retrieval, including adaptation or argumentation. In order to carry out more advanced CBR that compares complex cases in terms of abstract indexes, NLP methods are required to derive a better case representation. This paper discusses how state-of-the-art NLP/IE methods might be used for automatically extracting relevant factual information, preserving information captured in text structure and ascertaining negation. It also presents our ongoing research on automatically deriving abstract indexing concepts from legal case texts. We report progress toward integrating IE techniques and ML for generalizing from case texts to our CBR case representation.
Ethical persuasion: the rhetoric of communication in critical care

This article reviews the ethics of rhetoric in critical care. Rational appeals in critical care fail to move patients or surrogates to a better course of action. Appeals to their emotions are considered illegitimate because they may preclude autonomous choice. This article discusses whether it is always unethical to change someone's beliefs, whether persuasive communication is inherently harmful and whether it leaves no space for voluntariness. To answer these questions, the article engages with Aristotle's work, Rhetoric. In considering whether there is a place for emotionally charged messages in a patient-provider relationship, the article intends to delineate the nature of this relationship and describe the duties this relationship implies. The article presents examples of persuasive communication used in critical care and discusses whether providers may have a duty to persuade patients. This duty is supported by the fact that doctors often influence patients' and families' choices by framing presented options. Doctors should assume responsibility in recognizing these personal and contextual influences that may influence the medical choices of their patients. They should attempt to modify these contextual factors and biases in a way that would assist patients and families in reaching the desired outcomes. The opening sections surveyed a number of definitions found in relevant literature and outlined some of the concepts included in the proposed definition. This definition helps to distinguish instances of persuasion from cases of manipulation, coercion and deception. Considering the fact that patients and families often make irrational decisions and the fact that doctors inadvertently influence their choices, the article suggested that persuasion can be a positive tool in medical communication. When patients or families clearly do not understand the risks or make decisions that contradict their long-term goals, persuasion can be used as a positive influence.
Solution-sol-gel processing of superconductors

Bulk materials and thin films of pure and homogeneous YBa2Cu3O7−x and Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x compounds were prepared by a nanocomposite solution-sol-gel (SSG) method. The superconducting oxides of YBa2Cu3O7−x and Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x were prepared at very low temperatures i.e. 750°C and 850°C, respectively by SSG method. Pellets sintered from these nanophasic sol powders showed sharp resistivity drops atT c ∼ 90°K for YBa2Cu3O7−x andT c∼67°K for Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x . Thin films were prepared using triphasic sol of Y, Ba, Cu and tetraphasic sol of Bi, Sr, Ca and Cu on MgO and SrTiO3 substrates. The triphasic sol coated on SrTiO3 substrates and calcined at 800°C for 12h showed the formation of superconducting phase, YBa2Cu3O7−x with preferred orientation along theC-axis. X-ray diffraction patterns of the Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x films on MgO substrate showed the formation of the superconducting phase with preferential orientation along the C-axis and the microwave absorption data as a function of temperature of this film revealed the onset temperature to be 90°K.
Aberrant expression of CARM1, a transcriptional coactivator of androgen receptor, in the development of prostate carcinoma and androgen-independent status.

BACKGROUND Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) is a transcriptional coactivator of the androgen receptor (AR). It is involved in the regulation of the biologic functions of the AR. It remains to be determined whether CARM1 is involved in prostatic carcinogenesis. METHODS The expression of CARM1 in normal prostate epithelium, high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), and prostate carcinoma tissue was examined in 66 previously untreated patients with prostate carcinomas, as well as 12 patients with hormone-independent prostate carcinoma, using immunohistochemical methods. RESULTS Cell staining was observed in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. In 66 patients without previous hormonal treatment, the percentage of cells that stained positively for CARM1 in benign prostate tissue specimens (mean values: cytoplasm, 23%; nucleus, 16%) was statistically significantly less than the percentage of positively stained cells in PIN (mean values: cytoplasm, 56%; nucleus, 30%; P < 0.001) and in prostatic adenocarcinoma specimens (mean values: cytoplasm, 79%; nucleus, 53%; P < 0.001). The difference between adenocarcinoma and PIN also was statistically significant (P < 0.001). The staining intensity for CARM1 was significantly lower in benign prostate tissue specimens compared with PIN and prostatic adenocarcinoma specimens (P < 0.001). In the 12 patients with androgen-independent prostatic adenocarcinoma, the expression of CARM1 was significantly increased when compared with patients without previous hormonal treatment. Expression of CARM1 was not correlated with age, Gleason score sum, pathologic stage, lymph node metastasis, extraprostatic extension, surgical margin status, vascular invasion, or perineural invasion. CONCLUSIONS The authors found that overexpression of CARM1 was involved in the development of prostate carcinoma as well as androgen-independent prostate carcinoma. Since CARM1 is functionally different from most other transcriptional coactivators of the AR, it may serve as a new target for the treatment of hormone-independent prostate carcinoma. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
First Report of an Aster Yellows Phytoplasma Associated with Cabbage in Southern Texas.

In early spring 2000 carrot crops in southwestern Texas were severely infected by an outbreak of phyllody associated with aster yellows phytoplasma. Cabbage crops that had been planted adjacent to these carrot fields began to display previously unobserved symptoms characteristic of phytoplasma infection. Symptoms included purple discoloration in leaf veins and at the outer edges of leaves on cabbage heads. Proliferation of sprouts also occurred at the base of the stem and between leaf layers of some plants, and sprouts sometimes continued to proliferate on extended stems. About 5% of cabbage plants in the field exhibited these symptoms. Two symptomless and four symptomatic cabbage heads were collected in early April from one cabbage field. Veinal tissues were stripped from each sample and used for total nucleic acid extraction. To obtain specific and sufficient amount of PCR products for analysis, nested PCR was performed by using primer pairs (first with P1/P7 followed by R16F2n/R16R2) (1,2) universal fo...
Effect of Fasting on the Activity and Turnover of Rat Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase

Alcohol dehydrogenase activity in rat liver decreased with fasting to about 60% of the fed level, but the specific activities of the enzyme purified from livers of fed and 12- or 48-hr fasted animals were similar, 3.2-3.4 U/mg protein. Therefore, the decrease in enzyme activity with fasting should have resulted from a decrease in the amount of enzyme protein. Accordingly, the turnover of alcohol dehydrogenase was examined in fed and fasted rats. The fractional rate of enzyme synthesis (ks) in fed rats was determined by radioisotopic methods to be 0.13 day-1 and it increased to 0.18 day-1 after a 12- or 48-hr fast. The absolute rate of synthesis (V) and the fractional rate of degradation (kd) were calculated from these ks values and the total enzyme content in livers from animals that were fasted for 8 to 72 hr. After 48-72 hr of fasting, V decreased 16% and kd increased about 20% with respect to the fed values. Together, these changes accounted for the lowered enzyme activity in the fasted state. The rapid decrease in enzyme activity with fasting, t1/2 congruent to 16 hr, was found to be due to a rapid increase in kd from 0.14-0.16 day-1 in fed animals to 0.61 day-1 during the first 8 hr after the initiation of fast. Thereafter, kd decreased steadily to reach 0.18 day-1 after 48-72 hr of fasting.
Induction of membrane ruffling and fluid-phase pinocytosis in quiescent fibroblasts by ras proteins

Expression of the ras oncogene is thought to be one of the contributing events in the initiation of certain types of human cancer. To determine the cellular activities that are directly triggered by ras proteins, the early consequences of microinjection of the human H-ras proteins into quiescent rat embryo fibroblasts were investigated. Within 30 minutes to 1 hour after injection, cells show a marked increase in surface ruffles and fluid-phase pinocytosis. The rapid enhancement of membrane ruffling and pinocytosis is induced by both the proto-oncogenic and the oncogenic forms of the H-ras protein. The effects produced by the oncogenic protein persist for more than 15 hours after injection, whereas the effects of the proto-oncogenic protein are short-lived, being restricted to a 3-hour interval after injection. The stimulatory effect of the ras oncogene protein on ruffling and pinocytosis is dependent on the amount of injected protein and is accompanied by an apparent stimulation of phospholipase A2 activity. These rapid changes in cell membrane activities induced by ras proteins may represent primary events in the mechanism of action of ras proteins.
Infection and revision strategies in total disc arthroplasty

Purpose Our aim was to revise the different strategies for treating an infected disc arthroplasty.
Pharmacokinetics of lithium and its regional distribution in rat brain.

Abstract The experimental evidence indicates that lithium is distributed unevenly in the brain. Among areas studied, the highest concentrations of lithium were found in the basal ganglia and the pituitary, and the lowest in spinal cord, pons and medulla.
Matching A Curved Focal Plane With CCD's: Wide Field Imaging Of Glancing Incidence X-Ray Telescopes

The design of a wide field imaging camera suitable for use with a glancing incidence X-ray telescope is complicated by the sharply concave nature of the optimum focal surface of such a telescope. Such a camera made up of a mosaic of CCDs is being designed which is intended for flight aboard the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF). The design rationale and tradeoffs are discussed, and the layout for the imaging CCD array is presented. The related issue of optimizing performance of transmission objective gratings is also discussed, and the array of CCD orientations suitable for this problem is presented.
Framework for Modeling Call Holding Time for VoIP Tandem Networks: Introducing the Call Cease Rate Function

This paper presents a new approach to modeling call holding time of VoIP traffic on tandem networks. Call holding time is a key variable of traffic engineering models, and the traditional Erlang-B model uses the negative exponential function to model call holding time. Our study of hundreds of millions of telephone calls shows that the exponential assumption is not valid for modern large-scale VoIP networks. We propose to use time-to-event analysis which consists of fitting a parametric model to the call cease rate. Then we study several probability distribution functions and compare their capability to model the VoIP call departure rate. We find that both the log-logistic and the generalized gamma distributions provide a good fit for the data. Our statistical analysis shows that the approach of call cease rate provides more accurate results than the traditional exponential and log-normal holding time models.
Heterologous immunity against Schistosoma mansoni in mice by administration of Heterobilharzia americana.

Three groups of Swiss albino mice were exposed to cercariae ofHeterobilharzia americana a mammalian schistosome in Southern United States. They were challenged at different intervals with cercariae of a Puerto Rican strain ofSchistosoma mansoni, and a fourth group (control for the first two groups) was exposed only toS. mansoni. With a patent infection (two months) ofH. americana there was a noticeable reduction of the worm recovery rates ofS. mansoni and its eggs deposited in the tissues. In the two other groups exposed simultaneously or at a 3-week interval, there was no significant reduction in the recovery rates of adultS. mansoni and the number of eggs exceeded in some cases that noted for the control group. Thus a patent infection withH. americana is necessary to confer immunity against a challenge infection withS. mansoni.
Porokeratosis‐like Changes in Chondrodermatitis Nodularis Helicis:Consequence or Coincidence?

Background: Chondrodermatitis nodularis helicis (CNH) is a condition with known predisposing factors, but of unknown etiology. A variety of opinions exist as to the cause of this condition, without consensus. Design: We reviewed 111 cases of CNH from 103 patients at our laboratory. p53 immunohistochemical staining, which is over expressed in basilar epidermal cells of porokeratosis, was performed in a representative sample of CNH cases. Histologic changes characteristic of porokeratosis were qualified as a 1) parakeratotic column of keratinocytes 2) an attenuated to absent granular layer, and 3) adjacent or underlying dyskeratosis of keratinocytes, present in columns or aggregates. Results: Porokeratosis-like changes were identified in 77 of 111 cases. p53 staining was noncontributory. Conclusion: The presence of these porokeratosis-like changes in 69% of cases is intriguing. It is not clear whether or not this could possibly represent a causative mechanism or, perhaps, an otherwise coincident histologic change. The presence of porokeratosis-like changes in CNH provides a possible hypothesis in relationship to its etiology, at the very least, it could provide some histologic clue as to the presence of this deep dermal process in superficial biopsies.
A multi-objective assessment of an air quality monitoring network using environmental, economic, and social indicators and GIS-based models

In the United States, air pollution is primarily measured by Air Quality Monitoring Networks (AQMN). These AQMNs have multiple objectives, including characterizing pollution patterns, protecting the public health, and determining compliance with air quality standards. In 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a directive that air pollution agencies assess the performance of their AQMNs. Although various methods to design and assess AQMNs exist, here we demonstrate a geographic information system (GIS)-based approach that combines environmental, economic, and social indicators through the assessment of the ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM10) networks in Maricopa County, Arizona. The assessment was conducted in three phases: (1) to evaluate the performance of the existing networks, (2) to identify areas that would benefit from the addition of new monitoring stations, and (3) to recommend changes to the AQMN. A comprehensive set of indicators was created for evaluating differing aspects o...
Dynamic solid phase microextraction sampling for reactive terpenes in the presence of ozone.

Abstract Dynamic gas sampling using solid phase microextraction (SPME) was evaluated for recovery of reactive terpenes and terpenoids in the presence of ozone. For limonene, α-terpineol and dihydromyrcenol in the 20–60 ppb range, this method achieves >80% recovery for ozone mixing ratios up to 100 ppb. Both the experimental results and a model analysis indicate that higher ozone concentrations and longer sampling times result in lower percent recovery. Typically greater than 90% recovery and ppb level method detection limits were achieved with a 5 min sample time. Increasing the flow rate from 100 to 400 sccm flow (5–20 cm s−1) through the active sampler did not significantly affect sensitivity or recovery in most cases, probably due to negligible mass-transfer improvements. The recovery for each compound improves when sampling from a mixture of different species than that from a single compound sample. This may be due to competition for ozone amongst adsorbed species. Dynamic SPME sampling can improve detection and quantification of terpenes in reactive environments, especially for low vapor pressure (
Etiology and management of single small CT lesions in patients with seizures: understanding a controversy.

Single, small (<1 cm) enhancing lesions are frequent findings on CT scans of Indian patients with seizures. These lesions have also been reported in patients from other parts ofthe world. They often resolve spontaneously and their etiology has been disputed for over a decade. Initially diagnosed in Indian patients as tuberculomas, a number of other etiologies have been suggested. More recently, based on biopsy data, we have shown that a majority of these lesions are caused by cysticercosis. This review traces the development of the controversy and reports the current understanding of their etiology
Community Reintegration for Persons with Spinal Cord Injury Living in Rural America

Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), physical, transportation, information, and health care barriers continue to impede full community reintegration for rural-living persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Lack of a health care policy that recognizes the unique needs of rural populations is particularly problematic. Innovative enterprises, such as AgrAbility, telehealth, and collaborative programs with independent living centers are few but show promise for overcoming obstacles to community reintegration and full participation among people with SCI in rural areas. Rehabilitation professionals can facilitate this process by participating in advocacy efforts, collaborating with state surveillance systems, developing innovative outreach models, and participating in research to identify and remove barriers to community reintegration.
Conservation planning, boundary-making and border terrains: The desire for forest and order in the Gran Sabana, Venezuela

Abstract Conflicts surrounding protected area management often emerge from contested processes of boundary-making. Such productions of bounded conservation spaces are contingent in part on processes of identity formation, where some social groups are legitimized as belonging to conservation units, while others are constructed as out-of-place. This article draws on the literature in postmodern geopolitics and the political ecology of fire to interrogate processes of boundary-making and identity formation in the savanna landscape of Canaima National Park, Venezuela. The institutional culture of the environmental management agency EDELCA is in part premised on narratives of history and indigeneity coupled with a desire for an imagined, forested landscape. Because of the social constructions shaping this institutional culture, the agency maintains an approach to fire management that emphasizes fire suppression. However, an ecological field study suggests that fire suppression is leading to increased fuel loads, especially in ecologically significant boundaries between grasslands and forest. Although these boundary zones are the focus of indigenous practices of prescribed burning, they fall in-between the state management categories of forest and ecotone. As a result, these interstitial spaces become theaters for performances of domination and resistance, leading to contradictory and inconsistent approaches to fire management that place gallery forests at risk.
Oxygen and Phosphorus Coordination Around Iron in Crystalline Ferric Ferrous Pyrophosphate and Iron-Phosphate Glasses with UO2 or Na2O

Fe K-edge x-ray absorption fine-structure (XAFS) measurements were performed on glass samples of (Fe3O4)0.3(P2O5)0.7 with various amounts of Na2O or UO2. Near-edge and extended XAFS regions are studied and comparisons are made to several reference compounds. We find that iron in the base glass is ∼25% divalent and that the Fe2+ coordination is predominantly octahedral, while Fe3+ sites are roughly split between tetrahedral and octahedral coordinations. Also, we measure roughly one Fe–O–P link per iron. Substitution of Na2O or UO2 up to 15 mol% primarily affects the first Fe–O shell. The results are compared to data from the related material Fe3(P2O7)2.