cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Survival, Recurrence Patterns and Adjuvant Therapy in Surgically Staged High-Grade Endometrial Cancer with Retroperitoneal Metastases

Background: We seek to evaluate the difference in recurrence patterns and survival among stage IIIC high-grade endometrial cancer treated with surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy alone, radiation therapy alone, or both (chemoradiation). Methods: A multicenter retrospective analysis of surgically staged IIIC HGEC receiving adjuvant therapy was conducted. HGEC was defined as grade 3 endometrioid adenocarcinoma, serous, clear cell and carcinosarcoma. Differences in the frequency of recurrence sites and treatment delays were identified using Pearson’s χ2 test. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated using Kaplan–Meier estimates. Results: A total of 155 patients were evaluable: 41.9% carcinosarcoma, 36.8% serous, 17.4% grade 3 and 3.9% clear cell. Of these, 67.1% received chemoradiation, 25.8% received chemotherapy and 7.1% received radiation therapy. There was no difference in the frequency of treatment delays between regimens (p = 0.571). There was a trend towards greater retroperitoneal recurrence with chemotherapy (25.9%) versus chemoradiation (8.4%) and radiation therapy (7.7%) (p = 0.252). Grade 3 tumors had improved progression-free and overall survival (26 and 42 months, respectively) versus serous (17 and 30 months, respectively), carcinosarcoma (14 and 24 months, respectively) and clear cell (24 and 30 months respectively) (p = 0.002, p < 0.001). Overall, chemoradiation was superior to chemotherapy and radiation therapy in PFS (p < 0.001) and OS (p < 0.001). Upon multivariate analysis, only histology and receipt of chemoradiation were independent predictors of survival. Conclusion: The majority of stage IIIC high-grade endometrial carcinomas recurred. Chemoradiation was associated with improved survival and less retroperitoneal recurrence. Grade 3 tumors demonstrated improved survival versus other histologies regardless of adjuvant treatment modality.
Combinatorial Optimization Approaches to Constrained Market Segmentation: An Application to Industrial Market Segmentation

Proper market segmentation schemes should address not only how to develop feasible schemes of homogeneous market segments within designated managerial, institutional, and environmental restrictions, but also how to construct such schemes simultaneously in conjunction with associated resource constraints. Current existing methodological approaches to market segmentation fall short of such development issues. This manuscript proposes an alternative approach for the construction of market segments particular to the needs and constraints for a particular application (NORMCLUS). We employ some recent developments in combinatorial optimization algorithms and heuristics in forming managerially relevant market segments. We illustrate a few aspects of this general methodology in the context of an actual industrial marketing application concerning the differential drivers of customer perceived overall quality for an electric utility company.
CORR Insights(®): Surface Damage Is Not Reduced With Highly Crosslinked Polyethylene Tibial Inserts at Short-term.

L iu and colleagues compared retrieved tibial components from TKA prostheses that incorporated either conventional polyethylene (sterilized with ethylene oxide or gamma in low oxygen) or highly crosslinked polyethylenes (XLPEs). They found only minor differences in the types and amounts of surface damage, but slightly more thinning (penetration) on the XLPE polyethylene components. There are several reasons why the long-term clinical advantages that the XLPE polyethylenes were designed to provide would not be evident as a substantial reduction in these shortterm surface damage scores. Historically, the two main weaknesses of conventional polyethylene were wear on a submicron scale, which produced billions of particles that were the primary drivers of periprosthetic osteolysis, and (for those implants sterilized with gamma radiation) oxidative degradation that markedly weakened the polyethylene, potentially leading to fatigue wear and/or component fracture. Wear on the submicron scale results in polishing (burnishing) of the surface and thinning of the polyethylene component [5]. However, as Liu et al. note, thinning during the first few years in vivo is due primarily to creep deformation, which does not involve wear [7] and the initial (creep) thinning of an XLPE tibial plateau is expected to be comparable to, or slightly greater than, that of a conventional polyethylene plateau. Consequently, based the wear rates measured in knee simulator studies [3, 6, 9], the portion of the total thinning after 44 months or less in vivo that is due to debris-producing wear would likely be too small with either type of polyethylene for the difference between the two to be measured using the methods of Liu et al. The authors of the current study also report no delamination damage with XLPE or conventional polyethylene. Delamination can result from substantial oxidative degradation [8] and has been observed with XLPE tibial plateaus that were sequentially annealed (rather than remelted) [4]. This CORR Insights is a commentary on the article ‘‘Surface Damage Is Not Reduced With Highly Crosslinked Polyethylene Tibial Inserts at Short-term’’ by Liu and colleagues available at: DOI:10.1007/s11999-0154344-4. One of the authors (HAM) certifies that he has received or may receive patent arrangement benefits from DePuy Orthopaedics Inc, (Warsaw, IN, USA), and grants and personal fees from Depuy Orthopaedics Inc, outside the submitted work. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. The opinions expressed are those of the writer, and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR or The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons. This CORR Insights comment refers to the article available at DOI:10.1007/s11999-0154344-4. H. A. McKellop PhD (&) UCLA & OIC Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopaedic Institute for Children, 403 West Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007-2664, USA e-mail: HMcKellop@mednet.ucla.edu
Bead-based Fiber-Optic Arrays

Standard DNA microarray technology has revolutionized the large-scale study of gene expression and genotyping. In this TechView, David Walt discusses the design of a new microarray technology that uses etched optical fibers and microspheres tagged with fluorescent DNA probes.
On illumination invariant image indexing from compressed domain using XYX-LUV transform

In our previous work, illumination invariant object recognition has been achieved efficiently and effectively by normalizing the three color bands. We further employed the compressed histogram of the chromaticity to arrive at a valuable representation of the object which can facilitate high recognition precision. The shortcoming of this method lies in the usage of uniform quantization scheme in obtaining the chromaticity, which is not in agreement with the human vision system. In this paper, we endeavor to use the XYZ-LUV transform to circumvent this problem. Furthermore, instead of using the uncompressed image to achieve the illumination invariant recognition, we conduct our coding directly in the DCT domain by using several coefficients for each macroblock. Desirable results have been observed through our preliminary experiments.
Measures of Association

Pearson’s correlation coefficient, ρ, introduced in Chapter 6, is ubiquitous in applied research. It is employed even more than the least-squares estimate of the slope of a regression line and often is the lone tool used to detect and describe an association between two variables. As is evident from results covered in previous chapters, the estimate of ρ, r, can miss important associ- ations. And even if the value of ρ could be determined exactly, its value can be relatively unrevealing. The goal in this chapter is to introduce some new tools for detecting and describing the association between variables that deal with some of the practical problems associated with r. But first we look more closely at how r and ρ are interpreted and the features of data that influence their values.
Evaluation and Medical Management of Kidney Stones

Urolithiasis is extremely common in Western societies, developing in up to 10% of men and 3% of women during their lifetimes (1,2). The majority of stones (70–80%) are composed of calcium oxalate, either alone or admixed with calcium phosphate (3). In many but not all individuals, the formation of calcium oxalate stones is associated with one or more urinary risk factors that include low urine volume, low pH, hypercalciuria, hyperuricosuria, or hyperoxaluria. Calcium phosphate is also a common constituent of stones, present to some extent in up to 80% (4). However, less than 20% of stones are composed of more than half calcium phosphate, and pure calcium phosphate stones are rare, often seen in association with disorders of urinary acidification. Another 10% of stones are composed of uric acid, with or without a concurrent history of gout, or a mixture of uric acid and calcium oxalate. A similar percentage (10%) is composed of struvite, which develops in association with urinary tract infection caused by urease producing organisms, most often the Proteus species. Cystine stones comprise the remainder, probably no more than 1%, and arise only in patients with the autosomalrecessive disorder of cystinuria.
Amazing Waste: Tax Subsidies to Qualified Retirement Plans

The proposal would repeal the tax advantages given to qualified retirement plans. Qualified plans are ineffective or counterproductive for their given rationales, which makes them a rich source of revenue when the United States needs money. Johnson argues that qualified plans provide a safety net where there is little need for it and provide no safety net where it is needed. Qualified plans are said to improve the value of a dollar by moving it from high-income working years to low-income retirement years. However, the tax advantages are distributed under a reverse-Robin Hood pattern to high income groups (many with soaring salaries) and by negating the tax brackets. That distribution of benefits can be expected to reduce the utility of a dollar. Qualified plans are said to be an incentive for savings, but when government cost and deficits are considered, the plans reduce net national savings. It would be cost free and effective to increase retirement savings by mandating savings for retirement by imposing default rules without a tax subsidy. The proposal is offered as a part of the Shelf Project, a collaboration of tax professionals developing methods of raising revenue in ways that improve the fairness and efficiency of the tax base. Revenue raising is not on the political agenda, but inevitably it will be. The Shelf Project has 74 proposals so far.
Termination of shock as a secondary reinforcer: The effect of replications

Ten white rats were conditioned to press a bar for sucrose solution and an auditory stimulus. This auditory stimulus was later paired with the termination of unavoidable electric shock. A control group received only the shock. These animals were retested in the operant situation under conditions of extinction, but with the tone present as a conditioned reinforcer. This procedure was replicated three times. The results indicated that the positively reinforcing effect of the auditory stimulus is a function of both the number of contiguous associations of the auditory stimulus with the termination of electric shock and the time interval over which they are distributed.
Biocatalytic reduction of short-chain carboxylic acids into their corresponding alcohols with syngas fermentation.

Short-chain carboxylic acids generated by various mixed- or pure-culture fermentation processes have been considered valuable precursors for production of bioalcohols. While conversion of carboxylic acids into alcohols is routinely performed with catalytic hydrogenation or with strong chemical reducing agents, here, a biological conversion route was explored. The potential of carboxydotrophic bacteria, such as Clostridium ljungdahlii and Clostridium ragsdalei, as biocatalysts for conversion of short-chain carboxylic acids into alcohols, using syngas as a source of electrons and energy is demonstrated. Acetic acid, propionic acid, n-butyric acid, isobutyric acid, n-valeric acid, and n-caproic acid were converted into their corresponding alcohols. Furthermore, biomass yields and fermentation stoichiometry from the experimental data were modeled to determine how much metabolic energy C. ljungdahlii generated during syngas fermentation. An ATP yield of 0.4–0.5 mol of ATP per mol CO consumed was calculated in the presence of hydrogen. The ratio of protons pumped across the cell membrane versus electrons transferred from ferredoxin to NAD+ via the Rnf complex is suggested to be 1.0. Based on these results, we provide suggestions how n-butyric acid to n-butanol conversion via syngas fermentation can be further improved. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1066–1077. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Revolutionary Teamsters: The Minneapolis Truckers' Strikes of 1934

In 1934, despite high unemployment, American workers launched a series of surprisingly audacious and successful strikes led by committed revolutionary leftists, involving massive violent street con...
A Transplantable Sorting Signal That Is Sufficient to Mediate Rapid Recycling of G Protein-coupled Receptors

The beta(2)-adrenergic receptor and delta opioid receptor represent distinct G protein-coupled receptors that undergo agonist-induced endocytosis via clathrin-coated pits but differ significantly in their postendocytic sorting between recycling and degradative membrane pathways, respectively. Previous results indicate that a distal portion of the carboxyl-terminal cytoplasmic domain of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor, which engages in PDZ domain-mediated protein interaction, is required for efficient recycling of receptors after agonist-induced endocytosis. Here we demonstrate that a four-residue sequence (DSLL) comprising the core of this protein interaction domain functions as a transplantable endocytic sorting signal that is sufficient to re-route endocytosed delta opioid receptor into a rapid recycling pathway, to inhibit proteolytic down-regulation of receptors, and to mediate receptor-autonomous sorting of mutant receptors from the wild type allele when co-expressed in the same cells. These observations define a transplantable signal mediating rapid recycling of a heterologous G protein-coupled receptor, and they suggest that rapid recycling of certain membrane proteins does not occur by bulk membrane flow but is instead mediated by a specific endocytic sorting mechanism.
From information to intentionality

Arabella believes that her cat, Glendower, wants to go out. Her belief has representational and semantic features. It is about Glendower; it represents him as wanting to go out, and it has truth conditions. Her belief also has causal and rationalizing powers. She opens the door because she believes Glendower wants to go out. If we think that Arabella and other believers are physical entities we are led to wonder how it is possible for a physical thing, whether it is composed of cells or micro chips, to have beliefs, desires and other propositional atti tudes. This is the problem of intentionality. It has proved to be a very difficult problem. The source of the difficulty is that intentional and semantic concepts, reference, truth conditions, meaning etc. make no appearance in biological or physical theory. Additionally, beliefs have a normative dimension. They are assessible as correct or incorrect, rational or irrational. But the descriptions which occur in physical theory apparently are nonnormative. How can states which not only can represent but also misrepresent be captured in physical theory? The challenge for a philosopher who holds that intentionality is part of the natural order is just this: To show how it can be that certain physical states are capable of representation and misrepresenta tion and then to show how such states enter into the causation of behavior.
Salvage radiotherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer

For patients undergoing radical prostatectomy for prostate adenocarcinoma, the most common cause of failure is an asymptomatic increase in levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Salvage radiotherapy (RT) to the prostate bed has been used when there is no clinical evidence of metastatic disease. However, this is still not widely accepted because there is currently no consensus on the optimal management of an isolated PSA failure. Salvage RT given in a select group of patients is effective, with a 70% to 80% biochemical response rate and a long-term biochemical control rate as high as 35% to 40%. These data indicate that RT offers a substantial risk of curative salvage of patients who fail radical prostatectomy. Although there is interest in studying investigational modalities (eg, vaccine therapy) among patients with asymptomatic, PSA-detected recurrences after surgery, caution must be applied, and treatment modalities with known curative potential (ie, RT) should be used before noncurative techniques are attempted. This article outlines the rationale, results, and toxicity of salvage RT for an asymptomatic increase in PSA levels, with emphasis on identifying patients with favorable prognostic factors with higher rates of long-term biochemical control with local treatment.
NEURAL NETWORK MODEL OF ON-OFF UNITS IN THE FLY VISUAL SYSTEM : SIMULATIONS OF DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR

We analyze the dynamic properties of a neural network model for on-off spiking neurons recorded in the first optic chiasm of the fly visual system. The model consists of two parallel pathways and three sequential processing stages. The first stage models photoreceptors. At the second stage, the signal is segregated into on- and off-pathways. These pathways are proposed to correspond to two populations of amacrine cells. At the third stage, the on- and off-pathways converge to on-off neurons. Furthermore, according to the model, on-off neurons interact via recurrent connections. This stage is proposed to correspond to lamina L4 neurons. In response to luminance increments and decrements, the model exhibits a three-component response and suggests pathways for each of the components. When stimulated by a train of pulses, the model exhibits fast adaptation for frequencies higher than about 5 Hz. Furthermore, adaptation to on- and off-pulses occurs independently. When the frequency of stimulation is reduced, the unit recovers rapidly from its adapted state. The temporal modulation transfer function has its peak around 7 Hz. The phase characteristics show a phase lead for low temporal frequencies changing to a phase lag for high frequencies. These model predictions are compared with data from Jansonius and van Hateren (1991).
Greenway Accessibility and Physical Activity Behavior

Public health initiatives have made important but relatively modest gains through individual-level and nonecological health-promotion efforts aimed at increasing physical activity. The previously overlooked built environment is now being considered as facilitating or hindering one's ability to be active. The multiuse greenway is an example of a facility that can support physical activity, but its level of use may be influenced by the accessibility characteristics of the areas surrounding the greenway. In this study, an unobtrusive methodology using GPS and GIS technology was employed to test whether two variables used to measure accessibility, proximity (population density) and opportunities (land-use mixture), predicted the use of greenway segments. The results presented here allow us to confirm that smaller walking and bicycling scales of analysis are better predictors of physical-activity behavior. The results also suggest that solely bringing environmental support for physical activity closer to conce...
Oxygen advection and diffusion in a three-dimensional vascular anatomical network

There is an increasing need for quantitative and computationally affordable models for analyzing tissue metabolism and hemodynamics in microvascular networks. In this work, we develop a hybrid model to solve for the time-varying oxygen advection-diffusion equation in the vessels and tissue. To obtain a three-dimensional temporal evolution of tissue oxygen concentration for realistic complex vessel networks, we used a graph-based advection model combined with a finite-element based diffusion model and an implicit time-advancing scheme. We validated this algorithm for both static and dynamic conditions. We also applied it to a complex vascular network obtained from a rodent somatosensory cortex. Qualitative agreement was found with in-vivo experiments.
Dissecting Systemic Control of Metabolism and Aging in the NAD World: The Importance of SIRT1 and NAMPT-mediated NAD Biosynthesis

Many countries are facing social and economic problems due to increased elderly demographics. With these demands, it is now critical to understand the fundamental regulatory mechanism for aging and longevity in mammals. Our studies on the mammalian NAD-dependent deacetylase SIRT1 and nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT)-mediated systemic NAD biosynthesis led us to propose a comprehensive model for the systemic regulatory network connecting metabolism and aging, termed the “NAD World”. In this article, I will discuss the importance of SIRT1 and NAMPT-mediated NAD biosynthesis in the NAD World and the system dynamics of this hierarchical network for the connection between metabolism and aging.
The leucocytes and leucocytopoietic organs of an oligochaete, pheretima indica (Horst)

The perivisceral fluid of Pheretima indica (Horst) contains five types of leucocytes: lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes, lamprocytes, and linocytes. The granulocytes differentiate either from free lymphocytes, from peritoneal epithelial cells lining the leucocytopoietic organs, or from lymphocytes (hemocytoblasts) embedded in these organs. The lymphocyte is a hemocytoblast. The eosinophilic granulocyte is the most numerous of the several types of granulocytes. Morphologically and tinctorially, it resembles the eosinophil of fishes. The eosinophil granule is thought to arise either by a ripening of a basophil granule and to pass through a metachromatic phase during this process, or by being formed immediately without such a ripening process in small hemocytoblasts. The stimulus for the excessive production of eosinophils is thought to be the degree of infection of the leucocytopoietic organs by a species of the gregarine, Monocystis. A series of segmentally arranged leucocytopoietic organs is described for the first time in the oligochaetes. These organs are essentially foldings of the septa and offer sacculations in which leucocytopoiesis may take place. A discussion of the possible phylogeny of the hemocytopoietic organs of the invertebrates and vertebrates is given.
A planning-centred approach to project evaluation: Women in mainstream development projects

This article describes the process and outcomes of a “planning-centred” approach to three development projects in the Caribbean. A planning-centred approach to research involves the collaboration of planners and researchers in evaluation research, special attention to the dissemination and use of information and the promotion of contact between planners, sector specialists and recipients of development plans. The planning-centred approach to research is also conducive to understanding the role of gender in distributive processes. The paper describes the methodology of this form of project evaluation, alternative evaluation procedures and selected evaluation guidelines used by the agencies involved in the three Caribbean projects. The outcomes of a planning-centred approach are assessed. In the Caribbean projects the approach resulted in the better use of research information, better communication among planners, officials and project participants, greater sensitivity to women's participation in development and improved consciousness of the significance of gender for redistribute development programmes.
Anticipated Inflation and Unanticipated Price Change: A Test of the Price-Specie Flow Theory and the Phillips Curve

The Phillips curve is widely accepted as the maintained theory of inflation. In the standard version of the theory current inflation depends on some measure of anticipated inflation and on the deviation of current output from full-employment output. Most recent studies of inflation report the continuing search for variables that increase the accuracy with which the theory predicts or forecasts. Recent surveys by Laidler and Parkin [15] and by Gordon [11] summarize these developments. An entirely different direction has been taken by Lucas [17, 19, 20] and Phelps [25]. These authors seek to provide a firm micro-foundation for the relation.
Covering by complements of subspaces

Let V be an n-dimensional vector space over a field F. We attempt to determine the least positive integer γ=(k, n, F) for which there exists a family U1 U2 ,⋯,Uγ of k-dimensional subspaces of V such that for every (n−k)-dimensional subspace W of V there is an ie{1,2,⋯,γ} satisfying Ui ⨷W=V. We find upper and lower bounds for γ{k, n, F). In a few special cases we find exact values.
Controlling macrovoid formation in wet-spun polyaniline fibers

The mesoscopic morphology of wet-spun polyaniline fibers determines their mechanical strength. Macrovoid formation in the coagulation bath is responsible for poor mechanical properties of these fibers. The effects of polymer concentration, coagulation bath temperature, polymer molecular weight and coagulant on the morphology of wet-spun polyaniline fibers have been investigated. The fibers were spun from concentrated solutions of low/medium and medium molecular weight emeraldine base dissolved in N-methyl-2- pyrrolidinone containing heptamethyleneimine as a gel inhibitor. The impact of the fiber morphology on the mechanical properties of the fibers prepared under different conditions is studied. A wet-spinning method, which minimizes macrovoid formation in the polyaniline fiber, is reported, and consequently the strength of the unstretched polyaniline fibers increased dramatically.
The Effectiveness of Mutual Aid Learning Communities in Online MSW Practice Courses.

Online social work education has grown rapidly in recent years, and practice courses now are frequently taught online. The present study contributes to the growing body of knowledge regarding best practices in online social work education by examining the effects of small-group learning communities on student learning and on student satisfaction in an online MSW practice course. Findings indicate that online MSW students participating in learning communities viewed the learning communities as useful, had higher levels of student satisfaction with the course, and demonstrated greater learning of course content than online MSW students participating only on one general discussion board.
TEXTUAL CONCEPT CRITICAL ANALYSIS: TOWARD A RESEARCH APPROACH FOR LANGUAGE STUDIES

When the International Society for Language Studies (ISLS) was founded in 2002 and the journal that is now Critical Inquiry in Language Studies (CILS) was in the planning stages, we recognized a need for an interdisciplinary, or perhaps even transdisciplinary (see Kaufman, Moss, & Osborn, 2003), venue for the publication of research on language issues that came from a variety of critical and power-based perspectives. At the same time, there was an intentionality about exploring the development of research methodologies that would be both rigorous and accessible. In the six volumes of CILS that have appeared since its founding, however, this latter goal has remained elusive. In this article, we seek to outline a protocol that we hope will begin a broader conversation to develop this important but still overlooked area.
Historical Monitoring of Biomarkers of PAH Exposure of Brown Bullhead in the Remediated Black River and the Cuyahoga River, Ohio

Abstract Biomarkers of exposure to chemical contamination, benzo[a]pyrene (BAP)- and naphthalene (NAPH)-type metabolites, were measured in brown bullhead from a heavily polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contaminated section of the Black River, Ohio, during and immediately after remedial sediment dredging in 1990–1991, and in follow-up revisits in 1993 and 1998. Biomarker levels of bullhead from the historically polluted Cuyahoga River and the protected Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Sanctuary in Ohio were also measured over the same time periods. PAH-bile metabolite concentrations of bullheads from the Black River were still elevated in the year following dredging, but were significantly lower in the later resampling years. Metabolite concentrations of Cuyahoga River bullhead decreased significantly between 1991 and 1993, possibly in response to the shutdown of coking operations on the river. Fish from Old Woman Creek showed some variation in metabolite concentrations among periods, but were consistently lower than the other two rivers at each time. Measurement of bile metabolites proved an effective tool for estimating changes in exposure over time and among sampling sites. Trends in biomarkers indicated lowered exposures in the Black and Cuyahoga Rivers. These findings are likely a result of remediation activities in the Black River and source reduction and incidental sediment displacement in the Cuyahoga River.
Does Self-Rated Health Mean the Same Thing Across Socioeconomic Groups? Evidence From Biomarker Data

Purpose Self-rated health (SRH) is widely used to study health inequalities by socioeconomic status (SES), but concern has arisen that SRH may not correspond to objective health in the same way for different SES groups. We test whether levels of biological risk differ by SES for those with the same SRH. Methods We analyzed a U.S. nationally representative sample of 13,877 adults aged 25 to 80 years. We tested whether education modifies the association between SRH and 14 biomarkers representing metabolic, cardiovascular, inflammatory, and organ function using both interaction models and models stratified by four levels of SRH. Estimated education coefficients in the stratified models indicated whether biomarker levels varied by educational attainment within a given self-rated health category. Results Significant variation in biological risk by education within the same self-rated health category was found, especially at higher levels of SRH. In general, respondents with more education had healthier levels of biomarkers for the same level of SRH. Conclusions The results suggest that the relation of self-reported health to objective health, as measured by biological risk factors, differs by socioeconomic status. Caution should be exercised when using SRH to compare health risks across SES groups.
Evaluating the Rarity of Handwriting Formations

Identifying unusual or unique characteristics of an observed sample in useful in forensics in general and handwriting analysis in particular. Rarity is formulated as the probability of letter formations characterized by a set of features. Modeling the distribution as a probabilistic graphical model several probabilities are inferred: the probability of random correspondence (PRC) as a measure of the discriminatory power of the characteristics, conditional PRC associated with a given sample and the probability of finding a similar one within tolerance in a database of given size. Using the most commonly occurring letter pair "th" and characteristics specified by questioned document examiners, the highest probability formation and low probability formations in a database are determined. Computational issues in scaling the methods are discussed.
Shear oscillation light scattering of droplet deformation and reconfiguration in concentrated emulsions

Large strain-amplitude oscillatory shear flows can cause significant structural changes in concentrated suspensions of deformable colloidal spheres that have volume fractions exceeding the quiescent jamming limit of hard solid spheres. In contrast to hard spheres, which can jam, lock-up, and even break fixed-gap shearing devices, droplets can readily deform and remain lubricated. By introducing shear oscillation light scattering, we explore how shear-induced droplet deformation facilitates un-jamming, ordering, disordering, and re-jamming of uniform concentrated droplets as a function of the amplitude, frequency, and phase of an applied oscillatory shear.
On Sterba’s Argument from Rationality to Morality

James Sterba argues for morality as a principled compromise between self-regarding and other-regarding reasons (Morality as Compromise) and that either egoists or altruists, who always give overriding weight to self-regarding and other-reasons, respectively, can be shown to beg the question against morality. He concludes that moral conduct is “rationally required.” Sterba’s dialectic assumes that both egoists and altruists accept that both self-regarding and other-regarding considerations are genuine pro tanto reasons, but then hold that their respective reasons always outweigh. Against this, I argue that egoists would most plausibly deny that non-self-regarding considerations have even pro tanto weight. I argue, also, that even if both sides grant the pro tanto weight of their opponent’s reasons, Sterba is mistaken in holding that only Morality as Compromise provides a “non-question-begging resolution” of what it is rational to do when self-regarding and other-regarding reasons conflict, since it might be that it is rational to act on either. It might be that the weightiest self-regarding and the weightiest other-regarding reasons in the case are both sufficient reasons for acting without either being conclusive. The essay ends with a sketch of arguments against egoism that I take to be more plausible than Sterba’s. As I have argued elsewhere, what makes an agent’s own welfare or her own concerns or interests normative for her simultaneously makes them normative for others as well.
An Academic Clinician’s Perspective on the Care of the Geriatric Patient

This paper discusses the role that the personal history plays in a patient's perception of his or her own illness in the light of the patient's own personal history. It demonstrates the regrettable modern tendency to regards the patient as the "bearer of a disease" rather than as a human being with personal values and experiences into which their current illness needs to be integrated. I illustrate my point by an exchange between a student and an "attending" and the "attending" and the patient. It represents only one out of unfortunately many such instances in which the pressures of "managed care" and "efficiency" have made truly knowing the patient as an individual with life experiences and personal values much more difficult.
Derailing heterotopic ossification and RARing to go.

Retinoic acid receptors inhibit chondrogenesis, but their ability to block the cartilaginous scaffold of heterotopic endochondral ossification has not been explored. A study in mice shows that agonists of retinoic acid receptor-γ potently inhibit heterotopic endochondral ossification, suggesting therapeutic potential in people with this condition (pages 454–460).
Impact Of Childhood Obesity On Employers

The impact of childhood obesity on the workplace is not well understood. A study conducted for one large employer indicated that average per capita health insurance claims costs were as high as $2,907 in 2008 for an obese child and $10,789 for a child with type II diabetes. The average claims cost for children with type II diabetes actually exceeded the level of the average claims cost for adults with type II diabetes ($8,844). This paper reviews the evidence on the impact of childhood obesity on employers and discusses opportunities for business engagement—including two current examples of activities involving employers.
Particulate and dissolved trace metals in Lake Ontario

Abstract Particulate metal concentrations in the nearshore waters of Lake Ontario have been determined to be 690 ng l −1 for Cu; 40 ng l −1 for Cd; 180 ng l −1 for Ni; 1690 ng l −1 for Zn; 2100 ng l −1 for Mn; and 700 μg l −1 for Fe. These values are considerably higher than the particulate metal concentrations in the offshore waters: 130, 8, 34, 230, 110, 260 and 9000 ng l −1 for Cu, Cd, Ni, Zn, Pb, Mn and Fe respectively. In general, 50–80% of the Cu, 10–40% of the Ni, 20–60% of the Cd and >60% of the Pb in the lake water were bound to the suspended particulates. From the standing crop of the particulate metals and the estimated rates of their deposition on the lake bottom, the residence times of the particulate metals in the lake water column have been estimated to be about 0.5 yr. on the average. The suggestion is made that particulate organic matter may be an important vehicle for metal transport to the Lake Ontario sediments.
Some Universals of Social Behavior

A universal theory of social behavior that might emerge in the next several years of social and personality psychology is explored. The paper emphasizes that there is already some solid information about universals of social behavior. The final theory that will emerge may well show social behavior under the influence of fundamental attitudes and values, filtered by a person's conceptions of what she or he is capable of doing and what he or she considers appropriate and pleasant to do, and likely to lead to desired goal states.
A comparative strength study of metal ceramic and all-ceramic esthetic materials: Modulus of rupture

Abstract The modulus of rupture for three metal ceramics and five all-ceramic substructures with and without veneer porcelain was compared. Support of the veneer porcelain was directly related to the modulus of elasticity and not to the strength of the substructure material. The higher the modulus of elasticity, the greater was the strength of the veneered restoration. For each 1 × 10 6 increase in the modulus there was a corresponding 1040 psi increase in strength. The veneered allceramics had 45% to 70% of the strength of the metal ceramic restorations. The veneered nonprecious and gold-palladium metal ceramic test bars were significantly stronger than any veneered all-ceramic material.
Stefan Number-Insensitive Numerical Simulation of the Enthalpy Method for Stefan Problems Using the Space-Time CE/SE Method

An improvement is introduced to the conservation element and solution element (CE/SE) phase-change scheme presented previously. The improvement addresses a well-known weakness in numerical simulations of the enthalpy method when the Stefan number (the ratio of sensible to latent heat) is small (less than 0.1). Behavior of the improved scheme, at the limit of small Stefan numbers, is studied and compared with that of the original scheme. It is shown that high dissipative errors, associated with small Stefan numbers, do not occur using the new scheme.
MSM and Drug Use: A Latent Class Analysis of Drug Use and Related Sexual Risk Behaviors

This study examined patterns of drug use among gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) to identify sub-categories of men whose drug use and sexual behavior place them at especially high risk for HIV. A latent class analysis of a sample of MSM yielded a four-class model with two distinct high drug use sub-groups: one whose drug use concentrated on “sex-drugs” (SDU); and a distinct polydrug use class that showed higher probabilities of using all other drugs assessed. Comparative follow-up analyses indicated the SDU group was also more likely to engage in particular potentially high-risk sexual behaviors, be older, and to be HIV positive. Implications of distinguishing between patterns of drug use for HIV-risk prevention efforts with MSM are discussed.
Dispute domains : organizational contexts and dispute processing

Les AA. decrivent les differents contextes au cours desquels des disputes organisationnelles emergent et sont modelees par les «domaines de dispute». Ils etudient ces differents domaines en l'occurrence les presupposes, les differents vocabulaires, les orientations, les themes, les types de contraintes qui circonscrivent l'interaction conflictuelle. Dans le cadre organisationnel les disputes sont transformees lorsqu'elles sont transportees d'un domaine dans un autre. Ils examinent ces phenomenes de transformation dans le cadre de l'etude de conflits entre des clients et les membres du personnel d'une organisation
Inertia-preserving secant updates

A class of rank-two, inertia-preserving updates for symmetric matricesHc is studied. To ensure that inertia is preserved, the updates are chosen to be of the formH+=FHcFt, whereF=I+qrt, withq andr selected so that the secant equation is satisfied. A characterization is given for all such updates. Using a parameterization of this family of updates, the connection between them and the Broyden class of updates is established. Also, parameter selection criteria that can be used to choose the optimally conditioned update or the update closest to the SR1 update are discussed.
Health care reform in the United States: Implications for the elderly

Abstract When and if the United States develops health reform that systematically addresses long-term care needs remains highly speculative. Issues of universal access, funding and most importantly cost containment will undoubtedly dominate any future health care deliberations. This article (1) outlines the major problems associated with the introduction of universal access to health care services; (2) develops a set of analytical concepts with which to examine the suggestions for providing and funding universal access without major cost increases; and (3) explores the political difficulties involved in changing the existing health care system. The article concludes that the State will continue to be limited in its ability to intervene on behalf of the elderly and the interests of the medical industrial complex will continue to prevail. Therefore, “patchwork” coverage will remain a fixture in the United States with increasing dependence on private-for-profit HMOs to provide medical care services.
Galactosemia: Symptomatic and asymptomatic homozygotes in one Negro sibship†

The case histories of 2 Negro brothers are presented. Neither child hasgalactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase activity in his circulating red cells, and thus each fulfills the laboratory criterion for the diagnosis of congenital galactosemia. One sibling demonstrated a classic galactosemic picture in infancy, while the other brother has never exhibited any signs or symptoms which could be attributed to galactosemia. Metabolic studies on the asymptomatic brother appear to place him in a subgroup of atypical “galactosemic patients,” as previously delineated by Segal and co-workers.5
Recent Advances in Indoor Chemistry

Just as the chemistry creates urban smog and aerosols that influence climate change, chemistry in building air can alter the indoor environment for better or worse. This review focuses on chemical pathways initiated by oxidants that infiltrate from outdoor air and other indoor-sourced reactants and surfaces that make these environments unique chemical reactors. Ozone reacts with fragrance molecules, tobacco smoke residues, and even human skin oils to generate a host of oxidized organic compounds, secondary organic aerosols, and irritants. Nitrous acid is formed on indoor surfaces and is subsequently cleaved by even the relatively dim light indoor. This raises the indoor concentration of the highly reactive hydroxyl radical. Nitrous acid can also react with tobacco smoke residue to form carcinogenic nitrosamines. Some seek to harness this chemistry to help reduce indoor concentrations of unwanted indoor pollutants using novel surface coatings, but controlling that chemistry is challenging.
Assessing Self-Regulation as a Cyclical, Context-Specific Phenomenon: Overview and Analysis of SRL Microanalytic Protocols

The primary purpose of this paper is to review relevant research related to the use of an assessment technique, called Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) Microanalysis. This structured interview is grounded in social-cognitive theory and research and thus seeks to evaluate students' regulatory processes as they engage in well-defined academic or nonacademic tasks and activities. We illustrate the essential features of this contextualized assessment approach and detail a simple five-step process that researchers can use to apply this approach to their work. Example questions and administration procedures for five key self-regulation subprocesses (i.e., including goal-setting, strategic planning, monitoring, self-evaluation, and attributions) are highlighted, with particular emphasis placed on causal attributions. The psychometric properties of SRL microanalytic assessment protocols and potential areas of future research are presented.
The use of biopolymer templates to fabricate low-dimensional gold particle structures

Abstract We report the current–voltage characteristics of gold nanoparticle–biopolymer networks at room temperature. The characteristics have features that are indicative of single-electron charging in ordered, one-dimensional chains of nanoparticles. From capacitance estimates and numerical simulations, we argue that the observed electrical behavior is related to the low size dispersion of the nanoparticles and the uniformity of the biopolymer lengths imbedded within the network.
Transmembrane voltage changes produced by real and virtual electrodes during monophasic defibrillation shock delivered by an implantable electrode.

Defibrillation Shock-Induced Virtual Electrodes. Introduction: Epicardial point stimulation produces nonuniform changes in the trans membrane voltage of surrounding cells with simultaneous occurrence of areas of transient positive and negative polarization. This is the phenomenon of virtual electrode. We sought to characterize the responses of epicardial ventricular tissue to the application of monophasic electric shocks from an internal transvenous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) lead. Methods and Results: Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts (n = 12) were stained with di-4-ANEPPS. A 9-mm-long distal electrode was placed in the right ventricle. A 6-cm proximal electrode was positioned horizontally 3 cm posteriorly and 1 cm superiorly with respect to the heart. Monophasic anodal and cathodal pulses were produced by discharging a 150-μF capacitor. Shocks were applied either during the plateau phase of an action potential (AP) or during ventricular fibrillation. Leading-edge voltage of the pulse was 50 to 150 V, and the pulse duration was 10 msec. Transmembrane voltage was optically recorded during application of the shock, simultaneously from 256 sites on a 11 × 11 mm area of the anterior right ventricular epicardium directly transmural to the distal electrode. The shock effect was evaluated by determining the difference between the AP affected by the shock and the normal AP. During cathodal stimulation an area of depolarization near the electrode was observed, surrounded by areas of hyperpolarization. The amplitude of polarization gradually decreased in areas far from the electrode. Inverting shock polarity reversed this effect. Conclusion: ICD monophasic defibrillation shocks create large dynamically interacting areas of both negative and positive polarization.