cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role and Extent of Pelvic Lymphadenectomy in the Management of Patients with Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma

Lymph node metastases are the most important prognostic variable in determining outcome following radical cystectomy. An anatomic bilateral node dissection includes at a minimum the external and internal iliac and obturator lymph nodes. An extended node dissection may include the distal aortic and vena caval nodes, bilateral common iliac, and pre-sacral nodes, which receive direct lymphatic drainage from the posterior bladder and trigone. This approach sets up the cystectomy, maximizes sensitivity for detection of nodal metastasis, assures optimum local pelvic cancer control, and accurately identifies those high-risk patients with node metastases who may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Lymph node retrieval is affected by several variables of node specimens addition to the anatomic extent of the node dissection. These include presentation to the pathologist in packets, specimen processing and what the pathologist calls a lymph node, and patient age. The current TNM staging system accounts for the number and size of node metastases and may be improved by incorporating lymph node density, which is a composite variable incorporating the number of positive nodes and number of nodes retrieved—a possible surrogate for the extent of the node dissection. Innovations in imaging including novel MRI contrast agents and lymphoscintigraphy may improve the pre-treatment and intra-operative identification of node metastases and lymphatic anatomy. Minimally invasive surgical techniques including robotic-assisted laparoscopic cystectomy may improve peri-operative outcomes but must meet the standard of anatomic node dissection and long-term cancer control afforded by the gold standard of anatomic radical cystectomy and bilateral pelvic and iliac node dissection.
Promiscuity in Mice is Associated with Increased Vaginal Bacterial Diversity

Differences in the number of sexual partners (i.e., mating system) have the potential to exert a strong influence on the bacterial communities present in reproductive structures like the vagina. Because this structure serves as a conduit for gametes, bacteria present there may have a pronounced, direct effect on host reproductive success. As a first step towards the identification of the relationship between sexual behavior and potentially pathogenic bacterial communities inhabiting vital reproductive structures, as well as their potential effects on fitness, I sought to quantify differences in bacterial diversity in a promiscuous and monogamous mammal species. To accomplish this, I used two sympatric species of Peromyscus rodents—Peromyscus californicus and Peromyscus maniculatus that differ with regard to the number of sexual partners per individual to test the hypothesis that bacterial diversity should be greater in the promiscuous P. maniculatus relative to the monogamous P. californicus. As predicted, phylogenetically controlled and operational taxonomic unit-based indices of bacterial diversity indicated that diversity is greater in the promiscuous species. These results provide important new insights into the effects of mating system on bacterial diversity in free-living vertebrates, and may suggest a potential cost of promiscuity.
Diplopoda and Chilopoda from a special protection area in the Huy mountain range in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

In the Natura 2000 Habitats Directive site "Huy nordlich Halberstadt" in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, 11 sites with typical regional plant associations (2 rupicolous calcareous or basophilic grasslands of the Alysso-Sedion albi, 2 semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates, 3 Asperulo-Fagetum beech forests, 1 Medio-European limestone beech forest of the Cephalanthero-Fagion and 3 Galio-Carpinetum oak-hornbeam forests) were sampled for millipedes and centipedes using pitfall traps over a period of one and a half years. In addition 11 further sites and different microhabitats were investigated using hand sampling, soil cores and sieving. With a total of 30 diplopod and 17 chilopod species, the Huy can be classified as markedly species rich. The community structures and species compositions were of special importance and characteristic for all sites. Ecologically notable species were Ophiodesmus albonanus (Latzel, 1895), Megaphyllum unilineatum (C.L. Koch 1838), Brachyiulus pusillus (Leach, 1814), Mycogona germanica (Verhoeff, 1892), Polyxenus lagurus Linne, 1758, Geophilus electricus (Linne, 1758), Lithobius nodulipes Latzel, 1880 and Lithobius pelidnus Haase, 1880.
Treatment with connexin 46 siRNA suppresses the growth of human Y79 retinoblastoma cell xenografts in vivo

Abstract Tumors with a hypoxic component, including human Y79 retinoblastoma cells, express a specific gap junction protein, Connexin 46 (Cx46), which is usually only found in naturally hypoxic tissues such as the differentiated lens. The aim of this study was to investigate if Cx46 downregulation would suppress Y79 tumor formation in vivo . Five-week old nude mice were subcutaneously implanted with human Y79 retinoblastoma cells and treated with intratumor siRNA injections of 30 μg Cx46 siRNA ( n = 6), 30 μg non-silencing siRNA ( n = 6), or no siRNA treatment ( n = 6) every 2 days for a maximum of 10 treatments. Tumor volume (TV) was calculated from the recorded caliper measurements of length and width. Excised tumors were measured and weighed. Western blot analyses were performed to evaluate Cx46 and Cx43 expression in tumors which received Cx46 siRNA, non-silencing siRNA, or no siRNA treatment. Tumor histopathology was used to assess tumor features. Cx46 siRNA treated Y79 tumors had a reduced TV (287 mm 3 ± 77 mm 3 ) when compared to the tumors of mice receiving the negative control siRNA (894 mm 3 ± 218 mm 3 ; P ≤ 0.03) or no siRNA (1068 mm 3 ± 192 mm 3 ; P ≤ 0.002). A 6-fold knockdown of Cx46 and a 3-fold rise in Cx43 protein expression was observed from western blots of tumors treated with Cx46 siRNA compared to mice treated with non-silencing siRNA. Knockdown of Cx46 with siRNA had an antitumor effect on human Y79 retinoblastoma tumors in the nude mouse model. The results suggest that anti-Cx46 therapy may be a potential target in the future treatment of retinoblastoma.
Evaluation of Changes in Dislocation Density in TI-CP2 in the Process of Quasi-Static Loading Using Electrical Resistance Measurements

The paper focuses on the development of new methodology to evaluate increase of dislocation density in metals using electrical resistance measurements. Titanium specimens have been quasi-statically loaded with Instron testing machine till fracture and electrical resistance of the specimens have been monitored during the tests. Dislocation density was recovered from electrical resistance measurements and from SEM images before and after loading. Thus obtained results are shown to be in good agreement. The methodology developed in the present paper may be used for accurate monitoring of dislocation density in-situ.
The role of skin color and facial physiognomy in racial categorization: Moderation by implicit racial attitudes

Abstract Previous research has not sufficiently addressed factors that define and moderate racial categorization judgments. This study independently manipulated skin color and facial physiognomy to determine their relative weighting in racial categorization. Participants ( N = 250) judged faces varying on 10 levels of facial physiognomy (from Afrocentric to Eurocentric) and 10 levels of skin color (from dark to light) under either no time constraints, a modest time constraint, and under a stringent time constraint. Skin color was a powerful predictor of racial typicality ratings at all levels of facial physiognomy, but participants relied upon facial physiognomy more when rating faces of light than dark skin color. Skin color was a more important cue than facial physiognomy under no time constraints, but as time constraints became more severe, skin color's importance decreased, yet it remained a more important cue at extreme physiognomy levels. The relationship between skin color and racial typicality ratings was stronger for those with more negative implicit racial attitudes. These findings suggest the primary role of skin color in racial categorization and underscore the importance of implicit attitudes in explicit categorization judgments.
Simulation of delayed neutrons using MCNP

Abstract Accurate modeling of the delayed neutron response in a fission process has been a desired capability for MCNPTM (Briesmeister, 2000). After a year of data library and code development, a delayed neutron feature has now been incorporated into the latest version of MCNP, 4C. In this work, a validation of the integrated delayed neutron model is performed by comparisons to an analytic solution and experimental results.
Effects of an introduced aquatic plant, Hydrilla verticillata, on benthic communities in the Upper Chesapeake Bay.

Abstract The introduced submersed aquatic plant, Hydrilla verticillata, is currently spreading in the Chesapeake Bay, and is colonizing previously unvegetated areas and displacing native flora. To examine the effects of this invasion, we compared faunal densities between Hydrilla beds and unvegetated sand areas. Transplants of Hydrilla and sampling from natural Hydrilla and unvegetated patches indicate that this plant enhances the abundances of a variety of benthic fauna. Among two clam species transplanted into Hydrilla patches and adjacent unvegetated areas, one demonstrated enhanced survival within Hydrilla patches while the other exhibited reduced tissue growth. Similarly, the growth form of Hydrilla may have been affected by clam presence. Dissolved oxygen, sediment characteristics, and sediment resuspension also varied between Hydrilla and unvegetated areas. The spread of Hydrilla in the Chesapeake Bay clearly has significant, though complex, effects on the bottom community. Such effects emphasize the potential importance of introduced plants in altering community characteristics.
Autoimmune Disease and the Female Patient

This article focuses on the pathogenesis of the gender gap of autoimmune disease. Specifically, the discussion characterizes the role of sex hormones in the immune response and a female predilection for the common diseases seen in daily practice (ie, lupus erythematosus, myasthenia gravis, and other autoimmune diseases). A comparison between the sexes, with respect to autoimmune disease mechanisms, is presented to give oral and maxillofacial surgeons a better insight as to the role of sex and successful surgical treatment outcomes in this population of patients.
Oligomerization of the Nrdp1 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Is Necessary for Efficient Autoubiquitination but Not ErbB3 Ubiquitination

Overexpression of the ErbB3 receptor tyrosine kinase protein in breast and other cancers contributes to tumor malignancy and therapeutic resistance. The RBCC/TRIM family RING finger E3 ubiquitin ligase Nrdp1 mediates the ubiquitination of ErbB3 in normal mammary epithelial cells to facilitate receptor degradation and suppress steady-state receptor levels. Post-transcriptional loss of Nrdp1 in patient breast tumors allows ErbB3 overexpression and receptor contribution to tumor progression, and elevated lability through autoubiquitination contributes to the observed loss of Nrdp1 in tumors relative to normal tissue. To begin to understand the mechanisms underlying Nrdp1 protein self-regulation through lability, we investigated the structural determinants required for efficient autoubiquitination and ErbB3 ubiquitination. Using mutagenesis, chemical cross-linking, size exclusion chromatography, and native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, we demonstrate that Nrdp1 self-associates into a stable oligomeric complex in cells. Deletion of its coiled-coil domain abrogates oligomerization but does not affect Nrdp1-mediated ErbB3 ubiquitination or degradation. On the other hand, the presence of the coiled-coil domain is necessary for efficient Nrdp1 autoubiquitination via a trans mechanism, indicating that Nrdp1 ubiquitination of its various targets is functionally separable. Finally, a GFP fusion of the coiled-coil domain stabilizes Nrdp1 and potentiates ErbB3 ubiquitination and degradation. These observations point to a model whereby the coiled-coil domain plays a key role in regulating Nrdp1 lability by promoting its assembly into an oligomeric complex, and raise the possibility that inhibition of ligase oligomerization via its coiled-coil domain could be of therapeutic benefit to breast cancer patients by restoring Nrdp1 protein.
The status of identity: reflections on the need for intervention

The primary purpose of this article is to examine the need for intervention in the context of the information we have gathered to date about identity formation. The research evidence indicates that the identity achievement status is associated with the greatest effectiveness in psychological functioning while the identity diffusion status is related to poorer functioning. The moratorium and foreclosure statuses generally occupy intermediate positions in this regard. The identity activity of adolescents and youth is also reviewed. The complexity of the identity construct is discussed as it relates to domains, developmental patterns, gender, historical and social contexts. The author uses the findings from a longitudinal study to illustrate the need for, and purposes of, intervention while respecting the richness of the identity construct of the individual.
Experimental studies of magnetite formation in the solar nebula

— Oxidation of Fe metal and Gibeon meteorite metal to magnetite via the net reaction 3 Fe (metal) + 4 H2O (gas) = Fe3O4 (magnetite) + 4 H2 (gas) was experimentally studied at ambient atmospheric pressure at 91–442 °C in H2 and H2-He gas mixtures with H2/H2O molar ratios of ∼4–41. The magnetite produced was identified by x-ray diffraction. Electron microprobe analyses showed 3.3 wt% NiO and 0.24 wt% CoO (presumably as NiFe2O4 and CoFe2O4) in magnetite formed from Gibeon metal. The NiO and CoO concentrations are higher than expected from equilibrium between metal and oxide under the experimental conditions. Elevated NiO contents in magnetite were also observed by metallurgists during initial stages of oxidation of Fe-Ni alloys. The rate constants for magnetite formation were calculated from the weight gain data using a constant surface area model and the Jander, Ginstling-Brounshtein, and Valensi-Carter models for powder reactions. Magnetite formation followed parabolic (i.e., diffusion-controlled) kinetics. The rate constants and apparent activation energies for Fe metal and Gibeon metal are: These rate constants are significantly smaller than the parabolic rate constants for FeS growth on Fe metal in H2S-H2 gas mixtures containing 1000 or 10 000 ppmv H2S (Lauretta et al., 1996a). The experimental data for Fe and Gibeon metal are used to model the reaction time of Fe alloy grains in the solar nebula as a function of grain size and temperature. The reaction times for 0.1–1 μm radius metal grains are generally within estimated lifetimes of the solar nebula (0.1–10 Ma). However, the calculated reaction times are probably lower limits, and further study of magnetite formation at larger H2/H2O ratios, at lower temperatures and pressures, and as a function of metal alloy composition is needed for further modeling of nebular magnetite formation.
Stardust glass: Indigenous and modified comet Wild 2 particles

Does comet 81P/ Wild 2 have indigenous glass? Glass is used here to include all types of amorphous materials that could be either indigenous or modified comet Wild 2 grains, and all amorphous phases in chondritic aggregate interplanetary dust particles (IDPs). The answer is that it probably does, but very little is known of their compositions to allow a definitive answer to be given. There is no evidence among the collected comet dust for interstellar glass with embedded metals and sulfides. There is, however, ample evidence for melting of the smallest, sub-micrometer comet particles of nanometer-scale grains similar to those in the matrix of chondritic aggregate IDPs, including pyrrhotite. Massive patches of Mg-SiO, Al-SiO, or Ca-Si-O glass are incorporated in the familiar, vesicular Si-rich glass are melted Wild 2 silicates. Magnesiosilica glass has a deep metastable eutectic smectite-dehydroxylate composition. It indicates that very high temperatures well above the liquidus temperatures of forsterite were achieved very rapidly and were followed but ultrarapid quenching. This predictable and systematic response is not limited to Mg-silicates, and recognizing this phenomenon among massive glass will provide a means to complete the reconstruction of this comets original minerals, as well as constrain the physiochemical environment created during aerogel melting and evaporation.
Oral Irritant Effects of Nicotine: Psychophysical Evidence for Decreased Sensation following Repeated Application of and Lack of Cross-Desensitization to Capsaicina

When delivered to the oral mucosa, a variety of naturally occurring chemicals such as capsaicin from red chili peppers, piperine from black pepper, and nicotine from tobacco, cause a diffuse burning sensation often referred to as irritation. The burning sensation evoked by capsaicin increases when delivered repeatedly at 1 min intervals (sensitization), but then decreases markedly following a 10 min rest period (self-desensitization). It is also interesting that following desensitization by capsaicin, irritant sensations evoked by other chemicals are also reduced (cross-desensitization), suggesting that oral irritation from some agents may be mediated by a population of capsaicin-sensitive trigeminal polymodal nociceptors. Although nicotine is a major component in tobacco smoke, little is known about its sensory properties. Accordingly, a study of the oral irritant effects of nicotine as compared with capsaicin was initiated. Whereas capsaicin (0.5 or 3 ppm; repeated at 1 min intervals over 10 min) evoked significantly stronger sensations (sensitization), there was a significant decrement in sensations to repeated application of nicotine (0.1%). After the subjects had received either repeated capsaicin or nicotine on one side of the tongue, a rest period ensued followed by a bilateral application of either capsaicin or nicotine. Subjects were, then, asked to choose which side yielded a stronger sensation (two-alternative forced choice). Following capsaicin pretreatment, all subjects reported that capsaicin evoked a stronger sensation on the previously untreated side (capsaicin self-desensitization). Similar self-desensitization was observed with nicotine. Furthermore, nicotine was reported to evoke a significantly weaker sensation on the side of the tongue pretreated with capsaicin (cross-desensitization). In contrast, equal numbers of subjects reported capsaicin to evoke a stronger sensation on either the nicotine-pretreated side or the untreated side, indicating an absence of cross-desensitization. These results are discussed in terms of physiological mechanisms that might underlie the contrasting sensory effects of nicotine versus capsaicin.
Protection of membrane cholesterol by sphingomyelin against free radical-mediated oxidation

Although the free radical-mediated oxidation of free cholesterol (FC) is critical in the generation of regulatory sterols and in atherogenesis, the physiological regulation of this process is poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that sphingomyelin (SM), a major phospholipid of cell membranes, which is closely associated with FC, protects FC against oxidation, because of its unique structure, and affinity to the sterol. We employed phosphatidylcholine (PC) liposomes containing varying amounts of SM, and either radioactive FC or a fluorescent analog, dehydroergosterol (DHE), and determined the oxidative decay of the sterol in presence of 2,2′ azo bis(2-amidinopropane hydrochloride) (AAPH). Incorporation of 25 mol% of SM in the liposomes inhibited the oxidation of FC or DHE by up to 50%. This inhibition was specific for SM among phospholipids, and was abolished by sphingomyelinase treatment. SM was not degraded during the oxidation reaction, and its effect was not dependent upon the nature of the oxidizing agent, because it also inhibited sterol oxidation by FeSO4/ascorbate, and by cholesterol oxidase. These studies show that SM plays a physiological role in the regulation of cholesterol oxidation by free radicals.
Cognitive consequences of personal involvement in gender identity

Classification as masculine, feminine, high androgynous, or low androgynous on the basis of a single measure of gender identity was not related to cognitive performance or activity preferences in a sample of college students (n=190). Subjects for whom a traditional gender identity was high as a self-concern (“more involved”) were then identified by the consistency of their responses across three gender identity measures and by the extremity of their self-descriptions. Subjects for whom a traditional gender identity was low as a self-concern (“less involved”) were identified by the inconsistency in their responses and the lack of extremity in their self-descriptions. More involved men performed significantly better on the number test, and had a significantly higher preference for masculine activities than more involved women, less involved men, or less involved women. Less involved men and women also preferred significantly more masculine activities than did more involved women. More and less involved men reported taking more years of mathematics in high school than did more and less involved women. No effects for sex or involvement were observed on verbal performance or preference for feminine activities. The implications of these findings for the evaluation of inconsistencies between gender identity and behavior were discussed.
Methane suppression by iron and humic acids in soils of the Arctic Coastal Plain

Abstract Methane–climate interactions are reasonably well understood; the biogeochemical controls on net methane fluxes are less so. Within anoxic soils, alternative electron acceptors such as iron and humic substances influence microbial metabolic function, and thus affect the amount of carbon lost as methane (CH4). We present three years of data from wet sedge tundra landscapes near Barrow, Alaska that show an inverse relationship between dissolved iron and CH4 concentrations. We found increasing organic layer thickness related to increases in active layer organic matter content, and decreases in both bulk density and extractable iron. Organic layer depth was also a good proxy for carbon dioxide (CO2) and CH4 dynamics, with increasing organic layer depths relating to lower dissolved iron, higher amounts of dissolved CH4, and lower CO2:CH4 ratios in the upper active layer. Net CH4 fluxes were also significantly suppressed following the experimental addition of iron and humic acids. Iron and humic acid treatment effects were indistinguishable for CH4 net flux; in contrast, post-treatment CH4 fluxes were an average of 0.74-fold the control treatment flux rates. These results suggest that in-situ CH4 production is tied to alternative electron acceptor availability, and that organic layer thickness is a good predictor of biogeochemical controls on CH4 fluxes in wet-sedge Arctic Alaskan tundra.
Near tightness of the El Gamal and Cover region for two descriptions

We give a single letter outer bound for the two descriptions problem for iid sources that is universally close to the El Gamal and Cover (EGC) inner bound. The gaps in the quadratic distortion case for the sum and individual rates are upper bounded by 1.5 and 0.5 bits/sample, respectively. These constant bounds are universal with respect to the source being encoded, provided that its variance is finite. They are also universal with respect to the desired distortion levels, under the assumption that, after normalizing the source to have unit variance, D/sub i/ /spl isin/ (0,1) for i /spl isin/ {0,1,2} and D/sub 0/ /spl les/ (D/sub 1//sup -1/ + D/sub 2//sup -1/ - 1)/sup -1/.
Distortion invariant road sign detection

This paper proposes an universal method to detect and recognize road signs of any countries with any color or any of the existing shapes (e.g. circular, rectangular, triangular, pentagonal and octagonal). The presented system is invariant to transformation (e.g. translation, rotation, scale and occlusion). There are three main stages in the proposed algorithm: 1) segmentation based on the color features to find the the region of interests (ROIs), 2) traffic sign detection by using two novel shape classification criteria, and 3) recognition of the road sign using distortion invariant fringe-adjusted joint transform correlation (FJTC) for matching the unknown signs with the known reference road signs stored in the database. Experimental results on real life images demonstrate that the proposed framework is invariant to translation, rotation, scale and partial occlusions.
The Ubc3 (Cdc34) ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme is ubiquitinated and phosphorylated in vivo.

Abstract The transition from G1 to S phase of the cell cycle in Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires the activity of the Ubc3 (Cdc34) ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme. S. cerevisiae cells lacking a functional UBC3 (CDC34) gene are able to execute the Start function that initiates the cell cycle but fail to form a mitotic spindle or enter S phase. The Ubc3 (Cdc34) enzyme has previously been shown to catalyze the attachment of multiple ubiquitin molecules to model substrates, suggesting that the role of this enzyme in cell cycle progression depends on its targeting an endogenous protein(s) for degradation. In this report, we demonstrate that the Ubc3 (Cdc34) protein is itself a substrate for both ubiquitination and phosphorylation. Immunochemical localization of the gene product to the nucleus renders it likely that the relevant substrates similarly reside within the nucleus.
Screening situations for risk of ethical conflicts: a pilot study.

Background Ethical conflicts, often leading to poor teamwork and moral distress, are very challenging to patients, patients' families, and health care providers. A proactive approach to ethical conflicts may improve patient care outcomes. Objectives To examine acceptability and feasibility of an ethics screening and early intervention tool for use by nurses caring for critically ill patients. Methods Twenty-eight nurses in 2 medical centers applied the ethics screening tool to 55 patient situations. Nurses assessed situations for risk factors and early indicators of ethical conflicts and analyzed level of risk. At study completion, nurses participated in focus group discussions about the tool's benefits and challenges. Frequency counts were performed on risk factors and early indicators of ethical conflicts. Content analysis was used on written explanations regarding high-, medium-, and low-risk situations and on focus group data. Results Older patients with multiple comorbid conditions and aggressive treatments were frequently assessed to be at risk for ethical conflicts. Nurses who witnessed patients' suffering and deterioration were likely to initiate the screening process. The most prominent family risk factors included unrealistic expectations and adamancy about treatment. The most prominent early indicators were signs of patients' suffering, unrealistic expectations, and providers' own moral distress. High-risk situations averaged a greater number of risk factors and early indicators than did medium- and low-risk situations. Certain risk factors featured prominently in high-risk situations. Conclusions A phenomenon of shared suffering emerged from the study and signifies the importance of relational strategies such as routine family conferences and ethics consultation.
Direct numerical solution of three‐dimensional equations containing elliptic operators

A direct three-dimensional elliptic solver is presented for application in a wide class of numerical methods for solving partial differential equations in physics and engineering. The derived algorithm and FORTRAN code implement Buzbee, Golub and Nielson's proposed extension of Buneman's Cyclic-Reduction Poisson solver to three dimensions. Both a 'most direct' cyclic reduction and a revised method (to eliminate roundoff error difficulties) are derived. Tests on an IBM 360/67 computer, using various optional combinations of subroutines, showed significant differences in accuracy and computing time, with the optimum subroutine combination depending on mesh size.
The Geopolitics of the Baltic States

IT HAS BEEN SAID1 that the fundamental Baltic problem is "the struggle for dominance, latent or active, between Russia and Germany." The fate of the three small nations, hemmed about in the corner between two great nations, seems realistically summarized in this sentence. But up to 1914 the history of the Baltic provinces had never been faced with a clear-cut Russo-German alternative. The second world war decided the issue.2 Historically, throughout the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Baltic provinces were a battleground over which Poland, Sweden and Russia contended; a good deal of what is called the "dominium maris Baltici" hinged on the possession of these small but strategically located territories. "Only after the conquest of Livland from Poland could Gustavus Adolphus enter upon his great historical career. And it was only with the conquest of the Baltic provinces that Russia, under Peter the Great, was opened up to the West and became a European power."3 The same can be said of the problems of Lithuania. The Geopolitical Aspects. Living along the south-eastern shores of the Baltic, the life of the Baltic peoples has been linked up with that sea, with the Vistula and the Daugava (Dvina), with the trade routes going up these rivers and continuing south-eastward down the Dniester and the Dnieper. "In fact, it was this broad ribbon stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea, limited by the Vistula and the Dniester in the West, the Daugava and the Dnieper with its tributaries in the East, that made up the Lithuanian-Polish Kingdom of the sixteenth century. The Baltic States thus form the northern outlet for the Ukraine and for Asia beyond, linking them up with the Baltic Sea, the Scandinavian countries, Britain, the wide open oceans. Like Flanders, the Baltic States lie at the crossroads."4 Although the Baltic region is economically the coastal outlet for landlocked Russia, it is deprived of its hinterland because it is, culturally, the outpost of Western Europe, which received its religion and civilization 1 S. H. Thomson in a review of W. F. Reddaway, "Problems of the Baltic," Journal of Central European Affairs, I (1941), p. 112. 2 Hans Rothfels, "The Baltic Provinces: Some Historic Aspects and Perspectives," Journal of Central European Affairs, IV (July, 1944), pp. 117-46. 3ibid., p. 117. 4 F. W. Pick, "The Three Baltic Nations," Journal of Central European Affairs, IV (January, 1944), pp. 416-40.
A physician's guide to working as a locum tenens

Background: The number of physicians working as a locum tenens is increasing. Although most physicians who provide locum tenens coverage are often older and semiretired, an increasing number of physicians are taking this route for limited periods early in their careers. Methods: The medical literature was searched through MEDLINE using the key words “career choice,” “contract services,” and “locum tenens.” Information about locum tenens was gained by the author through research and a personal experience working as a locum tenens. Results and Conclusion: Working as a locum tenens can be an opportunity to meet interesting patients, learn about local culture, see how practices are organized, learn adaptability, and broaden clinical skills. Opportunities are available through for-profit agencies, academic health centers, state agencies, federal sites such as the Indian Health Service, individual hospitals, and physicians or international staffing companies. Because the physician working as a locum tenens is an independent contractor, exercising some caution when choosing where to work by carefully checking workload and available resources is advised.
Metrics evolution in an energy research & Development Program

All technology programs progress through three phases: Discovery, Definition, and Deployment. The form and application of program metrics needs to evolve with each phase. • During the discovery phase, the program determines what is achievable. A set of tools is needed to define program goals, to analyze credible technical options, and to ensure that the options are compatible and meet the program objectives. A metrics system that scores the potential performance of technical options is part of this system of tools, supporting screening of concepts and aiding in the overall definition of objectives. • During the definition phase, the program defines what specifically is wanted. What is achievable is translated into specific systems and specific technical options are selected and optimized. A metrics system can help with the identification of options for optimization and the selection of the option for deployment. • During the deployment phase, the program shows that the selected system works. Demonstration projects are established and classical systems engineering is employed. During this phase, the metrics communicate system performance. This paper discusses an approach to metrics evolution within the Department of Energy's Nuclear Fuel Cycle Research & Development Program, which is working to improve the sustainability of nuclear energy.
Neural Mechanisms of Orientation Selectivity in the Visual Cortex

The origin of orientation selectivity in the responses of simple cells in cat visual cortex serves as a model problem for understanding cortical circuitry and computation. The feed-forward model posits that this selectivity arises simply from the arrangement of thalamic inputs to a simple cell. Much evidence, including a number of recent intracellular studies, supports a primary role of the thalamic inputs in determining simple cell response properties, including orientation tuning. This mechanism alone, however, cannot explain the invariance of orientation tuning to changes in stimulus contrast. Simple cells receive push-pull inhibition: ON inhibition in OFF subregions and vice versa. Addition of such inhibition to the feed-forward model can account for this contrast invariance, provided the inhibition is sufficiently strong. The predictions of “normalization” and “feedback” models are reviewed and compared with the predictions of this modified feed-forward model and with experimental results. The modifi...
The effect of Armillaria attack on the nutrient status of Inland Douglas-fir

Nutrient status, sapwood basal area (SBA) and sapwood to heartwood basal area (S/H) were measured on second growth Pseudotsuga menztesn trees in western Montana. Armillaria-infected trees had significantly lower S/H ratios, growth, and foliar N and S concentrations than noninfected trees. Our results indicate a general influence of Armillaria infection on nutrient content and physiological status of P. menziesu trees. However, these measurements are not a reliable method to determine the extent of infection.
A Syncretical Model of Charismatic/Transformational Leadership

Two key problems hamper the study of charismatic/transformational leadership. First, the field lacks a generally accepted conceptual framework to guide research and practice. Second, only limited e...
Postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy and the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

This meta-analysis discusses postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy and the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Communicating Hurricane Evacuation to Tourists: Gender, Past Experience with Hurricanes, and Place of Residence

The article discusses how the role of gender, residence, and past experience with hurricanes affects tourists’ voluntary evacuation in the event of hurricanes. The study examines how the aforesaid variables influence the perceived credibility of the information source and how such perceptions are translated into voluntary evacuation decisions. The findings indicate that the aforesaid variables significantly influence the perception of the credibility of the information source and information search behaviors leading to a voluntary evacuation decision. Implications of the findings are also discussed.
Avian research on U.S. Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges: Emergent themes, opportunities, and challenges

Since 1908, U.S. Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges have been dedicated to long-term interdisciplinary research on a variety of ecological and management questions. They encompass a wide diversity of life zones and ecoregions, and provide access to research infrastructure, opportunities for controlled manipulations, and integration with other types of long-term data. These features have facilitated important advances in a number of areas of avian research, including furthering our understanding of population dynamics, the effects of forest management on birds, avian responses to disturbances such as fire and hurricanes, and other aspects of avian ecology and conservation. However, despite these contributions, this invaluable resource has been underutilized by ornithologists. Most of the Experimental Forests and Ranges have had no ornithological work done on them. We encourage the ornithological community, especially graduate students and new faculty, to take advantage of this largely untapped potential for long-term work, linkage with long-term data sets, multiple disciplines, and active forest management.
Optimal Preventive Maintenance Schedule based on Lifecycle Cost and Time-Dependent Reliability

Abstract : Reliability is an important engineering requirement for consistently delivering acceptable product performance through time. It also affects the scheduling for preventive maintenance. Reliability usually degrades with time increasing therefore, the lifecycle cost due to more frequent failures which result in increased warranty costs, costly repairs and loss of market share. In a lifecycle cost based design, we must account for product quality and preventive maintenance using time-dependent reliability. Quality is a measure of our confidence that the product conforms to specifications as it leaves the factory. For a repairable system, preventive maintenance is scheduled to avoid failures, unnecessary production loss and safety violations. This article proposes a methodology to obtain the optimal scheduling for preventive maintenance using time-dependent reliability principles. An optimization algorithm maximizes the time for preventive maintenance by improving the system reliability, so that the lifecycle cost stays below a specified target. The lifecycle cost includes a production, an inspection, and an expected variable cost. All costs depend on quality and/or reliability. Preventive maintenance is performed at the time when the improved reliability falls below an acceptable reliability target. The methodology also identifies the most critical component(s), or failure modes, which if repaired, will improve the system reliability the most. We demonstrate the proposed approach using an automotive roller clutch example.
Partnering with industry to promote ethical business practices in a capstone design course

Efforts to increase student awareness of ethical business conduct within a senior-level capstone design course through interaction with two major engineering corporations, Northrop Grumman and Sun Microsystems, are described. With the help from leaders within Sun Microsystems' Business Conduct Office and Northrop Grumman's Ethics and Business Conduct Office, an exercise within the senior-level engineering capstone design sequence was developed based upon corporate training materials and their feedback-based assessment. The exercise included a 10-question assessment instrument that was modeled after the industry approach and used similar content. These topics and standards were used within the professional practice portion of a capstone design course, augmenting the traditional professional ethics coverage taken by the students in a course devoted to engineering ethics.
Candide's Practical Principles of Experimental Pattern Recognition

This correspondence calls attention to several frequently used assumptions and techniques culled from the pattern recognition literature.
Cognitive control in context: Working memory capacity and proactive control

Working memory is important for maintaining critical information in an active state to guide future behavior. The executive-attention theory of working memory capacity (WMC; Engle & Kane, 2004) argues that goal maintenance is important for response selection when stimuli are associated with competing responses. Braver, Burgess, and Gray (2007) have labeled this type of preparatory activity proactive control. Previous WMC studies have not allowed individuals to use goal information to prepare a specific response in advance of the stimulus. The current experiment used different versions of a cue-probe task to examine the relationship between individual differences in WMC and proactive control. Across three versions of the AX version of the Continuous Performance Test, the proportion of targets was manipulated to affect both the predictive validity of the A cue and the prepotency of the target response to X probes. The results indicated that the high-WMC individuals used the cue information to prepare responses in advance only when a specific probe was likely to occur. In contrast, the performance of the low-WMC individuals was less dependent upon the cue and more contingent upon overall response frequencies. The results indicate that individual differences in WMC are related to proactive control and anticipation, and important for translating cognition into action.
Root biomass allocation in the world's upland forests.

Because the world's forests play a major role in regulating nutrient and carbon cycles, there is much interest in estimating their biomass. Estimates of aboveground biomass based on well-established methods are relatively abundant; estimates of root biomass based on standard methods are much less common. The goal of this work was to determine if a reliable method to estimate root biomass density for forests could be developed based on existing data from the literature. The forestry literature containing root biomass measurements was reviewed and summarized and relationships between both root biomass density (Mg ha−1) and root:shoot ratios (R/S) as dependent variables and various edaphic and climatic independent variables, singly and in combination, were statistically tested. None of the tested independent variables of aboveground biomass density, latitude, temperature, precipitation, temperature:precipitation ratios, tree type, soil texture, and age had important explanatory value for R/S. However, linear regression analysis showed that aboveground biomass density, age, and latitudinal category were the most important predictors of root biomass density, and together explained 84% of the variation. A comparison of root biomass density estimates based on our equations with those based on use of generalized R/S ratios for forests in the United States indicated that our method tended to produce estimates that were about 20% higher.
Tumors of the Placenta

With the exception of the rare tumors of the umbilical cord, only two tumorous processes occur in the placenta, one of which, the chorioangioma, may not represent a true neoplasm. In contrast, the chorionepithelioma or choriocarcinoma is a truly malignant neoplasm of the chorionic epithelium, the trophoblast. In most reports dealing with neoplasms of the placenta, particularly the larger reviews (Briquel; Meyer; Hertig & Mansell; Smalbraak), the hydatidiform mole is also included as a tumorous condition. We do not share this view, but regard the molar swelling of villi as a degenerative change and the occasional sequel, the development of a choriocarcinoma, as a basically unrelated outcome of this degeneration. To accentuate this distinction, we have chosen to separate these conditions in this review and hope that it will serve to promote investigation designed to elucidate the possible etiologic connections between the two processes.
Measuring Older Adult Confidence in the Courts and Law Enforcement

Older adults are an increasingly relevant subpopulation for criminal justice policy but, as yet, are largely neglected in the relevant research. The current research addresses this by reporting on a psychometric evaluation of a measure of older adults’ Confidence in Legal Institutions (CLI). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) provided support for the unidimensionality and reliability of the measures. In addition, participants’ CLI was related to cynicism, trust in government, dispositional trust, age, and education, but not income or gender. The results provide support for the measures of confidence in the courts and law enforcement, so we present the scale as a viable tool for researchers and practitioners interested in understanding older adults’ confidence in these institutions. We conclude by discussing the implications of our work on efforts to improve interactions between older adults and legal institutions, and we highlight avenues for further research.
Pbar Beam Stacking in the Recycler by Longitudinal Phase-space Coating

Barrier rf buckets have brought about new challenges in longitudinal beam dynamics of charged particle beams in synchrotrons and at the same time led to many new remarkable prospects in beam handling. In this paper, I describe a novel beam stacking scheme for synchrotrons using barrier buckets without any emittance dilution to the beam. First I discuss the general principle of the method, called longitudinal phase-space coating. Multi-particle beam dynamics simulations of the scheme applied to the Recycler, convincingly validates the concepts and feasibility of the method. Then I demonstrate the technique experimentally in the Recycler and also use it in operation. A spin-off of this scheme is its usefulness in mapping the incoherent synchrotron tune spectrum of the beam particles in barrier buckets and producing a clean hollow beam in longitudinal phase space. Both of which are described here in detail with illustrations. The beam stacking scheme presented here is the first of its kind.
Evaluation of a high or low level of milk replacer, with or without varied intake, on neonatal Holstein calf performance and health

ABSTRACT Neonatal Holstein bull calves (n = 30; age ~ 1 wk; average BW = 39 ± 5.4 kg) were allocated randomly in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement to evaluate a high or low level of 28% CP, 18% fat milk replacer (MR), with or without varied intake, on calf performance and health. Treatment factors included (1) level (high = 1.13 kg/d or low = 0.45 kg/d) and (2) daily intake (constant or varied). Calves were purchased in 2 blocks and followed for 35 d (block 1) and 42 d (block 2). Intake data and fecal scores were recorded daily; BW data and blood samples were collected weekly. Feeding a high level of milk replacer improved ADG (0.962 vs. 0.858 kg/d), reduced calf starter DMI (0.392 vs. 0.929 kg/d), increased BUN levels (11.62 vs. 9.77 mg/dL; P