cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coalition politics: A case study of an organization's approach to a single issue

Abstract This article provides a case study of the contemporary nature of organizational coalitions for political purposes. It focuses on one organization's—the American Association of University Women—efforts to secure ratification of the equal rights amendment by the state legislature in Illinois through concerted efforts in a central project composed of other diversified groups and organizations. The analysis includes a general overview of the nature and problems of coalitions, an historical perspective of the AAUW and the ERA and the use of organizational resources to achieve a common goal. It concludes by offering some suggestions for future organizational cooperative efforts.
Bacterial Endocarditis after Cardiac Catheterization

Bacterial endocarditis is a rare complication of cardiac catheterization. We present the history of a patient who developed fatal, acute bacterial endocarditis following diagnostic cardiac catheterization. The implications regarding antibiotic prophylaxis and catheterization technique are discussed.
Comments on possible preferential order-disorder in A-15 compounds based upon Nb☆

Abstract The possible existence of preferential B-site disorder in A-15 compounds recently claimed on the basis of x-ray powder diffraction data but questioned from the viewpoint of known phase diagrams is examined for some Nb-base compounds of this type. It is concluded that x-ray powder data do not allow the determination of both order and compositional variables as suggested, and the latter must therefore be determined by some other method.
Low-noise amplifier for resolving the right-left ambiguity in drift chambers

Abstract A low-noise amplifier has been developed for resolving the right-left ambiguity of particle position in delay-line readout drift chambers (DLRDCs). The amplifier provides signals that are proportional to both the sum and difference of two sets of cathode sense wires in a DLRDC. Amplifier risetime is ∼ 18 ns and the input noise is ∼ 6 μVrms. Amplifier design and performance are described.
Assembling heterochromatin in the appropriate places: A boost is needed.

Heterochromatin, or condensed chromatin, has the potential to encroach into what ordinarily would be euchromatin and repress resident genes. We explore how heterochromatin is restricted to the appropriate regions of the genome, using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a case study and emphasizing two under-appreciated aspects of silenced chromatin. First, the capacity of silenced chromatin to propagate along a chromosome is limited by the intrinsic instability of the structure. We argue that this limited potential to spread is an important factor restricting silenced chromatin to the vicinity of recruitment sites (silencers). Second, this limited capacity to spread creates the need for additional mechanisms to stabilize silenced chromatin at the required locations. Such mechanisms include the use of multiple silencers and higher-order arrangements of the chromatin fiber. Therefore, to understand how silenced chromatin is restricted to the appropriate genomic locations, researchers must take into account the mechanisms by which silenced chromatin is stabilized in appropriate locations.
Salivary Gland Changes and Host Antibody Responses Associated with Feeding of Male Lone Star Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)

The goal of this study was to demonstrate that male lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum (L.), actively feed on rabbits during attachment and that the host is capable of mounting an immune response against male salivary gland proteins. During attachment, it was shown that male tick salivary glands hypertrophy. An enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay was used to detect rabbit serum proteins in the midgut of previously attached male ticks. SDS- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the proteins expressed in the male tick salivary gland changed during feeding, with several new proteins in the 15- to 50-kDa range synthesized during attachment. Rabbits mounted a detectable antibody response against male tick salivary gland proteins after 2 sequential feedings of male ticks. The antibodies were directed against a spectrum of male salivary gland proteins ranging from 18 to 160 kDa. Several of these proteins were not recognized by antibodies directed against female tick saliva proteins, and thus may be specific male salivary gland components. This evidence indicates that male A. americanum ticks actively feed during attachment, that their salivary gland proteins change during feeding, and that male salivary gland proteins are immunogenic.
On-line liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry of ion pairs

Abstract An on-line continuous extraction interface between a high-performance liquid chromatograph and a mass spectrometer permits the operation of the chromatograph in the reversed-phase mode without compromising the performance of the spectrometer. Solutes are extracted into a volatile organic solvent which is then transported to the spectrometer by a moving-belt interface. A greatly simplified version of the original extraction interface is shown. In its new design the extractor operates on the principle of solvent rather than air segmentation, and much of the expensive peripheral equipment has been eliminated. Flow-rates of up to 1.0 ml/min each of aqueous (mobile) and organic (extracting) phases are easily accommodated in this on-line operation. We have examined the compatibility of ion-pair chromatography with the high-performance liquid chromatography-extraction-mass spectrometry combination, particularly in terms of the quality of solute spectra obtained and the volatility of the counter ions. The results presented here show that ion pairing and subsequent extraction are compatible with the on-line operation under both chemical ionization and electron impact conditions. Spectra are produced from the ion pairs which consist of the solute spectrum superimposed on but easily discerned through the spectrum of the counter ion. A rationale to explain the mass spectrometric observations is presented. The implication of these results for the analysis of ionic compounds by this technique is discussed.
Axenic culture of a plant pathogenic Spiroplasma.

EVIDENCE has accumulated that a number of insect-transmitted plant diseases of the “yellows” group result from the infection of plants by organisms resembling mycoplasmas1–2. Circumstantial evidence suggests that two such diseases, corn stunt and citrus stubborn, may be caused by a novel type of helical prokaryotic microorganism lacking a cell wall, for which the trivial name “spiroplasma” has been proposed3. The agent of corn stunt has so far defied attempts at culture in a cell-free medium and although an organism associated with citrus stubborn disease has been successfully cultured from diseased plants4,5 it has not, to our knowledge, been shown to be a plant pathogen.
An optical investigation of electronic excitations in the high temperature superconductors YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7- delta / and Bi/sub 2/Sr/sub 2/CaCu/sub 2/O/sub 8+ Delta /

The results of Raman scattering from superconducting gap excitations in the high T/sub c/ compounds YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7- delta / and Bi/sub 2/Sr/sub 2/CaCu/sub 2/O/sub 8+ Delta / are compared. In the normal state, both materials exhibit strong electronic interband scattering which manifests itself as a broad background continuum having both A/sub 1g/ and B/sub 1g/ symmetry components. At low temperatures a redistribution of this electronic scattering occurs, indicative of the formation of a superconducting gap in these compounds. The two symmetries exhibit distinct redistribution, however, denoting strong anisotropy. At temperatures well below T/sub c/, both compounds exhibit residual low-energy scattering, a feature suggestive of the coexistence of normal electrons and superconducting quasi-particles. >
Advances in Laser Ablation Assisted Processes

Recent advances in hybrid technologies combining pulsed laser ablation with non-pulsed plasma sources are discussed. One was a deposition of multiphase materials made of nanocrystalline TiC, WC, WS2, and amorphous diamond-like carbon by a hybrid of la ser ablation and magnetron sputtering. These phases were combined into layered and grain/matrix nanocomposite materials, using the laser ablated plasma for low temperature synthesis of crystalline materials. Another was the production of AlON film by the laser ablation of Al2O3 accompanied by a nitrogen ion beam, where synergistic interaction between the two plasma sources provided the generation of chemically active NO molecules critical for the growth of AlON films. In both hybrid processes, the high energy, excitation level, and short duration of the laser ablated plasma were the key factors that enabled production of materials with composition, structure, and properties unobtainable by other deposition methods.
Tunable supercontinuum fiber laser source for BRDF measurements in the STARR II gonioreflectometer

STARR II is a planned NIST facility for spectral measurements of specular reflectance and diffuse bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) that is the follow-on to the current NIST STARR (Spectral Tri-function Automated Reference Reflectometer) facility. STARR II will improve and expand on the measurement capabilities of STARR, increasing spectral coverage in the short-wave infrared spectral region and adding out-of-plane BRDF measurement capability. We present characteristics of a tunable light source constructed for STARR II, which is based upon a supercontinuum fiber laser and has a tuning range from 500 nm to 2450 nm, alongside those of the current lampbased system in STARR. We then discuss considerations for measuring BRDF using this source. The STARR II goniometer will employ an articulated robotic arm to center and orient the sample, and we calculate the transformations from orientation of the sample and receiver to incident and scattering angles for measurements of in-plane and out-ofplane BRDF. We also present, for the first time, an analytic expression for the correction of measured BRDF to true BRDF due to the finite illumination area and collection aperture, and to the effects of uniformity of illumination. Finally, we present exploratory BRDF measurements on a diffuse sample made using the tunable supercontinnum source.
Broadcast vs. Band Fertilizer Applications on Summer Squash

ABSTRACT Three methods of preplant fertilizer application (broad-cast-and-bed, bed-and-broadcast, and bed-and-band) and two methods of sidedress fertilizer application (broadcast and band) on zucchini and yellow straightneck summer squash (Cucurbita pepo var. melopepo [L.] Alef.) were compared. With crops planted in late spring and early summer, no differences in yield due to sidedress method and few differences due to preplant application method were found. A trend toward lower yields with the bed-and-broadcast method was noted. No yield loss resulted when the more cost-effective broadcast method was used for preplant or sidedress fertilizer application to summer squash if the preplant broadcast application was made prior to the bedding operation.
INVESTMENT RISK ANALYSIS IN AIRPORT PARKING FACILITY DEVELOPMENT

Although parking revenue is a principal source of income, supply of parking infrastructure at airports is based largely on expected needs. Although that is a rational basis, high investment costs and management fees are requiring developers and financiers to carefully analyze investment risks. This paper focuses on sources of investment risk in airport parking infrastructure development and discusses the application of Monte Carlo simulation to estimate and understand the impacts of cash flow uncertainties on project feasibility. It is shown that cost overruns, which are common in construction project development, have the most significant impact on return risk.
Ethanol fermentation of energy beets by self-flocculating and non-flocculating yeasts.

Specialized varieties of sugar beets (Energy Beets™) are being developed for producing industrial sugars in Arkansas’ Mississippi River Delta. To evaluate their suitability for producing regional fermentation feedstocks, we report initial cultivation trials and ethanol fermentation of raw beet juice and combined juice with pulp mash (JPM) liquefied with enzymes, comparing ethanol yields under different regimes by self-flocculating and non-flocculating yeasts. Nine varieties produced root yields averaging 115 Mg/ha and 18.5% sucrose contents. Raw beet juice fermentation yielded ethanol up to 0.48 g/g (sugar). JPM was directly fermented through either a sequential (SeqSF) or simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process. For both yeast types, SSF was a more efficient process than SeqSF, with ethanol yields up to 0.47 g/g (sugar) and volumetric productivity up to 7.81 g/L/h. These results indicate the self-flocculating yeast is suitable for developing efficient bioprocesses to ferment industrial sugar from energy beets.
Improving students’ proportional thinking using schema-based instruction.

Abstract This study investigated the effectiveness of an instructional program (schema-based instruction, SBI) designed to teach 7th graders how to comprehend and solve proportion problems involving ratios/rates, scale drawings, and percents. The SBI program emphasized the underlying mathematical structure of problems via schematic diagrams, focused on a 4-step procedure to support and monitor problem solving, and addressed the flexible use of alternative solution strategies based on the problem situation. Blocking by teacher at three middle schools, the authors randomly assigned the 21 classrooms to one of two conditions: SBI and control. Classroom teachers provided the instruction. Results of multilevel modeling used to test for treatment effects after accounting for pretests and other characteristics (gender, ethnicity) revealed the direct effects of SBI on mathematical problem solving at posttest. However, the improved problem solving skills were not maintained a month later when SBI was no longer in effect nor did the skills transfer to solving problems in new domain-level content.
Linear uniform codes

Linear uniform codes are linear codes with minimum distance equal to average distance, and hence are optimum from minimum-distance point of view. A unified approach to block and convolutional codes is taken, leading to a simpler encoder for convolutional uniform codes.
The making of the liver: developmental competence in foregut endoderm and induction of the hepatogenic program.

The making of the vertebrate liver occurs in a two-step process, beginning with theestablishment of competence in the foregut endoderm to respond to signals fromcardiac mesoderm, followed by the induction of liver-specific gene expression. Twowinged helix transcription factors, Foxa1 and Foxa2, act in concert in hepaticspecification. In a mouse model engineered to lack both of these genes in the foregutendoderm, no liver bud is formed and expression of even the earliest knownhepatoblast markers does not occur. Furthermore, foregut endoderm derived fromdouble mutant embryos is not responsive to inductive signals in vitro. TheFoxa1/Foxa2 model is the first of a completely “liver-less mouse” and provides strongevidence for the competence model of hepatic induction.
Ceramics and Glass-Ceramics in Electronic Packaging

An overview of ceramic packaging as it evolved over the last two decades from dual-in-line packages to state-of-the-art multilayer multichip packages ispresented. IBM’s 69 layer glass-ceramic/copper multilayer multichip substrate with dielectric constant of 5.0, thermal expansion exactly matching silicon and exceptional dimensional control is summarized.
The economic response to globalization, recovery and growth, the integration of Eastern and Western Europe

This paper was originally published as a chapter in the author’s recent book Europe since 1980 (Cambridge University Press, 2010). The book tells the dramatic story of the economic, social, political, and cultural transformation of Europe during the transition from the Cold War to the European Union. The author charts the overwhelming impact of the collapse of communism on every aspect of European life. Europe became safer and more united, and Central and Eastern Europe started on the difficult road to economic modernization. However, the western half of Europe also changed. European integration gained momentum. The single market and the common currency were introduced, and the Union enlarged from nine to twenty-seven countries. This period also saw a revolution in information and communication technology, the increasing impact of globalization and the radical restructuring of the political system. The book explores the impact of all of these changes as well as the new challenges posed by the economic cri...
Bed shear stress over subaqueous dunes, and the transition to upper-stage plane beds

Plane beds that replace small bedforms (e.g. ripples) on the backs of subaqueous dunes are dynamically similar to upper-stage plane beds. Local bed shear stresses at the position on dunes where plane beds develop may be two to three times larger than on a completely plane bed under the same general hydraulic conditions. These observations help explain the transition from dunes to a wholly upper-stage plane bed.
Occlusion horizons for driving through urban scenery

We present a rapid occlusion culling algorithm specifically designed for urban environments. For each frame, an occlusion horizon is being built on-the-fly during a hierarchical front-to-back traversal of the scene. All conservatively hidden objects are culled, while all the occluding impostors of all conservatively visible objects are added to the 2½D occlusion horizon. Our framework also supports levels-of-detail (LOD) rendering by estimating the visible area of the projection of an object in order to select the appropriate LOD for each object. This algorithm requires no substantial preprocessing and no excessive storage. In a test scene of 10,000 buildings, the cull phase took 11 ms on a PentiumII 333 MHz and 45 ms on an SGI Octane per frame on average. In typical views, the occlusion horizon culled away 80-90% of the objects that were within the view frustum, giving a 10 times speedup over view frustum culling alone. Combining the occlusion horizon with LOD rendering gave a 17 times speedup on an SGI Octane, and 23 times on a PII. (Less)
A new genus and two new species of platynine carabid beetles from New Guinea (Insecta: Coleoptera: Carabidae: Platynini).

ABSTRACT A new genus, Paridiagonum, with the new species, Patidiagonum bidentatum, and a new species of Fortagonum Darlington, 1952, Fortagonum bellorum, are described from Mt. Misim in the vicinity of Wau, central eastern Papua New Guinea. The new genus in body shape is similar to the genus Idiagonum Darlington, 1952, but is distinguished from that genus by absence of setae at the prosternal intercoxal process, presence of three discal punctures on the elytra, bidentate apex of each elytron, deeply excised fourth tarsomeres, and much shorter and wider female gonocoxites 2, which lack the dorso-median ensiform seta. Structure of the fourth tarsomeres, however, suggests relationships with some species described by Darlington (1952) as belonging to Colpodes Macleay (e.g., Colpodes antedens Darlington, 1952, and Colpodes acuticauda Darlington, 1952). The new species of Fortagonum is distinguished from all described species by a combination of characters: chaetotaxy of head, pronotum, and elytra; distinctly f...
Tomographic reconstruction of diffusion propagators from DW-MRI using optimal sampling lattices

This paper exploits the power of optimal sampling lattices in tomography based reconstruction of the diffusion propagator in diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI). Optimal sampling leads to increased accuracy of the tomographic reconstruction approach introduced by Pickalov and Basser [1]. Alternatively, the optimal sampling geometry allows for further reducing the number of samples while maintaining the accuracy of reconstruction of the diffusion propagator. The optimality of the proposed sampling geometry comes from the information theoretic advantages of sphere packing lattices in sampling multidimensional signals. These advantages are in addition to those accrued from the use of the tomographic principle used here for reconstruction. We present comparative results of reconstructions of the diffusion propagator using the Cartesian and the optimal sampling geometry for synthetic and real data sets.
Instrumental record of debris flow initiation during natural rainfall: Implications for modeling slope stability

[1] The middle of a hillslope hollow in the Oregon Coast Range failed and mobilized as a debris flow during heavy rainfall in November 1996. Automated pressure transducers recorded high spatial variability of pore water pressure within the area that mobilized as a debris flow, which initiated where local upward flow from bedrock developed into overlying colluvium. Postfailure observations of the bedrock surface exposed in the debris flow scar reveal a strong spatial correspondence between elevated piezometric response and water discharging from bedrock fractures. Measurements of apparent root cohesion on the basal (Cb) and lateral (Cl) scarp demonstrate substantial local variability, with areally weighted values of Cb = 0.1 and Cl = 4.6 kPa. Using measured soil properties and basal root strength, the widely used infinite slope model, employed assuming slope parallel groundwater flow, provides a poor prediction of hydrologic conditions at failure. In contrast, a model including lateral root strength (but neglecting lateral frictional strength) gave a predicted critical value of relative soil saturation that fell within the range defined by the arithmetic and geometric mean values at the time of failure. The 3-D slope stability model CLARA-W, used with locally observed pore water pressure, predicted small areas with lower factors of safety within the overall slide mass at sites consistent with field observations of where the failure initiated. This highly variable and localized nature of small areas of high pore pressure that can trigger slope failure means, however, that substantial uncertainty appears inevitable for estimating hydrologic conditions within incipient debris flows under natural conditions.
Social and psychological creativity in gay male midlife identity management

This study utilizes a qualitative thematic analysis methodology and a social identity theory framework to explore ways in which early midlife gay men report enhancing their social identities through social and psychological creativity. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with forty early midlife gay men (aged 40-53) in four US cities. Men discussed the collective and individual essences of their age and gay identities, including attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours that they embraced to self-enhance at midlife. These discussions emphasized differences from the younger gay outgroup, often in the context of intergenerational interaction. Identified were three strategies (and seven substrategies) that summarized the ways that interviewees constructed their identities in the interest of self-enhancement, specifically in the context of intergenerational comparisons with younger gay men. These strategies may be considered as extensions to social creativity strategies presented in Tajfel and Turner's (Psychology of intergroup relations. Chicago, IL: Nelson, 1986: 7) social identity theory.
Temperatures and Locations Used by Hibernating Bats, Including Myotis sodalis (Indiana Bat), in a Limestone Mine: Implications for Conservation and Management

Understanding temperatures used by hibernating bats will aid conservation and management efforts for many species. A limestone mine with 71 km of passages, used as a hibernaculum by approximately 30,000 bats, was visited four times during a 6-year period. The mine had been surveyed and mapped; therefore, bats could be precisely located and temperatures (T (s)) of the entire hibernaculum ceiling accurately mapped. It was predicted that bats should hibernate between 5 and 10 degrees C to (1) use temperatures that allow a near minimal metabolic rate, (2) maximize the duration of hibernation bouts, (3) avoid more frequent and prolonged arousal at higher temperatures, (4) avoid cold and freezing temperatures that require an increase in metabolism and a decrease in duration of hibernation bouts or that could cause death, and (5) balance benefits of a reduced metabolic rate and costs of metabolic depression. The distribution of each species was not random for location (P < 0.000) or T (s) (P < 0.000). Myotis sodalis (Indiana bat) was most restricted in areas occupied, hibernating in thermally stable yet cold areas (X = 8.4 +/- 1.7 degrees C); 99% associated with cement block walls and sheltered alcoves, which perhaps dampened air movement and temperature fluctuations. Myotis lucifugus (little brown myotis) hibernated in colder, more variable areas (X = 7.2 +/- 2.6 degrees C). Myotis septentrionalis (northern myotis), Pipistrellus subflavus (eastern pipistrelle), and Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat) typically hibernated in warm, thermally stable areas (X = 9.1 +/- 0.2 degrees C, X = 9.6 +/- 1.9 degrees C, and X = 9.5 +/- 1.5 degrees C, respectively). These data do not indicate that hibernacula for M. sodalis, an endangered species, should be manipulated to cool below 5 degrees C.
Impact of prior irregular infliximab dosing on performance of long-term infliximab maintenance therapy in Crohn's disease

Background: Infliximab is efficacious in the management of moderate to severe Crohn's disease (CD). There are limited data regarding performance of infliximab in patients who require reinitiation of maintenance dosing following previous irregular exposure. Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study of CD patients treated with maintenance infliximab beyond 3 years. Maintenance infliximab infusion regimens were categorized as scheduled maintenance (SM) (maintenance infusions q ≤8 weeks after loading) or prior irregular (PI) (no loading, gap in therapy >8 weeks prior to or during maintenance therapy). We examined differences in need for medical and surgical hospitalizations as well as associated healthcare costs between the 2 groups. Results: In all, 104 CD patients met criteria for 3-year maintenance infliximab treatment (SM n = 64; PI n = 40). The rates of CD-related surgeries (60.9% and 55.0%, P = not significant [N.S.]) and medical hospitalizations (35.9% and 37.5%, P = N.S.) prior to infliximab initiation was similar between the 2 groups. However, the rate of medical (26.5% versus 47.5%, P = 0.035) and surgical hospitalizations (21.8% versus 48.7%, P = 0.009) were significantly lower in the SM compared to the PI group. During the third year of treatment the excess costs per patient for the PI group compared to the SM group amounted to $11,464 in spite of both cohorts being on SM therapy. Conclusions: Patients who begin and continue an uninterrupted maintenance dosing regimen had a lower incidence of hospitalization and surgery than those who received an irregular or interrupted regimen prior to beginning an SM regimen. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2010)
Principle-Based Inferences in Young Children's Categorization: Revisiting the Impact of Function on the Naming of Artifacts.

Abstract Three parallel studies investigated the influence of principle-based inferences and unprincipled similarity relations on new category learning by 3- to 6-year-old children. One of two possible functions of a single novel artifact (which differed between studies) was modeled for and practiced by children, who then judged which test objects got the same name as the original. Test objects, either globally similar or dissimilar in appearance from the original, were designed such that each could be inferred to afford only one of the two possible functions. (Actual functions of the test objects were not directly observed.) Patterns of categorization depended systematically on which original function had been experienced, indicating that the children used a common-function principle to guide their extension of the name. Therefore, categorization into newly learned categories may activate self-initiated, principle-based reasoning in young children. The conditions that prompt such categorization processes in young children are discussed, although a role for unprincipled similarity relations is not denied.
Absence of Zeros for the Chromatic Polynomial on Bounded Degree Graphs

In this paper, I give a short proof of a recent result by Sokal, showing that all zeros of the chromatic polynomial $P_G(q)$ of a finite graph $G$ of maximal degree $D$ lie in the disk $|q|< K D$, where $K$ is a constant that is strictly smaller than 8.
Differential effects of antihypertensive drug therapy on arterial compliance

Although vascular compliance, ΔV/ΔP, is abnormal in essential hypertension and can be improved by antihypertensive drug therapy, it is not clear whether drug-induced changes in compliance are attributable solely to lower achieved blood pressure (BP), and thus equally likely with different drugs possessing similar antihypertensive efficacy. Therefore, we used computerized arterial pulse waveform analysis (CAPWA) to measure capacitive (C1) and oscillatory (C2) components of arterial compliance in essential hypertensive subjects (n = 39) before, and 1 and 3 months after achieving normotensive BP values with administration of either dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonists (CaBl, n = 11), converting enzyme inhibitors (CEI, n = 9), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB, n = 9), or β-blockers (BBl, n = 10). Despite equivalent effects on BP (CaBl: −19 ± 4/−15 ± 2 mm Hg; CEI: −12 ± 3/−13 ± 2 mm Hg; ARB: −10 ± 3/−12 ± 2 mm Hg; and BBl: −14 ± 3/−12 ± 2 mm Hg; P < .005 for each drug v pretreatment), CaBl, CEI, and ARB significantly increased arterial compliance (CaBl: %ΔC1 = 30.0 ± 5.8, %Δ C2 = 43.7 ± 23.3; CEI: %ΔC1 = 32.7 ± 5.4, %ΔC2 = 26.7 ± 7.1; ARB: %ΔC1 = 36.3 ± 11.8, %ΔC2 = 43.6 ± 23.1; P < .01 for CaBl, CEI, and ARB v pretreatment), but BBl did not (%ΔC1 = −3.9 ± 7.6, %ΔC2 = −7.0 ± 11.5, P = not significant v pretreatment, sig = 0.01 v other drugs). We conclude that for an equivalent effect on BP, arterial compliance improves after therapy with some, but not all antihypertensive drugs. We hypothesize that a greater clinical benefit may result from the preferential use of drugs that concomitantly improve arterial compliance.
Risk Information Provided to Prospective Oocyte Donors in a Preliminary Phone Call

In order to accommodate for the present shortage of oocyte donors, oocyte-donation programs place ads in college newspapers and provide large monetary compensation to encourage participation. Large compensation acts as a strong incentive for young women to undergo the potentially risky procedure of donation. In this enticing situation, it is particularly important for programs to fully inform prospective donors of the risks of the procedure so that they can accurately weigh the costs and benefits of donating. However, because oocyte-donor programs must alleviate the shortage of donors if they wish to maintain a financially viable business, there is reason to fear that they may minimize or misrepresent risks when recruiting egg donors. In this pilot study, the risk information provided by programs (n=19) to prospective oocyte donors in a preliminary phone call inquiry was investigated. The majority of the programs provided incomplete and/or inaccurate risk information. Policy changes are recommended to reduce the potential for undue influence and to standardize and regulate the risk information provided to prospective egg donors.
Combinatorial Union-Bound Analysis on the Concatenation of LDPC/Turbo Codes and Space-Time Codes over Fast Fading MIMO Channels

A performance evaluation framework based on the maximum-likelihood (ML) union bound is proposed for the concatenated coding scheme where the outer linear block code, low-density parity-check (LDPC) or Turbo code, drives a sequence of inner space-time codes. The outer code can be partitioned in a combinatorial manner such that all codewords in one subset/subcode are associated with an identical pairwise error probability. The union bound is therefore the summation of all distinct pairwise error probabilities, each of which is weighted by the cardinality of the corresponding subset. The cardinality is computable by making use of the statistical property of an ensemble of codes, and an approach of polynomial expansion is proposed for efficient evaluation of the closed-form union bound. Numerical results are presented for different channel scenarios and modulation schemes, which indicate that the ML union bounds are useful to benchmark the performance of practical iterative detection and decoding algorithms.
SOCIAL REASONS FOR SKIN TONE PREFERENCES OF BLACK SCHOOL‐AGE CHILDREN

Black skin tone preferences were explored among 98 black school-age children. Findings suggest a preference for honey brown rather than lighter or darker skin tones. Concept analysis generated six categories of reasons for the choice, identifying differences related to age and gender.
Surgical management of late relapse on surveillance in patients presenting with clinical stage I testicular cancer.

Objective To determine survival outcomes in clinical stage I germ cell tumor (GCT) patients requiring retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) for late relapse (LR) occurring while on surveillance. Methods The Indiana University Testis Cancer Database was queried from 1985 to 2013 to identify all patients who presented with clinical stage I GCT, elected surveillance, relapsed ≥2 years after initial diagnosis, and underwent RPLND in treatment of their LR. Clinical, pathologic, and treatment characteristics were reviewed. Results Twenty-eight patients met inclusion criteria. The mean age at diagnosis was 29.3 years. Testicular primary was pure seminoma in 2, intratubular germ cell neoplasia with scar in 1, nonseminomatous GCT in 24, and unknown in 1 patient. The median time from diagnosis to relapse was 48.5 months (range, 28-321 months). At relapse, serum tumor markers were elevated in 13 patients (46.4%). Nineteen patients were given cisplatin-based chemotherapy at LR. RPLND was initial management of LR in 9. At RPLND, 10, 5, and 13 patients demonstrated fibrosis, teratoma, and viable malignancy, respectively. On the last follow-up, 24 patients (85.7%) were free of disease and 4 patients (14.3%) had died of their disease. Conclusion When examining outcomes among patients undergoing RPLND at LR of GCT, it appears that patients experiencing LR on surveillance have more favorable histology and survival outcomes than previously reported for unselected patients experiencing LR.
Determinants of Auditee Adoption of Audit Recommendation: Local Government Auditors' Perspectives

This research determines the impact of local government’s internal audit process on the audit client management’s adoption of audit recommendations. Publicity of financial and operational problems in government in recent years has led to concerns about the quality of government audits, the extent of public managers’ adoption of audit recommendations, as well as citizen demand for accountability in government. In spite of this, the importance of the government audit process in ensuring accountability has gained little attention in public management research. A survey of local government audit executives was conducted to determine various aspects of the local government internal audit process and their relationships with audit client management’s adoption of audit recommendations. Results show that client management’s adoption of audit recommendation is a function of auditor professional designation, due diligence, client relations, documentation and tracking of audit recommendations, as well as of follow-up audits to verify implementation of agreed-upon action plans.
Successful treatment with minimal chemotherapy followed by low-dose involved field radiotherapy in children with Hodgkin's disease: A 20-year experience in a single institution in Greece

10052 Background: The vast majority of children with Hodgkin's disease (HD) nowadays have an excellent chance of definite cure. The high curative rates as well as the prevention of late effects have to be among aims when managing children with HD. The purpose of our retrospective study was to report the outcome and prognostic factors of patients (pts) less than 15 years of age with HD treated with chemotherapy (CT) followed by low dose radiation from 1987 to 2006. Methods: We studied 58 children analyzing the following data: age, sex, stage, histology, therapy correlating these with the outcome of pts. Among 35 boys and 23 girls, age at diagnosis 4.5 - 15 years (median 12), all aged 7 years or less were boys (8/58). Nodurar sclerosis was the predominant histology subtype (69%) and 45% had advanced disease (stages III or IV). According the study period pts with early stage received 4 cycles of ABVD or VBVP and those with advanced stage disease alternating 3 cycles of MOPP/ABVD or 2 of MOPP/ABVP for stage I...
Parametrization of Backbone Flexibility in a Coarse-Grained Force Field for Proteins (COFFDROP) Derived from All-Atom Explicit-Solvent Molecular Dynamics Simulations of All Possible Two-Residue Peptides.

Recently, we reported the parametrization of a set of coarse-grained (CG) nonbonded potential functions, derived from all-atom explicit-solvent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of amino acid pairs and designed for use in (implicit-solvent) Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations of proteins; this force field was named COFFDROP (COarse-grained Force Field for Dynamic Representations Of Proteins). Here, we describe the extension of COFFDROP to include bonded backbone terms derived from fitting to results of explicit-solvent MD simulations of all possible two-residue peptides containing the 20 standard amino acids, with histidine modeled in both its protonated and neutral forms. The iterative Boltzmann inversion (IBI) method was used to optimize new CG potential functions for backbone-related terms by attempting to reproduce angle, dihedral, and distance probability distributions generated by the MD simulations. In a simple test of the transferability of the extended force field, the angle, dihedral, and dista...
Perception deception: security risks created by optimistic perceptions

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to determine whether management’s optimistic perceptions of their organization’s level of information security preparedness can ultimately result in increased information security risks. Design/methodology/approach – A case study was conducted in a financial institution. In all, 24 employees were interviewed. These employees came from all functional areas and various positions, from tellers to executives. Interviews were conducted, internal policies and examiners’ reports were made available and access was given to observe the employees during working hours and to observe the facilities after hours. Findings – Executives were overly optimistic about the level of information security at their organization. These optimistic perceptions guided security priorities; however, the findings show that their perceptions were misguided leaving their organization open to increased security threats. More specifically, the results show that optimist perceptions by management can pu...
A Practical Lewis Base Catalyzed Electrophilic Chlorination of Arenes and Heterocycles

A mild phosphine sulfide catalyzed electrophilic halogenation of arenes and heterocycles that utilizes inexpensive and readily available N-halosuccinimides is disclosed. This methodology is shown to efficiently chlorinate diverse aromatics, including simple arenes such as anthracene, and heterocycles such as indoles, pyrrolopyrimidines, and imidazoles. Arenes with Lewis acidic moieties also proved amenable, underscoring the mild nature of this chemistry. Lewis base catalysis was also found to improve several diverse aromatic brominations and iodinations.
Effects of biofuel blends on transient reactivity-controlled compression ignition engine combustion:

Reactivity-controlled compression ignition is a low-temperature engine combustion strategy that utilizes in-cylinder blending of fuels with different autoignition characteristics to produce low NOx (oxides of nitrogen) and particulate matter emissions while maintaining high thermal efficiency. This study investigates reactivity-controlled compression ignition combustion in a light-duty, multi-cylinder, compression ignition engine over steady-state and transient operating conditions with both petroleum and bio-derived fuels. The engine experiments consisted of in-cylinder fuel blending with port fuel injection of gasoline or E20 and early-cycle, direct injection of ultra-low sulfur diesel or B20. Performance and emissions results were compared at steady-state and over an up-load change between 1 and 4 bar brake mean effective pressure at 1500 r/min. The results under steady-state operation showed that E20 offered reduced hydrocarbon emissions from the lower port fuel injection mass fraction. Port fuel inje...
Intralesional BCG immunotherapy of pulmonary tumors

A new method of bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy has been evaluated in 25 patients with lung cancer. This technique involves the direct intratumor injection of BCG in patients with pulmonary tumors. Four patients underwent transbronchoscopic injection of tumor, with significant resolution of tumor in three. Twenty-one patients underwent percutaneous injection with the aid of fluoroscopic imaging. Twenty of these 21 underwent pulmonary resection. Toxicity was limited to fever and malaise. The severity of this toxicity was closely related to the magnitude of reactivity to PPD. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications occasioned by BCG injection. The histologic features were characterized by granulomatous inflammatory reactions in the tumors and the regional lymph nodes. These histologic findings are identical to those seen in animal tumor models in which potent systemic antitumor immunity is induced. BCG intratumor injection is technically feasible and safe, and it is appropriate to begin phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials.
Continual and Cost-Effective Partitioning of Dynamic Graphs for Optimizing Big Graph Processing Systems

Recently, several cluster computing frameworks have been proposed for scalable and efficient processing of big graphs. The manner in which graph data is partitioned and placed on the compute nodes has a significant impact on cluster performance. While most existing graph partitioning and placement strategies have been designed for static graphs, the graphs in many modern applications are dynamic (time-evolving). In this paper, we propose a unique, continuous and multi-cost sensitive approach for partitioning dynamic graphs. Our approach incorporates novel cost functions that take into account major factors that impact the performance of big graph processing clusters. We also present incremental algorithms to efficaciously handle various types of graph dynamics. Our algorithms are unique in that they work by locally adjusting the partitions thus avoiding massive repartitioning. This paper reports a series of experiments to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms in maximizing the performance of big graph processing systems on dynamic graphs.
Sensitivities of Earth's core and mantle compositions to accretion and differentiation processes

Abstract The Earth and other terrestrial planets formed through the accretion of smaller bodies, with their core and mantle compositions primarily set by metal–silicate interactions during accretion. The conditions of these interactions are poorly understood, but could provide insight into the mechanisms of planetary core formation and the composition of Earth's core. Here we present modeling of Earth's core formation, combining results of 100 N-body accretion simulations with high pressure–temperature metal–silicate partitioning experiments. We explored how various aspects of accretion and core formation influence the resulting core and mantle chemistry: depth of equilibration, amounts of metal and silicate that equilibrate, initial distribution of oxidation states in the disk, temperature distribution in the planet, and target:impactor ratio of equilibrating silicate. Virtually all sets of model parameters that are able to reproduce the Earth's mantle composition result in at least several weight percent of both silicon and oxygen in the core, with more silicon than oxygen. This implies that the core's light element budget may be dominated by these elements, and is consistent with ≤1–2 wt% of other light elements. Reproducing geochemical and geophysical constraints requires that Earth formed from reduced materials that equilibrated at temperatures near or slightly above the mantle liquidus during accretion. The results indicate a strong tradeoff between the compositional effects of the depth of equilibration and the amounts of metal and silicate that equilibrate, so these aspects should be targeted in future studies aiming to better understand core formation conditions. Over the range of allowed parameter space, core and mantle compositions are most sensitive to these factors as well as stochastic variations in what the planet accreted as a function of time, so tighter constraints on these parameters will lead to an improved understanding of Earth's core composition.
Association of prior rituximab exposure among patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation for relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with inferior outcomes in males compared with females.

8055 Background: The combination of rituximab with CHOP remains the standard upfront therapy of patients (pts) with advanced diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Gender disparity in survival of pts with DLBCL appears to be significantly modified by the use of rituximab in both upfront (Ngo, 2008; Pfreundschuh, 2009; Riihijarvi, 2010) and post-transplant maintenance (CORAL trial) settings. The presence of interaction between gender and prior rituximab exposure remains unknown in pts with relapsed/refractory DLBCL undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 320 consecutive pts who underwent ASCT for relapsed/refractory DLBCL at our center from 01/1998 to 12/2010. Relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis in SAS 9.1 (Cary, NC). Results: Among all pts (median age=54 yrs (IQR, 45-61); 92% Caucasians) 210 (66%) were males and 110 (34%) were fem...
TBCRC028: A phase Ib/II trial of GDC-0941 (a PI3K inhibitor) in combination with cisplatin in metastatic androgen receptor-negative triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

TPS1148 Background: We recently reported six distinct molecular subtypes of TNBC, including two basal-like subtypes with cell cycle and DNA damage response (DDR) gene expression (GE) signatures (BL1 and BL2) and a luminal androgen receptor (LAR) subtype which expresses AR by immunohistochemistry. BL1 and BL2 cell lines respond to DNA damaging agents, including cisplatin. Consistent with the frequent alterations in DDR and PI3K pathways in TNBC, the combination of cisplatin and the pan-PI3K inhibitor GDC0941 was very active against AR-negative TNBC cell lines in preclinical studies. This trial will evaluate the benefit of the addition of GDC-0941 to cisplatin in patients with metastatic AR-TNBC. Methods: This is an open-label phase Ib/II multiple institution trial in which patients with metastatic AR-TNBC will be randomized to: a) cisplatin 25 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28 day cycle, or b) cisplatin with GDC-0941. Biopsy of a metastatic lesion at baseline, at day 5-10, and at progression is required. ...