cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gangs and environment: A comparative analysis of prison and street gangs

One misconception in gang research is the assumption that prison gangs and street gangs are organizationally and ideologically synonymous. Although in the minority, some researchers suggest that prison gangs are qualitatively and quantitatively different from other gangs (Fleisher & Decker, 2001). Utilizing 30 in-depth semi-structured interviews with formerly incarcerated gang members in the New England area, this article assesses the effect of environment on the organizational structure, ideologies, and practices of prison and street gangs. The analysis presents a comparative model of prison and street gangs that highlights differences across major aspects of each type of organization, including membership, leadership, organizational operations, and relationships with authority figures. These findings suggest a need for researchers to explore prison and street gangs as distinct entities each affected by their respective environments. Policy suggestions and directions for future research are discussed.
Biomaterials in Total Joint Arthroplasty

Total joint arthroplasties have increased significantly in number over the past several decades and appear to continue to increase exponentially in correlation with the demands of an aging population. The multifaceted approach to providing patients with a lasting implant is divided among the patient characteristics, surgical skills, and the biomaterials of the implant. The following chapter reviews the most commonly used biomaterials for total joint arthroplasty, their properties, their interaction with other implants, and the current progress in improving each material for greater stability, sterility, and survivability. This chapter also highlights the clinical relevance of these materials by presenting several case reports of failures of varying materials.
Mindfulness training to support advance care planning: Qualitative findings from a randomized pilot.

4Background: Emotional discomfort talking about end of life (EOL) often inhibits advance care planning (ACP). Mindfulness meditation facilitates emotional regulation through present-centered awareness and non-reactive coping and may help adults with cancer and their family caregivers (CGs) approach ACP with greater ease. As part of a randomized pilot study of a mindfulness intervention, we conducted qualitative interviews with cancer patients and their CGs to explore participants’ perceptions of the effects of mindfulness on EOL discussions and ACP. Methods: Adults with advanced solid malignancies and an estimated prognosis of < 12 months were randomized with their CG (N = 55 dyads) to receive standard care alone or standard care plus a 6-session mindfulness intervention that included guided mindfulness meditation, mindful communication practices, and ACP information. A subset of mindfulness patients (n = 20) and CGs (n = 15) completed semi-structured qualitative interviews post-intervention that were rec...
Intravenous fluid bolus rates and pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis resolution.

Abstract Background Recent data have challenged the notion that rapid intravenous fluid administration results in adverse neurologic outcomes in children with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). While many physicians still administer a cautious 10 cc/kg bolus of intravenous fluids for pediatric DKA patients, there may be benefits to using a larger bolus. Methods This was a retrospective chart review of all pediatric patients with DKA presenting to a single emergency department (ED) between 2013 and 2015. Patients who received a bolus of 10 cc/kg or less in the ED were compared to patients who received >10 cc/kg of fluids. The primary outcome was the difference in hospital length-of-stay between the two groups. Secondarily, we compared groups with regards to the time to bicarbonate normalization. Results In sum, 170 pediatric DKA ED visits were analyzed. Patients who received a 10 cc/kg bolus or less of fluids in the ED had a mean hospital length-of-stay > that was 0.38 days longer (95% CI: 0.006 to 0.75 days) than those who received >10 cc/kg. On multivariable regression analysis, the difference between groups was diminished and no longer statistically significant. The time to bicarbonate normalization was 0.12 days longer (95% CI -0.029 to 0.27) in the 10 cc/kg or less group than the >10 cc/kg group. Conclusions After adjustment for confounders, no statistically significant differences in outcomes were seen in pediatric DKA patients who received a 10 cc/kg bolus or less compared to those who received a larger initial bolus.
Social cyber forensics: leveraging open source information and social network analysis to advance cyber security informatics

In this paper, we introduce the concept of social cyber forensics and its usability. Then, we introduce a tool, i.e., Maltego that can be used to study the cross-media affiliation and uncover hidden relations among various online groups. We also provide three stepwise methodologies that leverage Maltego and various open source information to uncover the hidden relationship among (1) Twitter accounts and a set of websites/blogs; (2) websites/blogs and other websites/blogs; or (3) infer the ownership of a set of websites/blogs. These methodologies have been tested during many cyber propaganda campaigns that were projected against NATO forces. A high-level view of these case studies that leveraged the concepts and methodologies provided in this paper are briefly highlighted here while the details of each case were published in various venues which are pointed out for interested readers.
STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE DIABETES CARE DELIVERY

Although the primary care office is an important location for integrating new advances in the treatment of diabetes, the current delivery of preventive primary care for patients with diabetes falls short of clinical recommendations. Barriers within the existing health care system, practice structure, and physician and patient support services are among the most commonly cited obstacles to initiating better preventive care. As public health groups demand greater accountability from the medical system, regulatory efforts focus more scrutiny on systems, clinic practices, and even individual physician practices. Although improving care delivery effectively and efficiently is difficult, strategies to exist that can increase the likelihood of improving patient outcomes. Successful diabetes initiatives are often characterized by the consensual adoption of an evidence-based treatment plan. Effective physician-oriented interventions include the use of reminder systems, local opinion leaders, and academic detailing. In addition, several national diabetes initiatives are likely to influence primary care practice. New measures of accountability will be widely used to determine the quality of primary diabetes care delivery.
An evaluation of monthly maintenance therapy among patients receiving intravesical combination gemcitabine/docetaxel for nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Abstract Purpose To report our experience with sequential maintenance intravesical gemcitabine/docetaxel (GEM/DOCE) for patients with nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer. Materials and methods Fifty-nine patients who received full GEM/DOCE for nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer between 2013 and 2018, per the protocol adapted from University of Iowa, were identified and characterized. Patients were treated with 6 weekly instillations of GEM/DOCE and subsequent monthly maintenance installations for those with no evidence of disease at the first surveillance. Student's t test and χ2 test were used to compare continuous and categorical variables as appropriate. For survival analyses, Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves were created to assess disease-free survival (DFS). Overall comparisons of KM survival analysis were conducted using the Wilcoxon test. Results Among all patients, median follow-up was 24 months. Sixty-six percent of patients received ≥2 intravesical induction therapies prior to receiving GEM/DOCE. Thirty-one patients (63%) failed ≥2 induction courses of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) before receiving GEM/DOCE. Overall DFS was 49% at 1 year and 29% at 2 years. For patients who failed ≥1 induction courses of BCG, overall DFS was 48% at 1 year and 32% at 2 years. GEM/DOCE appears to be effective for therapy naive and patients who have failed previous intravesical therapies (P = 0.39). There were 41 (69.5%) patients who had no evidence of disease at the first surveillance and were eligible for maintenance therapy. Among these patients, 24 were managed with observation alone and 17 with monthly maintenance. Median follow-up for observed patients was 36 months and 26 months for patients with maintenance. DFS at 1 year was 42% for observed patients and 81% for patients receiving maintenance (P = 0.04). DFS at 2 years was 32% for observed patients and 59% for patients receiving maintenance therapy (P = 0.45). For maintenance eligible patients who received ≥1 induction courses of BCG, DFS was 42% for observed patients and 81% for patients receiving maintenance therapy at 1 year and 34% for observed patients and 59% for patients receiving maintenance therapy at 2 years. Pathologic stage at recurrence was similar between observed patients and those receiving maintenance (P = 0.83). KM analyses showed greater DFS for patients receiving maintenance therapy compared to observed patients (P = 0.04). Conclusion Patients who demonstrate initial complete response to GEM/DOCE may benefit from maintenance GEM/DOCE.
Backlash Robotic Systems Compensation by Inverse Model-Based PID Control

In this work, it is presented a contribution for backlash compensation in robotic systems. For that, a direct model and a inverse model of the backlash are presented. The first model is used to simulate the system, while the second model is applied as the PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) control input for backlash compensation. A case study is presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed control system using a linear welding robot BUGO MDS system. Simulations and experimental results are shown and discussed.
Inequitable Subordination: Distressing Distressed Claims Purchasers by Propagating Subordination Benefit Elimination Theory

This Article examines the application of equitable subordination under Title 11 of the United States Code to bankruptcy claims purchasing transactions that transpire after the occurrence of inequitable conduct by a third party. Although a significant issue with practical consequences, it has drawn relatively scant commentary. To the author’s knowledge, no scholarship to date has attempted to comprehensively discuss the issue or describe the indirect cleansing and washing of tainted claims resulting therefrom. While analyzing and criticizing the current state of the law, this Article introduces the concepts of the “subordination benefit,” “subordination benefit elimination theory,” and “limited subordination benefit theory” to facilitate and further conversations related to the intersection of equitable subordination and bankruptcy claims trading. This Article primarily aims to promote an active, fluid bankruptcy claims trading market to, on an ex post basis, benefit creditors and, on an ex ante basis, reduce the cost, and induce the extension, of credit in the primary capital markets, thereby supporting the broader economy. Additionally, this Article seeks to reduce indirect cleansing of tainted claims and indirect claims washing through the bankruptcy claims market. The subject matter is particularly timely and relevant, given the recent publication of the Final Report and Recommendations of the American Bankruptcy Institute Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11, the significant growth of the claims trading market and the increasing activity and sophistication of distressed investors, and the recent formation of the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Claims Trading Committee. This Article argues that subordination benefit elimination theory, which represents the dominant theory propagated by courts and commentators, finds support in a misguided reading of caselaw and conflicts with sound economic policy and logic. Further, while acknowledging limited subordination benefit theory is a superior approach to subordination benefit elimination theory, this Article argues that limited subordination benefit theory also runs contrary to sound economic policy and logic. This Article requests commentators and courts halt and reverse the propagation of subordination benefit elimination theory and avoid disseminating limited subordination benefit theory. Instead, this Article proposes post-misconduct discounted claims purchasers be entitled to participate in the subordination benefit to the same extent as pre-misconduct claimholders. If commentators and courts are unready to abandon both theories and if required to make a suboptimal binary choice, this Article suggests limited subordination benefit theory be propagated and utilized in lieu of subordination benefit elimination theory.
Rewriting the Biracial Love Story in Rosa María Britton’s Esa esquina del paraíso

While nineteenth-century Latin American foundational fictions sought racial and social harmony through the genre of romance, by the twentieth century these biracial love story tropes are subject to intense scrutiny. Panamanian novelist Rosa Maria Britton’s drama, Esa esquina del paraiso (1986), as analyzed with new approaches, produces a critical reassessment by reframing these established narratives in ways that reveal significant cracks in the creole elite’s optimistic view of romance as a means to bridge social and racial divides. By comparing the play’s biracial protagonist, Eugenia/Jenny, with the tragic mulata heroine prototype of the classic Cuban novel, Cecilia Valdes (1839), differences between the two characters expose crucial shifts and innovative positions. The established tropes that worked so well in the elite’s vision of racial harmony become ineffectual acts of mimicry. With startling frankness Esa esquina del paraiso presents a woman-centered retelling of a traditional male discourse which, while not leading to the proposed goal of economic stability and personal fulfillment for the female protagonist, does uncover significant limitations in nineteenth-century imaginings of race and class. Las ficciones fundacionales latinoamericanas del siglo diecinueve buscaban establecer la armonia racial y social por la via del romance; en el siglo veinte, en cambio, la puesta en escena de historias del amor racialmente hibridas empezaron a ser cuestionadas. Este estudio del drama Esa esquina del paraiso (1986), de la novelista panamena Rosa Maria Britton, emplea nuevos acercamientos criticos que desacreditan la vision optimista de las elites criollas hacia el romance como mecanismo de superacion de las divisiones sociales y raciales. Si comparamos la protagonista del drama panameno, Eugenia/Jenny, con la prototipica heroina mulata de la novela clasica cubana Cecilia Valdes (1839), descubrimos cambios significativos. La eficaz representacion de la armonia racial que proyectaba el discurso de la elite, es vista aqui como mimetismo del subalterno. Esa esquina del paraiso nos enfrenta a una audaz y directa reelaboracion ginocentrica del discurso tradicional masculino que revela importantes limitaciones del imaginario decimononico respecto a raza y clase, si bien no alcanza la meta proyectada de la estabilidad economica y realizacion personal de la protagonista femenina.
Low Temperature SoIC Bonding and Stacking Technology for 12-/16-Hi High Bandwidth Memory (HBM)

A low temperature system-on-integrated-chip (SoIC) bonding and stacking technology is proposed and implemented for 3-D memory integration, such as 3-D static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cube. It extends not only 2-D pin count to 12000/mm2 but also overcomes the obstacle of the stacking height. 4-Hi, 8-Hi, and 12-Hi stacks, each with 1 base die and 4, 8, and 12 dies, respectively, are realized and demonstrated in this article. The daisy chains in the 4-Hi/8-Hi/12-Hi structures incorporating over 10 000 through silicon vias (TSVs) and bonds are tested with liner ${I}-{V}$ curves, which indicates the good bonding and stacking quality. The electrical link from base controller to top DRAM for 12-Hi and 16-Hi high bandwidth memory (HBM) structure is built up to study the bandwidth (BW) and power efficiency. Compared to $\mu $ bump technology, the BW for the 12-Hi and 16-Hi structures using SoIC bonding shows the improvement of 18% and 20%, respectively, under same pin pitch and the power efficiency has the improvement of 8% and 15%. For thermal performance, the 12-Hi and 16-Hi SoIC-bond structure is 7% and 8% better than those using $\mu $ bump technology, respectively. With this innovative SoIC bonding and stacking technology, the bond pitch is scalable to sub-micrometer and the die thickness is manageable to be thinner, which are prospected for the application of higher BW 3-D memory with tera byte (TB)/s per stack.
Using Narrowband Photometry to Detect Young Brown Dwarfs in IC 348

We report the discovery of a population of young brown dwarf candidates in the open star cluster IC 348 and the development of a new spectroscopic classification technique using narrowband photometry. Observations were made using FLITECAM, the First Light Camera for SOFIA, at the 3 m Shane telescope at Lick Observatory. FLITECAM is a new 1-5 μm camera with an 8' field of view. Custom narrowband filters were developed to detect absorption features of water vapor (at 1.495 μm) and methane (at 1.66 μm) characteristic of brown dwarfs. These filters enable spectral classification of stars and brown dwarfs without spectroscopy. FLITECAM's narrow- and broadband photometry was verified by examining the color-color and color-magnitude characteristics of stars whose spectral type and reddening was known from previous surveys. Using our narrowband filter photometry method, it was possible to identify an object measured with a signal-to-noise ratio of 20 or better to within ±3 spectral class subtypes for late-type stars. With this technique, very deep images of the central region of IC 348 (H ~ 20.0) have identified 18 sources as possible L or T dwarf candidates. Out of these 18, we expect that between 3 and 6 of these objects are statistically likely to be background stars, the remainder being true low-mass members of the cluster. If confirmed as cluster members, then these are very low mass objects (~5MJup). We also describe how two additional narrowband filters can improve the contrast between M, L, and T dwarfs as well as provide a means to determine the reddening of an individual object.
Negative Correlation Hidden Layer for the Extreme Learning Machine

Abstract Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) algorithms have achieved unprecedented performance in supervised machine learning tasks. However, the preconfiguration of the nodes in the hidden layer in ELM models through randomness does not always lead to a suitable transformation of the original features. Consequently, the performance of these models relies on broad exploration of these feature mappings, generally using a large number of nodes in the hidden layer. In this paper, a novel ELM architecture is presented, called Negative Correlation Hidden Layer ELM (NCHL-ELM), based on the Negative Correlation Learning (NCL) framework. This model incorporates a parameter into each node in the original ELM hidden layer, and these parameters are optimized by reducing the error in the training set and promoting the diversity among them in order to improve the generalization results. Mathematically, the ELM minimization problem is perturbed by a penalty term, which represents a measure of diversity among the parameters. A variety of regression and classification benchmark datasets have been selected in order to compare NCHL-ELM with other state-of-the-art ELM models. Statistical tests indicate the superiority of our method in both regression and classification problems.
Risk factors: Diabetes, fractures and mortality--statin therapy.

Fractures are associated with increased mortality in the general population. Now, a new study from a Danish national database has examined mortality after a fracture in patients with diabetes mellitus. Increased age, male sex, alcohol dependency, retinopathy, heart failure and use of glucocorticoids were associated with increased mortality; statin use was associated with a reduced risk of death.
Randomized algorithms for generalized Hermitian eigenvalue problems with application to computing Karhunen–Loève expansion

Summary We describe randomized algorithms for computing the dominant eigenmodes of the generalized Hermitian eigenvalue problem Ax = λBx, with A Hermitian and B Hermitian and positive definite. The algorithms we describe only require forming operations Ax,Bx and B−1x and avoid forming square roots of B (or operations of the form, B1/2x or B−1/2x). We provide a convergence analysis and a posteriori error bounds and derive some new results that provide insight into the accuracy of the eigenvalue calculations. The error analysis shows that the randomized algorithm is most accurate when the generalized singular values of B−1A decay rapidly. A randomized algorithm for the generalized singular value decomposition is also provided. Finally, we demonstrate the performance of our algorithm on computing an approximation to the Karhunen–Loeve expansion, which involves a computationally intensive generalized Hermitian eigenvalue problem with rapidly decaying eigenvalues. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CRLH-transmission line leaky wave antennas integrated with distributed amplifiers with power recycling feedback scheme

In this paper, we propose distributed amplifiers based CRLH-transmission line leaky wave antennas with the self-recycling scheme by using a rat-race hybrid coupler. With this power feedback, theoretically the gain can be increased twice as much. Such configuration can be used to enhance the overall antenna efficiency.
Essential role for Notch1 mediated myofibroblast differentiation in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis (406.5)

Notch signaling pathway is involved in the regulation of cell fate, differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Previous studies indicate that Notch1 activates myofibroblast differentiation, a ke...
In Vitro studies on single beating rat heart cells

The ultrastructure of single beating heart cells, isolated from newborn rats by trypsinization and grown in semisynthetic media using a modified feeder layer technique, was investigated. In many of the cells myofibrils with A, I, and Z bands were seen. In all beating cells more or less well developed myofilaments were seen. Varying developmental stages occurred in cultures of the same age. Well developed mitochondria and Golgi bodies were also present. Ribosomes were found linearly arranged parallel to the myofilaments organized in what appeared to be a helix. Polysomes, scattered filaments, and Z material seem to arise in the periphery of the cell. The relation of these polysomes to the synthesis of myofilaments and the development of myofibrils is discussed.
Converting a Driven Base Vibration Test to a Fixed Base Modal Analysis

Qualification vibration tests are routinely performed on prototype hardware. Model validation cannot generally be done from the qualification vibration test because of multiple uncertainties, particularly the uncertainty of the boundary condition. These uncertainties can have a dramatic effect on the modal parameters extracted from the data. It would be valuable if one could extract a modal model of the test article with a known boundary condition from the qualification vibration test. This work addresses an attempt to extract fixed base modes on a 1.2 meter tall test article in a random vibration test on a 1.07 meter long slip table. The slip table was supported by an oil film on a granite block and driven by a 111,000 Newton shaker, hereinafter denoted as the big shaker. This approach requires obtaining dominant characteristic shapes of the bare table. A vibration test on the full system is performed. The characteristic table generalized coordinates are constrained to zero to obtain fixed base results. Results determined the first three fixed base bending mode frequencies excited by the shaker within four percent. A stick-slip nonlinearity in the shaker system had a negative effect on the final damping ratios producing large errors. An alternative approach to extracting the modal parameters directly from transmissibilities proved to be more accurate. Even after accounting for distortion due to the Hann window, it appears that dissipation physics in the bare shaker table provide additional damping beyond the true fixed base damping.
Econometric analysis of the 1974/75 decline in petroleum consumption in the USA: Some policy implications

Abstract A statistical estimate of the factors causing a reduction in petroleum consumption in 1974 and 1975 is presented on a factor by factor basis. It is shown that higher real prices accounted for the largest reduction in the 1974 decline while reduced macroeconomic activity directly accounted for the largest reduction in the 1975 decline. Weather and all other factors are shown to have had smaller roles in explaining reductions in those years. Such an analysis is useful in evaluating the potential of various policy actions to reduce petroleum consumption and imports.
Preservation of Mycobacterial Cultures

Storage of cultures of mycobacteria by freezing in skimmed milk was determined to be an easier and more reliable method of maintaining viability and stability than lyophilization.
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors promote cholesterol-dependent Akt/PKB translocation to membrane domains in endothelial cells.

Objective : Recent results have shown that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors referred to as statins rapidly activate the protein kinase Akt/PKB in endothelial cells (ECs) and endothelial precursor cells (EPCs). This pathway is critical for cellular responses that contribute to angiogenesis and EC function including nitric oxide production, cellular survival and migration. Methods : Here we tested whether statins control the translocation of recombinant and endogenous Akt to the plasma membrane of endothelial cells in a cholesterol-dependent manner. Results : Low doses of statins rapidly induce the translocation of Akt to discrete sites in endothelial cell plasma membrane that colocalize with F-actin-positive, focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-negative lamellipodia and filopodia. This translocation event requires the lipid-binding, pleckstrin homology domain of Akt. Treatment with phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) inhibitors or the HMG-CoA reductase reaction product l-mevalonate blocks the translocation of Akt in response to statin stimulation. Furthermore, the ability of statins to promote Akt activation and translocation to the membrane is inhibited by cholesterol delivery to cells, but cholesterol loading had no effect on VEGF-induced Akt activation. Conclusions : These results suggest that statin activation of Akt signaling is mediated by the translocation of Akt to cholesterol-sensitive membrane structures within activated ECs.
Interference in the Photo-Ionization of Molecules

Initial observations by Samson of the far-uv photoabsorption by molecules suggest that the spectrum of photoelectrons emerging from a multicenter molecular field is modulated by interferences. This effect is discussed in terms of Huygens' approach and of a partial-wave analysis with a Born-approximation calculation. It is compared with processes of diffraction by molecules. It appears related to the onset of photo-ionizing transitions to states of increasing orbital momenta which occurs at increasing photon energies.
Involuntary Mental Health Treatment: The Mental Health Consumer as Expert

Involuntary treatment in mental health has existed since society first began trying to tackle the issue of mental illness (Dennis & Monahan, 1996). Despite controversy on both sides of the issue, involuntary treatment continues to be used in current mental health service delivery. Practitioners and policy makers have engaged in lively debates about the merits of involuntary treatment, but few studies have engaged affected consumers in this discussion. This article reports on a small qualitative study in North Carolina that attempted to collect the stories of mental health consumers who had been involuntarily hospitalized due to symptoms of mental illness at some point in their lives. Study participants were also asked to critique the elements of the contemporary involuntary treatment and offer their ideas about improving it.
Substructure lattices and almost minimal end extensions of models of Peano arithmetic

This paper concerns intermediate structure lattices Lt(/ℳ), where is an almost minimal elementary end extension of the model ℳ of Peano Arithmetic. For the purposes of this abstract only, let us say that ℳ attains L if L ≅ Lt(/ℳ) for some almost minimal elementary end extension of . If T is a completion of PA and L is a finite lattice, then: (A) If some model of T attains L, then every countable model of T does. (B) If some rather classless, ℵ1-saturated model of T attains L, then every model of T does. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Immunochemical study of the origin of the mitotic apparatus

Abstract The hypothesis that the mitotic apparatus is assembled from materials already present in the cell at the time of division seems to be sustained by the presence in such cells of an antigen that is a component of the isolated mitotic apparatus. It may be stated with some certainty that the mitotic apparatus contains a single major antigen, possibly corresponding to the major protein fraction already characterized by chemical means, and with less certainty that it contains a second. The simplicity of this picture would be more surprising if it had not already been suggested by chemical analysis of the isolated mitotic apparatus. The idea of a pre-existing “precursor” to the mitotic apparatus was favored by a great many of the earlier cytologists. What evidence they had to support what seems intuitively to be an attractive plan for the division cycle came necessarily from microscopic observations on fixed material. Thus, the “archoplasm,” “kinoplasm”, and similar hypothetical precursors to the mitotic apparatus were viewed as fine fibrils, networks of fibrils, particles, etc. The basic concept is now revived in terms of a molecular “precursor”, a protein made before division which is later assembled and organized into the orderly mitotic apparatus. In the eggs which have been studied, the situation may be oversimplified by the fact that so many of the requirements of the embryo's cell population are stored in advance. In a more typical growth-division cycle, at least half of the substance of the mitotic apparatus would have been synthesized between the last division and the next. As for the other half, we still do not know the fate of the mitotic apparatus in telophase and early interphase. It breaks down visibly, but it is not known whether its molecules are destroyed or retained for the next division. The fact that there are no common antigens in the mitotic apparatus, muscles, and sperm flagella of the species of sea urchin which have been used will be disappointing in proportion to the appeal of a truly unifying hypothesis. These experiments have tested only a very literal version of the hypothesis of a common molecular basis for the differentiation of the “contractile” potentialities of cells, and do not detract from any view that stresses common general mechanisms without insisting on strict homology.
Molecular and cellular responses to DNA damage in a murine pituitary adenoma cell line

Loss of cell cycle control and the inability of the cell to repair DNA at cell cycle checkpoints results in the propagation of genetic lesions which ultimately leads to cancer. To further our understanding of these pathways in pituitary tumorigenesis, we have investigated the effects of DNA damage by gamma radiation in a murine pituitary adenoma (AtT20) cell line with attention to cell cycle checkpoint responses, the induction of apoptosis, and the expression of known regulators of these processes. Irradiated cells exhibited characteristic morphologic changes of apoptosis beginning at 24 h, which included cell shrinkage, chromatin condensation, and cytoplasmic vacuolization, yet the ability to exclude trypan blue was retained for several days. DNA fragmentation could be demonstrated by ethidium bromide staining beginning at 24 h post-irradiation. By propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry, irradiated cells demonstrated G1 and G2 arrest at 24 h, followed at 48 h by a shift to a sub-G1 position of the apoptotic cell population. The G1 arrest coincided with an induction of p53 protein by Western blot analysis which peaked at 4 h post-radiation and persisted beyond 48 h. Expression of c-myc in irradiated cells was found to progressively decrease at 12, 24, and 48 h. Basal expression of the bcl-2 gene in AtT20 cells was found to be 15-fold higher than in normal mouse pituitary by RNase protection assay. Bcl-2 mRNA and protein levels, however, remained unchanged at 24 and 48 h following gamma-irradiation, suggesting that apoptosis occurs independently of bcl-2 gene expression in these cells following this stimulus, as reported in other cell types. We conclude that AtT20 cells undergo G1 and G2 arrest following DNA damage and that a significant proportion of cells then undergo apoptosis. The G1 arrest at 24 h is concurrent with a strong induction of p53 protein, while c-myc expression progressively diminishes. Bcl-2 is highly expressed in this cell line. The absence of variation in bcl-2 expression during apoptosis could be related to its high basal level in these cells.
Comparison of recruitment strategies and associated disease prevalence for health promotion in rural elderly

Abstract Background. Although interest in health promotion for the elderly is increasing, the issues of recruitment into such programs and self-selection have not been well explored. While clinical studies require high participation levels and expensive recruitment, community efforts are satisfied with recruiting small numbers of volunteers from poorly defined populations. These small samples may not be representative of the populations at risk. Methods. As part of the Rural Health Promotion Project, a Medicare demonstration, community-based recruitment methods were evaluated and participant characteristics were compared. A total of 3,884 individuals ages 65–79 were recruited in northwestern Pennsylvania, using four sequential recruitment strategies, varying in aggressiveness. The methods were: (A) mail only, (B) mail with phone recruitment follow-up, (C) mail with phone recruitment and scheduling, and (D) mail with aggressive phone recruitment and scheduling. Results. Recruitment yields were Method A, 13.5%; B, 21.1%; and C, 31.6%. The most aggressive Method (D) yielded 37.0% participation. More aggressive methods (C and D) recruited more educated individuals. No other demographic or health status differences were noted. Conclusion. These data show that large numbers of the elderly can be recruited into a health promotion program using aggressive methods and professional interviewers.
Cirrhosis: A Consequence of Chronic Liver Disease

The definition, etiology, and pathophysiology of cirrhosis are discussed. The author also discusses therapy for cirrhosis, which is directed at treating the primary etiology as well as controlling the common secondary complications of the disease.
What Are the “Foundations of Inorganic Chemistry”? Two Answers

The 2008 American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training (CPT) guidelines for bachelor’s degree programs specify that all certified majors take the equivalent of a one-semester “foundations of inorganic chemistry” course; an in-depth inorganic chemistry course is optional. The CPT provides a supplement to the guidelines listing inorganic topics that should be covered, but the list is too long to cover in one semester. We suggest that the list can be subdivided into two approximately equal subsets. The “aqueous and bioinorganic chemistry” subset meets the needs of most chemistry and related majors and does not require coverage of symmetry and molecular orbital theory. The “inorganic chemistry research” subset meets the needs of another set of chemistry majors and includes and builds on symmetry and molecular orbital theory. Because the CPT allows a department to have two alternate versions of the “foundations of inorganic chemistry” course, a department can provide most students with a one-sem...
Teaching Module for One-Dimensional, Transient Conduction

This article describes a PC-based teaching module designed to instruct engineering students in transient one-dimensional conduction heat transfer analysis. The module is set up to analyze infinite slabs, infinite cylinders, and spheres, i.e., the same geometries for which the Heisler charts have been used for the last half-century. The finite-volume method is used to derive the discretized governing equations. The on-screen display shows the evolution of the temperature distribution in animated form. Extensive help files introduce students to the fundamentals of solving parabolic, partial differential equations numerically so that they can set up a simple calculation themselves for cases not covered by either this algorithm or the Heisler charts. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 6: 41–51, 1998
Use of multi-stage cascades to improve performance of thermoelectric heat pumps

Abstract A thermoelectric heat pump is a miniature solid state device used to pump small amounts of heat. Potential uses range from the cooling of electronic components to dorm size refrigerators. An ongoing study at the U.S. Naval Academy proposes to use a miniature thermoelectric heat pump to maintain a neutron dosimeter at near constant temperatures in order to obtain more accurate readings. Unfortunately, the coefficient of performance of the heat pump decreases rapidly with increasing temperature difference. The current study investigates the potential improvement in heat pump performance that can be obtained by cascading two or more heat pumps in series operation.
Microbial transformations of prosulfuron

Microbial transformations were conducted with prosulfuron {1-(4‘-methoxy-6‘-methyltriazin-2‘-yl)-3-[[2‘‘-(3‘‘‘,3‘‘‘,3‘‘‘-trifluoropropyl)phenyl]sulfonyl]urea} to identify pathways by which the sulf...
Trends in Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplant Organ Donation: The Johns Hopkins Experience:

Adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation is an increasingly important option for 17 000 patients awaiting liver transplantation in the United States. However, adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation volumes peaked in 2001 (N=518), and have gradually fallen in 2002 (N=362), 2003 (N=321), and 2004 (N=323). Recent concerns about donor safety and ethical considerations have made careful analysis of donor availability and selection criteria critically important. We conducted a retrospective review of our active liver transplant recipient registry (N=251) and compared it to our living donor registry (N=231), which included all potential living donors before the selection process. Fifteen percent of recipients accounted for the majority (53%) of donor evaluations, whereas 42% of recipients did not have even a single donor evaluation. Recipient diagnosis appears to have a significant impact on donor availability, with donors rarely evaluated for patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. Careful and st...
Pressure-Induced Phase Transformation of Controlled-Porosity Pb(Zr0.95Ti0.05)O3 Ceramics

Chemically prepared Pb(Zr 0.95 Ti 0.05 )O 3 (PZT 95/5) ceramics were fabricated with a range of different porosity levels, while grain size was held constant, by systematic additions of added organic pore former (Avicel). Use of Avicel in amounts ranging from 0 to 4.0 wt% resulted in fired ceramic densities that ranged from 97.3% to 82.3%. Hydrostatic-pressure-induced ferroelectric (FE) to antiferroelectric (AFE) phase transformations were substantially more diffuse and occurred at lower hydrostatic pressures with increasing porosity. An ∼12 MPa decrease in hydrostatic transformation pressure per volume percent added porosity was observed. The decrease in transformation pressure with decreasing density was quantitatively consistent with the calculated macroscopic stress required to achieve a specific volumetric macrostrain (0.40%). This strain was equivalent to experimentally measured macrostrain for FE-to-AFE transformation. The macroscopic stress levels were calculated using measured bulk modulus values that decreased from 84 to 46 GPa as density decreased from 97.3% to 82.3%. Good agreement between calculated and measured values of FE-to-AFE transformation stress was obtained for ceramics fired at 1275° and 1345°C.
Form factors and wave functions of vector mesons in holographic QCD

Abstract Within the framework of a holographic dual model of QCD, we develop a formalism for calculating form factors of vector mesons. We show that the holographic bound states can be described not only in terms of eigenfunctions of the equation of motion, but also in terms of conjugate wave functions that are close analogues of quantum-mechanical bound state wave functions. We derive a generalized VMD representation for form factors, and find a very specific VMD pattern, in which form factors are essentially given by contributions due to the first two bound states in the Q 2 -channel. We calculate electric radius of the ρ-meson, finding the value 〈 r ρ 2 〉 C = 0.53 fm 2 .
A new strategy for stress analysis using the finite element method

In the paper the authors examine the effectiveness of the Powell-Toint strategy for evaluating the Hessian of the potential energy surface of a finite element model that can be used for linear stress analysis and transient response predictions of structures. Cases for which the Powell-Toint strategy may be cost-effective with the conventional method of stress analysis are identified.
A structural and functional analysis of walking in the turtle, Chrysemys picta marginata

Walking of Chrysemys has been studied by cinephotography and x-rays. The lateral sequence, diagonal couplet gait, limb support sequence, and wide track provide great stability, yet a slight pitch and roll cause some plastral drag. Velocity ranges from 28 mm to 51 mm/second, and fluctuates within a stride. Limb movements and structure resemble those of other ectotherms, but incorporate modifications reflecting the animal's short, broad trunk encased in a shell and carried close to the ground. The triradiate pectoral girdle so articulates with the shell as to act as a truss for weight transfer to the ground. Girdle rotation increases the efficiency of the girdle as a truss, and contributes to locomotor efficiency. The glenoid cavities are more than twice as far apart as the acetabula, so a thrust from the pectoral girdle has less propulsive efficiency on the center of gravity than one from the acetabulum. The humerus and femur are protracted to a greater extent than in other ectotherms and their horizontal arcs of retraction are less. Rotation of these elements about their longitudinal axes contributes to the length of a stride and to foot placement and withdrawal. Differences in the movements of comparable segments of front and hind limbs correlate with differences in the width of the girdles, a crus longer than the antebrachium, and different capacities for joint rotation.
The Runge-Kutta local projection discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for conservation laws. IV. The multidimensional case

In this paper we study the two-dimensional version of the Runge- Kutta Local Projection Discontinuous Galerkin (RKDG) methods, already de- fined and analyzed in the one-dimensional case. These schemes are defined on general triangulations. They can easily handle the boundary conditions, verify maximum principles, and are formally uniformly high-order accurate. Prelimi- nary numerical results showing the performance of the schemes on a variety of initial-boundary value problems are shown.
Aspergillus fumigatus spore concentration in outside air: Cardiff and St Louis compared

Summary Intermittent sampling of the atmosphere 3 days/week over a 12-month period using Andersen samplers in Cardiff, Wales, U.K. and St Louis, Missouri, U.S.A., indicated average A. fumigatus spore concentrations of 13.5/m3 in St Louis and 11.3/m3 in Cardiff. Both sites showed seasonal variations with highest concentrations during winter.
Carcinoma in-situ of the ureter in patients with bladder carcinoma treated by cystectomy

Ureteral carcinoma in-situ was found in 17 (8.5%) of 205 patients undergoing cystectomy for bladder carcinoma. The incidence was highest in patients with multifocal tumors and in those with high stage and high grade tumors. The clinical and pathologic significance of this finding are discussed.
Primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in low-stage testicular germ cell tumors: a detailed pathologic study with clinical outcome analysis with special emphasis on patients who did not receive adjuvant therapy.

Objective To evaluate, in detail, the histopathologic features of metastatic testicular germ cell tumors to retroperitoneal lymph nodes treated with primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) and correlate the findings with patients' outcomes. Materials and Methods We studied 183 patients with documented pathologic stage II disease with or without elevated serum tumor markers, selected from 453 patients who underwent primary RPLND at our institution from 1989 to 2002. Tumor type(s), size and extent of disease, and amount of tumor necrosis were assessed and correlated with outcome. Results Embryonal carcinoma was the most common tumor type, present as the only component in 99 cases (54%) and the predominant tumor type (>50%) in 142 (78%). The number of positive lymph nodes ranged from 1 to 40 from a total of 2-80 lymph nodes examined (median, 28). Extranodal extension (ENE) was identified in 120 cases (66%). Among 73 patients followed up expectantly and with normal serum tumor markers, 19 experienced relapse, the probability of which was higher in patients with more positive nodes, larger metastases, and presence of ENE. However, none of these differences was statistically significant (all P >.2). The predominance of embryonal carcinoma and the presence of tumor necrosis were not significantly associated with outcome. Conclusion In this cohort, most patients treated with primary RPLND and with positive lymph nodes also had ENE. We did not identify any variables to be significantly associated with relapse after RPLND in patients managed expectantly. Additional studies with more patients are needed to validate our findings.