cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
American Parentage Law

Many children born in the United States today face challenges that their parents, as children, never imagined. Kids today often cannot easily identify their parents, at least for legal purposes. Comparably, many adults today are surprised when confronted in court with claims of parentage or nonparentage that their own parents could never have imagined. With shifting child-parent legal relations, grandparents, siblings, aunts, and uncles can come or go in a flash. What has happened in a single generation to prompt greater uncertainties about legal parentage in the United States? How have federal and state lawmakers responded so that the new complexities arising from the legal parentage revolution are better described and understood? These questions are the focus of this book. It is aimed at educating lawyers, lawmakers and citizens at large on the current, and ever revolving, norms guiding U.S. parentage laws. The Table of Contents of the book accompanies this abstract. The book is divided into three major parts. Each part demonstrates the interstate variations in U.S. parentage laws in single contexts, as well as intrastate parentage law variations in differing contexts. The first part reviews U.S. childcare parentage laws by considering the norms guiding both parental custody and parental support. The second part reviews U.S. parentage laws outside of childcare, including laws on parentage for the dead; parents of the unborn; and parent-child relationships in tort, probate, criminal, and other settings. The third part, an Appendix, contains the varying Uniform Parentage Acts (1973, 2000 and 2017), as well as the Uniform Nonparent Child. Custody and Visitation Act (2018), of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. These uniform acts have been, and continue to be, sources for lawmaking by both legislators and judges in the United States. More importantly, and unlike no other available source, the Appendix contains citations to statutes and cases in the U.S. states on many important parentage law issues, including spousal parents (i.e., marital presumptions); hold out parents; de facto parents; and varying approaches to parentage arising from different forms of assisted reproduction births (including genetic and gestational surrogacy).
Black Women, Black Panther, and Black Feminist Anticipatory Vigilance

I define Black feminist anticipatory vigilance as the attention/awareness that we, as African American women, pay to future popular culture media representations of us. It is optimistic and hopes for positive and empowering future media texts. It uses a Black Female Gaze (Roach & Felix, The female gaze. The Real Comet Press, 1989) to anticipate future texts that include new and needed representations of Black people. This exploratory study seeks to uncover the criteria for future representations of Black people that Black women viewers articulate from their engagement with Black Panther. The interviews revealed the importance of Black media that include intelligent, independent, and authentic Black women; present and value authentic Black beauty; reference Africa and African heritage with pride rather than shame; and present hope for the future, including positive role models for children, healthy Black families, and Black love. It also suggests that media texts have the ability to bring people together, rather than keep them separated.
Human–robot collaborative strategies for advanced manufacturing and surgical robotics tasks

This report provides a summary of recent research activities conducted by Prof. Krishna Kaipa who directs the Collaborative Robotics and Adaptive Machines (CRAM) Laboratory at Old Dominion Universi...
DeepSMOTE: Fusing Deep Learning and SMOTE for Imbalanced Data.

Despite over two decades of progress, imbalanced data is still considered a significant challenge for contemporary machine learning models. Modern advances in deep learning have magnified the importance of the imbalanced data problem. The two main approaches to address this issue are based on loss function modifications and instance resampling. Instance sampling is typically based on Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), which may suffer from mode collapse. Therefore, there is a need for an oversampling method that is specifically tailored to deep learning models, can work on raw images while preserving their properties, and is capable of generating high quality, artificial images that can enhance minority classes and balance the training set. We propose DeepSMOTE - a novel oversampling algorithm for deep learning models. It is simple, yet effective in its design. It consists of three major components: (i) an encoder/decoder framework; (ii) SMOTE-based oversampling; and (iii) a dedicated loss function that is enhanced with a penalty term. An important advantage of DeepSMOTE over GAN-based oversampling is that DeepSMOTE does not require a discriminator, and it generates high-quality artificial images that are both information-rich and suitable for visual inspection. DeepSMOTE code is publicly available at: this https URL
Outcomes of comprehensive lymphadenectomy for patients with advanced stage ovarian carcinoma and rare histologic sub-types.

Objective To investigate the prognostic significance of comprehensive lymphadenectomy at the time of primary debulking surgery for patients with rare histologic sub-types of epithelial ovarian carcinoma and clinically advanced stage disease who underwent complete gross resection. Methods The National Cancer Database was accessed and patients diagnosed between January 2010 and December 2015 with stage III–IV clear cell, endometrioid, mucinous, and low-grade serous carcinoma who underwent primary debulking surgery and achieved complete gross resection were identified. Patients who did not undergo lymphadenectomy and those who underwent comprehensive lymphadenectomy (defined as at least 20 lymph nodes removed) were selected for further analysis. Overall survival was compared with the log-rank test and a Cox model was constructed to control for confounders. Results A total of 381 patients were identified; 133 (34.9%) patients underwent comprehensive lymphadenectomy while 248 (65.1%) patients did not. There were no differences between the two groups in terms of patient race, age, presence of co-morbidities, type of treatment facility, disease stage, histology, and extent of intra-abdominal disease (p>0.05). There was no difference in overall survival between patients who did and did not undergo comprehensive lymphadenectomy (p=0.42); median overall survival was 51.48 and 47.38 months, respectively. After controlling for patient age, race, insurance status, presence of co-morbidities, intra-abdominal tumor spread, stage and histology, performance of systematic lymphadenectomy was not associated with better survival (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.69 to 1.35). Conclusion Comprehensive lymphadenectomy is not associated with a survival benefit for patients with rare histologic sub-types of epithelial ovarian carcinoma and advanced stage disease who underwent primary debulking surgery and complete gross resection.
Surge in testicular torsion in pediatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract Background Testicular torsion is a pediatric surgical emergency, and prompt diagnosis and treatment is imperative. During the COVID-19 pandemic, pediatric patients with symptoms of testicular torsion may be reluctant to seek medical care which increases the likelihood of delayed presentation and the need for an orchiectomy. This observational study sought to determine whether there was a higher number of testicular torsion cases during COVID-19. Methods As the first patient with COVID-19 was admitted to our facility on March 6, 2020, we identified male children ages 1–18 years with testicular torsion between March 1-December 31, 2020 (during COVID-19) compared to the same time period between 2015 and 2019 (prior to COVID-19). All patients were evaluated at our Institution's Emergency Department by a pediatric urologist. Results There were 38 cases of testicular torsion between March 1-December 31, 2020 compared to 15.8 cases on average during the same 10-month period between 2015 and 2019 (a total of 79 cases). There was a statistically significant increase in testicular torsion cases during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to equivalent time periods in 2015–2019 (38 vs. 15.8, p = 0.05). Patients with testicular torsion during the COVID-19 pandemic were younger, had a longer duration of symptoms, and had a higher number of orchiectomies (although not statistically significant). Conclusion During the COVID-19 pandemic, an escalation in testicular torsion cases was observed. Timely assessment, diagnosis, and surgery are crucial to prevent testicular loss and potential infertility in the future. Further evaluation is needed to elucidate the surge in testicular torsion and possible mechanisms.
Complex fluids under shear: Block copolymers

A survey is given on the effects of large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) flow on the orientation behavior of lamellar poly (styrene-b- isoprene) (PS-b-PI) diblock copolymers with emphasis on the elucidation of common behavior with other layered complex fluids like lyotropic lamellar phases. It is described that for LAOS at temperatures close to the order-disorder-transition temperature, T ODT, three orientation regimes related to the dynamic shear viscosity of the block copolymers are observed: parallel orientation at high, perpendicular orientation at intermediate, and parallel orientation again at very low shear frequencies. It is demonstrated that one of the key issues to understand these non- equilibrium type experiments is the behavior of instabilities leading to flips of orientation from parallel to perpendicular alignment and vice versa. An orientation diagram showing the position of these instabilities in the amplitude-frequency space is derived experimentally suggesting a consistent phenomenological picture of orientation phenomena of layered systems under shear.
Isotope Effects in Carbocation Chemistry

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 Hyperconjugation and the NMR Isotope Shift 3 Nonadditive NMR Isotope Shifts and Conformation 4 Isotope Shifts Associated with Motion along the Bridging Coordinate 5 Variation of NMR Isotope Shifts with Increasing Electron Demand 6 Biographical Sketch Related Articles
Finding (more) fruit on the vines: Using higher education research and institutional research to guide institutional policies and strategies (Part II)

This article is the second of a two-part series that examines the utility of higher education research to help guide campus-based interventions to enhance institutional effectiveness. This second article outlines programmatic efforts undertaken to enhance the quality of the first-year experience for new students. It also describes the impact of these interventions on the first-year student experience. The article closes with a summary of the lessons learned from these efforts and delineates a series of recommendations for higher education administrators interested in using the research literature to enhance institutional effectiveness.
Defining genetic intra-tumor heterogeneity: a chronological annotation of mutational pathways

Tumor heterogeneity is believed to be important in tumor progression and its response to therapies. However, despite numerous mutations being reported in human tumors, genetic intra-tumor heterogeneity remains poorly defined. We have developed a novel strategy to provide a chronological annotation of mutational events in a tumor. We used an endometrial tumor from a patient and transplanted it into athymic mice to create many tumor xenografts. While the patient tumor xenografts were initially responsive to raloxifene treatment, xenografts created with cancer cell clones isolated from the same patient tumor showed dramatic differences in response to raloxifene, indicating existence of intra-tumor heterogeneity with some subpopulations inherently resistant to the drug. A 250K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array from Affymetrix was used to profile genotype changes on 3 xenografts and 10 single cells from another 10 xenografts. We found 797 SNP sites containing loss of heterozygosity (LOH) common to all these specimens, indicating that genetic mutations in these regions may contain the earliest genetic events in the original patient tumor. Based upon the genotype information from the 10 single cancer cells, we developed a phylogenetic tree using neighbor-joining method. We showed that there are at least 3 distinct subpopulations in the patient tumor. Additionally, the phylogenetic tree was used to determine the order of genetic events, thus providing a chronological annotation to genetic mutations. Our approach represents an important analytic strategy for defining genetic intra-tumor heterogeneity and providing chronological annotations to the genetic landscape revealed by future whole genome sequencing in tumors.
Aspects of Stoicism in Locke’s Philosophy

To begin with, Locke was not a Stoic philosopher, at least not a self-conscious one. There is no evidence that he made any attempt to recover Stoic principles through a careful study of ancient sources that were available to him, one comparable to the study he made of the New Testament in search of the fundamental principles of the Christian Religion, or that, having once recovered Stoic principles, he endeavoured to conform his philosophical theories to them. Nevertheless, there are major aspects of Locke’s philosophy that appear characteristically Stoic and that, when brought clearly into view, make him seem almost but not quite a Stoic philosopher. Almost, but not quite: this may serve as a motto for my essay. Being not quite one thing suggests not just privation but being something else as well. This other may consist of contrary philosophical positions. No modern philosopher who was schooled in antiquity, as was Locke, could escape being somewhat eclectic. In Locke’s case, however, the other consisted of something very different, that was not philosophy, even though it was regarded by many who professed it as a form of wisdom, something which when reduced to dogma often seemed antithetical to philosophy generally and to Stoicism in particular, even while it claimed to represent what all philosophers knowingly or not aspired to. That significant other is Christianity as delivered in the Scriptures. Locke was a Christian, who was confident of his faith, and who held his Christian beliefs in higher regard than mere philosophical opinion, including his own.
Borrowing Constraints and Technology Diffusion: Implications of Intra-Industry Trade

This paper develops a theory of total factor productivity differences in a framework of technology diffusion. I show how in countries with tighter borrowing constraints, frontier technologies diffuse more slowly, and old outdated technologies continue to be used. I analyse how countries with different borrowing constraints specialise across new and old technologies through two forms of intra-industry trade. First, I consider international factor mobility which is interpreted as a form of (vertically differentiated) intermediate goods trade. Second, I consider trade in (vertically differentiated) final goods. Under both forms of trade, poor countries with tighter borrowing constraints exploit their comparative advantage through specialising in older technologies. However, under international factor mobility, poor countries can adopt new technologies faster by gaining access to inputs which complement the use of newer technologies. The patterns of specialisation across technologies are dramatically different under each form of trade. Despite this, both forms of trade are consistent with total factor productivity divergence between countries with different borrowing constraints.
SU-C-213-07: Fabrication and Testing of a 3D-Printed Small Animal Rectal Cooling Device to Evaluate Local Hypothermia as a Radioprotector During Prostate SBRT

Purpose: The protective effects of induced or even accidental hypothermia on the human body are widespread with several medical uses currently under active research. In vitro experiments using human cell lines have shown hypothermia provides a radioprotective effect that becomes more pronounced at large, single-fraction doses common to SBRT treatments. Relevant to prostate SBRT, this work details the fabrication and testing of a 3D-printed cooling device to facilitate the investigation of the radioprotective effect of local hypothermia on the rat rectum. Methods: A 3cm long, two-channel rectal cooling device was designed in SOLIDWORKS CAD for 3D printing. The water intake nozzle is connected to a 1mm diameter brass pipe from which water flows and circulates back around to the exit nozzle. Both nozzles are connected by plastic tubing to a water chiller pump. Following leak-proof testing, fiber optic temperature probes were used to evaluate the temperature over time when placed adjacent to the cooling device within a rat rectum. MRI thermometry characterized the relative temperature distribution in concentric ROIs surrounding the probe. CBCT images from a small-animal irradiator were evaluated for imaging artifacts which could affect Monte Carlo dose calculations during treatment planning. Results: The rectal temperature adjacent to themore » cooling device decreased from body temperature (37°C) to 15°C in 10–20 minutes from device insertion. Rectal temperature was maintained at 15±3°C during active cooling. MRI thermometry tests revealed a steep temperature gradient with increasing distance from the cooling device, with the desired temperature range maintained within the surrounding few millimeters. Conclusion: A 3D printed rectal cooling device was fabricated for the purpose of inducing local hypothermia in rat rectums. Rectal cooling capabilities were characterized in-vivo to facilitate an investigation of the radioprotective effect of hypothermia for late rectal toxicity following a single large dose of radiation. Funding support provided by RSNA research seed grant.« less
Delayed-onset bleb-associated endophthalmitis: Clinical features and visual acuity outcomes

Abstract Objective To investigate clinical factors, causative organisms, treatments, and visual acuity and intraocular pressure outcomes associated with delayed-onset, bleb-associated endophthalmitis. Design Retrospective, noncomparative, consecutive case series. Participants All patients treated for bleb-associated endophthalmitis at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute between January 1, 1996, and July 1, 2001. All patients had prior glaucoma filtering surgery. Patients with inadvertent functioning blebs after cataract extraction were excluded. Main outcome measures Visual acuity outcomes and intraocular pressure control after endophthalmitis. Results An antifibrotic agent was used in 40 (82%) of the 49 eyes identified, including mitomycin-C in 33 (67%) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in 7 (14%). The mean interval between the initial filtering surgery and endophthalmitis diagnosis was 5.0 years (range, 0.7–12.2 years). The mean follow-up time after treatment for endophthalmitis was 6.9 months (range, 1–60 months). As recorded in the medical record, potential risk factors and clinical features among the study population included history of bleb leak in 13 (27%) eyes, bleb manipulations in 15 (31%) (needling in 3 [6%], compression sutures in 2 [4%], laser suture lysis in 6 [12%], bleb revision in 5 [10%], and autologous blood injection in 2 [4%]), bleb defects in 6 (12%), inferior bleb location 6 (12%), and nasolacrimal duct obstruction in 1 (2%). The most common causative organisms were Streptococcus species in 15 eyes (31%) and Staphylococcus species in 11 eyes (22%). Final visual acuities in the vitrectomy group (n = 22) versus the initial tap group (n = 26) were as follows: ≥ 20/40 (5% versus 15%), 20/50 to 20/400 (32% versus 54%), and 21 mmHg) after treatment of endophthalmitis. Conclusions Streptococcus species and Staphylococcus species were the most common causative organisms in the current series of patients with delayed-onset bleb-associated endophthalmitis. Despite successful treatment of the infection, visual outcomes are generally poor.
Quantum-dot-doped waveguides produced by ion exchange

We present the first low-loss (< 0.5 dB/cm) ion-exchanged waveguides in glass doped with lead-salt quantum dots. Measurements of the waveguides' coupling losses, near-field mode profile, and index profile are presented
German Mediation in the Sino-Japanese War, 1937–38

When the marco polo bridge incident occurred near peiping on july 7, 1937, japan was not prepared to launch a long-term war with china. on the contrary, she was hopeful that a little military pressure would result in a local settlement providing for North China autonomy and economic co-operation with Japan, which she had been demanding for several years. When the incident developed into a fullscale war toward the end of July, she declared that her army was only punishing the anti-Japanese 29th Army and particularly its 37th Division. Even after the war spread to Shanghai in August, Japan still insisted that the military operations were undertaken with the limited purpose of urging the Chinese National government to reconsider and to correct its attitude toward Japan. Although these were absurd explanations, they did reflect to a certain extent the true intention of the Japanese government. On the one hand, a war with China would not be favorably received by the Japanese people. Financial, circles stressed that only a general settlement with China would bring economic prosperity to Japan. Even the General Staff, which had Russia in mind, advised against it. On the other hand, however, the young officers in the army, with War Minister Sugiyama as their leader, advocated war, at least a limited one. They felt that the rising nationalism and the growing unification of China must be checked before China would accept Japanese leadership.
The adhesion signaling molecule p190 RhoGAP is required for morphogenetic processes in neural development

Rho GTPases direct actin rearrangements in response to a variety of extracellular signals. P190 RhoGAP (GTPase activating protein) is a potent Rho regulator that mediates integrin-dependent adhesion signaling in cultured cells. We have determined that p190 RhoGAP is specifically expressed at high levels throughout the developing nervous system. Mice lacking functional p190 RhoGAP exhibit several defects in neural development that are reminiscent of those described in mice lacking certain mediators of neural cell adhesion. The defects reflect aberrant tissue morphogenesis and include abnormalities in forebrain hemisphere fusion, ventricle shape, optic cup formation, neural tube closure, and layering of the cerebral cortex. In cells of the neural tube floor plate of p190 RhoGAP mutant mice, polymerized actin accumulates excessively, suggesting a role for p190 RhoGAP in the regulation of +Rho-mediated actin assembly within the neuroepithelium. Significantly, several of the observed tissue fusion defects seen in the mutant mice are also found in mice lacking MARCKS, the major substrate of protein kinase C (PKC), and we have found that p190 RhoGAP is also a PKC substrate in vivo. Upon either direct activation of PKC or in response to integrin engagement, p190 RhoGAP is rapidly translocated to regions of membrane ruffling, where it colocalizes with polymerized actin. Together, these results suggest that upon activation of neural adhesion molecules, the action of PKC and p190 RhoGAP leads to a modulation of Rho GTPase activity to direct several actin-dependent morphogenetic processes required for normal neural development.
The objectives of financial statements: An empirical study of the use of cash flow and earnings by security analysts

Abstract The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has tentatively accepted that cash flows to the enterprise are the major focus of financial statements. This article highlights the importance with which security analysts view earnings information and cash flow information in compiling their professional reports.
How Many e-Folds Should We Expect from High-Scale Inflation?

We address the issue of how many e-folds we would naturally expect if inflation occurred at an energy scale of order 10^(16) GeV. We use the canonical measure on trajectories in classical phase space, specialized to the case of flat universes with a single scalar field. While there is no exact analytic expression for the measure, we are able to derive conditions that determine its behavior. For a quadratic potential V(ϕ)=m^2ϕ^2/2 with m=2×10^(13) GeV and cutoff at M_(Pl)=2.4×10^(18) GeV, we find an expectation value of 2×1010 e-folds on the set of FRW trajectories. For cosine inflation V(ϕ)=Λ^4[1−cos(ϕ/f)] with f=1.5×10^(19) GeV, we find that the expected total number of e-folds is 50, which would just satisfy the observed requirements of our own Universe; if f is larger, more than 50 e-folds are generically attained. We conclude that one should expect a large amount of inflation in large-field models and more limited inflation in small-field (hilltop) scenarios.
CO2 capture from ethanol production and storage into the Mt Simon Sandstone

Under the Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage (ICCS) program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) is co‐sponsoring the Archer Daniels Midland Company's (ADM's) large‐scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Illinois. The Office of Fossil Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory manages this project, which receives $141.4 million in ARRA funding and another $66.5 million in private sector cost‐sharing. This project, also referred to as the Illinois ICCS project, is under construction in Decatur, Illinois, and is scheduled to begin operations in 2013. The project team members are ADM, DOE, Schlumberger Carbon Services, Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), and Richland Community College (RCC). The Illinois ICCS project will demonstrate an integrated system for collecting up to 907 000 tonnes per year of CO 2 from ADM's ethanol plant in Decatur and geologically sequestering it in the Mt Simon Sandstone, a saline reservoir. The project scope includes the design, construction, and integrated operation of CO 2 compression, dehydration, and injection facilities, and monitoring, verification, and accounting of the stored CO 2 . Significant field work has been completed, i.e. design of the integrated CCS system, 3‐D seismic survey and site characterization, and mechanical construction of the compression and dehydration facilities. This is the largest saline storage project under construction in the USA. This paper will provide an overview and benefits of the Illinois ICCS project, present the field work results, and highlight the current status and future plans. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
A longitudinal study of the hopelessness theory of depression: testing the diathesis-stress model within a differential reactivity and exposure framework.

A ten-week prospective longitudinal study was conducted to test the diathesis-stress component of the hopelessness theory and to test whether negative attributional style leads to an increased exposure to stressors. Participants completed initial measures of attributional style and depressive symptoms followed by weekly assessments of depressive symptoms and daily hassles. Consistent with the diathesis-stress hypothesis, Hierarchical Linear Modeling revealed that attributional style moderated the impact of daily hassles on depressive symptoms. Negative attributional style predicted greater depressive symptom reactivity in response to stress. The results also indicated that attributional style was not predictive of the number of subsequent daily hassles. Thus, the data were supportive of a differential reactivity to stress model, but not supportive of a differential exposure to stress model. Implications for understanding the mechanisms involved in the hopelessness theory are discussed.
Mathematical modeling of particle behavior of nanocrystalline Ni during high velocity oxy-fuel thermal spray

Abstract The present paper describes a mathematical model predicting the particle behavior of nanocrystalline Ni powders during high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spray. The model development was motivated by successful experimental results as described in the following. The feedstock powders were synthesized by mechanical milling to produce flake-shaped agglomerates with an average grain size of less than 100 nm. The powders were then introduced into the HVOF spray to produce a nanocrystalline coating. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to study the morphology of the nanometric particles and the resultant sprayed coatings. The equations describing the momentum and energy transfer coupled with a modified geometric ratio were used to account for the size and morphological effects of the nanometric agglomerates. Particle velocities and temperatures of the numerical calculations indicated that fractions of the agglomerates did not melt during the HVOF spraying process, which concurs with the observed experimental results.
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Cascades as Regulators of Stress Responses

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades play an important role in transducting environmental stimuli to the transcriptional machinery in the nucleus by virtue of their ability to phosphorylate and regulate the activity of various transcription factors. Originally found to be activated in response to occupancy of cell surface receptors for polypeptide hormones, cytokines, and growth factors, MAPK cascades were recently found to be activated by a variety of stresses including ischemia reperfusion, neuronal injury, osmotic shock, and exposure to UV irradiation. Therefore, MAPK cascades are likely to be important regulatory elements in a variety of stress responses.
Statistics of parallel dimers on an m×n lattice

Abstract The problem of occupation statistics of parallel dimers on an m × n lattice is solved using the method of transfer matrix.
The impact of radiation on early breast carcinoma survival. A Bayesian analysis.

BACKGROUND A Bayesian statistical approach was used to examine the effect of local control on survival of patients with early breast carcinoma. METHODS The effect of radiation on overall survival was examined in the four published randomized trials on conservation surgery with or without radiation: the Uppsala-Orebro, Canadian, NSABP-B06, and Milan III trials. Classical and Bayesian statistical approaches were used to evaluate the effect of sample size and follow-up on the results. RESULTS Combined 5-year survival results of patients with negative lymph nodes and surgical margins in the Uppsala-Orebro, Canadian, and NSABP-B06 trials indicated a 79% probability of a positive benefit with the addition of radiation and a 9.6% relative reduction in the annual mortality rate in favor of the irradiated patients. For the same subgroup of patients in the NSABP-B06 trial, the probability of a positive benefit with radiation increased from 65% at 5 years to 87% at 10 years, and is reflected in the change of the relative reduction in annual mortality from 8.2% at 5 years to 17.5% at 10 years. For all patients who accepted randomized treatment in the NSABP-B06 trial, the probability of a positive survival benefit with radiation was 80%, 98%, and 91% at 5, 10, and 12 years, respectively, with corresponding relative reductions in the annual mortality rates of 12.8%, 20.5%, and 15.2%. CONCLUSIONS The addition of radiation to lumpectomy offers a small but important survival advantage, even in patients with negative surgical margins and lymph nodes. Because locoregional control and breast preservation are significantly improved with radiation, even a small survival advantage substantiates the importance of radiation in the treatment of patients with early breast carcinoma. Cancer 1996;78:1035-42.
Paramedic intercepts with basic life support ambulance services in rural Minnesota.

Introduction:In rural Minnesota, it is common for paramedics providing advanced life support (ALS) to rendezvous with ambulances providing only basic life support (BLS). These “intercepts” presumably allow for a higher level of care when patients have certain problems or need ALS interventions. The aim of this study was to review and understand the frequency of para-medic intercepts with regard to the actual care rendered and transport urgency (lights and sirens vs. none).Methods:All paramedic intercepts occurring between January 2003 and December 2007 for one multi-site emergency medical services (EMS) provider were reviewed for ALS interventions and treatments provided. In addition, the urgency of responses to the dispatch call or “intercept” and transport to a receiving facility were analyzed.Results:During the study period, 1,675 paramedic intercepts occurred and were reviewed. The ALS ambulances responded to the dispatch emergently (lights and sirens) in 97.5% of intercepts (1,633), but emergently transported only 24.2% of the patients (405). Paramedics performed no interventions above BLS levels in 11.6% (194) of the cases. Of the remaining 1,481 patients who received ALS interventions, 955 (64.4%) received no treatment or diagnostic testing other than electrocardiographic monitoring, intravenous access, or both.Conclusions:A significant discrepancy between emergent responses and actual ALS care rendered during intercept calls was demonstrated. Given the significant rate of EMS worker fatalities and transferable patient care costs, further study is needed to determine whether costs and safety are potentially improved by decreasing emergent responses. Future directions include developing or emulating Medical Priority Dispatch System triage protocols for advanced services providing intercepts. In addition, further study of patient outcomes between intercept and non-intercept cases is necessary.
Increased Cytoskeletal Stiffness of Schlemm's Canal Endothelial Cells in Glaucoma

The elevated intraocular pressure characteristic of glaucoma has been associated with a decreased pore density in the cells of the inner wall of Schlemm's canal (SC). SC cells form these pores in response to a transcellular pressure drop, facilitating the flow of aqueous humor across this endothelium. We hypothesize that impaired pore formation in glaucoma is due to an elevated stiffness of SC cells.Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements of elastic modulus were performed using pyramidal or spherical (4.5 or 10 µm) tips on SC cells isolated from 6 healthy and 5 glaucomatous human eyes. Using finite element modeling and AFM experiments with latrunculin-A (an F-actin depolymerizing agent), we previously showed that sharp pyramidal tips characterize the cortex stiffness while larger, spherical tips characterize the stiffness of the subcortical cytoskeleton. The geometry of an SC cell was reconstructed based on electron microscopy images and used to model cell deformation under pressure (3-6 mmHg).When probed with spherical tips, the modulus of glaucomatous cells (1.36±0.14 kPa) was significantly higher (p<0.02) than that of healthy cells (0.89±0.10 kPa). No significant difference was detected between healthy and glaucomatous cells using sharp tips (7.40±1.33 vs. 7.99±0.97 kPa). The higher modulus measured on glaucomatous cells using spherical tips suggest that the altered stiffness is likely in the subcortical cytoskeleton and not in the cell cortex. Preliminary studies using finite element modeling predict a 34-40% decrease in cell deformation solely due to the increased cell stiffness measured on glaucomatous cells. This is consistent with our hypothesis that cell deformation is likely a precursor to the pressure-driven pore formation process and that increased cell stiffness may inhibit this process.Acknowledgements: BrightFocus Foundation, NIH EY019696, NIH T32 EY007128.
Spatial and temporal variability of salinity in Casamance River Basin, Southern Senegal, West Africa

Salinity in the Casamance River Basin has been on the rise for quite some time. This is believed to be further accentuated by declining rainfall. The salinity patterns in time, space and frequency domains are analysed. These patterns are useful in designing measures not only for arresting the rise in salinity but also for mitigating it.
Nabokov's Early Fiction: Patterns of Self and Other

Dedication Acknowledgements Introduction 1. The quest of the other 2. Altering the themes of life 3. The evil differentiation of shadows 4. A fondness for the mask 5. Dimming the bliss of Narcissus 6. The struggle for autonomy 7. The transforming rays of creative consciousness Notes Abbreviation Bibliography of works cited.
Unmatched Observations in Matched Pairs Analyses

Abstract In a matched pair study, one member of a pair may not be obtained. For example, an experiment may not be completed. It is sometimes suggested to include the unpaired observations by using a general linear model program. In this note we show that no information is lost by omitting these unpaired observations in the usual paired t test.
Survival analysis of dogs diagnosed with canine peritoneal larval cestodiasis (Mesocestoides spp.)

Canine peritoneal larval cestodiasis (CPLC) is a poorly understood disease of dogs caused by asexual multiplication of larval Mesocestoides spp. tapeworms. In this study, we examined the descriptive statistics and survival characteristics of 60 dogs diagnosed with CPLC from 1989 to 2009. Clinically affected dogs presented with ascites (60%), anorexia/weight loss (42%), vomiting (23%), diarrhea (9%) and tachypnea (9%), while subclinical infections (22%) were incidentally detected, typically during ovariohysterectomy or neuter. Survival at 6 months and 1 year post-diagnosis were 72.3% and 60.5%, respectively, and survival was not affected by sex or age. Using Cox proportional hazard analyses, we determined that the most significant factors influencing survival were the severity of clinical signs at the time of diagnosis and application of an aggressive treatment strategy after diagnosis. Dogs that were not treated aggressively were >5 times more likely to die than dogs that were treated with a combination of surgery/lavage and high doses of fenbendazole.
Dose Adjustments of Hydrocortisone and L-thyroxine in Hypopituitarism Associated with Cholestasis

A patient with congenital hypopituitarism associated with cholestasis is reported here. Large doses of fat-soluble hormones (hydrocortisone (20 mg/m2/day) and L-thyroxine (14 μg/kg/day)) were needed to resolve hypoglycemia and hypothyroidism during cholestasis. The doses could be reduced to 10 mg/m2/day and 3.5 μg/kg/day, respectively, after improvement of cholestasis. Sodium valproate, which is a water-soluble drug, did not need any dose adjustments during cholestasis. Adjustment of fat-soluble hormone doses during cholestasis should be considered in patients with cholestasis.
Investigation of Fuel Effects on Dilute, Mixing-Controlled Combustion in an Optical Direct-Injection Diesel Engine

Effects of fuel type on dilute diesel combustion and emissions were investigated using an optically accessible diesel engine. A number 2 diesel fuel, a primary reference fuel blend, and a soy-derived biodiesel were evaluated at an engine speed of 1200 rpm, and for intake-oxygen mole fractions ranging from 21% down to 8%. Diagnostics included conventional heat-release analysis; the measurement of in-cylinder natural luminosity; in-cylinder imaging of the start of fuel injection; and the measurement of engine-out emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), smoke, HC, and CO. Data previously obtained using the fuel diethylene glycol diethyl ether are presented to provide further insight. Results reveal that reduced oxygen mole fractions produce a slower heat release and lower levels of soot formation. However, engine-out particulate matter levels are also dramatically influenced by subsequent soot oxidation, which is greatest at higher oxygen mole fractions. NOx emissions are observed to drop dramatically as oxygen ...
Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using liquid chromatography/particle beam mass spectrometry

Methods employing liquid chromatography with particle beam mass spectrometric (LC/PBMS) detection were developed to detect and quantify polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and oxygenated metabolites in sediment and water samples from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. PAH containing four or more rings and selected hydroxy and dione derivatives gave nanogram detection limits. The mass spectra from PAH were identical to those in a standard electron impact library and underivatized oxygenated PAH spectra consisted of molecular and diagnostic fragment ions. Sensitivity for PBMS detection was inversely correlated with PAH volatility, suggesting that losses of the more volatile PAH occur through the momentum separator interface. These results suggest that LC/PBMS is a useful companion technique to GC/MS for the analysis of PAH and environmental metabolites, especially for higher-molecular-weight congeners.
The tourist art market as a factor in social change

Abstract Richter, Dolores. “The Tourist Art Market as a Factor in Social Change,” Annals of Tourism Research , Vol. V, No. 3, July/September 1978, pp.323–338. This paper disputes the theory that participation in the tourist art market has had limited economic impact on African artists. An analysis of social changes that have occured in the social organization of a group of traditional woodcarvers indicates that tourist art market participation is directly responsible for significant changes in many social institutions. It has also provided the economic means by which the carvers have been able to respond positively to government policies and regulations aimed at modernization.
Predicted equilibrium constants for solid and aqueous selenium species to 300 °C: applications to selenium-rich mineral deposits

Abstract In this study, an attempt has been made to assess aqueous speciation of selenium and solubility product constants of common selenides at elevated temperatures (up to 300 °C) by using various extrapolation methods. This study predicts that reduced selenium species are dominant species in many geological processes even under relatively oxidized conditions such as those dictated by the magnetite–hematite buffer. On the basis of extrapolated equilibrium constants and solubility product constants for common Se-bearing mineral phases, critical ∑Se/∑S ratios (molal ratios) in mineralizing fluids are proposed for independent selenium mineralization. The minimum ∑Se/∑S ratios in mineralizing fluids for independent selenium mineralization should be at least ∼10−6, ∼10−5 and ∼10−4 at 100, 200 and 300 °C, respectively. For giant independent selenium deposits such as the La'erma and Qiongmo Au–Se deposits in the western Qingling mountains, and Yutangba Se deposits in Hubei Province, China, the mineralizing fluids have reached much higher ∑Se/∑S ratios ranging from ∼10−1 to ∼10−3 at 200 °C. This study also suggests that the equilibrium assemblage of pyrite–ferroselite among the common ore minerals requires the highest ∑Se/∑S ratios in mineralizing fluids, followed in decreasing order by the assemblages of stibnite–antimonselite, galena–clausthalite, cinnabar–tiemannite, and acanthite/argentite–naumannite. The assemblage of pyrite–ferroselite can also be formed under relatively oxidizing conditions where [∑H2Se]/[∑H2S] ratios can be high enough for the formation of independent ferroselite.
Capital Budgeting Practices of Non-Industrial Firms

Abstract This paper reports The results of a survey research study of The capital budgeting practices on non-Indus trial (service) corporations, specifically firms in the 1983 Fortune Service 500 Listing. The survey questionnaire was designed to provide data regarding the entire capital budgeting process - from searching for investment opportunities through post auditing implemented projects. Also, It elicited ‘opinions’ as to the degree of difficulty and degree of importance of various phases of the capital budgeting process. The results indicate that, overall, large service corporations are not as sophisticated in regards to capital budgeting as theory would allow. The most serious weaknesses seem to be the areas of risk assessment, risk adjustment and use of post audits.
Defining the scientific community: A rhetorical perspective on demarcation

Long traditions of philosophical and sociological research have addressed questions of the demarcation of science, i.e., how to identify the “unique and essential” characteristics of science which are taken as ostensibly distinguishing it from other forms of human conduct. In contrast, this essay argues that demarcation is most usefully viewed as a practical matter, rhetorically negotiated by scientists (and other social actors) in particular interest‐driven rhetorical contexts. A case study of the 1989 cold fusion controversy illustrates an implicit demarcation rhetoric which grew out of the professional physics community's interest‐driven need to provide a plausible explanation for the errors committed by the Utah cold fusion team. Close analysis of the discourses in the controversy reveals the active construction of working definitions of science and suggests that those definitions ultimately circumscribed the evidential grounds on which the ontological status of cold fusion was a judicated by the scie...
Postnatal cadmium exposure, neurodevelopment, and blood pressure in children at 2, 5, and 7 years of age.

BackgroundAdverse health effects of cadmium in adults are well documented, but little is known about the neuropsychological effects of cadmium in children, and no studies of cadmium and blood press...
Highly ionized high - velocity clouds toward PKS 2155-304 and Markarian 509

To gain insight into four highly ionized high-velocity clouds (HVCs) discovered by Sembach et al., we have analyzed data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) for the PKS 2155-304 and Mrk 509 sight lines. We measure strong absorption in O VI and column densities of multiple ionization stages of silicon (Si II, III, and IV) and carbon (C II, III, and IV). We interpret this ionization pattern as a multiphase medium that contains both collisionally ionized and photoionized gas. Toward PKS 2155-304, for HVCs at -140 and -270 km s-1, respectively, we measure log N(O ) = 13.80 ± 0.03 and log N(O ) = 13.56 ± 0.06; from Lyman series absorption, we find log N(H ) = 16.37 and 15.23. The presence of high-velocity O VI spread over a broad (100 km s-1) profile, together with large amounts of low-ionization species, is difficult to reconcile with the low densities, ne ≈ 5 × 10-6 cm-3, in the collisional/photoionization models of Nicastro et al., although the HVCs show a similar relation in N(Si IV)/N(C IV) versus N(C II)/N(C IV) to that of high-z intergalactic clouds. Our results suggest that the high-velocity O VI in these absorbers does not necessarily trace the warm-hot intergalactic medium but instead may trace HVCs with low total hydrogen column density. We propose that the broad high-velocity O VI absorption arises from shock ionization, at bow shock interfaces produced from infalling clumps of gas with velocity shear. The similar ratios of high ions for HVC Complex C and these highly ionized HVCs suggest a common production mechanism in the Galactic halo.