cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Counseling Pregnancy, Politics, and Biomedicine: Empowering Discernment

Examine the impact and importance reproduction and genetics have on religious valuesCounseling Pregnancy, Politics, and Biomedicine: Empowering Discernment explains the mystery of the God-human relationship so ministers, priests, and pastors can follow the ethics and mechanics of counseling human reproductive health and be informed on issues of religion, medical experimentation, and politics. The unique book is a teaching text and a desktop reference for clergypersons and pastoral care ministers, providing them with information on the sensitive and intimate topic of reproductive health from a Christian worldview so they can advise and empower congregation members to make thoughtful decisions about health care. Counseling Pregnancy, Politics, and Biomedicine examines four disciplines through a Christian point of view: 1) religion based on humanity created in the image of God; 2) different varieties of ethics; 3) systems of law and politics; and 4) philosophies on experimental medicines. Each topic is grounded with its religious background, providing a practical, easy-to-follow path for Christian thinkers. The book also addresses the concerns a religious person might have about health and ministry, what genetic therapy can accomplish, the alternatives to genetic therapy, and how theology, ethics, law, and medicine apply to the issues expectant mothers face.Counseling Pregnancy, Politics, and Biomedicine examines: the major points in recognized ethical theories how Christian principles became part of secular law over time the legal dilemmas involved in protecting the health of pregnant women how and why palliative care is a viable alternative to modern therapies the politics and morality of terminating a pregnancy how to protect women from becoming research instruments the moral status of the embryo and much moreCounseling Pregnancy, Politics, and Biomedicine explains God’s desire for good health by identifying ways in which Jesus is the example of what it means for every person to be created in the image of God. The book is a vital resource for clergypersons and pastoral care ministers.
Single-institutional analysis of clinicopathologic features and overall survival (OS) in melanoma patients (pts).

e14023Background: Melanoma is ranked 5th commonest malignancy in United States and SEER has projected 3,290 new skin melanoma cases in Michigan in 2020. Diagnosis of recurrent & metastatic melanoma...
“Protect someone, become yourself”: How the Japanese military reinvents childhood for the 21st century:

Military establishments the world over invest in multi-faceted and paradoxical relationships to children and childhood. This article aims to examine how the Japanese military today engages children...
The Relationship Between Residents' Perceptions of Residency Program Leadership Team Behaviors and Resident Burnout and Satisfaction.

PURPOSE To explore the relationship between residents' perceptions of residency program leadership team behaviors and resident burnout and satisfaction. METHOD In February 2019, the authors surveyed all residents across the 77 graduate medical education training programs at Mayo Clinic's multiple sites. Survey items measured residents' perceptions of program director and associate program director behaviors (using a composite residency program leadership team score), resident burnout, and resident satisfaction with the program and organization. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships between these variables at the individual resident (adjusting for age, sex, postgraduate training year, program location, and specialty) and program (including only programs with at least 5 respondents) levels. RESULTS Of the 1,146 residents surveyed, 762 (66.5%) responded. At the individual resident level, higher composite leadership team scores were associated with lower emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and higher overall satisfaction with the residency program and organization (all P < .001). In adjusted logistic regression models, each 1-point gain in composite leadership team score was associated with 9% lower odds of burnout, 20% higher odds of program satisfaction, and 19% higher odds of satisfaction with the organization (all P < .001). At the residency program level, higher mean composite leadership team scores were associated with a lower rate of burnout (r = -0.35, P = .03) and higher program and organization satisfaction (r = 0.67 and 0.74, respectively, both P < .001). CONCLUSIONS The behaviors of residency program leadership teams influence residents' burnout and satisfaction. Additional studies are needed to determine if leadership training results in improved resident well-being and satisfaction.
Dimensions of Sexual Orientation as Predictors of STI-Related Outcomes Among Women: An Examination of 2011-2017 National Survey of Family Growth Data.

Background: To estimate sexual orientation associated disparities in sexually transmitted infection (STI)-related outcomes across multiple dimensions of sexual orientation. Methods: Using pooled 20...
Intracardiac Mapping in the Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory

Intracardiac mapping system has become a mainstay of catheter ablation for dysrhythmias in cardiac electrophysiology laboratory. From a mechanistic standpoint, intracardiac mapping can be classified based upon the technique utilized: activation, entrainment, pace mapping, and mapping of voltage distribution in various myocardial regions. In routine practice, all these forms of mapping are used in combination to delineate the mechanism and subsequent ablation of a clinical tachycardia. Recently, the techniques utilizing mapping or rotors involved in propagation of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias have also gained traction. The field of mapping continues to advance with cutting-edge technological advancements in three-dimensional mapping system along with additional features in catheters. In this chapter, we discuss the various mapping techniques based on their respective mechanisms and the accompanying landmark data along with recent studies.
Exposure to victim portrayals: the role of multiple emotions in influencing collective action intentions for environmental justice

Environmental justice is a complex issue requiring joint efforts from various actors, including collective action from the general public. Echoing an urgent call for greater attention to environmental justice in the field of environmental communication, the current research examined one possible way to motivate collective action for environmental justice, that is, via the portrayals of victims and the emotions the portrayals convey. An experiment with a 2 (victim’s photo: presence vs. absence) × 2 (industry’s intent: presence vs. absence) between-subjects factorial design was conducted. The results show that emotions, including moral outrage, compassion, and distress, mediated the effects of the photo condition on collective action intentions. These findings contribute to the literature by connecting victim portrayals with collective action, expanding the array of message-induced emotions in predicting collective action, and furthering the investigation of collective action in the environmental justice context.
Ethics and Values Surrounding the Radiation Protection of Animals.

ABSTRACT Ethics and societal values form one of the three pillars supporting and informing the system of radiological protection, complementing the science and building from our individual and collective experience. Although the International Commission on Radiological Protection has recently highlighted the ethical foundations of the system of radiological protection (the System) with Publication 138, with Publication 91 outlining ethical principles of environmental radiation protection, the System has yet to specifically address the ethics associated with animals outside of the natural environment such as livestock, pets, or research animals. Therefore, in conjunction with the Commission's recent efforts in elaborating on the application and implementation of the System in veterinary practice is the consideration of the associated ethical values and principles foundational to the practice, with special attention given to the animal exposed. This paper outlines progress made in the latter area and proposes a practical, consistent approach to the ethics and values of the radiation protection of animals. Complementary to the ethical values of the System specified in Publication 138 are the correlated ethical values of respect for life, animal welfare, sustainable development, solidarity, and autonomy that are particularly relevant in veterinary practice. In addition to the procedural and ethical values of transparency, accountability and inclusiveness, additional procedural values of empathy and stewardship are needed in the implementation of the System in veterinary practice and in its application to non-human biota in general.
Impact of Noncovalent Interactions on the Structural Chemistry of Thorium(IV)-Aquo-Chloro Complexes.

Five novel tetravalent thorium (Th) compounds that consist of Th(H2O)xCly structural units were isolated from acidic aqueous solutions using a series of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic hydrogen (H) bond donors. Taken together with three previously reported phases, the compounds provide a series of monomeric ThIV complexes wherein the effects of noncovalent interactions (and H-bond donor identity) on Th structural chemistry can be examined. Seven distinct structural units of the general formulas [Th(H2O)xCl8-x]x-4 (x = 2, 4) and [Th(H2O)xCl9-x]x-5 (x = 5-7) are described. The complexes range from chloride-deficient [Th(H2O)7Cl2]2+ to chloride-rich [Th(H2O)2Cl6]2- species, and theory was used to understand the relative energies that separate complexes within this series via the stepwise chloride addition to an aquated Th cation. Electronic structure theory predicted the reaction energies of chloride addition and release of water through a series of transformations, generally highlighting an energetic driving force for chloride complexation. To probe the role of the counterion in the stabilization of these complexes, electrostatic potential (ESP) surfaces were calculated. The ESP surfaces indicated a dependence of the chloride distribution about the Th metal center on the pKa of the countercation, highlighting the directing effects of noncovalent interactions (e.g., Hbonding) on Th speciation.
Zooming into the pandemic! A forensic analysis of the Zoom Application

Abstract The global pandemic of COVID-19 has turned the spotlight on video conferencing applications like never before. In this critical time, applications such as Zoom have experienced a surge in its user base jump over the 300 million daily mark ( ZoomBlog, 2020 ). The increase in use has led malicious actors to exploit the application, and in many cases perform Zoom Bombings. Therefore forensically examining Zoom is inevitable. Our work details the primary disk, network, and memory forensic analysis of the Zoom video conferencing application. Results demonstrate it is possible to find users' critical information in plain text and/or encrypted/encoded, such as chat messages, names, email addresses, passwords, and much more through network captures, forensic imaging of digital devices, and memory forensics. Furthermore we elaborate on interesting anti-forensics techniques employed by the Zoom application when contacts are deleted from the Zoom application's contact list.
Review of Gestures of Concern by Chris Ingraham (Duke University Press)

Chris Ingraham’s Gestures of Concern considers how affective communities can be built by and through concerned gestures. His analysis of the political power of a range of these gestures—from the small tokens of get-well cards to the political protests against shuttered public resources such as libraries—emphasizes their affect as much as their action. Ingraham pays attention to the background of concerned gestures that are political, aesthetic, and community-based, and his analysis of their efficacy and their impact draws readers to consider different kinds of critical resistance in the face of growing social disparities.
Here, There, and Elsewhere: the making of immigrant identities in a globalized world: by Tahseen Shams, Redwood City, CA, Stanford University Press, 2020, 264 p., $28 (paperback), ISBN: 9781503612839

Here, There, and Elsewhere is intervening in major debates on immigrant socialization, transnationalism, globalization, and the place of Islam in the US. The innovative theorizing of this landmark ...
We Will Remember That We Came Together in Protest and Mutual Aid

The year of COVID-19 social distancing is a reminder that people can and will gather in person in mass acts of resistance and community care, even in a pandemic. This year highlights how theatres, theatre skills, and theatrical techniques can be a key part of community building and dissent. The examples of the Twin Cities in summer 2020; Portland, Oregon, in 2020–1; and France in spring-summer 2021 showcase the potential for theatre artists to use their skills and spaces to support protest work. I highlight these three examples due to my personal connections (I am from the Twin Cities; live in Portland and serve as a legal observer during the Protests; and, in my scholarship, specialize in French theatre and protest), due to the scale of these actions, and in order to amplify the pandemic protest and performance work happening in these places. Together, the efforts of Twin Cities, Portland, and French activists and artists showcase how, against a backdrop of mourning and anxiety, the pandemic has been a time of invigoration in mass protest, mutual aid, and coming together to try to build better worlds.
Trust in Automation: The Effects of System Certainty on Decision-Making:

In the field of Human Factors, the concept of trust in automation can help to explain how and why users interact with particular systems. One way to examine trust is through task performance and/or...
Adenosine triphosphate: nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase of pig liver. Purification and properties.

Abstract Adenosine triphosphate : nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.1) has been purified approximately 3500-fold from an extract of pig liver nuclei to a specific activity of 40 μmol of NAD + per min per mg protein. The enzyme was found to have a molecular weight of 203 000, a frictional ratio of 1.6 and an isoelectric point of approximately 5. Michaelis constants for ATP and NMN were 0.11 mM and 0.12 mM, respectively.
Comments on the Paper by A. Wayne Wymore

The core of the Wymore theory, or the tricotyledon theory of systems design, is a conceptual framework and the corresponding mathematical structure under which both continuous and discrete systems (or hybrid continuous/discrete systems) can be described. The mathematical structure was derived (in mid 1960’s) by integrating the theory of finite-state automata with the theory of continous systems described by differential equations. As such, it is essentially based on a generalized notion of the state transition structure.
Endometriosis of the cervix uteri--a common disease.

Abstract Report of 111 cases of endometriosis of the cervix occurring in a private practice demonstrates this to be a not uncommon disease. It can be diagnosed readily at the time of the onset of the menstrual flow or shortly thereafter. Technique of biopsy involving minimal trauma, the use of sharp instruments, and careful handling of the specimen is described. An extremely high incidence of 83 per cent decidual reaction in the cervix of patients who subsequently became pregnant suggests a causal relationship which may be the subject of further study. Endometriosis of the cervix is a trivial disease but it may produce symptoms which not only are annoying but are alarming to the patient. Trauma, either obstetric or operative, especially cauterization, is probably an etiological factor. The lesions are easily treated by excision, cauterization, or fulguration.
Narrative‐based library marketing

Purpose – Managing through crises, especially economic ones, represents both peril and opportunity. Libraries of all types, whether academic, special or public, would benefit from an infusion of marketing activity in the current economic climate. Such marketing need not be resource‐intensive but must be relevant to specific user populations. In order to reap the greatest rewards while expending the least effort or resources, adopting a narrative or story‐based marketing message that develops and reinforces a consistent value proposition can improve patron experience by speaking in a language that resonates with them regarding services and resources that may be unclear or altogether unknown. This paper aims to discuss current trends in developing narrative or story‐based marketing that focuses on customer needs and applies it to library marketing specifically.Design/methodology/approach – The paper discusses of current trends informed by current marketing scholarship and draws upon the author's prior exper...
Protein Ser/ Thr phosphatases – the ugly ducklings of cell signalling

This review traces the historical origins and conceptual developments leading to the current state of knowledge of the three superfamilies of protein Ser/Thr phosphatases. 'PR enzyme' was identified as an enzyme that inactivates glycogen phosphorylase, although it took 10 years before this ugly duckling was recognized for its true identity as a protein Ser/Thr phosphatase. Ethanol denaturation for purification in the 1970s yielded a phosphatase that exhibited broad specificity, which was resolved into type-1 and type-2 phosphatases in the 1980s. More recent developments show that regulation and specificity are achieved through assembly of multisubunit holoenzymes, transient phosphorylation and the action of inhibitor proteins. Still not widely appreciated, there are hundreds of discrete protein Ser/Thr phosphatases available to counteract protein kinases, offering potential therapeutic targets. Signalling networks and modelling schemes need to incorporate the full gamut of protein Ser/Thr phosphatases and their interconnections.
The Jewish Enemy: Nazi Propaganda During World War II and the Holocaust, by Jeffrey Herf

Anyone with even an inkling of history should know something of the long history of animosity toward Jews and beliefs about a worldwide Jewish conspiracy. That this phenomenon reached new heights i...
Overcoming Challenges to Meaningful Informed Consent for Whole Genome Sequencing in Pediatric Cancer Research

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) provides the most compre-hensive view of the genome and is increasingly being explored forclinical use by pediatric oncology researchers across the country.WGS research conducted by a CLIA compliant lab to guideprecisioncancertherapyispredicatedonthenotionthatcomparisonoftumorandnormaltissuewillidentifytargetablesomaticvariantsleading to improved clinical outcomes through selection of moreeffective, less toxic treatments [1]. However, the technologypresents challenges related to identiﬁcation, interpretation, andreturn of clinical- grade somatic and germline results. Speciﬁcally,somatic mutations currently include only a few medicallyactionable variants and a large number of variants of unknownsigniﬁcance [2]. Non-cancerous germline disease-causing muta-tions and germline cancer susceptibility mutations, referred to assecondary ﬁndings, may also be identiﬁed [3]. Furthermore,secondary ﬁndings may be present in other family members notinvolved in the research [4,5]. These aspects of genomic researchraise pragmatic and ethical dilemmas including deﬁning essentialcomponents of the informed consent process, determining whattypes of results should be returned, whether patients should have aroleinmakingthisdetermination,andwhattypesofdatashouldbeincorporated into medical records [6-11].Obtaining consent for WGS research from parents of childrenwith newly diagnosed cancer poses additional challenges to thoseoutlined above. Given the high efﬁcacy of standardized treatmentprotocols for the majority of pediatric cancer patients [12], there isonly a small chance that initial therapy will be altered by WGSresearch.Inaddition,tissueforsequencingshouldbeobtainedpriorto initiating therapy, a time when patients and parents often feeloverwhelmed with uncertainty and fear. With hopes for a cure,parental motivation to participate in WGS research may be highwithout fully understanding the range of results that may bereturned,includingvariantsofunknownsigniﬁcanceandsecondaryﬁndings.Conversely,parentsmayrejectparticipationinstudiesnotdirectly related to the immediate diagnosis or treatment of theirchild.These considerations suggest that parents of children newlydiagnosed with cancer will need to understand WGS and itsconsequences to make informed decisions before participating inresearch [13,14]. In anticipation of launching a pediatric precisionmedicine program, with an emphasis on WGS, for all newlydiagnosed cancer patients, we explored challenges to informed
In Vitro Studies on Rickettsia-Host Cell Interactions: Intracellular Growth Cycle of Virulent and Attenuated Rickettsia prowazeki in Chicken Embryo Cells in Slide Chamber Cultures

Upon entry into the cytoplasm of irradiated chicken embryo cells in slide chamber cultures infected over a 2-h period, yolk sac-grown virulent (Breinl strain) and attenuated (E strain) Rickettsia prowazeki underwent indistinguishable reproducible intracellular growth cycles. They promptly entered an exponential growth phase, without detectable lag and without microscopic evidence for any unusual early replicative phase. The generation time for both strains was 8.8 to 8.9 h at 34 C. During most of this period, the state of the organisms and growth were very similar from one cell to another. The exponential-growth phase continued for at least 36 to 48 h, when the rickettsiae became too numerous to count by microscopic examination. Between about 36 and 48 h, cells packed with rickettsiae began irregularly to break down and release organisms. These began to initiate new infection cycles in previously uninfected cells over many hours, as demonstrated by the rise in percentage of cells infected, yielding a highly disordered infected culture with different cells containing rickettsiae in diverse stages of growth. The organisms underwent regular minor changes in morphology, similar to those seen in bacterial cultures, in the first infection cycle. As the cells became packed with rickettsiae, the microorganisms regularly diminished in size to become minute coccobacillary to coccoid forms. However, the rickettsiae in the second and subsequent infection cycles in aging cultures often assumed filamentous or swollen bizarre forms. Only the first infection cycle conformed closely to the concept of a one-step growth cycle. A set of terms is proposed and defined for the infection cycle.
Quantitative PET of the apoptosis tracer 18F-C-SNAT following tumor therapy

165 Objectives To obtain quantitative in vivo pharmacokinetic measurements of the apoptosis / caspase-3 activated nano-aggregation tracer 18F-C-SNAT in a clinically relevant mouse model of tumor therapy. Methods HeLa tumor xenografts were implanted on the shoulder of nude mice, and were allowed to grow to a minimum of 5x5 mm before treatment with a series of chemotherapeutic drug injection. All mice (control n=6, treated n=5) were anesthetized with isoflurane and placed in a microPET/CT. A 15-min CT scan was performed followed by injection of 18F-C-SNAT (184 ± 54 µCi) and a 120-min dynamic PET scan. Tracer uptake over time was measured in regions of interest in the PET image by using the CT as an anatomical guide. The whole tumor region was subjected to a threshold algorithm selecting the top25% intensity pixels, generating a second region associated with the treatment response. Tracer pharmacokinetics was calculated using a 2-tissue compartmental model while using the tracer concentration in the left ventricle as an estimated input function. Results Uptake of 18F-C-SNAT was found to be 2.3 times higher in the treated tumors over the whole scan when comparing the area under curve — maximum uptake of 6.1 (± 1.1 sem) %ID/g in treated tumors compared with 2.5 (± 0.4 sem) %ID/g in controls — and 2.5 times higher tumor/muscle ratio in treated tumors (9.0 ± 1.7 sem) compared with controls (3.6 ± 0.6 sem) at the end of scan. The pharmacokinetics of 18F-C-SNAT in treated mice was found to be different from controls, the flow in and out (K1 and k2) of the treated tumor was higher but the net delivery (K1/k2) similar, the accumulation rate of 18F-C-SNAT (k3) was 1.85 times higher — whereas the washout rate (k4) was similar. Conclusions 18F-C-SNAT show significant increases in uptake, tumor/muscle ratios and accumulation rate in a clinically relevant model of tumor therapy. These findings support our theory that chemotherapeutic induced tumor apoptosis leads to higher accumulation of 18F-C-SNAT and thus enable the use of 18F-C-SNAT as a PET tracer for imaging tumor therapy. Research Support Mikael Palner is supported with a post doctoral fellowship from the Danish Cancer Society.
The Spiral of Silence and Conflict Avoidance: Examining Antecedents of Opinion Expression Concerning the U.S. Military Buildup in the Pacific Island of Guam

The present study examines the role of local news media in influencing perceived public support for a controversial political issue, and merges a key proposition of the spiral of silence theory with literature on conflict avoidance to analyze antecedents of political outspokenness among a representative sample of registered voters in the Western Pacific Island of Guam. Respondents were asked about their perceptions of local news media and public support for, and willingness to express opinions about, the relocation of roughly 8,600 U.S. Marines and about 10,000 of their dependents and civilian support from Okinawa, Japan to Guam. Results show that perceived support from local news media predicted perceived public support. Perceived public support for one's opinions positively predicted, and conflict avoidance negatively predicted, willingness to express opinions. The positive association between perceived public support for one's opinions and willingness to express opinions was stronger among those who ha...
Character recognition using a multistage neural network

Abstract This paper uses two stages of multi-layer neural networks for character recognition. In the firststage, each neural network is trained to recognize a segment of the character image. The responses are then presented to another network where the final decision is made. The proposed method is computationally efficient, fault tolerant, has an associative memory capability, and has someof the merits of multi-decision pattern recognition techniques. The features used are gray-levelrepresentations of both typed and hand-written upper case characters. The proposed recognitionscheme is tested extensively and its performance is compared with that of other non-parametricrecognition methods. I. Introduction Recognition of typed and hand-written characters using artificial neural networks has been anactive research area [1, 2]. An obvious approach is to train a neural network to recognize templatesof different patterns with examplars of rotated, translated and noisy characters. Neural networkclassifiers are fault tolerant with a performance nearly as good as some optimal recognition schemes.A major drawback of using neural networks for character recognition is the extensive computation
Ensuring reliable datasets for environmental models and forecasts

Abstract At the dawn of the 21st century, environmental scientists are collecting more data more rapidly than at any time in the past. Nowhere is this change more evident than in the advent of sensor networks able to collect and process (in real time) simultaneous measurements over broad areas and at high sampling rates. At the same time there has been great progress in the development of standards, methods, and tools for data analysis and synthesis, including a new standard for descriptive metadata for ecological datasets (Ecological Metadata Language) and new workflow tools that help scientists to assemble datasets and to diagram, record, and execute analyses. However these developments (important as they are) are not yet sufficient to guarantee the reliability of datasets created by a scientific process — the complex activity that scientists carry out in order to create a dataset. We define a dataset to be reliable when the scientific process used to create it is (1) reproducible and (2) analyzable for potential defects. To address this problem we propose the use of an analytic web , a formal representation of a scientific process that consists of three coordinated graphs (a data-flow graph, a dataset-derivation graph, and a process-derivation graph) originally developed for use in software engineering. An analytic web meets the two key requirements for ensuring dataset reliability: (1) a complete audit trail of all artifacts (e.g., datasets, code, models) used or created in the execution of the scientific process that created the dataset, and (2) detailed process metadata that precisely describe all sub-processes of the scientific process. Construction of such metadata requires the semantic features of a high-level process definition language. In this paper we illustrate the use of an analytic web to represent the scientific process of constructing estimates of ecosystem water flux from data gathered by a complex, real-time multi-sensor network. We use Little-JIL, a high-level process definition language, to precisely and accurately capture the analytical processes involved. We believe that incorporation of this approach into existing tools and evolving metadata specifications (such as EML) will yield significant benefits to science. These benefits include: complete and accurate representations of scientific processes; support for rigorous evaluation of such processes for logical and statistical errors and for propagation of measurement error; and assurance of dataset reliability for developing sound models and forecasts of environmental change.
Between Scylla and Charybdis: Sociological Objectivity and Bias

The Greek notion of the tragic flaw refers to a virtue extended to such an extreme that it becomes a vice. Oedipus was so determined to restore his kingdom that he resolved to treat mercilessly the person responsible for its turmoil; it led to his self-destruction. Sociology has its tragic flaw as well. The virtue of the field is the pursuit of objectivity through scientific methods, which forces a researcher to see beyond personal, class, ethnic, national, temporal, and other biases. The sociological flaw is a myopic obsession with objectivity in which scientists too often believe they have become objective because they have tried to do so, following the formulas of positivist science. Personal prejudices are exchanged for abstract ones.
Industrial Hygiene: In Synthetic Rubber Manufacture

(1943). Industrial Hygiene: In Synthetic Rubber Manufacture. American Industrial Hygiene Association Quarterly: Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 495-499.
Maintenance of elevated fetal hemoglobin levels by decitabine during dose interval treatment of sickle cell anemia.

We have previously demonstrated that 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (decitabine) augments fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels in patients with sickle cell anemia (SS) who did not respond to hydroxyurea (HU). The present study was designed to determine the effect of repeated decitabine dosing on HbF levels and hematologic toxicity over a 9-month treatment period. Seven patients (5 HU nonresponders) were entered. One patient had α-thalassemia sickle cell anemia. Decitabine was administered by intravenous infusion at a starting dose of 0.3 mg/kg per day, 5 days a week for 2 weeks, followed by a 4-week observation period. If the absolute neutrophil count dropped below 1000, the dose was reduced by 0.05 mg/kg per day in the next cycle. A drug dose was obtained for each patient, and it resulted in an elevated HbF without neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count nadir greater than 1500) or evidence of cumulative toxicity. Average HbF and average maximal HbF levels attained during the last 20 weeks of treatment for the 6 SS patients increased to 13.93% ± 2.75% and 18.35% ± 4.46%, respectively, from a pretreatment mean of 3.12% ± 2.75%. Mean and mean maximal hemoglobin (Hb) levels increased from 7.23 ± 2.35 g/dL to 8.81 ± 0.42 g/dL and 9.73 ± 0.53 g/dL, respectively. Individual maximal F-cell number observed during the trial was 69% ± 10.12%. The absence of cumulative toxicity may allow shorter intervals between drug treatments, which may lead to higher hemoglobin and HbF levels after several treatment cycles and, therefore, to greater clinical improvement.
4-Alkoxy-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde (AHB): A Versatile Aldehyde Linker for Solid-Phase Synthesis of C-Terminal Modified Peptides and Peptidomimetics†

A new and versatile 4-alkoxy-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde (AHB) linker for solid-phase syntheses is described. Acylation of the polymer-bound secondary amine obtained from reductive amination of the aldehyde in the AHB linker showed good reactivity. Following acylation of the phenolic hydroxyl group, the resulting carboxamide resin was stable to treatment with 95% TFA. The O-acyl functional group was removed with 20% piperidine and the desired compound was cleaved from the resin by TFA treatment.
Mass Analysis of Flaking Debris: Studying the Forest Rather Than the Tree

Studying the attributes of individual debitage pieces often leads to excessive analytic time and costs and to ambiguous behavioral interpretations. The latter is due both to the subjectivity inherent in the process and to the complex relationship which may exist between flake attributes and flintknapping processes. Mass analysis or aggregate analysis of flaking debris focuses on size distribution and flake shape information derived from size-graded debitage samples which are studied en masse. Mass analysis offers clear advantages in objectivity and the ability to handle numerically large samples, including data from broken as well as whole flakes. In this paper several experimental data sets are studied by the mass analysis procedure to illustrate the interpretive power of the method. Guidelines for recording mass analysis data are discussed, as are several means for extracting and presenting useful technological information inherent in the basic mass analysis data set. Examples are offered which illustrate application of the method for interpretation of flaking debris aggregates from multiple Northern Plains archeological sites reflecting great functional and settlement diversity.
Organically versus Conventionally Grown Produce: Common Production Inputs, Nutritional Quality, and Nitrogen Delivery between the Two Systems

One distinguishing conclusion found in most reviews of research studies comparing organically and conventionally grown produce is that variables shared alike by organic and conventional produce during production, harvest, and postharvest handling and storage were not applied. As a result, accurate and meaningful conclusions comparing the nutritional quality of organic and conventional produce are difficult to ascertain. Pairing common production variables such as the physical, biological, and chemical/nutritional attributes of soils, the irrigation sources and amounts, crop varieties, crop maturities and harvest dates, pre- and postharvest processing, handling, and/or storage methods, individually and collectively, provide greater clarity as to how inputs unique to organic and conventional systems affect produce quality. Variables to be paired during production, harvest, and postharvest handling and storage studies comparing organic and conventional produce are discussed along with findings indicating that organic crops often have higher dry matter, ascorbic acid, phenolic, and sugar and lower moisture, nitrate, and protein contents and yields than conventionally grown crops. Recent studies of nutritional quality in organic versus conventional produce also indicate that soil nitrogen delivery rates strongly affect nutritional quality. Nitrogen profiling is a promising new approach to improving the nutritional quality of both organic and conventional produce.
The Effects of Leader Fairness and Pay Outcomes on Superior/Subordinate Relations1

This study assessed the effects of procedurally fair leadership and payment outcomes on subordinate reactions to the supervisor in a pay-for-performance task. Procedurally fair leadership was operationalized by the extent to which supervisors enacted three specific behaviors: facilitation of voice, accuracy, and adherence to formal policies and procedures. The payment outcomes were high and low cash payments for performance evaluated as above or below average. Subordinate reactions to these treatments focused on perceptions of supervisory fairness (both procedural and distributive) and the subordinate's relationship with his or her supervisor (in terms of both satisfaction and commitment). Procedurally fair leadership showed a main effect on subordinate perceptions of leader fairness and on their relationship with the leader. No other effects were noted. Implications are discussed.
F‐transcendental Ostrowski Nets

: The first two authors introduced the notion of F-transcendental and F-algebraic Ostrowski nets. This generalizes Kaplansky's classification of Ostrowski nets (i.e., pseudo-convergent sequences) as transcendental or algebraic. Properties of pseudo-limits of Ostrowski nets related to this generalization and topologies on the rational function field F(x) defined by Ostrowski nets are further investigated here.
Effect of hypophysectomy and growth hormone replacement on the modulation of p450 expression after treatment with the aromatic hydrocarbon ethylbenzene.

Abstract Pituitary status has a significant effect on the expression of several cytochrome P450 enzymes. The goal of this study was to examine the role of pituitary input on the modulation of CYP2C11 and CYP2B after treatment with the aromatic hydrocarbon ethylbenzene (EB). Intact, hypophysectomized (HX), and HX rats supplemented with pulsatile growth hormone (GH) were treated with corn oil or EB and the effects on hepatic P450 expression were determined. Hypophysectomy caused a 50% decrease in CYP2C11 protein in untreated rats, whereas GH supplementation returned protein to control levels. EB administration also decreased CYP2C11 protein in intact rats; however, this decrease was not observed after EB treatment in HX or HX + GH groups. CYP2C11-dependent testosterone 2α-hydroxylation followed a similar pattern as CYP2C11 protein, except that the activity was only partially restored by GH replacement. CYP2B levels were also substantially influenced by hypophysectomy. Intact rats exhibited a 100-fold increase in CYP2B1 mRNA, reaching a maximum 12 h after EB administration. A much smaller response (ca. 20-fold) was observed in HX rats, reaching a maximum 24 h after EB treatment. This effect was not reversed by GH supplementation. The half-life for EB was significantly increased from 8 h in intact rats to 14 h in HX rats, suggesting higher plasma EB concentrations after EB administration to HX rats. These results indicate that CYP2C11 and CYP2B become less responsive to EB-dependent modulation in HX rats, a response that cannot be explained simply by absence of GH or by altered EB pharmacokinetics in HX animals.
Evaluation of the glutamate decarboxylase genes Gad1 and Gad2 as candidate genes for acute ethanol withdrawal severity in mice.

Abstract Previous studies in crosses between the C57BL/6J (B6) and the DBA/2J (D2) mice have implicated a role of the genes encoding for the 67- and 65-kDa isoforms of the glutamate decarboxylase (Gad1 and Gad2) in the manifestation and severity of multiple ethanol-related traits such as acute ethanol withdrawal severity [Buck, K.J., Metten, P., Belknap, J.K., Crabbe, J.C., 1997. Quantitative trait loci involved in genetic predisposition to acute alcohol withdrawal in mice. J. Neurosci. 17, 3946–3955], ethanol preference [Phillips, T.J., Belknap, J.K., Buck, K.J., Cunningham, C.L., 1998. Genes on mouse chromosomes 2 and 9 determine variation in ethanol consumption. Mamm. Genome 9, 936–941] and ethanol-induced locomotion [Demarest, K., McCaughran Jr., J., Mahjubi, E., Cipp, L., Hitzemann, R., 1999. Identification of an acute ethanol response quantitative trait locus on mouse chromosome 2. J. Neurosci. 19, 549–561]. Strain-specific sequencing experiments as well as gene expression studies in drug-naive and ethanol-treated D2 and B6 mice were carried out. The Gad1 sequence was similar, the Gad2 cDNA carried only a silent polymorphism (1017 G>C) between both strains. In addition, no significant GAD65 or GAD67 expression differences were detected in either drug-naive or acute ethanol withdrawn animals by Western blot experiments. Therefore, these results do not support the hypothesis of an involvement of Gad1 or Gad2 in the pathophysiology of acute ethanol withdrawal severity and the other ethanol related traits.
Role of Vitamin D in Insulin Secretion and Insulin Sensitivity for Glucose Homeostasis

Vitamin D functions are not limited to skeletal health benefits and may extend to preservation of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity. This review summarizes the literature related to potential vitamin D influences on glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. Cross-sectional data provide some evidence that circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is inversely associated with insulin resistance, although direct measurements of insulin sensitivity are required for confirmation. Reported associations with insulin secretion, however, are contradictory. Available prospective studies support a protective influence of high 25(OH)D concentrations on type 2 diabetes mellitus risk. There is a general lack of consistency in vitamin D intervention outcomes on insulin secretion and sensitivity, likely due to differences in subject populations, length of interventions, and forms of vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms and vitamin D interactions with the insulin like growth factor system may further influence glucose homeostasis. The ambiguity of optimal vitamin D dosing regimens and optimal therapeutic concentrations of serum 25(OH)D limit available intervention studies. Future studies, including cross-sectional and prospective, should be performed in populations at high risk for both vitamin D deficiency and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Well-designed, placebo-controlled, randomized intervention studies are required to establish a true protective influence of vitamin D on glucose homeostasis.
Construction of energy-stable projection-based reduced order models

An approach for building energy-stable Galerkin reduced order models (ROMs) for linear hyperbolic or incompletely parabolic systems of partial differential equations (PDEs) using continuous projection is developed. This method is an extension of earlier work by the authors specific to the equations of linearized compressible inviscid flow. The key idea is to apply to the PDEs a transformation induced by the Lyapunov function for the system, and to build the ROM in the transformed variables. For linear problems, the desired transformation is induced by a special inner product, termed the "symmetry inner product", which is derived herein for several systems of physical interest. Connections are established between the proposed approach and other stability-preserving model reduction methods, giving the paper a review flavor. More specifically, it is shown that a discrete counterpart of this inner product is a weighted L 2 inner product obtained by solving a Lyapunov equation, first proposed by Rowley et al. and termed herein the "Lyapunov inner product". Comparisons between the symmetry inner product and the Lyapunov inner product are made, and the performance of ROMs constructed using these inner products is evaluated on several benchmark test cases.
Proposed Braille computer terminal offers expanded world to the blind

As professional people---engineers, scientists, programmers and managers---most of us make frequent use of the library. We keep abreast of recent developments by reading books or technical journals. If we have developed our reading skills, we can zip through a document at the rate of 1000 words per minute. But what would happen to us and our interests if we no longer had access to the library or if our supply of reading material was suddenly cut off because we became blind?
Peptide Inhibitors of Flavivirus Entry Derived from the E Protein Stem

Peptides derived from the “stem” of dengue virus (DV) type 2 (DV2) envelope (E) protein inhibit DV2 infectivity, targeting a late-stage fusion intermediate. We show here that stem peptides from all DV serotypes cross-inhibit DV1 to DV4 but that corresponding peptides derived from related flaviviruses do not. This failure to inhibit infection is not due to poor interaction with the E protein but rather to loss of association with the virion membrane. Residues 442 to 444 of the stem are determinants of inhibition; increasing hydrophobicity in this region increases inhibitory strength. These results support a two-step model of how stem-derived peptides inhibit viral entry.
Challenges of Bringing Next Generation Sequencing Technologies to Clinical Molecular Diagnostic Laboratories

Molecular diagnosis of complex dual genome mitochondrial disorders is a challenge. It requires the identification of deleterious mutations in one of the ~1,500 nuclear genes and the mitochondrial genome. If the molecular defect is in the mitochondrial genome, quantification of degree of mutation load (heteroplasmy) in affected tissues is important. Due to the extreme clinical and genetic heterogeneity, conventional sequence analysis of the candidate genes one-by-one is impractical, if not impossible. The newly developed massively parallel next generation sequencing (NGS) technique, that allows simultaneous sequence analysis of multiple target genes, when appropriately validated with deep coverage and proper quality controls, can be used as an effective comprehensive diagnostic approach in CLIA certified clinical laboratories.
Theorizing Information Security Success: Towards Secure E-Government

As information systems become more pervasive within organizations, securing their associated information assets has become a topic of extensive research. However, minimal research has been focused on understanding the dimensions of information systems security within an organizational context. This study organizes a considerable body of information systems security literature based on their findings, and the authors identify core dimensions of information system security success and operationalize them as a model to predict success with information security initiatives. The utility of the proposed model is evaluated for the e-Government context and emergent issues for research and practice are discussed.
Pregnancy and Domestic Violence A Review of the Literature

Pregnancy-related violence is a serious public health issue. Although there is a growing body of research on this subject, there are still many unanswered questions regarding the prevalence of this type of victimization, the risk factors, and the consequences. The purpose of this literature review is to organize and synthesize the interdisciplinary empirical research on pregnancy-related violence and to provide direction for both researchers and practitioners for future work in this area.