cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Comorbidity Index: No Effect on Outcome of Reduced-Intensity Allografts.

The hematopoietic cell transplantation-comorbidity index (HCT-CI) has been proposed as a means to estimate the risk of transplant-related mortality (TRM) and the likelihood of overall survival (OS) after allogeneic HSCT. However, its value and applicability remain unclear; in a 2-center study, it was predictive of outcome at one but not at the other in multivariate analysis (Blood 2007;110:4606). We investigated the effect of HCT-CI in 130 adult patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing reduced-intensity HSCT after 100 mg/m2 melphalan (+ 50 mg/kg cyclophosphamide if no prior autograft). GVHD prophylaxis comprised cyclosporine/tacrolimus and MMF. 18% of the donor-patient pairs were 1 antigen/allele-mismatched. 57% had refractory disease. 45% had failed an autograft. ECOG performance status (PS) was 0–34%, 1–48%, 2–14%, and 3–4%. The HCT-CI score distribution was 0–10%, 1–4%, 2–28%, 3–24%, 4–15%, 5–10%, 6–8%, and ≥7–2%. Overall, the patient population had higher HCT-CI scores than described in other studies (Cancer 2008;112:1992). In multivariate analysis, TRM was higher with HLA mismatch and PS 2-3, and OS was lower with PS 2-3, HLA mismatch, refractory disease, donor age >45 y, elevated LDH, and platelets <100. HCT-CI 0 vs 1-2 vs ≥3 had no effect on TRM or OS. HCT-CI 0-2 vs ≥3 had a borderline effect on TRM (P=0.09) and OS (P=0.15) in univariate analysis, but no effect in multivariate analysis when forced into the model with factors known to be significant. No significant correlation was seen between HCT-CI and any of the factors found to be predictive of outcome. ![Figure][1] Figure Because serum albumin is a powerful non-specific predictor of general health and outcome in all clinical situations, we hypothesized that it would correlate with the PS. As shown in the figure below, it did. We expected that it would correlate with HCT-CI because increasing comorbidity should theoretically be associated with declining albumin. However, it did not. ![Figure][1] Figure In our experience, HCT-CI does not correlate with outcome – especially when other pertinent factors are taken into account. Since most data supporting HCT-CI have originated from a single center, it is possible that its applicability depends on individual centers and the treatment protocols employed. However, lack of correlation of HCT-CI with albumin does call its biological plausibility into some question. HCT-CI cannot be employed unless refined and validated prospectively in multi-center studies. [1]: pending:yes
Identification of Factors Associated With Improved Survival After Renal Artery Stenting

Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (RAS) is associated with high mortality rates, but large randomized trials have not shown improvement in survival with renal artery stenting. These results suggest that factors other than ongoing renal hypoperfusion are important in determining survival in patients with RAS. Using logistic regression models, we performed a single-center, case-control study that included 188 patients with ≥70% RAS with an average age of 67 ± 10 years, 54% women, 20% black, and 70% smokers; 118 patients (63%) underwent renal artery stenting. A total of 89 patients (47%) died during an average follow-up of 5.1 years. Previous myocardial infarction (MI) (odds ratio 2.6 95% confidence interval [1.4 to 4.7]), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35% (odds ratio 4.1 95% confidence interval [1.6 to 10.6]), and renal insufficiency were predictors of mortality in this study. The risk associated with LVEF ≤35% and previous MI were additive with mortality of 40%, 54%, and 85%, respectively, with 0, 1, or both these factors. Renal artery stenting was associated with a 43% reduction in mortality in patients with 0 or 1 mortality risk factors (defined as LVEF ≤35%, previous MI, and glomerular filtration rate ≤45 ml/min/1.73 m 2 ) but had no effect on mortality in patients with 2 or 3 mortality risk factors. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, or severity of RAS did not correlate with survival. In conclusion, this retrospective analysis suggests that clinical, in addition to anatomic and physiological, factors should be considered in future studies examining effects of renal artery stenting on survival.
Cancer survivors’ and partners’ key concerns and quality of life

Objective: Understanding the concerns of cancer survivors is essential for effective interventions. This study was designed to identify the primary concerns of dyads coping with cancer, how concerns differed by role and sex, and whether concerns expressed during counselling were associated with survivors’ psychosocial well-being and adjustment.Design: Forty-three dyads with breast and prostate cancer (N = 86 participants) were enrolled in an interpersonal telephone counselling intervention. Audio recordings of 228 counselling sessions were transcribed and content analysed qualitatively to identify major themes and key concerns. A total of three 30-min sessions were coded for each study participant. Quantitative data and statistical analyses were used to predict changes in survivors’ quality of life.Main Outcome Measures: Participants completed psychosocial well-being measures (depression, positive/negative affect, and relationship satisfaction), pre- and post-counselling.Results: Survivors’ concerns focus...
Cyberbiosecurity: From Naive Trust to Risk Awareness.

The cyber–physical nature of biotechnology raises unprecedented security concerns. Computers can be compromised by encoding malware in DNA sequences, and biological threats can be synthesized using publicly available data. Trust within the biotechnology community creates vulnerabilities at the interface between cyberspace and biology. Awareness is a prerequisite to managing these risks.
Feminism and Postmodernism

Postmodern feminism is a body of scholarship that questions and rejects traditional essentialist practices, as established in and by modernity. Keywords: feminisms; gender; postmodern/postmodernism
Epigenetic modulation of inflammation and synaptic plasticity promotes resilience against stress in mice

Major depressive disorder is associated with abnormalities in the brain and the immune system. Chronic stress in animals showed that epigenetic and inflammatory mechanisms play important roles in mediating resilience and susceptibility to depression. Here, through a high-throughput screening, we identify two phytochemicals, dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA) and malvidin-3′-O-glucoside (Mal-gluc) that are effective in promoting resilience against stress by modulating brain synaptic plasticity and peripheral inflammation. DHCA/Mal-gluc also significantly reduces depression-like phenotypes in a mouse model of increased systemic inflammation induced by transplantation of hematopoietic progenitor cells from stress-susceptible mice. DHCA reduces pro-inflammatory interleukin 6 (IL-6) generations by inhibiting DNA methylation at the CpG-rich IL-6 sequences introns 1 and 3, while Mal-gluc modulates synaptic plasticity by increasing histone acetylation of the regulatory sequences of the Rac1 gene. Peripheral inflammation and synaptic maladaptation are in line with newly hypothesized clinical intervention targets for depression that are not addressed by currently available antidepressants.
Associations between childhood peer victimization and aggression and subsequent victimization and aggression at college

Author(s): Felix, Erika D; Holt, Melissa K; Nylund-Gibson, Karen; Grimm, Ryan P; Espelage, Dorothy L; Green, Jennifer Greif
Decellularized peripheral nerve supports Schwann cell transplants and axon growth following spinal cord injury

Schwann cell (SC) transplantation has been comprehensively studied as a strategy for spinal cord injury (SCI) repair. SCs are neuroprotective and promote axon regeneration and myelination. Nonetheless, substantial SC death occurs post-implantation, which limits therapeutic efficacy. The use of extracellular matrix (ECM)-derived matrices, such as Matrigel, supports transplanted SC survival and axon growth, resulting in improved motor function. Because appropriate matrices are needed for clinical translation, we test here the use of an acellular injectable peripheral nerve (iPN) matrix. Implantation of SCs in iPN into a contusion lesion did not alter immune cell infiltration compared to injury only controls. iPN implants were larger and contained twice as many SC-myelinated axons as Matrigel grafts. SC/iPN animals performed as well as the SC/Matrigel group in the BBB locomotor test, and made fewer errors on the grid walk at 4 weeks, equalizing at 8 weeks. The fact that this clinically relevant iPN matrix is immunologically tolerated and supports SC survival and axon growth within the graft offers a highly translational possibility for improving efficacy of SC treatment after SCI. To our knowledge, it is the first time that an injectable PN matrix is being evaluated to improve the efficacy of SC transplantation in SCI repair.
Two Women High School Principals: The Influence of Gender on Entry into Education and their Professional Lives:

This study explores the influences of being female on the lives of two women high school principals. The study focuses on how being female influenced their career choices and subsequent professiona...
Distribution of slow myosin in dystrophic chicken muscle.

Avian muscular dystrophy is a disorder that preferentially affects the development of fast twitch muscles (215,218). Previous research using anatomical, histochemical, and biochemical methods have demonstrated clear dystrophic abnormalities in the posterior latisslmus dorsi (PLD) while the anterior latissimus dorsi (ALD), a slow tonic muscle, is unaffected by the disease (216,219). Most of this research has been performed on normal and dystrophic chickens of different genetic backgrounds. While avian muscular dystrophy is caused by a single autosomal recessive gene, the dystrophic gene causes relatively rapid fiber atrophy when placed on a New Hampshire background (217,220). These effects are most likely due to differences in the rate of muscle growth in the two breeds. Since inbred lines of normal and dystrophic chickens now exist that contain greater than 90% of their genes in common, these strains (normal line 03 and dystrophic line 433) were used for the current study to ensure that the differences observed between normal and dystrophic muscles were due to the disease.
Pulmonary Complications After Spontaneous Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Experience from Barrow Neurological Institute.

Objective Because the clinical course of spontaneous aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) can be compromised by pulmonary complications, we sought to review posttreatment outcomes in aSAH patients with and without pulmonary complications. Methods Patient demographic, clinical, and outcome data (March 2003–January 2007) were analyzed retrospectively. Patients underwent microsurgical or endovascular treatment for aSAH; pulmonary complications were reported. Outcomes were assessed using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) scores at the 1-year, 3-year, and 6-year follow-up visits. Results The cohort comprised 471 patients (mean age, 53.7 ± 12.4 years; men, 332/471 [70%]). The mean Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at presentation was 11.9 ± 3.0. Of 471 patients, 47% (n = 223) presented with a Hunt and Hess score of ≥3 and 76% (n = 357) with a Fisher grade of 3. Treatment was clipping for 69% (279/407) and coiling for 31% (128/407) of patients. Pulmonary complications occurred in 210 of 471 (45%) patients. Nearly one-half of patients were discharged to home (215/471, 46%), and more than one-half had a good outcome defined as a GOS score of 5 at their 1-year (226/403, 56%), 3-year (217/397, 55%), and 6-year (203/380, 53%) follow-up visits. Logistic regression showed age and GCS scores as outcome predictors at all time points, whereas pulmonary complications predicted poor outcome only at the 1-year follow-up visit. Conclusions Pulmonary problems represent the most common nonneurologic medical complications after aSAH. Despite advances in critical care, pulmonary complications represented predictors of short-term poor outcome only at the 1-year follow-up visit, whereas the medical history of the patient became more relevant for prognosis in long-term follow-up.
Abstract A42: Prexasertib (LY2606368) is highly active as a monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy in preclinical models of pediatric bone and soft tissue sarcoma

The serine/threonine kinase checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) is a crucial mediator of replication stress and helps maintain genome integrity by governing the S-phase and G2/M cell cycle checkpoints following DNA damage, facilitating DNA repair through homologous recombination, and licensing replication forks during S phase. The CHK1 small-molecule inhibitor prexasertib (LY2606368) is currently under clinical investigation in pediatric cancer patients with recurrent or refractory solid tumors (NCT02808650). Reduced proliferation was observed at low nanomolar concentrations in a panel of pediatric bone and soft tissue sarcoma cell lines. In addition, prexasertib caused DNA damage and cell death in vitro as measured by Western blot analysis and high content imaging. Prexasertib as a monotherapy was superior to doxorubicin or actinomycin D in several cell line-derived and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of pediatric soft tissue sarcoma, with two models of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (aRMS) demonstrating a complete response to prexasertib; however, acquired resistance to prexasertib was observed. In addition, preclinical PDX mouse models of Ewing’s sarcoma and osteosarcoma typically demonstrated intrinsic resistance to single-agent prexasertib. Importantly, combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy could not only overcome intrinsic prexasertib resistance in vivo, as would be expected given the potential for prexasertib to act as a chemopotentiator, but also prevented the emergence of acquired resistance following single-agent prexasertib treatment. In vitro experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of prexasertib plus chemotherapy on cell proliferation. Future preclinical studies include genomic analysis of pediatric bone and soft tissue sarcoma models to delineate the molecular underpinnings of sensitivity and acquired resistance to prexasertib and to identify predictive biomarkers for response. Citation Format: Caitlin D. Lowery, Wayne Blosser, Michele Dowless, Matthew Renschler, Jennifer Stephens, Richard Beckmann, Louis Stancato. Prexasertib (LY2606368) is highly active as a monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy in preclinical models of pediatric bone and soft tissue sarcoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Pediatric Cancer Research: From Basic Science to the Clinic; 2017 Dec 3-6; Atlanta, Georgia. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(19 Suppl):Abstract nr A42.
Evolution of Gate Drivers-Part 1 [White Hot]

When I graduated in 1980, I started in the small systems power supply group at the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). My first assignment was to design a 208 W three output power supply for DEC’s first desktop computer. The topology was a two-transistor forward converter that used bipolar switching transistors (BUW45s, if I recall correctly). The bipolar power transistors of that time were rugged devices but had a fairly low current gain (beta) of 4–10. This meant that if you were switching 5 A, one had to supply about 1 A in base current. One popular way of doing that was a proportional base drive. A proportional base drive used a current transformer to couple a fixed fraction of the emitter current to the base. In my design, the base drive transformer had one turn in the emitter and four turns driving the base of each BUW45. This drove the transistors with a forced beta of 4. The BUW45s has a typical current gain of 5–10, so this assured that the BUW45s would always be saturated during the on-time.
Editorial Commentary: Release of the Medial Collateral During Arthroscopic Meniscectomy Should Be Encouraged, Not Feared!

Abstract In patients having arthroscopic medial meniscectomy, percutaneous pie crust or intra-articular release of the proximal medial collateral ligament is preferable to iatrogenic damage to the cartilage of the medial femoral condyle. In patients with tight medial compartments, release is recommended. Release of the medial collateral ligament during arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy does not result in morbidity and should be encouraged, not feared.
2 – Modeling Interregional Interaction in Prehistory

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the modeling of interregional interaction in prehistory. The review of intersocietal interaction frameworks begins with the diffusion for several reasons. Diffusion research clearly lays out the problems of studying contact among societies that one still has to face and that later research has tried to deal with. Further, the examination of the rise and fall of diffusion as a framework reveals processes in anthropological thought relevant to the question of intersocietal frameworks but not obvious from purely synchronic studies. The chapter also discusses the interactions among societies, which are trade studies of the late 1960s and 1970s, and the use of world systems models borrowed from historical sociology, which have begun to appear in the 1980s. It discusses how these different approaches have contributed to the understanding of processes of intersocietal interaction and the construction of the schema needed for the study of such contacts. There has been a tendency in the past to envision a focus on intersocietal interaction as antithetical to the investigation of individual societies and their relations to their physical environments.
Haus-Rucker-Co LIVE! and Commoning the Museum

AbstractIn 1970, the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York City hosted the exhibition Haus-Rucker-Co LIVE!, a mid-career retrospective of the Viennese architectural collective. Most historians ...
Barriers, Challenges and Strategy Use of Students with High-Incidence Disabilities

Computer science (CS) education K-12 has spread at a remarkable pace over the last few years. As CS education becomes more and more a part of the general curriculum, students with disabilities, who spend much of their time in general education classrooms, will be included. Yet, there is little research on how to equitably and rigorously include students with disabilities in CS education. To begin to understand how best to provide CS educational services to diverse learners, we must first understand the challenges and barriers they face and what strategies they are already using to enable their success. This basic qualitative interpretative study utilized video screencast data of three upper-elementary students with high-incidence disabilities engaged in block-based programming. Findings confirmed students encountered multiple barriers and challenges, both unique and shared, across classrooms. While students utilized several problem solving and debugging strategies, they seldom did so in a systematic fashion.
Agency Design and State Administrators: Political Insulation and Managers’ Views of Their Workplace

This paper examines the impact of agency design upon the perceived workplace conditions within state agencies. The research examines whether insulating features of agency structure such as independ...
79 – Operational Calculus*

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on operational calculus applicable to ordinary differential equations and partial differential equations. It is sometimes easier to solve a differential equation in a transformed space. The use of operational calculus yields a reformulation of the original differential equation. The procedure for operational calculus is that an ordinary differential equation is transformed to a field of operators. The equation in that field is then solved, and then transformed back. In this field, ordinary functions, generalized functions, and differential operators are all treated as objects in a single algebraic structure. The operator field that is used has among other elements, an identity operator (I), a differentiation operator (often denoted by D or s) and an integration operator (often denoted by D−1). The operational calculus is also called the Heaviside calculus. The operational calculus, at its simplest level, has a great similarity with Laplace transforms. It is sometimes difficult to justify the formal steps that are employed in using the operation calculus. One solution is to use a more precisely defined operator, such as the primary operator.
Preparing Youth for the World of Work: Educator Perspectives on Pre-Employment Transition Services:

Effective collaboration among schools and agencies is critical to the success of pre-employment transition services (pre-ETS). We examined the views of 596 middle and high school educators regardin...
Estimates for the Complex Monge-Ampère Equation on Hermitian and Balanced Manifolds

We generalize Yau’s estimates for the complex Monge-Ampere equation on compact manifolds in the case when the background metric is no longer Kahler. We prove $C^∞$ a priori estimates for a solution of the complex Monge-Ampere equation when the background metric is Hermitian (in complex dimension two) or balanced (in higher dimensions), giving an alternative proof of a theorem of Cherrier. We relate this to recent results of Guan-Li.
Novel Retinoic Acid Derivative Induces Differentiation and Growth Arrest in Neuroblastoma

Introduction: Retinoic acid (RA) is a differentiating agent utilized as maintenance therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma (NB), but associated toxicities and disease relapse limits its use. A novel rexinoid, 9-cis-UAB30 (UAB30), has been developed with a favorable toxicity profile compared to RA. We have previously shown that UAB30 decreased NB cell proliferation and in vivo tumor growth. A second generation, mono-methylated compound, 6-Methyl-UAB30 (6-Me), has been recently designed to have greater potency and negligible toxicity compared to UAB30. We …
Unplanned Readmissions to the Intensive Care Unit Among Geriatric Trauma Patients.

BackgroundUnplanned readmission/bounceback to the intensive care unit (ICUBB) is a prevalent issue in the medical community. The geriatric population is incompletely studied in regard to ICUBB. We ...
CO2 Q-Branch Lineshapes for Atmospheric Remote Sensing

The high spectral resolution of today’s infrared remote sensing instruments puts great stress on our understanding of atmospheric spectral lineshapes. This is especially true for nadir sounders that use channels between spectral lines and in the far line wing, where the weighting functions are narrowest. The atmospheric emissions in these wing regions are sensitive to the molecular lineshape, which is difficult to measure in the laboratory over the wide range of atmospheric conditions. Since satellite temperature sounders utilize CO2 emission features we will concentrate on CO2 spectral lineshapes and their effect on atmospheric spectra in this paper. Two regions of the CO2 spectrum are often chosen for sounding channels; (1) Q-branch wings in the 15 µm region, and (2) the v 3 R-branch bandhead at 4.3 µm. Both of these regions are extremely sensitive to aspects of CO2 lineshapes that have only been studied in some detail in the last several years. For example, absorption coefficients in the CO2 Q-branch wing deviate from a Lorentz lineshape by up to 50% because of line mixing. Even larger deviations from a Lorentz lineshape are found in the 4.3 µm R-branch wing. This paper will concentrate on Q-branch spectral lineshapes which we are now able to model with high accuracy. Physically-based lineshape models that provide a basis for accurate spectral calculations under wide ranging conditions are still under development for the 4.3 µm region.
Superposition and Successions of Complex Tones and the Perception of Music

In the course of Chapters 2, 3, and 4 we have been moving gradually up the ladder of neural processing of acoustical signals, from the mechanisms leading to the perception of primary pitch, loudness, subjective pitch, and timbre, and to the recognition of a musical instrument. On the physical side, we have analyzed how the sound characteristics leading to these sensations are actually generated in musical instruments. These psychological attributes are necessary, but by no means sufficient, ingredients of music. Music is made of successions and superpositions of tones that convey certain meanings (Gestalt) which can be analyzed, stored, and compared in the brain. An objective study of the neuropsychology of these higher order processes is practically nonexistent. The reader no doubt already has sensed how much guesswork was involved in the discussion of the perception of timbre (Section 4.8). We are in much worse shape when it comes to the higher psychological attributes such as consonance, dissonance, the sense of tonality and return, and, in the end, the whole gamut of emotional reactions to music.
Oxidative Stress and the Amyloid Conundrum. What is the Connection

In the sea of information for and against the role of amyloid in AD many of us have felt at times in akin circumstances. The hypothesis by Andorn and Kalaria that amyloid peptides could function both as antioxidants and pro-oxidants yet adds a new dimension of complexity to an already intricate problem in Alzheimers disease. These authors present evidence suggesting that various Aβ fragments can, under certain experimental conditions, behave as antioxidants by inhibiting ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation of membrane fragment preparations obtained from postmortem human prefrontal and parietal cortex. These findings raise new and interesting issues regarding amyloid deposits in AD. During the last few years several laboratories have presented compelling evidence indicating that brains with AD are subject to a pervasive level of oxidative stress. One important set of data comes from in vitro models and suggests that the amyloid peptide, the main constituent of senile plaques, causes extensive degeneration and
The Efficient Capital Market Hypothesis, Chaos Theory, and the Insider Filing Requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934: The Predictive Power of Form 4 Filings

This article is primarily an examination of whether the filing of form 4's under the '34 Act has a particular effect on the movement of securities prices. The ultimate results are then analyzed under traditional market theories, which are introduced earlier in the paper. The main question presented is the worth of information for traders. If chaos theory is correct in the weight it gives to information, then the filing requirements become very important, as does any movement that could be associated with those requirements. The paper is an initial step in an area that has not been addressed to a large extent, and could serve as the departure point for more rigorous empirical study of the questions presented.
On the Subunit Structure of the Protein of Human Serum High Density Lipoprotein I. A STUDY OF ITS MAJOR POLYPEPTIDE COMPONENT (SEPHADEX, FRACTION III)

Abstract Fraction III, separated and purified from delipidated human serum high density lipoprotein of d 1.063 to 1.125 g per ml (HDL2) by gel filtration in 8 m urea, was further fractionated by ion exchange chromatography (DEAE) in 8 m urea into two major broad components, IIIa and IIIb, in ratios varying from individual to individual and exhibiting a slight difference in mobility by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis or disc gel electrofocusing. The molecular weight of each of the two fractions was about 27,000, as assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis in the presence or absence of 8m urea. The same value was obtained by agarose-guanidine HCl chromatography. Both IIIa and IIIb reacted similarly against antisera raised against whole III; they contained no half-cystine or sialic acid, had aspartic acid as NH2-terminal (dansylation and Edman procedure), glutamine as COOH-terminal (digestion with carboxypeptidase and hydrazinolysis), but differed slightly in amino acid composition: an established difference was that IIIb contained no isoleucine, whereas IIIa had 1 mole of this amino acid per mole of protein. However, the presence of isoleucine in IIIa was not a constant finding. Upon rechromatography of DEAE, IIIa and IIIb were resolved into three and two components, respectively, each having the amino acid composition of the starting product. After treatment with the bifunctional reagent, dimethylsuberimidate, III exhibited two distinct bands by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis with an apparent molecular weight of 27,000 and 54,000, suggesting a monomer-dimer relationship. Under the same experimental conditions, IIIa or IIIb exhibited only one band with a molecular weight of about 27,000. The results of the present studies were taken to indicate that HDL2 contains at least two polymorphic forms of III having equimolecular weight, but differing slightly in chemical composition and associated together by noncovalent linkage.
„Galicyjska” kultura polityczna jako dziedzictwo klasowej mobilizacji politycznej

“Galician” Political Culture as a Legacy of Class-Oriented Political Mobilization The article discusses the issue of civic qualities of political culture on the territories of the former Galicia in the light class-oriented theories of origins of democratic political cultures. The author expresses a view that Galicia was a stronghold of class-oriented political movement (populist and social democratic ones) at the time of birth modern mass democracy in the Polish territories during the partitions and in the subsequent interwar period. Galicia also constituted a Polish stronghold of resistance against 20 th century authoritarian (Sanacja) and totalitarian (Stalinism) regimes. After 1989 and during the 1990s the region enjoyed the highest level of specifically civic forms of electoral participation among all historical regions of Poland. The paradox of Galicia is a “reversal” of the political profile of the region: from a stronghold of anti-clerical populism and social democracy, it became a region of the strongest support for clerical and nationalistic parties in the III Polish Republic after 1989. The “reversal” is the result of communist repression and the adoption of the most anti-communist ideologies by the population of Galicia. However, the democratic character of the political culture of the region – the ethos of active participation in political life – has been preserved.
Investigations into ultraviolet matrix-assisted laser desorption

Matrix-assisted laser desorption (MALD) is a technique for converting large biomolecules into gas phase ions. Some characteristics of the commonly used uv matrices are determined. Solubilities in methanol range from 0.1 to 0.5 M. Solid phase absorption spectra are found to be similar to solution, but slightly red-shifted. Acoustic and quartz crystal microbalance signals are investigated as possible means of uv-MALD quantitation. Evidence for the existence of desorption thresholds is presented. Threshold values are determined to be in the range of 2 to 3 MW/cm{sup 2}. A transient imaging technique based on laser-excited fluorescence for monitoring MALD plumes is described. Sensitivity is well within the levels required for studying matrix-assisted laser desorption, where analyte concentrations are significantly lower than those in conventional laser desorption. Results showing the effect of film morphology, particularly film thickness, on plume dynamics are presented. In particular, MALD plumes from thicker films tend to exhibit higher axial velocities. Fluorescent labeling of protein and of DNA is used to allow imaging of their uv-MALD generated plumes. Integrated concentrations are available with respect to time, making it possible to assess the rate of fragmentation. The spatial and temporal distributions are important for the design of secondary ionization schemesmore » to enhance ion yields and for the optimization of ion collection in time-of-flight MS instruments to maximize resolution. Such information could also provide insight into whether ionization is closely associated with the desorption step or whether it is a result of subsequent collisions with the matrix gas (e.g., proton transfer). Although the present study involves plumes in a normal atmosphere, adaptation to measurements in vacuum (e.g., inside a mass spectrometer) should be straightforward.« less
Embracing “embedded security”: the OSCE's understated but significant role in the European security architecture

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is perhaps the world's least-known major security organization. However, the same characteristic which puts the OSCE seemingly continually on the verge of irrelevance with respect to the other actors in European and global security is in fact what has allowed it to endure and is in fact its greatest asset. That is, the OSCE's distinct combination of modern and postmodern characteristics in both its composition and its activities allows it to create what can be called “embedded security”. Tracing the evolution of one particular set of decision-making rules embedded within a normative framework which questioned the fundamental meanings of “security”, and exploring present-day activities, this article reinterprets the OSCE in the light of this new model. In so doing, it re-contextualizes both the OSCE's origins and its contemporary relevance. Instead of a modernist, functional, rule-driven interpretation which situates the OSCE on the periphery i...
Impact of Low Class Prevalence on the Performance Evaluation of Neural Network Based Classifiers: Experimental Study in the Context of Computer-Assisted Medical Diagnosis

This paper presents an experimental study on the impact of low class prevalence on the neural network based classifier performance as measured using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis. Two methods of dealing with the problem are investigated: oversampling and undersampling in the context of varying the class prevalence and the size of training datasets with uncorrelated and correlated features. The results show that the class imbalance can significantly decrease the classifier performance especially in the case of small training datasets. Furthermore, the oversampling method is shown to be more effective than the undersampling method in compensating the class imbalance. Statistically significant differences, however, are observed only in the cases with large total number of samples and very low prevalence.
Optimization of Electrostatic Adhesives for Robotic Climbing and Manipulation

This paper investigates the optimization of electrode geometry in electrostatic adhesives to enhance adhesion forces for use in robotic climbing and gripping applications. Electrostatic adhesion provides an attachment mechanism that is both controllable and effective over a wide range of surfaces including conductive, semi-conductive, and insulating materials. The adhesives function by utilizing a set of high voltage electrodes that generate an electric field. This electric field polarizes the substrate material, thus generating an adhesion force. Optimizing the geometry of these conductive electrodes provides enhanced adhesion forces that increase attachment robustness. To accomplish this, FEA software was used to evaluate the generated electric field for a given electrode configuration. A range of electrode widths and gap sizes were evaluated to find the optimal configuration. These findings were compared with experimental results for different pad geometries over a range of surface types. Experimental results indicate that on smooth surfaces the simulation results are representative of the actual recorded adhesion forces. Rough surfaces provide similar trends but with varying optimal configurations, likely due to the level of electric field dispersion.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Flutter, Tumble and Vortex Induced Autorotation

The phenomenon of flutter and tumble of objects in free fall has been studied using two-dimensional numerical simulations of uniform flow past a plate which is free to rotate about a fixed axis through its centroid. Particular focus is on the effect of Reynolds number and plate thickness-to-length ratio on the flutter-to-tumble transition and on the observed frequency of the angular motions. Simulations indicate that the tendency to tumble increases with increasing Reynolds number and decreasing thickness ratio. A case is also made that the tumbling frequency for two-dimensional plates is governed by a Karman type vortex shedding process. These results for this pinned plate have also been verified by simulating a limited number of free-fall cases.
Optimal Detection and Classification of Diverse Short-duration Signals

Recent theoretical advances in class-dependent feature extraction are reviewed. These advances, culminating in the multi-resolution HMM (MR-HMM) statistical model are proposed for the detection and classification of transient signals that are composed of diverse components with widely varying structure and resolution.
Depth of Injury Caused by Liquid Nitrogen Cryospray: Study of Human Patients Undergoing Planned Esophagectomy

Cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen delivered endoscopically has been used for mucosal ablation of esophageal neoplasia. There are no data for the human esophagus on the depth of injury and effects of this technique. Prospective study to examine the effect of treatment and depth of injury to the human esophagus of liquid nitrogen spray cryotherapy for subjects with esophageal neoplasia before planned esophagectomy. Liquid nitrogen spray cryoablation was performed seven days before scheduled esophagectomy for seven males with esophageal carcinoma. Subjects were assigned to either treatment of four cycles of 10 s each (group 1) or two cycles of 20 s each (group 2) applied to a 2-cm segment of healthy esophagus above the tumor area. Main outcomes measured were: mean depth of injury (mm); surface displaying mucosal ablation, and adverse events. Mucosal destruction was similar for both groups (group 1, 95 %; group 2, 93 %; p = NS). Deeper injury was observed for group 2; mean depth was 5.4 mm compared with 4.0 mm for group 1. Cryonecrosis reached the submucosa for 60 % (12/20) of subjects in group 1 versus 93 % (14/15) of subjects in group 2 (p = 0.04, two-tailed Fisher’s exact test). No serious adverse events occurred. No perforation was seen in the resected esophagus. Mucosal ablation with liquid nitrogen spray cryotherapy was highly effective in inducing mucosal necrosis; the doses assessed had similar effects. Ablation reached the submucosa more often with longer spray time despite fewer treatment cycles.
In vitro selection of high phenolic and rosmarinic acid clonal lines of oregano

ABSTRACT Oregano, Origanum vulgare, is a source of essential oils and phenolic metabolites, such as rosmarinic acid, which exhibits anti-oxidant and antimicrobial activity. This suggests that the plant material could be useful in food preservation, and in nutraceutical and cosmetic applications. Due to natural cross-pollination, however, oregano has substantial plant-to-plant variation and therefore a considerable genetic inconsistency in the type and level of phytochemicals produced. In this study, clonal lines developed from a population of heterozygous seeds using tissue culture were screened for desirable traits (multiple shoot formation and enhanced biomass, and rosmarinic acid and phenolic acid production) based on tolerance of the clonal lines to Pseudomonas and azetidine-2-carboxylate (A2C). Of the 20 clonal lines isolated, two over-expressed phenolic acids in response to both Pseudomonas and A2C.
Role of Resins on Asphaltene Stability

The objective of this study is to clarify through impedance analysis some of the controversial issues related to the role of resins on asphaltene stability. From the variations of the direct-current (DC) conductivity of charge carriers in petroleum fluids with their concentration in toluene, we find that resins are unlikely to coat asphaltene nanoaggregates within the concentration range investigated (10−1000 ppm). Thus, the long-time-standing Nellensteyn hypothetical model, where resins adsorb on asphaltenes to provide a steric stabilizing layer, is not valid. In heptane/toluene mixtures, the least soluble resins tend to aggregate with asphaltenes to enhance their stability in the mixture, in agreement with a recently proposed molecular thermodynamic approach to the formation of mixed asphaltene−resin aggregates (Rogel, E. Molecular thermodynamic approach to the formation of mixed asphaltene−resin aggregatesEnergy Fuels 2008, 22 (6), 3922−3929).
How lesbians learn to negotiate the heterosexism of corporate America

The purpose of this study was to understand how lesbians learn to negotiate the heterosexism of corporate America. The sample consisted of ten women at the management or executive level who were over the age of 30, identified as lesbians, had worked in their organization for at least two years, had at least two people who report directly to them and had budget responsibility. The primary data collection strategy was in-depth interviews and data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Lesbians who have learned to negotiate the heterosexism of the corporate setting successfully have learned: a) to pre-screen individuals and groups for their receptivity toward the issue of lesbianism, b) to come out as individuals/lesbians in a strategic way, and c) to educate others about the unique issues that lesbians face in corporate settings. This learning occurred informally and incidentally through: a) dealing with human resources, b) participating in committees and groups, and c) participating in social...
Characterization and fate of N-nitrosodimethylamine precursors in municipal wastewater treatment plants.

The potent carcinogen, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), is produced during disinfection of municipal wastewater effluent from the reaction of monochloramine and organic nitrogen-containing precursors. To delineate the sources and fate of NDMA precursors during municipal wastewater treatment, NDMA formation was measured after extended chloramination of both model precursors and samples from conventional and advanced wastewater treatment plants. Of the model precursors, only dimethylamine, tertiary amines with dimethylamine functional groups, and dimethylamides formed significant NDMA concentrations upon chloramination. In samples from municipal wastewater treatment plants, dissolved NDMA precursors always were present in primary and secondary effluents. Biological treatment effectively removed the known NDMA precursor dimethylamine, lowering its concentration to levels that could not produce significant quantities of NDMA upon chlorine disinfection. However, biological treatment was less effective at removin...
Lanthanum chromite based perovskites for oxygen transport membrane

Abstract Judicious selection of mixed ionic–electronic conducting (MIEC) perovskite oxide as oxygen transport membrane (OTM) offers the potential to enhance overall process economics and systems performance for a wide variety of industrial applications ranging from clean and efficient energy conversion (oxy-combustion) to selective gas separation (high purity oxygen production) and value added chemicals (syngas and liquid fuel) production with near-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Doped lanthanum chromite perovskites have been considered as promising material of choice for oxygen transport membrane (OTM) due to their superior thermo-chemical stability in aggressive environment (800–1000 °C, 0.21–10−20 P O 2 ) than the other mixed ionic–electronic conducting (MIEC) perovskites such as ferrites and cobaltite's. Thermo-physical properties of the lanthanum chromite, required for optimum oxygen transport can be tuned by modifying the crystal structure, chemical bonding, and ionic and electronic transport properties through selection of dopant's type and level. A perspective on the development of lanthanum chromite-based oxygen transport membranes is presented with an insight based on the pertinent literature and data analysis. The role of various A- and B-site dopants on the crystal structure, densification, thermal expansion, electrical transport, oxygen permeation, mechanical properties, and thermochemical stability of lanthanum chromite is discussed to enlighten ‘composition–structure–property’ correlations. It has been found that: the preferred dopants are strontium at A-site and manganese, nickel, iron, and titanium at B-site to obtain the desired thermo–chemo–electro–mechano properties. Challenges for long term performance and structural stability of doped lanthanum chromite as an oxygen transport membrane are outlined for the applications under ‘real system’ exposure conditions.
Asymptomatic congenital syphilis and auditory brainstem response

Untreated congenital syphilis is a known cause of hearing loss. In order to ascertain if infants are at risk of hearing loss at birth, 75 neonates with serologic evidence of syphilis and APGAR scores greater than 9 at 5 min were examined by auditory brainstem response (ABR) audiometry. All of the infants had normal ABRs. Ophthalmologic examination revealed no evidence of interstitial keratitis. Lumbar puncture was attempted on all the neonates. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was successfully obtained from 41 infants and revealed no abnormalities. This study demonstrates that asymptomatic infants with serologic evidence of syphilis do not require audiologic evaluation in the neonatal period.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic and therapeutic role of water-soluble contrast agent in adhesive small bowel obstruction

Background: This meta-analysis assessed the diagnostic and therapeutic role of water-soluble contrast agent (WSCA) in adhesive small bowel obstruction (SBO). Methods: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched systematically. The primary outcome in the diagnostic role of WSCA was its ability to predict the need for surgery. In the therapeutic role, the following were evaluated: resolution of SBO without surgery, time from admission to resolution, duration of hospital stay, complications and mortality. To assess the diagnostic role of WSCA, pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and likelihood ratios were derived. For the therapeutic role of WSCA, weighted odds ratio (OR) and weighted mean difference (WMD) were obtained. Results: Fourteen prospective studies were included. The appearance of contrast in the colon within 4–24 h after administration had a sensitivity of 96 per cent and specificity of 98 per cent in predicting resolution of SBO. WSCA administration was effective in reducing the need for surgery (OR 0·62; P = 0·007) and shortening hospital stay (WMD −1·87 days; P < 0·001) compared with conventional treatment. Conclusion: Water-soluble contrast was effective in predicting the need for surgery in patients with adhesive SBO. In addition, it reduced the need for operation and shortened hospital stay.