cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 40 – Kaposi Sarcoma

Publisher Summary The Kaposi sarcoma, a malignancy of small blood vessels, is caused by a specific virus (human herpes virus 8) and now occurs mainly in the setting of AIDS when immunological competence is destroyed. A small number of Kaposi sarcomas, especially in East Africans but also in persons from central and southern Europe, occur without any obvious immunological abnormality other than that related to malaria. Kaposi sarcoma is twenty times more common among men than women in Los Angeles County, and is even more common among men in San Francisco. In the AIDS era, it was a disease of young and middle-aged men. Asians are at a lower risk. In women, occurrence in the county as a whole has been relatively constant over time. Among women, a hint of the same distribution is present, in addition to the seemingly random distribution consistent with the pre-AIDS occurrence of Kaposi sarcoma.
Generation and validation of a conditional knockout mouse model for the study of the Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome

Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS) is a developmental disorder (OMIM #270400) caused by autosomal recessive mutations in the Dhcr7 gene, which encodes the enzyme 3β-hydroxysterol-Δ7 reductase. SLOS patients present clinically with dysmorphology and neurological, behavioral, and cognitive defects, with characteristically elevated levels of 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) in all bodily tissues and fluids. Previous mouse models of SLOS have been hampered by postnatal lethality when Dhcr7 is knocked out globally, while a hypomorphic mouse model showed improvement in the biochemical phenotype with aging and did not manifest most other characteristic features of SLOS. We report the generation of a conditional knockout of Dhcr7 (Dhcr7flx/flx), validated by generating a mouse with a liver-specific deletion (Dhcr7L-KO). Phenotypic characterization of liver-specific knockout mice revealed no significant changes in viability, fertility, growth curves, liver architecture, hepatic triglyceride secretion, or parameters of systemic glucose homeostasis. Furthermore, qPCR and RNA-Seq analyses of livers revealed no perturbations in pathways responsible for cholesterol synthesis, either in male or in female Dhcr7L-KO mice, suggesting that hepatic disruption of postsqualene cholesterol synthesis leads to minimal impact on sterol metabolism in the liver. This validated conditional Dhcr7 knockout model may now allow us to systematically explore the pathophysiology of SLOS, by allowing for temporal, cell and tissue-specific loss of DHCR7.
The role of electronic cigarette use for quitting or reducing combustible cigarette use in the 30s: Longitudinal changes and moderated relationships.

Abstract Background Evidence for use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) as a potential aid in quitting or reducing combustible cigarette (c-cig) use is mixed. This study examined the extent to which e-cig initiation among smokers in their 30 s predicted quitting or reducing smoking or nicotine dependence symptoms by age 39, and whether the role of e-cigs in quitting differed by prospectively assessed moderators. Methods Data were from the Seattle Social Development Project (SSDP), a panel study of 808 diverse participants with high retention. A subsample of 221 smokers at age 33 was selected for analysis. Self-reports of c-cig use and dependence were assessed longitudinally at ages 33 and 39. Sixteen potential moderators were examined, including social demographics, smoking attitudes and desire to quit, other health behaviors and status, and adolescent and early adult assessments of smoking history. Results The use of e-cigs was consistently associated with a lower likelihood of quitting c-cigs by age 39, after accounting for frequency of prior c-cig use at age 33. This negative association persisted across all moderators examined, although it was nonsignificant among those with a definite desire to cut down. Among those who did not quit smoking, e-cig use had no association with decreases in either quantity of c-cigs used or dependence symptoms. Conclusions Results indicate that e-cigarette use was not helpful for quitting or reducing combustible cigarette use in the 30 s. Rather, across extensive tests of moderation, e-cig initiation consistently predicted less quitting during this important age period for successful cessation.
Probative Synergy of Plus Factors in Price-Fixing Litigation

Private plaintiffs alleging that defendants conspired to fix prices in violation of antitrust law must usually prove their claims through circumstantial evidence, generally in the form of “plus factors” – evidence indicating that the defendants’ parallel conduct was caused by collusion, not by independent decision-making. Supreme Court precedent requires factfinders to examine antitrust plaintiffs’ evidence holistically. With increasing frequency, however, federal courts in price-fixing cases improperly isolate each piece of circumstantial evidence presented by the plaintiff and then deprive it of all probative value because that single piece of evidence is insufficient, standing alone, to prove a price-fixing conspiracy. As a result, federal courts routinely grant summary judgment to price-fixing defendants even when plaintiffs have proffered more than enough evidence to prove their case. This Article develops a typology of plus factors. Using antitrust case law, empirical research, and economic theory, this Article categorizes dozens of plus factors and explains the probative value of individual plus factors, as well as their interrelationships with each other. Plus factors may fall into one of several categories, such as Cartel Susceptibility, Cartel Formation, Cartel Management, Cartel Enforcement, and Cartel Markers. The Article then introduces and develops the concept of probative synergy, which describes how the probative value of each individual plus factor increases as additional plus factors are introduced into the equation. Despite the longstanding rule that courts should not compartmentalize an antitrust plaintiff’s evidence of conspiracy, courts often inappropriately isolate individual plus factors and incorrectly suggest that if a plus factor does not by itself prove collusion, then it is not a plus factor at all. This approach miscomprehends the entire structure of factor tests in legal analysis. Using a series of case studies, the Article examines the causes and consequences of judges improperly compartmentalizing circumstantial evidence in price-fixing litigation. The Article concludes by showing that the failure to appreciate the probative synergy of plus factors has led courts to make it effectively impossible to prove collusion through circumstantial evidence in price-fixing cases.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae using a Phenotypic-Molecular Assay and Lyophilized Antimicrobials

Abstract Gonorrhea is an urgent global public health threat as Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) has progressively developed resistance to all antibiotics commonly used for treatment. Surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility trends is critical to monitor the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. The gold standard methods for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of Ng are laborious and time-consuming. We evaluated a phenotypic molecular approach, involving a short cultivation step and quantitative PCR, with lyophilized antimicrobials to characterize antimicrobial susceptibility in Ng. There was excellent concordance between AST performed with liquid and lyophilized ciprofloxacin, penicillin, and tetracycline using the pheno-molecular assay, following a four-hour incubation step. The categorical agreement between the pheno-molecular assay and the gold standard AST results was 92.4% for characterization of antimicrobial susceptibility. Essential agreement between the two methods was 91.9%. Characterization of ceftriaxone susceptibility in Ng using the pheno-molecular assay required a six-hour incubation step.
Numerical Simulation of Sand Ripple Dynamics in Turbulent Flows

Evolution of sand ripples in waves and combined wave-current flows is investigated using a numerical model that allows the simulation of coupled flow-bedform evolution in turbulent flows. The numerical model is a large-eddy simulation code which solves the 3-dimensional Navier-Stokes equation with a dynamic mixed subgrid turbulence model on moving generalised curvilinear coordinates. The model allows the calculation of hydrodynamics on a moving bed due to the sediment pick-up and erosion. With a resolved fine grid resolution near the bed, detailed observations of the hydrodynamics in the turbulent boundary layer and the associated sediment transport can be obtained. We investigate the development of sand ripples starting from a flat bed. The model successfully reveals the detailed dynamics of bedform evolution, sediment transport, and flow features during different stages of the ripple development, namely, bedform initiation, rolling grain ripples, and vortex ripples. Furthermore, we investigate sand ripp...
UCL+P—Defining and Implementing Persistent Common Lisp

The Persistent Lisp language was defined and an implementation, UCL+P, 1 was designed and constructed. Persistent Lisp is a superset of Common Lisp which fully supports the development of programs manipulating persistent data while maintaining Lisp semantics across the storage/retrieval of values. Persistence features provided are concurrent atomic transactions, demand loading of values, and transparent load and store of persistent values. All Common Lisp data types (with the exception of streams) can be made persistent. Nonsymbolic values are initially created as transient values on the runtime heap. When a transaction completes, transient values which are reachable from a persistent symbol become persistent. The package mechanism has been extended to add a persistence attribute to packages. When symbols are interned in a package with the persistence attribute, they become persistent, as do values reachable from them. UCL+P was created to support these features, by making extensive low-level modifications to the UCL compiler and runtime system. A new runtime data structure, the indirection vector, was created to support the relocation of newly persistent values from the runtime heap to the persistent heap.
Algorithmic techniques for memory energy reduction

Energy dissipation is a critical concern for battery-powered embedded systems. Memory energy contributes significantly to overall energy in data intensive applications. Low power memory systems are being designed that support multiple power states of memory banks. In low power states, energy dissipation is reduced but time to access memory is increased.We abstract an energy model for the memory system and exploit it to develop algorithmic techniques for memory energy reduction. This is achieved by exploring the structure and data access pattern of a given algorithm to devise memory power management schedules. We illustrate our approach through two well-known embedded benchmarks - Matrix Multiplication and Fast Fourier Transform. The optimality of our schemes is discussed using information theoretic lower bounds on memory energy. Simulations demonstrate that significant energy reduction can be achieved by using our approach over state-of-the-art implementations.
Tracking the Spread of Political (Mis)Information Through Social Networks

How are political knowledge and beliefs transmitted through social groups? We seek to demonstrate, through a variety of new experimental designs, that individuals change their responses to questions addressing their political knowledge when the responses of members of their social network are displayed. Further, we will investigate the effects of "social distance" (how well you know someone) and identity (whether conflicting information is seen as coming from known or anonymous individuals) on subjects' propensity to change their responses. Each experiment will consist of a pre- and post-test that will assess the respondents' factual knowledge about politics in addition to a battery of control questions. On the post-test, we will vary the information subjects receive about the answers provided on the pre-test by members of their social network. We hypothesize that subjects will amend their answers to conform to the answers provided by members of their social network. The variables of interest for our study will be the factors that moderate the propensity of a subject to adopt others' answers. We operationalize our main concept of interest within each experiment as both information and misinformation; i.e., factually incorrect information. The analysis of these informational mechanisms will create a more refined understanding of both the beneficial effects of social transmission of knowledge and the pathological effects such as "groupthink" - in which group cohesion and unanimity of thought is valued more highly than a realistic appraisal of the facts.
Resolving Queries Through Cooperation in Multi-Agent Systems

Traditional query processing provides exact answers to queries. It usually requires that users fully understand the database structure and content to issue a query. Due to the complexity of the database applications, incorrect or incompletely specified queries are frequently posed and the users often receive no answers or they might need more information than they have received. In this paper a multi-agent system called a cooperative knowledge-based system (CKBS) is presented to rectify these problems.
Scaling Ecological Dynamics: Self-Organization, Hierarchical Structure, and Ecological Resilience

Assessing impacts of global change is complicated by the problems associated with translating models and data across spatial and temporal scales. One of the major problems of ecological scaling is the dynamic, self-organized nature of ecosystems. Ecological organization emerges from the interaction of structures and processes operating at different scales. The resilience of ecological organization to changes in key cross-scale processes can be used to assess the contexts within which scaling methods function well, need adjustment, and break down.
Tensile Properties of Neutron Irradiated A212B Pressure Vessel Steel

A212B steel is the primary constituent of the pressure vessel of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). Most of the existing data on mechanical properties of this and related steels are for higher temperatures and damage rates than those to which the HFIR pressure vessel is subjected. Data at lower temperatures and damage rates are, therefore, necessary to estimate the performance of A212B steel at the conditions of service, provided that correlations can be developed which are applicable to data obtained at different temperatures, damage rates and neutron spectra. To add to the data base for A212B steel at lower temperatures and over a range of damage rates, miniature tensile specimens of A212B were irradiated at 90/degree/C in the Omega West Reactor (OWR), receiving doses from 9 /times/ 10/sup 22/ to 9 /times/ 10/sup 23/ total n m/sup /minus/2/ (0.002 to 0.02 dpa) at a damage rate of 5 /times/ 10/sup /minus/8/ dpa s/sup /minus/1/. Room temperature tensile tests showed more than a 50% increase in yield strength at the highest exposure. When dpa is used as the exposure parameter, the observed changes in yield strength of A212B are the same as those produced in A302B pressure vessel steel irradiatedmore » both in OWR and with 14 MeV neutrons in RTNS-II. At 90/degree/C, A302B shows little sensitivity to either neutron spectrum differences or to damage rates ranging from 3 /times/ 10/sup /minus/11/ to 5 /times/ 10/sup /minus/8/ dpa s/sup /minus/1/. Based on the similar behavior of A212B and A302B in OWR, it appears that one can assume that A212B is similarly insensitive to displacement rate at low temperatures for levels above about 3 /times/ 10/sup /minus/11/ dpa s/sup /minus/1/. 13 refs., 5 figs.« less
Concept simplification and prediction accuracy

A recently reported phenomenon in machine concept learning is that concept descriptions can be simplified with little ill-effect (or even positive effects) on classification accuracy, but there has been little qualification of this observation. Experiments using Quinlan's learning from examples system, ID3, and Fisher's conceptual clustering system, COBWEB, suggest that the benefits of simplification vary with the amount of training and with the statistical dependence of concept members on defining attributes.
Democratic Institutions and Expropriation Risk for Multinational Investors

There is a renewed interest in how political risk affects multinational corporations operating in emerging markets. Much of this research has focused on the relationship between democratic institutions and flows of foreign direct investment (FDI), offering inconclusive evidence on the relationship between democracy and political risk. Yet the existing studies suffer from data problems that only allow for indirect evidence of the relationship between political institutions and political risk. In this paper I utilize price data from political risk insurance agencies to directly test how domestic political institutions affect the premiums multinationals pay for coverage against government expropriations and contract disputes. Utilizing both political risk insurance data and qualitative evidence from investors, insurers, and location consultants I find that democratic regimes reduce risks for multinational investors.
Ranking users for intelligent message addressing

Finding persons who are knowledgeable on a given topic (i.e. Expert Search) has become an active area of recent research [1, 2, 3]. In this paper we investigate the related task of Intelligent Message Addressing, i.e., finding persons who are potential recipients of a message under composition given its current contents, its previously-specified recipients or a few initial letters of the intended recipient contact (intelligent auto-completion). We begin by providing quantitative evidence, from a very large corpus, of how frequently email users are subject to message addressing problems. We then propose several techniques for this task, including adaptations of well-known formal models of Expert Search. Surprisingly, a simple model based on the K-Nearest-Neighbors algorithm consistently outperformed all other methods. We also investigated combinations of the proposed methods using fusion techniques, which leaded to significant performance improvements over the baselines models. In auto-completion experiments, the proposed models also outperformed all standard baselines. Overall, the proposed techniques showed ranking performance of more than 0.5 in MRR over 5202 queries from 36 different email users, suggesting intelligent message addressing can be a welcome addition to email.
Revenge Without a Cause: The Beginning of American Fur Trade

After a thorough examination of the letters of communication from John C. Calhoun, William H. Ashley, Hugh Glass, Benjamin O’Fallon and others involved in the beginning of the American fur trade on the upper Missouri River, it is apparent that what started out as a potentially equitable trade relationship between federally licensed American traders and Indians, ended up in a conquest for revenge. How and why this early attempt to trade on the upper Missouri ended in such chaos is the subject of this essay.
Completeness of revascularization and its impact on the outcomes of a staged approach of percutaneous coronary intervention followed by minimally invasive valve surgery for patients with concomitant coronary artery and valvular heart disease

Background A staged approach of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) followed by minimally invasive valve surgery (MIVS) is an alternative to the conventional combined coronary artery bypass and valve surgery for patients with concomitant coronary artery and valve disease. Limited data exist on degree of the completeness of revascularization achieved with this approach and its impact on outcomes. Methods A total of 138 patients, who underwent a staged approach between January 2009 and June 2013, were retrospectively evaluated. Coronary angiograms were reviewed by two cardiologists blinded to outcomes and were then categorized into two groups: complete or incomplete revascularization, which was defined as ≥1 major epicardial coronary arteries of at least 2.0 mm diameter with ≥70% untreated obstruction after the index PCI and before MIVS. Results Complete and incomplete revascularization was achieved in 105 (76%) and 33 (24%) patients, respectively. The patients with incomplete revascularization had a lower ejection fraction, a higher STS score, and more prior myocardial infarctions and multi-vessel coronary artery disease. There were no differences in the post-operative complications, 30-day mortality, or 3-year survival (84 vs. 83%, P = 0.68). After a median follow-up of 29 months, incompletely revascularized patients had a higher incidence of acute coronary syndrome (2.9 vs. 12.9%, P = 0.05). Conclusions In patients undergoing a staged approach of PCI followed by MIVS, incomplete revascularization did not significantly impact the short or mid-term survival, but was associated with an increased incidence of acute coronary syndrome at follow-up. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Optimal operation of a residential district-level combined photovoltaic/natural gas power and cooling system

Combined heat and power (CHP) facilities are a very promising path to reducing CO2 emissions and increasing efficiency in the power generation sector. The ability to supply essential residential utilities (electricity, cooling, and heating) in an efficient manner opens the way for combining district cooling, heating and power generation, and suggests that CHP plants are an attractive choice for providing integrated utilities for the neighborhood of the future. In this paper, we describe the optimal integration of a CHP plant as a utility producer for a residential district, and the potential for combining CHP with photovoltaic power generation. Utilizing residential energy demand data collected by Pecan Street Research Inc., a smart-grid demonstration project in Austin, TX, residential heating, cooling, and electricity demand are analyzed and evaluated. These demands are then used to compute an optimal operating strategy for an integrated CHP/solar utility and the impact of photovoltaic generation on plant operation and operating profit is determined. We demonstrate that CHP is a viable means for providing district-level cooling, heating, and power to a residential district in a hot climate.
Alternator Characteristics Under Conditions Approaching Instability

In this paper the comparatively recent discovery of generator instability is discussed. A method of testing synchronous machinery in the unstable as well as in the stable range is described. The results of tests performed on two machines is shown and discussed. The conclusion is drawn that the design of customary machines will have to be improved, synchronous condensers installed on many long lines, or inefficient underloading of units will have to be tolerated.
Human and baboon integrin β5 subunit-encoding mRNAs have alternative polyadenylation sites

Abstract A cDNA probe, encoding part of the human integrin polypeptide, GPIIIa ( β 3 ), was used to screen a cDNA library derived from baboon smooth muscle polyadenylated mRNA. One cross-hybridizing clone, lacking the baboon equivalent of 478 bp of the human sequence, was found to be 98% similar to a human cDNA encoding the β 5 -chain of the receptor for vitronectin, a cell adhesion molecule. The baboon mRNA terminates at 3′ position 212 nucleotides upstream from the polyadenylation site of the aligned human mRNA.
AERODYNAMIC FORCES ON A CYLINDER FOR THE FREE MOLECULE FLOW OF A NON- UNIFORM GAS

Abstract : An analysis is made of the free molecular flow of a nonuniform gas by an extension of the method for the Maxwellian case used by Tsien (J. Aeronaut. Sci. 13:643-664, 1946) and Stalder and Zurick (NACA TN 2423, 1951). The results are sufficiently general to include arbitrary (small) stresses and heat flux. The body geometry is confined to that of a right circular cylinder oriented perpendicular to the gas-flow velocity; the body's thermal conductivity is assumed so large that it is at a uniform temperature. The aerodynamic force characteristics are determined. The lift and drag forces are shown to be affected by the nonuniformity. Force contributions from the stress and heat-flux terms are generally small compared to the force for the uniform case, except in regions of low flow velocity where the heat-flux terms become important. A method is indicated for obtaining the heat-transfer characteristics and data for other body geometries and bodies of low internal conductivity.
Dustbathing in Bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) as a function of dust deprivation.

Dustbathing behavior of Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) was observed following 1, 3, and 5 days of dust deprivation. The sequence of dustbathing components was generally variable, but one aspect of the sequence was highly stereotyped. Different levels of dust deprivation did not alter the sequence in any consistent way, but the frequency of the dust toss and head rub components increased significantly with deprivation of dust. A model is proposed which suggests that dustbathing functions to regulate the amount of surface lipids on the plumage.
Anomalous temperature dependence of the NQR frequency in NH4ReO4

Abstract The temperature dependence of the 187 Re ( + 5 2 ↔ ± 3 2 ) nuclear quadrupole resonance transition frequency has been measured from 387°K down to 245°K. The signal broadens and loses intensity at lower temperatures and is not observable below 245°K. The temperature coefficient of the frequency is positive over this range and decreases from an unusually large value at the lowest temperature observable to nearly zero at 387°C. These data, together with the results of separate Raman-infrared studies of the lattice frequencies, suggest that the anomalous temperature coefficient is associated with temperature dependence of the reorientation of the ammonium ion.
The relationship of electronically monitored physical activity to blood pressure, heart rate, and the circadian blood pressure profile*

We studied how closely changes in electronically monitored physical activity are reflected in changes in blood pressure and heart rate in a group of untreated hypertensive subjects. Thirty-nine hypertensive patients (office blood pressure > 140/ 90 mm Hg) of mean age 57 +/- 10 years (mean +/-SD) wore an ambulatory blood pressure monitor and a wrist actigraph simultaneously. Both average and peak activity for 5 min before each valid blood pressure reading were determined, as was average activity for awake and sleep periods, determined by patient kept diaries. For the overall group, awake and 24-h activities were inversely correlated to age (n = 39, r = -0.42; P = 0.01 and n = 39, r = -0.38; P = 0.01, respectively). No correlation was found between group awake activity and group-average blood pressure or heart rate. For individual patients, there was marked variation in the degree of correlation between awake activity measures (both peak and average) and blood pressure and heart rate. The strongest positive correlation was between activity levels and the heart rate-pressure product. Nondipper profile hypertensives had higher sleep activity than dipper hypertensives (44 +/- 28 units/min v 25 +/- 20 units/min, df = 37, t = 2.12; P = 0.04), but awake activity levels were similar. The higher sleep activity remained after adjustment for age. These findings indicate that the relationship between actigraphic activity and hemodynamic parameters is highly variable and that the rate-pressure product is the strongest correlate of short-term activity. Furthermore, hypertensives with the nondipper profile have higher sleep activity than dipper hypertensives. These findings stress the need for further study into the role of day-to-day activity in determining ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate variability.
Structure and Function of a Chlorella Virus-Encoded Glycosyltransferase

Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus-1 encodes at least five putative glycosyltransferases that are probably involved in the synthesis of the glycan components of the viral major capsid protein. The 1.6 A crystal structure of one of these glycosyltransferases (A64R) has a mixed alpha/beta fold containing a central, six-stranded beta sheet flanked by alpha helices. Crystal structures of A64R, complexed with UDP, CMP, or GDP, established that only UDP bound to A64R in the presence of Mn(2+), consistent with its high structural similarity to glycosyltransferases which utilize UDP as the sugar carrier. The structure of the complex of A64R, UDP-glucose, and Mn(2+) showed that the largest conformational change occurred when hydrogen bonds were formed with the ligands. Unlike UDP-glucose, UDP-galactose and UDP-GlcNAc did not bind to A64R, suggesting a selective binding of UDP-glucose. Thus, UDP-glucose is most likely the sugar donor for A64R, consistent with glucose occurring in the virus major capsid protein glycans.
Phase-slip induced distributed feedback resonator modes with tilted modulation

Transversely bounded λ/4 distributed feedback (DFB) resonator with tilted index modulation is considered. By treating the modulation as a weak perturbation and averaging the wave equation with respect to the transverse field distribution we obtain an effective coupled-wave equations with spatially varying coupling constant. We analyze these equations both analytically and numerically for a specific case of transverse confinement. The evolution of the frequency of the lowest threshold laser mode with the tilt angle is studied. It is demonstrated that the dependence of the frequency of the intra-gap localized mode on the tilt angle originates from the mode-conversion mechanism in the DFB process.
Bath and shower installations

It is still the cultural norm for bathrooms in Britain to be equipped with baths, and for a shower to be an additional facility rather than the sole means of bathing. Many people with disabilities believe that their inability to use a bath would be solved by the installation of a shower and there is now a large range of options of both types to give more freedom of choice than ever before.
Postlude: seamless composition and integration – a perspective on formal methods research

Have formal methods in computer science come of age? While the contributions to this special issue of Mathematical Structures in Computer Science attest to their importance in the design and analysis of particular software systems, their relevance to the field as a whole is far wider. In recent years, formal methods have become more accessible and easier to use, more directly related to practical problems and more adaptable to imperfect and/or approximate specifications in real-life applications. As a result, they are now a central component of computer-science education and research.
Therapist and client race/ethnicity match: An examination of treatment outcome and process with rural older adults in the deep south

This study investigated the effects of race/ethnicity (r/e) match in cognitive-behavioral therapy with rural older adults. Races/ethnicities represented in this study were African-American and White. Treatment followed a CBT treatment protocol and was provided by MSWs to clients in their homes. Results indicated little evidence of differences in outcome and process for matched and non-matched dyads for number of sessions attended, changes in quality of life and psychological symptoms, overall quality of therapy sessions, or the number of sessions considered of unsatisfactory quality. Our findings are consistent with recent research on r/e matching and extend these findings to a sample of rural older adults.
Antipyretic treatment of noninfectious fever in children with severe traumatic brain injury.

The purpose of this study was to describe the treatment of noninfectious fever in children with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). We conducted a retrospective study to compare type of and response to antipyretic treatment strategies in children less than or equal to 17 years and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score less than 9. The average admission GCS score was 4. Forty children (35 boys, 5 girls), age 7.8 ± 5.2 years, had noninfectious fever. Seventy percent (28 of 40) received acetaminophen only, and 30% (12 of 40) received acetaminophen plus either ibuprofen or physical cooling. Time to next febrile episode was longer in patients receiving combination therapy than those receiving monotherapy (p = 0.03). Fever refractory to treatment dose or strategy occurred in more than 40% of the patients. Early combination antipyretic therapy may be needed to effectively maintain normothermia in children with severe TBI.
Clinician Use of Standardized Assessments Following a Common Elements Psychotherapy Training and Consultation Program

Despite increasing emphasis on the implementation of evidence-based treatments in community service settings, little attention has been paid to supporting the use of evidence-based assessment (EBA) methods and processes, a parallel component of evidence-based practice. Standardized assessment (SA) tools represent a key aspect of EBA and are central to data-driven clinical decision making. The current study evaluated the impact of a statewide training and consultation program in a common elements approach to psychotherapy. Practitioner attitudes toward, skill applying, and use of SA tools across four time points (pre-training, post-training, post-consultation, and follow-up) were assessed. Results indicated early increases in positive SA attitudes, with more gradual increases in self-reported SA skill and use. Implications for supporting the sustained use of SA tools are discussed, including the use of measurement feedback systems, reminders, and SA-supportive supervision practices.
Depression and its correlates among older adults accessing aging services.

Objectives To define the prevalence and correlates of depression among older adults receiving assessments by nonmedical community-based care managers at the point of entry to care and thus prior to provision of aging services. Our long-term goal is to inform development of collaborative care models for late life depression that incorporate Aging Services Providers. Methods Aging Services Provider Network (ASPN) clients receiving in-home assessments were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR (SCID) module for affective disorders and measures of depression symptom severity, alcohol use, physical health, functional status, social support, stressful life events, and religiosity. Engagement in mental healthcare was documented. Results Subjects (N = 378) were primarily white (84%) and women (69%) with household incomes under $1,750/month (62%). Half lived alone (48%). Their mean age was 77 years. Thirty-one percent had clinically significant depressive symptoms and 27% met criteria for a current major depressive episode, of which 61% were being treated with medication and 25% by a mental health provider. Nearly half (47%) had experienced one or more episodes of major depression during their lives. Disability, number of medical conditions, number and severity of recent stressful life events, low social support, and low religiosity were independently associated with current major depression. Conclusion Depressive illness was common among this sample of ASPN clients. Because ASPN care managers have expertise in managing many of the problems correlated with depression, they may play a significant role in identifying, preventing, and collaborating in the treatment of depressive illnesses among community-dwelling older adults.
Peripheral Symmetrical Gangrene

Peripheral symmetrical gangrene describes the clinical manifestation of sudden onset of peripheral (acral), frequently symmetrical gangrene in the absence of major vascular occlusive disease. The broader term purpura fulminans has been used, but it does not adequately describe this specific scenario. Any condition that critically diminishes the blood, nutrient, or oxygen supply to acral areas for a prolonged period can lead to peripheral symmetrical gangrene. The commonest cause is disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), most often secondary to infection. Another documented cause is use of vasopressors. The gangrene may be a manifestation of multiple organ system failure. Gangrene of the distal extremities is common. Other acral areas may be involved, such as the nose, ears, or vertex of the scalp. In the setting of DIC, hemorrhagic patches may coexist with the peripheral gangrene. Although peripheral symmetrical gangrene has been described for decades, information dealing with its management is scant. Therapeutic alternatives are largely anecdotal and are not based on controlled clinical trials. No specific treatment has been shown to consistently prevent progression or to reverse the gangrene. Management of underlying causes is crucial. Disseminated intravascular coagulation should be corrected as appropriate; its cause should be delineated and treated aggressively. Precipitating or exacerbating factors, such as vasopressor therapy (eg, dopamine infusion), should be eliminated if possible. Amputation of the gangrenous areas may be inevitable, but initially a nonsurgical approach to management is preferred to allow time for the patient’s condition to stabilize and to allow the gangrene to become demarcated. The degree of gangrene may be less extensive than expected initially. Meticulous, supportive management is essential. A mortality rate of 35% has been reported in association with DIC.
Radiation-induced amorphization of ordered intermetallic compounds CuTi, CuTi 2 , and Cu 4 Ti 3 : A molecular-dynamics study

Solid-state amorphization resulting from the introduction of chemical disorder and point defects in the ordered intermetallic compounds CuTi, ${\mathrm{CuTi}}_{2}$, and ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{4}$${\mathrm{Ti}}_{3}$ was investigated, with use of the isobaric-isothermal molecular-dynamics method in conjunction with embedded-atom potentials. Antisite defects were produced by randomly exchanging Cu and Ti atoms, and vacancies and interstitials were created by removing atoms at random from their normal sites and inserting atoms at random positions in the lattice, respectively. The potential energy, volume expansion, and pair-correlation function were calculated as functions of the numbers of atom exchanges and point defects. The results indicated that, although both chemical disordering and point-defect introduction increased the system energy and volume, the presence of point defects was essential to trigger the crystalline-to-amorphous transition. By comparing the pair-correlation function calculated after the introduction of point defects with that of the quenched liquid alloy, the critical damage dose (in dpa, displacements per atom) for amorphization was estimated for each compound: \ensuremath{\sim}0.7 dpa for CuTi, \ensuremath{\sim}0.5 dpa for ${\mathrm{CuTi}}_{2}$, and \ensuremath{\sim}0.6 dpa for ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{4}$${\mathrm{Ti}}_{3}$. At the onset of amorphization, the volume expansions were found to be \ensuremath{\sim}1.9%, \ensuremath{\sim}3.7%, and \ensuremath{\sim}1.7% for these respective compounds. In general, the results obtained in the present work are in good agreement with experimental observations.
Cooling Effects in Multiscan Laser Forming

Abstract For laser forming of sheet metal to become a practical production or rapid prototyping tool, multiple scans of the workpiece with the laser are necessary to achieve the required magnitude of deformation. Between consecutive scans, substantial waiting time is normally necessary for the workpiece to cool down so that a steep temperature gradient can be reestablished in the next scan. This paper first experimentally and numerically examines the effect of forced cooling on single-scan laser forming processes. Cooling effects under various conditions, including different laser power, scanning speed, nozzle offset, and cooling air pressure, are investigated. Cooling effects on microstructure change and other mechanical properties, including strength, ductility, and hardness, are also examined. A focus is to investigate the cooling effect on the deformation mechanism, including competing effects on temperature and flow stress. The investigation on multiscan laser forming shows forced cooling has the potential to significantly reduce the total forming time while having no undesirable effects on microstructure change and other mechanical behavior. Cooling in the buckling mechanism dominated laser forming process is also considered. The established numerical model for laser forming with forced cooling provides greater insights into the cooling effects on the deformation mechanism, helps predict such effects on final dimensional accuracy and mechanical properties, and can be extended to optimize the multiscan laser forming process.
A rapid LC-FTMS method for the analysis of cysteine, cystine and cysteine/cystine steady-state redox potential in human plasma.

Background The steady-state redox potential of the cysteine/cystine couple in human plasma provides a measure of oxidative stress, yet available assays are limited by either specificity or speed of assay.
Novel biodegradable amino acid containing anhydride oligomers for orthopedic applications

Novel synthetic biodegradable methacrylated anhydride oligomers (MAOs) based on methacrylated alaninyl maleamic acid (MAMA) and methacrylated aminocaproyl maleamic acid (MACMA) were synthesized and characterized. Injectable and in situ crosslinkable polymer networks were formulated by the copolymerization of MAOs with triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA). Furthermore, composites composed of MAOs, TEGDMA, and β-tricalcium phosphate were prepared. The networks and composites were initiated by photopolymerization and redox polymerization, respectively. The initial compressive strength (CS) and diametral tensile strength (DTS) of these materials were determined and used to evaluate the effects of the MAO/TEGDMA ratios on the degradation behavior of the materials. The MAMA-based composites had initial DTS values of 5.7–17.1 MPa and CS values of 30.7–114.2 MPa. The MACMA-based composites had initial DTS values of 2.8–20.8 MPa and CS values of 19.1–119.5 MPa. During the course of degradation, the neat polymer resins lost 97 and 87% of their initial CS values after 6 months with 50/50 MAMA/TEGDMA and MACMA/TEGDMA ratios, respectively. The composite with a 25/75 MACMA/TEGDMA ratio showed a significant increase in CS after an initial decrease for 7 days and then lost 57% of its initial CS value after 3 months. The composite composed of 100% methacrylated anhydride oligomer (MAOs) showed complete degradation after 21 days. The degrees of conversion of the neat resins were 60–77%. Both the neat resins and the composites had low polymerization shrinkage ranging from 3.8 to 5.6%. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 1979–1984, 2005
A red pigment produced by aerobic sporeforming bacteria

The production of an extracellular, water-insoluble, red pigment by strains of Bacillus cereus, B. circulans, B. licheniformis, B. macerans, and B. subtilis was found to be dependent on the presence of iron in the medium. B. cereus (strain TS) produced approximately 13 mg of pigment per gram of cells (dry weight), the pigment being formed during growth and not accumulating when growth ceased. Pigment-less mutants were usually present in pigmented cultures, their frequency increasing as the cultures aged. The absorption spectra (UV and visible regions) of pigments from representatives of the above-mentioned species were identical, with a maximum at approximately 385 and one at 490 mμ. These spectra were remarkably similar to that of pulcherrimin, a red, iron-containing pigment produced by the yeast Candida pulcherrima.
Solvent-dependent assembly of terphenyl- and quaterphenyldithiol on gold and gallium arsenide

The assembly of terphenyldithiol (TPDT) and quaterphenyldithiol (QPDT) on gold and gallium arsenide from ethanol (EtOH), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and solutions consisting of both solvents has been characterized by near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. The surface coverage and the average orientation of both TPDT and QPDT on gold are solvent-independent. These molecules readily form monolayers on gold with an ensemble-average backbone tilt of 30° ± 3° from the substrate normal. In sharp contrast, the assembly of TPDT and QPDT on gallium arsenide is extremely solvent-sensitive. At high ethanol fractions, both molecules form monolayers with an ensemble-average orientation that is indistinguishable from those on gold substrates. At low ethanol fractions and in pure THF, however, these molecules are disordered on gallium arsenide and the surface coverage is poor.
FROM THE SOCIAL CONTRACT TO THE ART OF ASSOCIATION: A TOCQUEVILLIAN PERSPECTIVE

In the United States, the debate on civil associations has coincided with the revival of interest in the writings of Alexis de Tocqueville, particularly Democracy in America (1835; 1840) in which he praised the Americans' propensity to form civil and political associations. Tocqueville regarded these associations as laboratories of democracy that teach citizens the art of being free and give them the opportunity to pursue their own interests in concert with others. Tocqueville's views on political and civil associations cannot be properly understood unless we also take into account the larger intellectual and political background of his native France. The main sections of this essay examine Tocqueville's analysis of civil and political associations in America. Special attention is paid to the strong relationship between democracy and civil and political associations and the effects that they have on promoting democratic citizenship, civility, and self-government.
The role of radiosurgery for the treatment of pineal parenchymal tumors

OBJECTIVE: Radiosurgery is an appealing alternative management strategy for selected patients with biopsy-proved pineal parenchymal tumors. The purpose of this report was to clarify its role in conjunction with other surgical, radiation, and medical approaches. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 16 patients who had undergone radiosurgery as the primary or adjuvant treatment for pineal parenchymal tumors. Ten patients (62.5%) had pineocytomas, two (12.5%) had mixed pineocytoma and pineoblastoma, and four (25%) had pineoblastomas. The mean marginal dose was 15 Gy, and the mean tumor volume was 5.0 cm 3 . The mean follow-up periods from the time of diagnosis or the time of radiosurgery were 61 and 52 months, respectively. RESULTS: The overall actuarial 2-and 5-year survival rates after diagnosis were 75.0 and 66.7%, respectively. In 14 patients who were evaluated with imaging, 4 (29%) demonstrated complete remission, 8 (57%) had partial remission, 2 (14%) had no change, and no patient had local progression. The local tumor control rate (complete remission, partial remission, or no change) was 100%. Five patients died during follow-up. One patient with a pineocytoma and three patients with pineoblastomas died secondary to leptomeningeal or extracranial spread tumor. No cause of death was established for one patient. Two patients developed adverse radiation effects after radiosurgery. CONCLUSION: Our initial experience suggests that stereotactic radiosurgery is a valuable primary management modality for patients with pineocytomas. As adjuvant therapy, radiosurgery may be used to boost local tumor dose during multimodality management of malignant pineal parenchymal tumors.