cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The intersection of intimate partner violence against women and HIV/AIDS: a review

The objective of this study was to review original research on the intersection of violence against women by intimate partners and risk for HIV infection and highlight opportunities for new research and programme development. Seventy-one articles presenting original, peer-reviewed research conducted with females aged 12 years and older in heterosexual relationships during the past decade (1998–2007) were reviewed. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they addressed intimate partner violence (IPV) against women and HIV/AIDS as mutual risk factors. The prevalence of IPV and HIV infection among women varies globally, but females remain at elevated risk for both IPV and sexually transmitted/HIV infection, independently and concurrently. Comparisons between sero-negative and -positive women varied by geographic region; African HIV-positive women reported higher rates of victimisation while findings were inconsistent for HIV-positive women in the USA. Studies among various populations support the existence of...
Effects of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) upon bioactive and immunoreactive serum LH levels in normal subjects.

Abstract The effects of LHRH stimulation upon plasma LH levels measured by bioassay and radioimmunoassay were examined during the normal menstrual cycle, and in normal men and postmenopausal women. After administration of 100 μg LHRH by subcutaneous injection during the early follicular phase, a 2.7-fold rise in bioactive serum LH to 58 ± 18 mlU/ml at 30–60 min was accompanied by an equivalent rise in immunoreactive LH, with unchanged bio:immuno (B:I) ratio of 0.9 ± 0.2 (SD). During the late follicular phase, bioactive serum LH rose 8-fold to 258 ± 120 mlU/ml at 30–180 min, and the B:I ratio was significantly increased from 1.7 to 2.5. During the luteal phase, bioactive LH values rose 8.1-fold to 223 ± 97 mlU/ml at 30–60 min, with increase in B:I ratio from 1.1 to 1.8. The LHRH-stimulated serum LH levels declined more rapidly in the early follicular phase than during the late follicular and luteal phases. Elevations of circulating LH concentrations following LHRH administration during the normal menstrual...
Optical properties of low bandgap copolymer PTB7 for organic photovoltaic applications

We used both cw and transient spectroscopies for studying the optical properties and photoexcitations in the low bandgap copolymer PTB7 that has been used in organic photovoltaic applications (OPV). Surprisingly we observed two primary photoexcitations that are generated within ~150 fs (our time resolution); we identify them as singlet exciton (S1) and triplet-pair (1TT). The singlet exciton has been considered to be the only primary photoexcitation in regular π-conjugated polymers and is related with a transient absorption band that peaks at an energy value close to the exciton binding energy (~0.4 eV in PTB7). The TT pair is a novel photoexcitation species in low band-gap π-conjugated copolymers. It has an absorption band close to that of isolated triplet exciton, and may readily dissociate at the donoracceptor interfaces in the PTB7/fullerene blend. This finding may explain the underlying mechanism for the high obtained power conversion efficiency in OPV devices based on the PTB7 copolymer.
Financial events and coping strategies of households

A survey was sent to a group of households selected at random in six counties to identify financial events and coping strategies of households in the current economic climate. The purpose of the study was to provide information on the occurrence of major financial events and coping strategies to be used in the development of outreach educational programmes in the financial area. Additionally, information was obtained on the types of financial information the respondents would find helpful as well as preferred delivery methods. The inability to save money was a problem for the majority of households, with job-related events such as losing a job causing the most financial difficulty for the households. Many of the households indicated a desire for information on investments, retirement planning, estates and wills. It was clear from the findings that the methodologies used to teach financial information need to be geared towards learning at home.
Impact dispersion due to mass and aerodynamic asymmetries.

a,b = semi-major and semi-minor axes of ellipse, ft CA = axial force coefficient Cm0} Cn0 = asymmetric moment coefficients about the y and z axes, respectively . = normal force coefficient slope, deg" = reference diameter for coefficients, ft = resultant force normal to centerline, Ib Fz = forces in directions of y and z axes, respectively, Ib = acceleration of gravity, ft/sec = altitude, ft = impulse, Ib-sec = roll moment of inertia, slug-ft = roll rate, rad/sec = ambient pressure, lb/ft = dynamic pressure, lb/ft = reference area for aerodynamic coefficients, ft = temperature, °R = time, sec = velocity, ft/sec = weight, Ib = total trim angle of attack at p = 0, deg == flight path angle, deg static margin of stability, ft; x* = Ax/d center-of-gravity off set along y axis, ft ; y*~Ay/d angle defining a fixed direction relative to FO, rad resultant change in direction of V, rad $ = angle defining the direction of F relative to FG, rad ^ = angle defining the direction of F relative to the y axis, rad
Efficacy of standard therapies against Ureaplasma species and persistence among men with non-gonococcal urethritis enrolled in a randomised controlled trial.

Objective Ureaplasma urealyticum biovar 2 (UU-2), but not Ureaplasma parvum (UP), has been associated with non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU), but little is known about species-specific responses to standard therapies. We examined species-specific treatment outcomes and followed men with treatment failure for 9 weeks. Methods From May 2007 to July 2011, men aged ≥16 attending a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic in Seattle, Washington, with NGU (urethral discharge or urethral symptoms plus ≥5 polymorphonuclear leucocytes /high-powered field) enrolled in a double-blind, randomised trial. Participants received active azithromycin (1 g) + placebo doxycycline or active doxycycline (100 mg twice a day ×7 days) + placebo azithromycin. Ureaplasma were detected in culture followed by species-specific PCR. Outcomes were assessed at 3, 6 and 9 weeks. At 3 weeks, men with persistent Ureaplasma detection received ‘reverse therapy’ (eg, active doxycycline if they first received active azithromycin). At 6 weeks, persistently positive men received moxifloxacin (400 mg×7 days). Results Of 490 men, 107 (22%) and 60 (12%) were infected with UU-2 and UP, respectively, and returned at 3 weeks. Persistent detection was similar for UU-2-infected men initially treated with azithromycin or doxycycline (25% vs 31%; p=0.53), but differed somewhat for men with UP (45% vs 24%; p=0.11). At 6 weeks, 57% of UU-2-infected and 63% of UP-infected men who received both drugs had persistent detection. Failure after moxifloxacin occurred in 30% and 36%, respectively. Persistent detection of UU-2 or UP was not associated with signs/symptoms of NGU. Conclusions Persistent detection after treatment with doxycycline, azithromycin and moxifloxacin was common for UU and UP, but not associated with persistent urethritis. Trial registration number NCT00358462.
The FAST solar array: challenging requirements, novel design

The Small Explorer (SMEX) Fast Auroral Snapshot (FAST) spacecraft was developed to investigate plasma physics of auroral phenomena at high orbital altitude. The FAST spacecraft has a variety of deployable booms with sensors on the ends and instruments that protrude from the main body of the spacecraft to collect plasma and electromagnetic field data. This requires that the plasma disturbance around the spacecraft be kept to a minimum. This requirement led to the development of a body mounted solar array with a Faraday box covering the outer surface and magnetic field cancellation circuitry to minimize this plasma disturbance. Solar array power is generated by 8225 GaAs/Ge solar cells covered by fused silica coverglasses coated with indium-tin-oxide as one component of the Faraday box. The key design features and trade studies performed for this solar array are discussed.
Comparison of delivered reliability of branch, data flow and operational testing: A case study

Many analytical and empirical studies of software testing effectiveness have used the probability that a test set exposes at least one fault as the measure of effectiveness. That measure is useful for evaluating testing techniques when the goal of testing is to gain confidence that the program is free from faults. However, if the goal of testing is to improve the reliability of the program (by discovering and removing those faults that are most likely to cause failures when the software is in the field) then the measure of test effectiveness must distinguish between those faults that are likely to cause failures and those that are unlikely to do so. Delivered reliability was previously introduced as a means of comparing testing techniques in that setting. This paper empirically compares reliability delivered by three testing techniques, branch testing, the all-uses data flow testing criterion, and operational testing. The subject program is a moderate-sized C-program (about 10,000 LOC) produced by professional programmers and containing naturally occurring faults.
A Conceptual and Methodological Framework of Leisure Activity Loyalty Accommodating the Travel Context

As leisure travel continues to grow, it has become a critical subject for planners and decision-makers since it significantly impacts regional economic and social development as well as contributes to emission levels and congestion. Despite being a significant percentage of our travel, however, leisure travel behavior is still not very well understood. The goal of this article is to contribute to our understanding of leisure activity participation by considering leisure activity loyalty within the travel context. In particular, this study focuses on one specific dimension of travel context: travel extent (i.e., whether an individual participates in a leisure activity on a daily versus a long-distance basis). As such, this article first introduces a unified conceptual framework for measuring leisure activity loyalties within a travel context, based on two distinct dynamics of leisure loyalty behavior—destination attachment and activity involvement. Additionally, this article uses a unique 2001 NHTS dataset comprised of households’ daily and long-distance leisure activities to undertake a unique empirical analysis of five distinct leisure activities using the conceptual framework and a copula-based model methodology. The findings confirmed that households demonstrate significant loyalties to travel contexts across all leisure activities, especially resting and sightseeing.
The user as a sensor: navigating users with visual impairments in indoor spaces using tactile landmarks

Indoor navigation systems for users who are visually impaired typically rely upon expensive physical augmentation of the environment or expensive sensing equipment; consequently few systems have been implemented. We present an indoor navigation system called Navatar that allows for localization and navigation by exploiting the physical characteristics of indoor environments, taking advantage of the unique sensing abilities of users with visual impairments, and minimalistic sensing achievable with low cost accelerometers available in smartphones. Particle filters are used to estimate the user's location based on the accelerometer data as well as the user confirming the presence of anticipated tactile landmarks along the provided path. Navatar has a high possibility of large-scale deployment, as it only requires an annotated virtual representation of an indoor environment. A user study with six blind users determines the accuracy of the approach, collects qualitative experiences and identifies areas for improvement.
Freely Accelerating Impact into Cornstarch and Water Suspensions

This chapter is dedicated to an experimental study of the response of dense suspensions of cornstarch and water to surface impact.
Randomized Controlled Trial of an Internet-Based Versus Face-to-Face Dyspnea Self-Management Program for Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Pilot Study

Background: People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) continue to experience dyspnea with activities of daily living (ADL) despite optimal medical management. Information and communication technologies may facilitate collaborative symptom management and could potentially increase the reach of such interventions to those who are unable to attend face-to-face pulmonary rehabilitation or self-management programs. Objective: The purpose of this randomized study was to test the efficacy of two 6-month dyspnea self-management programs, Internet-based (eDSMP) and face-to-face (fDSMP), on dyspnea with ADL in people living with COPD. Methods: We randomly assigned 50 participants with moderate to severe COPD who were current Internet users to either the eDSMP (n = 26) or fDSMP (n = 24) group. The content of the two programs was similar, focusing on education, skills training, and ongoing support for dyspnea self-management, including independent exercise. The only difference was the mode (Internet/personal digital assistant [PDA] or face-to-face) in which the education sessions, reinforcement contacts, and peer interactions took place. Participants returned to one of two academic clinical sites for evaluation at 3 and 6 months. The primary outcome of dyspnea with ADL was measured with the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes of exercise behavior, exercise performance, COPD exacerbations, and mediators, such as self-efficacy and social support, were also measured. A satisfaction survey was administered and a semistructured exit interview was conducted at the final visit. Results: The study was stopped early due to multiple technical challenges with the eDSMP, but follow-up was completed on all enrolled participants. Data were available for 39 participants who completed the study (female: 44%; age: 69.5 ± 8.5 years; percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s: 49.6 ± 17.0%). The fDSMP and eDSMP showed similar clinically meaningful changes in dyspnea with ADL from baseline to 3 months (fDSMP: + 3.3 points; eDSMP: + 3.5 points) and sustained these improvements at 6 months (fDSMP: + 4.0 points; eDSMP: + 2.5 points; time effects P < .001; group by time P = .51). Self-reported endurance exercise time (P = .001), physical functioning (P = .04), and self-efficacy for managing dyspnea (P = .02) also showed positive improvements over time in both groups with no significant differences with respect to program modality. Participants who completed the study reported favorable satisfaction with the programs. Conclusions: Although there were numerous technical challenges with the eDSMP, both dyspnea self-management programs were effective in reducing dyspnea with ADL in the short term. Our findings will need to be confirmed in a larger randomized trial with more mature Web and personal digital assistant tools, use of a control group, and longer follow-up. Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov NCT00102401 [J Med Internet Res 2008;10(2):e9]
Learning and memory of field independent-dependent individuals

Abstract It has been proposed that field-independent and field-dependent learners differ more in the processes they use than in the effectiveness of their learning or retention. The present article discusses alternative explanations which emphasize developmental differences and differences in efficiency of performance between field-independent and field-dependent learners. Review of the concept learning literature and some new data suggested that the greater effectiveness of field-independent learners was related to memory efficiency and the ability to conduct combinatorial analysis. Research concerning short-term memory and free recall was also examined. High information load, greater interference potential, and less subjective organization were suggested as factors which contribute to the less efficient memory of field-dependent learners.
Dissociation of K channel density and ROMK mRNA in rat cortical collecting tubule during K adaptation

The density of conducting K channels in the apical membrane of the rat cortical collecting tubule (CCT) is increased by a high-K diet. To see whether this involved increased abundance of mRNA coding for K channel protein, we measured the relative amounts of mRNA for ROMK, the clone of the gene thought to encode the secretory K channel in the CCT. Tubules were isolated and fixed for in situ hybridization with a probe based on the ROMK sequence. Radiolabeled probe associated with the tubule was quantified using densitometric analysis of the autoradiographic images of the tubules. The densitometry signal was shown to be proportional to the amount of radioactive probe in the sample and to the time of exposure of the film. The technique was able to detect an approximately twofold increase in the abundance of mRNA coding for the water channel aquaporin 3 (AQP3), in response to a 30-h dehydration period. Tubules from rats fed a normal diet or a high-K (10% KCl) diet had equal amounts of ROMK mRNA. This suggests that an increase in the abundance of mRNA does not underlie the increase in channel density observed under these conditions.
Human assisted impedance control of overhead cranes

Presents an impedance control scheme through which a human operator can move an overhead crane in the x-y plane without applying excessive force. The human pushing force is not measured directly, but it is estimated from angle and position measurements. We show that this method is an effective way to provide intuitive control for overhead cranes.
The Mode of Ligand Recognition by Two Peptide:MHC Class I-Specific Monoclonal Antibodies

The Ig superfamily members TCR and B cell receptor (BCR) share high structural and amino acid homology, yet interact with Ags in a distinct manner. The overall shape of the TCR ligand is rather constant, with the variation coming from the MHC polymorphism and the peptide heterogeneity. Consequently, the TCR α- and β-chains form a relatively flat ligand-binding site that interacts with the peptide:MHC (pep:MHC) ligand in a fixed diagonal orientation relative to the MHC α-helices, with the α- and β-chains of the TCR contacting the N and C termini of the pep:MHC complex, respectively. By contrast, the shape of BCR ligands varies dramatically, and the BCR exhibits much greater variability of the Ag-binding site. The mAbs 25-D1.16 (D1) and 22-C5.9 (C5), specific for the OVA-8:H-2Kb complex, allowed us to directly compare how TCR and BCR approach the same ligand. To that effect, we mapped D1 and C5 footprints over the OVA-8:H-2Kb complex. Using peptide variants and mutant MHC molecules, we show that the D1 and C5 contacts with the OVA-8:Kb complex C terminus overlap with the TCR β-chain footprint, but that this footprint also extends to the regions of the molecule not contacted by the TCR. These studies suggest that D1 and C5 exhibit a hybrid mode of pep:MHC recognition, in part similar to that of the TCR β-chain and in part similar to the conventional anti-MHC Ab.
Revisiting the Moderating Effect of Social Support on Strain: A Gendered Test

Agnew's General Strain Theory (GST) has both revived and advanced strain theory. It has recently been applied to topics ranging from gender differences in delinquency to differences in community crime rates. Tests of GST are now focusing on the intermediate variables that fall between GST and delinquency, such as anger and social support, but these tests have produced varying results. This paper adds to GST literature by empirically analyzing whether social support moderates individuals' responses to strain and whether this moderating effect varies by gender. Testing is conducted using data from wave six of the National Youth Survey (NYS). Results provide support for GST and suggest that there are gender differences in the types and levels of strain experienced during the late teens. Further, there is evidence to support the hypothesis that social support does moderate females' responses to certain types of strain.
Pathways for angiotensin-(1—7) metabolism in pulmonary and renal tissues

Two of the primary sites of actions for angiotensin (ANG)-(1—7) are the vasculature and the kidney. Because little information exists concerning the metabolism of ANG-(1—7) in these tissues, we inv...
Remote Measurement Of Pollution From Aircraft

This paper discusses the problem of the remote measurement of tropospheric air pollution from aircraft platforms. Following a discussion of the energy sources available for passive remote sensing and the location of the absorption bands of the gases, it describes the spectral resolution that would be required and the relative merits of the shorter and longer infrared wavelengths. It then traces the evolution of one instrument concept (the gas filter correlation radiometer) to its present state, and describes flight results that show the technique to be capable of measuring carbon monoxide over water. A new instrument is described that will allow the measurements to be extended to areas over land.
Simultaneous skull-stripping and lateral ventricle segmentation via fast multi-atlas likelihood fusion

In this paper, we propose and validate a fully automated pipeline for simultaneous skull-stripping and lateral ventricle segmentation using T1-weighted images. The pipeline is built upon a segmentation algorithm entitled fast multi-atlas likelihood-fusion (MALF) which utilizes multiple T1 atlases that have been pre-segmented into six whole-brain labels – the gray matter, the white matter, the cerebrospinal fluid, the lateral ventricles, the skull, and the background of the entire image. This algorithm, MALF, was designed for estimating brain anatomical structures in the framework of coordinate changes via large diffeomorphisms. In the proposed pipeline, we use a variant of MALF to estimate those six whole-brain labels in the test T1-weighted image. The three tissue labels (gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid) and the lateral ventricles are then grouped together to form a binary brain mask to which we apply morphological smoothing so as to create the final mask for brain extraction. For computational purposes, all input images to MALF are down-sampled by a factor of two. In addition, small deformations are used for the changes of coordinates. This substantially reduces the computational complexity, hence we use the term “fast MALF”. The skull-stripping performance is qualitatively evaluated on a total of 486 brain scans from a longitudinal study on Alzheimer dementia. Quantitative error analysis is carried out on 36 scans for evaluating the accuracy of the pipeline in segmenting the lateral ventricle. The volumes of the automated lateral ventricle segmentations, obtained from the proposed pipeline, are compared across three different clinical groups. The ventricle volumes from our pipeline are found to be sensitive to the diagnosis.
Retrograde Treatment of Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction Using the Ureteral Cutting Balloon Catheter

ABSTRACTPurpose: We assessed the efficacy and safety of a new cutting balloon catheter to treat symptomatic ureteropelvic junction obstruction in adults.Materials and Methods: A total of 32 adults (mean age 40 years, range 18 to 79) underwent retrograde balloon incision for symptomatic ureteropelvic junction obstruction (27 primary and 5 secondary cases). Treatment outcome was based on improvement of symptoms and resolution of obstruction by excretory urography or diuretic renal scintigraphy.Results: A total of 36 retrograde endopyelotomies was performed on 32 patients. Of 4 patients who underwent repeat endopyelotomy 2 had resolution of persistent obstruction. At a mean followup of 14 months (range 3 to 28) 28 of 32 patients (87.5%) were rendered symptom-free and had no obstruction on excretory urography or diuretic renography. Average hospital stay was 1.8 days (range 0 to 6) and the complication rate was 15.6% (postoperative bleeding, fever and ileus). Treatment failed in 4 patients and subsequent open...
SOME ASPECTS OF MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES ENGINEERING WITH CERAMICS FOR ENGINE APPLICATIONS

This paper identifies the benefits of the use of ceramics in heat engines, how one designs with brittle materials, and some key materials for heat engine application. Current engineering and materials problems in the use of ceramics for engine applications are summarized. Examples of how the materials science and engineering community is addressing two of these problems: time and environmental dependence of properties, and development of improved high temperature (ca 1400°C) materials, are presented. A case history of a successful design of a ceramic engine component is also presented. Finally, progress on a variety of ceramic engine programs is reviewed.
Improved Survival With Radiation Therapy in Stage I-II Primary Mediastinal B Cell Lymphoma: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database Analysis

Background Primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma (PMBCL) is an uncommon lymphoma for which trials are few with small patient numbers. The role of radiation therapy (RT) after standard immunochemotherapy for early-stage disease has never been studied prospectively. We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to evaluate PMBCL and the impact of RT on outcomes. Methods and Materials We queried the SEER database for patients with stage I-II PMBCL diagnosed from 2001 to 2011. Retrievable data included age, gender, race (white/nonwhite), stage, extranodal disease, year of diagnosis, and use of RT as a component of definitive therapy. Kaplan-Meier overall survival (OS) estimates, univariate (UVA) log-rank and multivariate (MVA) Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed. Results Two hundred fifty patients with stage I-II disease were identified, with a median follow-up time of 39 months (range, 3-125 months). The median age was 36 years (range, 18-89 years); 61% were female; 76% were white; 45% had stage I disease, 60% had extranodal disease, and 55% were given RT. The 5-year OS for the entire cohort was 86%. On UVA, OS was improved with RT (hazard ratio [HR] 0.446, P =.029) and decreased in association with nonwhite race (HR 2.70, P =.006). The 5-year OS was 79% (no RT) and 90% (RT). On MVA, white race and RT remained significantly associated with improved OS ( P =.007 and .018, respectively). The use of RT decreased over time: 61% for the 67 patients whose disease was diagnosed from 2001 to 2005 and 53% in the 138 patients treated from 2006 to 2010. Conclusion This retrospective population-based analysis is the largest PMBCL dataset to date and demonstrates a significant survival benefit associated with RT. Nearly half of patients treated in the United States do not receive RT, and its use appears to be declining. In the absence of phase 3 data, the use of RT should be strongly considered for its survival benefit in early-stage disease.
Development and characterization of microsatellite loci for common raven (Corvus corax) and cross species amplification in other Corvidae

Background: A priority for conservation is the identification of endemic populations. We developed microsatellite markers for common raven (Corvus corax), a bird species with a Holarctic distribution, to identify and assess endemic populations in Alaska. Results: From a total of 50 microsatellite loci, we isolated and characterized 15 loci. Eight of these loci were polymorphic and readily scoreable. Eighteen to 20 common ravens from Fairbanks, Alaska were genotyped showing the following variability: 3–8 alleles per locus, 0.25–0.80 observed heterozygosity (H o ), and 0.30–0.80 expected heterozygosity (H e ). All loci were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and linkage equilibrium and many loci amplified and were polymorphic in related taxa. Conclusions: These loci will be used to identify endemic populations of common raven and assess their genetic diversity and connectivity.
A continuous‐flow periphyton bioassay: Tests of nutrient limitation in a tundra stream1

The effect of added nutrients on the periphyton of a tundra stream was tested during July and August. Flow-through systems consisting of a bank of clear plastic tubes containing racks of microscope slides were suspended from floats in the stream. Nutrients were enriched in the experimental tubes by siphoning concentrated nutrient solutions from Mariotte bottles into the upstream end of each tube. Slides from each tube were assayed at 2–6-day intervals for chlorophyll content and photosynthetic 14CO2 uptake. Levels of chlorophyll and CO2 uptake were significantly higher than the controls both in the tubes with 10 µg PO4-P · liter−1 of stream water and in those with P plus 100 µg NH4NO3− N·liter−1. Nitrogen alone gave no stimulation.
New Literacies, Multiple Literacies, Unlimited Literacies: What Now, What Next, Where to? A Response to Blue Listerine, Parochialism and ASL Literacy

This article is a response to Blue Listerine, Parochialism, and ASL Literacy (Czubek, 2006). The author presents his views on the concepts of literacy and the new and multiple literacies. In addition, the merits of print literacy and other types of literacies are discussed. Although the author agrees that there is an American Sign Language (ASL) literacy, he maintains that there should be a distinction between conversational "literacy" forms (speech and sign) and secondary literacy forms (reading and writing). It might be that cognitive skills associated with print literacy and, possibly, other captured literacy forms, are necessary for a technological, scientific-driven society such as that which exists in the United States.
Participant recruitment to a randomized trial of a community-based behavioral intervention for pre- and interconceptional women findings from the Central Pennsylvania Women's Health Study.

Background Community-based health studies rely on the ability of researchers to successfully recruit and retain participants from target populations, rather than from clinical settings. Many prior women's health studies have recruited in urban and suburban areas, but rural populations pose specific challenges. We describe the recruitment strategies employed in the Central Pennsylvania Women's Health Study to recruit 692 women in 15 low-income rural communities to a randomized trial of a behavioral intervention for pre- and interconceptional women. Methods The organization of the project is described. Qualitative (e.g., focus groups of local project facilitators) and quantitative methods (e.g., surveys of participants) were used to assess the effectiveness of various recruitment techniques and the characteristics of the final enrolled sample. Results A triangular recruitment approach was used in 15 communities, which included partnering with local community organizations and use of both active and passive recruitment techniques. The most effective recruitment methods were (1) actively recruiting women in social service and childcare settings, (2) use of a toll-free project telephone number printed on all passive recruitment material, and (3) the combination of passive and active recruitment in educational settings. Together, these methods successfully achieved the recruitment goals: enrolling participants who were more likely to be rural, poor or near poor, non-white, and to have less access to health care than their counterparts residing in the target communities. Conclusions Successful recruitment of typically hard-to-reach women, such as low-income rural women, is possible through implementation of a triangular recruitment approach in local communities.
Endosalpingiosis in peritoneal washings in women with benign gynecologic conditions: thirty-eight cases confirmed with paired box-8 immunohistochemical staining and correlation with surgical biopsy findings.

BACKGROUND To better define the cytomorphologic spectrum of endosalpingiosis in peritoneal washings (PWs) and thereby facilitate their distinction from well differentiated serous carcinoma, the authors examined PWs from women who underwent surgery and pathologic staging of lesions other than Mullerian malignancies and correlated the findings with surgical specimens. METHODS This was a retrospective review of medical records and PW specimens from 100 consecutive patients who had PWs coded as both “endosalpingiosis” and “negative for carcinoma” between 2002 and 2012. Thirty-eight of these patients had no gynecologic malignancies. Specimens had been prepared using cytocentrifugation and were stained using the Papanicolaou method. The cytologic findings evaluated were cell arrangement, number of cell groups per case, cellular atypia, and psammoma bodies. Smears also were assessed for paired box-8 (PAX8) immunostaining. The authors compared patients' staging biopsy findings with the findings from a review of the PWs. RESULTS PW specimens from 35 of 38 patients (92%) exhibited classic endosalpingiosis features: tubular or small branching papillary structures, some with psammoma bodies. Specimens from the 3 remaining patients displayed nonclassic features consistent with dislodged fallopian tube epithelium or endometriosis. From 2 to 20 clusters per slide and from 4 to 50 groups per case were identified. In a few cases, some cell clusters exhibited up to moderate cytologic atypia. Surgical findings included endometriosis, endosalpingiosis, both endometriosis and endosalpingiosis (12 patients; 31.6%), and a variety of unrelated pelvic lesions. All cases were PAX8-positive, confirming their Mullerian origin. CONCLUSIONS Endosalpingiosis in PWs can be diagnostically challenging. Awareness of intraoperative techniques and correlation with surgical biopsy findings are necessary to avoid a misdiagnosis of malignancy. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2013;121:582–590. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
The Righteous and the Rightful: The Technomoral Politics of NGOs, Social Movements, and the State in India

Civil society groups today are honored and relied on by governments, as well as tightly regulated and scrutinized for challenging state policies and agencies. In contemporary India, political dynamics of collaboration and confrontation between state and nonstate actors increasingly unfold in legal-social fields, taking “technomoral” forms. Mixing technocratic languages of law and policy with moral pronouncements, these actors assert themselves as virtuous agents, marking their political legitimacy as keepers of the public interest. Using ethnographic research with Indian NGOs, social movements, and a political party, we show that as civil society groups interact with state bodies, they redefine institutional boundaries and claim moral authority over public stewardship. Technomoral strategies are neither depoliticized nor antipolitical, but constitute a righteous and rightful form of politics. [NGOs, state, India, morality, activist politics, neoliberalism, law]
Father Involvement, African Americans, and Reducing the Achievement Gap

This chapter addresses the reality of the achievement gap between African American and white students. Then, it examines how fostering higher levels of father involvement might be a way of significantly bridging that gap. This chapter traces how various groups embraced father involvement as a means to closing the gap and the extent to which the research supports this approach. The chapter then examines what are some of the means of enhancing father engagement, the programs in place with that aim, and how these facts can serve as a guide for further advancement in African American father involvement.
Deriving a Diameter Distribution from Stand Table Data

Stand tables list numbers of trees per unit area for each diameter class. A stand table projection model, which projects a stand table through time, requires knowledge of the distribution of tree diameters in each class so that it can predict the movements of trees from one diameter class into another. In this study, we evaluated different statistical distributions for modeling stand table diameter data. The distributions were uniform, truncated and segmented Weibull, and truncated and segmented SB. Results indicated that the truncated Weibull with parameters obtained from the least-squares method was overall the best method.
A NOTE ON GILLESPIE'S MODEL OF ENZYME VARIATION IN NATURAL POPULATIONS.

nochemical homologies among vertebrate lactate dehydrogenase isozymes. Eur. J. Biochem. 42:167-177. MARKERT, C. L. 1962. Isozymes in kidney development, p. 54-63. In J. Metcoff (ed.), Hereditary, developmental and immunologic aspects of kidney disease. Northwestern University Press, Evanston. . 1963. Lactate dehydrogenase isozymes: dissociation and recombination of subunits. Science 140:1329-1330. . 1968. The molecular basis of isozymes. Ann. New York Acad. Sci. 151:14-40. MARKERT, C. L., AND I. FAULHABER. 1965. Lactate dehydrogenase isozyme patterns of fish. J. Exp. Zool. 159:319-332. MARKERT, C. L., AND R. S. HOLMES. 1969. Lactate dehydrogenase isozymes of the flatfish, Pleuronectiformes: kinetic, molecular and immunochemical analysis. J. Exp. Zool. 171:85-104. MARKERT, C. L., J. B. SHAKLEE, AND G. S. WHITT. 1975. Evolution of a gene. Science 189:102114. OHNO, S., U. WOLF, AND N. B. ATKIN. 1968. Evolution from fish to mammals by gene duplication. Hereditas 51:169-187. SHAKLEE, J. B. 1975. The role of subunit interactions in the genesis of non-binomial lactate dehydrogenase isozyme distributions, p. 101-118. In C. L. Markert (ed.), Isozymes I. Molecular structure. Academic Press, New York. SHAKLEE, J. B., K. L. KEPES, AND G. S. WHITT. 1973. Specialized lactate dehydrogenase isozymes: the molecular and genetic basis for the unique eye and liver LDHs of teleost fishes. J. Exp. Zool. 185:217-240. SHAW, C., AND E. BARTO. 1963. Genetic evidence for the subunit structure of lactate dehydrogenase isozymes. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 50:2 11-2 14. WHITT, G. S. 1970a. Developmental genetics of the lactate dehydrogenase isozymes of fish. J. Exp. Zool. 175:1-36. . 1970b. Directed assembly of polypeptides of the isozymes of lactate dehydrogenase. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 138:352-354. WHITT, G. S., AND G. M. BOOTH. 1970. Localization of lactate dehydrogenase activity in the cells of the fish (Xiphophorus helleri) eye. J. Exp. Zool. 174:215-224. WHITT, G. S., AND F. S. MAEDA. 1970. Lactate dehydrogenase gene function in the blind cave fish, Anoptichthys jordani, and other characins. Biochem. Genet. 4:727-741. WHITT, G. S., E. T. MILLER, AND J. B. SHAKLEE. 1973. Developmental and biochemical genetics of lactate dehydrogenase isozymes in fishes, p. 243-276. In J. H. Schroder (ed.), Genetics and mutagenesis. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. WHITT, G. S., J. B. SHAKLEE, AND C. L. MARKERT. 1975. Evolution of the lactate dehydrogenase isozyme of fishes, p. 381-400. In C. L. Markert (ed.), Isozymes IV. Genetics and evolution. Academic Press, New York. WILSON, A. C., N. 0. KAPLAN, L. LEVINE, A. PESCE, M. REIGHLIN, AND W. S. ALLISON. 1964. Evolution of lactic dehydrogenases. Fed. Proc. 23:1258-1266.
Clinical application and evaluation of the Emit-stTM drug detection system.

A critical evaluation of a newly devised homogeneous assay system, Emit-st TM, for ethanol, opiates, barbiturates and benzodiazepines indicates they are class specific, simple to perform, completed quickly and more than sensitive enough to detect concentrations of the analytes at levels compatible with overdoses. By using this technic clinical diagnoses of acute poisonings can be improved.
RNA gene expression signatures and DNA copy number changes in hepatocellular carcinoma formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded archived samples compared to fresh and normal tissues from the same patients

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 168 About 17,500 new cases of primary liver cancer are diagnosed every year in the United States; twice the number for men as in women. According to the American Cancer Society, 15,420 people will die of liver cancer in the US for 2005. In the developing countries of Africa and East Asia, it is the most common type of cancer with higher occurrences than in the US per year. Despite improvements made in the treatment and therapy for liver cancer over the years, many patients still undergo expensive chemotherapy even though their particular cancer is resistant to such treatment. The side-effects are devastating without having any benefit to the patient. Using formalin-fixed Paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples, patient outcomes can be linked to the changes seen in the DNA and the RNA levels from these archived tissues. We have used paraffin-embedded tissue human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis to produce RNA and DNA of sufficient quantity and quality to yield distinct genetic signatures specific to HCC and liver cirrhosis when hybridized to the whole transcriptome (RNA) and whole genome (DNA) Agilent microarrays. The gene expression signatures and copy number changes were highly correlated for fresh tumor samples from the same biopsy with the archived material. Normal liver samples from the peripheral sites of the biopsy, as determined by histology and FISH, were similarly obtained as both frozen and paraffin-embedded material. DNA and RNA were similarly extracted and used on the microarrays. For RNA, an HCC-specific genetic expression signature was seen consisting of a candidate gene set. The 2,530 candidate genes represent features whose differential expression is both significant (>2 fold change) and conserved across both fresh and FFPE sources of RNA. Most of the DNA copy number changes seen are de novo and specific to the HCC tumors, both fresh and FFPE, but are not present in either fresh or FFPE normal specimen. For FFPE extractions, only 73% of the specimen extracted yielded the quality and quantity required by whole genome and whole transcriptome microarray analysis. Quality measurements with UV spectrophotometer and with the Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer correctly predicted the successful hybridizations. This combined DNA and RNA analyses show the powerful potential in using archived samples for a retrospective study in cancer regimes. By analyzing FFPE DNA, it may help determine why some patients respond and others are resistant to treatments. Analysis of tumor DNA, together with RNA gene expression alterations, may aid in predicting which immunotherapy and chemotherapy would be of the highest benefit to the individual patients.
An integrated procedure for the rapid diagnosis of biliary obstruction, portal hypertension and liver disease of uncertain etiology.

Abstract An integrated procedure consisting of transhepatic cholangiography, liver biopsy and omentoportography, performed under local anesthesia through a 5-cm subxiphoid incision, was used in 100 patients with hepatobiliary disorders that presented major diagnostic or therapeutic problems. Cholangiography was successful in 80 of 91 patients, liver biopsy in all of 54 patients, and omentoportography in 13 of 15 patients. Diagnosis was achieved in all cases. The frequency of two of the three major complications that occurred should be reducible by sulture ligation of puncture sites. There were no deaths attributable to the procedure. Coagulation abnormalities were present in 29 patients. The only recognized contraindication is sensitivity to contrast medium. The integrated procedure is an effective method of resolving puzzling cases of hepatobiliary disease and should save much time and expense. It has also been helpful in the planning and execution of surgery for biliary obstruction and portal hypertension.
Causes and prevention on cement reaction during total hip replacement

Objective: To analyse and evaluate the treatment of total hip replacement (THR), to discuss the causes and prevention and treatment of cement reaction after total hip replacent. Methods: 232 patients (239 hips) underwent THR from January 1995 to June 2003 in Xiangya Hospital. The series of patients included 113 male and 119 female, with an average age of 57.3 years. The symptom and sign before operation, preoperational preparation and transaction preopration was evaluated. Results: Of the 232 cases (242 hips), 5 cases were dead, 5 cases lost follow-up, the others were followed up for mean 4.6 years (from 0.5 years to 9.0 years). The cement reaction is in 13 cases, the rate of dislocation is 5.60%. Serious cement reaction happened in 2 of them. Conclusion: Advanced age and osteoporosis are the high risk factors to cement reaction; using the modern techniqh of cement can decrease the rate of cement reaction.
Discussion on the Undergraduate Course Teaching Quantity under the Complete Credit System

Under the popular situation of current higher education,the teaching quantity problem of the common and high school causes the attention more and more.Under the condition that academic year system changes toward the credit system,the teaching quantity management system of the high school also should change immediately.This text makes a system discussing about the establishment of teaching plan,the establishment of tutor institution,the school inspector,the checking of theaching accident and the assessing of institution combinning the concrete circumstance of the high school.
Spectral descriptors for bulk metallic glasses based on the thermodynamics of competing crystalline phases

Metallic glasses attract considerable interest due to their unique combination of superb properties and processability. Predicting their formation from known alloy parameters remains the major hindrance to the discovery of new systems. Here, we propose a descriptor based on the heuristics that structural and energetic 'confusion' obstructs crystalline growth, and demonstrate its validity by experiments on two well-known glass-forming alloy systems. We then develop a robust model for predicting glass formation ability based on the geometrical and energetic features of crystalline phases calculated ab initio in the AFLOW framework. Our findings indicate that the formation of metallic glass phases could be much more common than currently thought, with more than 17% of binary alloy systems potential glass formers. Our approach pinpoints favourable compositions and demonstrates that smart descriptors, based solely on alloy properties available in online repositories, offer the sought-after key for accelerated discovery of metallic glasses.
Dissociation: the clinical realities.

An attempt was made by the authors of DSM-III to restrict its focus to the experimental, the observable, and the measurable. The intention was to free the nosology from the influence of unproven theories, and the philosophy was driven largely by the importance of research being able to identify diagnostic categories to facilitate the study of homogeneous groups. So it is of interest that the authors accepted dissociation-an ambiguous event linked to an explicit theoretical concept that had been introduced by Janet-as the basis for classification of clinical presentations that were formerly included under the rubric of hysteria, a similarly unclear category. Since DSM-III, there have been an increasing number of reports of dissociative experiences and dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder), but neither of these clinical presentations seems able to withstand the concern that it is dramatically influenced by environmental cues, e.g., the expectations of the therapist. Thus, a restricted phenomenological perspective does not fully appreciate the distorting potential of suggestibility and imagination on the nature of the emerging clinical picture. These factors might well have contributed to and laid the conceptual groundwork for the growth in the number of reports of dissociation.