cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Speedy Whegs Climbs Obstacles Slowly and Runs at 44 km/hour.

This work presents Speedy Whegs, a new Whegs vehicle that can climb over obstacles slowly and also run at a top speed of 44 km/hr (27 mph). It is powered by two parallel motor/transmission pairs modified from off-the-shelf components. Its three-speed transmissions can be shifted by remote control while the robot is in motion. Speedy Whegs accelerates to outrun all but the fastest humans in 40 yard and 100 yard distances. It is the fastest “multi-legged” robot in terms of gross speed and also the fastest of similar size or larger robots in terms of bodylengths per second. In fact, in terms of bodylengths per second it is faster than cheetahs. Despite having no suspension system or compliant legs, it is stable while running at top speed over grassy fields with minor irregularities.
Ear Reconstruction after Mohs Cancer Excision: Lessons Learned from 327 Consecutive Cases.

Background:The ear serves many functional and aesthetic purposes, and its complex structure presents a notable challenge for reconstruction. A paucity of objective data and analysis on reconstruction of acquired ear defects remains. The goal of this study was to evaluate all ear reconstructions and
Survey of Compliance to Infection Control Measures and Its Impact on Healthcare of Patients in a Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Unit

Abstract Background: Isolation precautions are used in hospitals to interrupt the chain of transmission of nosocomial pathogens. There are several reports that isolation negatively impacts the care given to patients. Isolation protocol compliance has been reported between 40-70% in several studies. Methods: We conducted an anonymized survey of healthcare providers assessing the knowledge, practice and perceived impact of isolation precautions. The survey was conducted in a hematopietic stem cell transplant unit and a medical unit in an academic medical center. Surveys were given to nursing staff and resident physicians working on those units. Results were analyzed using chi-square test. Results: A total of 106 responses were received, 60 from nursing staff and 46 from resident doctors. Self- reported compliance to hand hygiene practices was 59.9%, this was significantly higher on leaving as compared to entering patient rooms amongst nurses (72% vs 50%, p=0.015). Overall adherence to isolation precautions was 60.3%, surprisingly nursing staff in the transplant unit had a significantly lower rate as compared to nurses in the medicine unit (44% vs 83%, p=0.025). 70.7% of respondents felt that patients on isolation precautions have to wait longer for non-emergent care. Only 56.6% of respondents felt that patients were educated about the reasons for isolation precautions; this number was significantly lower in residents as compared to nurses (41.3% vs 68.3%, p=0.005). 77.3% felt that patients in isolation are less satisfied in the care they received. 86.9% of resident physicians felt that isolation precautions helped reduce the spread of infection vs 68.5% of nurses (p=0.025). 82% of respondents expressed overall satisfaction with infection control practices. Conclusions: In our survey, we observed a low compliance of hand hygiene and isolation practices. While respondents felt that isolation adversely impacted patient satisfaction and care, they also opined that these practices help reduce the spread of infection. Surveys can be an important tool to assess knowledge and impact of infection control practices; and can be used to direct quality improvement initiatives. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Effects of Chronic Nicotine Inhalation on Systemic and Pulmonary Blood Pressure and Right Ventricular Remodeling in Mice

Cigarette smoking is the single most important risk factor for the development of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases; however, the role of nicotine in the pathogenesis of these diseases is incompletely understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of chronic nicotine inhalation on the development of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease with a focus on blood pressure and cardiac remodeling. Male C57BL6/J mice were exposed to air (control) or nicotine vapor (daily, 12 hour on/12 hour off) for 8 weeks. Systemic blood pressure was recorded weekly by radio-telemetry, and cardiac remodeling was monitored by echocardiography. At the end of the 8 weeks, mice were subjected to right heart catheterization to measure right ventricular systolic pressure. Nicotine-exposed mice exhibited elevated systemic blood pressure from weeks 1 to 3, which then returned to baseline from weeks 4 to 8, indicating development of tolerance to nicotine. At 8 weeks, significantly increased right ventricular systolic pressure was detected in nicotine-exposed mice compared with the air controls. Echocardiography showed that 8-week nicotine inhalation resulted in right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy with increased RV free wall thickness and a trend of increase in RV internal diameter. In contrast, there were no significant structural or functional changes in the left ventricle following nicotine exposure. Mechanistically, we observed increased expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme and enhanced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways in the RV but not in the left ventricle. We conclude that chronic nicotine inhalation alters both systemic and pulmonary blood pressure with the latter accompanied by RV remodeling, possibly leading to progressive and persistent pulmonary hypertension.
Catalytic degradation of ethylene oxide over Ag/α-Al2O3

Abstract Ethylene oxide (EO) degradation over Ag/α-Al2O3 catalysts involves bifunctional pathways, whereby α-Al2O3 surfaces catalyze hydration, isomerization, dimerization, and oxidation while Ag surfaces facilitate combustion and isomerization of ethylene oxide. EO degradation reactions run over Ag/α-Al2O3, α-Al2O3, and intrapellet mixtures thereof with co-feeds of O2 and oxygenate products show that Ag surfaces are more reactive than α-Al2O3 and that oxygenate products generated over α-Al2O3 combust over Ag much more (>30x) readily than EO. These observations suggest that additives which mitigate surface hydration of α-Al2O3 and combustion activity of Ag will most effectively mitigate EO degradation.
Current surgeon practices for postoperative activity restrictions after abdominal surgery vary widely: A survey from the communities on the ACS website

Abstract Background Surgeons often impose restrictions on patient activities after an abdominal operation in an effort to prevent complications such as incisional hernia. This study addresses the current recommendations concerning the restriction of activities given by a diverse group of surgeons to their patients after abdominal surgery. Methods A 14-item survey was posted on surgeon-specific social media platforms, primarily the American College of Surgeons Communities. This survey included questions about demographics, practice type, and activity recommendations after open and minimally invasive abdominal surgery. Descriptive, multivariable, and qualitative analyses were performed. Results A total of 420 surgeons completed the survey. The majority of respondents identified as general surgeons (76.2%). Practice types included private (37.6%), academic (34.3%), underserved (10.1%), and Veterans Affairs (5.6%). After an open laparotomy, the majority of respondents (53.1%) recommended that patients refrain from heavy lifting or strenuous activity for 6 weeks. For a minimally invasive abdominal operation, recommendations were even more variable, restricting activity for 2 weeks (34.4%), 4 weeks (23.8%), 6 weeks (15.5%), or no restrictions (12.6%). On average, participating surgeons recommended an earlier return to activity by 2.3 weeks for patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery compared with an open operation (95% confidence interval 2.1–2.5, P Conclusion This survey on surgeon recommendations for convalescence after an abdominal operation indicates the wide variation in practices with insufficient evidence to guide decision making. Future clinical trials examining various durations and intensities of postoperative restrictions will be important to determine a safe and patient-centered approach for recovery after an abdominal operation.
Management of Penetrating Maxillofacial Trauma as a Result of Industrial Accident: Report of an Unusual Case:

Facial injury as a result of an industrial accident from a stationary saw is rather uncommon; however, such an injury can result in significant damage to vital structures in the maxillofacial regio...
Propaedeutics in Practice: Islamic Legal Studies and the Public Sphere

In this paper, I outline a propaedeutics of Islamic legal studies. I am using the term “propaedeutic” to refer to scholarship and pedagogy that introduces audiences to new material in a way that structures their curiosities and asks them to rethink commonplace familiar situations and assumptions. Those who teach about Islamic law in North American Islamic studies are working in an environment shaped by distinctive anxieties and preconceptions. Engaged scholarship informed by thinkers such as Wael Hallaq and Talal Asad seeks to disentangle conceptions of law from modern expectations of law enforcement, codification, and the supervisory neutrality of the state to consider other deliberations and practices of justice. Such propaedeutic scholarship should suggest how religious legal authority deals with more than just “spiritual” and “personal” matters. Imprecise introduction to the idea that Islamic legal opinion is non-binding can unintentionally imply that such opinion makes only moral suggestion that one chooses to follow or not. Scholarscritical of Max Weber’s judgment that Islamic jurisprudence amounts to little more than arbitrary invocations of authority should be careful not to present Islamic jurists as merely creatively “free” to be unsystematic and their decisions inconsequential if following them is not coerced. Drawing on the work of Hussein Agrama, I explore the idea of fatwa discernment as guiding counsel directed not at adversarial procedure but at ethical self-formation. Finally, I consider Saba Mahmood’s account of religious difference to suggest how Islamic legal traditions might complicate liberal ideas of jurisdiction.
A Modified 2 Tier Chemotherapy Response Score (CRS) and Other Histopathologic Features for Predicting Outcomes of Patients with Advanced Extrauterine High-Grade Serous Carcinoma after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Background: The impact of chemotherapy response score (CRS) on prognosis has varied among studies. We addressed the prognostic significance of CRS and the prognostic value of previously undescribed histologic features using a cohort of 245 patients. Methods: Retrospective study in patients with advanced extrauterine high-grade serous carcinomas treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval tumor reductive surgery from 1990 to 2018 in our hospital. Gynecologic pathologists assessed tumor CRS and other histologic features. Clinical information was collected, and multivariate analyses were conducted. Results: A modified 2 tier CRS (CRS 1/2 versus CRS 3) was significantly associated, independent of scoring site (omental versus adnexal), with overall survival (OS) (omentum, p = 0.018; adnexa, p = 0.042; entire cohort, p = 0.002) and progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.021, p = 0.035, and p = 0.001, respectively). On multivariate survival analysis, 2 tier CRS, oncocytic change, inflammation, and desmoplasia were significant for OS (p = 0.034, p = 0.020, p = 0.007, and p = 0.010, respectively). Likewise, 2 tier CRS, inflammation, and desmoplasia were significant for PFS (p = 0.012, p = 0.003, p = 0.011, respectively). Conclusions: The modified 2 tier CRS was significantly associated with survival, independent of scoring site. Additional histologic features including oncocytic change, inflammation, and desmoplasia can also predict patient outcomes.
Global disparities in oncology: Pinpointing and addressing the causes.

There were an estimated 19.3 million new cases of cancer worldwide in 2020 alone - a number that continues to rise year after year [1]. Within this larger pocket of global cancers, the incidence and mortality rates of specific cancers can vary widely across societies and cultures, especially among the less populous and poorer nations and territories.
Targeted RNA sequencing of adrenal zones using immunohistochemistry-guided capture of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue

Abstract Adequate access to fresh or frozen normal adrenal tissue has been a primary limitation to the enhanced characterization of the adrenal zones via RNA sequencing (RNAseq). Herein, we describe the application of targeted RNAseq to formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) normal adrenal gland specimens. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to visualize and guide the capture of the adrenocortical zones and medulla. Following IHC-based tissue capture and isolation of RNA, high-throughput targeted RNAseq highlighted clear transcriptomic differences and identified differentially expressed genes among the adrenal zones. Our data demonstrate the ability to capture FFPE adrenal zone tissue for targeted transcriptomic analyses. Future comparison of normal adrenal zones will improve our understanding of transcriptomic patterns and help identify potential novel pathways controlling zone-specific steroid production.
Maturation of Human Long-lived Plasma Cells Results in Resistance to Apoptosis by Transcriptional and Epigenetic Regulation

Antibody secreting cells (ASC) circulate after vaccination and migrate to the bone marrow (BM) where a subset known as long-lived plasma cells (LLPC) persist and secrete antibodies for a lifetime. The mechanisms of how circulating ASC become LLPC are not well elucidated. Here, we show that human blood ASCs have distinct morphology, transcriptomes, and epigenetics compared to BM LLPC. LLPC acquire transcriptional and epigenetic changes in the apoptosis pathway to support their survival. Upregulation of pro-survival gene expression accompanies downregulation of pro-apoptotic gene expression in LLPC. While pro-apoptotic gene loci are less accessible, pro-survival gene loci are not always accompanied by accessibility changes. Importantly, we show similar LLPC morphological and transcriptional maturation of blood ASC in response to the novel in vitro BM mimetic. In all, our study demonstrates that blood ASC in the BM microniche must undergo morphological and molecular changes to mature into apoptotic-resistant LLPC.
Political Liberalism and Public Health.

In “Neutrality and Perfectionism in Public Health,” Hafez Ismaili M’hamdi (2021) poses a dilemma for defenders of “state neutrality” about political justification: either they must reject a wide ra...
Bicuspid aortic valve repair: An ongoing struggle in material science.

BACKGROUND Techniques and results of aortic valve repair remain challenging. AIMS Safari et al. seek to improve aortic valve repair by either aortic patching or valve sparing root replacement. MATERIALS AND METHODS The results of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) repair in 142 patients were examined withor without valve sparing root replacement. RESULTS Isolated BAV repair with or without valve sparing root replacement provided goodclinical outcomes with relatively low reoperation rate and durable valve function. DISCUSSION While clinical outcome from BAV repair was generally good, the authors have stopped pericardial patch augmentation of BAV leaflets due to suboptimal durability. CONCLUSION Thelack of a durable valve patch material and the modest durability of BAV repairin general point out that aortic valve repair remains an ongoing struggle inmaterial science.
The influence of massive antibiotics in experimental strangulation obstruction.

Following strangulation obstruction of the ileum in dogs the peritoneal cavity has been found to be the site of accumulation of large amounts of dark, foul fluid. This ma­ terial was lethal when injected into the peritoneal cavity of normal dogs in amounts as small as 3 cc. per kg.l Animals which had been protected from the fluid by having the strangulated segment of bowel placed in a plastic bag lived longer than unprotected animals. 2 That this material plays a major role in the lethal issue of strangulation ob­ struction must be strongly considered. Previous experiments have shown that intramuscular injections of penicillin were of value in the treatment of normal animals following exposure to small doses of peri­ toneal fluid resulting from strangulation obstruction. 3 It was also found that the intraperitoneal administration of neomycin increased the number of survivors following exposure to toxic fluid. 4 The purpose of the following study was to determine the in­ fluence of increased doses of antibiotics upon the survival rate of normal dogs fol­ lowing exposure to larger amounts of strangulation fluid.
On the Use of a Spark-Driven Shock Tube to Prepare Nonequilibrium Gas Samples

liquids under weightless conditions. If a suitable criteria for weightlessness is the absence of any hydrostic pressures, then a liquid in a freely falling container may be considered weightless. Study of the behavior of liquids in free fall, therefore, can give considerable insight into the behavior of liquids in space. A photographic study of boiling during 8 ft. of free fall1 clearly demonstrated the existence of differences between earthbound and weightless fluid behavior. An analysis of the relative orders of magnitudes of surface tensile, viscous, and inertia forces acting on weightless liquid2 allows estimation of the approximate time required for deformation due to surface tension after removal of gravity forces. In the present note, some photographs of fluids in free fall are included. It should be noted that this study was entirely qualitative and of a very pre­ liminary nature. For these experiments, a free-fall vehicle con­ sisting of a 2-in. square lucite box and a heavy steel weight was constructed. The vehicle was dropped from heights up to 16 ft. and caught by an arresting system. Liquids placed in the lucite box were photographed at the bottom of their fall b}r a 3-microsecond exposure flash camera. While the container was dropped from successively greater heights, a series of photographs was taken which show the progress of the fluid in free fall. It is im­ portant to remember that the photographs were taken during different drops and, therefore, are not quite what would appear in a series of motion-pictur e frames. The deceleration due to wind resistance was estimated at a maximum of O.Olg, and, there­ fore, the fluids were almost exactly weightless.
Review of Alan J. Kuperman, 'The Limits of Humanitarian Intervention: Genocide in Rwanda'

The review summarizes Kuperman's valuable analysis of the logistical constraints that operate generally on military humanitarian interventions. Getting a sizeable peacemaking force into tiny Rwanda when it was needed in 1994 would have taken several weeks, even with all the good will in the world. The review criticizes, however, Kuperman's parallel thesis that by 20 April 1994 it was evident to Western leaders that "a genocide" was being perpetrated in Rwanda. In fact, contemporary media characterizations on which those leaders relied contained significant ambiguity about the nature of the conflict through to late May 1994. The review argues that Kuperman's unjustified assumption that Rwanda experienced a centrally planned genocide in 1994 leads him astray in this respect.
Mössbauer studies of iron organometallic complexes — VI: Orientation effects in magnetic perturbation experiments

The quadruple splitting of 57Fe Mossbauer spectra of powdered samples does not yield sufficient information to evaluates the electric field gradient parameters. With a strong magnetic field applied, adequate information is often present. The selective orientation occurring on freezing a liquid sample distorts the magnetically perturbed spectrum. Examples are given of the orientation arising from freezing a sample absorbed onto filter paper, and of the randomness achieved by using a silica gel substrate.
Unanticipated monetary growth, output, and the price level in Latin America: An empirical investigation

Abstract This paper provides statistical evidence on the response of real output and the price level to movements in unanticipated monetary growth for 16 Latin American countries in the context of Barro's version of the rational expectations-natural rate theory. ARIMA ( p, d, q ) modeling of the growth rate of M2 is employed for each country and the residuals of the selected model utilized to estimate the parameters of the real output and price level equations. Careful attention is devoted to the autocorrelation structure of the residuals of the real output and price level equations. The empirical results suggest that generally unanticipated monetary growth has positive effects on real output and negative effects on the price level. Such patterns, however, do not exhibit an unambiguous symmetric response.
Improving the privacy of the asynchronous partial overlay protocol

Dynamic, partial centralization has received a considerable amount of attention in the distributed problem solving community. As the name implies, this technique works by dynamically identifying portions of a shared problem to centralize in order to speed the problem solving process. Currently, a number of algorithms have been created which employ this simple, yet powerful technique to solve problems such as distributed constraint satisfaction DCSP, distributed constraint optimization DCOP, and distributed resource allocation. In fact, one such algorithm, Asynchronous Partial Overlay APO, was shown to outperform the Asynchronous Weak Commitment AWC protocol, which is one of the best known methods for solving DCSPs. One of the key differences between these two algorithms is that APO, as part of the centralization process, uses explicit constraint passing. AWC, on the other hand, passed nogoods because it tries to provide security and privacy. Because of these differences in underlying assumptions, a number of researchers have criticized the comparison between these two protocols. This article attempts to resolve this disparity by introducing a new AWC/APO algorithm called Nogood-APO that like AWC uses nogood passing to provide privacy and like APO uses dynamic, partial centralization to speed the problem solving process. Like its parent algorithms, this new protocol is sound and complete and performs nearly as well as APO, while still outperforming AWC, on distributed 3-coloring problems. In addition, this paper shows that Nogood-APO provides more privacy to the agents than both APO and AWC on all but the sparsest problems. These findings demonstrate that a dynamic, partial centralization-based protocol can provide privacy and that even when operating with the same assumptions as AWC still solves problems in fewer cycles using less computation and communication.
Why choose? A process approach to usability testing

Abstract Two sets of prototype screens for a complex, computerized analysis tool were evaluated using a series of usability analysis techniques. The empirical, or experimental usability method identified more interface design problems of a severe nature than the other methods and gave a clear indication of which prototype design to choose for the final development process. While the individual walkthrough evaluation identified the most design problems overall, many of the problems tended to be of a less severe nature than were identified by the experimental method. The implications for selecting appropriate usability techniques and using them collectively, as a process, are discussed.
Glycerin esterification of scum derived free fatty acids for biodiesel production

Scum is an oily waste stream of the wastewater treatment process that can be used to produce biodiesel. Combining acid hydrolysis and solvent extraction, a free fatty acid and acyl-glycerol rich product was produced. Free fatty acids (FFAs) present were converted to acyl-glycols via a high temperature (238°C) glycerin esterification process known as glycerolysis. The inorganic catalysts zinc aluminum oxide and sodium sulfate were tested during glycerolysis to compare the reaction kinetics of converting FFA to acyl-glycerols. It was concluded that the zinc-based catalyst increased the reaction rate significantly, from a "k" value of 2.57 (uncatalyzed) to 5.63, completing the reaction in 60min, half the time it took the uncatalyzed reaction (120min). Sodium sulfate's presence however slowed the reaction, resulting in a "k" value of 1.45, completing the reaction in 180min. Use of the external catalyst Zn-Al2O3 showed the greatest catalytic potential, but also assumes additional costs.
Molecular Aspects of Thyroid Hormone-Regulated Behavior

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the molecular aspects of thyroid hormone (TH)-regulated behavior. TH has an important role during late brain development. A lack of TH during this time results in permanent deficits in brain function, including intellectual development and behavioral changes. TH also appears to exert effects on adult-brain function. Function of the adult brain is also affected by adult-onset hypothyroidism, but the effects are less extensive. In humans, administration of TH at birth will almost completely rescue a congenitally hypothyroid infant from brain maldevelopment. However, recent reports indicate that a delay in high-dose replacement of TH for even a few days after birth results in mild, but irreversible deficits in function. If TH replacement is delayed for more than a few days, normal development of the brain will be only partially rescued.
A Fast Filtration Algorithm for the Substring Matching Problem

Given a text of length n and a query of length q we present an algorithm for finding all locations of m-tuples in the text and in the query that differ by at most K mismatches. This problem is motivated by the dot-matrix constructions for sequence comparison and optimal oligonucleotide probe selection routinely used in molecular biology. In the case q = m the problem coincides with the classical approximate string matching with k mismatches problem. We present a new approach to this problem based on multiple filtration which may have advantages over some sophisticated and theoretically efficient methods that have been proposed. This paper describes a two-stage process. The first stage (multiple filtration) uses a new technique to preselect roughly similar m-tuples. The second stage compares these m-tuples using an accurate method. We demonstrate the advantages of multiple filtration in comparison with other techniques for approximate pattern matching.
Genetic and Environmental Influences on the Association Between Depressive Symptom Dimensions and Smoking Initiation Among Chinese Adolescent Twins

Introduction Extant twin research on the depression-smoking association in adolescents has been conducted in U.S. and European samples and considered depression as a unitary phenotype. This study explored genetic and environmental influences on covariation between smoking initiation and 4 depressive symptom dimensions (positive affect [PA], negative affect [NA], somatic features [SF], and interpersonal problems [IP]) in adolescent Chinese twins. Methods Questionnaires measuring current depressive symptoms and lifetime smoking initiation were administered to 602 twin pairs (M [SD] age = 12.2 (1.93) years, range 9-16 years). Cholesky bivariate decomposition models examined influences on each depressive symptom dimension, smoking initiation, and their covariation using age- and sex-adjusted threshold variables. Results Within-twin correlations between smoking initiation and each depressive symptom dimension were significant (|r|s = .29-.61). Bivariate twin modeling showed significant genetic effects on overall depressive symptoms (55% variance), shared environment effects on NA (36%) and PA (53%), and shared environment effects on smoking initiation (46%) unique from PA. No other familial influences on the individual phenotypes (apart from those accounting for smoking-depression covariance) were significant. Relations of smoking initiation to overall depressive symptoms and IP were influenced by familial (shared environment and/or genetic) factors and nonshared environmental factors. The SF-smoking initiation relation was influenced mostly by familial factors. Only shared environment significantly influenced the association of lower PA and higher NA to smoking initiation. Conclusions Relations between each symptom dimension and smoking initiation are of sizeable magnitude in Chinese adolescents. Genetic and environmental factors underlying depression-smoking comorbidity may vary across different depressive symptom dimensions.
Low-dose preoperative radiation therapy for adenocarcinoma of the endometrium: a pilot study

A pilot study using low-dose preoperative radiation therapy, i.e., 10 Gy in 3 to 4 days as an adjuvant preoperative procedure for grade 2 or 3 (FIGO classification) endometrial carcinoma, was done. The concept of low-dose preoperative radiation therapy is to administer treatment, either surgical or radiotherapeutic, postoperatively according to the surgical and pathologic findings, allowing identification of those patients with previously undiagnosed extensive metastatic disease outside the pelvis found at laparotomy in whom routine pelvic radiation therapy is futile, as well as those patients with relatively low risk of recurrence who may not require further radiotherapy. Forty-four patients with clinical Stage I, grade 2 or 3 with adenocarcinoma of the endometrium were entered into the pilot study. Following surgery, 68% remained Stage I by pathologic examination, and in the remaining patients the stages were changed to II in seven, III in three, and IV in four. Postoperative treatment was administered according to extent of the disease found at surgery. The 4-year actuarial probability of survival rate for the entire group of patients with clinical Stage I disease was 80%; corresponding disease-free rate was 77%. For the Stage I disease confirmed by pathologic examination, the corresponding rate was 96%. The rates for Stages II through IV, as shown by pathologic findings at laparotomy, were 53% and 42%, respectively. In this pilot stud, a treatment policy for clinical Stage I, grade 2 or 3 adenocarcinoma of the endometrium using low-dose preoperative radiation therapy is recommended.
Effects of Handicap and Job Characteristics on Selection Evaluations.

An experiment was conducted using 211 upper division and graduate business administration students who evaluated hypothetical job applicants. The applicant was either an amputee, an epileptic, or “normal.” The job either involved public contact or it did not; and, it either involved supervisory responsibilities or it did not. Generally, handicapped applicants were evaluated no differently than normal applicants. Epileptic applicants, however, were expected to establish better relationships with clients and customers as well as with other employees than were normal applicants. Further, amputees were offered a smaller salary than normals. Implications for future research and unfair discrimination are discussed.
The Penumbral Spaces of Nella Larsen's Passing: Undecidable bodies, mobile identities, and the deconstruction of racial boundaries

Nella Larsen's 1929 novel, Passing, is a psychological drama centering around two fair-skinned women. One, Clare Kendry, passes as the White wife of a financially successful racist; the other, Irene Redfield, is a ‘race woman’ living in upper Manhattan during the era of the Renaissance Harlem. Clare and Irene are undecidables, neither White nor Black, fluid subjects traversing the boundaries of race—passing. Passing is an act of insinuating oneself into forbidden spaces by jettisoning former identities. It is as much a transgression of spatial boundaries as it is of racial boundaries. In the novel Clare passes by merely crossing from Black space into White space, and along the way shedding a Black identity for a White one. This paper examines the mobility of identities across racial geographies and how this movement destabilizes notions of race and of raced spaces. We encounter the world in our bodies, and through our bodies' most exquisitely sensitive sense, our skins, we take the world into ourselves. W...
The role of verbal codes in the serial recall of pictures

Serial recall for familiar pictures having either monosyllabic or polysyllabic labels was tested in three experiments. Experiments 1 and 3 tested the effects of picture label length and rate of presentation (slow, medium, and fast) on serial recall. In Experiment 1, subjects had practice in assigning labels to the pictures prior to the test for serial recall, whereas in Experiment 3 they did not. Both experiments showed that serial recall varies inversely with label length and rate of presentation. Experiment 2 compared the effects of prior labeling practice with no prior labeling practice on the serial recall of the two types of pictures. Prior labeling practice had no effects on serial recall and serial recall of the pictures again varied inversely with the length of the picture labels. The results of all three experiments were incorporated as support for the hypotheses that verbal codes mediate the serial recall of pictures.
Comparing the results of nonmetric multidimensional scaling and principal components analysis

Abstract The purposes of this study are 1) to propose methods for assessing the effectiveness of different dimensional analysis methods, and 2) to examine evidence in one sample for the relative effectiveness of principal components analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling of marketing survey data. Criteria for the quality of dimensional solutions are defined from a measure of simple structure. The criteria are demonstrated in one marketing research panel data set. In this data set, neither the type of proximity measure (Pearson or gamma correlation coefficients) nor the dimensional analysis technique (principal components or nonmetric multidimensional scaling) significantly affected any of the criteria of solution quality.
Anthracnose Disease on Annual Bluegrass as Affected by Foot Traffic and Sand Topdressing.

Abstract Sand topdressing is applied to maintain or enhance playability of the turf surface of putting greens. Anthracnose is a devastating disease of annual bluegrass (ABG; Poa annua) putting green turf, caused by Colletotrichum cereale. The disease is more severe on weakened turf and reputed to be exacerbated by management practices that wound turf. A 2-year field study was initiated in 2007 to evaluate the effects of foot traffic (0 versus 327 footsteps m−2, equivalent to 200 rounds day−1) and sand topdressing (0 and 0.3 liter m−2 every week) on anthracnose severity of ABG mowed at 3.2 mm. Surprisingly, foot traffic reduced anthracnose severity as much as 28%, regardless of sand topdressing, during both years. Although sand topdressing initially increased disease severity (up to 7%) in 2007, continued applications decreased severity by 9% later in August 2007 and again in 2008. The treatment combination of foot traffic 5 days week−1 and weekly sand topdressing resulted in the best turf quality by the e...
Replication and morphogenesis of avian coronavirus in Vero cells and their inhibition by monensin

Avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) was adapted to Vero cells by serial passage. No significant inhibition of IBV replication was observed when infected Vero cells were treated with alpha-amanitin or actinomycin D. In thin sections of infected cells, assembly of IBV was observed at the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), and mature IBV particles were located in dilated cisternae of the RER as well as in smooth cytoplasmic vesicles. In addition to typical IBV particles, enveloped particles containing numerous ribosomes were identified at later times postinfection. Monensin, a sodium ionophore which blocks glycoprotein transport to plasma membranes at the level of the Golgi complex, was found to inhibit the formation of infectious IBV. In thin sections of infected Vero cells treated with the ionophore, IBV particles were located in dilated cytoplasmic vesicles, but fewer particles were found when compared to controls. A similar pattern of virus-specific proteins was detected in control or monensin-treated IBV-infected cells, which included two glycoproteins (170 000 and 24 000 daltons) and a polypeptide of 52 000 daltons. These results suggest that the ionophore inhibits assembly of a virus which matures at intracellular membranes.
Volume of black holes

We propose a simple definition of volume for stationary spacetimes. The proposed volume is constant in time, independent of the choice of stationary time slicing, and applies even in the absence of a globally timelike Killing vector. We then consider whether it is possible to construct spacetimes that have finite horizon area but infinite volume, by letting the radius go to infinity while making discrete identifications to preserve the horizon area. We show that, in three or four dimensions, no such solutions exist that are not inconsistent in some way. This may constrain the statistical interpretation of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy.
Thyroparathyroid uptake of selenomethionine in the rat.

75Se-selenomethionine has been used clinically for parathyroid and pancreas scintiscanning. This study analyzes the time sequence of selenomethionine uptake by the parathyroid and thyroid glands and the effects of thyroxine pretreatment and a low calcium diet on this uptake. The parathyroid uptake curve shows a peak in activity at 20 min when the blood level is the lowest, resulting in a parathyroid to blood specific activity ratio of 2. This ratio decreases to unity at 2 hr owing to a decline in parathyroid activity and a re-emergence of the label in plasma as protein. The parathyroid uptake increases 2-fold on a calcium-deficient diet. The parathyroid does not respond to thyroxine pretreatment. The activity of the thyroid is relatively constant over 4 hr and never reaches the level of that of the parathyroid. The affinity of the thyroid gland for selenomethionine is markedly suppressed by thyroxine. This suppression is not altered by increasing the dose of thyroxine from 10 to 20 μg and suggests that th...
Paneth cell defensins: key effector molecules of innate immunity

Antimicrobial peptides are fundamental effector molecules of innate immunity, utilized in host defence by virtually all organisms studied. These gene-encoded peptides have direct antibiotic activity against a wide range of bacteria and other microbes. In humans and other mammals, defensins are a predominant class of such peptides. In the mammalian small intestine, Paneth cells, specialized secretory epithelial cells located at the base of the crypt invaginations lining the intestinal wall, produce defensins and other antibiotic proteins. Recent investigations in murine models provide compelling support for the hypothesis that enteric defensins play a pivotal role in defence from food- and water-borne pathogens in the intestinal lumen. Investigations by others indicate that intestinal commensal bacteria are key factors in the pathogenesis of IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) in genetically susceptible humans. Recent studies provide evidence that reduced expression of Paneth cell defensins may be a key factor in the pathogenesis of ileal Crohn's disease, a subgroup of IBD. Future studies to further define the function and regulation of Paneth cell defensins will enhance our understanding of normal small bowel physiology, and probably contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of inflammatory and infectious diseases of the bowel. Such knowledge may provide new therapeutic targets and strategies.
The Synod of Ancyra (358) and the Question of the Son’s Creaturehood

The Homoiousian Synod of Ancyra uses two word pairs in its description of the relation between the Father and the Son: father/son and creator/creature. On the basis of the second word pair, Epiphanius of Salamis believed the Ancyran synod was affirming the Son to be a creature and branded the Homoiousians as 'Semi-Arians'. This article demonstrates on the basis of internal evidence from the Ancyran synodal document and external evidence from Hilary of Poitiers and Athanasius that the synod could not have meant to affirm that the Son was a creature and thus that we need a rereading of the controversial passage in which the document allegedly makes that affirmation. The article then proceeds to an in-depth examination of that passage and a suggested retranslation and reinterpretation. The article concludes that since the Homoiousians did not affirm the Son to be a creature, there is now room for further scholarly exploration of the possibility that their theology was consistent with that of the Homoousians.
Effects of intertrial reward and/or nonreward placements during a 20-second intertrial interval on single-alternation training in rats

Seventy male hooded rats received single-alternation runway training in which goalbox placements were interpolated during the 20-sec intertrial interval. Placements provided alternating reward/ nonreward, random reward/nonreward, continuous reward, or continuous nonreward. Relative to nonplaced controls, alternation performance was reliably facilitated only by intertrial alternation placements which re-presented the goal event of each immediately preceding instrumental trial. All other intertrial procedures reliably impaired alternation performance. Degree of impairment was graded from least to most as follows: intertrial alternation placements with the goal event opposite to that of each immediately preceding instrumental trial, intertrial placements with continuous non-reward, intertrial placements with continuous reward, and intertrial placements with random reward/nonreward.
Initiation of deoxyribonucleic acid replication at the nuclear membrane in human cells.

Abstract A heteroploid line of human amnion cells was synchronized with excess thymidine and amethopterin so that when exposed to [ 3 H]thymidine the cells would incorporate label for the first 10 minutes of the S period. The demonstration by electron microscope autoradiography that the label in these cells was restricted to the periphery of the nucleus and nucleolus suggests that DNA synthesis in human cells may be initiated at the nuclear membrane.
Glass transition in thin supported polystyrene films probed by temperature-modulated ellipsometry in vacuum

Glass transition in thin (1-200 nm thick) spin-cast polystyrene films on silicon surfaces is probed by ellipsometry in a controlled vacuum environment. A temperature-modulated modification of the method is used alongside a traditional linear temperature scan. A clear glass transition is detected in films with thicknesses as low as 1-2 nm. The glass transition temperature (T(g)) shows no substantial dependence on thickness for coatings greater than 20 nm. Thinner films demonstrate moderate T(g) depression achieving 18 K for thicknesses 4-7 nm. Less than 4 nm thick samples are excluded from the T(g) comparison due to significant thickness nonuniformity (surface roughness). The transition in 10-20 nm thick films demonstrates excessive broadening. For some samples, the broadened transition is clearly resolved into two separate transitions. The thickness dependence of the glass transition can be well described by a simple 2-layer model. It is also shown that T(g) depression in 5 nm thick films is not sensitive to a wide range of experimental factors including molecular weight characteristics of the polymer, specifications of solvent used for spin casting, substrate composition, and pretreatment of the substrate surface.
Mutational analysis of the sequence encoding ICP0 from herpes simplex virus type 1

In-frame codon insertion and deletion mutants were constructed in a plasmid containing the sequence that encodes ICP0, a transcriptional activator of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). The effect of these mutations was analyzed in a transient expression assay using the promoters for, the IE-0 gene (an immediate early (alpha) gene), the thymidine kinase gene (an early (beta) gene), and the glycoprotein C gene (a late (gamma) gene) fused to reporter cassettes that encoded either beta-galactosidase or chloramphenicol acetyl transferase. Assays were performed in the presence or absence of a plasmid encoding ICP4, the major regulatory protein of HSV-1. Our results demonstrate that ICP0-mediated transactivation varied depending on the position of the insertion in the gene. One region of this protein was consistently shown to be required for full activation of each promoter examined either in the presence or in the absence of ICP4. This region overlaps with a cysteine-rich region and coincides with a transactivator domain identified in another extensive mutational analysis of this sequence. Analysis of the deletion mutants generated in this study demonstrated that the carboxy-terminal regions were required for activation in certain circumstances and that this varied depending on the promoter being assayed and the cell type in which the analysis was performed.
Bacterial cytokinesis: From Z ring to divisome †

Ancestral homologues of the major eukaryotic cytoskeletal families, tubulin and actin, play critical roles in cytokinesis of bacterial cells. FtsZ is the ancestral homologue of tubulin and assembles into the Z ring that determines the division plane. FtsA, a member of the actin family, is involved in coordinating cell wall synthesis during cytokinesis. FtsA assists in the formation of the Z ring and also has a critical role in recruiting downstream division proteins to the Z ring to generate the divisome that divides the cell. Spatial regulation of cytokinesis occurs at the stage of Z ring assembly and regulation of cell size occurs at this stage or during Z ring maturation.
Alaska native mortality, 1979-1998

a SYNOPSIS Objectives. This study compares mortality patterns for the Alaska Native population and the U.S. white population for 1989-1998 and examines trends for the 20-year period 1979-1998. Methods. The authors used death certificate data and Indian Health Service population estimates to calculate mortality rates for the Alaska Native popula- tion, age-adjusted to the U.S. 1940 standard million. Data on population and mortality for U.S. whites, aggregated by 10-year age groups and by gender, were obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics, and U.S. white mortality rates were age-adjusted to the U.S. 1940 standard million. Results. Overall, 1989-1998 Alaska Native mortality rates were 60% higher than those for the U.S. white population for the same period. There were significant disparities for eight of 10 leading causes of death, particularly unintentional injury, suicide, and homicide/legal intervention. Although declines in injury rates can be documented for the period 1979-1998, large disparities still exist. Alaska Native death rates for cancer, cerebrovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes increased from 1979 to 1998. Given decreases in some cause-specific mortality rates in the U.S. white population, increased rates among Alaska Natives have resulted in new disparities. Conclusions. These data indicate that improvements in injury mortality rates are offset by marked increases in chronic disease deaths.