cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Renting than Buying Apparel: An Empirical Study of U.S. Consumers

Apparel rental services as one of the most common collaborative consumption modes has been gaining popularity among the U.S. consumers in recent years. However, our knowledge on this changing consumer behaviors are limited. To address the gap in the literature, this study aimed to identify the factors significantly influencing the U.S. consumers’ intent to use apparel rental services. Online survey was used to collect the primary data. 338 eligible responses were gathered for data analysis and hypothesis testing. Attitude, subjective norms, perceived consumer effectiveness, environmental knowledge, perceived personal relevance, and past environmental behavior significantly affect U.S. consumers’ intention to use apparel renting services. There are no significant differences between ages, genders, education levels, and income levels in regard to their intention to rent apparel. The proposed research model exhibits a very good explanatory power, accounting for 74.7% of variance in U.S. consumers’ intention to use apparel renting services.
Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric Facial Infections

SUMMARY The diagnosis and management of facial infections in children continue to be challenging problems for the clinician. Despite a thorough history, physical examination, and laboratory diagnostic testing, it is common to fail to identify a source for the infection. Our research and clinical experience have found that the location of an infection is useful in diagnosis, guidance of empiric therapy, and prediction of outcome of treatment.5, 10, 11 In general, a child with an upper-face infection is most likely to be young and to have an unknown source of infection. In this clinical setting, a common causative agent is H. influenzae. Children with these infections are predisposed to bacteremia and meningitis. In contrast, lower-face infections occur in older children (age 5 years or older), and the source is more commonly identified, i.e., trauma or odontogenic causes. Consequently, empiric antibiotic therapy can be targeted more specifically. Regardless of the source or location, when the correct diagnosis is made and appropriate antibiotic therapy initiated, children with facial infections respond rapidly. Failure to respond rapidly to therapy suggests an incorrect diagnosis or inappropriate choice of antibiotic, or both. Therefore, the clinician must monitor the child's progress closely and be prepared to develop alternative diagnoses and implement therapies.
Development of formaldehyde flux sampler using a commercial DNPH cartridge

Abstract Building materials and consumer products are main sources of formaldehyde emitted in non-smoking environments. Identifying major emitters in existing buildings is difficult since the emission factors (EFs) are typically determined in a chamber test that is not suitable for on-site measurement. In this study, a new passive flux sampler (PFS) was developed for on-site measurement of formaldehyde EFs from building materials. The PFS is non-invasive and suitable for a long-term test (4–7 days) that is based on a commercially available 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) cartridge. Five designs of PFS with different diffusion lengths and diameters were tested with 8 composite wood products (CWPs). The PFS with a diffusion length of 20 mm and a diameter of 10 mm (PFS-D1) was shown to have the EFs comparable to those from conventional chamber tests. Laboratory tests showed that the PFS-D1 has acceptable variability (
The challenge of supporting creativity in problem-solving projects in science: a study of teachers’ conversational practices with students

Background: Creativity is an important skill for the future society and developing students’ creativity is an important part of science education. Working on a creative science project may help dev...
ICD-10 codes do not accurately reflect ankle fracture injury patterns.

Abstract Objective To determine the accuracy of International Classification of Disease Version 10 (ICD-10) coding for ankle fracture injury patterns. Design Retrospective cohort study Patients 97 adult patients with fractures about the ankle (rotational ankle fracture or distal tibia fracture) from 2016 to 2020, selected by stratified random sampling. Intervention Assignment of an ICD-10 code representative of a rotational ankle fracture, pilon fracture, or unspecified fracture of the lower leg. Outcome measurements Injury radiographs were reviewed by three authors to determine the correct code. Agreement between the correct code and the electronic medical record (EMR) assigned code was determined using kappa's statistic in the aggregate as well as percent agreement, sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) between individual codes. Results 59 of 97 cases (60.8%) demonstrated discordance between the existing EMR and surgeon-assigned codes. Aggregate agreement between all codes was fair (K = 0.26). Lateral malleolus fracture codes demonstrated the highest PPV (0.91, 95% CI 0.72–0.99), while the lowest PPV was found for “other fractures of the lower leg” (0.05, 95% CI 0.0–0.24) and “other fracture of the fibula” (0.0, 95% CI 0.0–0.15). Generalized “other fracture” codes comprised 45% of EMR codes compared to only 6% of assigned codes (p Conclusion There is substantial discordance between existing EMR and surgeon-assigned ICD-10 codes for ankle fractures. Database research that relies on ICD-10 coding as a surrogate for primary clinical data should be interpreted with caution and institutions should make efforts to increase the accuracy of their coding.
Spatial coding defects of hippocampal neural ensemble calcium activities in the triple-transgenic Alzheimer's disease mouse model

Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) causes progressive age-related defects in memory and cognitive function and has emerged as a major health and socio-economic concern in the US and worldwide. To develop effective therapeutic treatments for AD, we need to better understand the neural mechanisms by which AD causes memory loss and cognitive deficits. Here we examine large-scale hippocampal neural population calcium activities imaged at single cell resolution in a triple-transgenic Alzheimer's disease mouse model (3xTg-AD) that presents both amyloid plaque and neurofibrillary pathological features along with age-related behavioral defects. To measure encoding of environmental location in hippocampal neural ensembles in the 3xTg-AD mice in vivo, we performed GCaMP6-based calcium imaging using head-mounted, miniature fluorescent microscopes (“miniscopes”) on freely moving animals. We compared hippocampal CA1 excitatory neural ensemble activities during open-field exploration and track-based route-running behaviors in age-matched AD and control mice at young (3–6.5 months old) and old (18–21 months old) ages. During open-field exploration, 3xTg-AD CA1 excitatory cells display significantly higher calcium activity rates compared with Non-Tg controls for both the young and old age groups, suggesting that in vivo enhanced neuronal calcium ensemble activity is a disease feature. Increased ages are correlated with decreased neural calcium activity rates across genotypes. CA1 neuronal populations of 3xTg-AD mice show lower spatial information scores compared with control mice. The spatial firing of CA1 neurons of old 3xTg-AD mice also displays higher sparsity and spatial coherence, indicating less place specificity for spatial representation. We find locomotor speed significantly modulates the amplitude of hippocampal neural calcium ensemble activities to a greater extent in 3xTg-AD mice during open field exploration. Our data offer new and comprehensive information about age-dependent neural circuit activity changes in this important AD mouse model and provide strong evidence that spatial coding defects in the neuronal population activities are associated with AD pathology and AD-related memory behavioral deficits.
Mean squared error threshold prediction of adaptive maximum likelihood techniques

Below a threshold signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the mean squared error (MSB) performance of nonlinear maximum-likelihood (ML) estimation degrades swiftly. Threshold SNR prediction for ML signal parameter estimation requiring intermediate estimation of an unknown colored noise covariance matrix is facilitated via an interval error based method of MSE prediction. Exact pairwise error probabilities are derived, that with the union bound provide accurate prediction of the true interval error probabilities. A new modification of the Cramer-Rao bound involving the analog of the Reed, Mallett, and Brennan beta loss factor appearing in the error probabilities provides excellent prediction of the asymptotic (SNR/spl rarr//spl infin/) MSE performance of the estimator. Together, remarkably accurate prediction of the threshold SNR is obtained.
Selection of Beta Prior Distribution Parameters from Component Failure Data

A description of classical and Bayesian techniques to estimate component failure probabilities is presented. Of particular concern is the estimation, from typically sparse component failure data, of values for the parameters of the assumed beta prior distribution (used in the Bayesian analysis) and of the failure probability distribution for a particular component with an observed performance history. Three methods for the parameter estimation are described and compared, viz. (i) matching data moments to the prior distribution moments, (ii) matching data moments to marginal distribution moments, and (iii) the maximum likelihood method. Results are presented for data from standby diesel generators used in several nuclear power plants.
Blocked pattern matching problem and its applications in proteomics

Matching a mass spectrum against a text (a key computational task in proteomics) is slow since the existing text indexing algorithms (with search time independent of the text size) are not applicable in the domain of mass spectrometry. As a result, many important applications (e.g., searches for mutated peptides) are prohibitively timeconsuming and even the standard search for non-mutated peptides is becoming too slow with recent advances in high-throughput genomics and proteomics technologies. We introduce a new paradigm - the Blocked Pattern Matching (BPM) Problem - that models peptide identification. BPM corresponds to matching a pattern against a text (over the alphabet of integers) under the assumption that each symbol a in the pattern can match a block of consecutive symbols in the text with total sum a. BPM opens a new, still unexplored, direction in combinatorial pattern matching and leads to the Mutated BPM (modeling identification of mutated peptides) and Fused BPM (modeling identification of fused peptides in tumor genomes). We illustrate how BPM algorithms solve problems that are beyond the reach of existing proteomics tools.
High-profile research & the media. The case of the AbioCor artificial heart.

Public discussion of new medical trials is desirable, but not moment-by-moment disclosure of patients' ups and down. Nor is such disclosure necessary: the public is not entitled to all information about a trial as soon as it is available. What should be given the press, and what withheld, cannot be decided without appreciating the surprising number and intricate interrelations of the parties' needs and interests.
Single-Message vs. Batch Communication

The selection of appropriate communication mechanisms is a key issue in parallel computing. We argue that the current emphasis on single-message communication has led to inefficient systems and unnecessarily confusing code. In contrast, batch communication has substantial implementation advantages, is suitable for almost all parallel applications, and encourages a programming paradigm that is easy to reason about.
Experiences with Empirical Evaluation of Computer Vision Algorithms

The lack of a substantial experimental side to computer vision has been pointed to at various times in the past as a serious problem that hinders advancement of the field. My own favorite example quote on this theme is the following: ... What is more interesting is that we are willing to develop one more edge detector, but we do not want to develop objective and quantitative methods to evaluate the performance of an edge detector. About three decades of research on edge detection has produced N edge detectors without a solid basis to evaluate the performance. In most disciplines, researchers evaluate the performance of a technique by a controlled set of experiments and specify the performance in clear objective terms. ...
Integrating service, community, and teaching: inspiring students while building a mentoring program for African American youth.

This teaching note describes how the author used various social work practice skills to design and effectively implement a community-based local mentoring program for African American adolescents. This program served as a case study for social work students who practice in rural areas to learn about community development since our program lacks formal rural community practice training module in its curriculum. This article details the process and provides practical examples and recommendations for social work faculty on how to infuse community service experience into the classroom.
Genetic analysis of photosynthesis in Rhodospirillum centenum.

Abstract A genetic system has been developed for studying bacterial photosynthesis in the recently described nonsulfur purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum centenum. Nonphotosynthetic mutants of R. centenum were obtained by enrichment for spontaneous mutations, by ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis coupled to penicillin selection on solid medium, and by Tn5 transposition mutagenesis with an IncP plasmid vector containing a temperature-sensitive origin of replication. In vivo and in vitro characterization of individual strains demonstrated that 38 strains contained mutations that blocked bacteriochlorophyll a biosynthesis at defined steps of the biosynthetic pathway. Collectively, these mutations were shown to block seven of eight steps of the pathway leading from protoporphyrin IX to bacteriochlorophyll a. Three mutants were isolated in which carotenoid biosynthesis was blocked early in the biosynthetic pathway; the mutants also exhibited pleiotropic effects on stability or assembly of the photosynthetic apparatus. Five mutants failed to assemble a functional reaction center complex, and seven mutants contained defects in electron transport as shown by an alteration in cytochromes. In addition, several regulatory mutants were isolated that acquired enhanced repression of bacteriochlorophyll in response to the presence of molecular oxygen. The phenotypes of these mutants are discussed in relation to those of similar mutants of Rhodobacter and other Rhodospirillum species of purple photosynthetic bacteria.
Time Series Model Mining with Similarity-Based Neuro-Fuzzy Networks and Genetic Algorithms: A Parallel Implementation

This paper presents a parallel implementation of a hybrid data mining technique for multivariate heterogeneous time varying processes based on a combination of neuro-fuzzy techniques and genetic algorithms. The purpose is to discover patterns of dependency in general multivariate time-varying systems, and to construct a suitable representation for the function expressing those dependencies. The patterns of dependency are represented by multivariate, non-linear, autoregressive models. Given a set of time series, the models relate future values of one target series with past values of all such series, including itself. The model space is explored with a genetic algorithm, whereas the functional approximation is constructed with a similarity based neuro-fuzzy heterogeneous network. This approach allows rapid prototyping of interesting interdependencies, especially in poorly known complex multivariate processes. This method contains a high degree of parallelism at different levels of granularity, which can be exploited when designing distributed implementations, such as workcrew computation in a master-slave paradigm. In the present paper, a first implementation at the highest granularity level is presented. The implementation was tested for performance and portability in different homogeneous and heterogeneous Beowulf clusters with satisfactory results. An application example with a known time series problem is presented.
No evidence for reduction of opioid-withdrawal symptoms by cannabis smoking during a methadone dose taper.

Background and Objectives To support medication development with cannabinoids, smoked cannabis has been said to alleviate symptoms of opioid withdrawal. We evaluated that hypothesis. Methods We analyzed data from the methadone-taper phase of a clinical trial we had conducted. Participants were 116 outpatient heroin and cocaine users (of whom 46 were also cannabis users) who stayed for the 10-week taper. Main outcome measures were weekly urine screens for cannabinoids, plus every-two-week assessments of opioid-withdrawal symptoms. Results Opioid-withdrawal scores did not differ overall between users and nonusers of cannabis. In a lagged analysis in the 46 users, there was a slight (not statistically significant) indication that weeks of higher opiate-withdrawal symptoms preceded weeks of cannabis use (effect-size r = .20, 95% CI −.10 to .46, p = .52). Even if this finding is taken to suggest self-medication with cannabis, a lagged analysis in the other temporal direction showed no indication that cannabis use predicted lower opiate-withdrawal symptoms the next week (effect-size r = .01, 95% CI −.28 to .30, p = .69). These findings persisted in sensitivity analyses controlling for each of 17 potential confounds. Discussion and Conclusion With our findings, the clinical evidence for smoked cannabis as a reducer of opioid-withdrawal symptoms moves slightly further from “inconclusive” or “mixed” and closer to negative, at least in the context of a methadone dose taper like the one used here. Scientific Significance This finding may remove one rationale for medication development using cannabinoids to treat opioid withdrawal, but leaves other rationales intact. (Am J Addict 2015;XX: XX–XX)
Three-dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography in Light Chain Cardiac Amyloidosis: Examination of Left and Right Ventricular Myocardial Mechanics Parameters

Introduction and objectives The study of myocardial mechanics has a potential role in the detection of cardiac involvement in patients with amyloidosis. This study aimed to characterize 3-dimensional-speckle tracking echocardiography-derived left and right ventricular myocardial mechanics in light chain amyloidosis and examine their relationship with brain natriuretic peptide. Methods In patients with light chain amyloidosis, left ventricular longitudinal and circumferential strain (n = 40), and right ventricular longitudinal strain and radial displacement (n = 26) were obtained by 3-dimensional-speckle tracking echocardiography. Brain natriuretic peptide levels were determined. Results All myocardial mechanics measurements showed differences when compared by brain natriuretic peptide level tertiles. Left and right ventricular longitudinal strain were highly correlated (r = 0.95, P < .001). Left ventricular longitudinal and circumferential strain were reduced in patients with cardiac involvement (–9 ± 4 vs –16 ± 2; P < .001, and –24 ± 6 vs –29 ± 4; P = .01, respectively), with the most prominent impairment at the basal segments. Right ventricular longitudinal strain and radial displacement were diminished in patients with cardiac involvement (–9 ± 3 vs –17 ± 3; P < .001, and 2.7 ± 0.8 vs 3.8 ± 0.3; P = .002). On multivariate analysis, left ventricular longitudinal strain was associated with the presence of cardiac involvement (odds ratio = 1.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.04 to 2.37; P = .03) independent of the presence of brain natriuretic peptide and troponin I criteria for cardiac amyloidosis. Conclusions Three-dimensional-speckle tracking echocardiography-derived left and right ventricular myocardial mechanics are increasingly altered as brain natriuretic peptide increases in light chain amyloidosis. There appears to be a strong association between left ventricular longitudinal strain and cardiac involvement, beyond biomarkers such as brain natriuretic peptide and troponin I.
The Art of the Judicial Opinion: On Tawlīj in Fifteenth-Century Tunis

In an effort to circumvent the constraints of Islamic inheritance law, a Muslim proprietor may attempt to shift assets to his or her desired heir/s by means of an inter vivos transaction, e.g., a gift, acknowledgement of a debt, sale, or creation of a family endowment. In the present essay, I analyze a case that occurred in fifteenth-century Tunis in which a father, taking advantage of his role as the guardian of his minor children, engages in a series of financial transactions that appear to have as their goal the disinheritance of certain other children. The differing responses to this case by two Mālikī jurists provides an opportunity to explore the relationship between the choice of a judicial style and the direction of a judicial outcome.
Profiling oxidative DNA damage: Effects of antioxidants

The goal of this research was to determine whether antioxidant usage could be correlated with changes in DNA damage levels. Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to simultaneously measure five different oxidatively-induced base modifications in the DNA of WBC. Measurements of the five modifications were made before and after an 8-week trial during which participants took the SU.VI.MAX supplement. Levels of the five DNA modifications were compared among different groupings: users versus non-users of antioxidant supplements, before versus after the supplement intervention and men versus women. The statistical significance of differences between groups was most significant for pyrimidine base modifications and the observed trends reflect trends reported in epidemiological studies of antioxidant usage. A combination of modifications derived from pyrimidine bases is suggested as a superior indicator of oxidative stress.
Norepinephrine turnover in various tissues at rest and during exercise: evidence for a training effect

This study quantitates the sympathetic response to an acute bout of exercise in specific tissues recruited during exercise in Fischer 344 rats (National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, MD), as well as determining any associated training adaptations. After 10 weeks of treadmill running, significant improvements were found for both endurance time and running speed eliciting maximal response in trained animals compared to controls (477% and 57%, respectively). Norepinephrine turnover (NEt) was determined by the administration of alpha-methyl tyrosine (250 mg/kg), a competitive inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase. Animals were killed at rest, after 30 minutes of submaximal (75% max) and at maximal exercise. Cardiac NEt values were 36.3, 141.5 and 528.1 ng/g/h for trained (Tr), 37.2, 134.5 and 638.7 ng/g/h for untrained (Un) animals at rest, submax and max, respectively. A similar response was found in the adrenals. However, the opposite was found with training in the liver. NEt values in Tr animals were greater (6.4, 80.5 and 161.8 ng/g/h) compared with Un (5.8, 25.5 and 75.8 ng/g/h) at rest, submax and max, respectively. It was concluded that training elicits a diminished sympathetic response in the heart and adrenals in response to an acute bout of exercise. Such a training effect was not found in the liver.
Dispersive corrections to continuum elastic theory in cubic crystals.

Recent experiments using ballistic phonon imaging have provided very accurate pictures of acoustic-phonon dispersion for GaAs in the frequency range 0.1--1 THz. This work has been previously analyzed using microscopic lattice-dynamics models. An alternative description of this phenomenon which is natural, compact, and simple is provided by continuum elasticity theory with dispersive corrections included, as developed in the present paper. Previous models and experiments are successfully analyzed by the present theory. It is shown that the reason for the failure of many earlier models to match experiment is that they impart insufficient dispersion to the transverse acoustic branches. A single additional parameter contained in the dispersive elastic model appears to control the important features of the dispersion of these branches; six other parameters permitted by symmetry do not appear crucial. We show that the present dispersive elastic model can be derived as a rigorous limit of microscopic lattice-dynamical theory. The elastic model illuminates simple relationships between the phonon-imaging experiments and other physical phenomena, e.g., specific heat and ultrasound.
Instrumentation for an electrocutaneous communication device

The device described is a prototype that uses spatiotemporal resolution for electrocutaneous stimulation. Signals initiated through a keyboard activate a matrix of four electrodes that may be applied to the fingers, forearm, abdomen, back, or other parts of the integument. The instrumentation described includes a pulse generator, the active time and delay time controls, the control of the total length of a pulse train, and the constant-current generators whose output is fed into the electrodes. This device may be used as an interface with an alphanumeric device (e.g., a calculator or computer) and as a basic instrument in research investigating the spatial and temporal resolving capacities of the skin senses.
Progress in food dehydration

Abstract This article is a review of methods for the dehydration of foods, including several that may not be widely known. The novel techniques include microwave-augmented freeze drying, centrifugal fluidized-bed drying, ball drying and ultrasonic drying. The advantages and disadvantages of each of these novel methods are discussed in comparison with more conventional methods of drying. The applications of each method to specific foods are discussed, as well as the factors that must be controlled for each process.
4.8 — 20 Micron Imaging of Orion BN/KL: Luminosity Sources and the Role of IRc2

Mid-infrared imaging photometry of the Orion BN/KL infrared cluster at eight wavelengths between 5 and 20 μm using a 58 x 62 pixel imaging array camera has revealed new compact sources and the large-scale structure of the region in diffraction-limited (1 arcsec) detail. Several new objects have been detected within a few arcsec of IRc2, widely thought to be the principal luminosity source for the entire BN/KL complex. Detailed color temperature and emission opacity images are derived from the 7.8, 12.4 and 20.0 μm observations, and the 9.8 μm image is used to derive an image of “silicate” dust extinction for the region. The color temperature, opacity, and extinction images show that IRc2 may not be the single dominant luminosity source for the BN/KL region; substantial contributions to the luminosity could be made by IRc7, BN, KL, and five new compact 10 μm sources detected within a few arcseconds of IRc2. We suggest that a luminous, early-type star near IRc2, which is associated with the compact radio source “I” and the Orion SiO maser, is the dominant luminosity source in the BN/KL region, hidden from view by cool dust material with at least Av ~ 60 mag of visible extinction.
Localization and morphological effects of technetium-99 on higher plant cells

Autoradiographic studies by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using technetium-95m (95mTc) as the radioactive label indicated extensive membrane incorporation of technetium: seventy-seven percent of the incorporated grains were associated with membranous structures. Uptake studies following pretreatment with99Tc involving Cs+, Cd++, SeO3−−, and thymidine revealed significant increases in active uptake relative to controls. To account for such uptake increases, the possible increase in cellular ATP levels due to technetium exposure is proposed. Excised soybean (Glycine max cv. Williams) seedling leaves directly exposed to 59.6μM99Tc for four hours resulted in plasmolysis and abnormally shaped nuclei and chloroplasts. Mature tissue studies indicated similar results. Consequently, leaf plasmolysis and other cell responses to99Tc previously observed by others following greater than 24 hours' exposure of intact seedlings to99Tc were produced within a few hours at appropriate99Tc concentrations and with direct exposures of leaves to99Tc solutions.
Irreducibility of Toeplitz C⋆-algebras

We probe the irreducibility of the Toeplitz C*-algebras generated by Toeplitz operators on Bergman and Hardy spaces associated with generalized upper half-planes in several complex variables.
Time course of alterations of rat liver polysome profiles induced by aflatoxin B1

Abstract Aflatoxin B 1 administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) as a single dose to rats at a dose level of 3 mg/kg (the ld 50 ) caused marked, but reversible, disaggregation of liver polysomes. Although disaggregation was not evident within 0.5 hr, it was extensive at 3 hr and persisted through 36 hr after dosing. Partial reaggregation began at 36 hr, and the process was essentially complete by 5 days after dosing.
Electric vehicle charging and wind power integration: Coupled or decoupled electricity market resources?

This study aims to investigate the synergetic benefit of wind power and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) to the power system and to each other. We consider the integration of wind power and intelligent charging of PEVs into the wholesale electricity market of the New York Control Area (NYCA). We use a data-based two-settlement energy market model for the NYCA and a commuter transportation model for New York State with 7,560 scenarios. They include curtailable and must-take wind power penetrations of up to 25%, PEV penetrations of up to 25% and Level 1/Level 2 mixtures of charger infrastructure in a span of 21 summer days in 2006. Preliminary results suggest that wind power and intelligently charged PEVs greatly benefit the NYCA as independent system-level resources. However, there does not appear to be noticeable system benefits and dispatch correlations from coupling must-take wind and PEVs. Consequently, the traditional view of synergy in the grid integration of wind power and PEV charging may not always hold, prompting the need for additional studies before designing the relevant energy policies.
Safety and Effectiveness of Oxaliplatin-Based Chemotherapy Regimens in Adults 75 Years and Older With Colorectal Cancer

Abstract Background Although the safety and efficacy of oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy regimens for colorectal cancer (CRC) have been demonstrated in adults ≥ 75 years of age who are enrolled in clinical trials, safety and effectiveness outside the trial setting are less established. Methods We retrospectively collected cases of patients ≥ 75 years of age who were diagnosed with stage III and metastatic CRC and initiated treatment between January 2000 and January 2007 at 2 academic hospitals in Boston, MA. Cases were matched in a 1:2 ratio to controls who were Results We identified 84 patients ≥ 75 years of age (25% ≥ 80 years) and 168 controls. In the cohort, 77% had colon cancer, 75% had metastatic disease, and 60% were receiving oxaliplatin as first-line therapy. There was no significant difference in grade ≥ 3 treatment-associated toxicities between the patients and the controls (71.4% vs. 68.5%, respectively; P = .63). Further there was no statistically significant difference between patients and controls for combined endpoints of any grade ≥ 3 toxicity or hospital/facility admission (P = .92). With a median follow-up of 52 months, 2-year overall survival was similar between patients and controls (43% vs. 52%, respectively; P = .87). Conclusion Older adults with stage III and metastatic CRC treated outside of a clinical trial experienced safety and effectiveness of oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy regimens that was comparable to that of younger adults.
The role of Trp-82 in the folding of intestinal fatty acid binding protein.

Multiple phases have been observed during the folding and unfolding of intestinal fatty acid binding protein (WT-IFABP) by stopped-flow fluorescence. Site-directed mutagenesis has been used to examine the role of each of the two tryptophans of this protein in these processes. The unfolding and refolding kinetics of the mutant protein containing only tryptophan 82 (W6Y-IFABP) showed that the tryptophan at this location was critical to the fluorescence signal changes observed throughout the unfolding reaction and early in the refolding reaction. However, the kinetic patterns of the mutant protein containing only tryptophan 6 (W82Y-IFABP) indicated that the tryptophan at this location participated in the fluorescence signal changes observed early in the unfolding reaction and late in the refolding reaction. Together, these data suggest that native-like structure was formed first in the vicinity of tryptophan 82, near the center of the hydrophobic core of this β-sheet protein, prior to formation of native-like structure in the periphery of the protein. Proteins 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Profiling Stress History from Piezocone Soundings

ABSTRACT A piezocone data base is compiled from 36 well-documented clay sites with known stress histories. Only transducer readings on the cone tip or just behind the tip were considered. The normalized excess pore pressure to effective overburden ratio (∆ u/σvo') indicated better trends with overconsolidation ratio (OCR) than the parameters (u/qc) and Bq = ∆ u/ (qc—σvo). A direct relationship was also observed between the measured excess pore pressure (∆ u) and effective preconsolidation pressure (σp'). Positive or negative values of pore pressure can apparently be measured behind the tip in heavily overconsolidated clays, while only positive values can occur at the tip. For the sake of consistency and simplicity of evaluation, this study suggests that standardization of piezocones place the porous element on the cone face. Alternatively, two transducers should be used.
Left ventricular pressure-volume and Frank-Starling relations in endurance athletes. Implications for orthostatic tolerance and exercise performance.

BACKGROUND Endurance athletes have a high incidence of orthostatic intolerance. We hypothesized that this is related to an abnormally large decrease in left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and stroke volume (SV) for any given decrease in filling pressure. METHODS AND RESULTS We measured pulmonary capillary wedge (PCW) pressure (Swan-Ganz catheter), LVEDV (two-dimensional echocardiography), and cardiac output (C2H2 rebreathing) during lower body negative pressure (LBNP, -15 and -30 mm Hg) and rapid saline infusion (15 and 30 ml/kg) in seven athletes and six controls (VO2max, 68 +/- 7 and 41 +/- 4 ml/kg/min). Orthostatic tolerance was determined by progressive LBNP to presyncope. Athletes had steeper slopes of their SV/PCW pressure curves than nonathletes (5.5 +/- 2.7 versus 2.7 +/- 1.5 ml/mm Hg, p less than 0.05). The slope of the steep, linear portion of this curve correlated significantly with the duration of LBNP tolerance (r = 0.58, p = 0.04). The athletes also had reduced chamber stiffness (increased chamber compliance) expressed as the slope (k) of the dP/dV versus P relation (chamber stiffness, k = 0.008 +/- 0.004 versus 0.031 +/- 0.004, p less than 0.005; chamber compliance, 1/k = 449.8 +/- 283.8 versus 35.3 +/- 4.3). This resulted in larger absolute and relative changes in end-diastolic volume over an equivalent range of filling pressures. CONCLUSIONS Endurance athletes have greater ventricular diastolic chamber compliance and distensibility than nonathletes and thus operate on the steep portion of their Starling curve. This may be a mechanical, nonautonomic cause of orthostatic intolerance.
Use of drawings in evaluating children who may be incest victims

Five semi-structured drawing tasks are described which have been helpful in evaluating children who may be incest victims. Such children can be asked to do a kinetic family drawing, a drawing of the alleged perpetrator, a drawing of their house, a drawing of their own body, or a drawing of a dream. In a sample of 19 alleged victims, all children under 12 drew freely and expressed relief at being asked to draw. Children 12 and over tended to accept a drawing task only if it was structured as diagramming. These tasks were also found to be helpful in evaluating brothers of alleged victims to determine how aware the boys were of the incest situation and how critical it was for them to be included in therapy. Such drawings can be collected in pediatric and gynecologic settings as well as in the playroom. Use of drawings allows the physician to respect the child's developmental needs while obtaining the information about the incest complaint necessary for medical, protective, and forensic purposes.
Studies of the mechanism of phenol hydroxylase: mutants Tyr289Phe, Asp54Asn, and Arg281Met

Three residues in the active site of the flavoprotein phenol hydroxylase (PHHY) were independently changed by site-directed mutagenesis. One of the mutant forms of PHHY, Tyr289Phe, is reduced by NADPH much slower than is the wild-type enzyme, although it has a slightly higher redox potential than the wild-type enzyme. In the structure of the wild-type enzyme, residue Tyr289 is hydrogen-bonded with the FAD when the latter is at the "out" position but has no direct contact with the flavin when it is "in". The oxidative half-reaction of PHHY is not significantly affected by this mutation, contrary to the concept that Tyr289 is a critical residue in the hydroxylation reaction [Enroth, C., Neujahr, H., Schneider, G., and Lindqvist, Y. (1998) Structure 6, 605-617; Ridder, L., Mullholland, A. J., Rietjens, I. M. C. M., and Vervoort, J. (2000) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 122, 8728-8738]. Tyr289 may help stabilize the FAD in the out conformation where it can be reduced by NADPH. For the Asp54Asn mutant form of PHHY, the initial step of the oxidative half-reaction is significantly slower than for the wild-type enzyme. Asp54Asn utilizes less than 20% of the reduced flavin for hydroxylating the substrate with the remainder forming H(2)O(2). Similar changes are observed when Arg281, a residue between Asp54 and the solvent, is mutated to Met. These two residues are suggested to be part of the active site environment the enzyme provides for the flavin cofactor to function optimally in the oxidative half-reaction. In the construction of the mutant forms of PHHY, it was determined that 11 of the previously reported amino acid residues in the sequence of PHHY were incorrect.
Susceptibility to dental caries.

— —The role of the pulp and saliva in caries susceptibility and resistance was evaluated by a combination of endodontic treatment and desalivation. Evidence was presented that the pulp plays a major role in caries susceptibility. Pulpal activity is modified by a hormonal factor or factors of salivary gland origin. Saliva appears to play a minor role in resistance to caries.
Effects of high-energy x-ray irradiation of selected scintillating fibers

Tracking detectors based on scintillating-fiber technology are being developed for the Solenoidal Detector Collaboration at the Superconducting Super Collider and for the D0 collaboration at Fermilab. An important aspect of this work is the effect of the intense radiation environment existing in the detector cores on the fibers. This paper presents preliminary results of a 2 MeV x-ray irradiation of selected fibers to a dose of 140 Krad, corresponding to some ten years of detector operation. Primary emphasis was placed on studying new Kuraray multiclad scintillating and clear fibers which have superior brightness, attenuation lengths, and mechanical robustness. Two types of Bicron single-clad scintillating fibers were also investigated.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
CHaracterization of CO binding sites on Rh{111} and Rh{331} surfaces by XPS and LEED: Comparison to EELS results

Abstract Changes in the nature of the binding site of chemisorbed CO on the Rh{111} and Rh{331} single crystal surfaces during adsorption and desorption have been monitored by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED). Two bonding states of molecular CO have been identified from the O 1s photoemission line. These states are assigned as atop and bridge-bonded species and are observed to be coverage and temperature dependent. On both surfaces atop sites are populated first and at higher CO coverages bridge sites are filled. On Rh{111} the bridge sites are filled at a CO coverage of θ CO ∼ 0.50 and their presence is correlated with a change in the LEED pattern. The presence of the step atoms on the Rh{331} surface markedly influenced the sequential filling of binding sites in comparison to that observed on the Rh{111} surface. A comparison of our data to previous Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) work on Rh{111} is in remarkable quantitative agreement with EELS peak heights.
Morality and aspiration in Bourgeois Dignity

Abstract Deirdre McCloskey's book, Bourgeois Dignity , sets out to refute the most reputable explanations of what she calls the Great Fact—that over the last few centuries, the wealth of industrialized nations has increased by a factor of at least sixteen. She also presents a positive thesis, namely that the Great Fact occurred when Western societies began to ascribe dignity and liberty to the bourgeoisie by changing their rhetoric. I argue that McCloskey's positive thesis can benefit from an illuminating moral psychological distinction between what Peter Strawson has called “social morality” and “individual ideal” or what I shall refer to as moral rules and personal ideals or aspirations. McCloskey's positive thesis can be mapped onto these two categories and thus separated into two distinct theses: the Imperatival Thesis and the Aspirational Thesis. The former holds that societies that stopped blaming and ostracizing the bourgeoisie for their characteristic activities were the first to develop, whereas the latter holds that societies stopped ostracizing the bourgeoisie and the bourgeoisie started innovating because they took on new aspirations and ideals. These twin theses help to explain how the ideas of dignity and rhetoric operate in Bourgeois Dignity . I also argue that the distinction connects McCloskey's positive thesis to a large field of empirical and theoretical work in evolutionary psychology and cognitive science.
Extrusion column chromatography on cellulose

Abstract Sugars, amino acids and transition metal complexes were shown to be separable by cellulose extrusion column chromatography. The technique may be correlated with cellulose thin-layer chromatography, as well as with paper methods.
Pet-1 deficiency alters the circadian clock and its temporal organization of behavior.

The serotonin and circadian systems are two important interactive regulatory networks in the mammalian brain that regulate behavior and physiology in ways that are known to impact human mental health. Previous work on the interaction between these two systems suggests that serotonin modulates photic input to the central circadian clock (the suprachiasmatic nuclei; SCN) from the retina and serves as a signal for locomotor activity, novelty, and arousal to shift the SCN clock, but effects of disruption of serotonergic signaling from the raphe nuclei on circadian behavior and on SCN function are not fully characterized. In this study, we examined the effects on diurnal and circadian behavior, and on ex vivo molecular rhythms of the SCN, of genetic deficiency in Pet-1, an ETS transcription factor that is necessary to establish and maintain the serotonergic phenotype of raphe neurons. Pet-1−/− mice exhibit loss of rhythmic behavioral coherence and an extended daily activity duration, as well as changes in the molecular rhythms expressed by the clock, such that ex vivo SCN from Pet-1−/− mice exhibit period lengthening and sex-dependent changes in rhythmic amplitude. Together, our results indicate that Pet-1 regulation of raphe neuron serotonin phenotype contributes to the period, precision and light/dark partitioning of locomotor behavioral rhythms by the circadian clock through direct actions on the SCN clock itself, as well as through non-clock effects.
The Soft Power Currencies of US Navy Hospital Ship Missions

The Tsunami in South-East Asia in 2004 prompted the largest military disaster response in history. Encouraged by the success, increasing attention has been paid to the various humanitarian assistance and disaster relief activities conducted by US armed forces. Since 2006, the US Navy deploys one of its two large hospital ships in annual missions to either Central and South America or the Asia-Pacific region to provide people in need with free care. These missions offer many opportunities to increase the soft power capital of the United States by forging ties with host nation governments and improving the image of the United States within the local population. However, this article argues that we need more research on the impact of humanitarian assistance to justify a continuation in a fiscally constrained environment.
Xenomorphism, bioimmuration, and biologic substrates: an example from the Cretaceous of Brazil

Lopha ramicola Beurlen, 1964, from the Upper Cretaceous of Brazil is illustrated as an example of xenomorphism and bioimmuration on an unknown, possibly botanical, substrate not preserved in the fossil record. The shells preserve a sharp negative replica of the biologic substrate on the attached valve and a protruding positive replica, including a geometric pattern of nodes, on the unattached valve.
Identification of the Most Significant Processing Parameters on the Development of Fiber Waviness in Thin Laminates

This paper identifies the material and processing parameters which most significantly influence the development of in-plane waviness in laminates. Thin laminates of unidirectional, T300 carbon-fiber/polysulfone matrix prepreg were processed in an autoclave and a custom-made water-cooled chamber, which allowed fast cooling rates. Multivariate regression analysis of process-induced waviness was performed for combinations of the select process variables and their interactions to identify those factors responsible for waviness development. Of the eight parameters investigated – hold temperature, hold time, pressure, length, width, thickness, cooling rate, and tool plate material – only three affected the development of fiber waviness: length, cooling rate, and tool plate material. Length affects not only the number of wrinkles and wrinkle distribution, but also the average amplitude of the waviness. Cooling rate affects the wavelength and amplitude of the waviness, as well as the number of wrinkles. Tool plat...
Attitudes of health workers toward old people.

: The Tuckman-Lorge Questionnaire was used to study the attitudes of three groups of health workers toward old people and to test their acceptance of geriatric stereotypes. The health workers tested were medical students, house staff members, and members of a mobile psychogeriatric screening team. Many significant differences were found between and within the groups tested, as well as between male and female subjects. The female house- staff had extremely high and significantly different scores from all other groups. The geriatric staff adhered least to the stereotypes. The results are discussed in the framework that the attitudes of care givers are directly related to the quality of the care provided. It is hypothesized that female house staff members have special difficulties with role conflicts that cause them to adhere to stereotypes of the aged. The milieu of geriatric treatment, rather than knowledge of statistics about old people, is the most effective background for positive changes in attitudes toward the elderly.