cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Progressively Intensified Chemotherapy: A Phase II Trial in Patients with Multiple Myeloma.

Background: A number of randomized and non-randomized studies have demonstrated the efficacy of the high-dose therapy with stem cell rescue. The efficacies of these treatment modalities were mainly related to the degree of myeloablation and destruction of the bone marrow microenvironment. We decided to evaluate the efficacy and toxicities of a progressively intensified chemotherapy followed by stem cell rescue in patients with multiple myeloma. Methods : Between 1997 and 2000 twenty-eight patients (median age, 51years; range 38–70) consecutively enrolled in this study. Patients received VAD combination chemotherapy as induction regimen. Blood progenitor cells were collected following two cycles of cyclophosphamide, etoposide and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). The chemotherapy intensified by giving melphalan at a dose of 140 mg/m 2 and mitoxantrone at a dose of 60 mg/m 2 on day -7of 1 st myeloablation followed by stem cell rescue on day 0. Between 56–94 days following 1 st transplant patients received 2 nd intensification by Melphalan at a dose of 200 mg/m 2 on day -3 of 2 nd myeloablation followed by stem cell rescue on day 0. After recovery from 2 nd intensification patients received Interferon-alfa2b and prednison as maintenance therapy for 18 months. Results: After induction there was 7%(2) complete response (CR), 72%(20) partial response and in 21%(6) their disease progressed (PD). Following escalation with cyclophosphamide and etoposide the CR rate was 21%(6), with 86%(24) overall response. After dose intensification with melphalan, mitoxantrone and 1 st stem cell rescue the CR increased to 61%(17) with 89%(25) overall response. Following 2 nd dose intensification with melphalan and stem cell rescue the CR increased to 68%(18) and overall response reached to 90%(24) Most non-hematologic toxicities were in the range of grade 0–2. Mucositis and diarrhea were the most severe toxicities associated with 1 st and 2 nd intensification. After median duration of follow up of 66.67 months the survival probability was 56.47% with 95 percent confidence interval of 42.65% and 70.29%. Conclusion: Our study suggests that combination of cyclophosphamide with etoposide could induce remission in significant number of patients prior to aphresis and by decreasing tumor burden could reduce stem-cell contamination ( in vivo purging). Also mitoxantrone in addition to melphalan as a standard preparative regimen could result in high rates of complete remission and overall response, which could be translated in to better overall survival.
Sezary Syndrome Is a Malignancy of Central Memory T Cells with Skin Homing Properties, While Mycosis Fungoides Is a Malignancy of Skin Homing Effector Memory T Cells.

Abstract 3954 Poster Board III-890 The relationship between leukemic CTCL (L-CTCL), which includes Sezary Syndrome (SS), and mycosis fungoides (MF), a CTCL variant characterized by infiltration of skin, is incompletely understood. In the present study, we examined skin and/or peripheral blood from more than 300 patients with diagnoses of CTCL accrued over a five year period. We identified a subset of patients with leukemic CTCL, all of whom had absolute CD4 counts >2000, CD4/CD8 ratios of > 10, and other features of SS (loss of CD7 and/or CD26). Using specific TCR-Vb antibodies, we could identify malignant clonal populations from CD4+/CD8- peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 12 L-CTCL patients, and performed comprehensive analysis of the malignant clones by flow cytometry. With regard to skin-associated trafficking markers, we found consistently high CCR4 expression, but very heterogeneous expression of CCR6, CCR10 and CLA. Lymph-node homing molecules CCR7 and L-selectin were consistently expressed at high levels on the malignant clonal cells. CD45RA-to-CD45RO ratios, which typically distinguish between non-malignant naive and antigen-experienced CD4 T cells, were unexpectedly variable from patient to patient. However, CD27, whose expression is lost in normal T cells upon effector/memory cell differentiation, was highly expressed by all malignant clonal cells in SS/L-CTCL. We compared this pattern to the expression of homing and maturation markers on malignant cells extracted from lesional skin of patients with MF. These cells reliably expressed CLA and CCR4, but expressed very low levels of CCR7 and L selectin. In addition, they expressed low levels of CD27. Based on this evidence, L-CTCL/SS appears to be a T central-memory cell CD4-lymphocyte malignancy that, with the exception of CCR4, has variable expression of the putative skin-homing markers CLA, CCR6, or CCR10. This is in direct contrast to MF, wherein clonal T cells in lesional skin bear uniform expression of some skin-homing markers but low expression of central memory markers. These data support a growing body of evidence that SS/L-CTCL and MF are fundamentally different malignancies, rather than different clinical stages of a single disease. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Technologies to increase PV hosting capacity in distribution feeders

This paper studies the distributed photovoltaic (PV) hosting capacity in distribution feeders by using the stochastic analysis approach. Multiple scenario simulations are conducted to analyze several factors that affect PV hosting capacity, including the existence of voltage regulator, PV location, the power factor of PV inverter and Volt/VAR control. Based on the conclusions obtained from simulation results, three approaches are then proposed to increase distributed PV hosting capacity, which can be formulated as the optimization problem to obtain the optimal solution. All technologies investigated in this paper utilize only existing assets in the feeder and therefore are implementable for a low cost. Additionally, the tool developed for these studies is described.
What Is Islam? The Importance of Being Islamic

What Is Islam? is both a substantive critique of the field of Islamic studies and a radical reconceptualization of ‘Islam’/‘Islamic’ that seeks to account for the manifold and often mutually contra...
A detailed spectroscopic analysis of the growth of oxy-carbon species on the surface of Pt/Al2O3 during propane oxidation

Abstract The growth of oxygenated carbonaceous (oxy-carbon) species on the surface of Pt/Al2O3 during total oxidation of propane is analyzed in detail—including their composition, their location on the catalyst surface, their reactivity, and their role in the propane oxidation mechanism—by in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). Platinum nanoparticles catalyze the transformation of propane into many different oxy-carbon surface species, including acetate, enolate, aliphatic ester, and acetone, which spillover and grow on the Al2O3 support. There is no correlation between the concentration of oxy-carbon surface species and the rate of CO2 production in the gas-phase, which indicates that these species are inert spectators in the propane oxidation mechanism. Temperature-programmed oxidation of the oxy-carbon surface species reveals that enolate, aliphatic ester, and acetone species are removed from the surface by combustion at similar temperatures with an activation barrier of 112 kJ/mol, whereas acetate species are removed at higher temperatures with an activation barrier of 147 kJ/mol. Both the formation and combustion of oxy-carbon surface species occur in pathways that are parallel to, and orders-of-magnitude slower than, the main pathway to CO2 production.
Current pulses in wind-blown corona discharges

Abstract The effect of winds upon the current pulses (Trichel pulses) in negative point-to-plane corona discharges has been studied in an environmental wind tunnel. The static pressure in the tunnel was (760 ± 10) Torr and the free-stream velocities ranged from 1–18 m/sec. Different wind directions were investigated. With the air flow perpendicular to or anti-parallel to the electron current, a very pronounced increase in the average charge per pulse was observed. On the other hand, when the wind was blowing parallel to the electron current, very little change was found. Most of the effects observed have been explained by interaction between the air flow and the negative ionic space charge in the cathode region.
Antihypertensive drug therapy.

Lifestyle measures plus antihypertensive drug therapy should be used to treat adults with hypertension (1-4). Adults with clinical cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke) should have their blood pressure reduced below 130/80 mmHg for secondary prevention of recurrent cardiovascular disease events (4).
Characterizing the HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist Device Outflow Using Particle Image Velocimetry

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are implanted in patients with a diseased ventricle to maintain peripheral perfusion as a bridge-to-transplant or as destination therapy. However, some patients with continuous flow VADs (e.g., HeartMate II (HMII)) have experienced gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, in part caused by the proteolytic cleavage or mechanical destruction of von Willebrand factor (vWF), a clotting glycoprotein. in vitro studies were performed to measure the flow located within the HMII outlet cannula under both steady and physiological conditions using particle image velocimetry (PIV). Under steady flow, a mock flow loop was used with the HMII producing a flow rate of 3.2 L/min. The physiological experiment included a pulsatile pump operated at 105 BPM with a ventricle filling volume of 50 mL and in conjunction with the HMII producing a total flow rate of 5.0 L/min. Velocity fields, Reynolds normal stresses (RNSs), and Reynolds shear stresses (RSSs) were analyzed to quantify the outlet flow's potential contribution to vWF degradation. Under both flow conditions, the HMII generated principal Reynolds stresses that are, at times, orders of magnitude higher than those needed to unfurl vWF, potentially impacting its physiological function. Under steady flow, principal RNSs were calculated to be approximately 500 Pa in the outlet cannula. Elevated Reynolds stresses were observed throughout every phase of the cardiac cycle under physiological flow with principal RNSs approaching 1500 Pa during peak systole. Prolonged exposure to these conditions may lead to acquired von Willebrand syndrome (AvWS), which is accompanied by uncontrollable bleeding episodes.
Comments on Cole et al. (1992). II The intracaldera «Galluccio Tuff» and «Garofali Formation»

Basandosi sul rinvenimento, awenuto nella caldera sommitale del vulcano di Roccamonfina, di un deposito di sedimenti lacustri separati dal sottostante Tufo Trachitico Bianco di Giannetti e Luhr (1983) per il tramite di un paleosuolo, Coleet al. (1992) ritengono che detto tufo (che essi chiamano «Galluccio Tuff», «GT») si sia formato in piu di un evento eruttivo. Tuttavia, un sedimento lacustre non implica necessariamente un evento eruttivo, cosicche il GT intracalderico di Coleet al. (1992) non risulta rappresentato da eventi eruttivi ben distinti nel tempo. In realta, la parte intracalderica del Tufo Bianco consiste di 4 unita separate da paleosuoli. In particolare, l’unita contenente grosse pomici basali appare correlabile con l’Unita E della stratigrafia del Tufo Bianco quale riconosciuta da Giannetti, mentre i depositi intra-calderici attribuiti al GT da Coleet al. (1992) corrispondono alla Unita B della sequenza stratigrafica in parola. Secondo Coleet al. (1992), i depositi intracalderici di GT si succederebbero verso l’alto con la «Formazione di Garofali», che sarebbe costituita da «unita» e «membri» piu basici del Tufo di Galluccio. Inoltre, estesi laghi intracalderici si sarebbero formati durante l’eruzione di GT e nelle fasi iniziali della Formazione di Garofali, mentre effimeri laghi caratterizzerebbero quest’ultima formazione durante le fasi finali della sua storia. In realta, le trachiti della Formazione di Garofali costituiscono unita del Tufo Bianco, e soltanto le trachiandesiti ed i trachibasalti rappresentano termini autonomi posteriori al Tufo Bianco. Inoltre, durante le fasi iniziali della attivita di quest’ultimo non si formarono bacini lacustri intracalderici, mentre un esteso lago e localizzati, effimeri laghi si originarono durante le fasi centrale e finali dell’eruzione del Tufo Bianco, rispettivamente nel settore centrale ed in settori periferici della caldera. Infine, effimeri laghi intracalderici si formarono anche successivamente all’eruzione del Tufo Bianco. A differenza di quanto ammettono Coleet al. (1992), e improbabile che l’eruzione del Tufo Bianco abbia causato significative modificazioni della cinta calderica.
Real time observation of viscoelastic creep of a polymer coating by scanning probe microscope

We have developed a new technique of using the scanning probe microscope to measure the marring resistance that is a very desirable characteristic of clearcoats used in the automotive industry. With its high resolution, SPM can also be used to investigate the marring mechanism, and provide useful information in development of highly mar resistant coatings. In this paper, we will report a real time observation of viscoelastic creep which can result in a partial or complete healing of a marred surface. Based on the experimental data, a preliminary analysis of the recovery rate, recoverable deformation, and permanent deformation is presented.
Information and Decision

The relation between decision and information is clearly an intimate one — in making decisions, we often need to seek information, and information we may acquire is generally put to use in some decision-making context. This close relationship has led some to argue that information can not (or should not) be treated in abstraction from decision-making, that a decision component should be a key feature in any conceptual framework for a science of information. I want first to argue against this position, though I’ll shortly qualify my argument in an important way.
The Cerebellum and Movement Precision

The cerebellum is essential for the full perfection of a wide variety of bodily movements. Once considered to be “the head ganglion of the propriosensory system,” it is now apparent that the cerebellum contrib- utes to all brain activities that are ultimately expressed in movement. To accomplish this role, the cerebellum receives sensory information of all kinds (except, perhaps, visceral, olfactory, and taste) from all parts of the body, information about motor commands from the descending systems, and a diversity of reprocessed information from higher brain structures, including, most prominently, the cerebral cortex. In turn, the cerebel- lum’s output is sent to all of the motor control systems of the brain. The cerebellum is best known clinically for its contribution to the coordination of skeletomotor movement; clinical signs of cerebellar dysfunction are ataxia of limb and eye movements, postural disturbances, and decreased muscle tone. In this chapter, let’s examine the cerebellar processing circuit and see how its design enables it to contribute precise timing to specific muscle contractions.
Evaluation of neuraxial anesthesia in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps)

Abstract Objective To assess the feasibility, success rate, onset, duration and extent of motor/sensory block following intrathecal injection of lidocaine in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps). Study design Prospective experimental study. Animals A group of eight adult bearded dragons (0.333 ± 0.048 kg). Methods The animals were sedated with alfaxalone (15 mg kg−1) subcutaneously. Neuraxial injections were performed with 1% lidocaine (2 mg kg−1) or 0.9% sodium chloride (0.2 mL kg−1) in all animals with a 7 day interval. If the initial injection did not result in motor block of the pelvic limbs within 10 minutes, a second injection was performed at the same dose. Measurements consisted of bilateral mechanical stimulation of limbs; 25%, 50%, and 75% of the trunk’s length; and cloacal tone. Animals were monitored for any untoward side effects by monitoring heart rate (HR), respiratory rate, righting reflex and head position. Results Success rate following the first injection of lidocaine was 50% (four out of eight animals) and increased to 75% (six out of eight animals) following a second injection. Onset of motor/sensory block occurred within 5 minutes in all successful injections. Duration and extent were variable, with most bearded dragons presenting motor/sensory block of cloaca and pelvic limbs (six out of six) and 25% of the trunk (five out of six) with mean ± standard deviation (range) duration of 49 ± 28 (25–100), 48 ± 25 (25–90) and 40 ± 14 (25–50) minutes, respectively. Confirmation of intrathecal injection by aspiration of cerebrospinal fluid was not possible. Neuraxial lidocaine significantly increased depth and duration of sedation, with a transient increase in HR, compared with saline. Conclusion and clinical relevance Neuraxial lidocaine is a feasible technique with moderate success rate and low risk of complication in bearded dragons. This technique has potential for improving the management of anesthesia in this species.
Clinical diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of the epiploic appendagitis

Background The Epiploic Appendagitis is an uncommon pathology arising from the torsion or spontaneous venous thrombosis of the veins responsible for the drainage of the apoptotic appendages Aim The purpose of this research is to report the characteristics of this disease Method The review includes articles published in papers indexed in the Scielo and PubMed databases over the last eight years The following headings were crossing Epiploic Appendagitis differential diagnosis of Appendagitis and diagnostic methods of Appendagitis and their respective literal translations in English were selected articles used for database Results Although there is discordance in the literature the male sex is more frequently affected by this pathology The characteristic manifestation is acute non migratory abdominal pain most often located in the lower left quadrant of the abdomen The diagnosis is made from images from the Computed Tomography The treatment occurs outpatient and provides for administration of analgesic and anti inflammatory Conclusion A correct initial approach avoids invasive and unnecessary procedures
The Prostitute as Muse and Model: Modernist Aesthetics in Michael Ondaatje’s Coming through Slaughter

What you see in his pictures is her mind jumping that far back to when she would dare to imagine the future, parading with love or money on a beautiful anonymous cloth arm. Remembering all that as ...
ФОРЕНЗИК КАК ОТДЕЛЬНЫЙ ВИД ЭКСПЕРТНОГО ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ В ЭКОНОМИКЕ

The article considers the term "forensic", new for Russian economic theory and practice, that means "forensic science" from English. Its importance and implementation is justified by the increasing number of cases of widespread financial fraud. Forensic is just intended for their regulation and prevention. The conducted systematization of scientific publications testifies to the accumulation and theoretical generalization of materials that provide the basis for the formation of forensic as a separate type of expert research. Forensic is a certain niche in the professional sphere and is endowed with such mandatory attributes as rationality, neutrality and independence. The main goal of the forensic investigation is the disclosure of fraud, in general which includes the identification of those involved, the formation of evidence base, the establishment of facts and mechanisms of fraudulent activity. Forensic is held at the invitation of managers, investors and shareholders to identify not only additional resources, but also possible risks of the organization. It is indicated that underground economy, fraudulent activity can serve as an object of forensic. The forensic classification is proposed for corporate (internal) and forensic counterparties (external). In addition, we should pay attention to a rather new direction in the field of computer forensics with a similar name - forensic, which can be part of the forensic investigation. It is revealed that experts in the field of forensic use to a greater extent accounting and auditing procedures in their activities. Despite the forensic similarity to the audit and forensic accounting expertise, there are still distinctive features that are discussed in the article. Spheres of additional knowledge necessary for a specialist to work in the field of forensic are: sociology, psychology, criminal law, business law, law enforcement, business and finance, information systems, communism. It is concluded that the consolidation at the legislative level of the main provisions and standards concerning specialists in the field of forensic is necessary in the current conditions of management.
Reivindicar la cercanía entre los feminismos poscoloniales y decoloniales con base en Spivak y Rivera Cusicanqui

espanolEn los ultimos anos, se han puesto los feminismos poscoloniales y decoloniales en contra unos de otros. En este articulo, argumento a favor de tratarlos como emparentados, yuxtaponiendo algunas de las ideas que he hallado en los escritos de Gayatri Spivak y Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui. Ninguna de ellas se presenta como feminista poscolonial o decolonial, aunque sus obras son citadas con frecuencia en referencia a estos campos. Ambas se enfrentan al espinoso tema de la representacion de la subalternidad y la indigeneidad, no solo en la academia eurocentrica, sino tambien entre academicos migrantes y diasporicos y en las elites nacionales. Afirmo que son sus criticas persistentes a la representacion lo que permite promover un dialogo entre la academia feminista poscolonial y decolonial. Esos dialogos conllevan la necesidad de pasar por encima de limitaciones linguisticas, historicas, geograficas, politicas y teoricas para entablar alianzas anticoloniales. EnglishIn the last few years, postcolonial and decolonial feminisms have been pitched against each other. In this commentary I make a case for treating them as kin. I do so by juxtaposing some of the ideas found in the writing of Gayatri Spivak and Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui. Neither claims to be a postcolonial or decolonial feminist, though their writings are regularly cited in reference to these fields. Both grapple with the thorny matter of representing subalternity and indigeneity, not only in Eurocentric scholarship, but also by migrant and diasporic academics and national elites. I contend that it is their persistent critiques of representation that can help foster a dialogue between postcolonial and decolonial feminist scholarship. Such dialogues entail reaching across linguistic, historical, geographical, political, and theoretical boundaries to establish anti-colonial alliances
Across the great divide: pluralism and the hunt for missing heritability

Genetic explanation of complex human behavior presents an excellent test case for pluralism. Although philosophers agree that successful scientific investigation of behavior is pluralistic, there remains disagreement regarding integration and elimination—is the plurality of approaches here to stay, or merely a waystation on the road to monism? In this paper we introduce an issue taken very seriously by scientists yet mostly ignored by philosophers—the missing heritability problem—and assess its implications for disagreement among pluralists. We argue that the missing heritability problem, which isn’t going anywhere any time soon, implies that pluralism in behavior genetics is both practically ineliminative and theoretically non-integrative.
Incorporating minimal user input into deep-learning-based image segmentation

Computer-assisted image segmentation techniques could help clinicians to perform the border delineation task faster with lower inter-observer variability. Recently, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are widely used for automatic image segmentation. In this study, we used a technique to involve observer inputs for supervising CNNs to improve the accuracy of the segmentation performance. We added a set of sparse surface points as an additional input to supervise the CNNs for more accurate image segmentation. We tested our technique by applying minimal interactions to supervise the networks for segmentation of the prostate on magnetic resonance images. We used U-Net and a new network architecture that was based on U-Net (dual-input path [DIP] U-Net), and showed that our supervising technique could significantly increase the segmentation accuracy of both networks as compared to fully automatic segmentation using U-Net. We also showed DIP U-Net outperformed U-Net for supervised image segmentation. We compared our results to the measured inter-expert observer difference in manual segmentation. This comparison suggests that applying about 15 to 20 selected surface points can achieve a performance comparable to manual segmentation.
A New Method For Studying Exoplanet Atmospheres Using Planetary Infrared Excess

To date, the ability for observers to reveal the composition or thermal structure of an exoplanet's atmosphere has rested on two techniques: high-contrast direct imaging and time-series observations of transiting exoplanets. The former is currently limited to characterizing young, massive objects while the latter requires near 90 degree orbital inclinations, thus limiting atmospheric studies to a small fraction of the total exoplanet population. Here we present an observational and analysis technique for studying the atmospheres of non-transiting exoplanets that relies on acquiring simultaneous, broad-wavelength spectra and resolving planetary infrared emission from the stellar spectrum. This method could provide an efficient means to study exoplanet atmospheric dynamics using sparsely-sampled phase curve observations or a mechanism to search for signs of life on non-transiting exoplanets orbiting the nearest M-dwarf stars (such as Proxima Centauri). If shown to be effective with James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations, the method of measuring planetary infrared excess (PIE) would open up the large population of nearby, non-transiting exoplanets for atmospheric characterization.
A resilient hierarchical distributed model of a cyber physical system

We present a novel modelling scheme to develop a resilient hierarchical distributed model of industrial cyber-physical systems amenable to feedback control. It advances the current research work on...
Against the Tide: A Critical Review by Scientists of How Physics and Astronomy Get Done edited by Martin Lopez Corredoira and Carlos Castro Perelman

When, many years ago, I frequented the Physics Library of the University of Michigan, there was a cabinet that held a number of books that were characterized as “Weird Physics,” or some similar title. As I recall, the books were kept under glass and locked up. I can only wonder if it is still there, or whether other Physics Departments have some similar arrangement. (And not only Physics Departments!) But what happens to the humans who write such books? No longer are they burned at the stake (like Giordano Bruno), held under house arrest (like Galileo), or consigned to prison (Cf. USSR). But they have their punishments, nonetheless.All members of the Society for Scientific Exploration (SSE), I am sure, know the high price to be paid for the research of taboo topics. Many have experienced the subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, hints to forget the subject altogether. Others have experienced the early derailment or termination of otherwise promising careers, the snickering dismissal by the toadies of dominant paradigms, and the worse consignment of taboo researchers by the powerful to various academic limbos for looking into forbidden subjects. The temptation to present my own trials is strong, but I will resist it. For we all have our own stories to tell. And we all hope for historical vindication.
Marginal Allografts in Liver Transplantation Have a Limited Impact on Length of Stay.

The study of marginal liver transplant outcomes, including post-transplant length of stay (LOS), is necessary for determining the practicality of their use. 50,155 patients who received transplants from 2012 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed with data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients database using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multivariable Cox regression. Six different definitions were used to classify an allograft as being marginal: 90th percentile Donor Risk Index allografts, donation after cardiac death donors, national share donors, donors over 70, donors with >30% macrovesicular steatosis, or 90th percentile Discard Risk Index donors. 24% (n = 12,124) of subjects received marginal allografts. Average LOS was 15.6 days among those who received standard allografts. Among those who received marginal allografts, LOS was found to be highest in those who received 90th percentile Donor Risk Index allografts at 15.6 days, and lowest in those who received donation after cardiac death allografts at 12.7 days. Apart from fatty livers (95% CI 0.86 - 0.98), marginal allografts were not associated with a prolonged LOS. We conclude that accounting for experience and recipient matching, transplant centers may be more aggressive in their use of extended criteria donors with limited fear of increasing LOS and its associated costs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Socioeconomic Distance as a Determinant of Female Autonomy and Child Welfare

We quantify the impact of network-based learning and influence on measures of female power and child nutrition in rural India. Empowering women to have greater say in child rearing may generate greater and more lasting benefits to children than nutrition supplementation. While researchers have used proxy reports or correlates like caste to trace networks, we map networks by surveying friends of respondents. We use participation in a women's education program to identify increases in female power, as well as stronger and more diverse networks. We study the ways in which networks affect individuals, namely learning and influence. Finally, we characterize the benefits of using survey data rather than proxies to identify networks. Our results linking networks to child nutrition should also inform child health policy.
Fractal Propagators and the Asymptotic Sectors of Quantum Field Theory

Propagators for charged fermions no longer follow the prescription of perturbative quantum field theory in the deep infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) sectors of particle physics. They acquire a fractal structure from radiative corrections contributed by gauge bosons. Here we show how fractal propagators in QFT may be analyzed using fractional field theory on space-times having minimal deviations from four-dimensionality ( D = 4 - e, e << 1 ). An intriguing consequence of this approach is the emergence of classical gravity as long-range and ultra-weak excitation of the Higgs condensate.
Natural Transformations as Rewrite Rules and Monad Composition

Eklund et al. (2002) present a graphical technique aimed at simplifying the verification of various category-theoretic constructions, notably the composition of monads. In this note we take a different approach involving string rewriting. We show that a given tuple $(T,\mu,\eta)$ is a monad if and only if $T$ is a terminal object in a certain category of strings and rewrite rules, and that this fact can be established by proving confluence of the rewrite system. We illustrate the technique on the monad composition problem. We also give a characterization of adjunctions in terms of rewrite categories.
Vision based automatic surveillance towards a smart application

Intelligent vision based surveillance has been an important research issue of distributed computing and communication in the future. Since the smart applications are implemented on cyberspace, how to control smart objects and to increase the degree of self awareness has been a challenging issue. This paper was addressed in a vision-based surveillance smart application. An Extended Petri Net was proposed for modeling the vision-based surveillance smart application. This proposed system not only provided the hyperspace facilities but also gave the certainly smart/intelligent fusion for receiver’s needs. Our testbed were focused on the swing and slide those were very common facilities in the park field or playground. We constructed several surveillance cameras with the different specified position and view angle. To obtain the moving objects which were grabbed video and it could be analyzed the potential dangers in real time. We believe that the more smart applications can be developed the more smart real world will be come true in near future.
Interactive effects of nutrition, environment, and rat-strain on cortical and vertebral bone geometry and biomechanics

Because of differences between rodent experiments on USSR and USA spaceflights, the present experiment was designed to generate comparative data about the sensitivity of cortical (humerus) and vertebral (T7) bones to cage environment, diet, and rat-strain differences. For 2 weeks (48-62 d), male Taconic-Sprague-Dawley and Czechoslovakian-Wistar rats were maintained in flight-simulation cages (1 rat/cage = USA, 10 rats/cage = USSR) and fed either USSR or USA diets. All rats increased (greater than 60%) their body mass during the two weeks, and there were no differences among humeral lengths for the different groups. Rats in USSR cages had significantly larger total and medullary cross-sectional areas for the humerus, and the cross-sectional areas of T7 of Taconic rats were greater than the Czech rats. USSR caging resulted in significantly enhanced structural and material properties in rat humeri, while the USA diet produced significantly greater humeral maximum and failure loads. The flexural rigidity of the Czech-rat humeri was significantly greater than the Taconic rats. Humeri from Czech rats on the USA diet had significantly greater material properties in the elastic-loading region than did Taconic rats on the USSR diet. Further, the humeral failure loads of Taconic rats on the USSR diet were more adversely affected by USA cages than were the Czech rats on the USSR diet. In T7 vertebrae, no significant structural differences were found among the groups, but material properties were influenced by all three factors; generally, the combination of factors that produced the significantly greater T7 material properties was: USSR caging, USSR diet, and the Czech strain of rat.
Machine-independent complexity theory

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses machine-independent complexity theory. The familiar measures of computational complexity are time and space. Time is considered as the number of discrete steps in a computation, and space as the number of distinct storage locations accessed by the instructions of the computation. The machines consist of a finite-state program with access to an input tape and a single storage tape. Recorded on the input tape is an input word, a nonnull, finite string of characters from some finite input alphabet. Recorded on the storage tape is a string of characters from the fixed, binary alphabet. The initial content of the storage tape is the trivial word 0 of length 1. A separate tape head is maintained in some position, initially the leftmost one, on each of the two tapes. The finite-state program consists of a finite set of states, one of which is designated as the initial one, and a finite function indicating how each next computational action depends on the visible display of the current total state of the entire machine.
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome

The neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a rare phenomenon that continues to generate controversy. By definition, for its diagnosis NMS requires exposure to drugs that alter dopaminergic function [i.e. neuroleptics (antipsychotics)]. The symptoms of NMS include hyperthermia, extrapyramidal side effects (EPS), altered mental status and autonomic dysfunction. Some investigators have viewed NMS as a variant of drug-induced hyperthermia, while others (including ourselves) have adopted the viewpoint that NMS is an extreme end of the spectrum of extrapyramidal disorders that can occur with fever. The true incidence of NMS is difficult to determine. The lack of established criteria for its diagnosis, by necessity, causes reports of incidence to vary. Young males appear to be more predisposed to NMS, but the reason for this is uncertain. There is some evidence to suggest that patients with organic brain disease may have a higher mortality rate. Cessation of treatment with neuroleptics should always occur in patients with severe NMS, i.e. where rigidity interferes with breathing, eating and drinking. Our treatment strategy involves treating the key elements of NMS — rigidity and elevated temperature. Initially, vigorous efforts should be made to reverse neuro-leptic-induced rigidity with anticholinergics and intercurrent medical workup. If anticholinergics are ineffective (after up to 7 days’ administration) bromocriptine is a rational substitute. After an episode of presumptive NMS, we recommend a 2-week period free of neuroleptics, followed by the use of an atypical neuroleptic such as clozapine or risperidone. The use of low dose neuroleptic regimens, atypical neuroleptics and concomitant use of benzodiazepines may significantly reduce the occurrence of NMS and potentially avoid this condition.
Prosecutors and Corrupt Science

Scientific evidence has made dramatic and well publicized contributions to improving the factual accuracy of criminal convictions. A 1996 Department of Justice study documented twenty-eight cases in which DNA evidence revealed that innocent defendants had been wrongly convicted, many serving substantial prison terms. Over and over in recent years, newspaper headlines have announced DNA exonerations and wrongful convictions. The 2000 book, Actual Innocence, details sixty-two of the Innocence Project’s first DNA exonerations of wrongfully convicted defendants. The Innocence Project’s most recent data reveals 212 such exonerations. Other similar projects from around the country tell the same sad stories. In these cases, scientific evidence in the form of DNA has helped reveal the truth years after a trial had produced an inaccurate conviction. A sinister aspect of forensic science, though, has also come to light in recent years. Ironically, scientific evidence in the form of DNA testing has at times revealed that previous use of corrupt scientific evidence at trial helped bring about a wrongful conviction. Indeed, later valid DNA testing has in some cases revealed that prior corrupt DNA testing helped send an innocent person to jail. An investigation of Fred Zain, the former head serologist at the West Virginia State Police Crime Laboratory, for example, showed that between 1979 and 1989, he falsified test results in as many as 134 cases, almost always in favor of the prosecution. In State v. Woodall, DNA evidence showed in a post-conviction proceeding that Glen Dale Woodall was innocent and led to an investigation of the blood tests by
The IMF's work on financial soundness indicators

The Asian Crisis in 1997–98 revealed major gaps in statistical coverage of the domestic financial sector and the external sector that permitted serious vulnerabilities to go undetected. Such gaps meant that national authorities lacked information needed to take timely and appropriate steps to improve conditions, and that the IMF did not have sufficient information for an effective oversight of the economies of its member countries. In response to this situation, the IMF launched several major statistical initiatives to improve coverage of potential financial and external vulnerabilities – the Template on International Reserves and Foreign-Currency Liquidity, External Debt Statistics, and Financial Soundness Indicators. This paper will focus on Financial Soundness Indicators, or FSIs, which are aggregate measures of the current financial health and soundness of the financial institutions in a country and of their corporate and household counterparties. It will briefly describe the history of the FSI project and the development of the FSI methodology; the results of an international coordinated compilation exercise undertaken by the IMF and participating member countries; some key methodological challenges; and possible next steps for taking forward the work of the IMF in this area.
Ramifications of Recent U.S. Supreme Court Decisions on Federal and State Securities Regulation

In a decision that delighted "deep pockets," shocked the plaintiffs' bar, and befuddled neutral observers, the Supreme Court in Central Bank of Denver v. First Interstate Bank of Denver held that aiding and abetting liability in private actions may not be imposed under section 10 (b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or under rule 10b-5. The Court's decision swept away decades of lower court precedent that nearly universally recognized the propriety of such secondary liability under the statute and rule. This Article focuses on recent Supreme Court decisions construing the federal securities laws and thereafter turns to the ramifications of those decisions from both a government enforcement and private complainant perspective. Theories and strategies that should be pursued by such litigants are addressed. The federal-state relationship, invoking notions of federalism, remains a key ingredient in this mix.
Expression of bombesin-receptor subtypes and their differential regulation of colonic smooth muscle contraction

Abstract Background : Bombesin-related peptides show different potencies, suggesting the existence of at least two receptor subtypes. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship and contribution of each receptor subtype on smooth muscle contraction. Methods : The expression of bombesin-receptor subtype messenger RNA (mRNA) was examined in human and rabbit smooth muscle from the rectosigmoid colon, and the contribution of each of the receptor subtypes to smooth muscle contraction was investigated by blocking mRNA translation of either neuromedin B or gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) receptor subtype or of both. Results : Neuromedin B and GRP receptor mRNAs were detected in human and rabbit colonic smooth muscle cells. Incubation with neuromedin B receptor antisense oligonucleotides inhibited the neuromedin B-induced contraction, whereas incubation with GRP receptor antisense oligonucleotides inhibited the GRP-induced contraction. Incubation with GRP plus neuromedin B receptor antisense oligonucleotides inhibited the contractile response induced by bombesin, neuromedin B, and GRP. Conclusions : Distinct neuromedin B and GRP receptor subtypes are present on smooth muscle cells of the rectosigmoid colon, and bombesin interacts with both neuromedin B and GRP receptors, resulting in a complex contraction that is sustained in nature.
Shipping the Good Apples Out Under Asymmetric Information

The importance of institutions for economic growth has gathered considerable interest. For example, weak institutions can prevent firms from communicating their quality, which can lead to lower welfare. We explore how and whether exporting to markets with strong institutions may alleviate this when firms have high and low quality goods. Surprisingly, we find that access to developed markets can exacerbate the problems caused by weak institutions and harm home welfare. First, exporting can harm home welfare: the country is better off if all exporting were prevented. Second, any harm is increasing in the amount exported. Third, if not all high quality is exported, then home welfare can always be increased by restricting exports. Fourth, the opening of trade can reduce producer surplus and so in the long run lead to a reduction in the production of the export good. Fifth, welfare can decrease even if production of the exported good increases.
Large Magellanic Cloud Distance from Cepheid Variables using Least Squares Solutions

Distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is determined using the Cepheid variables in the LMC. We combine the individual LMC Cepheid distances obtained from the infrared surface brightness method and a dataset with a large number of LMC Cepheids. Using the standard least squares method, the LMC distance modulus can be found from the ZP o?sets of these two samples. We have adopted both a linear P-L relation and a “broken” P-L relation in our calculations. The resulting LMC distance moduli are 18.48 ± 0.03 mag and 18.49 ± 0.04 mag (random error only), respectively, which are consistent to the adopted 18.50 mag in the literature.
What motivates membership in non-renewable resource cartels? The case of OPEC

In this paper, we analyze the question of membership in a non-renewable resource cartel, with specific application to OPEC. One would expect the benefits of cartel membership to be positively related to the size of remaining reserves, while domestic petroleum consumption should be negatively related to membership if countries care about consumer interests. Our econometric analysis indicates that larger reserves and lower consumption are positively associated with OPEC membership. On the other hand, membership does not appear to be systematically related to
Financial Legislation: The Promise and Record of the Financial Modernization Act of 1999

On November 12, 1999, President Clinton signed the most significant piece of financial services regulation to be enacted since the Great Depression, at least up to that time. When the Financial Service Modernization Act of 1999, better known as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), was signed, the financial services industry faced strong pressures for deregulation of the rigid structure imposed during the Great Depression. During the 2007–2008 financial crises and ensuing debate regarding financial services regulation, the GLBA became a target as members of the financial sector, academia, and government considered possible triggers that may have precipitated the crisis.
Binomial Confidence Interval

The binomial parameter p, the proportion of successes in a population, has as its point estimator the proportion of successes observed in a random sample from that population, p* = s/n. A confidence interval for the binomial parameter broadens that point estimate out, reflecting the uncertainty associated with the limited size of the sample. Keywords: binomial test; confidence interval; Clopper–Pearson interval; normal approximation
Baseball's All-Stars: Birthplace and Distribution

Paul M. Sommers (psommers@middlebury.edu) is a starry-eyed professor of economics at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. He is the author of Diamonds Are Forever, a Brookings Institution volume on baseball, not agents On Her Majesty's Secret Service. On clear nights, he searches the heavens for a cluster of stars in a constellation vaguely forming a baseball-shaped configuration. Maybe the astrology will be right and the Boston Red Sox will win a World Series, their first since the accursed trade.
Hydrodynamic Simulations and Soft X-Ray Laser Interferometric Studies of Energy Transport in Tightly Focused Laser-Heated Aluminum Plasmas

A plasma generated by a tightly focused ~ 14 μm (FWHM), 600 ps duration laser beam at an irradiance of 1013 W cm-2 on a flat aluminum target is investigated. We report new findings that give a better understanding of the energy transport mechanisms in the measured plasma. The formation of a small, on-axis dip or concave electron density profile is observed. Detailed modeling of the spatial and temporal profile of a laser-produced plasma with the 2-D LASNEX hydrodynamics code gives good agreement with the observed features. The observed cold plasma formation along the target surface hundreds of microns away from the small focal spot is generated by heated material outside of the laser focus. Plasma generated by low intensity wings in the laser spatial profile is augmented by soft x-ray radiation from the hot coronal plasma heated by the laser. The simulations show that the x-ray heating will produce a plasma outside the focal spot without the low intensity wings. Strong thermal electron conductive heating due to large thermal gradients continues to generate ablation outside the laser spot and formation of lobes on each side of the focal spot.