cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Leveraging Treatment Patterns to Predict Survival of Patients with Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Despite all efforts made in the last few decades in disease prevention and treatment, lung cancer remains the most common cancer after skin cancer. Lung cancer is also the leading cause in cancer death. One of the criteria used to assess both the severity of the disease and the efficacy of treatments in cancer is survival rate. Survival rate is impacted by several parameters including disease stage and patients profile. The aim of this research is to build a predictive model to assess survivability of advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The main feature of the proposed methodology is the leveraging of patients treatment sequences in addition to clinical, demographic and genomic patient information. A new algorithm that generates frequent patterns derived from patient treatment sequences is proposed. The algorithm aims at capturing the complex relationship that exists between treatments sequences and patient outcomes in order to produce better prediction models. The results of the experiments show that random forest models achieved the best prediction performance. The features that have the most influence in the prediction performance are features derived from treatment sequences; indicating their potential to encapsulate the information expressed in the other features such as the genomic features.
Management of eyelid lacerations

Eyelid lacerations form a major bulk of the ocular trauma that we see in our casualty. These are managed differently depending on the depth, width, and location of the injury. Repairing of eyelid injuries requires good anatomic knowledge and meticulous approach. This article gives a brief overview of the practical aspects in managing an eyelid laceration.
Implementing Photogrammetry in Three Bioarchaeological Contexts: Steps for In-Field Documentation

Human skeletal remains hold a wealth of information about past life-ways, but their documentation and recovery from archaeological contexts is challenging. Four challenges face bioarchaeological field work: poor skeletal preservation; complex mortuary traditions; sub-par excavation conditions; and excavation time limits. Poor preservation often prevents the collection of metric data from skeletons. This project tested whether a bioarchaeologist with basic photography skills and excavation equipment could address these challenges using photogrammetry. Photogrammetry was employed at the ancient Maya sites of Say Kah and Chan Chich, both located in northern Belize, to document human skeletal remains and their archaeological contexts. Steps are provided for implementing photogrammetry in the field, as well as addressing challenges for using the technique during burial documentation. This project produced only one adequate 3-D model and no metric data could be collected. Overall, photogrammetry seems to be a promising method for bioarchaeological research because it is low-cost, effective, and fairly straightforward to learn. The technique was faster than traditional line drawing, but sub-par excavation conditions and dark, small spaces hindered the creation of useful models. Photogrammetry provides an excellent alternative to traditional documentation addressing the challenges of poor skeletal preservation and holding potential for unraveling complex mortuary traditions.
CHANGE IN MITRAL REGURGITATION AFTER HIS-BUNDLE PACING FOR CARDIAC RESYNCHRONIZATION

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with coronary sinus leads is known to ameliorate mitral regurgitation (MR). There is a paucity of data, however, on the impact of His-bundle pacing (HBP) on MR. Patients with paired echocardiograms before and after HBP were retrospectively analyzed. MR was
BaByVFSSImP© A Novel Measurement Tool for Videofluoroscopic Assessment of Swallowing Impairment in Bottle-Fed Babies: Establishing a Standard

This investigation tested the construct validity of the first standardized assessment tool, the BaByVFSS Impairment Profile, (BaByVFSSImP©), developed for the quantification of swallowing observations made from videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) in bottle-fed babies. Construct validity of the measures was tested using descriptive methods and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of swallowing scores obtained from a cohort of bottle-fed babies (median age 3 months 1 day, interquartile range 1 month 4 days–7 months 4 days) sequentially referred for VFSS based on clinical signs, symptoms, or risk factors associated with dysphagia and/or aspiration. Main outcome measures were emergence of functional domains derived from swallowing component impairment scores. Confirmatory factor analysis resulted in 21 significant components (factor loadings ≥ 0.5) grouping into five functional domains labeled for common contribution to overall swallowing function. The tool was organized into the BaByVFSSImP. Clinical relevance was explored using correlational analyses between domain scores, maximum penetration/aspiration scores, feeding status, and caregiver burden. Quantification of physiologic swallowing impairment captured by BaByVFSSImP holds promise for identification of physiologically based targets for intervention, clinical decisions regarding enteral feeding, and tracking the trajectory of swallowing impairment throughout development in young children.
Beyond red crowns: complex changes in surface and crown fuels and their interactions 32 years following mountain pine beetle epidemics in south-central Oregon, USA

Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins; MPB), a bark beetle native to western North America, has caused vast areas of tree mortality over the last several decades. The majority of this mortality has been in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon) forests and has heightened concerns over the potential for extreme fire behavior across large landscapes. Although considerable research has emerged concerning influence of MPB on forest fuels, there has been little work in the climax lodgepole pine forests of south-central Oregon, USA. Specifically, we assessed changes in forest structure and crown and surface fuels across a chronosequence of time since mountain pine beetle (TSB) epidemics in south-central Oregon (1979 to 2008). We classified four distinct periods in which significant changes occur in fuels: overstory mortality stage (2 to 4 years TSB), standing snag and snag fall stage (5 to 13 years TSB), regeneration stage (14 to 25 years TSB), and overstory recovery stage (26 to 32 years TSB). Multivariate analyses indicated changes in crown fuels and forest structure following MPB epidemics were driven primarily by basal area of live and standing dead trees, canopy bulk density, canopy base height, and canopy height. Substantial declines in canopy bulk density occurred early (2 to 5 yrs) following beetle activity and slowly recovered over time. The pattern of succession of surface fuels following a MPB epidemic was largely determined by changes over time in 10-h, 100-h, and 1000-h fuel loads, in addition to increasing fuel bed depth. The 100-h fuel load increased over the entire 30-year period, while 1000-h fuel load reached an asymptote 14 to 26 years following epidemic initiation. Live woody fuels increased through the initial overstory mortality stage and began to decrease during the overstory recovery stage. Our key findings concerning changing fuels and forest structure following a MPB epidemic in south-central Oregon lodgepole pine forests include: 1-h fuels and litter changed little over time, surface fuel loads changed dramatically between the standing snag and the regeneration stages, lodgepole pine remained dominant, and canopy bulk density was low throughout the chronosequence. These factors point to the perpetuation of a lodgepole pine dominated system with a mixed-severity fire regime well into the future.
Potential Stressors of Undocumented Latinx Youth: Implications and Recommendations for School Counselors:

The immigration process for undocumented youth often results in multiple academic, personal, and career stressors including experiences of trauma, loss, language barriers, and limited postsecondary...
Design and Manufacturing of Ultra-Low Loss Optical Fibers

Since Dr. Kao predicted in 1966 that silica glass fiber could achieve the transmission loss of below 20 dB/km for optical communication use, remarkable progress has been made for realizing optical fibers with lower losses. Today, record-low loss of 0.14 dB/km has been realized by using matured pure silica core fiber (PSCF) technologies to reduce the Rayleigh scattering in silica glass. The latest PSCFs also have low nonlinearities with the enlarged effective area of up to 150 µm2, which is enabled by appropriately designed refractive index profiles and advanced polymer coatings. PSCFs with ultra-low loss and low nonlinearity can contribute to high optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) performances in long haul digital coherent transmission systems such as transoceanic submarine systems and/or terrestrial backbone links.
Development of Algorithmic Dementia Ascertainment for Racial/Ethnic Disparities Research in the US Health and Retirement Study.

BACKGROUND Disparities research in dementia is limited by lack of large, diverse, and representative samples with systematic dementia ascertainment. Algorithmic diagnosis of dementia offers a cost-effective alternate approach. Prior work in the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study has demonstrated that existing algorithms are ill-suited for racial/ethnic disparities work given differences in sensitivity and specificity by race/ethnicity. METHODS We implemented traditional and machine learning methods to identify an improved algorithm that: (1) had ≤5 percentage point difference in sensitivity and specificity across racial/ethnic groups; (2) achieved ≥80% overall accuracy across racial/ethnic groups; and (3) achieved ≥75% sensitivity and ≥90% specificity overall. Final recommendations were based on robustness, accuracy of estimated race/ethnicity-specific prevalence and prevalence ratios compared to those using in-person diagnoses, and ease of use. RESULTS We identified six algorithms that met our prespecified criteria. Our three recommended algorithms achieved ≤3 percentage point difference in sensitivity and ≤5 percentage point difference in specificity across racial/ethnic groups, as well as 77%-83% sensitivity, 92%-94% specificity, and 90%-92% accuracy overall in analyses designed to emulate out-of-sample performance. Pairwise prevalence ratios between non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics estimated by application of these algorithms are within 1%-10% of prevalence ratios estimated based on in-person diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS We believe these algorithms will be of immense value to dementia researchers interested in racial/ethnic disparities. Our process can be replicated to allow minimally biasing algorithmic classification of dementia for other purposes.
Mobile health: A carrot and stick intervention to improve medication adherence

Abstract Medication adherence is a critical element in promoting healthcare outcomes, especially for chronic medical conditions. However, due to several underlying factors, major challenges such as how to improve and maintain the required level of medication adherence still exist. We propose a novel mobile health-based intervention, we call Carrot and Stick, to promote medication adherence (MA) for patients with intentional and/or unintentional non-adherence. Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory, Social Exchange Theory, Goal-setting Theory, and people's dependency on smartphones, we develop a composite intervention using both positive and negative reinforcements, goal-setting, and social connections. The m-health intervention provides decision support to patients in their medication-taking process. With multiple intervention scenarios, healthcare professionals have baselines to adjust the intervention to meet patients' needs. We validate our design using analytical modeling and show that (1) high medication adherence is achievable by the composite intervention for single and multiple medications, (2) negative reinforcement (NR) leads to better MA outcomes in addition to positive reinforcement (PR), (3) the intervention can maintain effectiveness in the operational environment due to its adaptability, and, (4) the estimated healthcare savings are significant even for slightly improved medication adherence. Our research is the first to utilize NR in intervention design to enhance MA and to categorize patients based on elements derived from theories while providing technical and behavioral interventions for both unintentional as well as intentional non-adherence. The future work can address multiple different types of NR; development of DSS for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals; and, integration of other m-health interventions for creating sophisticated and highly effective personalized solutions.
Electric poling of carbon fiber with and without nickel coating

Abstract This paper reports for the first time electric poling in a carbon material. The material is carbon fiber (polyacrylonitrile-based, 12,000-fiber tow, 40-mm inter-electrode distance) with/without nickel coating. The poling involves passing a fixed DC current. The resulting polarization causes an electric field that opposes the applied field, thus increasing the apparent direct-current electrical resistance. For the uncoated fiber, at 80 s of 10.000-mA current application, the apparent resistance or effective electric permittivity is increased by 1.3%, corresponding to 2800 electrons participating in the polarization (5.3 × 10−16) of the carriers, which include the inherent carriers and injected electrons. The nickel coating enhances the polarization, but decreases the fraction of carriers that participate. This fraction increases monotonically with increasing current application time for the nickel-coated fiber, but increases and then decreases for the uncoated fiber. Upon instantaneous polarity reversal, the apparent resistance decreases instantaneously, with the values immediately before and after the reversal being asymmetrical about the true resistance. The electrical asymmetry is due to an inherent electret (without poling). The polarization associated with the electret is much higher than the additional polarization that the poling provides. Nevertheless, the poling increases the polarization through the interaction of the injected electrons with the atoms.
A descriptive analysis of disciplinary consequence assignments to Grades 3 through 8 students in special education: A Texas statewide, multiyear investigation

In this investigation, the numbers and percentages of students who were enrolled in special education and who received a discipline consequence (i.e., in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, expulsion, Disciplinary Alternative Education Program placement, and Juvenile Justice Education Program placement) during the 2012-2013 through 2015-2016 school years were determined. In each of these four school years, the number of students in special education who were assigned an exclusionary discipline assignment steadily decreased. The percentages of the total exclusionary assignments given to students in special education, however, did not decrease but rather remained stable across the four school years. Recommendations for research and implications are discussed along with suggestions for policy and practice.
Ultrasound visibility of select breast biopsy markers for targeted axillary node localization following neoadjuvant treatment: simulation using animal tissue models.

To compare ultrasound visibility of selected biopsy markers in animal tissue models simulating axillary echotexture. Four breast biopsy markers were selected based on size, shape, and composition and compared to an institutional standard for testing in beef steak and pork loin phantoms. BD® UltraCor™ Twirl™; Hologic® Tumark® Professional series Q, Vision, and X; and BD® UltraClip™ Dual Trigger wing-shaped (institutional standard) biopsy markers were deployed at superficial (0–2.0 cm) and deep (2.1–4.0 cm) depths in the animal models. An animal model without a biopsy marker served as control. Four participating breast imagers blinded to marker shape and location assessed ultrasound visibility of each biopsy marker using a handheld 5–12 MHz linear array transducer with a 4-point grading system (0, not visible; 1, unsure if visible; 2, visible with difficulty; 3, definite visibility). Each breast imager was asked to select the three most easily visualized biopsy markers. Total visibility scores with the four-point grading system demonstrate highest score for the Twirl™ (48/48 points), followed by the Tumark® Q (42/48) and Tumark® Vision (41/48) biopsy markers. Overall individual accuracy scores across all biopsy marker types ranged from 83.3 to 95.8%. Visibility scores based on subjective radiologist assessment also demonstrate the highest vote for the Twirl™ (11), followed by the Tumark® Vision (7) and Tumark® Q (6) biopsy markers. The wing-shaped biopsy marker had the lowest visibility and voter score. The Twirl™ followed by the Tumark® Q and Vision biopsy markers demonstrates the highest visibility scores using a four-point grading system and by radiologist vote.
On Improving Toll Accuracy for COVID-like Epidemics in Underserved Communities Using User-generated Data

This paper envisions using user-generated data as a cheap way to improve accuracy of epidemic tolls in underserved communities. The global widespread of COVID-19 pandemic has imposed several unprecedented challenges. One of these challenges is constantly monitoring the unprecedented epidemic widespread at a fine-granular spatial scale, so experts can model, understand, and prevent disease transmission and field personnel can reach and treat infected people. Unfortunately, the limited resources compared to the pandemic widespread has led to a significant number of unreported cases in underserved communities and developing countries, including a large number of severe cases.We propose in this paper enhancing epidemic case reporting in underserved communities through exploiting the power of data that are posted by people on web. Our vision is building a data analysis pipeline that filters and categories use-generated data objects to provide informal estimates for tolls in unreachable regions and enhance estimates in other regions. The pipeline consist of five stages, that starts with filtering epidemic-specific data to visualize advanced aggregates to end users. We also discuss several technical challenges that face different stages of the pipeline.
Aerosol Spray Deposition of Liquid Metal and Elastomer Coatings for Rapid Processing of Stretchable Electronics

We report a spray deposition technique for patterning liquid metal alloys to form stretchable conductors, which can then be encapsulated in silicone elastomers via the same spraying procedure. While spraying has been used previously to deposit many materials, including liquid metals, this work focuses on quantifying the spraying process and combining it with silicones. Spraying generates liquid metal microparticles (~5 μm diameter) that pass through openings in a stencil to produce traces with high resolution (~300 µm resolution using stencils from a craft cutter) on a substrate. The spraying produces sufficient kinetic energy (~14 m/s) to distort the particles on impact, which allows them to merge together. This merging process depends on both particle size and velocity. Particles of similar size do not merge when cast as a film. Likewise, smaller particles (<1 µm) moving at the same speed do not rupture on impact either, though calculations suggest that such particles could rupture at higher velocities. The liquid metal features can be encased by spraying uncured silicone elastomer from a volatile solvent to form a conformal coating that does not disrupt the liquid metal features during spraying. Alternating layers of liquid metal and elastomer may be patterned sequentially to build multilayer devices, such as soft and stretchable sensors.
The A'ingae Co-Occurrence Constraint

Many OT frameworks have been proposed to account for co-occurrence phenomena, including agreement as correspondence (Rose & Walker, 2004) and total and partial identity (Gallagher & Coon, 2009). However, aggressive reduplication (Zuraw, 2002) is best able to account for new data from A'ingae, as it accounts for agreement between whole syllables rather than individual segments. In this paper, I put forward novel co-occurrence data from A'ingae, a language isolate spoken by approximately 1,500 people in Ecuador and Colombia. I then describe how the data can be accounted for using Zuraw's (2002) aggressive reduplication, with only minor modifications. Finally, I consider historical motivations for the existence of this type of co-occurrence pattern.
Challenges and opportunities of nanotechnology in cancer immunotherapy

Abstract Various strategies for cancer therapy have been devised over the past decade. Cancer immunotherapy has been an emerging technology that activates the host's immune systems to efficiently recognize and kill tumor cells. Despite the revolutionary development in the field of immunooncology, only a small fraction of patients have had beneficial results as many tumors possess the innate characteristic of immune evasion. Ideally, the immune system should be spatiotemporally regulated to augment the therapeutic index of these therapies. One method of enabling codelivery of immune-stimulatory molecules, improve pharmacokinetics and specificity to target sites, and reprogram tumor microenvironments is the utilization of nanoparticles. They have been shown to elicit enhanced antitumor immune responses that cannot be achieved by treating naked anticancer drugs. Immunotherapy harmonized with nanotechnology provides the tremendous opportunity to enhance the therapeutic effectiveness by delivering immunostimulatory molecules, adjuvantizing immune cells, and/or enabling specific targeting while minimizing side effects. Herein, we highlight how the convergence of cancer immunotherapy and nanotechnology overcomes the critical limitations of conventional treatments and increases the possibility for clinical translation in cancer treatments.
NASA High-Speed 2D Photogrammetric Measurement System

The object of this report is to provide users of the NASA high-speed 2D photogrammetric measurement system with procedures required to obtain drop-model trajectory and impact data for full-scale and sub-scale models. This guide focuses on use of the system for vertical drop testing at the NASA Langley Landing and Impact Research (LandIR) Facility.
Labor Arbitration and Overlapping and Conflicting Remedies for Employment Discrimination

Labor arbitrators and other tribunals face serious problems of coordination as the result of overlap, as well as conflict, between arbitration systems and a broad array of public regulation. Overlap and conflict have increased as both collective agreements and the regulation that governs them have become more complex and detailed. Remedies in some areas, such as employment discrimination on account of race or sex, run like water.' If employment discrimination occurred in an enterprise under contract with the federal government, a remedy might be provided by the National Labor Relations Board, state courts, federal courts, state and municipal fair employment agencies, or the Department of Labor. Remedies might be based not only on the statutes and executive orders that these forums call to mind but also on the Civil Rights Act of 1866,2 the Fair Labor Standards Act as amended in 1963,3 the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967,4 the Constitution, and ancient equitable doctrines making representative powers powers in trust.5 Furthermore, standards embodied in
REVERSION OF L FORMS AND SPHEROPLASTS OF PROTEUS MIRABILIS

Abstract Altenbern, Robert A. (U.S. Army Chemical Corps, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Md.). Reversion of L forms and spheroplasts of Proteus mirabilis. J. Bacteriol. 85:269–272. 1963.—Spheroplasts or 3-B type L forms of Proteus mirabilis formed by growth in the presence of penicillin are able to revert to the bacillary form, as judged by regain of resistance to osmotic shock. Reversion takes place in the absence of exogenous nutrients, although at a lesser rate than that observed in a nitrogen-rich medium. Either chloramphenicol or 6-azauracil can completely inhibit reversion of spheroplasts in a penicillin-free medium. By direct measurement, there was no detectable change in total protein content throughout the period of reversion of a spheroplast suspension. Assay for acid-insoluble diaminopimelic acid (DAP) revealed that a large part of the DAP of the cell wall of normal cells was lost when the cells were converted to spheroplasts by exposure to penicillin. Upon transfer to penicillin-free medium, there was a rapid increase in acid-insoluble DAP in the wall of the reverting spheroplast. When spheroplasts were transferred to penicillin-free medium containing chloramphenicol, the acid-insoluble DAP in the wall of the spheroplast continued to decrease. The significance of these results in regard to sites of activity of the antibiotics involved is discussed.
Consumers' willingness to travel to farmers' markets: a case study of the trade-offs among price, quality, and distance.

Abstract Farmers' markets can be an important source of fresh produce. But consumers have to travel farther to reach these outlets vis-a-vis grocery stores, so there are also increased travel costs. Surveys of patrons of farmers' markets and area residents are used to estimate food shoppers' willingness to travel to buy locally grown produce at farmers' markets under alternative price and quality situations.
The DNA-binding properties of polyomavirus large T antigen are altered by ATP and other nucleotides

We have examined the influence of ATP on the DNA-binding properties of polyomavirus large T antigen (Py TAg). Utilizing nitrocellulose filter binding, DNase I footprinting, and gel mobility shift assays, we observed that ATP increased Py TAg binding to DNA fragments containing either all Py TAg-binding sites (whole origin) or those sites within (core origin) or adjacent to (early) the origin of replication. Even nonspecific binding to DNA fragments lacking Py TAg-binding sites was increased somewhat by ATP. Binding to the core origin was increased to a greater extent than binding to other DNA fragments tested. Gel band mobility shift assays revealed that ATP increased the production of core origin-specific Py TAg-DNA complexes of high molecular weight. ATP stimulation depended on the presence of MgCl2. Other nucleotides and nonhydrolyzable ATP analogs also increased Py TAg binding to the core origin but to various degrees: ATP, dATP, 5'-adenylyl imidodiphosphate (AMPPNP) greater than 5'-adenylyl methylenediphosphate (AMPPCP) greater than dCTP greater than UTP greater than TTP. GTP and dGTP did not increase DNA binding by Py TAg. The rates of association and disassociation of Py TAg with all the DNA fragments were altered by the presence of ATP. DNase I footprinting showed that ATP extensively extended the region protected within the core origin and also produced a distinctive DNase I-hypersensitive site on the late strand at nucleotides 5255 to 5262 (TTACTATG).
The Platelet Cytoskeleton Regulates the Affinity of the Integrin αIIbβ3 for Fibrinogen

Abstract Agonist-generated inside-out signals enable the platelet integrin αIIbβ3 to bind soluble ligands such as fibrinogen. We found that inhibiting actin polymerization in unstimulated platelets with cytochalasin D or latrunculin A mimics the effects of platelet agonists by inducing fibrinogen binding to αIIbβ3. By contrast, stabilizing actin filaments with jasplakinolide prevented cytochalasin D-, latrunculin A-, and ADP-induced fibrinogen binding. Cytochalasin D- and latrunculin A-induced fibrinogen was inhibited by ADP scavengers, suggesting that subthreshold concentrations of ADP provided the stimulus for the actin filament turnover required to see cytochalasin D and latrunculin A effects. Gelsolin, which severs actin filaments, is activated by calcium, whereas the actin disassembly factor cofilin is inhibited by serine phosphorylation. Consistent with a role for these factors in regulating αIIbβ3 function, cytochalasin D- and latrunculin A-induced fibrinogen binding was inhibited by the intracellular calcium chelators 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid acetoxymethyl ester and EGTA acetoxymethyl ester and the Ser/Thr phosphatase inhibitors okadaic acid and calyculin A. Our results suggest that the actin cytoskeleton in unstimulated platelets constrains αIIbβ3 in a low affinity state. We propose that agonist-stimulated increases in platelet cytosolic calcium initiate actin filament turnover. Increased actin filament turnover then relieves cytoskeletal constraints on αIIbβ3, allowing it to assume the high affinity conformation required for soluble ligand binding.
Enzymatic Reduction of Spin-labeled Ferrihemoglobin

Abstract The spin-labeled ferrihemoglobin, in which a spin label is attached to one of the propionic acid groups at positions 6 or 7 of the porphyrin ring, was enzymatically reduced to the ferrous oxy form without destroying the spin label. The enzyme system contains ferredoxin, ferredoxin-NADP reductase, and a NADPH generating system. The absorption spectra of the spin-labeled hemoglobins are identical with those of native hemoglobins. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum of the spin-labeled oxyhemoglobin is distinctly different from that of the acid methemoglobin indicating different conformations for the protein in the vicinity of the label in these two hemoglobins. The resonance amplitude of the oxyhemoglobin is approximately twice that of the ferrihemoglobin. The change is attributed to the spin state change of the heme-iron from the high spin ferric to the low spin ferrous form. Because the oxygen binding properties of the spin-labeled hemoglobins are identical with those of native hemoglobin, this hemoglobin will be used for probing the molecular mechanism of hemoglobin functions in solution.
Measuring the benefits of a large public investment: The case of the U.S. Federal-aid highway system

Abstract This paper presents an analysis of an important component of the benefits of Federal-aid highway infrastructure investments in the United States. Specifically, it focuses on the effects of those investments since 1950 on costs and productivity of firms in the U.S. road freight transport industry. Using a theoretical and statistical model of regional truck firm costs, the paper documents that the rapid growth of highway infrastructure which occured between 1950 and 1973 had a strong and positive effect on productivity growth in trucking. Furthermore, the results indicate the benefits of these investments to be substantial — large enough to justify between one-third and one-half of the cost of the Federal-aid highway system over this period on the basis of benefits to trucking alone.
The Promises and Challenges of Ecological Momentary Assessment in Schizophrenia: Development of an Initial Experimental Protocol

Severe mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and other psychotic-spectrum disorders, are a major cause of disability worldwide. Although efficacious pharmacological and psychosocial interventions have been developed for treating patients with schizophrenia, relapse rates are high and long-term recovery remains elusive for many individuals. Furthermore, little is still known about the underlying mechanisms of these illnesses. Thus, there is an urgent need to better understand the contextual factors that contribute to psychosis so that they can be better targeted in future interventions. Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) is a dynamic procedure that permits the measurement of variables in natural settings in real-time through the use of brief assessments delivered via mobile electronic devices (i.e., smart phones). One advantage of EMA is that it is less subject to retrospective memory biases and highly sensitive to fluctuating environmental factors. In the current article, we describe the research-to-date using EMA to better understand fluctuating symptoms and functioning in patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders and potential applications to treatment. In addition, we describe a novel EMA protocol that we have been employing to study the outcomes of patients with schizophrenia following a hospital discharge. We also report the lessons we have learned thus far using EMA methods in this challenging clinical population.
Russia’s Economy in March 2013: Preliminary Data and Major Trends

The socio-political background of April 2013 was determined by the ongoing attacks on the government launched by the RF President and the law enforcement agencies; by the continuing debate around the issue of how to find the most effective way of stimulating economic growth; and by the Kremlin’s massive onslaught on civil society organizations. In his speech at a government meeting in Elista, Vladimir Putin threatened to sack the entire cabinet. Although that outburst was reputedly ‘not for the record’, somebody leaked the relevant fragment of video footage to the central TV channels controlled by the Kremlin. The campaign launched by the law enforcement agencies against the Skolkovo Innovation Center at the same time indirectly targets the government, and so creates a negative information backdrop for its chairman, Dmitry Medvedev. Public opinion surveys indicate that corruption remains the Achilles’ heel of the current Russian administration, because it seriously undermines public confidence in Russia’s political system. According to a number of commentators, the activities of the law enforcement agencies aimed against Dmitry Medvedev’s personal project, and the evidently orchestrated issue of ‘the inefficient use of funds’ at Anatoly Chubais’ Rosnano, the questions about which were put to Putin at his recent major press-conference, must be viewed as an attempt to pin the blame for corruption on the ‘modernizer wing’ of the regime.
On the spectral efficiency of CDMA with space-time spreading

We consider a general, synchronous, randomly-spread code-division multiple-access transmission scheme in which the transmitted data is any linear combination of the data and the spreading sequences are not tied to any specific transmit antenna. For large user populations, we characterize the spectral efficiency (capacity per chip) as a function of the array size, signal-to-noise ratio and the number of users per chip in the presence of frequency flat fading.
Ovarian stromal hyperthecosis: sonographic features and histologic associations

Objective Ovarian stromal hyperthecosis (SH) has variable clinical importance but can cause hyperandrogenism, particularly in premenopausal women. Sonography is often used to evaluate the ovaries of women with hyperandrogenism, but there is little published regarding the sonographic appearance of SH. The primary purpose of this study was to describe the sonographic features of SH. Methods A computerized search of our institution's pathology and imaging databases from 1996 through 2007 was performed to identify patients with histologically proven SH who had pelvic sonography before surgery. Sonograms and histologic findings were reviewed in each case. Results Twenty ovaries with SH were identified, occurring in 14 patients with a mean age of 59.8 years (range, 36-83 years). The SH was bilateral in 6 patients, unilateral in 6, and of uncertain laterality in 2 with a unilateral oophorectomy. Sonographic findings were as follows: 5 normal, 1 with a hemorrhagic cyst (later resolved) and otherwise normal, 3 enlarged but otherwise normal, 1 with a solid mass due to the nodular form of SH, 1 with a solid mass due to a fibroma, 2 with polycystic ovaries, and 7 not seen. Six of the 14 patients (43%) also had an ovarian fibrothecoma. Conclusions Ovarian SH has variable sonographic features. Most commonly, the affected ovaries are either normal or slightly enlarged. A solid mass may infrequently be visible, and polycystic ovary syndrome changes may coexist with SH. A possible association of SH with fibrothecoma was also noted, which to our knowledge has not been previously reported.
The Acoustic Velocity of Ge‐Doped Silica Fibers: A Comparison of Two Models

Two models are compared with measured data for the longitudinal acoustic velocity of Ge-doped silica fibers as a function of GeO2 content in order to determine if either of them can be used in designing the acoustic velocity profile of an optical fiber. These are the Makishima–Mackenzie and additive (AD) models. Both models are found to fit measured data very well in the available test samples, and as a result both models offer a means to accurately design doping profiles for a number of Brillouin scattering applications. The major difference between these models lies in the slope of the curve between pure silica and pure GeO2 acoustic velocity values, the latter of which lies outside the range of our experimental data (<40 mol% GeO2 in silica). The AD model is also shown to fit the Sellemeier equation very well.
Development of Airborne Collision Avoidance Algorithms Compatible with the National-Airspace System

The Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS-II) helps pilots avoid midair collisions using vertical escape maneuvers generated by an on-board processor. TCAS-II interrogates the altitude reporting transponders on other nearby aircraft, tracks their location, decides which pose a threat, selects a resolution maneuver against each threat, coordinates with the threat aircraft if possible, and displays the maneuvers to the pilot. To operate compatibly in the highly structured airspace, TCAS-II must minimize unwanted alarms when no true danger exists. A description of the algorithm is presented. Studies of real-world data leading to the selected tradeoffs between maximum protection and lowest alert rate are described. Many features have evolved which minimize the disruptive effects of a resolution advisory, but which provide a high level of protection within the fundamental constraints of the system.
Causes of Corpus Callosum Dysgenesis Syndromes

Investigators at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, and the University of California, Benioff Children's Hospital, studied the clinical features of syndromes associated with agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC) and their relation to the genetic causes and developmental processes involved.
Lightpath routing and capacity assignment for survivable IP-over-WDM networks

In IP-over-WDM networks the logical topology consists of a set of lightpaths that are routed on top of the physical fiber topology. Hence a single fiber cut can lead to multiple logical link failures. We study the impact of lightpath routing on network survivability and spare capacity requirements. We show that poor routings can lead to significant increase in spare capacity requirements and develop new metrics for assessing the survivability of different lightpath routings. Finally, we use these metrics to develop joint lightpath routing and capacity assignment algorithms that significantly reduce the spare capacity requirements of IP-over-WDM networks.
A Longitudinal Study of the Upper Airway Negative Pressure Reflex in Newborn Lambs. 1498

It has been previously shown that the activity of the neonatal Genioglossus(GG) muscle reflexly increases only in response to large amounts of upper airway negative pressure (UANP) in lambs (Duara, Ped Res: 4:331A,1994), in comparison to the small amounts needed to activate the GG in adults. In order to evaluate maturation of the UANP reflex in lambs, we hypothesized that onset of the adult pattern would coincide with the onset of another developmental marker, namely rumination, at 3-4 weeks of age. Because hypoxia increases respiratory muscles activity, we also hypothesized that hypoxia would potentiate the UANP reflex. Therefore, we studied seven chronically instrumented lambs shortly after birth (study 1: mean±SD age 10.6±0.48 days & weight 5.47±0.43 kg) and again at approximately 1 month of age (study 2: mean±SD age 25.1 ± 0.7 days & weight 8.14 ± 0.43 kg). During surgery, EMG wires were placed in the diaphragm and GG and a mid-cervical tracheal stoma was created. The animals were allowed to recover for 24-48 hours prior to study 1. Isolated upper airways (UA) were evaluated while awake lambs were allowed to breathe through tracheostomies. End-expiratory NP of different magnitudes (-5, -10,-20, -40 cm H2O) were randomly applied to the isolated UA for 3 breaths, or 3 seconds if apnea was induced, in room air (RA) and hypoxia (10% O2 through the tracheostomy for 7-10 min). EMG activity of the GG was quantified as average activity (AvAc, area under the curve/duration) derived from the moving time average of phasic EMG output. Results revealed that there was a significant increase in the GG response in relationship to increasing magnitudes of UANP in both study 1 and study 2 (p<0.05). Hypoxia induced a significant increase in GG activity in both studies (<0.05). However, there was no significant increase in GG activity with small amounts of NP (-5 cm H2O) in either study, and hypoxia did not potentiate augmentation of GG at this level of NP. We conclude that the UANP reflex remains relatively immature in ruminating lambs, and that the adult response to low magnitude NP must occur later in development. Hypoxia augmented GG muscle activity above basal values in both studies, but did not potentiate its response to low magnitude NP. We speculate that the immature UANP reflex in neonates contributes to impaired oropharyngeal airway reopening in the event of its closure, and the failure to augment reflex activation with hypoxia may be a contributory factor in certain instances of SIDS.
Theory‐based Health Education Activities for Third to Sixth Grade Children

Eight educational activities based on social learning and social support theories were used as part of a comprehensive cardiovascular risk reduction program for families with children in the third to sixth grades. These activities focused on providing the children with skills in recognizing high-salt and high-saturated fat foods, preparing such foods, resisting pressures to each such foods, increasing aerobic activity and providing support to peers and family in attempting such changes. Data analyses revealed significantly greater decreases in high-salt and high-saturated, fat food consumption and perceived increases in aerobic activity, in the experimental than the control group. The participative, enjoyment and inexpensive aspects of these activities are emphasized to encourage their use in school health programs.
SU‐FF‐T‐340: Neutron Spectra Measurements For Fast Neuron Brachytherapy Effective Dose Evaluation

Purpose: We are developing a miniature neutron generator capable of brachytherapy, contact therapy and perioperative therapy applications. The neutrons are produced at 14MeV in a thermonuclear reactant target located at the end of a needle. The fast neutron effective dose depends on the lineal spectrum of charged particles produced by neutron interactions in tissue.Neutron interaction probabilities, cross sections, vary with neutronenergy and the neutron spectra change with transmission through tissue. The change in spectra of initially 14MeV neutrons with tissue depth in brachytherapy is in itself not dramatic because the neutron mean free path is 10cm. But more seriously, the LET of neutronscatteredprotons increases with the inverse of protonenergy and higher LET protons (bellow 120keV/micron) have increased relative biological effectiveness. The measurement of neutron spectra below 2 MeV is therefore important for understanding the mechanism of effective dose. In this paper, we will describe our development of a double scatterneutron spectrometer (DSNS) that has proven effective in low energyneutron spectral measurements. Method and Materials: The DSNS consists of detector planes of two liquid organic scintillators separated by 18cm. A neutron that scatters in the first plane starts a timer which is stopped by a coincident neutrondetection signal for the same neutron in the second detector plane. Energy of the scatteredneutron is determined by time‐of‐flight over the distance between detectors, which is the incident energy when the source is aligned with the detector axis. Results: The useful energy range of the DSNS is 0.3MeV to 5MeV and is dependent on the separation distance of the detector planes. Conclusion: The DSNS should be useful for measuring the low energyneutron component of our brachytherapy accelerator based source.
Genetic Dissection of the Francisella novicida Restriction Barrier

Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of tularemia and is a category A select agent. Francisella novicida, considered by some to be one of four subspecies of F. tularensis, is used as a model in pathogenesis studies because it causes a disease similar to tularemia in rodents but is not harmful to humans. F. novicida exhibits a strong restriction barrier which reduces the transformation frequency of foreign DNA up to 106-fold. To identify the genetic basis of this barrier, we carried out a mutational analysis of restriction genes identified in the F. novicida genome. Strains carrying combinations of insertion mutations in eight candidate loci were created and assayed for reduced restriction of unmodified plasmid DNA introduced by transformation. Restriction was reduced by mutations in four genes, corresponding to two type I, one type II, and one type III restriction system. Restriction was almost fully eliminated in a strain in which all four genes were inactive. The strongest contributor to the restriction barrier, the type II gene, encodes an enzyme which specifically cleaves Dam-methylated DNA. Genome comparisons show that most restriction genes in the F. tularensis subspecies are pseudogenes, explaining the unusually strong restriction barrier in F. novicida and suggesting that restriction was lost during evolution of the human pathogenic subspecies. As part of this study, procedures were developed to introduce unmodified plasmid DNA into F. novicida efficiently, to generate defined multiple mutants, and to produce chromosomal deletions of multiple adjacent genes.
States of Nature: Science, Agriculture, and Environment in the Spanish Caribbean, 1760-1940

Acknowledgments Introduction: Science, Nature, and Development during the Export Boom, 1760-1940 1. Commodity and Country: The Rediscovery of Nature in the Spanish Caribbean, 1760-1890 2. Giving Plants a Civil Status: Scientific Representations of Nature and Nation in Venezuela and Costa Rica, 1885-1935 3. Building Creole Science: Science and Ideologies of Agricultural Development in Cuba and Puerto Rico, 1898-1930 4. Agricultural Science and the Ecological Rationalization of the Caribbean Sugar Industry, 1780-1930 5. Promoting the "Practical": Technocratic Ideologies of Science and Progress in an Age of Fragile Prosperity, 1924-1930 6. Conclusion: The Great Depression, the Plant Sciences, and Changing Paradigms of Agricultural Development, 1928-1940 Notes Bibliography Index