cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A size-independent systolic array for matrix triangularization and eigenvalue computation

A fixed-size systolic array which can efficiently triangularize arbitrarily large matrices is presented. The array performs orthogonal triangularization by applying Givens' rotations in parallel. For matrices larger than the array, the triangularization is accomplished by emulating a large array with the fixed-size array. The distinguishing features of this array are (1) only one type of cell is used, (2) only unidirectional data flow is required, and (3) the array is rectangular shaped. These properties make it more suitable to emulate arbitrarily large arrays by feedback emulation.
Embodied conversational agents as conversational partners

SUMMARY Conversational agents are becoming more widespread in computer technologies but there has been little research in how humans interact with them. Two eye tracking studies investigated how humans distribute eye gaze towards conversational agents in complex tutoring systems. In Study 1, participants interacted with the single-agent tutoring system AutoTutor. Fixation times showed that the agent received most attention throughout the interaction, even when display size was statistically controlled. In Study 2, participants interacted with iSTART. Fixations were on the relevant agents when these agents spoke. Both studies provided evidence that humans regard animated conversational agents as conversational partners in the communication process. Copyright# 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Embodied conversational agents (ECAs) are animated characters that emulate human behaviour and communication. There has been a boom of these agents in computer environments that vary from conventional web systems to advanced virtual worlds. A fundamental question arises as to how humans interpret these agents. Are these ECAs distracting artefacts or human-like conversational partners? Answers to these questions require an in-depth analysis of the humans’ perceptions, attention and interactions with the agents. The present studies were designed to address these questions. Some studies have suggested that users interact with ECAs as they would with humans (Reeves & Nass, 1996), presumably because these computer-generated characters demonstrate many of the same multi-modal properties as do humans in face-to-face conversation (Cassell, Sullivan, Prevost, & Churchill, 2000). Studies in cognitive psychology, social psychology, artificial intelligence and education have investigated the effects of ECAs on user impressions, comprehension and learning gains (Atkinson, 2002; Baylor & Ryu, 2003; Graesser, Moreno, Marineau, Adcock, Olney, & Person, 2003). Some studies have shown that there are conditions in which users interacting with ECAs displayed on a computer monitor benefit from these interfaces more than from interfaces
The Bookmark Standard‐Setting Method: A Literature Review

The Bookmark method for setting standards on educational tests is currently one of the most popular standard-setting methods. However, research to support the method is scarce. In this report, we review the published and unpublished literature on this method as well as some seminal work in the area of evaluating standard-setting studies. Our review highlights both strengths and limitations of the method. Strengths include its wide acceptance and panelist confidence in the method. Limitations include a potential bias to produce lower-than-intended standards and problems in selecting the most appropriate response probability value for ordering the items presented to panelists. It is clear that more research on this method is needed to support its wide use. Several areas for future research to better understand the validity of the Bookmark method for setting standards on educational tests are presented.
An analytical relationship between scattering attenuation and porosity in oceanic crust

We present a theoretical derivation of the relationship between scattering attenuation and porosity based on a multiple back-scattering model. Two parameters, a heterogeneity parameter γ and a formation parameter β0, are introduced to characterize this relationship: , where ϕ is porosity, Qs0 is a measured value at ϕ=0. The formation parameter β0 describes the micro-scale formation properties such as rock and pore fluid properties and cracks. The heterogeneity parameter γ represents the effects of local/regional-scale heterogeneities on scattering attenuation, such as layers and fractures. The relative importance of these two parameters depends on the propagating wavelength. This analytical form fits empirical results in oceanic crust that have been previously reported. Numerical analysis shows that the local/regional-scale heterogeneity, γ, plays a more dominant role than the microscale properties, β0, on scattering attenuation at seismic and sonic wavelengths in the oceanic crust.
The Importance of Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Shaping Turnover Intent: A Test of a Causal Model

Employee turnover can have devastating effects on correctional facilities. Excessive turnover wastes recruiting and training dollars. In addition, high turnover rates may also directly affect the security of the institution as well as the safety of both staff and inmates. Thus this study surveyed correctional staff at a maximum security private prison to examine the impact of the work environment, personal characteristics, external employment opportunities, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment on turnover intent. The results of the multivariate ordinary least squares regression equations generally supported the proposed path model, and indicated age, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment directly influence turnover intent, whereas gender, job satisfaction, role conflict, role ambiguity, role overload, input into decision making, and organizational fairness indirectly affected employees' decisions to leave the job.
Fluxes of dissolved amino acids between sea water and Echinaster

Abstract 1. 1. Measurement of free amino acid (primary amine) influx and efflux into the starfish, Echinaster , were accomplished utilizing improved methods of sea water purification and analysis. 2. 2. Specimens placed in amino acid depleted sea water (5 × 10 −8 M) demonstrated net release as measured with the fluorescamine method. Similarly, specimens placed in the same water to which amino acid mixtures had been reintroduced to normal levels demonstrated net uptake. 3. 3. A mathematical model indicated an equilibrium amino acid concentration (when influx equals efflux) of 5.26 × 10 −7 M, or about one fourth the level of natural sea water. 4. 4. Since at normal environmental levels (20.65 × 10 −7 M) net flux is inward by a ratio of nearly 4-1, it is concluded that the previous suggestions of some workers that such would not be the case for marine invertebrates are no longer valid. 5. 5. The net uptake of amino acid from environmental levels would account for 5.67% of the measured total respiration if all were being metabolized. 6. 6. This figure appears to be in line with the previously developed hypothesis that the epidermis largely obtains its nutrition directly from the environment. However, the real benefit of the uptake mechanism may be to prevent loss of the body amino acid pools.
Physiologically based assessment of human exposure to urban air pollutants and its significance for public health risk evaluation.

Exact measurements or modeling of human exposures to environmental pollutants are of crucial importance for a realistic evaluation of public health risks. Current concepts, however, often use assum...
Analysis of Smoking Cessation Patterns Using a Stochastic Mixed-Effects Model With a Latent Cured State

We develop a mixed model to capture the complex stochastic nature of tobacco abuse and dependence. This model describes transition processes among addiction and nonaddiction stages. An important innovation of our model is allowing an unobserved cure state, or permanent quitting, in contrast to transient quitting. This distinction is necessary to model data from situations where censoring prevents unambiguous determination that a person has been “cured.“ Moreover, the processes that describe transient and permanent quitting are likely to be different and have different policy-making implications. For example, when analyzing factors that influence smoking and can be targeted by interventions, it is more important to target those factors that are associated with permanent quitting rather than transient quitting.We apply our methodology to the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) study, a large (29,133 participants) longitudinal cohort study. While ATBC was designed as a cancer prevention ...
CE-ADI-FDTD analysis of photonic crystals with a degenerate band edge (DBE)

In this paper, CE-ADI-FDTD is extended to anisotropic medium for the modeling of DBE PCs. This extension is based on D-H-E formulations associated with general constitutive relations.
The DMAP interaction domain of UDP-GlcNAc:lysosomal enzyme N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase is a substrate recognition module

UDP-GlcNAc:lysosomal enzyme N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase (GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase) is an α2β2γ2 heterohexamer that mediates the initial step in the formation of the mannose 6-phosphate recognition signal on lysosomal acid hydrolases. We previously reported that the specificity of the reaction is determined by the ability of the α/β subunits to recognize a conformation-dependent protein determinant present on the acid hydrolases. We now present evidence that the DNA methyltransferase-associated protein (DMAP) interaction domain of the α subunit functions in this recognition process. First, GST-DMAP pulled down several acid hydrolases, but not nonlysosomal glycoproteins. Second, recombinant GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase containing a missense mutation in the DMAP interaction domain (Lys732Asn) identified in a patient with mucolipidosis II exhibited full activity toward the simple sugar α-methyl d-mannoside but impaired phosphorylation of acid hydrolases. Finally, unlike the WT enzyme, expression of the K732N mutant in a zebrafish model of mucolipidosis II failed to correct the phenotypic abnormalities. These results indicate that the DMAP interaction domain of the α subunit functions in the selective recognition of acid hydrolase substrates and provides an explanation for the impaired phosphorylation of acid hydrolases in a patient with mucolipidosis II.
Seeding of Silicon Wire Growth by Out‐Diffused Metal Precipitates

We propose the out-diffused metal precipitates (OMP) method to seed metal catalysts for bottom-up silicon wire growth. We fi rst in-diffuse the silicon substrate with a fastdiffusing metal (e.g., copper), and then anneal with a temperature profi le tuned to out-diffuse the metal to favorable nucleation sites on the surface. Vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) silicon wire growth on seeds from the OMP method is demonstrated. The OMP method has the potential to seed wires of any size at any position on a three-dimensional surface, in a high-throughput manner. Silicon nanowires and microwires have potential for applications in integrated circuits, [ 1 ] solar cells, [ 2–5 ] lithium batteries, [ 6 ] and biological sensors. [ 7 ] For example, Kelzenberg et al. [ 4 ] have demonstrated enhanced light absorption and decreased materials usage in solar cells fabricated from silicon microwire arrays, with distinct performance advantages over nanowire-based solar cells. A common bottom-up approach to synthesizing silicon wires is the VLS method, in which liquid metal droplets are used to catalyze crystalline wire growth. In the VLS method, fi rst proposed by Wagner, [ 8 ]
The Response of Soil Moisture to Long-Term Variability of Precipitation

Abstract Soil hydrology is a widely recognized low-pass filter for the interaction between land and atmosphere. However, the lack of adequate long-term measured data on soil moisture profiles has precluded examination of how soil wetness responds to long-term precipitation variations. Such a response can be characterized by its amplitude damping, phase shifting, and increasing persistence with soil depth. These should be correlated with the climate spectra through the interactions between the land and the atmosphere. The major objective of this study is to investigate how precipitation signals are manifested in vertical soil moisture profiles in the context of timescales. Thus, the natural variability of soil moisture profiles is documented using 16 yr of field observational data of soil moisture measured at 11 levels of various depths down to 2.0 m at 17 locations over Illinois. Detailed statistic analyses are made of the temporal variations of soil moisture profiles and concurrently measured precipitati...
Effect of increased calcium concentration on in vitro growth of human colonic mucosal lines

The influences of different calcium concentrations in the culture medium onin vitro growth kinetics (generation time and saturation density) of established human colonic mucosal lines derived from subjects with and without familial adenomatosis of the colon and rectum were studied to test the hypothesis that hyperproliferation of colonic mucosal cells observed in some familial colon cancer can be reversed by increased extracellular calcium concentration. From the present studies, the genomic source of the adenomatous colonic lines appear to modify the effect of increased calcium on mucosal growth as demonstrated by differences in growth response in lines with and without the biomarker associated with genetic predisposition for some colon cancers, increasedin vitro tetraploidy. Such observations suggested that other factors, including genomic differences, should be taken into consideration in the determination of the possible influences of calcium concentration on colonic mucosal proliferation.
Temperature Regulation of Endogenous Gibberellin Activity and Development of Tulipa gesneriana L.

The changes in the contents of free and bound gibberellin-like activity (GA) of Tulipa gesneriana L. cv. Ralph during development under 2 temperature conditions were studied. The results show that the content of free GA of bulbs grown at 18 degrees increased by 67% over the initial level during development. The bound GA showed a slight initial increase and was followed by a rapid decrease. In contrast, bulbs treated at 13 degrees showed a marked decline in free GA and a 2-fold increase in the content of bound GA. However, after the transfer of these bulbs from 13 degrees to 18 degrees the free GA increased to the initial level while the bound GA decreased to a low level.The rate of floral shoot and root development and time of flowering were accelerated at 18 degrees as compared to 13 degrees .From the data obtained, it was suggested that a temperature-sensitive interconversion mechanism between free and bound GA exists in tulip bulbs and that there is apparent synthesis or transformation of these phytohormones during development of the bulbs.
Will more nitrogen enhance carbon storage in young forest stands in central Appalachia

Many temperate deciduous forests in the Eastern US are secondary, regrowing forests and have experienced decades of elevated inputs of acidic compounds and biologically available nitrogen (N) from the atmosphere. These young forests play an important role in the global carbon (C) cycle as C sinks, and it is possible that acidic deposition will influence the strength and longevity of this sink. We used the Fernow Experimental Forest Long Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) experiment near Parsons, WV to evaluate how 13 years of experimental N additions has affected ecosystem C storage and stand level dynamics in a young temperate deciduous forest. Specifically we examined whether N additions: (1) directly increased aboveground growth of regenerating trees but did so in a way that was independent of the indirect effects of soil acidification; (2) directly (independent of acidification effects) increased forest floor and soil C pools, and decreased the fine root C pool; and (3) lowered stand density and diversity. We also tested whether tree species were differentially affected by either N fertilization or soil acidification. Thirteen years of ammonium sulfate additions to a regenerating deciduous forest stimulated C storage by 22% – even in a region with historically high levels of atmospheric N deposition. This response was driven primarily by a 27% increase in C storage in aboveground biomass and to a lesser extent by a 35% increase in C stored in the smaller forest floor pool. Despite the dominance of a single tree species (Prunus pensylvanica), the overall response may have been tempered by reductions in stand density and was only detectable when the changes in all species were included, rather than when only the changes in the dominant species were examined. Indirect acidification effects were found to increase C accumulation in the forest floor and decrease the number of different tree species. In the short-term it is likely that N deposition will stimulate forest growth and C storage in young temperate deciduous forests. However, given the differential responses observed for longer-lived tree species versus the positive response for short-lived species, it appears that the long-term effects of N deposition on C storage in temperate deciduous forests may be different than the short-term effects, and may even be negative.
The effects of differential rearing on exploratory behavior in puppies

Wright, J.C., 1983. The effects of differential rearing on exploratory behavior in puppies. Appl. Anim. Ethol., 10: 27-34. Twenty-five puppies, 7 males and 11 females from 3 litters of German Shepherds and 5 males and 2 females from 1 litter of Beagles, were assigned to either a hand-reared or litter-reared condition. Pups were individually tested for 10 min at 5.5 and 8.5 weeks of age in an arena with novel objects and wall patterns. Stimulus objects were different for each test session, and included the following: a mirror, metronome, balloon, clock, an empty rat cage, soiled rat litter, and a mouse in a cage. A principal components factor analysis done on scores of 5 measures of exploratory behavior showed 1 primary factor (exploratory behavior) operating at 5.5 weeks and 2 factors existing at 8.5 weeks. One of the latter factors was identified as locomotor activity, whereas the other factor involved reactions to novel objects, and was identified as stimulus reactivity. There were no differences in exploratory behavior due to sex, rearing, or their interaction at 5.5 weeks, or in locomotor activity at 8.5 weeks of age. Only stimulus reactivity was significantly affected by rearing at 8.5 weeks (P < 0.05); the hand-reared pups investigated and spent more time in the presence of the novel objects than the litter-reared subjects. An application of the findings is discussed.
Ovarian and cervical cancer patient derived xenografts: The past, present, and future

Preclinical research in gynecologic malignancies has largely relied upon cloned cancer-derived cell lines and tumor xenografts derived from these cell lines. Unfortunately, the use of cell lines for translational research has disadvantages because genetic and phenotypic alterations from serial passaging have resulted in expression profiles that are different from the original patient tumors. The patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model derived from human tumor not previously cultured has shown better representation of the heterogeneity of gynecologic malignancies and the human tumor microenvironment with preservation of cytogenetics, cellular complexity, and vascular and stromal tumor architecture. Studies have shown promise with these models to analyze tumor development and adaptation, test drug efficacy, and predict clinical outcomes. Their ultimate value may be seen with preclinical drug screening including novel targeted therapies, biomarker identification, and the development of individualized treatment plans. This article reviews PDX model development, current studies testing chemotherapeutics and targeted therapies, and limitations of the PDX model in gynecologic malignancies.
Occupational Physical Activity: Reliability and Comparison of Activity Levels

Background: In 2001, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) included a new occupational physical activity (PA) question. This article evaluates the reliability of this survey question. Methods: Forty-six subjects were followed for 3 wk, answered 3 PA surveys by telephone, and completed daily PA logs for 1 wk. Kappa statistics determined the reliability of occupational activities (sitting/standing, walking, and heavy lifting). A descriptive analysis compared the time in specific occupational activities. Results: Eighty percent of the respondents reported “mostly sitting or standing” at work; and test–retest reliability was moderate (k = 0.40 to 0.45). The occupationally inactive sat/stood for 85% (mean hours = 5.6) of the workday, whereas the occupationally active sat/stood for 53% (mean hours = 3.9) of the workday. Conclusions: The BRFSS occupational activity question has moderate reliability, distinguishes between occupationally active and inactive persons, and can be used in surveillance...
Symmetry assessment of an air-blast atomizer spray

This study represents an evaluation of the extent to which conventional and recently introduced modern diagnostics can assess the symmetry of sprays formed by three atomizers of identical design. The conventional diagnostics include sheet-lit photography, patternation, and laser diffraction. The modern diagnostic is laser interferometry (phase Doppler). Symmetry is assessed in ambient conditions for four atomizer orientations, and comparisons are made between the diagnostic techniques. The results demonstrate that conventional and modern diagnostics are consistent in the assessment of symmetry, patternation and phase Doppler are most effective in establishing symmetry of mass flux, and phase Doppler, although more tedious to employ, provides the additional information necessary to establish the sources of detected asymmetries in terms of nonuniformities in droplet velocities, size distributions, volume flux, and concentration.
Bidirectional versus unidirectional networks: cost/performance trade-offs

In this survey, we consider three unidirectional network categories: (1) the low-dimensional torus network, (2) the hypercube network, and the (3) the de Bruijn network. Our significant results are (1) a comparison between unidirectional and bidirectional implementations of each topology and (2) a comparison between the three topologies with respect to routing strategy cost-performance, fault tolerance, and deadlock avoidance. >
Management Theory and Research: Potential Contribution to Public Policy and Public Organizations

The article discusses way in which management theory and research can be applied to the public realm. A part of tackling unemployment involves encouraging the growth of new and innovative firms, an...
CATERPILLER: A Novel Gene Family Important in Immunity, Cell Death, and Diseases

The newly discovered CATERPILLER (CLR) gene family encodes proteins with a variable but limited number of N-terminal domains, followed by a nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) and leucine-rich repeats (LRR). The N-terminal domain consists of transactivation, CARD, Pyrin, or BIR domains, with a minority containing undefined domains. These proteins are remarkably similar in structure to the TIR-NBD-LRR and CC-NBD-LRR disease resistance (R) proteins that mediate immune responses in plants. The NBD-LRR architecture is conserved in plants and vertebrates, but only remnants are found in worms and flies. The CLRs regulate inflammatory and apoptotic responses, and some act as sensors that detect pathogen products. Several CLR genes have been genetically linked to susceptibility to immunologic disorders. We describe prominent family members, including CIITA, CARD4/NOD1, NOD2/CARD15, CIAS1, CARD7/NALP1, and NAIP, in more detail. We also discuss implied roles of these proteins in diversifying immune detection and in providing a check-and-balance during inflammation.
The VirE3 protein of Agrobacterium mimics a host cell function required for plant genetic transformation.

To genetically transform plants, Agrobacterium exports its transferred DNA (T-DNA) and several virulence (Vir) proteins into the host cell. Among these proteins, VirE3 is the only one whose biological function is completely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that VirE3 is transferred from Agrobacterium to the plant cell and then imported into its nucleus via the karyopherin α-dependent pathway. In addition to binding plant karyopherin α, VirE3 interacts with VirE2, a major bacterial protein that directly associates with the T-DNA and facilitates its nuclear import. The VirE2 nuclear import in turn is mediated by a plant protein, VIP1. Our data indicate that VirE3 can mimic this VIP1 function, acting as an ‘adapter' molecule between VirE2 and karyopherin α and ‘piggy-backing' VirE2 into the host cell nucleus. As VIP1 is not an abundant protein, representing one of the limiting factors for transformation, Agrobacterium may have evolved to produce and export to the host cells its own virulence protein that at least partially complements the cellular VIP1 function necessary for the T-DNA nuclear import and subsequent expression within the infected cell.
Combinatorial Message Sharing for a refined multiple descriptions achievable region

This paper presents a new achievable rate-distortion region for the L-channel multiple descriptions problem. Currently, the most popular region for this problem is due to Venkataramani, Kramer and Goyal [3]. Their encoding scheme is an extension of the Zhang-Berger scheme to the L-channel case and includes a combinatorial number of refinement codebooks, one for each subset of the descriptions. All the descriptions also share a single common codeword, which introduces redundancy, but assists in better coordination of the descriptions. This paper proposes a novel encoding technique involving ‘Combinatorial Message Sharing’, where every subset of the descriptions may share a distinct common message. This introduces a combinatorial number of shared codebooks along with the refinement codebooks of [3]. These shared codebooks provide a more flexible framework to trade off redundancy across the messages for resilience to descriptions loss. We derive an achievable rate-distortion region for the proposed technique, and show that it subsumes the achievable region of [3].
Betting lines and college football television ratings

Abstract Speculation has long proposed that interest in live sports programming has been fueled by the gambling market. We separate interest in outcome uncertainty from interest in the betting market and uncover that consumers are sensitive to contest outcomes relative to both the sides and totals markets.
Human Factors Evaluation of the Auxiliary Hot Cell Facility, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico

The Auxiliary Hot Cell Facility (AHCF) at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) is a Hazard Category 3 nuclear facility used to characterize, treat, and repackage radioactive and mixed material for reuse, recycling, or ultimate disposal. Mixed waste may also be handled at the AHCF. A significant upgrade to a previous facility, the Temporary Hot Cell, was required to perform this mission. A checklist procedure was used to perform a human-factors evaluation of the AHCF modifications. This evaluation resulted in two recommendations, both of which have been implemented.
Mapping the Membrane Proteome of Anaerobic Gut Fungi using RNA-Seq

Anaerobic gut fungi reside in the digestive tract of large herbivores where they enable the digestion of resilient plant biomass into fermentable sugars. It is likely that the membrane envelope of these important but woefully understudied organisms is involved in their cellulolytic lifestyle. Our studies suggest that these fungal membranes contain a number of sugar transporters and sensors that are potentially valuable tools for the biotech community. Characterization of these entities will also shed light on the remarkable abilities of these most early diverging eukaryotes. Here, we have used RNA-Seq to study the membrane transcriptome of three strains of gut fungi: Anaeromyces sp. S4, Piromyces sp. finn, and Neocallimastix sp. G1 at high resolution. Hydropathy analyses suggest that at least 20% of the transcripts in each strain encode proteins that are integral membrane proteins. Among these are transporters and proteins involved in energy metabolism and signaling. Surprisingly, we find a number of membrane-anchored proteins that are homologous to bacterial sugar-binding proteins. Some of these putative sugar-binding domains are fused to class 3 G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), and as such suggest that GPCRs play a sugar-sensing role in primitive fungi.
Fluid Dynamics in a Hemodialysis Graft

Arteriovenous (AV) grafts for hemodialysis access typically have a high flow rate environment which creates significant pressure and velocity fluctuations downstream of venous anastomosis. We investigate a blood flow dynamics using direct numerical simulation within a subject-specific geometry with pulsatile flow conditions based on animal study. The irregularity of local geometry creates disturbed flow patterns and breaks the symmetry. This study demonstrates the importance of accurate representation of subject-specific geometry and realistic flow inlet conditions.© 2004 ASME
Enjoyment of a Televised Sport Contest under Different Social Conditions of Viewing

50 male and 33 female subjects viewed the televised 1976 Olympic basketball championship game, U.S. vs Yugoslavia, under “natural conditions,” i.e., as they pleased at home or anywhere, and rated t...
Symmetrical bis-tertiary amines as novel CXCR4 inhibitors.

Abstract CXCR4 inhibitors are promising agents for the treatment of cancer metastasis and inflammation. A series of novel tertiary amine derivatives targeting CXCR4 were designed, synthesized, and evaluated. The central benzene ring linker and side chains were modified and optimized to study the structure–activity relationship. Seven compounds displayed much more potent activity than the reference drug, AMD3100, in both the binding affinity assay and the blocking of Matrigel invasion functional assay. These compounds exhibited effective concentration ranging from 1 to 100 nM in the binding affinity assay and inhibited invasion from 65.3% to 100% compared to AMD3100 at 100 nM. Compound IIn showed a 50% suppressive effect against carrageenan-induced paw inflammation in a mouse model, which was as effective as the peptidic antagonist, TN14003 (48%). These data demonstrate that symmetrical bis-tertiary amines are unique CXCR4 inhibitors with high potency.
pANCA positivity predicts lower clinical response to infliximab therapy among patients with IBD.

OBJECTIVES Several studies have been performed evaluating the role of perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (pANCA) to predict early clinical response among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who are undergoing infliximab therapy. The results of these studies are variable, however, and the effect of pANCA+ as a predictor of clinical response to infliximab remains largely undefined. The goal of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the role of pANCA in predicting poor responders to infliximab. METHODS A comprehensive search of the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases was performed in June 2014. All of the studies that evaluated pANCA levels in patients with IBD who were undergoing antitumor necrosis factor-α (anti-TNF-α) therapy and their clinical responses were included. A meta-analysis was performed using the Mantel-Haenszel model with odds ratios to assess for clinical remission. RESULTS In the pooled analysis (N = 415), patients who were pANCA negative had nearly a twofold higher response to anti-TNF-α therapy compared with patients who were pANCA+ (odds ratio 1.87; 95% confidence interval 1.02-3.41). Serologic testing for pANCA+ predicting nonresponse to infliximab therapy showed a sensitivity of 25.2%, a specificity of 85.5%, a positive predictive value of 41.1%, and a negative predictive value of 74.0%. CONCLUSIONS Being more proactive (ie, early dose escalation or accelerated loading regimen) in patients who are pANCA+ may be necessary to improve clinical response.
Corn Response to Composting and Time of Application of Solid Swine Manure

Swine production in hoop structures is a relatively new husbandry system in which a mixture of manure and bedding accumulates. This manurelbedding pack can be applied to crop fields directly from a hoop structure or piled for composting. During 2000 and 2001, field experiments were conducted near Boone, IA, to determine the effects of form of solid swine manure (fresh or composted) and time of manure application (fall or spring) on corn (Zea mays L.) nutrient status and yield. Fresh and composted manure were applied at 340 kg total N ha -1 . Urea N fertilizer treatments of 0, 60, 120, and 180 kg N ha -1 were used to determine N fertilizer equivalency values for the manure. In 2000, but not in 2001, fresh manure decreased corn emergence by 9.5% compared with the unamended, nonfertilized control treatment. No corn yield differences due to the form or the time of manure application were detected in 2000, but all treatments receiving manure produced more corn grain than the unamended control. In 2001, fall application of manure increased corn grain yield more than spring application, and composted manure increased yield more than fresh manure, with spring-applied fresh manure providing no yield response beyond the unamended control. Mean N supply efficiency, defined as the N fertilizer equivalency value as a percentage of the total N applied, was greatest for fall-applied composted manure (34.7%), intermediate for fall-applied fresh manure (24.3%) and spring-applied composted manure (25.0%), and least for spring-applied fresh manure (10.9%).
Product and Process Network Modeling and Pathway Optimization with Life Cycle Functional Unit Analysis: The Case of Biofuels

Abstract Biofuels have been promoted as a possible solution to provide renewable fuels and diminish society’s dependence on non-renewable energy sources. However, there are a plethora of possible biofuel product and processes, and an ideal choice is unclear. Furthermore, economic and environmental metrics must be chosen that best analyze the performance of the selected pathway. This work presents a functional unit based approach towards optimization of product and process networks. The mass of ethanol produced in a biofuels network is chosen as the functional unit (FU), and the production cost and global warming potential per FU are computed. Solving the resulting NLFP (nonlinear, fractional program) is reduced to iteratively solving a sequence of MILP by integrating a piecewise linear approximation algorithm using branch and refine methods with the parametric algorithm. A case study processing up to 100,000 tons/hr of a variety of biomass to meet an ethanol demand of 2.88 Mgal/yr is presented.
10 Integrating Intergenerational Family Caregiving Challenges Across Discipline and Culture Identity, Attribution, and Relationship

In the past few decades, worldwide increases in chronic illness and life expectancies have drastically amplified the burden experienced by family caregivers. As a result of their many responsibilities, caregivers are prone to greater physical, psychological, and relational strain as compared to their peers. The goal of this chapter is to spur interdisciplinary research to aid intergenerational family caregivers by integrating research from different disciplines and cultures. Three central communication challenges faced by caregivers (identity, attribution, and relationship) serve as reference points for this discussion.
796 Results of a community intervention trial aimed at improving safety behaviours to prevent hot water scald burns

Background Hot water scalds continue to pose a serious threat in the home, causing over 1500 hospital admissions and 100 deaths each year in the United States. We aimed to determine whether households who participated in an enhanced home safety visit demonstrated improved safety behaviours about hot water compared to homes receiving a standard home visit as part of a community intervention trial. Methods The temperature of the hot water and self-reported prevention behaviours were recorded at a baseline visit, and retested 6–9 months later in a follow-up visit. Residents whose hot water temperatures remained at an unsafe temperature were asked why they did not adjust the temperatures. Demographic data were also recorded. Results A total of 708 households participated. There was no significant difference emerged between the two study groups in the proportion of households observed to have adjusted their hot water temperature to safe levels between the baseline and follow-up visits (t = 1.24; P = 0.22). Residents who received the enhanced education were more likely to report testing their hot water temperature (27% vs 11%; P Conclusions These results suggest that water temperatures remain unsafe in many urban homes. The effect of educational interventions may be mitigated by personal preferences of hot water temperature. Passive intervention such the installation of scald prevention devices may be necessary to reduce risk from hot water.
Instrumental Jazz Improvisation Development: Characteristics of Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced Improvisers

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the role aural imitation ability, jazz theory knowledge, and personal background variables play in the development of jazz improvisation achievement. Participants (N = 70) included 26 high school and 44 college instrumentalists with varying degrees of jazz improvisation experience. Data were collected using four researcher-designed instruments: (a) Participant Improvisation Experience Survey (PIES), (b) Improvisation Achievement Performance Measure (IAPM), (c) Aural Imitation Measure (AIM), and (d) the Jazz Theory Measure (JTM). Results indicate that aural imitation ability and technical facility are fundamental skills supporting jazz improvisation achievement. Other contributing factors include improvisation experience, jazz experience, practicing improvisation, perceived self-confidence, self-assessment, and jazz theory knowledge. Further analysis of results led to improvisation being viewed from a developmental perspective and achievement levels bein...
Facilitated Gesture Recognition Based Interfaces for People with Upper Extremity Physical Impairments

A gesture recognition based interface was developed to facilitate people with upper extremity physical impairments as an alternative way to perform laboratory experiments that require ‘physical’ manipulation of components. A color, depth and spatial information based particle filter framework was constructed with unique descriptive features for face and hands representation. The same feature encoding policy was subsequently used to detect, track and recognize users’ hands. Motion models were created employing dynamic time warping (DTW) method for better observation encoding. Finally, the hand trajectories were classified into different classes (commands) by applying the CONDENSATION method and, in turn, an interface was designed for robot control, with a recognition accuracy of 97.5%. To assess the gesture recognition and control policies, a validation experiment consisting in controlling a mobile service robot and a robotic arm in a laboratory environment was conducted.
Literacy-based behavioural interventions delivered by peers: a teaching strategy for students with severe disabilities

AbstractMany children with severe disabilities do not perform basic daily living skills needed for typical school and home environments. Previous research on literacy-based behavioural interventions (LBBIs) has shown promise for promoting skill acquisition and maintenance in some learners; however, only one study has examined the effectiveness of this intervention when delivered by peers. In this study, peer classmates were taught to deliver an LBBI story that highlighted hand-washing skills in three students with severe disabilities. Results showed that the accuracy of students’ new skills increased dramatically after their peers delivered the stories with pictures and printed words, and these skills maintained after the LBBI stories were removed. Further, each of the students demonstrated accurate hand-washing in novel environments using different sinks. This study builds on previous LBBI studies by incorporating peers into the story delivery, and using the intervention to teach new self-care skills.
Existence and Orbital Stability of Solitary-Wave Solutions for Higher-Order BBM Equations

This paper discusses the existence and stability of solitary-wave solutions of a general higher-order Benjamin-Bona-Mahony (BBM) equation, which involves pseudo-differential operators for the linear part. One of such equations can be derived from water-wave problems as second-order approximate equations from fully nonlin- ear governing equations. Under some conditions onthe symbols of pseudo-differential operators and the nonlinear terms, it is shown that the general higher-orderBBM equa- tion has solitary-wave solutions. Moreover, under slightly more restrictive conditions, the set of solitary-wave solutions is orbitally stable. Here, the equation has a nonlinear part involving the polynomials of solution and its derivatives with different degrees (not homogeneous), which has not been studied before. Numerical stability and in- stability of solitary-wave solutions for some special fifth-order BBM equations are also given.
Chemistry of Trimethylsilyl Cyanide

Some of the fundamentals of silicon chemistry have been presented in Chapter One. We now consider one of the most versatile of the silicon reagents: trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMS-CN). Its reactivity effectively illustrates one of the fundamentals of silicon chemistry. Specifically, the trimethylsilyl group often reacts as if it were a proton. One might therefore expect TMS-CN to approximate the reactions and toxicity of hydrogen cyanide.
A Phase I Study of Cloretazine® and Temozolomide in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies.

Background: In recent single agent Phase I trials, both Cloretazine® (VNP40101M) and temozolomide (TMZ) have shown activity in relapsed leukemia with minimal non-hematologic toxicity (Giles et al, 2004, Seiter et al, 2002). The cytotoxic activity of Cloretazine and TMZ have been attributed to the alkylation at the O6 position of guanine leading to a futile cycle of misincorporation of thymidine and ineffective mismatch repair. In addition, activation of Cloretazine generates different alkylating and isocyanate species that produce DNA cross linkages leading to DNA strand breaks and apoptosis. Repair of Cloretazine and TMZ induced alkylation lesions have been attributed to the expression and irreversible activity of enzyme O6 alkylguanine DNA alkyltranferase (AGT). It has been shown that TMZ administered to patients once or twice daily can reduce AGT levels in tumor cells; therefore depletion of AGT by TMZ may sensitize cells to Cloretazine and result in synergistic anti-tumor activity. Methods: Cloretazine given after TMZ priming is currently evaluated in a Phase I dose escalation study. Patients are eligible if they have relapsed or refractory leukemia (ECOG 0–2). TMZ was given orally starting at a dose of 200 mg twice daily for 5 doses. Cloretazine is given intravenously on day 3, 2–4 hours after the last dose of TMZ starting at 100 mg/m 2 . Dose escalation of TMZ was guided by AGT depletion in leukemic blasts assessed by enzyme assay and HPLC (Gerson et al, 1985). Leukemia response is assessed according for standard criteria for CR and CRp (Cheson et al, 2003). Results: Thirty-two patients have been treated in the first 5 cohorts (I: 200mg TMZ +100mg/m 2 Cloretazine n=7, II: 300mg TMZ+100mg/m 2 Cloretazine n=6, III: 300mg TMZ + 200mg/m 2 Cloretazine n=3, IV: 300 mg TMZ + 300mg/m 2 Cloretazine n=7, V: 300 mg TMZ + 400mg/m 2 Cloretazine n=9). Median age of the patients is 62 years (range 27–80), M:F = 20:12. Treatment with 300mg TMZ x 5 doses resulted in >90% depletion of AGT levels in 5 of 6 patients in cohort II and was fixed for subsequent dose escalation with Cloretazine. Myelosuppression was the most frequent adverse event occurring in 10/32 (30%) of treated patients (6 Grade 3–4 neutropenia, 4 Grade 3–4 thrombocytopenia). Non-hematologic toxicity has been minimal. To date, two patients treated with TMZ 300mg x 5 and Cloretazine 400 mg/m 2 have experienced dose-limiting toxicity: Grade 3 pulmonary hemorrhage and Grade 3 neutropenic colitis in Cohort V and no unexpected toxicities were observed. Three early deaths occurred within 30 days (9.4%), all attributed to progressive disease. Responses are as follows: CR=3, CRp=1, and HI=2 for an overall response rate of 18.8%. The study is ongoing. Conclusions: Cloretazine® in combination with TMZ is tolerable and manageable. Evidence of anti-tumor effect has already been observed suggesting the combination of Cloretazine® and TMZ may potentiate their antileukemic activity.
429. Optimizing Intratumoral Oncolytic Virus Delivery Using Hemodynamic Manipulations

Oncolytic virotherapies like vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) are experimental cancer therapies wherein naturally evolved or engineered viruses selectively infect tumor cells, inducing tumor cell death (oncolysis), immunotherapeutic responses, and tumor regression. Our mathematical model predicts increasing delivery, distribution, and size of intratumoral infectious centers will increase the probability of achieving tumor cure from direct oncolysis. However, currently intratumoral infection is heterogeneously distributed, resulting in intratumoral infection voids. These voids are predicted to be a result of barriers to intratumoral virus that have the potential to be targeted in order to optimize current oncolytic regimens consistent with mathematical predictions.Optimization requires the ability to accurately visualize and analyze intratumoral infection noninvasively in animals. Here we have used dynamic radiohistology in which noninvasive SPECT/CT imaging after the administration of recombinant virus expressing the sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) reporter gene is used to visualize radiotracer uptake at centers of active NIS expression correlating with intratumoral infectious centers. The SPECT/CT data was analyzed using distributive distance transformation algorithms that quantitatively assess changes in intratumoral distribution and infection voids, allowing for testing of the mathematical model predictions. This technique has proven to be valuable in observing location, size, and evolution of intratumoral infectious centers in three dimensions, and quantitative analysis of infection distribution using SPECT/CT data has the potential to increase understanding of barriers to therapeutic success.Hemodynamic changes are thought to alter tumoral perfusion pressure, a barrier to intratumoral virus delivery. Indeed, we show that increasing intratumoral perfusion pressure through an increase in systemic blood pressure results in an increase in survival matched with an increase in delivery shown using the above analytical methods. Conversely, intratumoral delivery decreases with a decrease in blood pressure. This confirms the ability to use a mathematically guided approach to inform and analyze increases in oncolytic virus therapeutic efficacy and highlights the importance of hemodynamic regulation during therapeutic administration.