cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Marvell’s Marriage Songs and Poetic Patronage in the Court of Cromwell

This paper examines the marriage songs that Andrew Marvell produced in 1657 for the wedding masque of Mary Cromwell, specifically, how they express Marvell’s long-time pursuit of patronage, and more broadly, how they showcase the increasingly courtly predilections of the Protectoral household and government. Marvell represents the politics and personalities behind the marriage in ways that suggest an acute awareness of Cromwell’s growing aristocratic and dynastic ambitions. As a newly appointed civil servant, Marvell also uses the occasion to reflect upon his experience as the beneficiary of the Protector’s largesse. Marvell is a silent but active player in the masque, using it to negotiate his position as a poet in the Cromwellian court.
Images in clinical medicine. Massive subcutaneous emphysema after tracheal perforation.

After a laminectomy and posterior spinal fusion, subcutaneous emphysema and hypoxemia developed. A chest radiograph revealed no pneumothorax. Bilateral chest tubes were placed, but the hypoxemia did not improve.
Determination of rutin in the mulberry leaves by HPLC

Objective: To establish a method for the determination of rutin in mulberry leaves by HPLC.Methods: VARIAN ODS(250 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm) chromatographic column was used. The mobile phase was acetonitrile(A)-0.5% phosphoric acid(B)with gradient elution [0.01 min,A-B(18∶82);4 min,A-B(21∶79);14 min,A-B(8∶92);17 min,A-B(18∶82);18 min,A-B(18∶82)].The flow rate was 1.0 ml/min.The sample size was 20 μl,the detection wavelength was at 358 nm and the column temperature was 40℃. Then HPLC UV detector was used for detection.Results: The linearity range of rutin in mulberry leaves was 5 μg/ml~100 μg/ml(r=0.99996,n=5).Relative Standard Deviation(RSD) was 1.9%~2.1%,the average recovery was 102%.The limit of detection(LOD) was 0.1 μg/ml.Conclusion: The result showed that the method was simple and fast,high sensitive,stable and accurate,which can be used for the determination of the rutin in mulberry leaves.
Pharmaceutical identification of Dendrobium devoninum Paxt. with Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo

Objective: To establish an effective method to identify Dendrobium devoninum Paxt.with Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo.Methods: Microscopic observation and thin layer chromatography analysis were conducted to study the TLC and microscopic difference of them.Results: Significant difference both in microscopic and TLC analysis were observed between Dendrobium devoninum Paxt.with different origin and Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo.Conclusion: The microscopic and TLC identification methods established in this study are simple and effective in the identification of Dendrobium devoninum Paxt with Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo.
Independent performance among individuals with mental retardation: promoting generalization through self-instruction.

The full participation of individuals with mental retardation in the community requires performance of newly acquired skills in novel circumstances and across the varying demands characteristic of life in the everyday world. For example, a person who has learned how to ride a bus may have to adapt to changes in scheduling, bus routes, or fares. Or an employee who has been taught by a coworker to make salads in a fast-food restaurant will need to continue to complete orders when the coworker no longer is present. Although skill generalization is an implicit educational goal, instructional strategies rarely are employed to influence the attainment of this goal (Haring & Laitinen, in press). Self-instruction is a strategy that has been effective in promoting the independent performance of people with mental retardation. Self-instruction provides individuals with the means for guiding their own behavior in novel situations not associated with training and after assistance has been withdrawn. For example, by using self-instruction, people with mental retardation have learned, among other skills, to sequence their tasks, increase their rate of production, and solve work-related problems. This chapter evaluated studies that investigated use of self-instruction among individuals with mental retardation in community settings. The focus of the review was on identification of factors relating to generalization across people, situations, tasks, and time. The combination of these factors suggests a model for promoting independent performance among individuals with mental retardation. This model combines self-instruction with teaching multiple exemplars and comprises the following six steps: (a) Select an array of examples (responses) an individual is likely to be required to perform in an environment (step 1); (b) classify responses into teaching sets based upon a functional analysis (step 2); (c) divide items of each set into responses that will serve as training examples and those that will serve as generalization probes (step 3); (d) teach trained examples using self-instruction (step 4); (e) evaluate effect of training on trained and untrained examples (i.e., generalization probes) as well as verbalized self-instructional statements (step 5); and (f) withdraw training based upon performance criteria while evaluating the effect of withdrawal (step 6). These steps represent the best practices for promoting independent performance of individuals with mental retardation in the community.
Pancreatitis in hand-foot-and-mouth disease caused by enterovirus 71.

Some viruses, including certain members of the enterovirus genus, have been reported to cause pancreatitis, especially Coxsackie virus. However, no case of human enterovirus 71 (EV71) associated with pancreatitis has been reported so far. We here report a case of EV71-induced hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) presenting with pancreatitis in a 2-year-old girl. This is the first report of a patient with acute pancreatitis in HFMD caused by EV71. We treated the patient conservatively with nasogastric suction, intravenous fluid and antivirals. The patient’s symptoms improved after 8 d, and recovered without complications. We conclude that EV71 can cause acute pancreatitis in HFMD, which should be considered in differential diagnosis, especially in cases of idiopathic pancreatitis.
The impact of time on the strategy–performance relationship: Implications for managers

This study examined the influence of cycle time and the application of strategic information technology (SIT) on the relationship between business strategies identified during the course of the research (i.e., marketing differentiation, innovation differentiation and overall low cost) and firm performance (i.e., ROA, ROS). Data from a cross-industry sample of 116 executives in manufacturing and service businesses were collected using a web-based survey, conducted in cooperation with InformationWeek, a leading information technology industry magazine. Results of a path analysis indicated a significant, positive relationship of a market differentiation strategy to SIT to cycle time to performance. Strong positive direct relationships were evident for SIT to cycle time and for cycle time to performance. No other significant relationships were observed. D 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.
A Sequential Sentence Paradigm Using Revised PRESTO Sentence Lists.

Background: Listening in challenging situations requires explicit cognitive resources to decode and process speech. Traditional speech recognition tests are limited in documenting this cognitive effort, which may differ greatly between individuals or listening conditions despite similar scores. A sequential sentence paradigm was designed to be more sensitive to individual differences in demands on verbal processing during speech recognition. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish the feasibility, validity, and equivalency of test materials in the sequential sentence paradigm as well as to evaluate the effects of masker type, signalto-noise ratio (SNR), and working memory (WM) capacity on performance in the task. Research Design: Listeners heard a pair of sentences and repeated aloud the second sentence (immediate recall) and then wrote down the first sentence (delayed recall). Sentence lists were from the Perceptually Robust English Sentence Test Open-set (PRESTO) test. In experiment I, listeners completed a traditional speech recognition task. In experiment II, listeners completed the sequential sentence task at one SNR. In experiment III, the masker type (steady noise versus multitalker babble) and SNR were varied to demonstrate the effects of WM as the speech material increased in difficulty. Study Sample: Young, normal-hearing adults (total n = 53) from the Purdue University community completed one of the three experiments. Data Collection and Analysis: Keyword scoring of the PRESTO lists was completed for both the immediate- and delayed-recall sentences. The Verbal Letter Monitoring task, a test of WM, was used to separate listeners into a low-WM or high-WM group. Results: Experiment I indicated that mean recognition on the single-sentence task was highly variable between the original PRESTO lists. Modest rearrangement of the sentences yielded 18 statistically equivalent lists (mean recognition = 65.0%, range = 64.4-65.7%), which were used in the sequential sentence task in experiment II. In the new test paradigm, recognition of the immediate-recall sentences was not statistically different from the single-sentence task, indicating that there were no cognitive load effects from the delayed-recall sentences. Finally, experiment III indicated that multitalker babble was equally detrimental compared to steady-state noise for immediate recall of sentences for both low- and high-WM groups. On the other hand, delayed recall of sentences in multitalker babble was disproportionately more difficult for the low-WM group compared with the high-WM group. Conclusions: The sequential sentence paradigm is a feasible test format with mostly equivalent lists. Future studies using this paradigm may need to consider individual differences in WM to see the full range of effects across different conditions. Possible applications include testing the efficacy of various signalprocessing techniques in clinical populations.
Chemotherapy Tolerance and Oncologic Outcomes in Patients With Colorectal Cancer With and Without Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), comprising Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis, is a risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). Chemotherapy toxicity may exacerbate IBD symptoms and vice versa, but data are limited. We evaluated chemotherapy tolerance and oncologic outcomes in patients with CRC with and without IBD. Patients and Methods Medical records of patients with CRC with and without IBD treated between 2008 and 2013 were reviewed. Where possible, patients were matched by age, sex, stage, and diagnosis year. Chemotherapy tolerance and survival outcomes were compared between patients with IBD and without IBD. Results A total of 158 subjects with CRC were included: 80 patients had IBD and 78 matched control patients did not have IBD. Between cases and controls, there were no significant differences in demographic data, stage of CRC, and cancer treatments, with equivalent numbers of patients receiving surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Patients with IBD experienced more CRC treatment alterations than those without IBD (74% vs. 44%, P = .03), largely due to a higher frequency of treatment delays among patients with IBD. Differences in stage-specific 5-year overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with and without IBD were not significant, except for stage IV patients with IBD who had significantly shorter OS than those without IBD. Patients with histologically active IBD did not require more chemotherapy alterations than patients with inactive IBD. Conclusion In this series, patients with CRC with IBD experienced more treatment alterations (mostly delays) than those without IBD. Patients with stage IV CRC with IBD had shorter survival than patients without IBD.
Development of a pediatric vision screening device for remote assessment of binocular fixation and focus using birefringence properties of the eye

This talk reviews the development of a new pediatric vision screener, which employs polarization-modulated, retinal-birefringence-scanning-based eye alignment detection and bull's eye focus detection with an improved target system.
Applications and Availability of Whole-Body Counters to the Nuclear Medicine Technologist

The responsibility of nuclear safety is a part of each individual’s daily routine. Even though precautionary measures are observed, there is always the possibility that radioactive contamination to some hospital personnel can occur. This paper briefly reviews some of these aspects and suggests the potential role of low-level whole-body counters to help eliminate some of the problems.
Statin therapy in the frail elderly: A nuanced decision.

Clinicians—and patients—may reasonably feel there is value in statin therapy—even in advanced frailty.
Sustainability, the Next Generation Science Standards, and the Education of Future Teachers.

ABSTRACT The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) emphasize how human activities affect the Earth and how Earth processes impact humans, placing the concept of sustainability within the Earth and Space Sciences. We ask: how prepared are future teachers to address sustainability and systems thinking as encoded in the NGSS? And how can geoscientists support them? Most future teachers receive their Earth Science preparation in a single introductory geoscience course, but the content and delivery methods of these courses are not well matched to the NGSS knowledge and skills they will teach. We implemented a nationwide survey in undergraduate courses that addressed sustainability to some extent in order to assess career interests, behaviors, and motivations. Matched pre- and postdata (n = 1,125) respondents were divided into three groups: those very likely (22%), those somewhat likely (22%), and those not likely (56%) to become teachers. The very likely group resembles the current STEM teacher workforce in...
Molecular Mechanisms of Crude Oil Developmental Toxicity in Fish

With major oil spills in Korea, the United States, and China in the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of studies characterizing the developmental toxicity of crude oil and its associated polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs). The use of model fish species with associated tools for genetic manipulation, combined with high throughput genomics techniques in nonmodel fish species, has led to significant advances in understanding the cellular and molecular bases of functional and morphological defects arising from embryonic exposure to crude oil. Following from the identification of the developing heart as the primary target of crude oil developmental toxicity, studies on individual PACs have revealed a diversity of cardiotoxic mechanisms. For some PACs that are strong agonists of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), defects in heart development arise in an AHR-dependent manner, which has been shown for potent organochlorine agonists, such as dioxins. However, crude oil contains a much larger fraction of compounds that have been found to interfere directly with cardiomyocyte physiology in an AHR-independent manner. By comparing the cellular and molecular responses to AHR-independent and AHR-dependent toxicity, this review focuses on new insights into heart-specific pathways underlying both acute and secondary adverse outcomes to crude oil exposure during fish development.
An ultrastructural study of spore wall development and septal pores in species of the Pachyphlodes (Pezizaceae, Pezizales) lineage, with a description of the new species Pachyphlodes annagardnerae

Pachyphlodes (Pezizaceae) is a genus of truffle-like fungi that is distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. These fungi form ectomycorrhizae primarily with trees in the Fagaceae family, and occasionally with other host plants. The genus Plicariella (= Scabropezia) is phylogenetically inferred as an ally of, or within, the Pachyphlodes lineage. Despite molecular phylogenetic analyses that show the close relationships of species in these two genera, morphological differences in ascomata shape and color, spore ornamentation, and ascus shape are profound. Here, we studied spore wall development to better understand affinities within the Pachyphlodes–Plicariella lineages. Electron microscopy studies indicate that the initial spore wall development is similar across six Pachyphlodes species and a Plicariella species, despite striking differences in mature spore ornamentation among species. Ultrastructural analyses reveal that differences in spore ornamentation among Pachyphlodes species are due to unique developmental events at the final stages of spore wall deposition. Septal pore ultrastructure in Pachyphlodes species is similar to other Pezizaceae that have been studied. Molecular analyses of the five species studied indicate that four of them have not been previously described. The new species Pachyphlodes annagardnerae is here described, and the ultrastructural features of species of Pachyphlodes, Plicariella, and other Pezizales are compared and discussed.
Uncommon presentation of a common disease: influenza A presenting as adult croup

An 88-year-old woman presented to our emergency room with complaints of fever, coryza, barking cough and generalised fatigue for 2 days. Physical examination showed stridor, tachypnoea with use of accessory muscles of respiration on admission. Laboratory tests were unremarkable except for monocytosis with a normal total white cell count. Rapid influenza diagnostic test was positive for influenza A. Chest X-ray showed subglottic narrowing of the trachea suggestive of steeple sign. A diagnosis of influenza A-induced croup was made. She was given humidified oxygen, nebulised racemic epinephrine, intravenous dexamethasone and oseltamivir. Stridor resolved within minutes of giving nebulised epinephrine. Work of breathing improved within 4–6 hours. She was discharged 2 days later on a tapering dose of steroids.
Predicting the effects of epidural stimulation to improve hand function in patients with spinal cord injury: An active learning-based solution using dynamic sample weighting

In patients with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI), few therapies are available to improve neurological function. Neuromodulation of the spinal cord with epidural stimulation (EDS) has shown promise enabling the voluntary activation of motor pools caudal to the level of the injury. EDS is performed with multiple electrode arrays in which several stimulation variables such as the frequency, amplitude, and location of the stimulation significantly affect the type and amplitude of motor responses. This paper presents a novel technique to predict the final functionality of a patient with SCI after cervical EDS within a deep learning framework. Additionally, we suggest a committee-based active learning method to reduce the number of clinical experiments required to optimize EDS stimulation variables by exploring the stimulation configuration space more efficiently. We also developed a novel method to dynamically weight the results of different experiments using neural networks to create an optimal estimate of the quantity of interest. The essence of our approach was to use machine learning methods to predict the hand contraction force in a patient with chronic SCI based on different EDS parameters. The accuracy of the prediction of stimulation outcomes was evaluated based on three measurements: mean absolute error, standard deviation, and correlation coefficient. The results show that the proposed method can be used to reliably predict the outcome of cervical EDS on maximum voluntary contraction force of the hand with a prediction error of approximately 15%. This model could allow scientists to establish stimulation parameters more efficiently for SCI patients to produce enhanced motor responses in this novel application.
Bringing Water Markets Down to Earth: Water Rights Trading in Practice, 1980–1995

The 1981 Water Code set up the legal framework for free trading of water rights and left the rest to private initiative. This chapter looks at the results of the water market during its first fifteen years. Chilean water markets have enjoyed good press recently, shining in the reflected glow of the country’s dynamic economic growth. Influential voices within Chile and in the World Bank have praised the Water Code as a model of successful neoliberal reform, showing the benefits of privatization and free markets. Neighboring governments-e.g. in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador-have been encouraged by such voices, and in their admiration for Chile’s economy, they have considered copying its water law as well. Unfortunately, these claims for the Water Code’s success are exaggerated and incomplete. They rest on political or ideological beliefs rather than empirical support. A closer look at the evidence shows the Code’s impact to have been uneven, geographically diverse, and quite complicated.
Clinical Guidelines on Chronic Rhinosinusitis in Children.

Pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a prevalent problem that can elude diagnosis. In addition, given the burgeoning interest in pediatric sinonasal disease, treatment modalities are constantly evolving. The diagnosis of pediatric CRS is primarily based on clinical history and signs supported by objective findings (i.e., nasal endoscopy and/or computed tomography (CT) imaging). Cultures are indicated in patients who have not responded to medical therapy or have significant comorbidities. Nasal saline irrigation, nasal saline spray, and oral antibiotics are currently recommended for initial medical management. In children with CRS who have failed medical therapy, a stepwise approach to surgical intervention can lead to significant improvements in quality of life. This review provides an overview of the current guidelines and recent literature regarding the diagnosis, microbiology, and treatment options of CRS in the pediatric population.
Crotalus durissus terrificus (viperidae; crotalinae) envenomation: Respiratory failure and treatment with antivipmyn TRI® antivenom

We report an envenomation to a professional herpetologist by a South American rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus) that resulted in respiratory failure, and therapeutic improvement following antivenom administration. A 56-year-old male was bitten on the left wrist by a Crotalus durissus terrificus (C. d. terrificus) while attempting to tube the snake for maintaining safe control while performing venom extraction. The patient was intubated due to rapidly ensuing respiratory failure and administration of Antivipmyn-TRI® was initiated while being transported via ambulance. The patient was admitted to the hospital unconscious and unresponsive. Mechanical ventilation was required until 5 h after completion of antivenom administration. No significant adverse effects were observed with antivenom administration. The patient was discharged approximately 55 h following envenomation. This is the first reported case in the United States of a patient following a C. d. terrificus envenomation with consequent respiratory failure, and in which Antivipmyn-TRI® was successfully administered.
A Computational Approach to Assessing Rhetorical Effectiveness: Agentic Framing of Climate Change in the Congressional Record, 1994–2016

The goal of this paper is to consider rhetorical effects as the propagation of rhetorical expressions across large sets of texts, measured by the extent to which rhetorical expressions, structures,...
Safety of Influenza Vaccine in Patients With Cancer Receiving Pembrolizumab.

PURPOSE:There is a concern that influenza vaccination could increase the incidence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patients with cancer receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors. The aim o...
Capturing Deuteration Effects in a Molecular Mechanics Force Field: Deuterated THF and the THF-Water Miscibility Gap

Deuteration is a common chemical modification used in conjunction with experiments such as neutron scattering, NMR, and Fourier-transform infrared for the study of molecular systems. Under the Born-Oppenheimer (BO) approximation, while the underlying potential energy surface remains unchanged by isotopic substitutions, isotopic substitution still alters intramolecular vibrations, which in turn may alter intermolecular interactions. Molecular mechanics (MM) force fields used in classical molecular dynamics simulations are assumed to represent local approximations of the BO potential energy surfaces, and hence, MD simulations using simple isotopic mass substitutions should capture BO-compatible isotope effects. However, standard MM force-field parameterizations do not directly fit to the local harmonic quantum mechanical (QM) Hessian that describes the BO surface, but rather to QM normal-modes and/or mass-dependent internal-coordinate derived distortion energies. Here, using tetrahydrofuran (THF)-water mixtures as our model system, we show that not only does a simple mass-substitution approach fail to capture an experimentally characterized deuteration effect (the loss of the closed-loop miscibility gap associated with the complete deuteration of THF) but also it is necessary to generate new MM force-field parameters that correctly describe isotopic dependent vibrations to capture the experimental deuteration effect. We show that the origin of this failure is a result of using mass-dependent features to fit the THF MM force field, which unintentionally biases the bonded terms of the force field to represent only the isotopologue used during the original force-field parameterization. In addition, we make use of our isotopologue-corrected force field for D8THF to examine the molecular origins of the isotope-dependent loss of the THF-water miscibility gap.
An Explicit Probabilistic Derivation of Inflation in a Scalar Ensemble Kalman Filter for Finite Step, Finite Ensemble Convergence

This paper uses a probabilistic approach to analyze the converge of an ensemble Kalman filter solution to an exact Kalman filter solution in the simplest possible setting, the scalar case, as it allows us to build upon a rich literature of scalar probability distributions and non-elementary functions. To this end we introduce the bare-bones Scalar Pedagogical Ensemble Kalman Filter (SPEnKF). We show that in the asymptotic case of ensemble size, the expected value of both the analysis mean and variance estimate of the SPEnKF converges to that of the true Kalman filter, and that the variances of both tend towards zero, at each time moment. We also show that the ensemble converges in probability in the complementary case, when the ensemble is finite, and time is taken to infinity. Moreover, we show that in the finite-ensemble, finite-time case, variance inflation and mean correction can be leveraged to coerce the SPEnKF converge to its scalar Kalman filter counterpart. We then apply this framework to analyze perturbed observations and explain why perturbed observations ensemble Kalman filters underperform their deterministic counterparts.
Petrophysical properties prediction from prestack seismic data using convolutional neural networksPetrophysical properties using CNNs

ABSTRACTWe have built convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to obtain petrophysical properties in the depth domain from prestack seismic data in the time domain. We compare two workflows — end-to-en...
Stimulus-specific neural encoding of a persistent, internal defensive state in the hypothalamus

Summary Persistent neural activity has been described in cortical, hippocampal, and motor networks as mediating short-term working memory of transiently encountered stimuli1–4. Internal emotion states such as fear also exhibit persistence following exposure to an inciting stimulus5,6, but such persistence is typically attributed to circulating stress hormones7–9; whether persistent neural activity also plays a role has not been established. SF1+/Nr5a1+ neurons in the dorsomedial and central subdivision of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHdm/c) are necessary for innate and learned defensive responses to predators10–13. Optogenetic activation of VMHdmSF1 neurons elicits defensive behaviors that can outlast stimulation11,14, suggesting it induces a persistent internal state of fear or anxiety. Here we show that VMHdmSF1 neurons exhibit persistent activity lasting tens of seconds, in response to naturalistic threatening stimuli. This persistent activity was correlated with, and required for, persistent thigmotaxic (anxiety-like) behavior in an open-field assay. Microendoscopic imaging of VMHdmSF1 neurons revealed that persistence reflects dynamic temporal changes in population activity, rather than simply synchronous, slow decay of simultaneously activated neurons. Unexpectedly, distinct but overlapping VMHdmSF1 subpopulations were persistently activated by different classes of threatening stimuli. Computational modeling suggested that recurrent neural networks (RNNs) incorporating slow excitation and a modest degree of neurochemical or spatial bias can account for persistent activity that maintains stimulus identity, without invoking genetically determined “labeled lines”15. Our results provide causal evidence that persistent neural activity, in addition to well-established neuroendocrine mechanisms, can contribute to the ability of emotion states to outlast their inciting stimuli, and suggest a mechanism that could prevent over-generalization of defensive responses without the need to evolve hardwired circuits specific for each type of threat.
Tobacco Use Is Associated With Increased 90-Day Readmission Among Patients Undergoing Surgery for Degenerative Spine Disease.

Study Design:Retrospective database study.Objective:Tobacco use is associated with complications after surgical procedures, including poor wound healing, surgical site infections, and cardiovascula...
Digital Distribution and the the Prohibition of Resale Markets for Information Goods

An existing theoretical literature finds that frictionless resale markets cannot reduce profits of monopolist producers of perfectly durable goods. This paper starts by presenting logical arguments suggesting this finding does not hold for goods consumers tire of with use, implying the impact of resale is an empirical question. The empirical impact is then estimated in the market for video games, one of many markets in which producers may soon legally prevent resale by distributing their products digitally as downloads or streamed rentals. Estimation proceeds in two steps. First, demand parameters are estimated using a dynamic discrete choice model in a market with allowed resale, using data on new sales and used trade-ins. Then, using these parameter estimates, prices, profits, and consumer welfare are simulated under counter-factual environments. When resale is allowed, firms are unable to prevent their goods from selling for low prices in later periods. The ability to do so by restricting resale outright yields significant profit increases. Renting, however, does not raise profits as much due to a revenue extraction problem.
Mechanically tunable focusing metamirror in the visible (Conference Presentation)

Unlike conventional optical components, which often present physical obstructions to the miniaturization of optoelectronic devices, the control of light using flat optics has attracted much recent attention due to unique technological opportunities presented by these devices. Optical metasurfaces, which are composed of rationally designed nanostructures, are proposed to replace some of the conventional optical elements given their compact size and more importantly, the ability to produce spatially varying phase change, amplitude modulation and polarization conversion of incident light over subwavelength dimensions. For example, a compact, flat lens with dynamically tunable focal length will be an essential component in advanced reconfigurable optical systems. Although there have been some successful demonstrations of active metalenses recently, they all work in the transmission configuration. Here, we design and realize the first reflection type, tunable lens (i.e., metamirror) operating in the visible regime (670 nm). With a designed hyperboloidal phase profile, the metamirror is fabricated on a substrate driven by external force, so its focal length can be adjusted dynamically. It is shown that the focal length can be continuously adjusted by up to 45% with a 0 to 20% lateral stretching of the substrate, while maintaining diffraction-limited focusing and high focusing efficiency. Our design as a flat optics element has strong potential in widespread applications such as wearable mixed reality electronics, biomedical instruments and integrated optics devices.
On Feedforward Stock Trading Control Using a New Transaction Level Price Trend Model

In this paper, we provide a new Markovian-type model for stock price trend analysis at the transaction level, and illustrate its use for trading in conjunction with a controller which makes buy and sell decisions. Central to our formulation is a sequence of i.i.d. random variables T_k which corresponds to the number of transactions between reversals in price direction. For a trader, this is an important indicator of the duration of a trend. For processes with large T_k, there is an incentive to try and capitalize by buying stock when a temporary trend is up and selling when it is down. The extent to which this is possible is determined by a model parameter p_e, called the probability of efficiency, which indicates the likelihood that the bid, ask and current price are such that one can seamlessly enter or exit the market without slippage. The degree to which a trader can exploit trending behavior is quantified in our main result which provides the expected value of the trading gain resulting from a strategically constructed feedforward switching controller. The paper also includes an example illustrating application of the theory using historical data.
Future Thinking Priming Especially Effective at Modifying Delay Discounting Rates among Cigarette Smokers.

Background: Tobacco use remains one of the world’s greatest preventable causes of death and disease. While most smokers want to quit, few are successful, highlighting a need for novel therapeutic approaches to support cessation efforts. Lower delay discounting (DD) rates are associated with increased smoking cessation success. Future thinking priming (FTP) reliably reduces DD rates in large populations. Smokers consistently discount more than nonsmokers, and evidence suggests that changes in DD rates are rate dependent. This study examined whether smoking status moderated the effect of FTP on DD rates and, if so, if the moderation effect could be attributed to differences in baseline rates of DD. Methods: Moderation analysis was conducted to determine whether the effect of FTP, versus neutral priming (NP), on DD differed among smokers and nonsmokers. Results: Smoking status moderated the effect of condition (FTP vs. NP) on post-intervention DD scores (b = −0.2919, p = 0.0124) and DD change scores (b = −0.2975, p = 0.0130). There was no evidence of rate dependence effects in the current sample. Conclusions: FTP had a greater effect on decreasing DD rates among smokers than nonsmokers. FTP is effective and simple to administer, which makes it a promising therapeutic approach for aiding smoking cessation.
Effects of steroids and retinoids on an organotypic model of endometrial carcinogenesis

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 45, 2004 1535 Introduction . Organotypic cultures are 3-dimensional reconstructions of tissue that can serve as models, which are more biologically relevant than monolayer cultures and more easily manipulated than animal models. We developed a hormononally responsive model of cycling human endometrium that exhibits hyperplasia in response to high dose estrogen. The hypothesis of this project was that administration of the chemical carcinogen DMBA (9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene) to endometrial organotypic cultures will induce the cancerous phenotype, which can be enhanced or repressed by steroids, retinoids and retinoid-like compounds. Methods . Primary cultures of normal menstruated endometrial cells were grown in organotypic culture and treated with 5 μ M DMBA or solvent (negative control). After 4 hours of treatment, the DMBA was removed, and the cultures were grown for 3 weeks in the absence and presence of various combinations of estrogen, progesterone and retinoids. The cultures were fixed, sectioned and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) for pathologic review of histological changes in a blinded manner. The DMBA transformation was evaluated in 6 independent experiments and the steroid and retinoid regulation of transformation was evaluated in two independent experiments. Results . The DMBA consistently induced the cancer phenotype in both stromal and epithelial cells as observed by an increase in the nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio and by increased nuclear atypia. The SHetA2 retinoid-like drug consistently induced gland formation in the transformed cells. Retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and retinoid X receptor (RXR) active retinoids did not induce glands, but caused the transformed cells to be less pleomorphic, more cohesive and more orderly. The effects of physiologic concentrations of estrogen and progesterone were not consistent. Conclusions. The consistent induction of the transformed phenotype in this model allows the study of cancer promoting and prevention agents. The repression of the cancerous phenotype by retinoids suggests that they have value as chemoprevention agents. The induction of gland formation (differentiation) in transformed cultures by SHetA2, a drug currently in preclinical development in the NCI Rapid Access to Intervention Development (RAID) program, supports the prioritization of this retinoic acid receptor-independent compound over conventional retinoids. This project was supported by NCI grant CA99197.
Survivin is a Therapeutic Target in Ewing Sarcoma

Ewing sarcoma, a bone and soft tissue sarcoma of young adults, is genetically defined by the EWS/FLI1 fusion. Current treatment is not effective in patients with macro- (25%) and micro-metastatic (...
Natural history of chronic hepatitis B - clinical implications.

Worldwide, between 350 and 400 million persons are estimated to be chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and 15% to 40% of those persons are at risk of developing cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) without intervention.[1] High and intermediate rates of HBV prevalence, defined as > 8% and 2% to 8%, respectively, of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), the marker for active infection, are found in all of the continents of Asia, the South Pacific and Africa, much of Eastern Europe, the Amazon region of South America, several Mediterranean countries, the Caribbean, and indigenous populations of the Arctic, New Zealand, and Australia.[2] Persons who are born in one of these regions and who immigrate to the United States or Western Europe should be screened for HBV markers. Recently, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 651 persons from Taiwan who had cirrhosis showed that lamivudine, a nucleoside analog that inhibits the reverse transcriptase activity of HBV, significantly reduced the rate of death from liver disease and HCC.[3] The medications currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of hepatitis B include interferon alfa-2b, pegylated interferon alfa-2a, and the oral nucleoside/nucleotide analogs lamivudine, adefovir, entecavir, and telbivudine. Two other medications, tenofovir and emtricitabine, already approved for the treatment of HIV infection, also demonstrate activity against HBV.[4] This article explores the natural history of HBV, with a focus on how to best select those individuals who might be candidates for treatment.
Groups, Lie Groups, and Lie Algebras

This chapter introduces abstract groups and Lie groups, which are a formalization of the notion of a physical transformation. The chapter begins with a heuristic introduction that motivates the definition of a group and gives an intuitive sense for what an “infinitesimal generator” is. Then we give the definition of an abstract group along with examples, followed by a discussion of the groups that arise most often in physics, particularly the rotation group O(3) and the Lorentz group SO(3,1) o . These groups are discussed in coordinates and in great detail, so that the reader gets a sense of what they look like in action. Then we discuss homomorphisms of groups, which allows us to make precise the relationship between the rotation group O(3) and its quantum-mechanical “double-cover” SU(2). We then define matrix Lie groups and demonstrate how the so-called infinitesimal elements of the group give rise to a Lie algebra, whose properties we then explore. We discuss many examples of Lie algebras in physics, and then show how homomorphisms of matrix Lie groups induce homomorphisms of their associated Lie algebras.
Bacterial peptidases. II. Enzymes specific for N-acyl linkages to aspartate.

Abstract A partially purified extract from a soil pseudomonad catalyzes the reaction 4-amino-4-deoxypteroylaspartate + H2O → 4-amino-4-deoxypteroate + aspartate This activity is dependent on the presence of Co++ or Zn++ and can be resolved into two components by disc gel electrophoresis. The possible interrelationships between the two enzymes has not been clarified, but both enzymes exhibit absolute specificity for linkages of the form RCO—N—, in which nitrogen is contributed by l-aspartate. In these substrates RCOOH represents not only a pteroyl group but also a variety of acyl groups and all the amino acids tested. This absolute specificity for aspartate in the carboxyl-terminal position of peptides complements previous studies on carboxypeptidase G, in which an analogous specificity is exhibited for glutamate.
Endogenous NK cell HMGB1 is central to HDIL-2 induced systemic autophagy (VAC3P.946)

Administration of high dose IL-2 (HDIL-2) has durable antitumor effects in 8-10% of patients with metastatic melanoma and RCC but is associated with substantial toxicity. We explored the underlying mechanisms of this toxicity. Administration of HDIL-2 (600KIU/mouse) significantly enhances serum level of the inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-18 and HMGB1. These increases are associated with increased LC3-II in multiple organs in B6 mice. This is consistent with the notion that HDIL-2 induces systemic autophagy. These responses are lethal in RAG1-/- mice. IL-2 treatment with chloroquine (CQ, 50mg/kg/d) enhances survival in RAG1-/- mice from 20% in the IL-2 alone cohort to 82% in mice receiving CQ+IL-2 (p=0.01). Surprisingly, NK cell depletion provides 100% survival in HDIL-2 treated RAG1-/- mouse (p<0.01). Although no HDIL-2 toxicity was observed in NSG mice, this could be reversed with the adoptive transfer of NK cells. Serum levels of cytokines were significant enhanced (all p<0.05): HMGB1 (41.9±13.5 to 256.6±26.8 ng/ml), RAGE (2.4±0.5 to 15.8±0.5 ng/ml), IFN- γ (0±18 to 420±0 pg/ml), IL-18(205±19.7 to 2318±430 pg/ml). Interestingly, treatment with α-HMGB1 Ab conferred protection. Combinations of IL-2 (200K IU/mouse) and IL-18 (25ug/kg/d X5) induced lethal systemic autophagy in WT mice. This was significantly abrogated in mice with HMGB1 genominically ablated in NKp46+ cells. Thus, NK cell plays a critical role in HDIL-2 toxicity and endogenous HMGB1 may be a key factor.
Role of aquatic vegetation coverage on hypoxia and sunfish abundance in bays of a eutrophic reservoir.

We studied the relation between aquatic vegetation coverage, summer dissolved oxygen and density of sunfishes (Lepomis spp.) in 10 shallow bays of a eutrophic reservoir. The bays ranged 5.2–15.7 ha in area, 0.6–1.3 m mean depth and 6–91% vegetation area coverage. Over the 10 bays mean dissolved oxygen concentration ranged 5.8–9.0 mg l-1 in open water at least 20 m away from the vegetation, 0.8–8.1 mg l-1 at the vegetation-water edge and 0.5–7.7 mg l-1 in dense vegetation. Dissolved oxygen concentrations were inversely related to vegetation coverage. In open water, dissolved oxygen levels were consistently higher than 8 mg l-1 when vegetation coverage was <20% of the bay and decreased to about 6 mg l-1 at coverages near 80%. At the vegetation-water edge and within dense vegetation, dissolved oxygen levels dropped rapidly as vegetation coverage increased to 20% of the bay; when vegetation reached about 50% coverage, dissolved oxygen remained near 1.5 mg l-1at the vegetation-water edge, but oxygen dropped below 1 mg l-1in dense vegetation. Scarce vegetation harbored high Lepomis relative abundance (fish per m2 of vegetation) whereas extensive vegetation harbored low relative abundance, both contributing little to absolute abundance (total fish in all vegetation); however, intermediate coverage offered a combination of mid-level fish relative abundance that together with mid-level plant coverage translated into high absolute fish abundance. We suggest this response is related to hypoxia, and where aquatic vegetation is extensive, the effect of vegetation on hypoxia and water quality in general may influence fish populations in a way similar to that often attributed to reduced foraging efficiency and increased competitive interactions.
Editorial: Looking Back, Looking Forward: The UN Trafficking Protocol at fifteen

Anniversaries provide a pretext for reflection—celebration for national independence days, mourning for war-time massacres. For political reforms and legal innovations, anniversaries warrant a different set of reflections: less predictable or uniform, more sober stock taking and weighing of achievements and failures than affirmation of unequivocal success or defeat. This fourth special issue of the Anti-Trafficking Review embraces the occasion of the fifteenth anniversary of the 2000 United Nations (UN) Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (hereafter Trafficking Protocol), and evaluates the impact of this landmark instrument of international law on the grave social, political and economic problems it targets. Among the many and varied constituencies concerned with issues of trafficking, from government bodies to international advocacy groups to sex worker collectives, the Trafficking Protocol has attracted considerable attention. It has been widely ratified, its definition of trafficking has been extensively invoked, its criminalisation mandates have been aggressively followed, its victim protection measures have been enthusiastically cited.
Optical phase conjugation in Hg 1 − xCdxTe

We have observed phase-conjugate signals at 12, 77, and 295 K in n-type Hg1 −xCdxTe (x = 0.216–0.232) using degenerate four-wave mixing at 10.6 μm. The external power-reflection coefficient increases with the product of pump-power densities and saturates at 9%. The values of the third-order nonlinear susceptibility χ(3) derived from these measurements agree with the theory of Wolff and Pearson [Phys. Rev. Lett. 17, 1015 (1966)] for χ(3) that is due to conduction-band nonparabolicity.