cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient and technique survival on peritoneal dialysis in patients with failed renal allograft: a case-control study.

Failed renal allograft is becoming one of the most frequent causes of dialysis initiation in countries with developed transplant programs. The majority of patients initiate hemodialysis (HD) as their next renal replacement modality and concerns about the success of peritoneal dialysis (PD) in this patient population has been expressed. We evaluated patient and technique outcome in a cohort of 494 patients in the United States who initiated PD after a failed renal allograft in the years 2000–2003, and compared the outcomes to those of two case-matched groups: patients new to dialysis or patients transferred from HD who started PD during the same period. Patients starting PD after a failed allograft had patient survival and technique survival similar to case-matched controls. Transplantation was lower in patients with failed allograft than controls. The high success of PD in patients with failed allograft suggests that it is beneficial to utilize this modality more frequently in this patient group than current practice.
Natural resources and persistent rural poverty: In search of the nexus

A general framework relating rural poverty to natural resource extraction and production is proposed. Five natural resource use regimes, differentiated by the relationship of the national economy to local natural resources, are identified: subsistence resource use, commercially exploited open access resources, small holdings, industrial ownership of resources, and public ownership of resources. These use regimes variously affect the royalty/ground rent, employment, and social integration benefits that local residents realize from nearby natural resources. The local opportunity structures thus created differentially attract and hold the poor and the nonpoor. Uneven spatial distribution of income positions due to the occupational and ownership income structures of natural resource industries along with the attractiveness to the poor of subsistence and quasi‐subsistence resources are suggested as the primary mechanisms linking natural resources to rural poverty.
Effects of metal ions, including Mg2+ and lanthanides, on the cleavage of ribonucleotides and RNA model compounds.

Abstract The cyclization/cleavage of 3',5'-uridyluridine to form 2',3'-cyclic uridylic acid is very effectively catalyzed by Eu3+, and the cyclization/cleavage of the 1-p-nitrophenyl phosphate ester of propane-1,2-diol also shows strong metal ion catalysis by Eu3+, Tb3+, and Yb3+. It also shows moderate catalysis by Mg2+, but not by Ca2+; Zn2+ and Pb2+ are also good catalysts. Various ligands activate these reactions further, and imidazole apparently acts as an additional base catalyst. Some cyclodextrin derivatives act to bind both the substrate and the metal ion but, contrary to what is reported elsewhere, there is no strong selectivity among nucleotides that can be ascribed to cyclodextrin binding.
Complex Sleep Apnea

Complex sleep apnea currently refers to the emergence and persistence of central apneas and hypopneas following the application of positive airway pressure therapy in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. However, this narrow definition is an “outcome” and does not capture the spectrum of pathological activation of the respiratory chemoreflex in sleep apnea. The International Classification of Sleep Disorders – 3rd edition recognizes the phenomenon of Treatment-Related Central Sleep Apnea, but the phenotype is usually evident prior to onset of therapy. The key polysomnographic characteristics of chemoreflex modulated and mediated sleep apnea are nonrapid eye movement (NREM) dominance of respiratory events, short ( 60 seconds) cycle time with a self-similar metronomic timing, and spontaneous improvement during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Thus, the majority of chemoreflex effects go unrecognized due to the bias toward obstructive sleep apnea’s current scoring criteria. Any treatment of apparently obstructive sleep apnea, including surgery and oral appliances, can expose chemoreflex-driven instabilities. As both sleep fragmentation and a narrow CO2 reserve or increased loop gain drive the disease, sedatives (to induce longer periods of stable NREM sleep and reduce the destabilizing effects of arousals in NREM sleep) and CO2-based stabilization approaches are logical. Adaptive ventilation reduces mean hyperventilation yet can induce ventilator-patient desynchrony, while enhanced expiratory rebreathing space (EERS, dead space during positive pressure therapy) and CO2 manipulation directly stabilize respiratory control by moving CO2 above the apnea threshold. Carbonic anhydrase inhibition can provide further adjunctive benefits. Novel pharmacological approaches may target mediators of carotid body hypoxic sensitization, such as the balance between gas neurotransmitters. In complex apnea patients, single mode therapy is unlikely to be successful, and the power of multi-modality therapy should be harnessed for optimal outcomes.
The effects of higher education policy on the location decision of individuals: Evidence from Florida's Bright Futures Scholarship Program☆

Abstract Over the past two decades, numerous states have adopted merit-based aid programs to subsidize higher education for in-state students. One of the main objectives of these programs is to increase the stock of educated labor in the state by retaining those whose education is subsidized. This study provides evidence on the extent to which such a program in Florida has affected the location decision of college-educated Florida natives. The analysis utilizes a difference-in-difference approach and data from the Census and American Community Survey (ACS). The results indicate that those eligible for the program are significantly more likely to locate in Florida after completing their education than those who were not eligible. These results are robust to a number of alternative specifications, including a comparison with neighboring states.
Political Implications of Prime-Time Drama and Sitcom Use: Genres of Representation and Opinions Concerning Women's Rights

Scholars studying the content of televised entertainment programming have long argued for a relationship between exposure to sexist media representations of women and opinions concerning women's status in society, yet research has rarely examined prime-time television audiences and their sociopolitical opinions concerning women's rights. To explore these relationships, we engaged in a secondary analysis of the 1997, 1998, and 1999 DDB Life Style Studies. Using hierarchical regression, we found three forms of entertainment television use (traditional drama, progressive drama, and situation comedy) that retain statistically significant, unique relationships with opinions concerning women's rights, even after accounting for variables thought to shape patterns of media use and influence support for women's rights. Further, regression path analysis revealed that these three forms also mediate relationships between various demographic, situational, and orientational variables and the criterion variable.
The Volatility of Liquidity and Expected Stock Returns

The pricing of total liquidity risk is studied in the cross-section of stock returns. The study suggests that there is a positive relation between total volatility of liquidity and expected returns. Our measure of liquidity is based on Amihud (2002) and its volatility is measured using daily data. Furthermore, we document that total volatility of liquidity is priced in the presence of systematic liquidity risk: the covariance of stock returns with aggregate liquidity, the covariance of stock liquidity with aggregate liquidity, and the covariance of stock liquidity with the market return. The separate pricing of total volatility of liquidity indicates that idiosyncratic liquidity risk is important in the cross section of returns. This result is puzzling in light of Acharya and Pedersen (2005) who develop a model in which only systematic liquidity risk affects returns. The positive correlation between the volatility of liquidity and expected returns suggests that risk averse investors require a risk premium for holding stocks that have high variation in liquidity. Higher variation in liquidity implies that a stock may become illiquid with higher probability at a time when it is traded. This is important for investors who face an immediate liquidity need and are not able to wait for periods of high liquidity to sell.
Selective hydrogenation of alkynes over metallic glasses

Abstract The selectivities for half-hydrogenation of phenylacetylene, 1-octyne and 4-octyne were examined over PdSi and PdGe glassy (amorphous) and crystalline catalysts and, for comparison, over splat cooled pure Pd, reduced PdO 2 , Pd foil, Pt foil, Pd Al 2 O 3 , and Pd C . Only the Pd C and Pt foil gave less than 90% selectivities. Terminal alkynes comminute Pd structures and expose new active sites. These new sites are different on the rapidly cooled catalysts and the regularly crystallized catalysts. Although no significant changes are detected in alkyne hydrogenation selectivities after several hydrogenations, significant changes are revealed by (+)-apopinene (6,6-dimethyl-1 R ,5 R -bicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene). On the terminal acetylene-treated foils and on the reduced Pd oxide the rates of addition and isomerization of (+)-apopinene increase, but the ratio of the two rates remain almost the same. In contrast, the splat cooled catalysts show a higher rate increase for isomerization than for addition.
Network coding-based wireless media transmission using POMDP

We consider the problem of joint network coding and packet scheduling for multimedia transmission from the Access Point (AP) to multiple receivers in 802.11 networks. The state of receivers is described by a hidden Markov model and the AP acts as a decision maker which employs a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) to optimize the media transmission. Importantly, we introduce a simulation-based dynamic programming algorithm as a solution tool for our POMDP abstract. Our simulation-based algorithm simplifies the modeling process as well as reduces the computational complexity of the solution process. Our simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme provides higher performance than the network coding scheme without using optimization techniques and traditional retransmission scheme.
Awareness-level information for veterinarians on weapons of mass destruction and preservation of evidence.

JAVMA, Vol 230, No. 12, June 15, 2007 W of mass destruction may be defined as chemical, biological, radiologic, nuclear, explosive, or incendiary devices intended to cause widespread injury or death. Injuries and illnesses resulting from weapons of mass destruction may be overt, subclinical, or delayed. Because veterinarians may find themselves responding to emergency incidents, they should be aware of the agents that may cause mass casualties. Importantly, if such agents have been used intentionally, then the incident is a crime scene, and responders should be aware of the need to secure the scene and preserve evidence. If the incident was intended to intimidate or coerce for social or political reasons, then it is classified as an act of terrorism, and federal regulations and authorities have jurisdiction. Specifically, animal enterprise terrorism has been defined as a crime that causes physical disruption to the functioning of an animal enterprise or economic damages exceeding $10,000 to that enterprise. There is little published information on the effects of most weapons of mass destruction in animals, although some information has been published on possible dangers for search-and-rescue dogs working in postdisaster environments. Nevertheless, veterinarians may obtain some useful comparative information from published reports of the effects of weapons of mass destruction on humans and their treatment. Because of the potential for veterinarians to be involved in the response to an incident involving weapons of mass destruction, they should have at least some awarenesslevel information of the various agents that might be used. Similarly, although law enforcement personnel are responsible for securing crime scenes, gathering and preserving evidence, and maintaining a documented chain of custody for such evidence, veterinarians should have at least some rudimentary knowledge of the principles and practices of evidence preservation because they may be involved in rendering aid at the site of a disaster or treating victims at the site or elsewhere.
Analysis of captan on nitrile glove surfaces using a portable attenuated total reflection fourier transform infrared spectrometer.

This study developed a method to produce uniform captan surface films on a disposable nitrile glove for quantitation with a portable attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectrometer. A permeation test was performed using aqueous captan formulation. Uniform captan surface films were produced using solvent casting with 2-propanol and a 25 mm filter holder connected to a vacuum manifold to control solvent evaporation. The coefficient of variation of the reflectance at 1735 ± 5 cm−1 was minimized by selection of the optimum solvent volume, airflow rate, and evaporation time. At room temperature, the lower to upper quantifiable limits were 0.31–20.7 μg/cm2(r = 0.9967; p ≤ 0.05) for the outer glove surface and 0.55–17.5 μg/cm2(r = 0.9409; p ≤ 0.05) for the inner surface. Relative humidity and temperature did not affect the uncoated gloves at the wavelength of captan analysis. Glove screening using ATR-FTIR was necessary as a control for between-glove variation. Captan permeation, after 8 hours exposure to an aqueous concentration of 217 mg/mL of Captan 50-WP, was detected at 0.8 ± 0.3 μg/cm2on the inner glove surface. ATR-FTIR can detect captan permeation and can determine the protectiveness of this glove in the field.
A study of the relationships between service failures and customer churn in a telecommunications environment

Telecommunications companies are facing increasing customer service pressure as they launch the triple-play bundle of voice, video, and internet access services. Firms recognize that providing quality customer service in the highly competitive telecommunications industry is critical to their success and delivering poor customer experiences puts customer relationships and revenues at risk. One of the metrics used by telecommunications companies to determine their relationship with customers is “customer churn”, the degree to which a telecommunication company's customers cancel or disconnect their service. An assumption in the industry is that customer churn is directly related to customer satisfaction. The purpose of this research is to identify customers with service failures and determine the propensity for a customer to disconnect based upon the frequency of a recent service failure reported and the success of repair. The research shows that customers who subscribe for the triple-play of voice, video and internet access are more likely to cancel all services from their provider after a service failure than are other customers. The results of the research suggest a strategy for identifying customers in advance who are most likely to disconnect and developing a service request response plan to encourage them to remain loyal customers.
Dynamic Implications of Subjective Expectations: Evidence from Adult Smokers

We set up a dynamic discrete choice model with subjective expectations data to explain adult smokers’ smoking decisions. We find important differences between subjective survival probabilities and those estimated using observed mortality data. Subjectively , individuals attach less weight to their health conditions and smoking choices and more weight to such factors as age , race , and parents’ longevity. Moreover , adult smokers are found to care more about their health and to be more forward-looking than predicted by a rational expectations framework. We further show the importance of unobserved heterogeneity in agents’ subjective survival probabilities , and discuss policy implications of subjective expectations. (JEL D12, D84, I12)
A phase I study of hepatic arterial infusion of nab-paclitaxel in combination with intravenous gemcitabine and bevacizumab for patients with advanced cancers and predominant liver metastases.

We conducted a phase I clinical trial for patients with advanced cancer and predominant liver disease. Patients were treated with HAI nab-paclitaxel (120–210 mg/m2; day 1); intravenous bevacizumab (10 mg/kg; day 1); and intravenous gemcitabine (600–800 mg/m2; days 1 and 8). A conventional “3 + 3” study design was used. Fifty patients with advanced cancer and predominant liver metastases were treated (median age, 58 years; 27 women, 23 men; median number of prior therapies, 3 [range 0–12]). The most common cancers were breast (n = 9) and pancreatic (n = 9). Overall, 264 cycles were administered (median/patient, 4; range 1–17). No dose-limiting toxicities were noted during the escalation phase. On dose level 4, 3 patients were unable to receive gemcitabine on day 8 because of severe thrombocytopenia. Dose level 3 was selected as the maximum-tolerated dose (HAI nab-paclitaxel 180 mg/m2 and intravenous gemcitabine 800 mg/m2 and bevacizumab 10 mg/kg); 32 patients were treated in the expansion phase. The most common treatment-related toxicities were thrombocytopenia (n = 17), neutropenia (n = 10), and fatigue (n = 12). Of 46 patients evaluable for response, 9 (20 %) had a partial response (PR) and 9 (20 %) had stable disease for ≥6 months. The median overall survival duration was 7.0 months (95 % CI: 4, 22 months), and the median progression-free survival duration was 4.2 months (95 % CI: 2.7, 8.6 months). HAI nab-paclitaxel in combination with gemcitabine and bevacizumab was well tolerated and had antitumor activity in selected patients with advanced cancer and liver metastases.
Single-pass redundancy addition and removal

Redundancy-addition-and-removal is a rewiring technique which for a given target wire w/sub t/ finds a redundant alternative wire w/sub a/. Addition of w/sub a/ makes w/sub t/ redundant and hence removable without changing the overall circuit functionality. Incremental logic restructuring based on this technique has been used in many applications. However, the search for valid alternative wires requires trial-and-error redundancy testing of a potentially large set of candidate Wires. We study the fundamental theory behind this technique and propose a new reasoning scheme which directly identifies alternative wires without performing trial-and-error tests. Experimental results show up to 15 times speedup in comparison to the best techniques in literature.
Comparative study between two Navier-Stokes algorithms for transonicairfoils

A critical examination of several aspects of the numerical simulation of high Reynolds number transonic airfoil flows is presented. Subcritical and supercritical flowfields about an aft-cambered airfoil were generated by solving the mass-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with turbulence incorporated through an algebraic eddy viscosity model. The governing equations were solved on curvilinear body-fitted grids utilizing two different algorithms, i.e., MacCormack's explicit and Beam-Warming implicit. The numerical uncertainties associated with different schemes, grid resolution, artificial viscosity, and far-field boundary placement were investigated and found to be of the same order of magnitude or less than the corresponding uncertainties in the available experimental data. Comparison of computed and experimental results showed good prediction of all the essential flow features. However, detailed comparison of velocity profiles pointed out deficiencies of the turbulence model downstream of the shock-wave boundary-layer interaction, in the airfoil cove and in the near wake. Thinlayer and Navier-Stokes computed results were found to be in excellent agreement with each other.
Time synchronization using the Internet

This paper discusses a new algorithm for synchronizing the clocks of networked computers using messages transmitted over the network itself. The design is based on a statistical model of the clock and the network, and uses this model to define the parameters of a frequency-lock loop which is used to discipline the local oscillator. The design was tested by synchronizing a standard workstation to a time server located 1200 km away; the time offset between the clock synchronized in this way and UTC is 2 ms rms. This analysis also can be used to design algorithms that provide lower accuracy at lower cost.
Deconstructing Commodity Storage Clusters

The traditional approach for characterizing complex systems is to run standard workloads and measure the resulting performance as seen by the end user. However, unique opportunities exist when characterizing a system that is itself constructed from standardized components: one can also look inside the system itself by instrumenting each of the components. In this paper, we show how intra-box instrumentation can help one understand the behavior of a large-scale storage cluster, the EMC Centera. In our analysis, we leverage standard tools for tracing both the disk and network traffic emanating from each node of the cluster. By correlating this traffic with the running workload, we are able to infer the structure of the software system (e.g., its write update protocol) as well as its policies (e.g., how it performs caching, replication, and load-balancing). Further, by imposing variable intra-box delays on network and disk traffic, we can confirm the causal relationships between network and disk events. Thus, we are able to infer the semantics of the messages between nodes without examining a single line of source code.
Short Interval Testing Of Solar Cells

A drawback of conventional electrical evaluation procedures regarding solar cells is related to time consuming operations required in the determination of specific parameters, such as the maximum power point, from the plotted curves, and to the transfer of data to a large digital computer for analysis and manipulation. This is especially true when large numbers of cells must be measured. To overcome such drawbacks, a digital short interval tester was designed and constructed. The new tester provides rapid and accurate measurements at constant temperature. The utilization of a light shutter makes it possible to measure up to 200 data points along the I-V curve in less than a second, thus avoiding thermal effects. Because the system is digital, parameters such as the maximum power may be calculated directly from the data.
Moving-talker, speaker-independent feature study, and baseline results using the CUAVE multimodal speech corpus

Strides in computer technology and the search for deeper, more powerful techniques in signal processing have brought multimodal research to the forefront in recent years. Audio-visual speech processing has become an important part of this research because it holds great potential for overcoming certain problems of traditional audio-only methods. Difficulties, due to background noise and multiple speakers in an application environment, are significantly reduced by the additional information provided by visual features. This paper presents information on a new audio-visual database, a feature study on moving speakers, and on baseline results for the whole speaker group. Although a few databases have been collected in this area, none has emerged as a standard for comparison. Also, efforts to date have often been limited, focusing on cropped video or stationary speakers. This paper seeks to introduce a challenging audio-visual database that is flexible and fairly comprehensive, yet easily available to researchers on one DVD. The Clemson University Audio-Visual Experiments (CUAVE) database is a speaker-independent corpus of both connected and continuous digit strings totaling over 7000 utterances. It contains a wide variety of speakers and is designed to meet several goals discussed in this paper. One of these goals is to allow testing of adverse conditions such as moving talkers and speaker pairs. A feature study of connected digit strings is also discussed. It compares stationary and moving talkers in a speaker-independent grouping. An image-processing-based contour technique, an image transform method, and a deformable template scheme are used in this comparison to obtain visual features. This paper also presents methods and results in an attempt to make these techniques more robust to speaker movement. Finally, initial baseline speaker-independent results are included using all speakers, and conclusions as well as suggested areas of research are given.
Outer retinal tubulation as a predictor of the enlargement amount of geographic atrophy in age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose To determine the prognostic value of outer retinal tubulation (ORT) in the enlargement amount of geographic atrophy (GA) in eyes with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design Cohort study. Participants One hundred eight fellow untreated eyes of 143 patients with GA resulting from AMD enrolled in the MAHALO study (clinicaltrials.gov identifier, NCT01229215) who completely satisfied the study term and had gradable spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) images obtained at both baseline and month 18 visits. Methods The MAHALO study enrolled 143 subjects into a phase 1b/2 multicenter, randomized, single-masked, sham-injection controlled clinical trial of the safety, tolerability, and evidence of activity of lampalizumab in patients with GA associated with AMD. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography images were obtained at multiple time points in both eyes, although only the baseline and month 18 data of the fellow (nonstudy) eyes were considered in this exploratory analysis. The Cirrus HD-OCT review software was used for automatic segmentation and measurement of GA areas, with manual correction of segmentation errors by certified OCT graders. Baseline OCT images also were assessed for the presence of ORT. The enlargement amount of GA in eyes with ORT was compared with that of eyes without ORT. Main Outcome Measures Comparison of the enlargement amount of GA in eyes with and without ORT. Results Twenty-four of these 108 eyes demonstrated evidence of ORT. The amount of enlargement of GA in eyes with ORT was significantly slower than that of eyes without ORT (1.85±0.78 vs. 2.67±1.61; P = 0.001). This difference remained significant when considering subgroups with unifocal or multifocal GA lesions, because eyes with ORT in both subgroups had a slower enlargement amount of GA than eyes without ORT (2.91±1.70 vs. 2.08±0.88 [ P = 0.01], in eyes with multifocal GA lesions; and 2.24±1.40 vs. 1.63±0.57 [ P = 0.02], in eyes with unifocal GA lesions). Conclusions In eyes with ORT, GA lesions seem to enlarge at a significantly slower rate than those of eyes without ORT. The presence of ORT may need to be accounted for in longitudinal studies of GA.
Arbovirus Surveillance in Northern Colorado, 1987 and 1991

Arbovirus surveillance was conducted during an epizootic of western equine encephalitis (WEE) during 1987 and during a nonepizootic year, 1991, in the same area in northern Colorado. Mosquitoes were collected in Larimer County, CO, during weeks 33-37 (10 August to 7 September) in 1987 and during weeks 26-35 (24 June to 26 August) in 1991. In total, 13,099 mosquitoes in 694 pools collected during 1987 and 8,672 mosquitoes in 242 pools collected during 1991 were tested for virus. WEE virus was isolated in both years from Culex tarsalis Coquillett and from Cx. pipiens L. in 1987. Infection rates and population levels of Cx. tarsalis were not significantly different in the 2 yr during weeks 33, 34, and 35 (12-26 August). St. Louis encephalitis virus was isolated in 1987 from Cx. tarsalis. Other viruses isolated included Hart Park, Turlock, and Jerry Slough, a variety of Jamestown Canyon virus.
Developmental and Environmental Induction of Lea and LeaA mRNAs and the Postabscission Program during Embryo Culture

The major programs of gene expression during late embryogenesis are the muturation or reserve accumulation program and, after ovule abscission, the postabscission program that is composed largely of Lea and LeaA mRNAs that probably encode desiccation protectants. There are diverse opinions about the developmental regulators of these programs. Several candidates are evaluated here by measuring, in cultured embryos, the accumulation kinetics of cloned mRNAs specifically expressed in the normal maturation, postabscission, or germination programs of cotton. Maturation-stage embryos both terminate the maturation program and induce the postabscission program after excision and culture, just as they do later in the plant after ovule abscission. However, they also induce simultaneously the germination program and are thus different from any normal stage of embryo development or germination. The developmental induction of the postabscission program in culture does not require exogenous abscisic acid, but its expression is enhanced by precocious desiccation or culture on abscisic acid or high osmoticum, probably by an environmentally responsive mechanism that normally operates during germination. Normal desiccation does not control any of these programs because the embryo acquires all of the characteristics of a mature embryo before it desiccates. These and other results suggest regulation of normal embryogenesis by a maternal maturation factor, a postabscission factor, and the postabscission program.
Changing concepts of allergic disease: The attempt to keep up with real changes in lifestyles ☆ ☆☆

Abstract In the past 100 years, changes have occurred in the outdoor environment and in houses that have contributed to the increased prevalence of hay fever and asthma. Much evidence indicates that exposure to indoor allergens is an important cause of asthma. Changes in housing that have contributed to the increased prevalence and severity of asthma include increased temperature, decreased ventilation, and permanent carpeting. In addition to these changes, geographic differences in allergens, deficiencies in cleanliness, poor health care, passive smoke, and lack of exercise also contribute to the increase in severity of asthma that has occurred. The management of asthma includes controlling exposure to indoor allergens and seeking additional treatable causes of asthma (e.g., fungal allergens). Changes will continue to occur, and physicians who treat allergic diseases should become involved in the design of houses to limit exposure. Many questions regarding allergen measurement and control remain. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1996;98:S297-306.)
Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) intrusion detection

ATM networks are the foundation for a number of public and private networks and their correct operation is critical to the availability of higher layer protocols (such as IP) and applications. However, ATM uses a number of protocols for connection establishment and routing and if these protocols are not functioning correctly (e.g., due to misconfiguration, component failure or active attack), denial of service may result. Since ATM protocol irregularities occur below IP, they are not detectable by the IP intrusion detection systems that are prevalent in today's networks. This paper describes an implementation of an intrusion detection system that detects ATM protocol attacks. This system uses a centralized assessment engine to collect network event notifications from a distributed set of sensors. These sensors monitor ATM protocol activity and send the filtered events to the assessment engine. The assessment engine compares the incoming event traffic against a set of attack templates and, if a match is encountered, it (optionally) activates a set of responses. In addition, this paper describes results that have been obtained from the proof-of-concept implementation, along with initial experience with its use in operational networks. Future research directions that address other unique challenges presented by ATM intrusion detection and response are also described.
Making the coronary care unit cost-effective*

Coronary care units (CCUs) have now been in use for 20 years, and it is generally acknowledged that they have helped to reduce hospital mortality for patients with acute myocardial infarction. In recent years the indications for admission to a CCU have been greatly expanded to include all patients with suspected myocardial infarction and a variety of other manifestations of cardiovascular disease including primary arrhythmias and heart failure. The focus of the CCU has also broadened to include the prevention of major complications and the use of a variety of invasive and noninvasive diagnostic and therapeutic interventions before, as well as in response to, complications. With the changing indications for CCU admissions and the changing use of the CCU, new problems have arisen. The number of patients who might benefit from CCU care is now much larger and may at any given time greatly exceed the number of beds available. Decisions regarding who should be admitted to the CCU, how long a patient should stay in the CCU and which of the large and growing armamentarium of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions should be used are now increasingly important. These decisions have not only medical but also economic implications. Based on a 5-year experience with an intensive care unit computer data bank, strategies for more cost-effective CCU use have been explored. This has involved identification of high- and low-risk subsets of patients and modifications of standard operating procedures. The common clinical problems of chest pain, arrhythmias, syncope, pulmonary edema and myocardial infarction will be used as examples.
Fluxdata.org: Publication and Curation of Shared Scientific Climate and Earth Sciences Data

Many of today’s large-scale scientific projects attempt to collect data from a diverse set of sources. The traditional campaign-style approach to “synthesis” efforts gathers data through a single concentrated effort, and the data contributors know in advance exactly who will use their data and why. At even moderate scales, the cost and time required to find, gather, collate, normalize, and customize data in order to build a synthesis dataset can quickly outweigh the value of the resulting dataset. By explicitly identifying and addressing the different requirements for each data role (author, publisher, curator, and consumer), our data management architecture for large-scale shared scientific data enables the creation of such synthesis datasets that continue to grow and evolve with new data, data annotations, participants, and use rules. We show the effectiveness of our approach in the context of the FLUXNET Synthesis Dataset, one of the largest ongoing biogeophysical experiments.
Synchronized oscillations in hippocampal CA3 neurons induced by metabotropic glutamate receptor activation

The metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3 dicarboxylic acid (ACPD) at concentrations above 60 microM produced stereotypic oscillatory activity in CA3 pyramidal cells of rat hippocampal slices. This oscillatory activity consisted of trains of depolarizations with overriding action potentials. On average, individual trains lasted 7 sec and recurred at intervals of 24 sec. During each train, the constituent depolarizations achieved a maximum frequency of 27 Hz, then slowed to 8 Hz toward the end of the train. Extracellular and dual intracellular recordings suggested that this ACPD-induced oscillatory activity occurred synchronously in the CA3 population. The oscillations persisted in the presence of GABAA, GABAB, and NMDA receptor antagonists. In contrast, the oscillations were blocked by the AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX; 10-30 microM). Likewise, the oscillations were blocked by the metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonists (+)-alpha-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine [(+)-MCPG; 1 mM], (S)-4-carboxy-3-hydroxyphenylglycine [(S)-4C3HPG; 1mM] and (S)-4-carboxyphenylglycine [(S)-4CPG; 1 mM]. The results suggest that activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors can result in a permissive state that allows AMPA/kainate receptor-mediated conductances to mediate synchronized activity among hippocampal CA3 neurons.
Intensification of drag reduction effect by simultaneous addition of surfactant and high molecular polymer into the solvent

Abstract The paper presents the analysis of the possibilities of intensification of drag reduction effect (DR) by simultaneous addition of non-ionic high molecular polymer – poly(ethylene oxide) and the cationic surfactant – cetyltrimetyl ammonium bromide into the solvent. Salt sodium salicylate was applied as a counter-ion. The analyzed solutions were compared with their pure polymer or micellar equivalents. Clear existence of three drag reduction zones was observed: stable transitional zone, unstable transitional zone and in particular the third turbulent drag reduction zone. The dominant factor which influenced DR in the transitional zone was the addition of CTAB + NaSal. In the third zone, the addition of PEO had decisive influence on the DR intensity. The increase of PEO concentration enhanced DR in this zone. The influence of pipes diameter on the DR was investigated. The increase of pipe diameter caused clear extension of the stable transitional zone. In the third zone DR increased while decreasing pipe diameter. Analyses showed that the value of the n flow index was not an important factor in the DR. The results indicate that polymer-micellar solutions combine and intensify positive features of their pure polymer and micellar equivalents, providing efficient DR in a wider range of the Reynolds numbers.
Induced Effects on Red Imported Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Forager Size Ratios by Pseudacteon spp. (Diptera: Phoridae): Implications on Bait Size Selection

Red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, are adversely affected by phorid flies in the genus Pseudacteon by instigating defensive behaviors in their hosts, and in turn reducing the efficiency of S. invicta foraging. Multiple Pseudacteon species have been released in Texas, and research has been focused on the establishment and spread of these introduced biological control agents. Field experiments were conducted to determine bait particle size selection of S. invicta when exposed to phorid populations. Four different particle sizes of two candidate baits were offered to foragers (one provided by a pesticide manufacturer, and a laboratory-created bait). Foragers selectively were attracted to, and removed more 1-1.4-mm particles than any other bait size. The industry-provided bait is primarily made of particles in the 1.4-2.0 mm size, larger than what was selected by the ants in this study. While there was a preference for foragers to be attracted to and rest on the industry-provided blank bait, S. invicta removed more of the laboratory-created bait from the test vials. There was an abundance of workers with head widths ranging from 0.5-0.75 mm collected from baits. This was dissimilar from a previous study wherein phorid flies were not active and in which large workers were collected in higher abundance at the site. This implies that phorid fly activity caused a shift for red imported fire ant colonies to have fewer large foragers.
Possible Novel Mechanism for Bitter Taste Mediated Through cGMP

Possible novel mechanism for bitter taste mediated through cGMP. Taste is the least understood among sensory systems, and bitter taste mechanisms pose a special challenge because they are elicited ...
Best Practice Guide for the Treatment of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD)

Summary of Recommendations: Modifying the sleep environment is recommended for the treatment of patients with RBD who have sleep-related injury. Level A Clonazepam is suggested for the treatment of RBD but should be used with caution in patients with dementia, gait disorders, or concomitant OSA. Its use should be monitored carefully over time as RBD appears to be a precursor to neurodegenerative disorders with dementia in some patients. Level B Clonazepam is suggested to decrease the occurrence of sleep-related injury caused by RBD in patients for whom pharmacologic therapy is deemed necessary. It should be used in caution in patients with dementia, gait disorders, or concomitant OSA, and its use should be monitored carefully over time. Level B Melatonin is suggested for the treatment of RBD with the advantage that there are few side effects. Level B Pramipexole may be considered to treat RBD, but efficacy studies have shown contradictory results. There is little evidence to support the use of paroxetine or L-DOPA to treat RBD, and some studies have suggested that these drugs may actually induce or exacerbate RBD. There are limited data regarding the efficacy of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, but they may be considered to treat RBD in patients with a concomitant synucleinopathy. Level C The following medications may be considered for treatment of RBD, but evidence is very limited with only a few subjects having been studied for each medication: zopiclone, benzodiazepines other than clonazepam, Yi-Gan San, desipramine, clozapine, carbamazepine, and sodium oxybate. Level C
Validity of Measurement of Suicidal Ideas in Very Young Children.

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry - Vol. 55 - N° 3 - p. 243
Comparative Incidence of Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Patients Receiving Vancomycin with Concomitant Piperacillin-Tazobactam or Cefepime: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

tudy Objective The combination of vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam has been associated with an increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) in non–critically ill patient populations, but it is still unknown if this association exists in critically ill patients. The objective of this study was to compare the incidence of AKI development during therapy or within 72 hours after completion of therapy in adult critically ill patients who received vancomycin with concomitant piperacillin-tazobactam or cefepime. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Medical, surgical, and neuroscience intensive care units (ICUs) within a single tertiary care hospital. Patients A total of 122 critically ill patients who received at least 48 hours of combination therapy with vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam (49 patients) or vancomycin and cefepime (73 patients) during an ICU admission between September 2012 and December 2014. Measurements and Main Results The primary outcome was AKI development, as determined by the Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria, during combination therapy or within 72 hours of completion of combination therapy. The inverse probability of the treatment-weighting (IPTW) approach was used to account for potential treatment selection bias. AKI incidence was assessed in the unadjusted and propensity score–weighted cohorts. Of the 122 patients, 37 patients (30.3%) developed AKI. In the unadjusted analysis, the incidence of AKI was similar in the piperacillin-tazobactam group compared with the cefepime group (32.7% vs 28.8%, p=0.647). The average treatment effect between the groups was not significant, showing no association between β-lactam choice and AKI (β = −0.004, p=0.958). Secondary outcomes were ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay, AKI duration, and need for renal replacement therapy. The choice of β-lactam was not a significant predictor of any of these outcomes: ICU length of stay (β = 0.436, p=0.780), hospital length of stay (β = 3.819, p=0.125), AKI duration (β = −4.027, p=0.283), and need for renal replacement therapy (β = 2.828, p=0.161). Conclusion After adjusting for propensity to receive each of the treatment choices, no significant difference was found in the incidence of AKI development or other outcomes between the groups. The previously described finding that concomitant vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam increases AKI in non–critically ill patients may not be generalizable to the critically ill population. Prospective evaluation of this hypothesis is warranted.
Two Source Effects in Magazine Advertising

An experiment was conducted to test the effects of magazine and sponsoring company's prestige on attitudes toward unknown advertised products. Hypotheses derived from “the principle of congruity” w...
The Misorientation Dependence of the Fracture Behavior of F.C.C. Metal Bicrystals

The ductile versus brittle response of Cu bicrystal interfaces with different misorientations and Bi segregation levels has been investigated. The fracture behavior of the bicrystals and the morphology of the fracture surfaces depends on the type of the interface and the amount of impurity segregation. The different fracture behaviors of the bicrystals can to some extent be understood by considering the difference in grain boundary structure and comparing the theoretically predicted values of crack tip energy release rates for dislocation emission from the crack tip versus for cleavage decohesion of the grain boundary. However, the effects of Bi segregation in inducing embrittlement seem greater than can currently be rationalized by such a concept and, also, there is evidence that fracture surfaces may not always coincide, microscopically, with the interface.
Expression of inflammatory modulator COX-2 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and its relationship to pathologic and clinical parameters.

Despite the exceedingly poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer, it is often histologically well to moderately differentiated. The apparent resistance to conventional therapeutic modalities is poorly understood and may be related to the molecules involved in its progression or its propensity for perineurial invasion. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an inducible enzyme homologous to COX-I that is responsible for production of prostaglandins at sites of inflammation. It is activated by a variety of growth factors and tumor promoters, and it has been implicated in cancer progression. It may also have a role in the resistance to therapy. Anti-COX-2 agents have been documented to have antitumor activity, and some are now being tested in the therapy for various cancers, including those of the pancreas. Experience regarding the rate of COX-2 expression in pancreatic cancer and its relationship to the clinical and biologic parameters is very limited. In this study, immunohistochemical stains for COX-2 have been performed on 120 cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The stains were scored according to the percentage (0: no staining, 1: 50% of the cells staining) and intensity (0 for no staining, 1 for mild staining, and 2 for dark staining) of staining. Based on the combined score for each case, they were divided into low expressors (percentage and intensity ≤ 1) and high expressors (percentage or intensity >1). In addition to global scoring for each case, the glandular and solid (poorly differentiated) components, when present, were scored separately. The global scores were correlated with clinical and biologic parameters. Seventy-four percent of the cases exhibited expression of COX-2 and 53% were high expressors. No significant association was observed when comparing the global COX-2 expression to survival, tumor size, stage, and vascular invasion. Increased perineural invasion was found to be significantly associated with COX-2 expression (p < 0.05). Increased expression was also more common in the glandular component as compared with the solid component of the tumors (68% versus 35%, p < 0.05). Of the 34 patients who received radiotherapy, 9 were low expressor (median survival 19.5 months) and 25 were high expressors (median survival 14 months). The difference in survival was not statistically significant.