cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The use of exam wrappers to promote metacognition.

Abstract Introduction Self-directed learning, self-awareness, and metacognition are becoming more heavily emphasized in healthcare education. Metacognitive activities may be used to promote self-awareness and development of effective self-directed learning strategies. Exam wrappers (wrappers) are a metacognitive tool utilized in other areas of higher education that offer students the ability to learn from exam performance by reviewing missed items in a reflective manner. Wrappers encourage structured reflection and planning for future learning. Methods Pharmacy students enrolled in a pathophysiology course were provided structured exam reviews with an opportunity to utilize a wrapper. A baseline questionnaire was given two weeks before the first exam to assess baseline characteristics. Wrappers were provided before Exams 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the effects on exam performance were measured. Mixed effects modeling was utilized for final analysis of effect on student performance. Results Exam wrapper vs. non-wrapper groups were self-selected, with 53 students participating in at least one wrapper and 35 never utilizing a wrapper. Mixed effects modeling analysis found a non-significant increase in average exam performance (p = 0.142). Conclusion Wrappers have potential as an additional metacognitive tool for exam review. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness and impact more broadly in pharmacy education.
A Condition Number for Joint Optimization of Cycle-Consistent Networks

A recent trend in optimizing maps such as dense correspondences between objects or neural networks between pairs of domains is to optimize them jointly. In this context, there is a natural \textsl{cycle-consistency} constraint, which regularizes composite maps associated with cycles, i.e., they are forced to be identity maps. However, as there is an exponential number of cycles in a graph, how to sample a subset of cycles becomes critical for efficient and effective enforcement of the cycle-consistency constraint. This paper presents an algorithm that select a subset of weighted cycles to minimize a condition number of the induced joint optimization problem. Experimental results on benchmark datasets justify the effectiveness of our approach for optimizing dense correspondences between 3D shapes and neural networks for predicting dense image flows.
How MJO Teleconnections and ENSO Interference Impacts U.S. Precipitation

AbstractA composite analysis reveals how the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) impacts North American rainfall through perturbations in both the upper-tropospheric flow and regional low-level moistur...
Which Patients Discharged to Home-Based Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy Are at High Risk of Adverse Outcomes?

Background Patients increasingly receive home-based outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT). Understanding which patients might be at higher risk of complications is critical in effectively triaging resources upon and after hospital discharge. Methods A prospective cohort of patients discharged from 1 of 2 academic medical centers in Baltimore, Maryland, between March 2015 and December 2018 were consented and randomly divided into derivation and validation cohorts for development of a risk score for adverse OPAT outcomes. Data from the derivation cohort with the primary outcome of a serious adverse outcome (infection relapse, serious adverse drug event, serious catheter complication, readmission, or death) were analyzed to derive the risk score equation using logistic regression, which was then validated in the validation cohort for performance of predicting a serious adverse outcome. Results Of 664 patients in the total cohort, half (332) experienced a serious adverse outcome. The model predicting having a serious adverse outcome included type of catheter, time on OPAT, using a catheter for chemotherapy, using a catheter for home parenteral nutrition, being treated for septic arthritis, being on vancomycin, being treated for Enterococcus, being treated for a fungal infection, and being treated empirically. A score ≥2 on the serious adverse outcome score had a 94.0% and 90.9% sensitivity for having a serious adverse outcome in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. Conclusions A risk score can be implemented to detect who may be at high risk of serious adverse outcomes, but all patients on OPAT may require monitoring to prevent or detect adverse events.
An analysis of influenzasurveillance in Maoming city from 2009 to 2010

：Objective To providescientific support for the prevention and control of influenza by comprehending influenzaprevalence and distribution of viral types in Maoming from 2009 to 2010 and by analyzingof the trend of influenza pandemic. Methods The data on influenza-like illness (ILI),influenza epidemic, and etiology were collected and analyzed. Results 3693 cases of ILIwere reported in 2009, with a rate of 4.44%; and 1078 cases in 2010, with a rate of 0.81%.The positve detection rate of influenza nucleic acid was 54.60% in 2009 and and 15.38% in2010. 52 strains of influenza virus were isolated in 2010, mostly were seasonal influenzaH3N2, accounting for 65.38%. 11 outbreaks of influenza /ILI were reported in 2009, 8 ofwhich were caused by a new subtype of H1N1 and the rest 3 by seasonal influenza virus. Oneoutbreak of seasonal influenza occurred in 2010. Conclusions Influenza epidemic was due tothe outbreak of global influenza caused by a new type of H1N1 in 2009. New types of H1N1virus has become the dominant strains; Influenza was relatively stable in 2010
1–3-GHz Self-Aligned Open-Loop Local Quadrature Phase Generator With Phase Error Below 0.4°

The circuit architecture to generate differential CMOS quadrature (I/Q) local oscillator (LO) signals from a differential input at the same frequency is presented. The circuit features an open-loop implementation, which relies on two matched delays and linear phase interpolation. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated by implementing an I/Q generator covering the operating frequency range from 1 to 3 GHz, manufactured in a 28-nm bulk-CMOS process. The optimum phase accuracy is better than ±0.4° for the entire measured frequency region. A phase noise performance of −163.2 dBc/Hz at 100-MHz offset is achieved at 2 GHz with a power consumption of only 4.4 mW from a 1.1-V supply.
The Impact of Obesity on COVID-19 Disease Severity

Introduction Obesity has been declared a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality in COVID-19 patients. In this rapid review, we provide an overview of recently-published papers with clinical and epidemiological relevance on this topic. Methods As part of a weekly COVID-19 data mining meeting, we conducted a literature review regarding the role of obesity in COVID-19 outcomes, particularly in young patients with COVID-19. We utilized the PubMed, Upstate Medical University Health Sciences Library, Google Scholar, and LitCovid databases to identify the articles. Results Our group identified seven relevant publications (four retrospective case series and three reviews). Conclusion Our group's review of this topic illustrates that obesity is a common comorbidity in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Obesity is associated with an increased likelihood of intermittent mandatory ventilation within the first 10 days of hospitalization and a higher risk of admission to acute or critical hospital care, including in patients aged less than 60 years, with one study showing it to be a greater risk factor than cardiovascular or pulmonary conditions for critical COVID-19 illness. There are some indications that moderate-intensity exercise may be beneficial for promoting a healthy immune system in patients with and without obesity. Given these findings, hospitals should ensure their staff are prepared and their facilities are adequately equipped to provide high-quality care to patients with obesity (PWO) hospitalized with COVID-19. Family medicine and primary care physicians are encouraged to counsel their PWO about their increased risk for morbidity and mortality during this pandemic.
Akaluc bioluminescence offers superior sensitivity to track in vivo glioma expansion.

Background Longitudinal tracking of tumor growth using noninvasive bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is a key approach for studies of in vivo cancer models, with particular relevance for investigations of malignant gliomas in rodent intracranial transplant paradigms. Akaluciferase (Akaluc) is a new BLI system with higher signal strength than standard firefly luciferase (Fluc). Here, we establish Akaluc BLI as a sensitive method for in vivo tracking of glioma expansion. Methods We engineered a lentiviral vector for expression of Akaluc in high-grade glioma cell lines, including patient-derived glioma stem cell (GSC) lines. Akaluc-expressing glioma cells were compared to matching cells expressing Fluc in both in vitro and in vivo BLI assays. We also conducted proof-of-principle BLI studies with intracranial transplant cohorts receiving chemoradiation therapy. Results Akaluc-expressing glioma cells produced more than 10 times higher BLI signals than Fluc-expressing counterparts when examined in vitro, and more than 100-fold higher signals when compared to Fluc-expressing counterparts in intracranial transplant models in vivo. The high sensitivity of Akaluc permitted detection of intracranial glioma transplants starting as early as 4 h after implantation and with as little as 5000 transplanted cells. The sensitivity of the system allowed us to follow engraftment and expansion of intracranial transplants of GSC lines. Akaluc was also robust for sensitive detection of in vivo tumor regression after therapy and subsequent relapse. Conclusion Akaluc BLI offers superior sensitivity for in vivo tracking of glioma in the intracranial transplant paradigm, facilitating sensitive approaches for the study of glioma growth and response to therapy.
The Varieties of Consolidation Experience: A Synthesis and Extension of Local Government Consolidation Models

This article revises and extends Leland and Thurmaier’s (2004a, 2004b) City—County Consolidation (C3) model by synthesizing it with Johnson’s (2004) Theory of Local Constitutional Change (LCC) and Hughes and Lee’s (2002) Evolutionary Consolidation Model (ECM). The result, we find, is a more general model of local government consolidation. Our model is applicable to a wider variety of consolidation types and incorporates a full consideration of varied charter development processes. Ultimately, this allows for acknowledgment of the possibility that consolidation attempts may be halted prior to a referendum campaign and that those attempts may reflect either conflicts of interest or consensual efforts at problem-solving. We focus specifically on Indiana after enactment of the 2006 Government Modernization Act. After enactment of the act, Indiana experienced seven consolidation efforts from 2008 to 2012. Examination of these efforts provides a robust comparative case study of consolidation efforts occurring during a narrow timeframe and under a common institutional context. The study not only illustrates the suitability of our revised and extended model, but it also confirms a number of Leland and Thurmaier’s (2005) findings from their reassessment of the C3 model.
Creating a Repository of Diversity and Inclusion Assignments for Computer Science

Computer science professionals have long been studying the gender gap and growing more aware of the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the field. Recent years have also brought attention to issues of accessibility and inclusion. While faculty are often aware that our discipline lacks diversity, we have observed that many students are not aware of these issues. In order to raise students' awareness, we designed assignments focusing on diversity, inclusion, and accessibility that can be included throughout required courses in computer science curricula. This poster will provide example assignments and information about how to access and contribute to the assignment repository.
Modeling AADT on local functionally classified roads using land use, road density, and nearest nonlocal road data

Abstract The focus of this research is to model the influence of road, socioeconomic, and land-use characteristics on local road annual average daily traffic (AADT) and assess the model's predictability in non-covered location AADT estimation. Traditional ordinary least square (OLS) regression and geographically weighted regression (GWR) methods were explored to estimate AADT on local roads. Ten spatially distributed counties were considered for county-level analysis and modeling. The results indicate that road density, AADT at the nearest nonlocal road, and land use variables have a significant influence on local road AADT. The GWR model is found to be better at estimating the AADT than the OLS regression model. The developed county-level models were used for estimating AADT at non-covered locations in each county. The methodology, findings, and the AADT estimates at non-covered locations can be used to plan, design, build, and maintain the local roads in addition to meeting reporting requirements. The prediction error is found to be higher at urban areas and in counties with a smaller number of local road traffic count stations. Recommendations are made to account for influencing factors and enhance the local road count-based AADT sampling methodology.
First-Line Therapy for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Bruton Tyrosine Kinase or BCL2 or Both?

Novel therapies largely have replaced chemoimmunotherapy as optimal first-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Approved novel therapies for CLL in the first-line setting include Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors, ibrutinib and acalabrutinib, and the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax. Each of these novel agents has its own unique attributes and they have not been compared head to head in randomized trials. This review summarizes the pivotal trials that led to the approval of novel agents and compares the features of each agent to guide treatment decisions in treatment-naive CLL. Ongoing studies investigating combinations of novel agents in the first-line setting also are discussed.
A Modern Achievement Sport

In this chapter, I define and discuss the culture and institutions of disc golf’s modern achievement domain. Disc golfers of this domain usually play competitively. They follow the PDGA’s official rules, keep score, and often play for tags, equipment, or money. To improve performance, they practice specialized skills, research new throwing techniques, watch professional events on YouTube, and invest in high-quality equipment. Supporting key aspects of modernity—specialization, rationalization, bureaucratic organization, quantification—the PDGA is a driving force behind the modern achievement domain (Guttman, From Ritual to Record: The Nature of Modern Sports. New York: Columbia University Press, 1978). Yet, only about 14 percent of disc golfers are members of the PDGA, and many devoted players have little interest in this version of the game (Woods, International Journal of Sport Communication 12(1):36–54, 2019).
An unbelievable ordeal: The experiences of adult survivors treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Abstract Background Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a rescue treatment option for adult patients with severe cardiac dysfunction or respiratory failure. While short-term patient outcomes, such as in-hospital mortality and complications, have been widely described, little is known about the illness or recovery experience from the perspectives of survivors. Subjective reports of health are important indicators of the full, long-term impact of critical illness and treatment with ECMO on survivors’ lives. Objective The objective of this study was to describe the experiences and needs of adults treated with ECMO, from onset of illness symptoms through the process of survivorship. Methods This study was guided by the qualitative method of interpretive description. We conducted in-depth, semistructured interviews with 16 adult survivors of ECMO who were treated at two participating regional ECMO centres in the northeast United States. Additional data were collected from demographic questionnaires, field notes, memos, and medical record review. Development of interview guides and data analysis were informed by the Family Management Style Framework. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis techniques. Results The sample (n = 16) included 75% male participants; ages ranged from 23 to 65 years. Duration from hospital discharge to interviews ranged from 11 to 90 (M = 54; standard deviation = 28) months. Survivors progressed through three stages: Trauma and Vulnerability, Resiliency and Recovery, and Survivorship. Participants described short- and long-term impacts of the ECMO experience: all experienced physical challenges, two-thirds had at least one psychological or cognitive difficulty, and 25% were unable to return to work. All were deeply influenced by their own specific contexts, family support, and interactions with healthcare providers. Conclusions The ECMO experience is traumatic and complex. Recovery requires considerable time, perseverance, and support. Long-term sequelae include impairments in cognitive, mental, emotional, physical, and social health. Survivors could likely benefit from specialised posthospital health services that include integrated, comprehensive follow-up care.
MixSyn: Learning Composition and Style for Multi-Source Image Synthesis.

Synthetic images created by generative models increase in quality and expressiveness as newer models utilize larger datasets and novel architectures. Although this photorealism is a positive side-effect from a creative standpoint, it becomes problematic when such generative models are used for impersonation without consent. Most of these approaches are built on the partial transfer between source and target pairs, or they generate completely new samples based on an ideal distribution, still resembling the closest real sample in the dataset. We propose MixSyn (read as " mixin' ") for learning novel fuzzy compositions from multiple sources and creating novel images as a mix of image regions corresponding to the compositions. MixSyn not only combines uncorrelated regions from multiple source masks into a coherent semantic composition, but also generates mask-aware high quality reconstructions of non-existing images. We compare MixSyn to state-of-the-art single-source sequential generation and collage generation approaches in terms of quality, diversity, realism, and expressive power; while also showcasing interactive synthesis, mix & match, and edit propagation tasks, with no mask dependency.
Does the Market Punish the Many for the Sins of the Few? The Contagion Effect of Accounting Restatement for Foreign Firms Listed in the U.S.

In this paper, we hypothesize and find that accounting restatements issued by foreign firms traded in the U.S. induce a negative market reaction to non-restating foreign firms that are from the same home country as the restating firms (restatement-induced home-country contagion effect). Moreover, the magnitude of the contagion effect varies with the strength of the home market institutions of the restating firms. Non-restating firms from countries with a weak rule of law underwent an average stock price decline of about -1.11% while peer firms from strong rule of law countries experience an average negative return of only -0.18% over a three-day announcement window. Our results suggest that restatements filed by weak rule of law country-firms appear to be more “contagious” than those issued by strong rule of law country-firms. This is consistent with the notion that U.S. investors take into account the strength of home market institutions of foreign firms when evaluating the information disclosed by restatements.
Anti-Capitalist Objections to the Postcolonial: Some Conciliatory Remarks on Žižek and Context.

The article has three parts. First of all, it considers a series of overlaps between the postcolonial and Žižek’s own work. Then, it examines three objections of Žižek against the postcolonial – that it reduces issues of political-economic struggle to cultural/psychological analysis, that it involves a ‘prettification’ or detraumatization of the Other, and that its notion of ‘alternative modernities’ ultimately embodies a collusion with global capital to provide a facade of diversity – and considers some of the problems these create not merely for the postcolonial theorist, but also for Žižek’s own project. In particular, it argues Žižek’s frequent lumping together of postcolonialism with political correctness overlooks what really drives the postcolonial critique of Western-centered discourse – a desire to restore, as fully as possible, the dimensions of the Real to both sympathetic as well as hostile versions of the non-Western Other, a re-introduction of ontological complexity to idealisations/demonizations which, whilst not synonymous with Žižek’s own notion of an “ethical stance”, certainly come a lot closer than he is willing to admit. Finally, the article examines the possibility that Žižek’s selective indifference to historical context, particularly in his treatment of the non-Western world, ironically reflects the late capitalist evaporation of history he has critiqued elsewhere. Ending with the late Marx’s turn to ethnography, the essay argues that Žižek and the postcolonial have things to learn from one another, and that a more historically –inflected critique of hegemony on Žižek’s part would supply a much-needed concretization of the universal in his work.
Picosecond optoelectronic study of a thin film transmission line structure

In several laboratories high-speed logic circuits which are capable of generating electrical pulses with risetimes in the order of ten picosecond have been demonstrated [1]. Consequently it is now important to be able to transmit these pulses without significant distortion and to be able to characterize the transmission line structures used for this purpose with picosecond time resolution. In addition to the delay and distortion of the pulses as they propagate between generating and receiving points, knowledge of the noise coupled onto adjacent lines is of critical importance to the workings of computers and communication systems. Here we present measurements of high-speed pulse propagation and coupling on an experimental thin film transmission line structure. Photoconductive switches are used for generating and sampling the ultrashort electrical pulses used in this study [2].
Librarian-Teacher Partnerships for Inquiry Learning: Measures of Effectiveness for a Practice-Based Model of Professional Development

Objective – This study analyzed the effects of a practice-based model of professional development on the teaching and collaborative practices of 9 teams of librarians and teachers, who created and implemented units of inquiry-focused study with K-12 students during a yearlong course. The authors describe how the collection and analysis of evidence guided the development team in the formative and summative evaluations of the outcomes of the professional development, as well as the long-term results of participation in this initiative. Methods – The authors used an interpretive, participative approach. The first author was the external reviewer for the project; the second author headed the development team and served as a participant-observer. Triangulated data were collected from participants in the form of learning logs, discussion board postings, interviews, questionnaires, and learning portfolios consisting of unit and lesson plans and student work samples with critiques. Data were also collected from the professional development designers in the form of meeting notes, responses to participants, interviews, and course documents. For two years following the end of the formal course, the authors also conducted follow-up email correspondence with all teams and site visits with six teams to determine sustained or expanded implementation of inquiry-focused, collaborative curriculum development. Results – The practice-based approach to professional development required continual modification of the course design and timely, individualized mentoring and feedback, based on analysis and co-reflection by the developers on the evidence gathered through participant logs, reports, and school site visits. Modeling the inquiry process in their own course development work and making this process transparent to the participating community were essential to improvement. Course participants reported beneficial results in both immediate and long-term changes in practice. The summative evaluation identified significant changes in practice in three areas: (1) the design of inquiry-focused learning, (2) the roles of the teacher and librarian in collaborative development of instruction, and (3) the impact on student performance. Two years after the yearlong professional development course, most participants indicated that they continued to incorporate inquiry-based approaches, and over half of the participants were involving other colleagues at their schools in inquiry-focused practices. Six of the librarians assumed major curricular roles in their respective schools. Conclusion – The practice-based model of professional development appears to be effective and sustainable. It has been tested and modified by other development teams in the last two years. More extensive use of the model in other contexts with further testing and refinement by other developers is needed to ensure that the model is robust and widely applicable.
Antibiotic prescribing by telephone in primary care

Objectives Little is known about the contribution of telephone-based prescribing on overall antibiotic utilization. The objective of this study was to determine the extent and characteristics of telephone-based antibiotic prescribing in teaching and non-teaching primary care practices. Methods This retrospective cohort study included all patients (n = 114 610) cared for by teaching and non-teaching internal medicine, pediatrics, family practice, and obstetrics/gynecology practices (n = 19) affiliated with a large US healthcare system during 2006–2010 and using a common electronic medical record. Rates and types of antibiotics prescribed by teaching and non-teaching practices via telephone contact and office visit were compared among the overall cohort. All telephone-related prescriptions during 2008 underwent chart review to determine indications for antibiotic prescribing. Results Overall, 28.9 antibiotic prescriptions were issued per 100 patient-years, with 63 418 total antibiotic prescriptions and 7876 (12.4%) generated after telephone contact. Telephone-based prescribing increased steadily from 2.2 to 4.2 per 100 patient-years during the study period. Both telephone-based and office-based antibiotic prescribing were higher in non-teaching practices. Of 1790 antibiotics prescribed by telephone during 2008, the majority were for urinary tract infection (28.3%), sinusitis (20.1%), and unspecified upper respiratory infection (URI, 15.0%). Conclusions Overall, one in every eight antibiotics was prescribed via telephone encounter. These data highlight the need to include the impact of this practice in analysis of outcomes associated with outpatient antibiotic prescribing and to incorporate telephonic prescribing into guidelines facilitating appropriate antibiotic use. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Climate Change and the Co-Production of Knowledge and Policy in Rural US Communities

Climate change requires action at multiple levels of government. We focus on the potential for climate change policy creation among small rural governments in the USA. We argue that co-production of scientific knowledge and policy is a communicative approach that encompasses local knowledge flowing up from rural governments as well as expertise and power (to coordinate and ensure compliance) flowing down from higher level authority. Using environmental examples related to land use policy, natural gas hydro-fracturing, and watershed protection, we demonstrate the importance of knowledge flows, power, and coordination in policy creation. Co-production of knowledge and policy requires respect for local knowledge and a broader framing of issues to include both environmental and economic perspectives. While we see potential for local action, we caution that polycentric approaches lead to externality problems that require multilevel governance to ensure coordination and compliance.
Modeling and Management of Urban Stormwater Runoff Quality: A Review

Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution from urban runoff has been established as a major cause of receiving water degradation. In an effort to control this problem, new regulations have been passed in the U.S.A. and federal, state, and local agencies are devising urban runoff management programs. This paper reviews recent regulations and studies related to urban stormwater runoff control and planning in the U.S.A.; discusses fundamentals of urban NPS pollution including transport processes and types and sources of pollutants; reviews current hydrologic and water quality mathematical models used in the U.S.A.; presents case studies in both modeling and management; and describes fundamentals of Best Management Practices (BMPs) in urban runoff control. Finally, it summarizes future research needs.
Engineering plasmons in graphene nanostructures in THz frequencies: Compact modeling and performance analysis for on-chip interconnects

In this paper, transverse magnetic (TM) propagation modes of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in graphene micro/nano ribbons are exhaustively characterized by accounting for the finite lateral dimensions of graphene, screening of Fermi level in multilayer graphene stack, and the impact of dielectric permittivity and the associated charge impurities at the dielectric-graphene interface. Fermi level screening leads to a non-uniform carrier density across multiple layers, which changes the electron relaxation rate and considerably alters the complex dynamical conductivity of multilayer GNRs. It is shown that ignoring the screening effects in multilayer GNRs overestimates both the SPP propagation length and its propagation velocity. Graphene plasmonic interconnects are envisaged as low energy, high frequency on-chip interconnects for future technology nodes. Simulations are performed over a broad frequency spectrum to identify the merits of future graphene plasmonic interconnects over the conventional electrical Cu/low-κ at a minimum feature size of 10 nm. Using energy-per-bit as a figure-of-merit, a range of SPP propagation lengths is identified for graphene plasmonic interconnects to outperform Cu interconnects.
A structural approach to finding the point correspondences between two frames

A recursive-descent tree-traversal algorithm is presented to find the point correspondences between two frames. Given two sets of noisy 3-D feature points on multiple rigid objects at two time-sequential views, the points at the first frame are constructed as a graph, and another graph is derived from those feature points at the second frame so that maximal matching points and minimum matching error are obtained. The correspondence of the vertices can then be found. The algorithm can also be used when the number of points at two frames are different. The computation time of the algorithm is large when the number of feature points is large. A date-set-splitting strategy for such cases is presented which can significantly reduce the computation time. Another algorithm is presented in which motion parameters are estimated from matched subgraphs and are used to guide the matching for the rest nodes. Computer simulations are performed to show the efficiency and accuracy of the algorithms. >
An unusual pagC::TnphoA mutation leads to an invasion- and virulence-defective phenotype in Salmonellae.

Abstract Two phenotypes believed to contribute to the pathogenesis of Salmonella infections are macrophage survival and invasion of epithelial cells. It was recently observed that the Salmonella macrophage survival factor PagC has significant amino acid similarity to the Yersinia invasion factor Ail. This observation raised the possibilities that macrophage survival is in part determined by the pathway of entry and that PagC confers an entry mechanism that does not trigger the microbicidal activities of the macrophage. Thus, we sought to investigate the role of PagC in invasion by examining (i) the invasion phenotype of pagC mutants and (ii) the invasion phenotype of Escherichia coli carrying pagC. A previously identified invasion-defective TnphoA insertion mutant of Salmonella enteritidis was found to have TnphoA inserted into the signal sequence-encoding region of pagC; the pagC allele from this mutant, SM5T, was designated pagC64. In contrast, Salmonella typhimurium carrying the pagC1 allele (a TnphoA insertion mutation, downstream of the region encoding the signal sequence) was not defective for invasion. Further analysis of these two pagC alleles suggested that the invasion-defective phenotype associated with pagC64 is not due to the loss of PagC function but rather is due to the synthesis of a hybrid PagC-alkaline phosphatase protein that is aberrantly localized, most likely to the inner membrane, and thus may prevent proper localization or function of a factor(s) required for efficient invasion. The observation that pagC did not confer an invasive phenotype to E. coli further suggests that PagC is not an invasion factor. A cloned pagC gene complemented the macrophage survival defect of S. typhimurium pagC1 mutants, but the cloned ail gene did not. Together these results suggest that the structural similarity between PagC and Ail may not extend to a similarity in function. Interestingly, S. enteritidis carrying the pagC64 allele that results in both an invasion defect and a macrophage survival defect was less virulent for mice infected intragastrically or intraperitoneally than was S. enteritidis carrying the pagC1 allele that results only in a macrophage survival defect.
Practice patterns among urologic surgeons treating localized renal cell carcinoma in the laparoscopic age: technology versus oncology

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the effect of laparoscopy on practice patterns at a single institution in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma. Many now regard laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) as a standard of care in the management of localized renal cell carcinoma. As laparoscopy becomes more prevalent in the urologic community, practice patterns are changing. Methods We analyzed the renal cancer surgical database at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University from 1997 to 2002. We compared three groups, including open radical nephrectomy (ORN), open partial nephrectomy (OPN), and LRN. Results A total of 222 consecutive renal surgeries done for presumed malignancy were performed from 1997 to 2002. A total of 194 were assessable. Of these, 63 were OPNs, 51 were ORNs, and 80 were LRNs. When analyzed over time, during the latter half of 2000, 89% of all LRNs were performed on tumors less than 4 cm in size. More recently, in 2002, only 42% of LRNs were performed for tumors 4 cm or less in size. From 1997 to 2000, 30% of all OPNs were done on tumors greater than 4 cm compared with 28% from 2000 to 2002. Of 30 OPNs performed from 1997 to 2000, 21 (70%) were performed on small (4 cm or less) tumors compared with 24 (73%) of 33 from 2000 to 2002. Conclusions From 2000 to 2002, the percentage of tumors less than 4 cm that were treated with LRN has increased with time. In the ORN cohort, the percentage of nephrectomies performed on small tumors (less than 4 cm) has decreased with time, and the trends in the OPN group have remained relatively stable. As an institution becomes more comfortable with laparoscopic techniques, technological concerns are likely to play less of a role in determining treatment algorithms among treating urologists.
Counting Chickens before They Are Hatched: An Examination of Student Retention, Graduation, Attrition, and Dropout Measurement Validity in an Online Master's Environment.

This article examines definitions, rationales, and calculations associated with higher education performance measures: persistence, retention rate, attrition rate, drop-out rate, and graduation rate. Strengths and limitations of these measures are scrutinized relative to online master's programs. Outcomes of a sample of students (N = 96) enrolled in multi-university online master's programs sponsored by Great Plains IDEA are tracked over six years. The students' unique characteristics and degree completion patterns suggest modifying performance metrics and increasing the tracking time. The study empirically proves that existing graduation and retention metrics used to compare online to face-to-face programs underreport successful outcomes for online master's students by at least one-third. Such comparisons should be made with caution, using consistent terminology and recognizing the limitations of existing metrics. Standard methods for measuring student persistence in master's degree programs should be un...
Etiology and pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease

Abstract Clinical and epidemiologic features of Kawasaki disease strongly suggest an infectious etiology, but conventional as well as highly sophisticated studies have failed to date to identify one or more causative agents. As with other vasculitides, the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease is not clearly defined although immunopathologic mechanisms clearly are involved. Marked alterations in T-cells, B-cells, and monocytes/macrophages occur in acute Kawasaki disease and indicate generalized immune activation. In addition, coronary arterial endothelial cells are activated in the acute stage of Kawasaki disease. Future efforts will be directed towards improved understanding of the interrelationships of these observed immune aberrations and to the identification of one or more infectious triggers of the disease process.
A scalable framework for heterogeneous GPU-based clusters

GPU-based heterogeneous clusters continue to draw attention from vendors and HPC users due to their high energy efficiency and much improved single-node computational performance, however, there is little parallel software available that can utilize all CPU cores and all GPUs on the heterogeneous system efficiently. On a heterogeneous cluster, the performance of a GPU (or a compute node) increases in a much faster rate than the performance of the PCI-Express connection (or the interconnection network) such that communication eventually becomes the bottleneck of the entire system. To overcome the bottleneck, we developed a multi-level partitioning and distribution method that guarantees a near-optimal communication volume. We have also extended heterogeneous tile algorithms to work on distributed memory GPU clusters. Our main idea is to execute a serial program and generate hybrid-size tasks, and follow a dataflow programming model to fire the tasks on different compute nodes. We then devised a distributed dynamic scheduling runtime system to schedule tasks, and transfer data between hybrid CPU-GPU compute nodes transparently. The runtime system employs a novel distributed task-assignment protocol to solve data dependencies between tasks without coordination between processing units. The runtime system on each node consists of a number of CPU compute threads, a number of GPU compute threads, a task generation thread, an MPI communication thread, and a CUDA communication thread. By overlapping computation and communication through dynamic scheduling, we are able to attain a high performance of 75 TFlops for Cholesky factorization on the heterogeneous Keeneland system using 100 nodes, each with twelve CPU cores and three GPUs. Moreover, our framework is able to attain high performance on distributed-memory clusters without GPUs, and shared-system multiGPUs.
Solution of simultaneous equilibria

Abstract A simple method is presented for calculating the concentrations of several interacting ionic species in a solution at a given pH, temperature and ionic
Effect of transgenic overexpression of FLIP on lymphocytes on development and resolution of experimental autoimmune thyroiditis.

In our previous studies, resolution of granulomatous experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (G-EAT) was promoted when thyroid epithelial cells were protected from Fas-mediated apoptosis due to transgenic overexpression of FLIP. We hypothesized that if FLIP were overexpressed on lymphocytes, CD4 + effector cells would be protected from Fas-mediated apoptosis, and resolution would be delayed. To test this hypothesis, we generated transgenic (Tg) mice overexpressing FLIP under the CD2 promoter. Transgenic FLIP was expressed on CD4 + and CD8 + T cells and B cells. Transgenic overexpression of FLIP protected cultured splenocytes from Fas-mediated, but not irradiation-induced, apoptosis in vitro . Unexpectedly, Tg + donor cells transferred minimal G-EAT, which was partially overcome by depleting donor CD8 + T cells. When Tg + and Tg − donors transferred equivalent disease, G-EAT resolution was delayed in FLIP transgenic mice. However, CD2-FLIP Tg + donors often transferred less severe G-EAT, even after depletion of CD8 + T cells. This influenced the rate of G-EAT resolution, resulting in little difference in G-EAT resolution between groups. Tg + mice always had reduced anti-mouse thyroglobulin autoantibody responses, compared with Tg − littermates, presumably because of FLIP overexpression on B cells. These results suggest that effects of transgenic FLIP on a particular autoimmune disease vary, depending on what cells express the transgene and whether those cells are effector cells or if they function to modulate disease.
Groundwater Contamination From Hazardous Wastes

Preparation of a good introductory textbook on groundwater contamination is a challenge, since it requires treating a complex topic in a scientifically rigorous way while maintaining an introductory level. Of necessity, tradeoffs must be made to achieve this objective and brevity as well. Another difficulty arises because research into the fate of chemicals in the subsurface is a relatively new and evolving area. The authors of this book note that, “In the investigation and analysis of a groundwater pollution problem involving hazardous wastes, there is no established method or procedure.” Despite this handicap, the authors do succeed in demonstrating that although any given case of contamination is unique, it is possible to identify common attributes and outline a general framework for monitoring and remedial action.
Phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of the diatom genus Gomphoneis

Cladistic analysis of species of the diatom genus Gomphoneis indicates that possession of doubly punctate striae and marginal laminae is sufficient but not necessary for inclusion in the genus. Thi...
Carbohydrates and gastrointestinal absorption of radiostrontium and radiocalcium in the rat.

Summary1. The influence of 14 carbohydrates on gastrointestinal absorption of radiostrontium and radiocalcium was studied in the rat. 2. Cellobiose, sorbose, ribose, xylose, lactose, raffinose, melibiose, glucosamine, mannitol and sorbitol significantly enhanced alkaline earth absorption whereas glucose, galactose, fructose and sucrose had little or no effect. 3. In a balance-type study with Sr85, enhanced retention due to dietary lactose as compared with dietary sucrose could be accounted for by increased intestinal absorption rather than by direct effect on skeletal ossification. 4. Effectiveness in ability to enhance calcium and strontium absorption appeared to be positively correlated with a prolonged residence time of the carbohydrate in the gut or absorption of carbohydrate by a passive mechanism.
Microbial Safety and Consumer Acceptability of High‐Pressure Processed Hard Clams (Mercenaria mercenaria)

: Littleneck hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) harvested from New Jersey coastal waters in the United States were high-pressure processed (HPP) in their shells using a 10 L high-pressure processing unit. A response surface (RS) methodology approach was used to optimize the pressure and time parameters for microbial inactivation caused by the high-pressure application. The total surviving microbial load in the hard clams was enumerated after processing at each experimental condition. The results indicated that log reduction in total plate count (TPC) due to high-pressure processing of hard clams was primarily a function of pressure. Pressure of at least 480 MPa was needed to achieve 1-log reduction in TPC in hard clams harvested from special restricted waters. In a parallel study, a panel of 60 regular raw clams consumers tasted both raw and processed hard clams that were harvested from approved waters and HPP at 310 MPa for 3 min. The consumers showed equal preference for processed and raw hard clams. Two subgroups of hard clam consumers were revealed; 1 group preferred the plumpness of the HPP clam and the other group preferred aroma of the unprocessed clam. Thus, plumpness and aroma may influence consumer acceptance of HPP hard clams. Practical Application: High-pressure processing has gained momentum as a processing technique that aids in retention of fresh appearance in foods. It holds promise as a method to process premium value food products while retaining quality attributes. Quantification of its impact on safety and consumer acceptance is critical for its acceptance and use in the food industry.
Unusual base-catalyzed exchange in the synthesis of deuterated PF-2413873a

The preparation of deuterated PF-2413873 (4-[3-cyclopropyl-1-(methanesulfonylmethyl)-5-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl]oxy-2,6-dimethylbenzonitrile, 1) is described for use as a bioanalytical standard in clinical trials. Two strategies were investigated. The sulfone-containing substituent was labelled by base-catalyzed exchange, but unacceptable deuterium loss was noted under assay conditions. Alternatively, labelling 4-cyano-3,5-dimethylphenol was achieved by heating with deuterium oxide over platinum oxide. After building up the pyrazole ring we discovered that, during the subsequent alkylation to attach the methylthiomethyl group, the base, potassium t-butoxide, caused unwanted scrambling of deuteriums on the aromatic portion and the methylthiomethyl group. Thus, it was necessary to remove all base-labile hydrogens to prevent their exchange. This was accomplished by alkylating the pyrazole with per-deuterated chloromethyl methylsulfide, oxidation to the sulfone, and selective removal of its deuteriums by treatment with sodium hydroxide. The unusual sensitivity and selectivity of these base-promoted exchange reactions are discussed. Thus, 4-[3-cyclopropyl-1-(methanesulfonylmethyl)-5-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl]oxy-[2H6]2,6-dimethyl-[3,5-2H]benzonitrile (17) was obtained, labelled with eight deuterium atoms and an acceptable D0/D8 ratio. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.