cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breast Cancer Risk Factors Among Screening Program Participants

Data were obtained by mailed questionnaire from 405 breast cancer patients identified during the first 2 years of operation of the Breast Cancer detection Demonstration Project in the U.S. and from a sample of 1156 normal screenees (response rate = 88%) in an attempt to examine whetHer the usual risk indicators for breast cancer apply to individuals participating in screening programs. No substantial differences were found between the respondents and the nonrespondents for the variables on which information had been obtained at the time of the initial screening. Nearly all of t(e recognized risk factors were seen in this population. The relative risk (FF) of breast cancer was 3.9 among women whose mothers were also affected; this finding was statistically significant. Relative risk was increased for women reporting early menarche late menopause nulliparity late age when 1st child was born and excessive weight. The relative risk was not elevated in women with a prior breast biopsy but was excessive for those with more than 1 biopsy. No association with thyroid medications or menopausal hormones was found. Among women having undergone a natural menopause a nonstatistically significant elevation in the relative risk was noted for long term oral contraceptive users; this excess relative risk was restricted to those using OCs in the presence of breast cancer risk indicators. The results indicate the need for further study of women with extended periods of OC use particularly when accompanied by other known risk indicators.
Efficient data-parallel files via automatic mode detection

Parallel languages rarely specify parallel I/O constructs, and existing commercial systems provide the programmer with a low-level I/O interface. We present design principles for integrating I/O into languages and show how these principles are applied to a virtual-processor-oriented language. We show how machine-independent modes are used to support both high performance and generality. We describe an automatic mode detection technique that saves the programmer from extra syntax and low-level file system details. We show how virtual processor file operations, typically small by themselves, are combined into efficient large-scale file system calls. Finally, we present a variety of benchmark results detailing design tradeoffs and the performance of various modes.
The distribution of 4-nonylphenol in marine organisms of North American Pacific Coast estuaries

One of the chemical breakdown products of nonylphenol ethoxylates, 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), accumulates in organisms and is of concern as an environmental pollutant due to its endocrine disrupting effects. We measured 4-NP levels in the seawater, sediment, and twelve organisms within the California estuary, Morro Bay, and examined biomagnification of 4-NP using stable isotope abundances (δ(15)N and δ(13)C) to quantify trophic position. 4-NP concentrations in organisms from Morro Bay included 25000±8600 ng g(-1) lw in liver of California sea lion, 14000±5600 ng g(-1) lw in liver of harbor porpoise, 138000±55000 ng g(-1) lw in liver of sea otters, 15700±3600 ng g(-1) lw in liver of seabirds, 36100±6100 ng g(-1) lw in arrow goby fish, 62800±28400 ng g(-1) lw in oysters, and 12700±1300 ng g(-1) lw in mussels. 4-NP levels generally showed a pattern of trophic dilution among organisms in Morro Bay, with exceptions of biomagnification observed between three trophic links: mussel to sea otter (BMF 10.9), oyster to sea otter (BMF 2.2), and arrow goby to staghorn sculpin (BMF 2.7). Our examination of other west coast estuaries of USA and Canada revealed that mean 4-NP concentrations in gobies and mussels from Morro Bay were significantly higher than those from a more urbanized estuary, San Francisco Bay (goby: 11100±3800 ng g(-1) lw) and from a remote estuary, Bamfield Inlet, Canada (goby: 9000±900 ng g(-1) lw, mussel: 6100±700 ng g(-1) lw). Relative to other estuaries worldwide, 4-NP levels in seawater (0.42±0.16 μg L(-1)) and sediment (53±14 ng g(-1) dw) of Morro Bay are low, but gobies and oysters have higher 4-NP levels than comparable fauna.
Virtual machines with sharable operating system

Virtualization technologies commonly known as Cloud model enable the execution of multiple virtual machine instances (VMs) with different operating systems (OSs) on the same physical host. Each VM instance functions independently as an isolated system with its own physical resources, OS copy and applications. There is only a limited number of currently available and widely used OSs used by most of the running VM instances; it is wasteful to store all the VM images with virtually the same common OS code. It is also inefficient in terms of performance and system resources utilization to virtually clone the entire image each time a new VM instance is provisioned. In addition, performing OS updates and patches are complicated, tedious and error prone since not only the stored images need to be updated, all the running VM instances must be properly refreshed. More importantly, faster provisioning of VM instances in respond to workload changes is critical to the successful operation of Cloud service providers. In this paper, we show our exploration work to address these performance issues by using a common, sharable operating system approach which provides run-time on-demand operating system components to individual VM instances in Cloud environment. This new approach allows optimized VM image storage, faster VM provisioning and efficient OS updates with minimum interruption.
Performance of Blind Vocational Rehabilitation Clients on the Purdue Pegboard

For many years the Purdue Pegboard (PPB) has been part of the battery of tests which is used at the New York Association for the Blind (NYAB) in the vocational evaluation of blind men and women. In 1953, Gertrude Bigmanl made a study of the PPB test performance of 345 legally blind clients. The test proved to be useful in recommending prevocational training and in predicting adaptabiliry to the training programs offered at the NYAB. It was less reliable in predicting success at power sewing machine operation. Scores for the test population as a whole were lower than those for the seeing induscrial applicants reported in the PPB test manual (1948). In generalizing somewhat from her data, Bigman reported that, for the placing of pins, the 95th percentile for blind clients approximated the 50th percentile for seeing industrial applicants and that the 50th percentile for the blind fell below the first percentile for the seeing. A better showing was made on assembly where spatial orientation seemed to be less of a problem. According to her visual criteria, Bigman's test population was divided into three groups. Group 1 included those with some degree of usable vision (from approximately 5/200 up to and including 20/200 with optimum correction in the better eye). In Group 2 were those who had been totally blind, or who had not more than 5/200 vision for the greater part of their lives. Those in Group 3 were more recently totally blinded. She found chat on the whole, clients with some vision did better than those who were totally blind, and that those who were most accustomed to functioning without useful sight (Group 2 ) did better than those whose blindness was more recent (Group 3 ) . Other evaluators have reported on the use of the PPB with blind clients (Curtis, 1950; Dishart, 1959; Hoffman, 1958; Rothschild, 1959). A criticism of its use has been made by Mary Bauman (1946), who dropped che PPB from her battery because she felt it made too heavy demands in the way of spatial orientation. There seems to be no doubt but that spatial orientation does play a role in reducing the scores of blind people, since the scores are based solely on speed of performance. If used in actual industrial placement procedures, this test could give a false impression of what an applicant's potential might be after a reasonable period of on-the-job work experience. However, clients seeking training at the NYAB are not ready for induscrial
Clinical Experiences High‐flux hemodialysis in the treatment of severe valproic acid overdose: A case report

Introduction: Hemoperfusion, with or without hemodialysis, has been used to treat patients suffering from severe valproic acid poisoning. We report a patient suffering from severe valproic acid intoxication who was treated effectively with high-flux hemodialysis alone. Case: A 20-year-old man with a history of bipolar disorder was admitted after having ingested unknown amounts of valproic acid (Depakote®), prednisone, and erythromycin. He was agitated and obtunded but hemodynamically stable initially. Serum valproic acid level was 1,028 μg/mL. Urine toxicology screen as well as serum levels of ethanol, acetaminophen, and acetylsalicylic acid levels were negative. A gastric lavage was followed by activated charcoal instillation. Subsequent myoclonic twitchings that progressed to continuous seizure activity were managed with intravenous lorazepam therapy and endotracheal intubation. Serum valproic acid value measured two hours after admission remained elevated at 1,046 μg/mL. Hemodialysis was performed continuously for 10.5 hours using a high-flux, polysulfone dialyzer (Polyflux 21S, Fresenius Medical Care, Lexington, MA), a dialyzer blood flow of 200–300 mL/min, and a dialysate flow of 500 mL/min. The therapy brought about a fall in serum valproic acid level to 110 μg/mL and a complete recovery of the patient. Discussion: Valproic acid (144 Dalton) is 90–95% protein-bound at therapeutic serum values. However, in the face of an overdose, the unbound fraction rises because of saturation of protein-binding sites. This unbound fraction is readily dialyzable. We suggest that high-flux hemodialysis is effective in the treatment of severe valproic acid poisoning.
On the resolution of density anomalies in the Earth's mantle using spectral fitting of normal‐mode data

SUMMARY The resolution of the 3-D density structure in the Earth’s deep interior has long eluded geoscientists. High-quality data from digital seismic instruments emplaced this decade have renewed interest in the measurement of low-frequency Earth normal modes with the goal of extracting heterogeneous density structure. Here we perform a series of synthetic experiments aimed at investigating the resolution of lateral variations in the mantle from normal-mode spectral data. Contamination effects between seismic velocities and density are examined in two ways: (1) by using resolution matrices computed from data kernels and (2) by inverting synthetic spectra computed from realistic input Earth models. The first type of experiment assumes that the non-linearity of the inverse problem is weak. No such assumptions are necessary in the second type of tests which, nevertheless concur in their results with the former. These synthetic tests indicate that density structure retrieved from presently available normal-mode data is not reliable. Contamination of seismic velocity structure into the density model space produces patterns that resemble those obtained from inversions of real data. The resulting density models appear to be dependent on a combination of the starting velocity models and the model parametrization.
Characterization of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal metabolism in stellate cell lines derived from normal and cirrhotic rat liver.

Abstract During oxidative stress, reactive aldehydes, including trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), are generated by peroxidation of membrane lipids and purportedly stimulate hepatic stellate cells to produce excessive extracellular matrix, including type I collagen. An important question concerning the ability of 4-HNE to modulate collagen production by stellate cells is the potential of these specialized cells to detoxify 4-HNE. The objective of the present study was to characterize the ability of stellate cell lines, derived from normal (NFSC) and cirrhotic (CFSC) rat livers, to metabolize 4-HNE by oxidative, reductive and conjugative pathways. These two stellate cell lines were noted to have differing susceptibilities to the cytotoxic effect of 4-HNE. Treatment of both stellate cell lines with a range of 4-HNE doses demonstrated that the concentration which was cytotoxic to 50% of CFSC (TD50) was 25% greater than that for NFSC (967.57±9.26 nmol/106 cells vs. 769.90±5.32 nmol/106 cells respectively). The capacity of these cell lines to metabolizes 4-HNE was determined by incubating them in suspension with 50 μM 4-HNE (10 nmol/106 cell); 4-HNE elimination and metabolite formation were quantified over a 20 min time course. Both stellate cell lines rapidly metabolized 4-HNE, with the CFSC line eliminating 4-HNE at a rate that was approx. 2-fold greater than the NFSC line. The rate of 4-HNE metabolism attributable to glutathione S-transferase (GST) was similar in both cell lines, though differential cell specific expressions of GST isoforms GSTP1-1 and GSTA4-4 were observed. The greater rate of 4-HNE elimination by CFSC was attributable to its aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity which accounted for approx. 50% of 4-HNE metabolism in CFSC but was insignificant in NFSC. Neither cell line had detectable alcohol dehydrogenase activity or protein levels. Measurement of cellular GSH concentrations revealed that NFSC contain approx. 2-fold greater concentrations of GSH when compared to CFSC and that following 4-HNE treatment, GSH levels were rapidly depleted from both cell lines. Concomitant with 4-HNE mediated GSH depletion, a corresponding increase in the 4-HNE-glutathione adduct formation was observed with the NFSC line forming greater amounts of the glutathione adduct than did the CFSC line. Taken together, these data demonstrate that both stellate cell lines have the capacity to metabolize 4-HNE but that CFSC have a greater rate of metabolism which is attributable to their greater ALDH activity, suggesting that the stellate cells isolated from cirrhotic liver may be differentially responsive to the biologic effects of 4-HNE.
Mathematical modeling of a generalized Rijke tube

A mathematical model of unsteady velocity sensitive thermoacoustic interactions in a heated duct (generalized Rijke tube) is developed. The model is constructed in a general way which is capable of employing any linear velocity sensitive thermoacoustic response model. A solution methodology is then constructed based on modal analysis. A number of rather general closed form solutions are presented and some of the results are used to qualitatively explain the behaviors of Rijke tubes and jet engine augmentors.
Adolescents With High-Functioning Autism: An Investigation of Comorbid Anxiety and Depression

Adolescents with high-functioning autism (HFA) possess core social and pragmatic deficits, which interfere with normal relationship development. At a time when friendships are increasingly important, many adolescents with HFA realize they are different from their peers. Initial research has indicated that adolescence is the time when symptoms of anxiety and depression are most likely to develop. The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge about anxiety and depression in HFA through focusing on the adolescent development period and obtaining assessment information from multiple sources. Results indicate that adolescents reported elevated levels of social anxiety, separation panic, and anhedonia compared with normative samples. Parents and teachers reported that adolescents experienced significant overall anxiety and depressive symptomatology compared with the normative samples. Manifestations of HFA were associated with higher levels of anxiety as reported by parents. Results bring into question th...
The intro and the outro: Technology and popular music practice

(1990). The intro and the outro: Technology and popular music practice. Popular Music and Society: Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 1-6.
Sharp-line luminescence of the hexabromorhenate (IV) ion in single crystals of cesium hexabromozirconate (IV) at 20°K

Abstract Strong sharp-line luminescence has been observed for Re +4 (5 d 3 ) in single cubic crystals of the host lattice Cs 2 ZrBr 6 at 20°K. Luminescence and absorption spectra are reported within the t 2 g 3 configuration between the Γ 7 ( 2 T 2g ) and Γ 8 ( 2 T 2g ) states and the Γ 8 ( 4 A 2g ) ground state. Calculated vibrational mode energies of the ground electronic state are found to be in good agreement with the available infrared and Raman data for the ReBr 6 −2 complex and to be some-what different in value than the energies of the vibrational modes for the Γ 7 ( 2 T 2g ) and Γ 8 ( 2 T 2g ) excited electronic states. For the electric-dipole portion of the Γ 8 ( 4 A 2g ) → Γ 7 ( 2 T 2g ) transition short progressions are present not only in the a 1 g symmetric mode but also in the e g and t 2 g modes.
Peripheral blood mononuclear cell infiltration and neuroinflammation in the HexB−/− mouse model of neurodegeneration

Myeloid-derived immune cells, including microglia, macrophages and monocytes, have been previously implicated in neurodegeneration. We investigated the role of infiltrating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in the HexB−/− mouse model of Sandhoff disease. Ablation of the chemokine receptor CCR2 in the HexB−/− mouse resulted in significant inhibition of PBMC infiltration into the brain, decrease in TNFα and MHC-II mRNA abundance and retardation in clinical disease development. There was no change in the level of GM2 storage and pro-apoptotic activity or astrocyte activation in HexB−/−;Ccr2−/− double knockout mice, which eventually succumbed secondary to GM2 gangliosidosis.
Machine learning for online query relaxation

In this paper we provide a fast, data-driven solution to the failing query problem: given a query that returns an empty answer, how can one relax the query's constraints so that it returns a non-empty set of tuples? We introduce a novel algorithm, loqr, which is designed to relax queries that are in the disjunctive normal form and contain a mixture of discrete and continuous attributes. loqr discovers the implicit relationships that exist among the various domain attributes and then uses this knowledge to relax the constraints from the failing query.In a first step, loqr uses a small, randomly-chosen subset of the target database to learn a set of decision rules that predict whether an attribute's value satisfies the constraints in the failing query; this query-driven operation is performed online for each failing query. In the second step, loqr uses nearest-neighbor techniques to find the learned rule that is the most similar to the failing query; then it uses the attributes' values from this rule to relax the failing query's constraints. Our experiments on six application domains show that loqr is both robust and fast: it successfully relaxes more than 95% of the failing queries, and it takes under a second for processing queries that consist of up to 20 attributes (larger queries of up to 93 attributes are processed in several seconds).
Searching the Literature of Aging: Gerontology Reference Sources.

Gerontology is a multidisciplinary field with a need for specialized sources of information. Standard reference tools can be used in a search for gerontological literature; however, many questions are more easily searched with specialized works. The publication of acquisitions lists from gerontology centers, the development of the National Clearinghouse on Aging, and the trend toward new reference books in gerontology are encouraging the development of bibliographic control of resource materials. This article discusses various reference tools in gerontology and points out areas for further growth.
Ethical considerations and proposed guidelines for the use of radio frequency identification: especially concerning its use for promoting public safety and national security

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is quickly growing in its applications. A variety of uses for the technology are beginning to be developed, including chips which can be used in identification cards, in individual items, and for human applications, allowing a chip to be embedded under the skin. Such chips could provide numerous benefits ranging from day-to-day convenience to the increased ability of the federal government to adequately ensure the safety of its citizens. However, there are also valid concerns about the potential of this technology to infringe on privacy, creating fears of a surveillance society. These are concerns that must be addressed quickly, with sensitivity to individual interests and societal welfare, allowing humanity to reap the benefits of convenience and safety without paying an unacceptable price in the loss of privacy.
Halofuginone, an Inhibitor of Type-I Collagen Synthesis and Skin Sclerosis, Blocks Transforming-Growth-Factor-β-Mediated Smad3 Activation in Fibroblasts

Halofuginone is a drug that has been shown to have an antifibrotic property in vitro and in vivo. Whereas halofuginone shows promise as a therapeutic agent for a variety of diseases including scleroderma, liver cirrhosis, cystic fibrosis, and certain types of cancer, the mechanism of action remains unknown. Using the tight skin mouse (TSK) model for scleroderma, we evaluated the ability of halofuginone to inhibit spontaneous development of dermal fibrosis. We found that administration of a low dose of halofuginone both in adult and newborn animals for 60 d prevented the development of cutaneous hyperplasia (dermal fibrosis). In vitro halofuginone was found to reduce the amount of collagen synthesized by fibroblasts. This effect was due to a reduction in the promoter activity of the type-I collagen genes as treatment of fibroblast cultures with 10 −8 M halofuginone reduced the level of α2(I) collagen message detectible by northern blot and greatly reduced the activity of a reporter construct under control of the -3200 to +54 bp α2(I) collagen promoter. In addition, analysis of transforming growth factor β signaling pathways in fibroblasts revealed that halofuginone inhibited transforming-growth-factor-β-induced upregulation of collagen protein and activity of the α2(I) collagen promoter. Further we found that halofuginone blocked the phosphorylation and subsequent activation of Smad3 after transforming growth factor β stimulation. Apparently the inhibitory property was specific to Smad3 as there was no inhibitory effect on the activation of Smad2 after stimulation with transforming growth factor β. Our results demonstrate that halofuginone is a specific inhibitor of type-I collagen synthesis and may elicit its effect via interference with the transforming growth factor β signaling pathway.
Murine extramedullary erythropoiesis induced by tick infestation

AbstractTick saliva contains molecules that modulate the haemostasis, pain/itch responses, wound healing and immune defences of the host. Using BALB/c mice that were each infested with 10 nymphs of Dermacentor andersoni Stiles (Acari: Ixodidae), an attempt has now been made to determine the influence of tick infestation on the expression of leucocyte adhesion molecules in the host. The ticks became fully engorged by the fourth to sixth day of infestation. On the fourth day of infestation, the results of flow cytometry indicated that 2% of the host's splenocytes were expressing high levels of CD49 (α4 integrin of VLA-4) and low levels of CD11a (αL subunit of the integrin LFA-1). By the eighth day of infestation, 30% of the hosts' splenocytes had this phenotype and were negative for the lineage markers CD3e (T-lymphocytes), DX5 (natural-killer cells of a BALB/c lineage), B220 (B-lymphocytes), CD11b (monocytes/macrophages, granulocytes, natural-killer cells, activated T-lymphocytes, and B-1 cells) and CD11c ...
Stability of Two-Term Recurrence Sequences with Even Parameter

The authors characterize the stability modulo two of two-term recurrence sequences with one defining parameter even and determine their periods modulo sufficiently high powers of two.
On games of incomplete information

We study two-person games of cooperation and multi-prover interactive proof systems. We first consider a two-person game G, which we call a free game, defined as follows. A Boolean function C& is given. Players I and II each pick a random number i and j in private, where 1 d i,j < s, and then each chooses a private numberf(i) and g(j), 1 <f(i), g(j) < s. If &( i,j,f( i), g(j)) = 1, then both players win; otherwise, they lose. The objective of both players is to win collectively. We ask whether, if such a game is played n times in parallel, the probability of winning all the games decays exponentially in n. This question was posed in a more general context by Fortnow [lo], which we will discuss soon. Formally, we define the nth product game G” as the following two-person game. Players I and II each pick a vector of independent random numbers i= ( iI,. . . , i,) and j=(j l,...,jn) in private, 1 <ik, jk<s, and then each chooses a private sequence of numbers fi(g, . . ..f.(fl and gl(j) , . . ., g&3. The goal for both players is to ensure Ai=1 &(&,j&.(i),g.Jj))= 1. We define th e winning probability of the game G to be maxS,, Pr[&( i, j,f( i), g(j)) = 11, where the probability is taken over all randomly and uniformly chosen i,j in the range 1 , . . . . s, and we denote it by w(G). The game G is called nontrivial if its winning probability is neither 0 nor 1. We shall consider only
Does aprotinin increase the myocardial damage in the setting of ischemia and preconditioning

Background. Aprotinin reduces postoperative bleeding in cardiac operations, but its association with perioperative myocardial infarction remains controversial. Ischemic preconditioning is a novel method of myocardial protection. Methods. To answer whether aprotinin increases post-ischemic myocardial damage and also to characterize the effect of aprotinin on ischemic preconditioning, four groups of sheep were fully heparinized to keep activated clotting time readings greater than 750 seconds and subjected to 60 minutes of normothermic regional ischemia (diagonal artery occlusion) with 3 hours of reperfusion. Group I was the control with no treatment, group II received aprotinin (1 million KIU load followed by 250,000 KIU/h), group III underwent ischemic preconditioning (three 5-minute intervals of ischemia and reperfusion) before prolonged 1-hour ischemia, and group IV underwent similar ischemic preconditioning and received aprotinin. Area at risk was delineated by monastryl blue pigment, and infarction size by tetrazolium staining. Results. The ratios of weight of area at risk to left ventricular weight and left ventricular weight to body weight were constant between groups. Infarction size to area at risk ratio data demonstrated that aprotinin increases infarction size by 60% (infarction size to area at risk ratio from 52% ± 10% to 84% ± 10% for I versus II; p p Conclusions. In the setting of ischemia, aprotinin increases myocardial damage. If, however, the heart is provided with protective preconditioning, then the deleterious effect of aprotinin may be neutralized. From these data we suggest that aprotinin should not be used routinely in cardiac operations unless extensive blood loss is anticipated, such as in redo open heart operations.
Study of Supersymmetric Particles in Decays of W Bosons

We present phenomenological studies of light supersymmetric (SUSY) particles in W± decay. Our study shows that signals from hadronic decays of the SUSY particles will be distinguishable from their backgrounds. Decays of a sequential heavy lepton are also discussed.
Abstract 1321: Identification of markers of sensitivity and resistance to palbociclib (PD0332991) in melanoma

Background: Melanoma, a malignancy originating in pigment-producing melanocytes, is generally resistant to conventional treatments such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Molecular targeted therapeutics against BRAF and MEK have shown marked efficacy for patients with metastatic melanoma. However these targeted therapies have a limited duration of response. Palbociclib is a highly selective inhibitor of cyclin dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) that has been shown to inhibit growth of malignant cell lines in vitro and in vivo by preventing the phosphorylation of Rb and stopping the progression G1/S of cell cycle. Cyclin D-CDK4/6-Rb axis has been shown to be dysregulated in 85-90% of melanomas and may represent a new therapeutic target. Our main goal in this study was to evaluate the therapeutic potential of palbociclib in a large panel of human melanoma cell lines to identify potential biomarkers of sensitivity and resistance. Material and Methods: We evaluated the response to palbociclib treatment in 48 melanoma cell lines. A comprehensive biomarker screen was performed using mutation and gene expression (Agilent) data. The mechanism of action of the drug was investigated by western blot (WB) analysis measuring phospho-Rb and senescence markers. Effects on the cell cycle and apoptosis were study by flow cytometry. Results: A marked differential response to palbociclib was observed across the melanoma cell lines with IC50s ranging from 28nM to over 1µM. A subset (14/48) of cell lines were classified as sensitive at clinically achievable concentrations (IC50 Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Erika M. von Euw, Dylan Conklin, Hong-Mei Rong, Ke-Wei Gong, Richard S. Finn, Dennis J. Slamon. Identification of markers of sensitivity and resistance to palbociclib (PD0332991) in melanoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1321. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1321
Collaborative Governance: Analysing Social Audits in MGNREGA in India

In the history of social protection programmes in India, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is the most expansive and ambitious programme ever. In 2009/10 alone, over 380 billion rupees (US$8 billion) were spent to employ over 50 million households under this scheme. To oversee such expansive coverage, an elaborate monitoring and evaluation system has been enshrined in the law. It was also realised that non-state actors need to be included in the monitoring process for collective accountability and ensuring transparency. Social audits are unique collaborative governance mechanisms which are not only participatory programme evaluation exercises but also lead to empowerment of the poor. They are a platform for the vulnerable to raise their 'voice' and assert their 'rights'; to hold the administration accountable and assume collective responsibility, thereby potentially transforming social protection to social justice. This article analyses the social audit framework from a policy design perspective, in light of field reports and recent changes in the rules and aims, to unravel why, despite the merits, it is not yet the 'magic silver bullet' for poverty alleviation.
On the visibility of leading eigenvalues in compartmental models

Abstract The system matrix eigenvalue with the largest real part (leading eigenvalue) of any input-output (IO) connectable compartmental model is real and visible (appears explicitly) in the impulse response, and thus it governs the asymptotic response of the model. Its visible multiplicity is calculated here by decomposing the model into strongly connected components and applying the Perron-Frobenius theorem. Cascade models and fully visible eigenvalues are defined, and it is shown that for any cascade model the leading eigenvalue is fully visible in the impulse response. A necessary and sufficient condition is given for full visibility of the leading eigenvalue of any IO-connectable model. As a corollary, if an IO-connectable compartmental model has one or more traps, the leading eigenvalue λ 1 = 0 always has visible multiplicity one.
Disruption of mutated BRAF signaling modulates thyroid cancer phenotype

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine-related cancer in the United States and its incidence is rising rapidly. Since among various genetic lesions identified in thyroid cancer, the BRAFV600E mutation is found in 50% of papillary thyroid cancers and 25% of anaplastic thyroid cancers, this mutation provides an opportunity for targeted drug therapy. Our laboratory evaluated cellular phenotypic effects in response to treatment with PLX4032, a BRAFV600E-specific inhibitor, in normal BRAF-wild-type thyroid cells and in BRAFV600E-positive papillary thyroid cancer cells. Normal BRAF-wild-type thyroid cells and BRAFV600E-mutated papillary thyroid cancer cells were subjected to proliferation assays and analyzed for cell death by immunofluorescence. Cell cycle status was determined using an EdU uptake assay followed by laser scanning cytometry. In addition, expression of proteins within the MAPK signal transduction pathway was analyzed by Western blot. PLX4032 has potent anti-proliferative effects selectively in BRAF-mutated thyroid cancer cells. These effects appear to be mediated by the drug’s activity of inhibiting phosphorylation of signaling molecules downstream of BRAF within the pro-survival MAPK pathway. Interestingly, PLX4032 promotes the phosphorylation of these signaling molecules in BRAF-wild-type thyroid cells. These findings support further evaluation of combinational therapy that includes BRAFV600E inhibitors in thyroid cancer patients harboring the BRAFV600E mutation.
Surface Seiche and Wind Set-up on Lake Okeechobee (Florida, USA) During Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne

Abstract Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne (HF and HJ) passed over Lake Okeechobee, Fla., in September 2004. Strong winds produced a large surface seiche during both storms. The slope of the water surface reversed itself within 4 hrs as wind direction changed during HF, but shifted in only 2 hrs during HJ. The greatest water level difference was along the lake's north-south (N-S) axis during both storms (2.6 and 3.5 m, respectively). Differences between maximum wind set-up (storm surge) and set-down on the opposite shore indicated that the slope of the water surface was not symmetrical at the height of either storm. Using simple steady-state models, maximum wind set-up was forecast for opposing stations along the lake's N-S axis and compared to observed data and storm surge predictions by the SLOSH model. Steady-state model accuracy was not improved by using averaging periods >15 min in length or by lagging weather and water temperature data behind lake stage. Steady-state models calibrated to the data perfor...
The Impact of the Surface Shape of the Piston on Power Losses

Axial piston machines are widely used in industry thus new cost-effective and highly efficient designs are needed. One way to increase efficiency and decrease cost is by altering the geometry along with the configuration of the piston/cylinder interface influencing the fluid film generation and in turn the energy dissipation and load carrying capacity while still having a design that is cost effective and easy to manufacture. This paper presents a study on a reduction of energy dissipation between the piston and cylinder over a wide range of operating conditions at both full and partial displacements based on the surface shape of the piston along with the minimum clearance. First, it is necessary to measure a base design and then compare those results to simulations in order to verify the simulation results. Once a baseline is established, various piston surface shapes and minimum clearances are then also simulated and compared back to the simulated baseline. Not only is energy dissipation important to compare, but also the minimum gap height over one revolution. The minimum gap height is in direct correlation to friction loss and wear. Therefore, this paper also includes an understanding of how the gap height affects the total losses thus leading to the importance of finding a relative clearance that satisfies a median between torque losses and leakage along with the importance of reducing the occurrence of critical gap heights to reduce the need for wear in in the machine.© 2014 ASME
Mathematics in the making: Mapping verbal discourse in Pólya's “Let Us Teach Guessing” lesson

Abstract This paper describes a detailed analysis of verbal discourse within an exemplary mathematics lesson—that is, George Polya teaching in the Mathematics Association of America [MAA] video classic, “Let Us Teach Guessing” (1966). The results of the analysis reveal an inductive model of teaching that represents recursive cycles rather than linear steps. The lesson begins with a frame of reference and builds meaning cyclically/recursively through inductive processes—that is, moving from specific cases, through recursive cycles, toward more general hypotheses and rules. Additionally, connections to specific forms of talk and verbal assessment, as well as to univocal (conveying meaning) and dialogic (new meaning through dialogue) discourse, are made.
Toward an understanding of fundraising, philanthropy and charity in Western Zionism, 1897–1933

Although scholarship on the ‘third sector’ has successfully integrated Jewish history and the contemporary Jewish scene (including the State of Israel) into its overall agenda, the Zionist movement in Western Europe and the United States, before 1933, is largely absent. This is mainly because, almost until the present, spokespersons for the movement have denied that Zionism is a charity. It may seem obvious that Zionism relied on the tradition of Jews giving to charity, yet this fact is barely reflected in the movement's historiography. Zionism's appeals to Western-acculturated Jews show that many characteristics of Jewish philanthropic societies were essential to the life of the movement. This article explores the institutional strategies which drew on the charitable instincts of Zionism's constituents, especially the creation of the Jewish National Fund (1901) and the Palestine Foundation Fund (1921). The prominence of these bodies led to much of the success, as well as the frustrations of the movement, before the Nazi rise to power.
Thyroid Scanning or Fine-Needle Biopsy

Excerpt To the editor: The suggestion of Reasner and Isley (1)that fine-needle aspiration biopsy may be more cost effective as the initial diagnostic procedure in the evaluation of a solitary thyro...
Effects of naloxone infusion upon spontaneous and amphetamine-induced activity.

Abstract Naloxone-filled (1.0 mg/kg per h) or sham pumps were implanted subcutancously (s.c.) in rats on day 0 and removed on day 7. Spontaneous locomotor activity was lower in naloxone-infused rats on day 3 only. Cumulative dose-response curves to D-amphetamine were constructed in separate groups on day 6 or day 8 (0.0–6.4 mg/kg s.c.). On day 6, naloxone infusion attenuated the gross movement response to D-amphetamine, but not the fine movement response. There were no differences in the response of naloxone- or sham-infused rats to D-amphetamine on day 8. Therefore, withdrawal from continuous naloxone infusion had no influence upon spontaneous or D-amphetamine-stimulated activity.
The Dempster--Shafer calculus for statisticians

The Dempster-Shafer (DS) theory of probabilistic reasoning is presented in terms of a semantics whereby every meaningful formal assertion is associated with a triple (p,q,r) where p is the probability ''for'' the assertion, q is the probability ''against'' the assertion, and r is the probability of ''don't know''. Arguments are presented for the necessity of ''don't know''. Elements of the calculus are sketched, including the extension of a DS model from a margin to a full state space, and DS combination of independent DS uncertainty assessments on the full space. The methodology is applied to inference and prediction from Poisson counts, including an introduction to the use of join-tree model structure to simplify and shorten computation. The relation of DS theory to statistical significance testing is elaborated, introducing along the way the new concept of ''dull'' null hypothesis.
Poster: Design considerations for fabric-based input for surface design

Fabric is a dynamic, flexible surface material that holds promise to represent many different kinds of surfaces. We explore how we can use such a flexible material as an interactive 3D input device for various kinds of surface design, such as garment and 3D model design. We discuss our fabric-based interactive system and key design considerations for using fabric-based input. In an evaluation of how domain-specific experts use fabric-based input, and how use changes over time, we found that while tracking issues dominated, participants were successful in drawing initial rough sketches of 3D and 2D creations using fabric-based input.
Homogeneous Flow of Hydraulic Fluid Retaining Gap

This paper presents the laminar flow of homogeneous liquids in crevices of smooth hydraulic resistance. The paper presents a theoretical model for the distribution of pressure in the gap and the flow rate through the slot hydraulic. The presented theoretical models for the distribution of pressure and flow in the gap on conventional hydraulic resistance of hydraulic joints, whose shape is related to the errors of their execution. In deriving the theoretical models, by introducing a variable height of the gap in the initial episode, was founded stream velocity profile variability in the hydraulic fluid retaining gap and zero values of local losses at the entrance to the slot. An analysis of the validity of the simplifications adopted in the given formulas for the distribution of pressure and flow in the hydraulic gap and on the basis provides guidelines for estimating the energy losses that occur cracks in the hydraulic resistance.
Quality adaptation for congestion controlled video playback over the Internet

Streaming audio and video applications are becoming increasingly popular on the Internet, and the lack of effective congestion control in such applications is now a cause for significant concern. The problem is one of adapting the compression without requiring video-servers to re-encode the data, and fitting the resulting stream into the rapidly varying available bandwidth. At the same time, rapid fluctuations in quality will be disturbing to the users and should be avoided.In this paper we present a mechanism for using layered video in the context of unicast congestion control. This quality adaptation mechanism adds and drops layers of the video stream to perform long-term coarse-grain adaptation, while using a TCP-friendly congestion control mechanism to react to congestion on very short timescales. The mismatches between the two timescales are absorbed using buffering at the receiver. We present an efficient-scheme for the distribution of buffering among the active layers. Our scheme allows the server to trade short-term improvement for long-term smoothing of quality. We discuss the issues involved in implementing and tuning such a mechanism, and present our simulation results.
Weld line studies on transfer‐molded thermosetting composite materials

Multiple gating and the presence of inserts make weld lines (also known as knit lines) almost unavoidable in commercially produced moldings. These weld regions may be significantly weaker in strength than the bulk material away from the weld line. Hence, a molded section containing a weld line will only be as strong as the weld line, no matter how strong the surrounding bulk material. The influence of processing history on weld line performance is essential to optimally designed transfer-molded composite products with discontinuous-fiber-reinforced molding materials. This study has therefore been directed toward experimentally characterizing the weld line strength of a bulk molding compund (BMC) and a thick molding compound (TMC) as a function of the mold temperature, fill time/fill rate, and the postbake operation.
Intergroup Differences and their Impact on African American Teachers

This article examines how intergroup differences within suburban desegregated schools affect the professional experiences of African American teachers. The culture within an organization strongly influences how European Americans will treat their minority counterparts. Because the majority establishes the work norms, a uniform set of rules and regulations by which people of color are expected to comply exists. Tensions of intergroup conflict become apparent among groups of teachers if only one or a few teachers of color are present in the entire school. Thus, African American teachers in these contexts are subjected to performance pressures, bear the burden of representing their race, and become role entrapped.
Differences in optic nerve structure between individuals of predominantly African and European ancestry: Implications for disease detection and pathogenesis

Glaucoma disproportionately affects individual of African ancestry. Additionally, racial differences in the optic nerve head have been well described that may alter the vulnerability to intraocular pressure related injury and, in addition, alter the clinical ability to detect the presence of early optic nerve injury. This paper will review the literature describing racial differences in the optic nerve head between individuals of African and European ancestry with regards to the potential effects of these differences on the ability to detect glaucoma in different racial groups and to potential differences in the pathogenesis of glaucomatous injury.
Application development and control system (ADACS)

User friendly applications are very often menu-driven. ADACS (in this paper used as an abbreviation for Application Development and Control System) is such a menu system for APL applications. This paper describes how• menus are made• applications are developed/maintained• applications are executedUsing ADACS, application prototypes as well as regular APL-based production systems have been developed. As it is used to develop applications - where the developer is an ADACS end-user - as well as to execute applications generated by ADACS, it is necessary to separate these modes of operation and the kind of people involved. In this text the words programmer and end-user will be used for that separation.
A Microscopic Limit on Gravitational Waves from D-brane Inflation

We derive a microscopic bound on the maximal field variation of the inflaton during warped D-brane inflation. By a result of Lyth, this implies an upper limit on the amount of gravitational waves produced during inflation. We show that a detection at the level $rg0.01$ would falsify slow roll D-brane inflation. In DBI (Dirac-Born-Infeld) inflation, detectable tensors may be possible in special compactifications, provided that $r$ decreases rapidly during inflation. We also show that for the special case of DBI inflation with a quadratic potential, current observational constraints imply strong upper bounds on the five-form flux.
5.2: A High Efficiency Phosphorescent White OLED for LCD Backlight and Display Applications

We demonstrate a three-component RGB phosphorescent white OLED with efficiencies of 38 cd/A, 18.4 lm/W, and 16% EQE at 1000 cd/m2 and CIE coordinates of (0.39, 0.39). The CRI is 79, indicating good suitability for use in full-color LCD backlights and OLED displays based on RGB color filters. High performance is attributed to use of all phosphorescent dopants (red, green and blue). To the best of the authors' knowledge, this device is the highest efficiency white OLED reported to date in the literature.