cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Residential Racial Integration on Postoperative Outcomes Among Medicare Beneficiaries Undergoing Resection for Cancer

While social determinants of health may adversely affect various populations, the impact of residential segregation on surgical outcomes remains poorly defined. The objective of the current study was to examine the association between residential segregation and the likelihood to achieve a textbook outcome (TO) following cancer surgery. The Medicare 100% Standard Analytic Files were reviewed to identify Medicare beneficiaries who underwent resection of lung, esophageal, colon, or rectal cancer between 2013 and 2017. Shannon’s integration index, a measure of residential segregation, was calculated at the county level and its impact on composite TO [no complications, no prolonged length of stay (LOS), no 90-day readmission, and no 90-day mortality] was examined. Among 200,509 patients who underwent cancer resection, the overall incidence of TO was 56.0%. The unadjusted likelihood of achieving a TO was lower among patients in low integration areas [low integration: n = 19,978 (55.0%) vs. high integration: n = 18,953 (59.3%); p < 0.001]. On multivariable analysis, patients residing in low integration areas had higher odds of complications [odds ratio (OR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–1.11], extended LOS (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.09–1.18), and 90-day mortality (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.22–1.38) and, in turn, lower odds of achieving a TO (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.84–0.90) versus patients from highly integrated communities. Patients who resided in counties with a lower integration index were less likely to have an optimal TO following resection of cancer compared with patients who resided in more integrated counties. The data highlight the importance of increasing residential racial diversity and integration as a means to improve patient outcomes.
Does Insurgent Selective Punishment Deter Collaboration? Evidence from the Drone War in Pakistan:

Scholars of civil wars have long argued that non-state actors can use selective punishment to reduce collaboration with state adversaries. However, there is little systematic evidence confirming th...
Expression and Purification of Recombinant Mutants of Fasciculin from Mammalian Cells

Fasciculin (FAS), a 61-amino acid peptide from snake toxin with three large loops formed by disulfide bonds, is an extremely potent (2 pM) inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Previously we have described the synthesis of recombinant DNA encoding various mutants of the snake toxin fasciculin attached to the leader peptide from erabutoxin, allowing secretion of the translated protein into the media of cultured cells (1). These mutants have now been stably expressed in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells (CHO-K1). The cells can be grown in the absence of serum, and we have acheived production levels of up to 500 nmole (3.5 mg) per liter of culture.
GPC3-CD81 axis in the HCV mediated liver carcinogenesis

Glypican-3 (GPC3) is highly over-expressed in human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). GPC3 decreases liver regeneration by interacting with CD81. Other groups have shown that activation of CD81 incr...
A Modeling Study of the Effect of Underfill Materials on Solder Joint Thermal Fatigue of Ball Grid Array Package

Flip Chip Ball Grid Array packages (FCBGA) have been widely used in microelectronic industry in integrated circuit (IC) packages. Due to the intrinsic mismatch of the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between silicon chip and Printed Circuit Board (PCB) material, solder joint fatigue failure due to thermal cycling becomes the most important concern for this technology. Underfill materials have been widely used as a solution to improving solder joint fatigue life. It is of importance to understand the effect of underfill material properties on the solder joint fatigue life. In this study, finite element method (FEM) was employed to study the effect of underfill materials on solder joint low cycle fatigue life in thermal cycling. ANSYS code was used to calculate the inelastic energy density generated in temperature cycling. The viscoplastic model was used for the solder to consider the inelastic and time dependent behavior under thermal cycling. By using the FEM model, the underfill material properties, the Young’s modulus and CTE were examined to study their effects on the solder joint fatigue life. It was found that the improvement of solder fatigue life could be achieved only when the CTE was low. This improvement could be strengthened by large Young’s modulus to increase the solder strength. In contrast, a large CTE underfill material could deepen the solder joint fatigue damage. This worsening effect became more significant as the Young’s modulus became larger. This study could serve as a foundation for understanding the mechanism of solder joint fatigue in the presence of underfill materials and provide guidance to choose appropriate underfill materials to improve BGA solder joint thermal fatigue in temperature cycling.© 2014 ASME
The debate on the polarity of light during the optical revolution

L'A. concentre le debat sur le phenomene et la theorie ondulatoire de la lumiere au XIX e siecle, demontree a partir d'appareillages et d'experiences scientifiques
Modeling and simulation of microsystems: challenges and trends

Increasing integration levels bring the industry closer to building systems-on-a-chip. Exploding manufacturing costs drive investments in improved predictive capabilities by modeling and simulation. Microsystems have specific requirements with respect to the ULSI circuits, resulting mainly from the heterogeneous nature of their components. This paper summarizes the state-of-the-art in point tools and tool suites, as well as the major trends in simulation techniques applied to microsystems.
$\alpha$-Degrees of $\alpha$-Theories

Let α be a limit ordinal with the property that any “recursive” function whose domain is a proper initial segment of α has its range bounded by α . α is then called admissible (in a sense to be made precise later) and a recursion theory can be developed on it ( α -recursion theory) by providing the generalized notions of α -recursively enumerable, α -recursive and α -finite. Takeuti [12] was the first to study recursive functions of ordinals, the subject owing its further development to Kripke [7], Platek [8], Kreisel [6], and Sacks [9]. Infinitary logic on the other hand (i.e., the study of languages which allow expressions of infinite length) was quite extensively studied by Scott [11], Tarski, Kreisel, Karp [5] and others. Kreisel suggested in the late '50's that these languages (even which allows countable expressions but only finite quantification) were too large and that one should only allow expressions which are, in some generalized sense, finite. This made the application of generalized recursion theory to the logic of infinitary languages appear natural. In 1967 Barwise [1] was the first to present a complete formalization of the restriction of to an admissible fragment ( A a countable admissible set) and to prove that completeness and compactness hold for it. [2] is an excellent reference for a detailed exposition of admissible languages.
Novel mutation detection method for tumor samples grossly contaminated with normal tissue

A109 For diagnostic purposes, mutation detection in cancer is difficult due to the presence of contaminating normal tissue infiltrated throughout the tumor tissue. Traditional PCR and sequencing methods are labor intensive and time consuming. Therefore, we have developed an assay using a nanochip array platform to find specific mutations in cancer-related genes. An amplicon-down method was applied. That is, the DNA sample was amplified with a biotin labeled primer and the resulting target amplicon was electronically addressed to a streptavidin membrane. This method is based on differences in melting temperatures. The data is collected either at a specific Tm, or during a series of temperature increments to create a melting curve. As proof of principle, we screened codon 12 of the K- ras gene, which is commonly mutated in several tumor types. The analysis was done on formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor samples that showed various degrees of contaminating normal tissue. We screened 233 patient samples corresponding to various cancer types. These included colon, rectum, pancreas, lymph node, lung, spleen, liver, stomach, and thyroid cancers. We were able to detect mutations in samples that contained as little as 20% tumor cells. In addition, the sensitivity was 100% and the specificity was nearly 100%. These data agreed 100% with PCR enrichment and sequencing results that were performed in parallel. Moreover, the method presented here was even more sensitive in some instances. For example, we were able to detect very low amounts of mutant allele that was not detected by traditional sequencing due to background noise. In conclusion, we found this test to be extremely accurate, reproducible, fast, and due to its versatility, generally applicable to any mutation screening. Furthermore, in a therapeutic setting, it could provide an effective selection criterion for a patient treatment regimen.
Multiaccess Link Control

The need for multiaccess protocols arises whenever a resource is shared (and thus accessed) by a number of independent users. One main reason contributing to such a situation is the need to share scarce and expensive resources. An excellent example is typified by time-sharing systems. Timesharing was developed in the 1960s to make the powerful processing capability of a large computer system available to a large population of users, each of whom has relatively small or infrequent demands so that a dedicated system cannot be economically justified. Two advantages are gained: the smoothing effect of large populations on the demand, an effect resulting from the law of large numbers, and a lower cost per unit of service resulting from the (almost always existing) economy of scale.
Cell-surface heparan sulfate is involved in the repulsive guidance activities of Slit2 protein

Slit proteins are a family of secreted guidance proteins that can repel neuronal migration and axon growth via interaction with their cellular roundabout receptors (Robos). Here it was shown that Slit2–Robo-1 interactions were enhanced by cell-surface heparan sulfate. Removal of heparan sulfate decreased the affinity of Slit for Robo by about threefold. In addition, removal of cell-surface heparan sulfate by heparinase III abolished the chemorepulsive response to Slit2 normally shown by both the migrating neurons and growing axons. These results indicate essential roles for cell-surface heparan sulfate in the repulsive activities of Slit2.
The Investor Recognition Hypothesis in a Dynamic General Equilibrium: Theory and

This paper analyzes equilibrium in a dynamic pure-exchange economy under a generalization of Merton's (1987) investor recognition hypothesis (IRH). Because of information costs, a class of investors is assumed to possess incomplete information, which suffices to implement only a particular trading strategy. The IRH is mapped into corresponding portfolio restrictions that bind a subset of agents. The model is formulated in continuous time, and detailed characterization of equilibrium quantities is provided. The model implies that, all else equal, a risk premium on a less visible stock need not be higher than that on a more visible stock with a lower volatility -- contrary to results derived in a static mean-variance setting. An empirical analysis suggests that a consumption-based capital asset pricing model (CCAPM) augmented by the IRH is a more realistic model than the traditional CCAPM for explaining the cross-sectional variation in unconditional expected equity returns.
A FAST study of quasi-static structure ("Inverted-V") potential drops and their latitudinal dependence in the premidnight sector and ramifications for the current-voltage relationship

[1] Utilizing FAST satellite electron measurements, we present the first reported investigation of the dependency on latitude of quasi-static structure (“inverted-V”) potential drop magnitude (Φ). A trend of lower Φ at lower latitudes in the premidnight sector on field lines with dark foot points was observed. This trend is supported both statistically and in individual satellite crossings. The existence of two distinct peaks in occurrence probability for Φ was also observed: one between ~2 kV and 10 kV and the other at somewhat less than 1 kV. The relative occurrence of structures with Φ in the higher (>2 kV) peak is significantly reduced with decreasing latitude. This partially accounts for the statistical trend of lower potential drop magnitudes at lower latitudes. The two Φ occurrence frequency peaks correspond to two different regimes (one with eΦ/kTe ~ or > 1 and one with eΦ/kTe < 1). In the lower Φ (<1 kV, eΦ/kTe < ~1) regime which constitutes the vast majority of midlatitude events, these results are consistent with a voltage source configuration or more complex current-voltage relation where source electron density rather than Φ is most directly controlled by the field-aligned current density. These observations and their ramifications represent a significant step forward in the understanding of field-aligned currents, auroral acceleration, and magnetospheric-ionospheric coupling.
Riding the Wave: World Trade and Factor-Based Models of Democratization

Studies of “waves” of regime change, in which large numbers of countries experience similar political transitions at roughly similar periods of time, though once popular, have fallen from favor. Replacing the “third wave” arguments are several competing models relating domestic social structure—specifically, the distribution of income and factor ownership—to regime type. If any of these distributive models of regime type is correct, then global trade has an important explanatory role to play. Under factor-based models, changes in the world trading system will have systematic effects on regime dynamics. Trade openness determines labor's factor income and ultimately its political power. As world trade expands and contracts, countries with similar labor endowments should experience similar regime pressures at the same time. We propose a novel empirical specification that addresses the endogeneity and data-quality problems plaguing previous efforts to examine these arguments. We investigate the conditional impact of the global trading system on democratic transitions across 130 years and all of the states in the international system. Our findings cast doubt on the utility of factor-based models of democratization, despite their importance in fueling renewed interest in the topic.
Field Modulation Studies of the de Haas - Van Alphen Effect in Nickel.

We have studied the de Haas-van Alphen effect in spherical nickel crystals in fields up to 63 kOe and at temperatures as low as 1.1° K using a low frequency ( 40 Hz) field modulation technique. Our measure­ ments showed that the field modulation technique could be used for ferro­ magnetic samples provided that the modulation frequency was less than 25 kHz and that the modulation field was parallel to the applied field direction. The observed de Haas-van Alphen oscillations are interpreted as arising from two distinct sheets of Fermi surface — one, a multiplyconnected copper-like sheet centered at the point P in the zone and the other a set of equivalent fluted ellipsoids situated at the symmetry points X in the zone. We have interpreted these surfaces in terms of the band structure predicted by L. Hodges and have shown that our measurements are in complete accord with these new calculations.
A New Robot for High Dexterity Microsurgery

We report the development of a new six degree-of-freedom (d.o.f.) manipulator. This robot and its task-space controls enable relative tip positioning to better than 25 microns over a singularity-free work volume exceeding 20 cubic centimeters. By virtue of an innovative cable drive design, the robot has zero backlash in five joints and can sustain full extent loads of over three pounds. The robot is applicable to both fine motion manipulation of microsurgical tools and also dexterous handling of larger powered devices for minimally invasive surgery. Our current development emphasis is a teleoperated system for dexterity-enhanced microsurgeries; we believe the new robot will also have useful applications in computer assisted surgeries, e.g. image-guided therapies. In this brief paper, we outline the robot mechanical design, controls implementation, and preliminary evaluations. Our accompanying oral presentation includes a five minute videotape that illustrates engineering laboratory results achieved to date.
Long-term effects of the Diabetes Prevention Program interventions on cardiovascular risk factors: a report from the DPP Outcomes Study.

Diabet. Med. 30, 46–55 (2013) Abstract Aims Whether long-term cardiovascular risk is reduced by the Diabetes Prevention Program interventions is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the long-term differences in cardiovascular disease risk factors and the use of lipid and blood pressure medications by the original Diabetes Prevention Program intervention group. Methods This long-term follow-up (median 10 years, interquartile range 9.0–10.5) of the three-arm Diabetes Prevention Program randomized controlled clinical trial (metformin, intensive lifestyle and placebo), performed on 2766 (88%) of the Diabetes Prevention Program participants (who originally had impaired glucose tolerance), comprised a mean of 3.2 years of randomized treatment, approximately 1-year transition (during which all participants were offered intensive lifestyle intervention) and 5 years follow-up (Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study). During the study, participants were followed in their original groups with their clinical care being provided by practitioners outside the research setting. The study determined lipoprotein profiles and blood pressure and medication use annually. Results After 10 years’ follow-up from Diabetes Prevention Program baseline, major reductions were seen for systolic (−2 to −3) and diastolic (−6 to −6.5 mmHg) blood pressure, and for LDL cholesterol (−0.51 to −0.6 mmol/l) and triglycerides (−0.23 to −0.25 mmol/l) in all groups, with no between-group differences. HDL cholesterol also rose significantly (0.14 to 0.15 mmol/l) in all groups. Lipid (P = 0.01) and blood pressure (P = 0.09) medication use, however, were lower for the lifestyle group during the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study. Conclusion Overall, intensive lifestyle intervention achieved, with less medication, a comparable long-term effect on cardiovascular disease risk factors, to that seen in the metformin and placebo groups.
A Note of Caution on Maximizing Entropy

The Principle of Maximum Entropy is often used to update probabilities due to evidence instead of performing Bayesian updating using Bayes’ Theorem, and its use often has efficacious results. However, in some circumstances the results seem unacceptable and unintuitive. This paper discusses some of these cases, and discusses how to identify some of the situations in which this principle should not be used. The paper starts by reviewing three approaches to probability, namely the classical approach, the limiting frequency approach, and the Bayesian approach. It then introduces maximum entropy and shows its relationship to the three approaches. Next, through examples, it shows that maximizing entropy sometimes can stand in direct opposition to Bayesian updating based on reasonable prior beliefs. The paper concludes that if we take the Bayesian approach that probability is about reasonable belief based on all available information, then we can resolve the conflict between the maximum entropy approach and the Bayesian approach that is demonstrated in the examples.
Weak interactions of heavy quarks

Abstract We examine implications of weak interaction models with heavy quarks and right-handed currents. A particular model with six quarks is found to be particularly appealing.
Encryption overhead in embedded systems and sensor network nodes: modeling and analysis

Recent research in sensor networks has raised issues of security for small embedded devices. Security concerns are motivated by the deployment of a large number of sensory devices in the field. Limitations in processing power, battery life, communication bandwidth and memory constrain the applicability of existing cryptography standards for small embedded devices. A mismatch between wide arithmetic for security (32 bit word operations) and embedded data bus widths (often only 8 or 16 bits) combined with lack of certain operations (e.g., multiply) in the ISA present other challenges.This paper offers two contributions. First, a survey investigating the computational requirements for e a number of common cryptographic algorithms and embedded architectures is presented. The objective of this work is to cover a wide class of commonly used encryption algorithms and to determine the impact of embedded architectures on their performance. This will help designers predict a system's performance for cryptographic tasks. Second, methods to derive the computational overhead of embedded architectures in general for encryption algorithms are developed. This allows one to project computational limitations and determine the threshold of feasible encryption schemes under a set of the constraints for an embedded architecture.Experimental measurements indicate uniform cryptographic cost for each encryption class and each architecture class and negligible impact of caches. RC4 is shown to outperform RC5 for the Atmega platform. But when message authentication is required in addition to encryption, hash or block ciphers, such as RC5, have the advantage of providing support for both authentication and encryption. The analytical model allows to assess the impact of arbitrary embedded architectures as a multi-variant function for each encryption scheme. Overall, our results are not only valuable to assess the feasibility of encryption schemes for existing embedded architectures, they also extend to assess the feasibility of encryption methods for new algorithms and architectures for sensor systems.
A mechanistic study for strain rate sensitivity of rabbit patellar tendon.

Abstract The ultrastructural mechanism for strain rate sensitivity of collagenous tissue has not been well studied at the collagen fibril level. Our objective is to reveal the mechanistic contribution of tendon’s key structural component to strain rate sensitivity. We have investigated the structure of the collagen fibril undergoing tension at different strain rates. Tendon fascicles were pulled and fixed within the linear region (12% local tissue strain) at multiple strain rates. Although samples were pulled to the same percent elongation, the fibrils were noticed to elongate differently, increasing with strain rate. For the 0.1, 10, and 70%/s strain rates, there were 1.84±3.6%, 5.5±1.9%, and 7.03±2.2% elongations (mean±S.D.), respectively. We concluded that the collagen fibrils underwent significantly greater recruitment (fibril strain relative to global tissue strain) at higher strain rates. A better understanding of tendon mechanisms at lower hierarchical levels would help establish a basis for future development of constitutive models and assist in tissue replacement design.
Long-Term Progression and Outcomes With Aging in Patients With Lone Atrial Fibrillation A 30-Year Follow-Up Study

Background— The long-term natural history of lone atrial fibrillation is unknown. Our objective was to determine the rate and predictors of progression from paroxysmal to permanent atrial fibrillation over 30 years and the long-term risk of heart failure, thromboembolism, and death compared with a control population. Methods and Results— A previously characterized Olmsted County, Minnesota, population with first episode of documented atrial fibrillation between 1950 and 1980 and no concomitant heart disease or hypertension was followed up long term. Of this unique cohort, 76 patients with paroxysmal (n=34), persistent (n=37), or permanent (n=5) lone atrial fibrillation at initial diagnosis met inclusion criteria (mean age at diagnosis, 44.2±11.7 years; male, 78%). Mean duration of follow-up was 25.2±9.5 years. Of 71 patients with paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation, 22 had progression to permanent atrial fibrillation. Overall survival of the 76 patients with lone atrial fibrillation was 92% and 6...
Phenotype and Genetics of Progressive Sensorineural Hearing Loss (Snhl1) in the LXS Set of Recombinant Inbred Strains of Mice

Progressive sensorineural hearing loss is the most common form of acquired hearing impairment in the human population. It is also highly prevalent in inbred strains of mice, providing an experimental avenue to systematically map genetic risk factors and to dissect the molecular pathways that orchestrate hearing in peripheral sensory hair cells. Therefore, we ascertained hearing function in the inbred long sleep (ILS) and inbred short sleep (ISS) strains. Using auditory-evoked brain stem response (ABR) and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) measurements, we found that ISS mice developed a high-frequency hearing loss at twelve weeks of age that progressed to lower frequencies by 26 weeks of age in the presence of normal endocochlear potentials and unremarkable inner ear histology. ILS mice exhibited milder hearing loss, showing elevated thresholds and reduced DPOAEs at the higher frequencies by 26 weeks of age. To map the genetic variants that underlie this hearing loss we computed ABR thresholds of 63 recombinant inbred stains derived from the ISS and ILS founder strains. A single locus was linked to markers associated with ISS alleles on chromosome 10 with a highly significant logarithm of odds (LOD) score of 15.8. The 2-LOD confidence interval spans ∼4 Megabases located at position 54–60 Mb. This locus, termed sensorineural hearing loss 1 (Snhl1), accounts for approximately 82% of the phenotypic variation. In summary, this study identifies a novel hearing loss locus on chromosome 10 and attests to the prevalence and genetic heterogeneity of progressive hearing loss in common mouse strains.
Association of Exercise With Lower Long-term Risk of Olfactory Impairment in Older Adults

Importance The prevalence of olfactory impairment is high in older adults, and this decline in olfactory ability may pose health and safety risks, affect nutrition, and decrease quality of life. It is important to identify modifiable risk factors to reduce the burden of olfactory impairment in aging populations. Objective To determine if exercise is associated with the 10-year cumulative incidence of olfactory impairment. Design, Setting, and Participants Observational longitudinal population-based Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study. Participants without olfactory impairment (n = 1611) were ages 53 to 97 years at baseline and were followed for up to 10 years (1998-2010). Main Outcomes and Measures Olfaction was measured with the San Diego Odor Identification Test at 3 examinations (1998-2000, 2003-2005, and 2009-2010) of the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study. The main outcome was the incidence of olfactory impairment 5 (2003-2005) or 10 (2009-2010) years later and the association of baseline exercise with the long-term risk of developing olfactory impairment. Results The 10-year cumulative incidence of olfactory impairment was 27.6% (95% CI, 25.3%-29.9%) and rates varied by age and sex; those who were older (hazard ratio [HR], 1.88 [95% CI, 1.74-2.03], for every 5 years) or male (HR, 1.27 [95% CI, 1.00-1.61]) had an increased risk of olfactory impairment. Participants who reported exercising at least once a week long enough to work up a sweat had a decreased risk of olfactory impairment (age- and sex-adjusted HR, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.60-0.97]). Increasing frequency of exercise was associated with decreasing risk of developing olfactory impairment ( P value for trend = .02). Conclusions and Relevance Regular exercise was associated with lower 10-year cumulative incidence of olfactory impairment. Older adults who exercise may be able to retain olfactory function with age.
An intravascular test device for thromboresistant materials: analysis and preliminary experimental evaluation.

The interaction of artificial materials with the process of thrombus formation in blood depends on geometric and fluid-mechanical factors as well as the proximity of even slightly injured tissue. A test device that takes account of these factors and is suitable for intravascular implantation is described. The device effects a division of total flow between a tube oriented on the vessel axis, whose diameter is less than that of the vessel, and the annular space between the tube and vessel. Dimensions are chosen to effect thrombogenesis preferentially within the tube. The division of flow is calculated as a function of dimensional ratios and Reynolds number. Other aspects of the fluid dynamical performance of the device are discussed. Results of experimental evaluations in an extracorporeal shunt are reported; they show preferential deposition where expected, small variations among similar experiments, and good ability to distinguish among different materials.
Cost-effectiveness of bevacizumab and ranibizumab for newly diagnosed neovascular macular degeneration

Purpose We sought to determine the most cost-effective treatment for patients with newly diagnosed neovascular macular degeneration: monthly or as-needed bevacizumab injections, or monthly or as-needed ranibizumab injections. Design Cost-effectiveness analysis. Participants Hypothetical cohort of 80-year-old patients with newly diagnosed neovascular macular degeneration. Methods Using a mathematical model with a 20-year time horizon, we compared the incremental cost-effectiveness of treating a hypothetical cohort of 80-year-old patients with newly diagnosed neovascular macular degeneration using monthly bevacizumab, as-needed bevacizumab, monthly ranibizumab, or as-needed ranibizumab. Data came from the Comparison of Age-related macular degeneration Treatment Trial (CATT), the Medicare Fee Schedule, and the medical literature. Main Outcome Measures Costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental costs per QALY gained. Results Compared with as-needed bevacizumab, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of monthly bevacizumab is $242 357/QALY. Monthly ranibizumab gains an additional 0.02 QALYs versus monthly bevacizumab at an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of >$10 million/QALY. As-needed ranibizumab was dominated by monthly bevacizumab, meaning it was more costly and less effective. In sensitivity analyses assuming a willingness to pay of $100 000/QALY, the annual risk of serious vascular events would have to be ≥2.5 times higher with bevacizumab than that observed in the CATT trial for as-needed ranibizumab to have an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of Conclusions Even after considering the potential for differences in risks of serious adverse events and therapeutic effectiveness, bevacizumab confers considerably greater value than ranibizumab for the treatment of neovascular macular degeneration.
Resprout characteristics of creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) when subjected to repeated vehicle damage

Abstract Studies were conducted in the central Mojave Desert to quantify how creosote bushes (Larrea tridentata) respond to physical damage during large-scale military training exercises. Creosote bush possesses a resilient growth form that recovers from repeated physical damage via resprouts arising from meristems in stem bark below severed or crushed canopy units. At high levels of disturbance by heavy vehicles, nearly all individuals showed measurable breakage, but without additional damage each plant can regain a full canopy within 5 years under arid field conditions. Resprouts exhibited more vigorous growth and doubled the biomass accumulation stimulated by high rainfall of 1998, an El Nino year, vs. a normal year. New shoots of resprouted individuals were markedly different in morphological traits than canopy old growth and had slightly higher predawn shoot water potentials. The natural ability of this evergreen species to recover from cutting and crushing bodes well for re-establishment of creosote bush desert scrub communities following episodes of severe damage by vehicles.
Quantitative measure for the "nakedness" of fluoride ion sources.

A quantitative measure for the donor strength or “nakedness” of fluoride ion donors is presented. It is based on the free energy change associated with the transfer of a fluoride ion from the donor to a given acceptor molecule. Born−Haber cycle calculations were used to calculate both the free energy and the enthalpy change for this process. The enthalpy change is given by the sum of the fluoride ion affinity of the acceptor (as defined in strict thermodynamic convention) and the lattice energy difference (ΔUPOT) between the fluoride ion donor and the salt formed with the acceptor. Because, for a given acceptor, the fluoride affinity has a constant value, the relative enthalpy (and also the corresponding free energy) changes are governed exclusively by the lattice energy differences. In this study, BF3, PF5, AsF5, and SbF5 were used as the acceptors, and the following seven fluoride ion donors were evaluated: CsF, N(CH3)4F (TMAF), N-methylurotropinium fluoride (MUF), hexamethylguanidinium fluoride (HMGF)...
Biosynthesis and secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone β-subunit from ovine pituitary cultures: Effect of 17β-estradiol treatment

An assay was developed to detect tritium-labeled ovine FSH beta-subunit [( 3H]oFSH beta) secreted from primary ovine pituitary cultures. This procedure used affinity-enriched antibodies raised against reduced and carbamylmethylated oFSH beta (RCM-oFSH beta) in a two-cycle immunoextraction procedure. A discrete species with an apparent mol wt of 21,000 was detected in sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoretic patterns of immunoextracts from culture medium. This species was identified as RCM-[3H]oFSH beta by its comigration with highly purified RCM-oFSH beta, its reduction in culture media after cultures were treated with 17 beta-estradiol, which normally decreases radioimmunoassayable oFSH; and its displacement from the extracting antibodies by excess unlabeled RCM-oFSH beta. The assay was used in a pulse-chase study to determine that [3H]oFSH beta is secreted within 1-2 h of its synthesis. Prior treatment of cultures with 17 beta-estradiol did not change this timing of secretion.
Prognostic indicators for successful use of "talking" tracheostomy tubes.

7 prognostic indicators for successful verbal communication for 40 patients who use “talking” tracheostomy tubes and who are cognitively intact and ventilator dependent are presented.
Viewing the Sea from the Reefs. Comment and Forum Synthesis on Julio Baisre's “Setting a Baseline for Caribbean Fisheries”

I commend Julio Baisre for writing a stimulating and thought-provoking article, and making it the subject of a JICA forum. I also thank the commentators for increasing dialogue on the proposed anti...
A Karplus equation for 3JHCCN in amino sugar derivatives

The (1)H-(15)N coupling constants of a suite of organic-soluble amino sugar derivatives have been measured by one-dimensional and two-dimensional (1)H/(15)N heteronuclear single quantum, multiple bond correlation (HSQMBC), and the values so obtained are compared with those measured by analysis of (1)H spectra of (15)N-labeled amino sugar derivatives. A number of bicyclic amino sugar models have been studied, including methyl 2- (and 3-)amino-4,6-O-benzylidene-2- (and 3-)deoxy-alpha-D-hexopyranosides in chair or skew conformations, and methyl 2,6-anhydro-3-deoxy-3-phthalimido-alpha-d-mannopyranoside in a locked, almost classical boat conformation. The magnitudes of the vicinal (1)H-(15)N coupling constants (3)J(HCCN) have been correlated with (1)H/(15)N dihedral angles phi computed for the favored conformations by molecular dynamics with molecular mechanics energy minimization. Non-linear regression of the coupling constants on the dihedral angles has yielded a Karplus equation: (3)J(HCCN)=3.1 cos(2) phi-0.6 cos phi+0.4. The coefficients of the terms in this equation have been compared with those reported for 15 other pairs of nuclei, and the coefficient of the important cos(2)phi term found to be numerically smallest for (3)J(HCCN).
Extreme-Scale AMR

Many problems are characterized by dynamics occurring on a wide range of length and time scales. One approach to overcoming the tyranny of scales is adaptive mesh refinement/coarsening (AMR), which dynamically adapts the mesh to resolve features of interest. However, the benefits of AMR are difficult to achieve in practice, particularly on the petascale computers that are essential for difficult problems. Due to the complex dynamic data structures and frequent load balancing, scaling dynamic AMR to hundreds of thousands of cores has long been considered a challenge. Another difficulty is extending parallel AMR techniques to high-order-accurate, complex-geometry-respecting methods that are favored for many classes of problems. Here we present new parallel algorithms for parallel dynamic AMR on forest-ofoctrees geometries with arbitrary-order continuous and discontinuous finite/spectral element discretizations. The implementations of these algorithms exhibit excellent weak and strong scaling to over 224,000 Cray XT5 cores for multiscale geophysics problems.
Height in adolescence predicts polydrug use in adolescence and young adulthood

Abstract Prior research has noted a relationship between an individual's height in adolescence and their personality development later in life. This study examined whether height in adolescence – net of possible confounding variables such as age and biological maturity – predicted polydrug use in adolescence and young adulthood. The results revealed a positive and statistically significant association, wherein taller youths were more likely to report using an array of drugs. Supplemental analyses indicated that the relationship is not specific to males as some theories would suggest. Possible mediating mechanisms such as exposure to drug-using peers, self-control, depression, and self-esteem are considered. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Lymph node density is a significant predictor of outcome in patients with oral cancer.

BACKGROUND: The impact of lymph node metastases on prognosis in patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has been well recognized. However, accurate stratification of risk for recurrence among patients with lymph node metastases is difficult based on the existing staging systems. In the current study, the utility of lymph node density (LND) was evaluated as an alternative method for predicting survival. METHODS: Three hundred eighty-six patients who underwent neck dissection were included. The median follow-up was 67 months. Five-year overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and locoregional failure (LRF) rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. LND (number of positive lymph nodes/total number of excised lymph nodes) and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging variables were subjected to multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Using the median (LND = 0.06) as the cutoff point, LND was found to be significantly associated with outcome. For patients with LND ≤0.06, the OS was 58 percent versus 28 percent for patients with LND >0.06 (P 0.06 (P < .001). On univariate analysis, pathologic T and N classification, extracapsular spread, and LND were found to be significant predictors of outcome (P < .001). However, on multivariate analysis, LND remained the only independent predictor of OS (P = .02; hazards ratio, 2.0), DSS (P = .02; hazards ratio, 2.3), and LRF (P = .005; hazards ratio, 4.1). LND was also found to be the only significant predictor of outcome in patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy (P < .05). Within individual subgroups of pN1 or pN2 patients, LND reliably stratified patients according to their risk of failure (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: After surgery for OSCC, pathologic evaluation of the neck using LND was found to reliably stratify the risk of disease recurrence and survival. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
College Major, Work Commitment and Female Perceptions of Self, Ideal Woman, and Men's Ideal Woman

A good deal has been written in the past thirty years on the topics of occupational choice, the female role, female self-concepts, and women's occupational plans. Some of the major efforts dealing with occupational plans. Some of the major efforts dealing with occupa tional choice (Super, 1957; Holland, 1959) have focused on the importance of the self-concept in determining this choice. An individual chooses an occupation, it is suggested, by matching his perceived needs, interests, values, and capabilities with the perceived requirements and rewards of various occupations. However, there are several broadly related studies whose results would seem to imply that what women think men think is more important than their self-concepts in determining their occupational behavior. For exam ple, a number of studies (Kuhn and McPartland, 1954; Couch 1958; Bennett and Cohen, 1959; Douvan, 1960; Hall, 1964) suggest that women are less self-determining, and are more other-directed than men. It seems likely that women would accept men as significant others and act in accordance with their wishes, moreover, since women generally accept the idea that men are superior to them (McKee and Sherriffs, 1957, 1959). Furthermore, women's self-con cepts appear to be less well defined and independent than those of men (De Veauvoir, 1953; Kuhn and McPartland, 1954; Douvan, 1960). Studies dealing more directly with the occupational plans of females tend to support the thesis that what men are perceived as doing or thinking plays an important part in these plans. Heist (1963), for example, found that women's ambition to pursue academia or a career is hampered by 1) anxiety over finding a mate and fear of non-marriage, 2) lack of adequate female role models, 3)
Effect of complexing agent on hydrothermal growth of ZnO crystals

Abstract In this study, three multidentate ligands—diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (DTPA), ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) and tetraethylenepentamine (tetren)—were investigated in the hydrothermal growth of crystals of zinc oxide (ZnO). Aqueous solutions containing zinc-ligand complexes and KOH were hydrothermally reacted and the products examined. Reactants were placed in teflon-lined stainless steel autoclaves and heated to a temperature of 200 °C, generating pressures of approximately 15 atm. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy on the resulting products revealed crystals with needle and plate habits, with needle lengths up to approximately 1 mm for EDTA and plate dimensions up to 100 μm for DTPA. When only complexing agent was varied at high pH, needles were observed for all samples, with EDTA yielding the longest (300 μm) and tetren yielding the shortest (20 μm); results were analyzed by considering complex formation constants, qualitative ligand polarity and complex strain. A variable pH study with 2 aminocarboxylic ligands, EDTA and DTPA, yielded mostly needles and dendritic formations for EDTA over the studied pH range (6–14), and plates or needles for DTPA. Results of variable pH products were analyzed by considering concentrations of all zinc-ligand and zinc-hydroxy species as a function of pH.
A Second Moment NMR Method to Study Phase Changes in Bone

A second moment NMR method is presented to study changes involving phosphorus in intact bone. On the assumption that the inorganic calcium phosphate system in bone is a mixture of hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate, the percentage of each is determined for cow bone and two human samples. Comparing this method with an X-ray radial distribution function method gives promising results.
From descending pain modulation to obesity via the medullary raphe.

The concept of an endogenous descending analgesia system was born of Reynolds’ dramatic discovery that electric stimulation was capable of producing profound analgesia [40]. In Reynolds’ study, rats failed to protest to a surgical laparotomy so long as a region in the dorsal midbrain, close to the periaqueductal gray, was electrically stimulated. Even as midbrain stimulation suppressed escape, the normal behavioral reaction to surgical incision, animals continued to startle in response to unexpected auditory or looming visual stimuli. This dichotomy is evidence for sensory suppression rather than motor immobilization. Reynolds’ demonstration of stimulation-produced surgical analgesia was therefore viewed with great excitement as a potentially novel approach to treating patients with intractable pain. In short order, the search for ways to utilize this endogenous system for the betterment of pain patients was launched in multiple laboratories and clinics. Neurosurgeons tried, with some success, to provide pain relief to patients with intractable pain using stimulation in either the periaqueductal or periventricular gray [25;26;31;44;45]. The discovery several years later of endogenous opioid peptides and the distribution of these opioids within the brainstem regions implicated in endogenous analgesia led to the idea that morphine’s efficacy derives from its ability to engage the endogenous analgesia system. Fueled by a concern for the tolerance and side effects caused by morphine, a search for compounds that specifically and cleanly engage endogenous analgesia pathways began. That quest, which has led to incremental improvements in pain management but has not produced a revolutionary breakthrough, continues today. Unfortunately, as I argue in this review, it may be that analgesia simply cannot be divorced from so-called side effects.
Spectrum policy for national government users: a worldwide policy challenge [Spectrum Policy and Regulatory Issues]

National governments around the world are generally largescale spectrum users for their military and civil governmental operations. Today, many governmental functions are spectrum intensive due to the increasing mobility and use of information in today's societies and economies. The civil functions range from air traffic control to public safety operations to fixed and mobile wireless networks to support other functions that are key to today's societies.
Macrophage contact induces RhoA GTPase signaling to trigger tumor cell intravasation

Most cancer patients die as a result of metastasis, thus it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms of dissemination, including intra- and extravasation. Although the mechanisms of extravasation have been vastly studied in vitro and in vivo, the process of intravasation is still unclear. Furthermore, how cells in the tumor microenvironment facilitate tumor cell intravasation is still unknown. Using high-resolution imaging, we found that macrophages enhance tumor cell intravasation upon physical contact. Macrophage and tumor cell contact induce RhoA activity in tumor cells, triggering the formation of actin-rich degradative protrusions called invadopodia, enabling tumor cells to degrade and break through matrix barriers during tumor cell transendothelial migration. Interestingly, we show that macrophage-induced invadopodium formation and tumor cell intravasation also occur in patient-derived tumor cells and in vivo models, revealing a conserved mechanism of tumor cell intravasation. Our results illustrate a novel heterotypic cell contact-mediated signaling role for RhoA, as well as yield mechanistic insight into the ability of cells within the tumor microenvironment to facilitate steps of the metastatic cascade.