cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increase of pseudoprogression and other treatment related effects in low-grade glioma patients treated with proton radiation and temozolomide

Concurrent radiotherapy and temozolomide (TMZ) is associated with radiographic pseudoprogression (PsP) in glioblastoma. The occurrence of PsP and other treatment effects is less well understood in low-grade gliomas (LGG). The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the addition of TMZ to radiotherapy increases the incidence of PsP in adults with LGG treated with proton radiotherapy (PRT). Chart review and volumetric MRI-analysis was performed on radiotherapy-naive adults with WHO grade II or IDH mutant WHO grade III gliomas treated with PRT between 2005 and 2015. Progression was defined by histology, new chemotherapy initiation, or progressive increase in lesion volume beyond 40% from baseline. Post treatment related effects (PTRE) were defined as new/increased T2/FLAIR or abnormal enhancement which eventually resolved or stabilized without evidence of progression for a period of 6–12 months. PsP was defined as the subset of PRTE suspicious for progression or volumetrically increased at least 40% from baseline. Pearson’s chi-squared test and Cox-proportional hazards models were used for statistical analysis. There were 119 patients meeting inclusion criteria. There was an increased risk of PsP following PRT + TMZ versus PRT-alone (HR = 2.2, p = 0.006, on Cox univariate analysis). Presence of PsP was associated with improved OS (p = 0.02 with PsP as time-varying covariate). TMZ use, when added to PRT, was associated with increased PsP in patients with LGG; however, patients with PsP tended to achieve longer survival.
Psychotropic Medication Use and Perceptions of Medication Effects Among Transition-Age Foster Youth

The prevalence of psychotropic medication use among children and adolescents in foster care has received increasing attention from policymakers and scholars and led to responses from government. Most research has focused on school-age foster children; less is known about psychotropic medication use among foster youth transitioning to adulthood from care. Using data from a longitudinal study of transition-age foster youth (n = 611), this study examines the prevalence of psychotropic medication use over time, evaluates youths’ perceptions of the benefits of medication, and assesses associations between medication use and behavioral health problems. The overall rate of psychotropic medication use dropped from age 17 to age 19. Among youth with at least one behavioral health problem, rates of psychotropic medication use also declined over time. Decreases in psychotropic medication use between age 17 and 19 were found among youth with the following disorders: mania, an alcohol use disorder, and a non-alcohol drug use disorder. Behavioral health status and youths’ living arrangements were associated with the likelihood of psychotropic medication use at age 17, whereas only behavioral health status was associated with the likelihood of psychotropic medication use at age 19. Most youth reported either a positive or neutral view of the relative benefits of using medications. Among youths who had used medications, those in relative foster homes were less likely than those in non-relative foster homes to report negative views of their medications. The findings have implications for child welfare and health care professionals and policymakers.
Sustainable Change in a First-Year Engineering Program

This Work in Progress, Research-to-Practice report focuses on an overview of an extensive project to update the First-Year Engineering Program, Michigan Technological University. After three planning years, and multiple pilot course offerings, we rolled out at scale in Fall, 2017. Our core student outcome goals in the revamped first-year program include strengthening the ability for open-ended problem solving, enhanced facility with computational problem solving applied to engineering problems, and increased student growth in traits of self-starting learning and positive attitudes for life-long learning. In this report, we describe both the core components of our revised program and the process we have followed to gain support for our revised first-year program, thus promoting program sustainability. We conclude with a core list of research questions we will pursue beginning in AY 2018–2019.
Career Constraints Among Women Graduate Students In A Developing Society: West Pakistan: A Study in the Changing Status of Women

An effort is made in this paper to determine the degree of change in the status of women that has occurred in a traditional Muslim society where higher education is available to women and which off...
Rationality in Agreement

Gauthier's title is potentially misleading. The phrase “morals by agreement” suggests a social contract theory of morality according to which basic moral principles arise out of an actual or hypothetical agreement. John Rawls defends a hypothetical agreement version, arguing that the basic principles of justice are those that would be agreed to in an initial position of fair equality. I myself defend an actual agreement version, arguing that the moral principles that apply to a person derive from implicit conventions the person has accepted in dealing with other people. Gauthier's view is different from either of these sorts of contract theory. Instead, he holds that certain basic principles of impartiality are prior to actual agreements.
On the Basic Focus Marker, and the Basic Focus Sentence, in Akan (Twi)

This paper provides alternative viewpoints on Boadi’s (1974) analysis of the basic and the derived focus marker in Akan, his position on the focus marker’s functions, and his proposal for two underlying focus-sentences in Akan. He defines na as the basic focus marker, with the senses “exclusive, emphatic, restricting” and ne as a variant derived via a morpho-phonological rule that fuses na+ye “be.” Boadi argues that it is costly in terms of rules to establish a common underlying structure for his two underlying structures. We contradict his positions with facts supported by Akan linguistics. We establish ne as the basic focus verb/copula, and na as a variant derived from ne + a ‘relativizer’ fusion. The basic focus marker, we argue, is an equational copula/verb that joins a focused-unit and a presuppositional-constituent, the aim of which is to demand, assert, or achieve definiteness. This account allows for a common underlying focus-sentence.
Language Learning in a Cognitive and Immersive Environment Using Contextualized Panoramic Imagery

Immersive technologies augmented with AI for foreign language learning are currently uncommon. The Rensselaer Mandarin Project is a cognitive and immersive classroom that facilitates cultural and foreign language learning beyond a traditional classroom setting. Students perform tasks through intelligent interactions including authentic dialogues with multiple AI agents and multimodal gestures. Street View technology has the potential to further enhance foreign language learning and cultural knowledge acquisition in the Mandarin Project. Real-world panoramic scenes immerse learners in new locations and can provide richer context for more meaningful language learning. Students embark on “field trips” with cultural, historical, and lingual relevance at human-scale. Multiple learning opportunities and interactions are constructed for the various types of scenes students visit: vocabulary games, relevant AI agent dialogues, and informational lessons on cultural elements. The Mandarin Project will be assessed during a six-week classroom experience in the summer of 2019.
BRN4 is a novel driver of neuroendocrine differentiation in castration-resistant prostate cancer and is selectively released in extracellular vesicles with BRN2

Purpose: Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), an aggressive variant of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), often emerges after androgen receptor–targeted therapies such as enzalutamide or de novo, via trans-differentiation process of neuroendocrine differentiation. The mechanistic basis of neuroendocrine differentiation is poorly understood, contributing to lack of effective predictive biomarkers and late disease recognition. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of novel proneural Pit-Oct-Unc-domain transcription factors (TF) in NEPC and examine their potential as noninvasive predictive biomarkers. Experimental Design: Prostate cancer patient-derived xenograft models, clinical samples, and cellular neuroendocrine differentiation models were employed to determine the expression of TFs BRN1 and BRN4. BRN4 levels were modulated in prostate cancer cell lines followed by functional assays. Furthermore, extracellular vesicles (EV) were isolated from patient samples and cell culture models, characterized by nanoparticle tracking analyses, Western blotting, and real-time PCR. Results: We identify for the first time that: (i) BRN4 is amplified and overexpressed in NEPC clinical samples and that BRN4 overexpression drives neuroendocrine differentiation via its interplay with BRN2, a TF that was previously implicated in NEPC; (ii) BRN4 and BRN2 mRNA are actively released in prostate cancer EVs upon neuroendocrine differentiation induction; and (iii) enzalutamide treatment augments release of BRN4 and BRN2 in prostate cancer EVs, promoting neuroendocrine differentiation induction. Conclusions: Our study identifies a novel TF that drives NEPC and suggests that as adaptive mechanism to enzalutamide treatment, prostate cancer cells express and secrete BRN4 and BRN2 in EVs that drive oncogenic reprogramming of prostate cancer cells to NEPC. Importantly, EV-associated BRN4 and BRN2 are potential novel noninvasive biomarkers to predict neuroendocrine differentiation in CRPC.
OPU: An FPGA-Based Overlay Processor for Convolutional Neural Networks

Field-programmable gate array (FPGA) provides rich parallel computing resources with high energy efficiency, making it ideal for deep convolutional neural network (CNN) acceleration. In recent years, automatic compilers have been developed to generate network-specific FPGA accelerators. However, with more cascading deep CNN algorithms adapted by various complicated tasks, reconfiguration of FPGA devices during runtime becomes unavoidable when network-specific accelerators are employed. Such reconfiguration can be difficult for edge devices. Moreover, network-specific accelerator means regeneration of RTL code and physical implementation whenever the network is updated. This is not easy for CNN end users. In this article, we propose a domain-specific FPGA overlay processor, named OPU to accelerate CNN networks. It offers software-like programmability for CNN end users, as CNN algorithms are automatically compiled into executable codes, which are loaded and executed by OPU without reconfiguration of FPGA for switch or update of CNN networks. Our OPU instructions have complicated functions with variable runtimes but a uniform length. The granularity of instruction is optimized to provide good performance and sufficient flexibility, while reducing complexity to develop microarchitecture and compiler. Experiments show that OPU can achieve an average of 91% runtime multiplication and accumulation unit (MAC) efficiency (RME) among nine different networks. Moreover, for VGG and YOLO networks, OPU outperforms automatically compiled network-specific accelerators in the literature. In addition, OPU shows $5.35\times $ better power efficiency compared with Titan Xp. For a real-time cascaded CNN networks scenario, OPU is $2.9\times $ faster compared with edge computing GPU Jetson Tx2, which has a similar amount of computing resources.
Joint Optimization of Collimator and Reconstruction Parameters in X-Ray Fluorescence Computed Tomography Using Analytical Point Spread Function and Model Observer

Objective: To jointly optimize collimator design and image reconstruction algorithm in X-ray Fluorescence Computed Tomography (XFCT) for imaging low concentrations of high atomic number (Z) elements in small animal models. Methods: Single pinhole (SPH) collimator and three types of multi-pinhole (MPH) collimators were evaluated. MPH collimators with 5, 7, and 9 pinholes using lead, stainless steel and brass were considered. A digital cylindrical phantom (0.5 mm3 voxels) of 25 mm diameter and 25 mm height with a central 5 mm diameter and 12.5 mm height cylindrical insert containing gold nanoparticles (2:1 insert: background concentration) was modeled. A 125 kVp, 2 mm Sn filtered x-ray spectrum (0.5 cGy/projection) for gold K-shell XFCT was considered. System matrices were implemented using analytical point spread functions (PSF) for each pinhole collimator. Poisson noise was added to the projection data (16 equiangular views) before image reconstruction using Maximum-Likelihood Expectation-Maximization (ML-EM) algorithm. Signal-present and signal-absent images were generated for the detection task performed by a channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) with 10 Dense Difference-of-Gaussian channels. The area under the curve (AUC) in receiver operating characteristic was used as the image quality metric. Results: A stainless steel focusing type MPH with 7 pinholes and 20 iterations of ML-EM provided the highest AUC. Conclusion: MPH collimators outperformed SPH collimators for XFCT and consistently high AUCs were observed with focusing type MPH designs with 7 pinholes. Significance: The combinations of collimator design and image reconstruction parameters that maximized AUC were identified, which could improve the performance of XFCT.
On the Restricted Lie Algebra Structure of the Witt Lie Algebra in Finite Characteristic

The article contains an explicit formula for the restricted Lie algebra structure in the Witt Lie algebra over a field of finite characteristic. Some combinatorial lemmas can be of independent interest.
Pivoting to stay the course: How women entrepreneurs take advantage of opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 is unique in the severity of its impact as it is a humanitarian disaster that has caused both a supply and a demand shock to the global economic system. It has disproportionately affected ...
Electromagnetic Characteristics of the Soil

The electromagnetic characteristics of the soil are discussed in this chapter. The characteristics of porous bedrock, soil medium, and impacts of rain attenuations are also presented. The models of dielectric soil properties are studied with a rigorous focus on the constitutive parameters of subsurface soil medium. Moreover, the permittivity and wavenumber in soil are explained. In addition, the frequency-dependent dielectric properties such as dispersion in soil, absorption characteristic, and penetration depth versus frequency are reviewed. Furthermore, the effective permittivity of soil–water mixture for through-the soil-propagation mechanism is analyzed thoroughly.
Analysis of Laminar Convective Heat Transfer Over Structured Non-Wetting Surfaces

Abstract Structured non-wetting surfaces provide alternating no-slip and partial slip boundary conditions to the fluid flow which, in turn, affects the convective heat transfer performance over the surfaces. In this paper, an analytical model is developed for the interfacial Nusselt number, the overall Nusselt number and a thermal hydraulic performance factor for fluid flow in a cylinder patterned with structured non-wetting surfaces, for the two cases of uniform wall heat flux and uniform wall temperature. In addition, by considering the stability of the Cassie state of wettability and its transition to the Wenzel state for flow over superhydrophobic surfaces, the present model overcomes certain limitations of the previously reported studies in the literature. Based on the analytical formulations and the stability constraints, the present paper provides optimum design maps for tailoring structured non-wetting surfaces for maximizing convective heat transfer and the combined thermal-hydraulic performance in applications. Use of the design maps on example cases is also discussed. It is shown that the use of structured non-wetting surfaces is most effective for low Reynolds numbers and/or small cylinder radius.
Spring phenology is affected by fall non-structural carbohydrate concentration and winter sugar redistribution in three Mediterranean nut tree species

Deciduous trees mostly rely on non-structural carbohydrates (NSC-soluble carbohydrates and starch) stored prior to dormancy to sustain both spring bloom and the initial phase of spring growth prior to the transition of leaves from sink to source. Winter management of NSC, their loss due to respiration, reallocation patterns and remobilization during spring, seems to be key to a timely and synchronous bloom. To assess tree dependence on NSC during dormancy, we tested whether the interruption of local branch NSC accumulation prior to dormancy by defoliation and the interruption of NSC translocation by phloem girdling influence spring phenology in three major deciduous Mediterranean nut crop species: Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A Webb, a hybrid between Pistacia integerrima (J. L. Stewart ex Brandis) and P. atlantica Desf. (referred to as P. integerrima), and Juglans regia L. Defoliation treatments had different effects on NSC concentration in different species depending on the time of application. However, despite the significant initial impact (increase or decrease of NSC concentration), with time this impact diminished resulting in overall similar concentrations between control and defoliated branches suggesting the presence of NSC reallocation during dormancy. Phloem girdling in P. dulcis and P. integerrima resulted in reduced export activity and greater NSC concentrations, while in J. regia girdling resulted in lower NSC concentrations, indicating that this species requires a net import of NSC during dormancy. Bud break was distinctly delayed by both defoliation and phloem girdling in all the three species, providing evidence of the significant roles that fall NSC accumulation and winter NSC management play in priming trees for spring growth resumption.
Temporal Pulses Driven Spiking Neural Network for Time and Power Efficient Object Recognition in Autonomous Driving

Accurate real-time object recognition from sensory data has long been a crucial and challenging task for autonomous driving. Even though deep neural networks (DNNs) have been widely applied in this area, their considerable processing latency, power consumption, as well as computational complexity have been challenging issues for real-time autonomous driving applications. In this paper, we propose an approach to address the real-time object recognition problem utilizing spiking neural networks (SNNs). The proposed SNN model works directly with raw LiDAR temporal pulses without the pulse-to-point cloud preprocessing procedure, which can significantly reduce delay and power consumption. Being evaluated on various datasets derived from LiDAR and dynamic vision sensor (DVS), including Sim LiDAR, KITTI, and DVS-barrel, our proposed model has shown remarkable time and power efficiency, while achieving comparable recognition performance as the state-of-the-art methods. This paper highlights the SNN's great potentials in autonomous driving and related applications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to use SNN to perform time and energy efficient object recognition directly on LiDAR temporal pulses in the setting of autonomous driving.
Measurements of Mechanical and Electrical Properties of High-Purity Aluminum

Aluminum is a potentially important material as a cryostatic stabilizer for superconducting magnets [1]. Aluminum has several advantages over copper as a stabilizer: high-purity aluminum has much less resistivity than that of the oxygen-free grades of copper at 4.2 K and the density of aluminum is less than one-third of that of copper. In certain cases, aluminum must be used. For example, a super-conducting magnet for the PEP spectrometer [2] must use an aluminum-stabilized superconductor to satisfy the requirement of the short radiation length.
On the importance of the institution and social self in a sociology of conflicts of interest : comment on "Toward a sociology of conflict of interest in medical research" by Sarah Winch and Michael Sinnott.

This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version [Mayes, C. ‘On the Importance of the Institution and Social Self in a Sociology of Conflicts of Interest’, Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 9: 2, 2012, pp. 217 – 218. Commentary.] is available online at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11673-012-9355-1
Varying Domain Representations in Hagl

Experimental game theory is an increasingly important research tool in many fields, providing insight into strategic behavior through simulation and experimentation on game theoretic models. Unfortunately, despite relying heavily on automation, this approach has not been well supported by tools. Here we present our continuing work on Hagl, a domain-specific language embedded in Haskell, intended to drastically reduce the development time of such experiments and support a highly explorative research style. In this paper we present a fundamental redesign of the underlying game representation in Hagl. These changes allow us to better utilize domain knowledge by allowing different classes of games to be represented differently, exploiting existing domain representations and algorithms. In particular, we show how this supports analytical extensions to Hagl, and makes strategies for state-based games vastly simpler and more efficient.
Iterative signal extrapolation algorithms with wavelets

A generalized Papoulis-Gerchberg (PG) algorithm for signal extrapolation based on the wavelet representation has been recently proposed by Xia, Kuo and Zhang. In this research, we first show that the generalized PG algorithm converges to the minimum norm solution when the wavelet bases are semi-orthogonal (or known as the prewavelet). However, the generalized PG algorithm converges slowly in numerical implementation. To accelerate the convergence rate, we formulate the discrete signal extrapolation problem os a two-step process and apply the steepest descent and conjugate gradient methods for its solution. Numerical experiments are given to illustrate the performance of the proposed algorithms. >
Information optimization of projective tomographic imaging systems

A mutual information (MI) criterion for the evaluation of tomographic imaging systems is introduced. The MI quantifies the quality of the tomographic projections in terms of the transfer of information from a slice of a three-dimensional object to the raw data at the detectors, and it provides a relevant tradeoff between sensitivity and resolution. The authors consider the application of the MI criterion to aperture evaluation for one-dimensional linear and three-dimensional parallel slice single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) geometries. For the ideal case of known emission times, analytic expressions that give a necessary and sufficient condition for an aperture to maximize MI can be derived. Otherwise, an upper bound on the MI can be derived. The authors present a numerical comparison between the MI of several popular aperture designs and the MI-optimal apertures presented here. >
A lOwer Bound for Solvability of Polynomial Equations

We consider a finite-precision, algebraic model of computation that provides the usual arithmetic, comparison and branching operations, but no operations for bit manipulation. Using Csanky's algorithm [5],solvability of a linear system can be decided in this model in O(polylog(n)) time using polynomial number of processors. Here we consider a simple quadratic and homogeneous system of polynomial equations,where each polynomial is a product of two integral linear forms. Solvability of this system lies in N P and can be decided in O polylog (n)) time using 2 O(n) processors. It is shown that thiscan not be done in \(t\left( n \right) = \tfrac{1}{c}\sqrt {n/\log n}\) operations per processor and using 2 t(n) processors, for a large enough constant c. Here n is the bit length of the input.
Nondestructive evaluation of machining and bench-test damage in silicon-nitride ceramic valves

An automated laser-scattering system was developed for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of ceramic engine valves. The system was used to evaluate ten NT551 (Norton-Saint Gobain) silicon nitride valves that were bench tested for 1000 hours. The bench test simulated impact and wear between the valve and the seat insert at ambient temperature. The NDE system scans the entire valve surface and generates a two-dimensional scattering image that is used to identify the location, size, and relative severity of subsurface damage. NDE data showed surfacea and subsurface damage from both machining and bench tests. These data were analyzed and compared with surface photomicroscopy results.
Aggressive management of pelvic abscess

Abstract Seventy-one patients with an acute pelvic abscess have been subjected to immediate definitive surgery after 24 to 72 hours of medical preparation with antibiotics, fluid, and blood. The results are quite acceptable. Injury to the bowel represents a hazard, but this problem was not of great significance in this group of patients. With more experience and more scrupulous attention to this problem, its incidence should be further reduced. The immediate relief and total cure of the patient's problems justify the slightly increased operative risk, as compared with a protracted illness imposed by a conservative regimen.
Towards a Philosophy of Religious Studies: A Response to Critics

This paper responds to critiques of my Philosophy and the Study of Religions: A Manifesto (Blackwell, 2014) from Jeppe Jensen, Mark Gardiner, Bryan Rennie, and Kenneth MacKendrick. It aims to defend my book’s proposals in such a way as to nudge the discipline of philosophy of religion into a reflexive mode that might be called “philosophy of religion studies.”
Analysis and fabrication of high-contrast InGaAsP/InP Mach-Zehnder modulators for use at 1.55 /spl mu/m wavelength

Summary form only given. A multiple quantum well InGaAsP-InP Mach-Zehnder (MZ) interferometer with a high-contrast ratio of >40 dB, and a low voltage-length product of 1.8 V-mm, is demonstrated and analyzed. Using the Lanczos-Helmhortz beam propagation method (LHBPM), we find that the linear and quadratic electrooptic coefficients for lnGaAsP quantum wells.
Frequent Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations Among Homeless People With Medicaid: Implications for Medicaid Expansion

Objectives. We examined factors associated with frequent hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits among Medicaid members who were homeless.Methods. We included 6494 Massachusetts Medicaid members who received services from a health care for the homeless program in 2010. We used negative binomial regression to examine variables associated with frequent utilization.Results. Approximately one third of the study population had at least 1 hospitalization and two thirds had 1 or more ED visits. More than 70% of hospitalizations and ED visits were incurred by only 12% and 21% of these members, respectively. Homeless individuals with co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders were at greatest risk for frequent hospitalizations and ED visits (e.g., incidence rate ratios [IRRs] = 2.9–13.8 for hospitalizations). Individuals living on the streets also had significantly higher utilization (IRR = 1.5).Conclusions. Despite having insurance coverage, homeless Medicaid members experienced frequen...
Rapid spectrophotometric measurements of total bilirubin in intact and hemolyzed neonatal blood: a feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Conventional methods for measuring the total bilirubin concentration in blood require the use of serum or plasma, but physically separating red blood cells from plasma by centrifugation is a time-consuming and potentially dangerous process that does not lend itself to rapid, near-patient testing. Therefore, we have sought to determine whether spectrophotometric measurements of total bilirubin concentration are feasible in unaltered whole blood. METHODS: We modified an Hb-Quick hemoglobinometer (Avox Systems, Inc., San Antonio, TX), a relatively new, portable, battery-powered instrument that uses disposable cuvettes and a reagentless system to measure total hemoglobin in nonhemolyzed, whole blood. The prototype consisted of an Hb-Quick equipped with light-emitting diodes with emissions at five different wavelengths to measure total bilirubin and total hemoglobin. Using blood samples from neonates with suspected hyperbilirubinemia, we made measurements on plasma from centrifuged samples and on hemolyzed and nonhemolyzed aliquots of the same blood samples. RESULTS: In the first series of experiments, we compared the Unistat bilirubinometer's readings with the prototype's measurements of bilirubin in plasma. There was a close linear correlation between the prototype's measurements and those of the reference instrument (slope=1.01, r2=0.991). Subsequently, we used the prototype's measurements on plasma as the reference method and compared them with readings on hemolyzed and nonhemolyzed aliquots of each sample. Readings on hemolyzed and nonhemolyzed aliquots were significantly correlated with the measurements in plasma, but the regression lines did not have a slope of 1. However, when the measurements on hemolyzed and nonhemolyzed blood were scaled appropriately to compensate for the fact that red cells “dilute” the bilirubin in plasma, the correlation coefficients improved, and there was then a 1:1 relationship between the measurements in whole blood and plasma. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings demonstrate the feasibility of developing a portable instrument to measure total bilirubin in unaltered whole blood. The advantages of this method are speed, elimination of centrifugation or other sample preparation, and instrument portability. The disadvantage is that the concentration units are unconventional, i.e., milligrams of bilirubin per volume of whole blood. However, the instrument can be programmed to display the total bilirubin concentration in traditional units, e.g., milligrams of bilirubin per volume of plasma.
Association of vaginal smear cytology with menstrual status in breast cancer

The relationship of clinically defined menstrual categories and an independent measure of hormonal stimulation, maturation index of vaginal smear cytology, was studied. Analysis of 596 smears obtained at the time of breast cancer diagnosis revealed a statistically significant association between menstrual status and maturation index. However, within each menstrual group varying levels of maturation were noted. Estrogenic effect in the absence of exogenous hormone administration was found in 11% of patients following bilateral oophorectomy and among 24% of women whose natural menopause occurred 20 years or longer prior to diagnosis. Endogenous estrogen production appears to continue for many years among some women. Clinical factors such as obesity, diabetes and/or hypertension may stimulate high squamous maturation in some patients. Others of the same age and with similar clinical histories were found to have atrophic smears. The differences in maturation index may be due to individual variations in: endogenous hormone levels; sensitivity of the vaginal mucosa to similar hormonal stimuli; use of certain medications; or unidentified exogenous factors. The maturation index was found to be significantly associated with the following prognostic factors: weight relative to height, tumor size and estrogen receptor content of the primary tumor. These findings indicate that vaginal smear cytology may define specific subsets within menstrual categories which may be relevant to therapy and prognosis in breast cancer.
Maguro, a system for indexing and searching over very large text collections

Maguro is a system for efficiently searching very large collections of text content of up to 1 trillion documents at low cost. Search engines span across content that is very dynamic and highly augmented with metadata to the tail content of the web. A long tail distribution of content calls for different trade-offs in the design space for good efficiency across the entire index range. Maguro is designed for the long tail of content with less dynamics and less metadata, but very good cost efficiency. Maguro is part of the serving stack in Bing and allows us to scale the index significantly better.
A Transmissible Leukemia in the “A” Strain of Mice

The genetic uniformity of the Strong A strain (1), brought about by many years of brother-to-sister matings with a consistent elimination of all collateral lines, reflects itself in the uniformly positive response of mice of this strain to the implantation of tumors arising in the strain, whether spontaneous or induced experimentally. The rate of growth is quite uniform and there are no regressions. In attempts to influence the growth of neoplasms in animals by various methods, it is imperative that tumors with reproducible growth and physiological characteristics be used. These requirements are best met by using tumors arising in genetically uniform animals. Previously leukemia has not been observed in the Strong A strain. The present report concerns a leukemia in these mice which seems ideal for experimental purposes. The original case of leukemia observed in this strain developed in a mouse which had received prolonged injections of estrogenic hormone in connection with studies on the induction of cancer of the breast. This mouse, 42A, received, beginning at the age of 6 days and continuing for the next 275 days, a total of 19,500 international units of hydroxy-estrin benzoate in solution in oil. At the end of this time a laparotomy was performed and the right horn of the uterus was split open, after which 5,000 international units of hydroxy-estrin benzoate per week were injected subcutaneously for three more weeks. Eight days after the first laparotomy the abdominal cavity was again opened. At this time the uterine horns were grayish white and the right horn had not healed. The ovaries, which had been very small eight days previously, were considerably enlarged.
Development of acquired tracheal stenosis in premature infants due to prolonged endotracheal ventilation: etiological considerations and surgical management.

The aim of this study was to determine the etiology and appropriate surgical treatment for acquired tracheal stenosis that developed in patients who had undergone prolonged endotracheal mechanical ventilation as premature neonates. During the period 2000–2004, four patients aged 1–16 years were referred for tracheal stenosis characterized by stridor, choking, and recurrent pulmonary infection. All patients had undergone endotracheal mechanical ventilation for 2–5 months for respiratory distress related to prematurity (gestational age 25–29 weeks, birth weight 648–1,222 g). During this period, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was predominantly cultured from the trachea. All patients exhibited a stenotic lesion encompassing 30–37% of the entire tracheal length on spiral CT. On palpation and inspection of the trachea during surgery, however, the stenotic segment appeared to encompass over 50% of the entire trachea. The carina was intact. Three patients underwent slide tracheoplasty with a tracheal resection and the other underwent resection and end-to-end anastomosis. Of the three patients treated by slide tracheoplasty, two are currently free of respiratory symptoms. However, one patient in this group required secondary resection of the remaining stenotic lesion with end-to-end anastomosis. This patient is currently asymptomatic. The remaining patient who underwent a resection and end-to-end anastomosis is doing well. The resected specimen showed fibrosis and degeneration of tracheal cartilage. A combination of prematurity, prolonged endotracheal mechanical ventilation and tracheal infection seem to be responsible for tracheal inflammation and stenosis. When considering surgical procedures for acquired tracheal stenosis, resection and end-to-end anastomosis are desirable. However, slide tracheoplasty with a partial tracheal resection is indicated for the treatment of stenosis involving a long tracheal segment.
Differential Effects of Chlorpropamide on the Control of Adenosine 3′,5′5-Monophosphate Metabolism in Rat Renal Cortex and Medulla

Chlorpropamide potentiates the renal effects of vasopressin in patients with partial diabetes insipidus and blunts the renal effects of parathyroid hormone. In order to explain these actions, the effects of chlorpropamide were tested on adenylate cyclase activity, cAMP concentration, and cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity in rat renal cortex and medulla. In renal medulla, chlorpropamide inhibited adenylate cyclase activity at 5 × 10-3 M and phosphodiesterase activity at 5 × 10-4 M. In slices from medulla, preincubation with chlorpropamide had no effect on basal cAMP concentration, but markedly potentiated the increase in cAMP in response to vasopressin. The degree of potentiation was a function of the concentration of chlorpropamide tested. In renal cortex, chlorpropamide inhibited adenylate cyclase activity at 5 × 10-3 M, but had no effect on phosphodiesterase at this or lower concentrations. In slices from cortex, preincubation with chlorpropamide had no effect on basal cAMP concentration but ...
Accurate absorbing boundary conditions for anisotropic elastic media. Part 1: Elliptic anisotropy

With the ultimate goal of devising effective absorbing boundary conditions (ABCs) for heterogeneous anisotropic elastic media, we investigate the accuracy aspects of local ABCs designed for tilted elliptic anisotropy in the frequency domain (time-harmonic case). Such media support both anti-plane and in-plane wavemodes with opposing signs of phase and group velocities (c"p"xc"g"x<0) that have long posed a significant challenge to the design of accurate (and stable) local ABCs. By first considering the simpler case of scalar anti-plane waves, we show that it is possible to overcome the challenges posed by c"p"xc"g"x<0 by simply utilizing the inevitable reflections occurring at the truncation boundaries. This understanding helps us to explain the ability of a recently developed local ABC - the perfectly matched discrete layer (PMDL) - to handle the challenges posed by c"p"xc"g"x<0without the need of intervening space-time transformations. PMDL is a simple variant of perfectly matched layers (PML) that is also equivalent to rational approximation-based local ABCs (rational ABCs); it inherits the straightforward approximation properties of rational ABCs along with the versatility of PML. The approximation properties of PMDL quantified through its reflection matrix is used to derive simple bounds on the PMDL parameters necessary for the accurate absorption of all outgoing anti-plane and in-plane wavemodes - including those with c"p"xc"g"x<0. Beyond the previously derived bound on the real parameters of PMDL sufficient for the absorption of outgoing propagating anti-plane wavemodes, we present bounds on the complex parameters of PMDL necessary for the absorption of outgoing propagating and evanescent wavemodes for both anti-plane and coupled in-plane pressure and shear waves. The validity of this work is demonstrated through a series of numerical experiments.
The cytotoxic response of ‘nicotiana’ protoplasts to metal ions: A survey of the chemical elements

The cytotoxicity of more than 50 elements was surveyed using suspensions of Nicotiana tabacum (‘xanth’) protoplasts. Fifty-two elements were tested as cations and a few elements were compared in cationic and anionic forms. Results were based principally upon direct protoplast disruption after 24 h exposures, but a few comparative tests were made using seed germination as an index of phytotoxicity. Response parameters were concentrations required for 10% and 50% mortality in the case of protoplasts (LD10, LD50) and corresponding inhibitions in the case of seeds (ID10, ID50),
Hybrid Cell Line from a Cloned Immunoglobulin-Producing Mouse Myeloma and a Nonproducing Mouse Lymphoma

A hybrid cell line was established by cell fusion between a cloned Balbic myeloma that is resistant to 8-azaguanine and produces immunoglobulin (gammaG and free kappa chain) and C57BL/6N lymphoma that is resistant to bromo-deoxyuridine and does not produce immunoglobulins. The hybrid cells contained the membrane antigens of both parents; they synthesized free kappa chain; no synthesis of gammaG (gamma(2a)) heavy chain was detected.
A method for evaluating collision avoidance systems using naturalistic driving data

This paper describes a method for use in evaluating the performance of collision avoidance systems (CASs) using naturalistic driving data collected during real crashes and near-crashes. The method avoids evaluation of algorithms against specific assumptions of reaction times or response inputs. It minimizes interpretation of the involved driver's perception and response levels which permits generalizing findings beyond the performance of the involved driver. The method involves four parts: input of naturalistic crash data into alert models to determine when alerts would occur, kinematic analysis to determine when different responses would be required to avoid collision, translation of the time available into an estimate of the percentage of the population able to avoid the specific event, and an evaluation of the frequency of alerts that would be generated by the CASs. The method permits comparison of CAS performance and provides guidance for CAS development. The method is described primarily in the context of Forward Collision Warning CASs, but is applicable to other CAS types.
Supplemental parenteral nutrition in critically ill patients

1716 www.thelancet.com Vol 381 May 18, 2013 ventilator–associated pneumonia (VAP). VAP rates for our institution during this time was 0·16-0·35/1000 ventilator days. We initiate enteral nutrition on every ICU patient (except those with active gastrointestinal bleeding) on admission to the ICU. We achieve at least 70% of caloric goal in more than 90% of patients within 48 hours of ICU admission. In the last 2 years, only 0·0005% of our patients received parenteral nutrition. This suggests that all ICU patients can be fed enterally, and that strict protocols for ventilator management, hand hygiene, infection control, and delivery of state-of-the-art critical care can substantially reduce the risk of hospital–acquired infections.
Polyamines: Predictive Biomarker for HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders.

Objectives: Spermidine/spermine-N1-acetytransferase (SSAT) is the key enzyme in the catabolism of polyamines that are involved in regulating NMDA functioning. Over expression of SSAT leads to abnormal metabolic cycling and may disrupt NMDA receptor signaling. In fact, the HIV protein Tat induces neurotoxicity involving polyamine/NMDA receptor interactions. Thus, we investigated abnormal polyamine cycling in HIV+ participants with varying degrees of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. Methods: Acetyl-polyamine (SSAT products) levels were assessed by HPLC in CSF from 99 HIV-infected participants (no cognitive impairment (NCI, n=25), asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment (ANI, n=25), mild cognitive and motor disorders (MCMD, n=24), and HIV-associated dementia (HAD, n=25)). Polyamine levels in brain tissues from a subset of participants (uninfected (n=3), NCI (n=3), and MNCD (n=3)) were also assessed. Human primary astrocytes expressing HIV Tat were assessed for levels of the SSAT activity. Results: Activation of the polyamine catabolic enzyme, SSAT increases polyamine flux in brain and CSF of HIV infected individuals with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. CSF levels of acetylated polyamine increase with the degree of HAND severity as indicated by significantly increased acetylpolyamine levels in HAD participants compared to NCI and ANI (p<0.0001) and between MCMD and NCI and ANI (p<0.0001). In vitro studies suggest that the HIV protein Tat may be responsible in part for astrocyte-derived acetyl polyamine release. Interpretation: Our data suggest that polyamine metabolism may play a pivotal role in the neurodegeneration process among HAND patients. Changes in polyamine flux may serve as a potential predictive diagnostic biomarker for different severities of HAND.
Inhibitors of Serine/Threonine-Specific Protein Phosphatases Stimulate Transcription by the Ah Receptor/Arnt Dimer by Affecting a Step Subsequent to XRE Binding

The Ah receptor binds aryl hydrocarbons such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) with high affinity. After binding aryl hydrocarbons, the receptor releases the 90-kDa heat shock protein and forms a dimer with the Arnt protein capable of binding at xenobiotic-responsive elements (XREs) and stimulating the transcription of genes involved in the metabolism of aryl hydrocarbons. The activity of the Ah receptor/ Arnt dimer can be decreased by treatments causing the down-regulation of protein kinase C and decreasing the nuclear accumulation of the receptor. Incubation with acid phosphatase or with alkaline phosphatase has been reported to block XRE binding. Thus the literature suggests that phosphorylation regulates Ah receptor activity by affecting DNA binding and/or nuclear transport. A reporter plasmid containing two XREs was used to investigate the effects of phosphatase inhibitors on TCDD-dependent transcription by the Hepa-1 mouse liver cell line. The inhibitors calyculin A and okadaic acid caused two- to threefold increases in TCDD-dependent transcription at concentrations capable of selectively inhibiting protein phosphatase 1 and protein phosphatase 2A. The inhibitor cyclosporin A doubled TCDD-dependent transcription at a concentration capable of selectively inhibiting protein phosphatase 2B. All three of the phosphatase inhibitors increased TCDD-dependent transcription without affecting transcription in the absence of TCDD. Nuclear extracts were prepared from cells treated with concentrations of okadaic acid or cyclosporin A which substantially stimulated TCDD-dependent transcription. Neither of the inhibitors significantly increased the level of TCDD-dependent XRE binding in the extracts. GAL4-Arnt fusion proteins were used to further investigate whether the phosphatase inhibitors affected a step other than DNA binding. Okadaic acid treatment specifically increased the ability of a GAL4 fusion protein containing the Arnt PAS and transactivation domains to stimulate transcription. These results suggest that serine/threonine-specific protein phosphatases can act at a level subsequent to XRE binding to inhibit the ability of the Ah receptor/Arnt dimer to stimulate transcription.
Premature senescence in cultured skin fibroblasts from subjects with cystic fibrosis

Cultured skin fibroblasts from subjects with cystic fibrosis exhibited normal population doubling times in early passages. After about 13 cumulative population doublings, cystic fibrosis lines doubled more slowly than controls and ceased doubling after about 19 weekly passages. Control lines continued doubling for 27 passages. The premature senescence noted in cells from subjects with cystic fibrosis reconciles controversial observations of cell doubling reported in the literature. Data presented here demonstrate that experiments with cystic fibrosis cells in late passage may generate misleading results since differences from control lines may be ascribed to generalized senile changes rather than to specific results of the cystic fibrosis genotype.