cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A pilot study of patient quality of life during radiation therapy treatment

The purpose of this research was to develop a quality of life (QOL) tool that would help to reveal any physical, mental or emotional changes patients may experience while receiving radiation therapy. Research focusing on quality of life during radiation therapy is in its infancy. Although many tools to measure QOL have been developed, until very recently few had been geared specifically toward those receiving radiation therapy. In addition to a radiation-specific instrument, the goal was to develop a multidimensional measure that would be short in length and could be completed by the patient in 15 min or less. This new Quality of Life Radiation Therapy Instrument (QOL-RTI) is a visual analogue scale with 24 questions and is not site specific. Twenty-one patients with various diagnoses and treatment sites completed the questionnaire at baseline and then weekly during the course of radiation therapy. The internal consistency of the instrument (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.87. At baseline each patient also was asked to complete the Ferran's and Powers QLI Cancer Version 6 (QLIC); the correlation between the QLIC and the QOL-RTI was 0.47. These results are based on a small number of patients, but initial efforts in creating an instrument that is quick and easy for patients to complete have been encouraging. An additional 70-80 patients are now being entered into a study using the QOL-RTI to further evaluate reliability and validity.
Computational fluid dynamic analysis of the posterior airway space after maxillomandibular advancement for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Purpose This study evaluated the soft tissue change of the upper airway after maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) using computational fluid dynamics. Materials and Methods Eight patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome who required MMA were recruited into this study. All participants underwent pre- and postoperative computed tomography and then MMA by a single oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Upper airway computed tomographic datasets for these 8 patients were created with high-fidelity 3-dimensional numerical models for computational fluid dynamics. The 3-dimensional models were simulated and analyzed to study how changes in airway anatomy affect the pressure effort required for normal breathing. Airway dimensions, skeletal changes, apnea-hypopnea index, and pressure effort of pre- and postoperative 3-dimensional models were compared and correlations were interpreted. Results After MMA, laminar and turbulent air flows were significantly decreased at every level of the airway. The cross-sectional areas at the soft palate and tongue base were significantly increased. Conclusions This study showed that MMA increased airway dimensions by increasing the distance from the occipital base to the pogonion. An increase of this distance showed a significant correlation with an improvement in the apnea-hypopnea index and a decreased pressure effort of the upper airway. Decreasing the pressure effort will decrease the breathing workload. This improves the condition of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
Surface Activity of ABA-Type Nonionic Oligosaccharide Surfactants

Abstract We report on the surface activity of two novel ABA-type nonionic oligosaccharide surfactants:N,N′-dodecamethylene-bismaltonamide andN,N′-dodecamethylene-bis(dextran aldonamide) (DEX-C12-DEX). Surface active properties, determined from surface tension measurements, were compared with results for AB-type counterparts containing the same hydrophobic segment,N-dodecylmaltonamide andN-dodecyl dextran aldonamide (DEX-C12). Surface tension measurements, including analysis of binary surfactant mixtures of DEX-C12 and DEX-C12-DEX show that the DEX-C12-DEX does not form micelles, but induces micelle formation of DEX-C12 at a critical total surfactant concentration and diblock mole fraction. We show the effects of oligosaccharide chain length and molecular geometry on surface activity and packing density and, with the aid of molecular models, discuss our results from the viewpoint of surfactant conformation.
SPECTRAL ANALYSIS OF THE EEG DURING HALOTHANE ANAESTHESIA: INPUT-OUTPUT RELATIONS

Abstract 1.1. The "Halothane-brain compartment" system was investigated in dogs. The input was the inspired concentration of Halothane. The output was the intensity of EEG spectral components. The EEG was analysed by a hybrid system (analogue filters and digital integration in a small computer). For the anaesthesia only a mixture of Halothane and oxygen was used. Temperature, CO 2 and pH were kept constant. 2.2. Input-output relations were determined by recording responses to step and sinusoidal changes of concentration. The most sensitive output parameters were the intensities of the 2–6 c/sec and 14–20 c/sec components. 3.3. The rise and decay times of the responses to positive and negative steps were in the range 120–400 sec and 100–400 sec (5 dogs), respectively. 4.4. The sinusoidal average responses showed some distortion, particularly at low frequencies of modulation (T = 11 min), indicating the existence of non-linearities. Evidence for the phenomena of adaptation and saturation was also found. Attenuation of response amplitude and increase in phase shift were found as frequency of modulation was increased, as in a low pass filter. With the data available it was not possible to determine the order of the linear approximation to the system with sufficient accuracy. 5.5. A dose-response linear relation within the range of Halothane in inspired air between 1.0 and 2.5% was obtained for one dog. 6.6. It is proposed that the quantitative data obtained in this study provide a basis for constructing a reliable monitoring system of Halothane anaesthesia.
Multichannel, Single Tral Event Related Potential Classification

We report on the effect of electrode placement and number of electrodes on the classification of single trial event related potentials (ERP's). The subjects read propositions relating fictitious people and their occupations while ERP's were recorded. The subjects decided if the proposition was correct or incorrect and responded as per instructions. The single trial, multichannel ERP data were classified using various methods, e. g., hold-out, leave-one-out, resubstitution. Several other factors were examined to determine their effect on ERP classification, including taking a majority vote among channels, using the single best channel, and averaging the data across channels for a single ERP. The results from other experiments are compared to those presented here.
Reduction of hypercalciuria in tetraplegia after weight-bearing and strengthening exercises

Reduction of hypercalciuria in tetraplegia after weight-bearing and strengthening exercises
A case study of flexible object manipulation

This article describes a project undertaken to explore pro gramming physical operations on complex flexible objects. Uncertainty about the exact state of the object makes it im possible to precisel...
Sound field calculations for an ultrasonic linear phased array with a spherical liquid lens

Lenses are often used to provide focusing in the elevation dimension of ultrasonic linear phased-array transducers. The use of a liquid lens in this application adds a variable geometric focusing capability, determined by the radius of curvature of the lens surface and speed of sound in the liquid, to the electronic focusing produced by the linear phased array. An efficient method to calculate the sound field radiated from the linear phased-array transducer through the liquid lens is presented. It treats the lens surface as a secondary source distribution according to Huygens's principle, and employs a modified form of the rectangular radiator method to calculate the field. The appropriate phases for the array elements to focus and steer the beam are calculated by considering the refraction on the lens surface. Comparisons of computer simulations and experimental measurements of the field intensity distribution of a prototype linear array transducer with a liquid lens demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed method. >
Factor Analysis of the NEO-PI and the Comrey Personality Scales:

The 1985 version of the NEO-PI of Costa and McCrae and the Comrey Personality Scales were administered to a sample of 227 volunteers. The former was designed to measure the “Big Five” factors of pe...
Dynamic viscosity and shear modulus of molten polystyrene as a function of molecular weight

The dynamic mechanical properties of several polystyrene fractions were measured in the frequency range 0.05–5 cycles per second and the temperature range 160–220°C. Data obtained at different temperatures with each fraction were superposed by means of Ferry's reduced variables. The empirical temperature shift factors involved in this superposition agreed well with values calculated from the universal function of Williams. The observed molecular weight dependence of the dynamic properties agreed qualitatively with the predictions of the Rouse theory as modified by Ferry, Landel, and Williams for application to polymer melts.
Defining sexual harassment on campus: A replication and extension.

A factorial survey, designed to parallel a study conducted at the University of California (Reilly, Carpenter, Dull, & Bartlett, 1982), was used to assess judgments of the nature of sexual harassment among undergraduate students at the University of Massachusetts. The factors determining ratings of harassment proved to be very consistent across student populations and across different judgment tasks. However, there was some indication that the factors that influence defining an incident as sexual harassment are not entirely the same as the determinants of perceived seriousness of an incident.
The World Within Reach: Effects of Hand Posture and Tool Use on Visual Cognition

Our mental processing of the visual world is not independent of our physical actions within it. Placing objects near one’s hands and interacting with objects using tools can enhance visual perception, bias and prolong the allocation of attention, and distort memory in systematic ways. This suggests that the world within our reach is cognitively different from the world beyond reach. In this review, we examine the evidence supporting this conclusion, focusing on the cognitive and neural mechanisms that underlie these effects, the parameters that may control their emergence, and their potential practical applications.
Isolation of sperm bindin from the oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

A method was devised for isolating the insoluble content of the acrosome granule of sperm of the oyster Crassostrea gigas. The method involves the dissolution of the entire cell, except for the acrosome granule, in the detergent sodium lauroyl sarcosinate (sarcosy I). The isolated acrosome granule content is ring-shaped and is 84% protein by weight. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electro-phoresis of this material yields from 1 to 4 bands of 65,000; 53,000; 43,000 and 34,000 apparent molecular weight, all of which stain with the PAS reaction indicating the material is a glycoprotein. The 65,000 molecular weight component is always present, but the presence of the other three bands varies with each preparation. The isolated acrosome granules agglutinate formaldehyde-fixed oyster eggs. A trypsin-generated glycopeptide digest of oyster egg surfaces inhibits the agglutinin activity of the isolated acrosome granules. We propose that the acrosomal glyco-protein material is oyster sperm bindin which functions as the adhesive substance bonding the sperm to the egg during fertilizaion.
Commodity Policy and the Vulnerability of Radiology

Within Radiology, the word commodity is becoming heard with increasing frequency. The customary definition of commodity is a physical good, something useful in commerce. Recently its meaning has been extended to individual services and often, specifically, the services rendered by a radiologist. One of the bugbears causing consternation in our specialty is the so-called commodification of radiology, a process in which the service we provide is no longer considered by the consumers of our consultative expertise as a distinctive, avidly sought manifestation of special competence but rather as a standardized product that could be offered by anyone with a modicum of training who can be situated either nearby or at some remote distance from the site of clinical encounters.
Survival, Replication, and Antibody Susceptibility of Ehrlichia chaffeensis outside of Host Cells

Ehrlichia chaffeensis, an obligate intracellular, tick-transmitted bacterium, is susceptible to antibody-mediated host defense, but the mechanism by which this occurs is not understood. One possible explanation is that antibodies directly access the bacteria in the extracellular environment of the host, perhaps during bacterial intercellular transfer. Accordingly, we investigated whether bacteria could be found outside of host cells during infection. Host cell-free plasma obtained from infected mice was found to contain ehrlichiae, and the host cell-free ehrlichiae readily transferred disease to susceptible SCID recipients. The host cell-free ehrlichiae were found during infection of both immunocompetent BALB/c and immunocompromised BALB/c-scid mice and reached levels as high as 10(8)/ml in plasma during persistent infection in SCID mice. Approximately 10% of the blood-borne bacteria were found outside of host cells. Although it is generally accepted that replication of ehrlichiae occurs only within host cells, the cell-free bacteria were shown to undergo DNA replication and cell division in vitro for 3 to 5 days when incubated at 37 degrees C in plasma. Paradoxically, both infectivity and virulence were lost after 24 h of ex vivo culture. The data indicate that E. chaffeensis is exposed to the extracellular milieu during infection, presumably during intercellular transfer, and reveal that these intracellular bacteria do not require the environment of the host cell for replication. Our findings reveal a possible mechanism by which antibodies can access the intracellular bacteria upon their release into the extracellular milieu and mediate host defense and also have implications for understanding the replication and transmission of this vector-borne pathogen.
Temperature-Dependent Analysis of Ge-on-SOI Photodetectors and Receivers

The temperature dependence of dark current and receiver performance for Ge-on-SOI photodiodes is presented. Error-free receiver operation at 10 Gb/s is achieved at 85degC despite a 10x increase in dark current compared to room temperature
Hydrogen peroxide reduces lower esophageal sphincter tone in human esophagitis.

Background & Aims: We have previously used the normal lower esophageal sphincter (N-LES) of human organ donors to examine the physiologic signal transduction of lower esophageal sphincter (LES) circular muscle. Now, for the first time, we have obtained a human LES specimen with esophagitis (E-LES) and characterized its pathophysiologic mechanical and inflammatory profiles. Methods: E-LES was examined histologically, and its in vitro circular muscle contraction and production of inflammatory mediators were compared with those of N-LES. Results: E-LES exhibited scattered erosions and displayed inflammatory cells in the epithelial layer, basal zone hyperplasia, and elongation of lamina propria papillae, characteristic of chronic reflux esophagitis. E-LES muscle strips developed lower in vitro tone (0.78 g) than N-LES (3.3 ± 0.2 g). E-LES tone was essentially restored to normal by the H2O2 scavenger catalase, suggesting that H2O2 was responsible for reduction of tone. NOX5 cDNA was higher and H2O2 levels were 4 times higher in E-LES circular muscle (0.85 nmol/mg protein) than in N-LES (0.19 ± 0.05 nmol/mg protein). When N-LES smooth muscle was incubated in H2O2 (70 μmol/L, 2 hours), platelet activating factor (PAF), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and F2-isoprostane increased 2.5, 5.2, and 36 times, respectively. In E-LES, levels of PAF, PGE2, and F2-isoprostane were 4, 6, and 40 times, respectively, higher than in N-LES. PAF, PGE2, and F2 isoprostane produced dose-dependent reductions in tone of N-LES muscle strips. Conclusions: We conclude that an excessive production of H2O2 triggers an increased production of PAF, PGE2, and F2-isoprostane, which are responsible for reducing LES tone in human esophagitis.
Methylation of histone H4 by arginine methyltransferase PRMT1 is essential in vivo for many subsequent histone modifications

PRMT1 is a histone methyltransferase that methylates Arg3 on histone H4. When we used siRNA to knock down PRMT1 in an erythroid cell line, it resulted in nearly complete loss of H4 Arg3 methylation across the chicken β-globin domain, which we use as a model system for studying the relationship of gene activity to histone modification. We observed furthermore a domain-wide loss of histone acetylation on both histones H3 and H4, as well as an increase in H3 Lys9 and Lys27 methylation, both marks associated with inactive chromatin. To determine whether the effect on acetylation was directly related to the loss of H4 Arg3 methylation, we performed an in vitro acetylation reaction on chromatin isolated from PRMT1-depleted cells. We found that nucleosomes purified from these cells, and depleted in methylation at Arg3, are readily acetylated by nuclear extracts from the same cells, if and only if the nucleosomes are incubated with PRMT1 beforehand. Thus, methylation of histones by PRMT1 was sufficient to permit subsequent acetylation. Consistent with earlier reports of experiments in vitro, H4 Arg3 methylation by PRMT1 appears to be essential in vivo for the establishment or maintenance of a wide range of “active” chromatin modifications.
MANAGEMENT OF GERIATRIC BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

Agitation has many causes, and we have no way of classifying it that dictates the choice of the right agents or methods of treatment. It is also difficult to judge the effectiveness of any method. Because agitation is an intermittent phenomenon one can seldom be certain if improvement or worsening is merely incidental to the form of treatment instituted. The complexity of behavior disturbances demands an approach that enlists the cooperation of all involved in the care of the patient, and the use of a broad range of remedies. With regard to prevention, we should help people anticipate infirmity and even dementia. If good health is not taken for granted, this encourages that the present be used more purposefully. More than ever before in history, it is important to plan for the last stages of life. A greater percentage of people can expect to live into the years of frailty than ever before. It may not seem like an attractive thing to do, but a periodic mental review of one's future may be prudent. The consequences of a lack of foresight are seen in too many elderly. A small dose of reality now can result in a better old age.
Stroke volume during exercise: interaction of environment and hydration

Euhydrated and dehydrated subjects exercised in a hot and a cold environment with our aim to identify factors that relate to reductions in stroke volume (SV). We hypothesized that reductions in SV with heat stress are related to the interaction of several factors rather than the effect of elevated skin blood flow. Eight male endurance-trained cyclists [maximal O(2) consumption (VO(2 max)) 4.5 +/- 0.1 l/min; means +/- SE] cycled for 30 min (72% VO(2 max)) in the heat (H; 35 degrees C) or the cold (C; 8 degrees C) when euhydrated or dehydrated by 1.5, 3.0, or 4.2% of their body weight. When euhydrated, SV and esophageal temperature (T(es) 38. 2-38.3 degrees C) were similar in H and C, whereas skin blood flow was much higher in H vs. C (365 +/- 64% higher; P < 0.05). With each 1% body weight loss, SV declined 6.4 +/- 1.3 ml (4.8%) in H and 3.4 +/- 0.4 ml (2.5%) in C, whereas T(es) increased 0.21 +/- 0.02 and 0. 10 +/- 0.02 degrees C in H and C, respectively (P < 0.05). However, reductions in SV were not associated with increases in skin blood flow. The reduced SV was highly associated with increased heart rate and reduced blood volume in both H (R = 0.96; P < 0.01) and C (R = 0. 85; P < 0.01). In conclusion, these results suggest that SV is maintained in trained subjects during exercise in euhydrated conditions despite large differences in skin blood flow. Furthermore, the lowering of SV with dehydration appears largely related to increases in heart rate and reductions in blood volume.
Effect of Race and Insurance Status on Outcomes after Vascular Access Placement for Hemodialysis

Background Race and insurance status are seen as potential barriers to health care access and maintenance. Our goal was to see how these, as well as other patient and procedural characteristics, affected our populations' upper extremity vascular access outcomes. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 601 vascular access patients from 2004 through 2012 in our urban university hospital. We recorded patient demographics, insurance status, comorbidities, and complications. Primary outcomes were reintervention, long-term mortality, and transplantation. Results Median age was 62 ± 15.8 years, and 58% were male. Most operations were arteriovenous fistulas (66%). The majority of patients identified themselves as Hispanic (50%), followed by white (22%), and black (19%). Most patients had Medicare only (42%), 31% had private insurance, and 27% had Medicaid as their insurance. Black/African American patients were more likely to receive an arteriovenous graft (AVG) compared with white and Hispanic patients (44% vs. 28% and 33%, P Conclusions There were no disparities with insurance status in long-term outcomes in our population. Race was not a factor for reintervention or transplantation; however, black/African American patients were more likely have an AVG placed, and white patients had a lower long-term survival after access placement.
Thermodynamic Variability within the Convective Boundary Layer Due to Horizontal Convective Rolls

Abstract Data from the Convection and Precipitation/Electrification (CaPE) Experiment conducted during the summer of 1991 are used to examine and quantify the horizontal variability of temperature and moisture within the convective boundary layer (CBL). Potential temperature variations were only about 0.5 K, while variations in water vapor mixing ratio values of 1.5–2.5 g kg−1 were observed throughout the CBL. Using radar, aircraft, and sounding data, it is shown that horizontal convective rolls are the likely cause of these variabilities. The enhanced moisture occurred within the roll updraft regions, thus rolls were transporting moist air from the surface upward. The observed cloud-base heights, obtained from cloud photogrammetry, were produced from the highest moisture values within the roll updraft regions. Since the roll ascending branches contained moisture values that were most representative of the observed cloud-base heights, it is likely that measurements from within the roll updrafts would prov...
Wollstonecraft and the political value of contempt

In her Vindication of the Rights of Men, Mary Wollstonecraft accused Edmund Burke of having contempt for his political opponents. Yet she herself expressed contempt for Burke and did so unapologeti...
Roles of heterotrimeric and monomeric G proteins in sperm-induced activation of mouse eggs

Results of several lines of experimentation suggest that sperm-induced egg activation has several features in common with G protein-coupled receptor signal transduction mechanisms. We report that microinjection of GDP beta S into metaphase II-arrested mouse eggs blocks sperm-induced egg activation. Since GDP beta S inactivates both heterotrimeric and monomeric classes of G proteins, the involvement of members of each of these families in sperm-induced egg activation was evaluated. Neither pertussis toxin treatment of eggs nor microinjection of eggs with inhibitory antibodies toward G alpha q blocked sperm-induced egg activation. Nevertheless, microinjection of phosducin, a protein that binds tightly to free G protein beta gamma subunits, specifically inhibited second polar body emission, the fertilization evoked decrease of H1 kinase activity and pronucleus formation. Microinjection of phosducin, however, did not inhibit the fertilization-induced modifications of the zona pellucida and microinjection of beta gamma t did not result in egg activation in the absence of sperm. Inactivation of the monomeric Rho family of G proteins with C3 transferase from Clostridium botulinum inhibited emission of the second polar body and cleavage to the 2-cell stage, but did not affect the modifications of the zona pellucida or pronucleus formation. Microinjection of Rasval12, which is a constitutively active form of Ras, did not result in egg activation in the absence of sperm. Moreover, microinjection of either an anti-Ras neutralizing antibody (Y13-259) or a dominant negative form of Ras (RasT) did not affect events of sperm-induced egg activation. In contrast, microinjection of RasT inhibited embryo cleavage to the 2-cell stage. These results suggest that both heterotrimeric and monomeric G proteins are involved in various aspects of sperm-induced egg activation.
Self-Assembly and Nanostructured Materials

"Nanostructured materials" are those having properties defined by features smaller than 100 nm. This class of materials is interesting for the reasons: i) They include most materials, since a broad range of properties-from fracture strength to electrical conductivitydepend on nanometer-scale features. ii) They may offer new properties: The conductivity and stiffness of buckytubes, and the broad range of fluorescent emission of CdSe quantum dots are examples. iii) They can mix classical and quantum behaviors. iv) They offer a bridge between classical and biological branches of materials science. v) They suggest approaches to "materials-by-design". Nanomaterials can, in principle, be made using both top-down and bottom-up techniques. Self-assembly bridges these two techniques and allows materials to be designed with hierarchical order and complexity that mimics those seen in biological systems. Self-assembly of nanostructured materials holds promise as a low-cost, high-yield technique with a wide range of scientific and technological applications.
On correcting misspelled queries in email search

We consider the problem of providing spelling corrections for misspelled queries in Email Search using user's own mail data. A popular strategy for general query spelling correction is to generate corrections from query logs. However, this strategy is not effective in Email Search for two reasons: 1) query log of any single user is typically not rich enough to provide potential corrections for a new query 2) corrections generated using query logs of other users are not particularly useful since the mail data as well as search intent are highly specific to the user. We address the challenge of designing an effective spelling correction algorithm for Email Search in the absence of query logs. We propose SpEQ, a Machine Learning based approach that generates corrections for misspelled queries directly from the user's own mail data.
Supreme Court Sluggers: Samuel A. Alito of the Philadelphia Phillies and Marvin Miller of the MLBPA

The Green Bag’s Justice Samuel Alito trading card displays two of the established features of a Supreme Court Sluggers card: (1) imagery on the front, in the form of a portrait of the Justice in a sporting environment dotted with entertaining details, and (2) facts on the back, in the form of numbers – and a few words, if there is enough space – relating to the Justice’s work. The Alito card has a couple of additional features that will, I hope, appear from time to time on future cards as well: (1) facts on the front, in the form of numbers relating to the Justice’s own involvement in sports, and (2) imagery on the back, in the form of graphics that make it easier to make sense of some of the judicial statistics. I review all four of these features below, and then conclude with a note about a special-edition Marvin Miller Sluggers card we put out last year.
PERSONALITY CORRELATES OF ALLOCENTRISM VERSUS PSYCHOCENTRISM IN CHOICE OF DESTINATIONS FOR TRAVEL

Plog (1974) has classified people as psychocentric (self-inhibited, nervous, and nonadventurous) versus allocentric (people wich varied interest patterns) and has predicted that they choose different holiday destinations. To explore personality correlates of holiday destination choices, 13 male and 20 female students (M,,, = 23.4 yr., SD = 4.2) were administered the 16 PF (Cattell, e t al., 1970) and presented with a list of 20 foreign destinations for travel, including three nonallocentric choices (Toronto, Maui, and Nassau) and three allocentric choices (Lima, Moscow, and Cairo). The students ranked the 20 destinations, and the three rankings for allocentric choices were subtracted from the three rankings for nonallocentric choices.' The Pearson correlations were for 16 PF factors A -0.19, B 0.15, C 0.04, E 0.07, F 0.14, G -0.15, H -0.01, I 0.06, L 0.19, M 0.10, N -0.08, 0 0.01, Q1 0.03, Q.1 0.06, Q3 0.04, and Q4 0.01. Clearly, the destination choice was not significantly associated wich any of the 16 PF scores. There was no support then in the present study for an association of choice of destination for holiday travel and personalicy as measured by the 16 PF.
Capacity Planning under Clinical Trials Uncertainty in Continuous Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, 2: Solution Method

In Part 1 of this paper, we presented a scenario-based multiperiod mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) formulation for a capacity planning problem in continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing under clinical trials uncertainty. The number of scenarios and, thus, the formulation size grows exponentially with the number of products. The model size easily becomes intractable for conventional algorithms for more than 8 products. However, industrial-scale problems often involve 10 or more products, and thus a scalable solution algorithm is essential to solve such large-scale problems in reasonable times. In this part of the paper, we develop a rigorous decomposition strategy that exploits the underlying problem structure. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm using several examples containing up to 16 potential products and over 65 000 scenarios. With the proposed decomposition algorithm, the solution time scales linearly with the number of scenarios, whereby a 16-product example with ove...
MM-GB/SA Rescoring of Docking Poses

The critical issues in docking include the prediction of the correct binding pose and the accurate estimation of the corresponding binding affinity. Different docking methodologies have all been successful in reproducing the crystallographic binding modes, but struggle when predicting the corresponding binding affinities. The rescoring of docking poses using the MM-GB/SA technique has emerged as an important computational approach in structure-based lead optimization as it provides for congeneric molecules, clearly superior correlations with experimental data to those obtained with typical docking scoring functions. Although the technique has been collectively referred as MM-GB/SA, there are in fact many flavors in the literature. Here we describe the details of our MM-GB/SA scoring protocol, highlighting not only its strengths but also the limitations.
The use of Combined PET/CT for Localizing Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer: The Pittsburgh Experience:

We performed a retrospective study of 47 patients to ascertain the ability of combined positron-emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) to localize recurrent head and neck cancer. When clinically warranted, biopsies were performed in an attempt to obtain pathologic confirmation of the PET/CT findings. Of the 47 patients, 33 exhibited PET/CT findings consistent with recurrent cancer. Of the 33 patients, 25 underwent either biopsy or surgical excision of disease in an attempt to obtain a pathologic confirmation. Biopsy analysis confirmed the PET/CT findings in 22 of these patients; in the remaining 3 patients, pathologic findings were inconsistent with the PET/CT diagnosis. Based on the subset of 25 patients who underwent pathologic testing, the sensitivity of combined PET/CT was 95% and the specificity was 60%. We conclude that combined PET/CT imaging is a valuable tool for localizing tumor recurrence in patients with head and neck cancer.
From Protest to Press: An Examination of Paradigmatic Changes in News Making and their Effects on Social Movement Evolution

In discussions of the expansion of the new media environment in journalistic endeavors, academics have begun focusing on how this expansion affects social protest movements’ interaction and successful interaction with news making. The manner in which news is created and reaches the masses has adapted, sometimes reluctantly, to the explosion of new media communication technologies. One controversial issue has been the impact the contemporary media environment has made on social movements, specifically with protests. Researchers argue that the contemporary media environment has been a tool used by protests to partake in more effective information diffusion to the masses. This paper is an analysis of the discussions regarding the impact that the news-making shift has had on protest news media involvement. This paper focuses on three different journalistic paradigms that have occurred/are occurring and the ways in which protest movements interact with each: professional, citizen, and new media. Through an intensive literature review of the available research, findings point to the breaking of the news monopoly and a redefining of the meaning of making news; both proving supportive and inhibiting to protest movements. Further research must explore isolated ways to measure what this impact means for different kinds of movements and news producers.
Cluster Formation in SIMS: CO on PdAg

The technique of Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) reportedly has great promise in the determination of local order structure of the top surface layer. A key possibility of this technique is that the composition and abundance of the cluster ions reflect to some degree the geometrical arrangement of reacted atoms on the surface. However, the information available in the cluster ions lies unused for lack of a coherent theory capable of explaining the way in which the cluster ions are formed. Probably the most important missing part of our understanding lies in the determination of whether or not the cluster ions leave the surface as intact species.
Immersive Planetarium Visualizations For Teaching Solar System Moon Concepts To Undergraduates

Digital video fulldome has long been heralded as a revolutionary educational technology; yet the discipline-based astronomy education research literature showing planetarium effectiveness has been sparse. In order to help understand to what extent immersion impacts learning and the effect of the “narrative journey” model of presentation, we conducted a pre- and post-test effectiveness study of lectures on moon systems in the Solar System presented to 781 college undergraduates under immersive and non-immersive treatment conditions. Although all students showed some learning gains immediately after instruction, those who saw presentations in an immersive fulldome planetarium showed the greatest retention, compared to control classes that witnessed the same lecture and visuals on a flat screen in their regular classroom, and students that saw no interactive visuals. Because the same instructors, presentation visuals, and instructional outline were used for both the classroom and dome instruction using the virtual environment, the results suggest that the large display and wide field-of-view, two elements unique to the dome, resulted in greater attention, and were primarily responsible for the greater gains.
Methylation of Thiols and Thioethers by Human Indolethylamine-N Methyl Transferase

Indolethylamine-N MethylTransferase (INMT) is a small molecule N-methyltransferase that transfer methyl groups from S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAM) to indoleamines. Methylation of tryptamine produces...
Electronic nose for ambient detection and monitoring

Our ambient air carries hundreds of volatile organic compounds that can provide information about the toxicity and hygiene of our immediate environment. This paper presents prototype electronic nose designs that integrate array of chemical sensors into the embedded system to detect volatile organic compounds in the ambient air. Two specific applications for the electronic nose of detecting food spoilage and identifying sources of indoor air pollutants are discussed. A system with three chemical sensors was tested with various food items at varying stages of spoilage. The presented results show that food spoilage can be detected with a high degree of accuracy. A second system with eleven sensors was tested with various household items that emit compounds known to have adverse effects to human health. The results show that with the considered sensor array, the tested sources can be identified with a high degree of accuracy. The presented designs are being further improved to achieve a higher accuracy, further expand the compounds that can be identified for a broader range of applications, and to build a miniaturized hand-held electronic nose device. The system development, testing methodologies, and results analysis are presented and discussed.
The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index: An updated review and recommendations for use

Abstract Objectives The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) is an instrument, which measures the nursing practice environment – defined as factors that enhance or attenuate a nurse's ability to practice nursing skillfully and deliver high quality care. The purpose of this paper is to provide an updated review of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index's use to date and provide recommendations that may be helpful to nursing leaders and researchers who plan to use this instrument. Design A narrative review of quantitative studies. Data sources PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature were searched to identify relevant literature using the search terms, Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index and PES-NWI . Review methods Studies were included if they were published in English between 2010 and 2016 and focused on the relationship between the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index and patient, nurse, or organizational outcomes. Data extraction focused on the reported survey scores and the significance and strength of the reported associations. Results Forty-six articles, from 28 countries, were included in this review. The majority reported significant findings between the nursing practice environment and outcomes. Although some modifications have been made, the instrument has remained primarily unchanged since its development. Most often, the scores regarding staffing and resource adequacy remained the lowest. Conclusion The frequency of use of this instrument has remained high. Many researchers advocate for a move beyond the study of the connection between the Practice Environment Scale and nurse, patient, and organizational outcomes. Research should shift toward identifying interventions that improve the environment in which nurses practice and determining if changing the environment results in improved care quality.
Social Media and Online Gaming: A Masquerading Funding Source

This article describes how the rise in technological innovation has allowed for transnational criminal organizations TCOs to expand their operations using virtual platforms such as social media and...
EDDIE modules are effective learning tools for developing quantitative literacy and seismological understanding

Environmental Data-Driven Inquiry and Exploration (EDDIE) modules engage students in analysis of data collected by networks of environmental sensors, which are used to study various natural phenome...
Evaluation of Atmospheric River Predictions by the WRF Model Using Aircraft and Regional Mesonet Observations of Orographic Precipitation and Its Forcing

AbstractAccurate forecasts of precipitation during landfalling atmospheric rivers (ARs) are critical because ARs play a large role in water supply and flooding for many regions. In this study, we h...
Machine Learning Seismic Wave Discrimination: Application to Earthquake Early Warning

Performance of earthquake early warning systems suffers from false alerts caused by local impulsive noise from natural or anthropogenic sources. To mitigate this problem, we train a generative adversarial network (GAN) to learn the characteristics of first‐arrival earthquake P waves, using 300,000 waveforms recorded in southern California and Japan. We apply the GAN critic as an automatic feature extractor and train a Random Forest classifier with about 700,000 earthquake and noise waveforms. We show that the discriminator can recognize 99.2% of the earthquake P waves and 98.4% of the noise signals. This state‐of‐the‐art performance is expected to reduce significantly the number of false triggers from local impulsive noise. Our study demonstrates that GANs can discover a compact and effective representation of seismic waves, which has the potential for wide applications in seismology.
TSVs for Power Delivery

Robust power delivery is one of the ITRS scaling grand challenges due to increasing operating frequencies, increasing power density, and decreasing supply voltages. Three dimensional stacking of multiple dies makes this problem even more challenging. In a 3-D IC, only the die adjacent to the package can get power directly from the package. Dies away from the package require new technologies for power delivery. We evaluate in this chapter using TSVs to deliver power in a 3-D IC with the goal of understanding factors that contribute to the performance of a 3-D power delivery network (PDN). We investigate the impact of TSV size. We study various architectural configurations to find the best TSV granularity. We explore the impact of shared and dedicated TSVs on PDN performance and the feasibility of coaxial TSVs for power delivery.
Treatment options for hepatitis C and the rationale for low response rates in African Americans.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV), the leading cause for liver transplantation, is emerging as 1 of the infections that pose public health problems in the world since about 170 million people worldwide are infected with this virus. Inequality in addressing racial/ethnic disparities in treatment for hepatitis C is a pressing problem. HCV is more common among African Americans than among other racial groups in the United States. Although African Americans have been shown to have a lower rate of viral clearance and a higher rate of chronic hepatitis C, they may have at the same time a much lower rate of fibrosis progression compared to Caucasians. The purpose of this study is to summarize treatment options available for hepatitis C in African Americans and to describe the different mechanisms thought to be the reasons for the disparate response to treatment in African Americans.
Design readiness: an exploratory model of object-oriented design performance

The available literature supports the fact that some students experience difficulty learning object-oriented design (OOD) principles. Previously explored predictors of OOD learning difficulties include student characteristics (cognitive activities, self-efficacy), teaching methodologies (teacher centered, course complexity), and student experiences (prior programming experience). Yet, within an extensive body of literature devoted to OOD, two explanations of student difficulty remain largely unexplored: (1) varying conceptualizations of the underlying principles/strategies of OOD, and (2) preparedness or readiness to learn OOD. This research also investigated the extent to which individual differences impacted DRAS and OOD performance. The individual difference measures of interest in this study included college grade point average, prior programming experience, cognitive abilities (spatial orientation, visualization, logical reasoning, flexibility, perceptual style), and design readiness. In addition, OOD performance was measured using two constructs: course grade (exams, labs, programs, overall), and a specially constructed design task. Participants selected from the CS2 course from two southeastern state universities were used within this study, resulting in a sample size of 161 (School A, n = 76; School B, n = 85). School A is a mid-sized comprehensive university and School B is a large research-intensive university. If was found that the schools significantly differed on all measures of prior computer science experience and cognitive abilities. Path analysis was conducted to determine which individual differences were related to design readiness and OOD performance. In summary, this research identified that instructors can not ignore individual differences when teaching OOD. It was found that the cognitive ability visualization, prior OO experience, and overall college grade point average should be considered when teaching OOD. As it stands, without identifying specific teaching strategies used at the schools within this study, this research implies that OOD may require a certain level of practical computer experience before OOD is introduced into the curriculum. The cognitive ability visualization was found to have a significant indirect relationship with overall course grade through the mediating variable design readiness. Further, the results suggest that the DRAS may serve as a viable instrument in identifying successful OOD students as well as students that require supplemental OOD instruction.
Analysis of Second-Phase Particles in Al2O3

The preparation of alumina compacts usually involves adding small amounts of other oxides such as MgO, NiO, ZrO2, etc. and it is well-known that such ceramic materials almost invariably also contain significant quantities of impurity elements such as Na, K, and Ca. A considerable amount of research effort has been devoted to locating both the impurities and the additives since these are often present in concentrations exceeding the solubility limit. An example of such research relates to the question of whether elements such as Ca and Mg segregate to grain boundaries or are localized at second-phase particles; at present it appears that the Ca is found uniformly at grain boundaries whereas the Mg is found predominently in spinel particles1–4. Recent studies by Blanc et al.5 have shown that the Mg can also be found in combination with K in K-β‴-Al2O3.