cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human papillomavirus infection mediates response and outcome of vulvar squamous cell carcinomas treated with radiation therapy.

Abstract Purpose Human papillomavirus (HPV) is implicated as a causative factor in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC). This study evaluates if p16-positivity, a surrogate for HPV, predicts for better response rates to chemoradiation therapy and survival. Materials and methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of women treated with neoadjuvant or definitive chemoradiation (CRT) therapy from 2000 to 2016 for VSCC. p16 stain-positivity was defined as diffuse strong “block” immunoreactivity within invasive tumor. Results Seventy-three women with median follow-up of 13.4 months were analyzed. Thirty-three (45.2%) had p16+ tumors. Median age was 73 years (range: 37–89); with p16+ tumors, the median age was 60 years vs 73 years for women with p16− tumors (p The complete clinical response (cCR) rate for p16+ tumors was 63.6% vs 35.0% for p16− tumors (p = 0.014). The pathologic complete response (pCR) rate for women treated neoadjuvantly was 53.8% vs 31.4% for p16+ vs p16−, respectively (p = 0.067). The combined complete response (cCR orpCR [CCR]) rate was 63.6% for p16+ and 30.0% for p16− (p = 0.004). Two-year vulvar control (VC) for women with p16+ tumors was 75.5% vs. 49.5% for p16− (p = 0.008). In women with p16+ tumors who achieved CCR, 2-year VC was 92.3% vs 52.1% for CIR (p = 0.009). For p16− tumors, 2-year VC was 67.3% vs 41.1% for CCR and CIR (p = 0.072). No woman with a p16+ tumor developed distant metastases vs. 7 with p16− tumor (p = 0.013). OS was not statistically different between p16+ cohorts, but was improved for p16− patients with CR vs CIR, 72.9% vs 18.8% (p = 0.026). Conclusions p16-positive tumors appear to have better clinical and pathologic response rates and clinical outcomes.
One-step hydrogen extraction and storage in plasma generated palladium nanoparticles

This study demonstrates a novel way of hydrogen extraction from toluene and direct storage in plasma generated palladium (Pd) nanoparticles in one-step. Monodispersed Pd nanoparticles with a narrow particle-size distribution have been successfully synthesized, for the first time, by a plasma discharge between Pd electrodes in the cavitation field of toluene. The resulting well-dispersed Pd nanoparticles embedded in carbon are stabilized against agglomeration. The effect of experiment time on the particle size and the expansion of lattice spacing due to hydrogen are investigated by experimental and computational studies using density functional theory (DFT). Using X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements, it was found that particle size and lattice expansion increases with experiment time. Pd nanoparticle synthesis for in situ hydrogen storage in one step using plasma discharge in an appropriate solvent emphasizes the importance of adopting this methodology which offers several advantages. These include rapid reaction rate, ability to form very small nanoparticles with narrow size distribution and hydrogen extraction from the solvent for direct storage in the Pd nanoparticle lattice.
Long-Term Assets: Plant, Property, and Equipment

Long-term assets are acquired for use in operations and not for resale. Only assets used in normal business operations are classified as property, plant, and equipment. Most companies use historical cost as the basis for valuing property, plant, and equipment. Historical cost measures the cash or cash equivalent price of obtaining the asset and bringing it to the location and condition necessary for its intended use. Subsequent to acquisition, companies should not write-up property, plant, and equipment to reflect fair value when it is above cost.
Topical apraclonidine toxicity in a 4-month-old infant

Apraclonidine, a weak alpha-1-agonist and strong alpha-2-agonist, is commonly used in the evaluation of anisocoria related to Horner’s Syndrome (HS) in the form of an ophthalmic solution. Apracloni...
Deep Learning-Based Time-Varying Parameter Identification for System-Wide Load Modeling

The integration of uncertain power resources is causing more challenges for traditional load modeling research. Parameter identification of load modeling is impacted by a variety of load components with time-varying characteristics. This paper develops a deep learning-based time-varying parameter identification model for composite load modeling (CLM) with ZIP load and induction motor. A multi-modal long short-term memory (M-LSTM) deep learning method is used to estimate all the time-varying parameters of CLM considering system-wide measurements. It contains a multi-modal structure that makes use of different modalities of the input data to accurately estimate time-varying load parameters. An LSTM network with a flexible number of temporal states is defined to capture powerful temporal patterns from the load parameters and measurements time series. The extracted features are further fed to a shared representation layer to capture the joint representation of input time series data. This temporal representation is used in a linear regression model to estimate time-varying load parameters at the current time. Numerical simulations on the 23- and 68-bus systems verify the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed M-LSTM method. Also, the optimal lag values of parameters and measurements as input variables are solved.
Abstract 155: Lin28 Enhances Cardiac Progenitor Cell Ability to Repair the Heart by Reprogramming Cellular Metabolism

Rationale: The adult Heart is largely a dormant organ supporting limited cellular turnover. In contrast, neonatal cardiac tissue proliferates and is capable of regeneration while operating under a ...
Inferior Outcomes for Patients Developing New-Onset Post-Transplant Diabetes Mellitus after Haploidentical Hematopoietic Cell Transplant

The mortality rate triples for the 50% of patients diagnosed with new-onset post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) after HLA-identical allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) (Griffith, BBMT 2011). Haploidentical HCT (haplo-HCT) with post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCY) is increasingly utilized for patients with hematological disorders but without a conventional HLA-matched donor; however, the effects of PTDM after haplo-HCT is unknown. We examined the incidence, outcomes, and risk factors for PTDM in patients undergoing haplo-HCT. Patients receiving haplo-HCT with PTCY at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (n= 65) were retrospectively analyzed for PTDM diagnosis (defined as a random blood glucose ≥200 mg/dL). Exclusion criteria included non-haplo-HCTs, second HCT, or pre-existing diabetes mellitus. The primary outcome was the incidence of new-onset PTDM by day 100. Secondary outcomes included: cumulative incidence (CI) of grades 2-4 graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), time to systemic steroids, PTDM risk factors, overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS), and non-relapse mortality (NRM). PTDM was diagnosed in 14 (21.5%) patients at a median of 18 days after haplo-HCT (range, 8-72 days). Hyperglycemia preceded grade 2-4 GVHD and steroids in 12 (85.7%) patents. Clinical characteristics including ablative conditioning and GVHD did not predict PTDM development (Table 1). OS was decreased in the PTDM group (Figure 1). Among haplo-HCT recipients with cancer (n= 41) DFS was lower and the CI of relapse was increased in PTDM patients (Figure 1). Similar to HLA-identical transplants, PTDM occurs frequently, precedes alloreactivity, and leads to inferior survival following haplo-HCT. Interestingly, glucose metabolism appears to be associated with relapse risk. Prophylaxis/treatment of PTDM may improve outcomes after conventional and haplo-HCT.
A TRIGGER FOR AN ARRHYTHMIC STORM: SHORT-COUPLED VARIANT TORSADE DE POINTES

Short-coupled variant of torsade de pointes (SCV-TdP) is an uncommon type of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia with unknown etiology. It is triggered by premature ventricular complexes with remarkably short coupling interval (<300 ms), in the absence of QT prolongation and structural heart disease
Exchange interactions and long-range magnetic order in the (Mg,Co,Cu,Ni,Zn)O entropy-stabilized oxide: A theoretical investigation

The magnetic structure of the entropy-stabilized oxide (Mg0.2Co0.2Ni0.2Cu0.2Zn0.2)O has been investigated using first-principles methods in combination with Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. Similar to other transition metal oxides with the rock salt structure, such as CoO and NiO, the dominant interaction in this entropic oxide is the antiferromagnetic (AFM) superexchange interaction that takes place between second nearest neighbor cations. This superexchange interaction is responsible for the long-range type-II antiferromagnetic order observed in the material, with ferromagnetic (111) planes coupled antiferromagnetically in the (111) direction. The Neel temperature (TN) is evaluated via MC simulation, where the entropic oxide is modeled by a lattice of randomly distributed strengths of magnetic exchanges obtained from the binary and ternary oxides. The composition dependence of TN suggests that the material becomes paramagnetic when the concentration of nonmagnetic species exceeds 84%. The comparison between the theoretical results and the available experimental data indicates that the magnetic interactions in the entropic oxide can be predicted from magnetic exchange parameters calculated in the binary and ternary oxides.
Offsetting Compensation Reform: Lessons from the Demise of ESO Repricing

Employee stock options go underwater when stock prices decline. Historically, firms responded by ``repricing,'' or lowering option strikes. Institutional investor hostility towards repricing as giveaways to underperforming managers led to a regulatory change that eclipsed repricing after 1998. We analyze the demise of repricing and uncover evidence of a strong Peltzman (1975) effect. Firms offset restrictions on repricing by squeezing out compensation through refresher grants, which turn out to be costlier than repricing. Thus, regulations lead to an offsetting response that creates additional deadweight costs. We explore why firms might rationally incur these costs. We find that the costs are best explained by a wedge between employee and firm valuation of equity incentives. We characterize the properties of the wedge implied by the deadweight costs and offer independent evidence from a tender offer for underwater options. We discuss the implications of our results for the design and reform of incentive compensation.
Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health in Adolescents: A Systematic Review.

Due to lack of sufficient data on the psychological toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health, this systematic analysis aims to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on adolescent mental health. This study follows the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews of 16 quantitative studies conducted in 2019–2021 with 40,076 participants. Globally, adolescents of varying backgrounds experience higher rates of anxiety, depression, and stress due to the pandemic. Secondly, adolescents also have a higher frequency of using alcohol and cannabis during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, social support, positive coping skills, home quarantining, and parent–child discussions seem to positively impact adolescent mental health during this period of crisis. Whether in the United States or abroad, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted adolescent mental health. Therefore, it is important to seek and to use all of the available resources and therapies to help adolescents mediate the adjustments caused by the pandemic.
Evaluating regression-based techniques for modelling fabrication variations in silicon photonic waveguides

For integrated silicon photonics to mature as an industry platform, robust methods for measuring and extracting the geometry of fabricated waveguides are needed. Due to the cost and time needed for SEM or AFM imaging, a method of extracting waveguide variability though optical measurements is often preferred. Here, we present a study of regression-based machine learning (ML) techniques that enable such variability extraction while maintaining compatibility with wafer-scale optical measurements. We first explicitly investigate the issue of non-unique effective and group index pairs that can affect the accuracy of regression-based techniques. Training data is then generated by simulating several geometries of wire waveguides in Lumerical’s MODE solver to simulate defects due to process variances. Finally, a representative set of ML regression techniques are tested for their ability to accurately estimate the geometries of said simulated waveguides. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this work represents the first attempt in the literature to i.) explicitly study the effects of non-uniqueness in optical measurement-based metrology and ii) present a model that potentially overcomes said non-uniqueness. This work represents an important step towards the maturing models for process variations in silicon photonic platforms.
Understanding College Students’ News Sharing Experience on Instagram

News sharing has become prevalent on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Recent empirical works suggest a growing trend that young adults are using Instagram to access and share news. In this work, I explore college students’ news sharing experience on Instagram through an in-depth qualitative interview. The study prompts participants to reflect on their recently shared news pieces to understand news types that get circulated, as well as reasons behind the choice of using Instagram for sharing such content. Research results revealed: news that can help college students to (1) express their opinions, (2) raise awareness of their friends and (3) spark conversations are more likely to be shared on Instagram. The primary mode of sharing is via Instagram stories. Instagram is popular for news sharing because of its convenience of use, easiness of reaching out to peers, and the natural affordance of delivering powerful visual messages. Applying this work as an empirical basis, I propose features that can be added to Instagram to facilitate users’ news reading and sharing experiences.
The Irrepressible Myth of Celotex: Reconsidering Summary Judgment Burdens Twenty Years after the Trilogy

Twenty years ago, the Supreme Court decided a trilogy of cases on summary judgment. These cases have had a profound impact on federal litigation. Empirical data presented in this article demonstrate that federal courts have cited these three cases more than any Supreme Court decisions in history. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett is widely recognized as the most significant decision of the trilogy, both because it expanded the availability of summary judgment and because it remains the Court's most current instructions on how burdens are allocated between the party seeking and the party opposing summary judgment. However, Celotex failed to clarify many important aspects of summary judgment procedure, leading to competing myths within both the academy and the judiciary. The prevailing myths of Celotex are based principally on scholars' and judges' own views about how summary judgment procedure ought to operate in the federal system. This article takes a more traditional approach that is long overdue in this area: treating Celotex as an object of interpretation rather than an empty vessel for achieving policy preferences. Using basic interpretive values - consistency with prior decisions, consistency with governing textual sources, and internal coherence - this article challenges the current myths and offers a fresh interpretation of Celotex that cogently resolves that case's many ambiguities. The resulting approach to summary judgment would provide a sensible middle ground between the two dominant views of Celotex.
A modeling approach for /spl Sigma/-/spl Delta/ fractional-N frequency synthesizers allowing straightforward noise analysis

A general model of phase-locked loops (PLLs) is derived which incorporates the influence of divide value variations. The proposed model allows straightforward noise and dynamic analyses of /spl Sigma/-/spl Delta/ fractional-N frequency synthesizers and other PLL applications in which the divide value is varied in time. Based on the derived model, a general parameterization is presented that further simplifies noise calculations. The framework is used to analyze the noise performance of a custom /spl Sigma/-/spl Delta/ synthesizer implemented in a 0.6 /spl mu/m CMOS process, and accurately predicts the measured phase noise to within 3 dB over the entire frequency offset range spanning 25 kHz to 10 MHz.
Schwartz, Shalom H

Shalom Schwartz, developer of the Schwartz values dimensions, was born in Hempstead, New York on January 1, 1936. Schwartz's eclectic educational background prepared him well as a significant theorist, researcher, and preeminent scholar in cross-cultural psychology. He received his A.B. in comparative literature from Columbia University in 1957 while also studying Hebrew literature and language at the Jewish Theological Seminary, receiving his B.H.L. in 1958. Continuing his studies at Columbia University's Teachers College, Schwartz received a master's degree in social psychology and group development in 1962. During his time at Columbia he also spent one year in Jewish studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. With a desire to pursue advanced Jewish studies, Shalom returned to New York to the Rabbinical School at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) before attending the University of Michigan where he received the Ph.D. in social psychology in 1967. Keywords: cross-cultural psychology; values; dimensions of culture
The Transformation of American Legal History: Essays in Honor of Morton J. Horwitz, Daniel W. Hamilton & Alfred L. Brophy, Editors

Over his career at Harvard, Morton Horwitz changed the questions legal historians ask. The Transformation of American Law, 1780-1860 (1977) disclosed the many ways that judge-made law favored commercial and property interests and remade law to promote economic growth. The Transformation of American Law, 1870-1960 (1992) continued that project, with a focus on ideas that reshaped law as we struggled for objective and neutral legal responses to our country's crises. He has now turned to the twentieth century's revolution in rights in the Warren Court.In The Transformation of American Legal History, Horwitz's students and colleagues re-examine legal history from America's colonial era to the late twentieth century. They ask classic Horwitzian questions, of how legal doctrine, thought, and practice are shaped by the interests of the powerful, as well as by the ideas of lawyers, politicians, and others. They span the colonial empire, the history of the book, legal practice, slavery, property, corporations, legal pluralism, intellectual property, the civil rights movement, the Warren Court, and Israeli legal history. The essays address current questions in legal history, from colonial legal practice, to questions of empire, civil rights, and constitutionalism in a democracy. The essays are, like Horwitz, provocative and original as they continue his transformation of American legal history.
Convective heat transfer in planetary gases

Heating rates in gas mixtures of planetary atmospheres predicted by equation using transport properties of gases at lower temperatures
Using Dramas as an Instructional Technique to Help Students Measure and Evaluate Service Quality

This paper discusses the use of dramas as an instructional technique to help students understand and measure service both on the basis of quality/service/cleanliness (QSC) and hospitality. Dramas were used as part of a classroom project entitled “project hospitality” designed to identify the “friendliest” quick-service restaurant. Student teams developed their own dramas to measure the hospitality traits of friendly under stress, immediacy, anticipation, managing a complaint and friendly to the unfriendly. Information collected by the students permitted the class to identify the restaurants with the highest scores on QSC and hospitality. Results of the project are discussed in terms of restaurant performance and student learning experiences.
CCD Images of Southern Hemisphere Planetary Nebulae

A large, long-term survey of southern hemisphere planetary nebulae is being undertaken with several narrow-band filters (primarily [N II], H-alpha, [0 III] and He II) on the 0.9-m telescope at CTIO using a TI CCD chip. The purposes of this survey are to get sizes and morphological classifications for nebulae that are little-known (indeed, some do not have size measurements at all) and to search for multiple shells and other structures that are of interest for studies of nebular formation and evolution.
Thiol homeostasis and supplements in physical exercise

Thiols are a class of organic sulfur derivatives (mercaptans) characterized by the presence of sulfhydryl residues. In biological systems, thiols have numerous functions, including a central role in coordinating the antioxidant defense network. Physical exercise may induce oxidative stress. In humans, a consistent marker of exercise-induced oxidative stress is blood glutathione oxidation. Physical training programs have specific effects on tissue glutathione metabolism that depend on the work program and the type of tissue. Experimental studies show that glutathione metabolism in several tissues sensitively responds to an exhaustive bout of exercise. Study of glutathione-deficient animals clearly indicates the central importance of having adequate tissue glutathione to protect against exercise-induced oxidative stress. Among the various thiol supplements studied, N-acetyl-L-cysteine and alpha-lipoic acid hold the most promise. These agents may have antioxidant effects at the biochemical level but are also known to influence redox-sensitive cell signaling.
Geometric Representation Theory and G-Signature

Let G be a finite group. To every smooth G-action on a compact, connected and oriented surface we can associate its data of singular orbits. The set of such data becomes an Abelian group B_G under the G-equivariant connected sum. We will show that the map which sends G to B_G is functorial and carries many features of the representation theory of finite groups and thus describes a geometric representation theory. We will prove that B_G consists only of copies of Z and Z/2Z. Furthermore we will show that there is a surjection from the G-equivariant cobordism group of surface diffeomorphisms to B_G. We will define a G-signature which is related to the G-signature of Atiyah and Singer and prove that this new G-signature is injective on the copies of Z in B_G.
Land-based infrared imagery for marine mammal detection

A land-based infrared (IR) camera is used to detect endangered Southern Resident killer whales in Puget Sound, Washington, USA. The observations are motivated by a proposed tidal energy pilot project, which will be required to monitor for environmental effects. Potential monitoring methods also include visual observation, passive acoustics, and active acoustics. The effectiveness of observations in the infrared spectrum is compared to observations in the visible spectrum to assess the viability of infrared imagery for cetacean detection and classification. Imagery was obtained at Lime Kiln Park, Washington from 7/6/10-7/9/10 using a FLIR Thermovision A40M infrared camera (7.5-14μm, 37°HFOV, 320x240 pixels) under ideal atmospheric conditions (clear skies, calm seas, and wind speed 0-4 m/s). Whales were detected during both day (9 detections) and night (75 detections) at distances ranging from 42 to 162 m. The temperature contrast between dorsal fins and the sea surface ranged from 0.5 to 4.6 °C. Differences in emissivity from sea surface to dorsal fin are shown to aid detection at high incidence angles (near grazing). A comparison to theory is presented, and observed deviations from theory are investigated. A guide for infrared camera selection based on site geometry and desired target size is presented, with specific considerations regarding marine mammal detection. Atmospheric conditions required to use visible and infrared cameras for marine mammal detection are established and compared with 2008 meteorological data for the proposed tidal energy site. Using conservative assumptions, infrared observations are predicted to provide a 74% increase in hours of possible detection, compared with visual observations.
Examining the Effects of Questioning on Thinking Processes with a Computer-Based Exercise:

Computers are used widely for many purposes in educational settings. In this article the computer is used as a tool in an experimental setting. This study investigates the effects of self-generated...
Management of cardiac arrhythmias during anaesthesia

Disorders of cardiac rhythm may be described as supraventricular or ventricular in origin. The former for the most part are innocuous. Ventricular premature systoles may be the forerunner of ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. Ventricular tachycardia if persistent is accompanied by failing circulation. The majority of the arrhythmias observed during anaesthesia can be attributed to hypoxia or accumulation of carbon dioxide. In the opinion of certain anaesthetists, if these two causes of arrhythmia are avoided there is no need for an antiarrhythmia drug. Procaine amide has proven of value in the control of the ventricular arrhythmias which occur during cyclopropane anaesthesia. Rapidly acting digitalis preparations, particularly acetyl strophanthidin, may be needed to slow a rapidly beating heart (supraventricular tachycardias). The ventricular arrhythmias which accompany digitalis toxicity are caused by loss of intracellular potassium. Potassium chloride is effective in the control of digitalis-induced arrhythmias and should be considered in other instances as well.
A 41-Year-Old Man With Altered Mental Status and Acute Flaccid Paralysis

A 41-year-old man with a history of thymoma resection was admitted to the hospital with a 3-week history of generalized body aches and fever during late summer. He also reported severe headache for 1 week and photophobia for 3 weeks. He denied any recent travel, sick contacts, insect bites, rash, muscle weakness, or neck stiffness. He reported dizziness and blurred and double vision, and was noted to have an unsteady gait 1 day prior to hospital admission.
Selective Oxidation of Glycerol to Dihydroxyacetone over Pt−Bi/C Catalyst: Optimization of Catalyst and Reaction Conditions

Glycerol selective oxidation to dihydroxyacetone was investigated systematically in a semibatch reactor over Pt−Bi/C catalyst. Catalysts with different metal loadings, supports, and preparation met...
Flux motion in underdoped Y1−xPrxBa2Cu3O7−δ single crystals

Abstract Vortex flow in strongly underdoped Y 1− x Pr x Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ single crystals has been studied by the flux transformer technique. Two notable features can be identified: the asymmetric growth of the vortices and their finite residual mobility at low temperatures.
The unfolded protein response regulator GRP78/BiP is required for endoplasmic reticulum integrity and stress-induced autophagy in mammalian cells

In mammalian cells, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has recently been shown to induce autophagy and the induction requires the unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling pathways. However, little is known whether autophagy regulates UPR pathways and how specific UPR targets might control autophagy. Here, we demonstrated that although ER stress-induced autophagy was suppressed by class III phosphatidylinositol-3'-kinase (PI3KC3) inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA), wortmannin and knockdown of Beclin1 using small interfering RNA (siRNA), only 3-MA suppressed UPR activation. We discovered that the UPR regulator and ER chaperone GRP78/BiP is required for stress-induced autophagy. In cells in which GRP78 expression was knocked down by siRNA, despite spontaneous activation of UPR pathways and LC3 conversion, autophagosome formation induced by ER stress as well as by nutrition starvation was inhibited. GRP78 knockdown did not disrupt PI3KC3-Beclin1 association. However, electron microscopic analysis of the intracellular organelle structure reveals that the ER, a putative membrane source for generating autophagosomal double membrane, was massively expanded and disorganized in cells in which GRP78 was knocked down. ER expansion is known to be dependent on the UPR transcription factor XBP-1. Simultaneous knockdown of GRP78 and XBP-1 recovered normal levels of stress-induced autophagosome formation. Thus, these studies uncover 3-MA as an inhibitor of UPR activation and establish GRP78 as a novel obligatory component of autophagy in mammalian cells.
How Does a Pre-Assessment of Off-Campus Students’ Information Literacy Affect the Effectiveness of Library Instruction?

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact that pre-tests have on the effectiveness of library instruction when students are given feedback on their pre-test performance. Librarians and academic faculty partnered to measure library instruction outcomes in two Master's degree classes. The Research Readiness Self-Assessment (RRSA) was used as a pre-test (before instruction) and a post-test (after instruction) in Class 1 and as a post-test only in Class 2. Students who completed both tests performed significantly better on a post-test, earning higher scores on obtaining information and overall information literacy. They reported greater library/research experience and less reliance on browsing. Compared to students who did not take a pre-test, students who received pre-test-based feedback had higher scores on library/research experience and lower scores on reliance on browsing. To enhance the effectiveness of library instruction, students can be given pre-test-based feedback that compares their actual and p...
Heating of a large CTR-tokamak by neutral-beam injection

The start-up of a large CTR tokamak plasma at low density using energetic neutral beams is studied. Questions of beam-energy deposition profiles, beam-energy requirements for penetration, and beam-power requirements to achieve ignition or prescribed plasma heat-up rates are examined. A detailed analysis for a particular CTR-system design, using a two-fluid, space-time numerical model to simulate plasma behaviour, is reported. The numerical model includes neoclassical ion conduction, pseudoclassical electron conduction, radiation losses, Ohmic heating, thermonuclear alphaparticle heating, and injection heating. It is found that even when the power density deposition profile for beam heating is peaked on the axis, the plasma temperature profiles can have local maxima and thus be inverted in the outer plasma regions. This is caused by the decreased density in these zones. For a specific large system studied in detail (aspect ratio 2.6, plasma radius 500 cm, initial peak density 3 × l013/cm3), beam energies of 100 keV, 350 keV, and 500 keV are considered. Only the 500-keV beam case yields non-inverted temperature profiles during heating. In all cases, moderate power levels are required to ignite low-density plasmas in times of the order of seconds. In addition, the injection time required to establish a prescribed plasma heat-up rate is examined in detail. In some cases, for a given amount of injected energy, the heat-up rate resulting from low-energy beams is greater than that due to higher-energy beams. Beam-energy and -power requirements for smaller systems are also given.
Orbital Drainage from Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations

OBJECTIVE: To describe the neuro-ophthalmic findings in patients with orbital drainage from cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). METHODS: We reviewed the records of 100 consecutive adult patients with cerebral AVMs who presented to our institution during a 4-year period. All patients with orbital drainage were identified, and their neuro-ophthalmic evaluations were reviewed. RESULTS: Three patients (3%) were identified with orbital drainage from a cerebral AVM. The first patient presented with typical chiasmal syndrome (reduced visual acuity, bitemporal hemianopia, and optic atrophy). Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a large left temporal and parietal lobe AVM with compression of the chiasm between a large pituitary gland and a markedly enlarged carotid artery. The second patient presented with headaches and postural monocular transient visual obscurations. Examination revealed normal visual function with minimal orbital congestion and asymmetrical disc edema, which was worse in the left eye. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large right parietal and occipital lobe AVM without mass effect or hemorrhage and an enlarged left superior ophthalmic vein. The third patient had no visual symptoms and a normal neuro-ophthalmic examination; a right parietal lobe AVM was discovered during an examination for the cause of headaches. CONCLUSION: Orbital drainage from cerebral AVMs is rare. Manifestations may include anterior visual pathway compression, dilated conjunctival veins, orbital congestion, and asymmetrical disc swelling.
Role of Gamow-Teller suppression and M1 radiative widths on. pi. /sup -/ photoproduction from /sup 14/N

Total and differential cross sections are presented for the reaction /sup 14/N(..gamma..,..pi../sup -/)/sup 14/O/sub g.s./ for 0 --200 MeV pions, using the Blomqvist-Laget photoproduction operator and including all requisite pion distorted waves. It is found that phenomenological p-shell wave functions obtained from fits to inelastic electron scattering data from /sup 14/N, when used in the photoproduction calculation, give good agreement with experiment. This agreement is a result of using nuclear wave functions that not only suppress the Gamow-Teller matrix element but also agree with M1 radiative widths. As in the photoproduction of pions off other light nuclei, the total cross section shows a peak at energies far below the (3, 3) resonance energy, which arises from the recoil nuclei being constrained to discrete final states. As a result of the suppression of the Gamow-Teller matrix element for this transition, the reaction is sensitive (even at threshold) to the higher order terms in the photoproduction operator and hence to the curvature of the pion waves and the Fermi motion of the nucleons in the nuclei. This suggests that this reaction provides a sensitive probe of pion distortions and of the Ericson-Ericson effect.
A Framework for Fair Communicating Processes

Abstract This paper describes a general framework for modeling fairness for communicating processes, based on the notion of fair traces. Intuitively, a fair trace is an abstract representation of a fair computation, providing enough structure to capture the important essence of the computation (e.g., the sequences of states encountered or the communications made along it) as well as any contextual information necessary for compositionality. The key for determining this necessary contextual information is the introduction of parameterized fairness notions, which permit compositional characterizations of fairness. In contrast, most traditional treatments of fairness are based on operational semantics [8,2] and do not lend themselves naturally to compositional reasoning. This trace framework is remarkably robust. By varying the structure of the traces, we can construct several different semantics that reflect different types of fairness assumptions for the same language of communicating processes. These semantics in turn support not only compositional reasoning about fair program behavior but also the comparison of different fairness notions and the semantic structure that they require.
Effects of BCG on peripheral blood counts and drug tolerance of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma receiving combination chemotherapy.

Peripheral blood counts and drug dosages were studied in 68 patients with advanced non-Hodgkin lymphoma, who were assigned at random to receive either chemoimmunotherapy or chemotherapy, in order to determine if Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy lessened myelosuppression or improved drug tolerance. Thirty-seven patients received CHOP (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, and prednisone) plus BCG, and 31 patients received CHOP plus low-dose bleomycin. These two treatment groups, similar for important clinical and prognostic factors, were evaluated at courses one, four, and eight of remission induction, by comparison of the following parameters: hemoglobins, hematocrits, platelet counts, white blood-cell counts (including absolute neutrophil, lymphocyte, and monocyte counts), and dosages of cyclophosphamide and adriamycin. With successive treatment both groups experienced statistically significant progressive declines in the mean values of hemoglobin, hematocrit, total white blood-cell count, absolute granulocyte and lymphocyte counts, and dosages of adriamycin and cyclophosphamide. These effects of treatment were comparable except for a slightly greater degree of mild anemia in the CHOP-BCG group (mean hemoglobin ± SEM = 11.7 ± 0.3 gm/dl at course eight compared to 12.7 ± 0.3 gm/dl for the CHOP-bleomycin group, p = 0.04). Thus, BCG appears to play no beneficial role in lessening myelosuppression resulting from chemotherapy or improving drug tolerance.
Time-varying frequencies of a signal

We consider the definition and interpretation of instantaneous frequency and other time-varying frequencies of a signal, and related concepts of instantaneous amplitude, instantaneous bandwidth and the time-varying spectrum of a signal. A definition for the average frequency at each time is given, and we show that spectrograms and Cohen-Posch time-frequency distributions can yield this result for the first conditional moment in frequency. For some signals this result equals the instantaneous frequency, but generally instantaneous frequency is not the average frequency at each time in the signal. We discuss monocomponent versus multicomponent signals, and give an estimate of the time-varying spectrum given the instantaneous frequencies and bandwidths of the components. We also consider the role of the complex signal in defining instantaneous amplitude, frequency and bandwidth, and ways to obtain a complex signal satisfying certain physical properties, given a real signal (or its time-varying spectrum). Depending upon the physical properties desired (e.g., the instantaneous amplitude of a magnitude-bounded signal should itself be bounded), one obtains different complex representations -- and hence different instantaneous amplitudes, frequencies and bandwidths -- of the given signal.
Time Delays in Accessing Stroke Care in the Emergency Department

Objective: To delineate components of delay within the hospital ED for patients presenting with symptoms of stroke. Methods: A prospective registry of patients presenting to the ED with signs or symptoms of stroke was established at a university hospital from July 1995 to March 1996. The ED arrival time, time to being seen by an emergency physician (EP), time to CT scan, and time to neurology consultation were obtained by medical record review. Results: The median delay (interquartile range) from ED arrival to being seen by an EP for the 170 eligible subjects was 0.42 (0.20-0.75) hours. The median delay to CT scan was 1.88 hours (1.25-2.67) and the median delay to neurology consultation was 2.42 hours (1.50-3.48). Age, race, sex, and hospital discharge diagnosis had little influence on delay. Subjects arriving by emergency medical services (EMS) had a significantly shorter time to being seen by an EP (0.33 vs 0.50 hours) when compared with those who arrived by other means. Time to CT scan was shorter by 0.5 hours for patients arriving by EMS as well. These differences persisted when stratified by out-of-hospital delay times. Conclusions: These data suggest that arriving by EMS is associated with shorter times to being seen by an EP and receiving a CT scan. The influence of EMS on delays associated with rapid medical care of stroke patients reaches beyond the out-of-hospital transport phase.
Sodium silicate: The key ingredient in detergent agglomeration

The rise of sodium silicate as an agglomerating agent in detergent powders is discussed. Various ingredient ratios and agglomeration techniques/processes are reviewed as such parameters affect finished product characteristics.
Cost benefits of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging and angiography performed earlier in the diagnostic assessment of neonatal complex congenital heart disease

Background Neonates with complex congenital heart disease (CCHD) often require transcatheter or surgical intervention in the first month of life. Transthoracic 2D/Doppler echocardiography (2DE) is the diagnostic modality of choice, but occasionally may be inadequate for surgical planning. Unresolved pre-operative questions may require complete delineation of extracardiac vascular anatomy and/or ventricular volumes. In these cases, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and angiography (CMR/MRA) may be delayed in favor of repeat 2DE studies, which often remain inconclusive. This approach may lead to unnecessary costs and has yet to be formally evaluated.
Seismic Behavior of Frame-Wall-Rocking Foundation Systems. II: Dynamic Test Phase

AbstractThis paper presents the earthquake response of three low-rise frame-wall-foundation centrifuge building models, including a structural hinging-dominated, foundation rocking-dominated, and balanced design model. The models were designed such that the capacities of the dominant inelastic elements varied; however, each was subjected to a similar sequence of earthquake shaking in a 30-g centrifuge environment to facilitate comparison. Experimental results reveal that the traditional frame-wall building with a strong foundation (i.e., a hinging-dominated system) has the least potential to recover from displacements induced during earthquake shaking. As a result, this system suffered the most significant residual deformation. In contrast, systems with rocking foundations sustained a smaller peak roof acceleration, residual drift, and peak base shear despite the relatively larger peak transient drift demand. Consistent with slow cyclic test results, dissipated hysteretic energy was reasonably distributed...
Co-ordination of public vocational education with theJob Training Partnership Act

Abstract The federal purposes in vocational education and employment and training legislation are increasingly converging. State and local-level surveys indicate that most of the provisions in the current legislation designed to encourage joint planning and co-ordination of programs have been implemented. State administrators and council chairpersons for both systems feel that co-ordination is better under JTPA than it was under CETA. Local level JTPA administrators are also generally satisfied with their relationships with public vocational-technical programs. Public vocational institutions are estimated to have trained over half the JTPA title IIA participants assigned to classroom occupational training during the 1985 program year.
The Continent of International Law

This article introduces the Continent of International Law (COIL) research project on international agreement design. COIL stems from the conviction that the International Organization subfield's focus on the couple hundred international organizations with physical headquarters had to be broadened to include the tens of thousands extant international agreements, that is, international law. Each piece of international law can and should be studied as an institution. Together, this set of institutions, which truly is a “continent,” is theoretically very interesting and empirically very diversified. COIL's basic theoretical premise is that international agreement design and comparison across agreements begins by understanding the underlying cooperation problem(s) the agreements are trying to solve. COIL identifies 12 distinct and recurrent cooperation problems, which may occur alone or in combinations. The data collection features a random sample of international agreements conditional on the issue areas of ...
Reliability, Life Testing, and the Prediction of Service Lives for Engineers and Scientists

(2008). Reliability, Life Testing, and the Prediction of Service Lives for Engineers and Scientists. Journal of the American Statistical Association: Vol. 103, No. 482, pp. 887-888.
Asynoptic Sampling Considerations for Wide-Field-of-View Measurements of Outgoing Radiation. Part II: Diurnal and Random Space-Time Variability

Abstract Two classes of tropical cloud variability: (i) random small-scale fluctuations and (ii) diurnal variations, are investigated with regard to deriving fields of emitted radiation from wide-field-of-view (WFOV) measurements of outgoing radiance made aboard polar orbiting satellites. Irregular cloud variability is represented in terms of a stochastic space-time process defined by prescribed spatial and temporal correlation scales and confined to an envelope typical of tropical convective centers. Diurnal cloud variability is prescribed in terms of a propagating solar waveform which likewise is confined to a horizontal envelope. For both classes of convective behavior, the evolving radiation field is sampled asynoptically, deconvolved, and compared with the true variability. A variety of diagnostics is examined, including space-time power spectra, instantaneous synoptic behavior, and time-mean fields. Sensitivity to spatial and temporal scales of the convective pattern, (correlation scales in the case...
LABORATORY EVALUATION OF HYPERCOAGULABLE STATES

Venous thromboembolism affects 0.1% of the general population in the United States every year, resulting in more than 50,000 deaths annually. Common predisposing conditions include the postoperative state, trauma, pregnancy, oral contraceptives, obesity, immobility, and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. A variety of medical conditions are associated with thrombosis and are important to identify if present, including chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation, malignancy, nephrotic syndrome, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, systemic lupus erythematosus, polycythemia vera, and essential thrombocythemia. In addition, the number of well-characterized hereditary and acquired hypercoagulable conditions is increasing. A hypercoagulable condition is now identifiable by the laboratory in many cases, particularly in young individuals or those with a positive family history and/or recurrent thrombosis. This review describes the currently known hypercoagulable states that predispose patients to venous, and in some instances, arterial thrombosis. For each condition the discussion includes the incidence, the magnitude of the thrombotic risk in the general population in comparison to symptomatic families, synergistic interactions among the various hypercoagulable conditions, the molecular pathogenesis, and interpretation of laboratory test results. In addition, recommendations for laboratory testing are summarized.
Low-temperature limit of screening length in semiconductors

The conventional result for the screening length in a semiconductor with a discrete impurity level vanishes at absolute zero. When level broadening is included in a self-consistent way, a finite value is obtained. Results for the screening length and the root-mean-square potential fluctuation at absolute zero are given as functions of the degree of compensation.
Problems of measurement in soft systems

Abstract The paper reviews the problem of widely defined measurement in soft systems. It defines soft systems as those incorporating human activity, or describable by fuzzy logic. It considers examples from measurements in psychology, economics and psychology. A framework for considering measurement in soft systems is offered for discussion.