cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of FDG-PET scans in staging, response assessment, and follow-up care for non-small cell lung cancer

The role PET in the staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is well established. Evidence is emerging for the role of PET in response assessment to neoadjuvant therapy, combined-modality therapy, and early detection of recurrence. Here, we review the current literature on these aspects of PET in the management of NSCLC. FDG-PET, particularly integrated 18F-FDG-PET/CT, scans have become a standard test in the staging of local tumor extent, mediastinal lymph node involvement, and distant metastatic disease in NSCLC. FDG-PET sensitivity is generally superior to computed tomography (CT) scans alone. Local tumor extent and T stage can be more accurately determined with FDG-PET in certain cases. FDG-PET sensitivity is decreased in tumors <1 cm, at least in part due to respiratory motion. False-negative results can occur in areas of low tumor burden. FDG-PET-CT nodal staging is more accurate than CT alone. FDG-PET scans have widely replaced bone scintography for assessing distant metastases, except for the brain, which still warrants dedicated brain imaging. FDG uptake has also been shown to vary between histologies, with adenocarcinomas generally being less FDG avid than squamous cell carcinomas. FDG-PET scans are useful to detect recurrences, but are currently not recommended for routine follow-up. Typically, patients are followed with chest CT scans every 3-6 months, using FDG-PET to evaluate equivocal CT findings. As high FDG uptake can occur in infectious, inflammatory, and other non-neoplastic conditions, PET-positive findings require pathological confirmation. There is increased interest in the prognostic and predictive role of FDG-PET scans. Studies show that absence of metabolic response to neoadjuvant therapy correlates with poor pathologic response, and a favorable FDG-PET response appears to be associated with improved survival. Further work is underway to identify subsets of patients that might benefit individualized management based on FDG-PET.
Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia: Long-Term Results with the M-2 Protocol

AbstractThirty-three patients with symptomatic Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia have been treated with the M-2 protocol (BCNU, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, melphalan, and prednisone). Therapy was administered every 5 weeks for 2 years and every 10 weeks for an additional 1–3 years. Median clinical and laboratory parameters included age 70 years (range 52–87), performance status 1 (1–3), prior therapy 7, weight loss 12, symptomatic hyperviscosity 13, splenomegaly 22, lymphadenopathy 7, hemoglobin 9.6 g/dl (6.7–14.6), IgM paraprotein level 200 mg% (340–11,600), and serum viscosity 2.1 (1.4–6.0). Responses were observed in 27 patients, of whom 21 were partial responses. Survival ranges from 1 to 120+ months with 58% of patients projected to be alive at 10 years. Twenty-one patients remain alive, of whom 10 are ≥ 6 years from initiation of therapy with M-2. Treatment has been well tolerated with usually only mild to moderate hematologic toxicity. Median nadir white blood cells during the first cycle was 3000...
Blue light-induced generation of reactive oxygen species in photoreceptor ellipsoids requires mitochondrial electron transport.

Purpose To investigate whether photoreceptor ellipsoids generate reactive oxygen species (rOx) after blue light illumination. Methods Cultured salamander photoreceptors were exposed to blue light (480 +/- 10 nm; 10 mW/cm(2)). The light-induced catalytic redox activity in the culture was monitored with the use of 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB). Tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester (TMRE) and 2',7'-dichlorodihydro-fluorescein acetate (DHF-DA) were used as probes to measure the mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular rOx, respectively. Results A significant deposit of DAB polymers was found in the culture after exposure to blue light. Basal levels of rOx were observed in photoreceptor ellipsoids when cells were stained with DHF-DA. This staining colocalized with TMRE. After exposure to blue light, a sharp increase of rOx immediately occurred in the ellipsoids of most photoreceptors. When the light intensity was reduced, the response kinetics of rOx generation were slowed down; however, comparable amounts of rOx were generated after a standard time of exposure to light. The production of rOx in photoreceptors was markedly decreased when an antioxidant mixture was included in the medium during exposure to light. Rotenone or antimycin A, the respiratory electron transport blockers at complex I and III, respectively, significantly suppressed the light-evoked generation of rOx. Conclusions A robust amount of rOx is produced in the ellipsoid when photoreceptors are exposed to blue light. This light-induced effect is antioxidant sensitive and strongly coupled to mitochondrial electron transport. The cumulative effect of light on rOx generation over time may implicate a role for mitochondria in light-induced oxidative damage of photoreceptors.
Persistence and drug-induced reinstatement of a morphine-induced conditioned place preference.

Morphine induces a conditioned place preference (CPP) for a chamber associated with the drug. In the present set of experiments, we explored the persistence, extinction, and reinstatement of a morphine-induced CPP using an 'unbiased' apparatus with two distinct chambers separated by a smaller neutral zone. Rats were given four 45 min pairings of one chamber with morphine (Experiments 1 and 2: 1.0, 5.0, or 10.0 mg/kg, s.c.; Experiments 3A and 3B: 10.0 mg/kg, s.c.) and four pairings of the other chamber with saline on alternate days. Following conditioning, rats were given 15 min tests for chamber preference. In Experiment 1, rats showed a CPP following conditioning with all doses. In Experiment 2, in the same animals, the CPP was evident in subsequent tests given either 2 or 6 weeks following the initial test for preference. Furthermore, in the animals tested 2 weeks after the initial CPP test, the CPP was maintained for 12 weeks when tests were repeated every 2 weeks. Animals tested at 6 weeks were again tested after another 6-week delay and showed a clear preference for the previously morphine-paired chamber. In Experiment 3A, rats underwent place conditioning as above with 10.0 mg/kg morphine. Following extinction during which both chambers were paired with saline for 45 min on four occasions, the CPP was no longer evident. The CPP was reinstated by priming injections of 1.0 or 2.5 mg/kg morphine, but not 0.5 mg/kg in a 30 min test. Similar results were found in Experiment 3B, in which the CPP was reinstated following a priming injection of morphine (2.5 mg/kg) given immediately or 15 min before a 30 min test; no reinstatement was seen after injections of saline. These results show that a morphine-induced CPP is persistent over time and can be reinstated by morphine after extinction.
Variational calculations of accurate e − -He cross sections below 19 eV

Variational calculations of $s$- and $p$-wave phase shifts for ${e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-He scattering have been carried out for energies less than 19 eV. The variational wave function represents target-atom electronic correlation, electric dipole and quadrupole polarizability response, and short-range electron-atom correlation at a level of accuracy sufficient for 1% accuracy in the differential cross section. The partial-wave Born approximation is used for phase shifts $lg1$. Calculated phase shifts are corrected for estimated systematic errors, and these estimated phase shifts are interpolated as smooth functions of energy by cubic spline fits to auxiliary interpolating functions. Comparison with recent experimental and theoretical cross section data indicates compatibility with the present error estimate of no more than 1%. Data given here make it possible to compute the differential cross section from simple formulas over the energy range considered. The present value of the scattering length is $1.1835{a}_{0}$ with 0.5% error.
Epidemiology of Hyperuricemia in an Ambulatory Elderly Population

The relationship of serum uric acid concentration to age and sex was assessed in 1,701 participants in a geriatric multiphasic screening clinic. Included were 1,067 women and 634 men. The mean uric acid level for men was 6.35 mg/100 ml compared to 5.44 mg/100 ml for women. No statistically significant increases in serum uric acid between age groups were apparent, except for women over 84 years of age. The mean serum urate concentrations found in this geriatric study are higher than those reported for other population groups, suggesting a higher normal value for the elderly.
Lighting Design for Globally Illuminated Volume Rendering

With the evolution of graphics hardware, high quality global illumination becomes available for real-time volume rendering. Compared to local illumination, global illumination can produce realistic shading effects which are closer to real world scenes, and has proven useful for enhancing volume data visualization to enable better depth and shape perception. However, setting up optimal lighting could be a nontrivial task for average users. There were lighting design works for volume visualization but they did not consider global light transportation. In this paper, we present a lighting design method for volume visualization employing global illumination. The resulting system takes into account view and transfer-function dependent content of the volume data to automatically generate an optimized three-point lighting environment. Our method fully exploits the back light which is not used by previous volume visualization systems. By also including global shadow and multiple scattering, our lighting system can effectively enhance the depth and shape perception of volumetric features of interest. In addition, we propose an automatic tone mapping operator which recovers visual details from overexposed areas while maintaining sufficient contrast in the dark areas. We show that our method is effective for visualizing volume datasets with complex structures. The structural information is more clearly and correctly presented under the automatically generated light sources.
Fracture Modes in a Binary Titanium Alloy

Abstract The scanning electron microscope has been used to investigate the fracture surfaces of Ti-Cr alloys, and special emphasis has been placed on the effects of the omega phase on the modes of fracture. It has been found that an alloy containing the athermal omega phase exhibits a different mode of fracture from that of an alloy containing the aged omega phase. The difference has been attributed to the presence of the strain-induced martensite phase in regions adjacent to the fracture in alloys containing the athermal omega phase. The fracture mode has also been investigated for alloys in which the omega phase was reverted by appropriate thermal treatments.
Assessing the affinities of fossils using canonical variates and generalized distances

Canonical variate analysis and generalized distances are commonly used multivariate statistical techniques for assessing the comparative morphology of living and fossil primates. Some common pitfalls of these methods when used to analyze fossil specimens are: (1) ignoring the possibility that a fossil belongs to a group other than one of the predefined reference samples (i.e., restricted versus unrestricted approaches to classification), (2) misinterpreting probabilities of group membership (i.e., posterior versus typicality probabilities), and (3) failing to understand how sample sizes influence multivariate ordinations in trying to effectively illustrate the morphometric affinities of a fossil (i.e., weighted versus unweighted analyses with fossils entered indirectly or directly into the analysis). To better understand canonincal variate analysis and generalized distances, the workings of these methods are portrayed graphically as a series of rotations and rescaling of data plotted in a multivariate data space. The influence of sample sizes and the importance of higher-numberer canonical variates are emphasized. Simple examples taken from the literature illustrate how the different approaches to including a fosil in canonical variate analysis may affect the multivariate results upon which physical anthropologists base their interpretations of the fossil's morphology.
Learning in linear feature-discovery networks

We describe the dynamics of learning in unsupervised linear feature-discovery networks that have recurrent lateral connections. Bifurcation theory provides a description of the location of multiple equilibria and limit cycles in the weight-space dynamics.
Effects of IL-4 Depletion on the Antibody Response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa Lipopolysaccharide in Mice

These studies were done to examine the role of interleukin-4 (IL-4) in the generation of isotype specific antibody responses of mice to Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide (PALPS) by neutralization of IL-4 in vivo using anti-IL-4 antibody (11B11). We found that the administration of anti-IL-4 antibody (11B11) 24 h before immunization with PALPS resulted in a decreased PALPS-specific antibody response for all isotypes examined (IgM, IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, IgG3). By contrast, we observed that the non-antigen-specific (polyclonal) IgM response of mice following treatment with 11B11 antibody and PALPS was increased while the polyclonal responses for the other isotypes were unaffected. When mice were given recombinant IL-10 at the time of immunization with PALPS there was a decrease in the PALPS-specific antibody response but an increase in the polyclonal IgM, IgG2a, IgG2b, IgG3 response whereas the polyclonal IgG1 response was decreased by a five-fold margin. The results of these studies suggest that both the antigen-specific and the polyclonal response can be influenced in a different manner by IL-4 or by IL-10.
Effect of uniaxial strains on the electronic structure of YBa2Cu3O7

Abstract Local density approximation calculations of changes in the electronic structure of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 under unaxial strain in each of the three orthorhombic directions are reported. Results are correlated with known values of the uniaxial strain dependencies d T c /d e a ( α = x, y, z ) of the superconducting critical temperature T c , which are large and of opposite sign for strains within the â-b plane containing the CuO 2 layers (i.e. strong non-tetragonality), and an order of magnitude smaller for ĉ -axis strain. The uniaxal strain dependencies of internal strains, zone center A g phonon frequencies, band structure, density of states, and charge transfer are obtained for finite (2%) strains. Internal strains show strong non-tetragonality, and the frequency of the highest A g mode is highly sensitive to b -axis strain. Charge transfer between the chains and the layers is found to be negligible in comparison to the charge rearrangements within the layers themselves, which have a strong dipolar character and are directed oppositely for â and b -axis strains. This charge redistribution, which alters the Madelung potentials within the CuO 2 layer and the ratio of Cu2 and O2, O3 character of states at the Fermi surface, is the most notable feature that correlates positively with the values of d T c /d e a and d T c /d e b .
Nutritional Factors Associated with Antenatal Depressive Symptoms in the Early Stage of Pregnancy Among Urban South Indian Women

Many women of reproductive age from developing countries have poor nutritional status, and the prevalence of depression during pregnancy is high. The objective of the present study was to assess the prevalence of antenatal depressive symptoms in early pregnancy, and to identify the demographic and nutritional factors associated with these symptoms in a sample of urban South Indian pregnant women. This cross-sectional study was the baseline assessment of a prospective randomized controlled trial of vitamin B12 supplementation in urban pregnant south Indian women between the ages of 18 and 40 years (www.clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00641862). 365 women in their first trimester of pregnancy were screened for depressive symptoms at an urban clinic in Karnataka, South India, using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10). Nutritional, clinical and biochemical factors were also assessed. Mean (SD) age of the cohort was 22.6 (3.7) years and mean (SD) BMI was 20.4 (3.3) kg/m2. 121 (33 %) of the women in the 1st trimester had symptoms consistent with depression (K-10 score >6). In multivariate log binomial regression analysis, presence of antenatal depressive symptoms in the first trimester were positively associated with vomiting, prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.54 (95 % CI 1.10, 2.16) and negatively with anemia, PR = 0.67 (95 % CI 0.47, 0.96). Nutrient intakes, serum vitamin B12, methylmalonic acid, homocysteine and red cell folate levels were not associated with measures of depression. Antenatal depressive symptoms in early pregnancy are highly prevalent in urban Indian women and are more common in women with vomiting and without anemia. In this cross-sectional data, blood concentrations of vitamin B12 and folate were not associated with depressive symptoms. The relationship between nutritional status and depressive symptoms may require larger and longitudinal studies.
A downscaling framework for L band radiobrightness temperature imagery

[1] In this paper we introduce a general downscaling framework and apply it to L band microwave radiobrightness temperature fields retrieved from electronically scanned thinned array radiometer (ESTAR). The gist of the downscaling scheme presented in this paper is the statistical characterization of scale-invariant properties of the wavelet coefficients or fluctuations from long memory 1/f processes. We test the proposed downscaling framework with the radiobrightness temperature images collected during the Southern Great Plains hydrology experiment of 1997. We produce realizations of radiobrightness temperature at 800-m resolution given a mean-area value at approximately 30-km resolution (the near-future expected operational scale). The results obtained evince that the proposed downscaling methodology is capable of accurately preserving the variability and overall structure of spatial dependence of the observed radiobrightness temperature fields.
Finite Element Analysis of Photonic Crystal Rods With Inhomogeneous Anisotropic Refractive Index Tensor

A procedure for incorporating inhomogeneous anisotropic variations in the refractive index tensor into two-dimensional finite element calculations of the guided mode characteristics of photonic crystal rods is presented. The stress tensor distribution is assumed to be known. Photonic crystal rod designs incorporating stress applying parts are analyzed using this procedure. The predicted guided mode structure is compared to the simplified case described by uniform birefringence revealing differences in the effective indexes of the guided modes, the effective area and eccentricity of the fundamental mode, the modal birefringence, and the overlap with the gain region of active devices. The method is applicable to all dielectric waveguide structures.
Trypanosomal nucleoside hydrolase. Resonance Raman spectroscopy of a transition-state inhibitor complex.

The transition state for hydrolysis of the N-ribosidic bond of inosine by nucleoside hydrolase has oxocarbenium character and a protonated leaving group hypoxanthine with an sp2-hybridized C1‘ of the ribosyl [Horenstein, B. A., Parkin, D. W., Estupinan, B., & Schramm, V. L. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 10788−10795]. These features are incorporated into N-(p-nitrophenyl)-d-riboamidrazone, a transition-state analogue which binds with a dissociation constant of 2 nM [Boutellier, M., Horenstein, B. A., Semenyaka, A., Schramm, V. L., & Ganem, B. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 3994−4000]. Resonance Raman and ultraviolet−visible absorbance spectroscopy has established that the inhibitor binds as the neutral, zwitterionic species. The enzyme stabilizes a specific resonance state characterized by the quinonoid form of the p-nitrophenyl group with evidence for ion pairing at the nitro group. Incorporation of 15N into a specific position of the amidrazone reveals that the exo-ribosyl nitrogen bonded to the C1‘ position carries ...
Crystal and Molecular Structure of Ferrichrome A.

The crystal structure of ferrichrome A (C41H58N9O20Fe·4H2O) has been determined by x-ray diffraction. The amino acid sequence in the hexapeptide ring is confirmed to be -Orn-Orn-Orn-Ser-Ser-Gly-, and the conformation of this ring is trans at each peptide linkage. The absolute configuration of the three hydroxamate rings at the iron atom is that of a left-handed propeller. Disorder is found concerning the positions of some of the side chains and one of the four water molecules.
Low phase angle determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis is associated with malnutrition and nutritional risk at hospital admission.

Summary Background & aims This study determined the association between phase angle (PhA), by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and nutritional risk by Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002), Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), hospital length of stay (LOS) and 30 day non-survival in patients at hospital admission compared to healthy controls. Methods PhA was determined by BIA in patients ( n = 983, 52.7 ± 21.5 yrs, M 520) and compared to healthy age-, sex- and height-matched controls. Low PhA was set at Results PhA was lower in patients (men 6.0 ± 1.4°, women 5.0 ± 1.3°) than controls (men 7.1 ± 1.2°, women 6.0 ± 1.2°, un-paired t -test p Conclusions There is a significant association between low PhA and nutritional risk, LOS and non-survival. PhA is helpful to identify patients who are at nutritional risk at hospital admission in order to limit the number of in-depth nutritional assessments.
Building a Metrics-Enabled Marketing Curriculum The Cornerstone Course

The lack of analytical preparation of marketing students was a key concern at a large, public university in southeastern United States, leading to the decision to create a new required undergraduat...
Achlorhydria, parietal cell hyperplasia, and multiple gastric carcinoids : A new disorder

We describe a 54-year-old woman who had multiple gastric carcinoid tumors arising in the setting of marked hypergastrinemia associated with a lack of acid production by hypertrophic parietal cells. The serum gastrin level was 1,400 pg/mL, and investigation revealed no evidence for either of the recognized causes for hypergastrinemia-associated carcinoids, autoimmune gastritis, and Zollinger-Ellision syndrome. Partial gastrectomy was performed. Pathologic examination showed multiple intramucosal and invasive carcinoid tumors of the body and fundus in a background of marked ECL cell hyperplasia. There were no gastric or duodenal ulcerations. One perigastric lymph node was metastatically involved. The oxyntic mucosa showed marked hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the parietal cells. Some of these cells were vacuolated, and many displayed protrusions of apical cytoplasm into dilated oxyntic glands filled with inspissated eosinophilic material. Similar findings have occurred in 1 other patient, strongly indicating that the clinicopathologic alterations in the 2 cases are not random but, on the contrary, represent a very rare disorder of gastric carcinoids associated with an intrinsic acid secretion abnormality of the parietal cells.
Gendered and Racialized Identities and Alliances in the Classroom: Formations in/of Resistive Space

Challenging the Cartesian dualisms that essentialize difference, this essay offers strategies for building transracial, feminist alliances through pedagogy. The authors argue that resistive classroom spaces should be created in which students and teachers challenge the discourses of domination that structure our understandings of identity and difference. To this end, the authors offer autoethnographic descriptions of their identities and their relationship as scholars–teachers– friends and support these descriptions with a case analysis of how they addressed issues of “race” and gender in an Intercultural Communication classroom. They conclude that building alliances requires theorizing identity as relational, requiring embodied practice and willingness to make “self” vulnerable to an “other,” particularly when the “self” is inscribed with privilege and power.
Japanese beetle: a superior attractant, phenethyl propionate + eugenol + geraniol, 3:7:3.

Addition of geraniol and nerol, found in a commercial preparation of geraniol, to mixtures of phenethyl propionate (PEP) + eugenol significantly increased their attractancy to Popillia japonica Newman. Geraniol significantly increased attractancy more than nerol. A mixture of PEP + eugenol + geraniol, 3:7:3, was 57% more attractive to Japanese beetles than the current standard lure, PEP + eugenol, 3:7. The substitution of impure geraniol (60%) for pure geraniol in the trinary lure did not significantly decrease attractancy.
Suppression of shocked-bubble expansion due to tissue confinement with application to shock-wave lithotripsy.

Estimates are made of the effect of tissue confinement on the response of small bubbles subjected to lithotriptor shock pressures. To do this the Rayleigh–Plesset equation, which governs the dynamics of spherical bubbles, is generalized to treat a bubble in a liquid region (blood), which is in turn encased within an elastic membrane (like a vessel’s basement membrane), beyond which a Voigt viscoelastic material models the exterior tissue. Material properties are estimated from a range of measurements available for kidneys and similar soft tissues. Special attention is given to the constitutive modeling of the basement membranes because of their expected importance due to their proximity to the bubble and their toughness. It is found that the highest expected values for the elasticity of the membrane and surrounding tissue are insufficient to suppress bubble growth. The reduced confinement of a cylindrical vessel should not alter this conclusion. Tissue viscosities taken from ultrasound measurements suppress bubble growth somewhat, though not to a degree expected to resist injury. However, the higher reported viscosities measured by other means, which are arguably more relevant to the deformations caused by growing bubbles, do indeed significantly suppress bubble expansion.
The in situ polymerization of vinyl monomers in polyester yarns

The effects of a pretreatment of polyester (PET) yarns with a strongly interacting solvent such as dimethylformamide (DMF) on vinyl monomer incorporation were investigated. When the DMF pretreatment is carried out at high temperatures (above 120/sup 0/C), the swollen PET structure is stabilized by solvent-induced secondary crystallization. This substrate is highly suitable for the incorporation of vinyl monomers. In situ polymerization of vinyl monomers in DMF-treated PET was investigated using chemical and ..gamma..-irradiation polymerization techniques, both in the presence and in the absence of excess monomer outside the PET fibers. When polymerization was carried out in a system in which a constant supply of free radicals was available from the outside of the PET fibers, lower initiator concentrations and smaller ..gamma..-irradiation doses were necessary. These results are attributed to a low efficiency of the initiator inside the PET fiber due to mobility restrictions. Water uptake and moisture regain of PET yarns containing poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and poly(acrylic acid) were also investigated. When most of the vinyl polymer was inside the PET fiber, water absorption was limited. The changes in mechanical properties of the PET yarns resulting from the DMF pretreatment were partially reversed by in situ polymerization of vinyl monomers.
Flooded quarries for experimental work

Flooded quarries have some technical and economic advantages for underwater experimental work and for testing oceanographic equipment, particularly where explosions are involved or where wave action must be minimized. The quarries visited in and near New England are described.
Time-Dependent Alignment and Orientation of Molecules in Combined Electrostatic and Pulsed Nonresonant Laser Fields

We examine the time evolution of states created by the nonadiabatic interaction of a polar molecule with combined electrostatic and pulsed nonresonant laser fields and show that the orientation due to the electrostatic field alone can be greatly enhanced by restricting the angular amplitude of the molecule by the pulsed laser field. An analytic model indicates that in the short-pulse limit the interaction is governed by an impulsive transfer of action from the radiative field to the molecule.
Cost analysis of isolated mitral valve surgery in the United States.

Background Within the field of cardiac surgery, several strategies have been adopted in an effort to address contributors to increasing health care costs. Limited data are available on cost analysis within the field of mitral valve surgery. The purpose of our investigation was to analyze cost differences between mitral valve repair and replacement. Methods The analysis was based on the subset of patients with isolated mitral valve repair or replacement (International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision, clinical codes 35.12, 35.23, and 35.24) using data from the 2005 to 2008 Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, which is the largest all-payer database in the United States. We examined the selective contribution of patient demographics, hospital characteristics, and postoperative complications to cost by using hierarchical linear mixed models. We used mixed effects logistic regression models to identify factors that influence extreme cost expenditures in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery. Results Independent predictors of increased cost for both repair and replacement on multivariable analysis included increased age, prior myocardial infarction, heart failure, neurologic deficit, renal disease, emergent status, and Medicare or Medicaid insurance type. The presence of postoperative complications also predicted increased costs. However, the model for repair only yielded a reduction in variability of 13%, while the model for replacement produced a reduction of 22%. Conclusions In this analysis, the most important contributors to cost for mitral valve repair and replacement are preoperative patient comorbidities, most notably history of myocardial infarction and heart failure, emergent admission status, and postoperative complications. The variables in our model failed to account for a large proportion of the variability in cost. This would suggest that future analyses exploring differential procedure costs between hospitals must look for factors beyond patient baseline characteristics and postoperative outcomes.
Supramolecular assembly and surfactant behavior of triblock rod-coil amphiphiles at liquid interfaces using classical density functional theory

In the framework of Wertheim's perturbation theory we present a classical density functional theory for rod-coil molecules with one rigid block and one or two flexible blocks. The theory is validated against molecular simulation for the case of an amphiphilic molecule in a selective pore. The theory is then applied to study the interfacial properties of the oil–water interface in the presence of triblock rod-coil amphiphiles (TBRCA's) consisting of a center rigid hydrophobic rod portion with flexible hydrophilic tails attached to each end. It is shown that TBRCA's preferentially adsorb to the interface in either a parallel or perpendicular orientation. The fraction of TBRCA's in each orientation can be manipulated by varying the length of the flexible hydrophilic tails, temperature, length of the hydrophobic rod or the total number of TBRCA's at the interface. Also it is shown that the structural properties of TBRCA's can be adjusted to yield a broad range of surfactant behavior.
Exotic Axion Cosmology in Theories with Phase Transitions below the QCD Scale

We show that axion phenomenology may be significantly different than conventionally assumed in theories which exhibit late phase transitions (below the QCD scale). In such theories, one can find multiple pseudoscalars with axionlike couplings to matter, including a string scale axion, whose decay constant far exceeds the conventional cosmological bound. Such theories have several dark matter candidates.
Quantitative ultrasound of the calcaneus reflects the mechanical properties of calcaneal trabecular bone

To provide new information about the potential role of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) in fracture risk prediction, we assessed whether QUS and densitometric variables derived from measurements of intact cadaveric feet were associated with the mechanical properties of calcaneal trabecular bone. We obtained 31 intact cadaveric feet from the local anatomic gifts program, including 13 men and 18 women, with a mean age of 77 years (range 50–91 years). Broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and ultrasound transit velocity (SOS) were assessed in the intact cadaveric feet using a water-based ultrasound system. In addition, we measured the bone mineral density (BMD) of the posterior calcaneus using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Cubes of trabecular bone were then removed from the calcaneus at approximately the same location as the QUS measurements were obtained, and the elastic modulus and ultimate strength of the trabecular bone specimens were measured by compressing them in the mediolateral direction. We found that QUS variables were moderately to strongly correlated with the mechanical properties of calcaneal trabecular bone (r2 = 0.48–0.63, p < 0.001 for all). However, the strongest associations with the mechanical properties trabecular bone were provided by calcaneus BMD and trabecular bone apparent density (r2 = 0.66–0.88). BUA and densitometric measurements were independently associated with elastic modulus, but not with ultimate strength. Our results indicate that QUS measurements of the intact heel are associated with the mechanical properties of calcaneal trabecular bone and, in some cases, provide information in addition to that provided by BMD or density measurements.
Tools and techniques for large scale grading using Web-based commercial off-the-shelf software

Courseware/Course Management Systems (CMS) such as WebCT or Blackboard are an increasingly popular way to provide a web presence for a course. However, their current web-browser reliance makes it difficult for them to provide functionality that could be useful to computer science instructors. This paper describes our augmentation of a CMS in a large introductory computer science class. It further describes our enhancement of the CMS by clientside software (i.e. residing on the graders computer), written for use by the instructors and graders. Finally, it indicates how conventional CMS architecture can be extended to provide additional functionality that would be desirable for computer science instruction.
Electronic phase diagram of epitaxial La1−xSrxFeO3 films

The electronic phase diagram of epitaxial La1−xSrxFeO3 films is presented. The films were grown on SrTiO3 using molecular beam epitaxy with post-growth annealing to minimize oxygen vacancies. Insulating behavior is observed from x = 0–0.9, with metallic conduction only present for x = 1.0. While the La-rich compounds exhibit polaron conduction over all temperatures measured, the Sr-rich films exhibit an electronic phase transition within the compositional window of x = 0.49–0.9 as revealed by temperature-dependent resistivity measurements. The transition temperatures are found to decrease with increasing Sr content. The constructed phase diagram is discussed in the context of other 3d eg perovskite systems including manganites and cobaltites.
Intrinsic metrics for lattice ordered groups

Swamy and Jakubik studied the metric ¦x y¦ on lattice ordered groups, and isometries which presere it. We show the only intrinsic metrics on lattice ordered groups are the multiplesn ¦x−y ¦ of theirs, and that the triangle inequality is satisfied by such a metric iff the group is abelian. We show that there are isometries for each of these metrics, but they are rare. We give a simpler proof via permutation groups of the following augmented version of a theorem of Jakubik. IfT is an isometry of the lattice ordered groupG with respect to the metric ¦x¥¦ andT(0)=0, thenG=A⊕B, B is abelian, andT(a+b)=a−b; conversely, any suchT is an isometry.
Chemical stability and Ce doping of LiMgAlF6 neutron scintillator

Abstract Density functional calculations are performed to investigate LiMgAlF6 as a potential neutron scintillator material. The calculations of enthalpy of formation and phase diagram show that single-phase LiMgAlF6 can be grown but it should be more difficult than growing LiCaAlF6 and LiSrAlF6. The formation energy calculations for substitutional Ce show that the concentration of Ce on the Al site is negligible but a high concentration (>1 at.%) of Ce on the Mg site is attainable provided that the Fermi level is more than 5 eV lower than the conduction band minimum. Acceptor doping should promote Ce incorporation in LiMgAlF6.
Rural-urban migration and health: Evidence from longitudinal data in Indonesia

Previous studies on the impact of migration on health often face the difficulties of choosing the proper comparison group and addressing potential selection of migration. Using longitudinal data for 1997 and 2000 from Indonesia, this paper examines the effect of rural-urban migration on physical and psychological health, by (1) comparing the health of migrants with that of the appropriate group of comparison, people who remained in rural origins, and (2) studying health both prior to and after migration to adjust for possible selection bias. The research further explores various socioeconomic, psychosocial, and behavioral pathways mediating the migration effect. Results show that rural-urban labor migration increased the risk of psychological disorder as measured by depressive symptoms. This was largely a result of reduced social support due to family disruption, because the deleterious effect was particularly strong for migrants who moved alone and was negligible for migrants moving with family members. In contrast, migration had little impact on physical health in the medium term. This was largely attributed to the multiple offsetting influences of migration: migration improved economic status and living standards but led to increased work-related stressors and barriers to health utilization. In addition, despite earning higher income, migrants tend to underconsume and remit a large amount of earnings to original families, which hindered potential health gains from improved economic well-being.
Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy in Patients with AIDS Receiving Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

Recent reports suggest that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) may improve with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We observed three patients who developed PML while receiving HAART. All patients received HAART for 4-11 months and had low plasma levels of HIV-1 RNA before the onset of symptoms of PML. Antiretroviral therapy was changed in two patients, and their plasma HIV-1 RNA levels declined significantly. Despite this virologic response, PML did not improve in these patients. The third patient's HIV-1 RNA level became undetectable while he was receiving HAART, and his symptoms of PML improved after the addition of interferon alpha. Our observations suggest that PML can develop in patients who have shown clinical response to HAART. Furthermore, PML may not improve despite an adequate virologic response to HAART. Definitive therapy is still needed for PML.
Guerrillas and Civilian Participation: The National Resistance Army in Uganda, 1981-86

Guerrilla organisations vary greatly in their relations with civilians living in territories that they control. The NRA presents a rare, though not unique, case of a guerrilla group whose commitment to popular support deepened into democratic village management during the course of its civil war. The significant causal factors in deepening this commitment were its ideological conviction, relative military strength, dependence on civilian material assistance, and need for accommodation with civilian preferences in its operational area. It withdrew this commitment when it was under severe military pressure. Military survival was central to NRA calculations, but insufficient to determine its relations to civilians. In those phases of the war when the NRA soldiers were relatively secure, these other factors determined the type of civilian participation it supported. It organised clandestine civilian committees for assistance when it was dependent on civilians. During those periods when it held territory, it held elections for committees which managed their villages without NRA supervision.
Rigidity and conductivity percolation thresholds in particulate composites

Percolation threshold criteria for particulate composites are derived in terms of the average coordination number in the percolating cluster using the constraint theory of Phillips and Thorpe. Rigidity percolation threshold value depends on the nature of bonding at the contacts between particles. In the absence of any bonding at the contacts, the average coordination number at the rigidity percolation threshold is six. For completely bonded contacts, it is shown that the rigidity percolation threshold is equal to the conductivity percolation threshold and, in three-dimensions, the average coordination number at the threshold is 2.4 (2 in two-dimensions). The threshold criteria are converted to the number and the volume fractions of the percolating phase and the results are compared with available data. Results are also obtained for threshold values in continuum matrix composites.
Non-rigid point set registration: Coherent Point Drift

We introduce Coherent Point Drift (CPD), a novel probabilistic method for non-rigid registration of point sets. The registration is treated as a Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimation problem with motion coherence constraint over the velocity field such that one point set moves coherently to align with the second set. We formulate the motion coherence constraint and derive a solution of regularized ML estimation through the variational approach, which leads to an elegant kernel form. We also derive the EM algorithm for the penalized ML optimization with deterministic annealing. The CPD method simultaneously finds both the non-rigid transformation and the correspondence between two point sets without making any prior assumption of the transformation model except that of motion coherence. This method can estimate complex non-linear non-rigid transformations, and is shown to be accurate on 2D and 3D examples and robust in the presence of outliers and missing points.
Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Variation of Wolves (Canis lupus) in Southeast Alaska and Comparison with Wolves, Dogs, and Coyotes in North America

There is considerable interest in the genetics of wolves (Canis lupus) because of their close relationship to domestic dogs (C. familiaris) and the need for informed conservation and management. This includes wolf populations in Southeast Alaska for which we determined genotypes of 305 wolves at 173 662 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci. After removal of invariant and linked SNP, 123 801 SNP were used to quantify genetic differentiation of wolves in Southeast Alaska and wolves, coyotes (C. latrans ), and dogs from other areas in North America. There is differentiation of SNP allele frequencies between the species (wolves, coyotes, and dogs), although differentiation is relatively low between some wolf and coyote populations. There are varying levels of differentiation among populations of wolves, including low differentiation of wolves in interior Alaska, British Columbia, and the northern US Rocky Mountains. There is considerable differentiation of SNP allele frequencies of wolves in Southeast Alaska from wolves in other areas. However, wolves in Southeast Alaska are not a genetically homogeneous group and there are comparable levels of genetic differentiation among areas within Southeast Alaska and between Southeast Alaska and other geographic areas. SNP variation and other genetic data are discussed regarding taxonomy and management.
Time-average and time-dependent parts of core flow

Abstract We infer fluid motions below the core–mantle boundary by inverting geomagnetic secular variation data over a 150 years, assuming helical-geostrophic flow. We obtain snapshot images of core flow at 5-year intervals, which we combine to give time-average and time-dependent parts of the motion over this time interval. The most prominent time-average flow structure is a large anti-cyclonic vortex in the southern hemisphere beneath the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The time-average zonal core flow outside the inner core tangent cylinder is significantly westward in the southern hemisphere but nearly zero in the northern hemisphere. Westward polar vortices occur inside the tangent cylinder in both hemispheres, particularly in the north. In terms of mantle versus core origins, mantle driving appears to be responsible for the mid-latitude asymmetry in the zonal core flow, whereas core driving appears to be responsible for the flow at high latitudes. We also compare changes in the core’s angular momentum calculated from our time-dependent core flow with changes in the mantle’s angular momentum derived from decade-scale length-of-day variations and find adequate agreement. A fit of our time-dependent core flow to a torsional oscillations model yields dominant periods of 110 and 53 years.
Romantic Attitudes of American University Students

To identify attitudes toward romantic behavior among college students and to construct an instrument which measures those attitudes two phases of a romantic attitude survey were administered in suc...
An ultrasensitive tool exploiting hydration dynamics to decipher weak lipid membrane-polymer interactions.

We introduce a newly developed tool, 1 H Overhauser Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (ODNP), to sensitively explore weak macromolecular interactions by site-specifically probing the modulation of the translational dynamics of hydration water at the interaction interface, in the full presence of bulk water. Here, ODNP is employed on an illustrative example of a membrane-active triblock copolymer, poloxamer 188 (P188), which is known to restore the integrity of structurally compromised cell membranes. We observe a distinct change in the translational dynamics of the hydration layer interacting with the lipid membrane surface and the bilayer-interior as P188 is added to a solution of lipid vesicles, but no measurable changes in the dynamics or structure of the lipid membranes. This study shows that hydration water is an integral constituent of a lipid membrane system, and demonstrates for the first time that the modulation of its translational diffusivity can sensitively report on weak polymer–membrane interactions, as well as mediate essential lipid membrane functions. ODNP holds much promise as a unique tool to unravel molecular interactions at interfaces even in the presence of bulk water under ambient conditions.
Comparability of the WPPSI-R and the S-B:IV among Preschool Children:

This study sought to establish concurrent validity between the Stanford-Binet: Fourth Edition (S-B:IV) and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI-R). Both tests were administered in a counterbalanced order to 30 preschool children who were attending a summer enrichment program. The results indicated that the Full-Scale IQ of the WPPSI-R and the Composite SAS of the S-B:IV yielded similar scores. Additional findings suggest that although no significant differences existed between the abstract/visual scales of both measures, a significant difference did exist between the two verbal scales. Analysis that compared the S-B:IV Factor scores to WPPSI-R IQs found the same pattern of results. The practical implications of these findings, and their usefulness for school psychologists who work with preschool-aged children, are discussed.