cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhancing autonomous motivation of students should be an integral part of the educational philosophy of a medical school.

Dear SirI read your inspiring article “Ten key features of the future medical school – not an impossible dream” with great interest and agree with your recommendations (Harden 2018).If we want any ...
Reliability of Unidirectional Composites Using Genetic Algorithms

A number of very successful techniques exist for the estimation of structural reliability under the general headings of first order or second order reliability methods (FORM/SORM). However, these methods rely heavily on gradient search methods for estimation of the safety index. When the failure region can be explicitly defined and is adequately understood, these methods perform extremely well. However, when the limit state function is particularly complex or the design variables are not continuous in support, then gradient search methods are at best difficult and often impossible to apply. This situation occurs frequently when investigating optimal design strategies. Other analysis methods based upon Monte Carlo simulation can be used to estimate probability of exceeding the limit state but lack the sensitivity information and other insights that use of a safety index provide. An alternative method is proposed here based upon genetic algorithms. The method is fundamentally a search method; exploring the interaction between the limit state function and the design variables. Emphasis in this paper is on the application of this method in determining the optimal fiber orientations in a unidirectional composite using the Tsai-Wu failure criteria.
Electroencephalograph (EEG) study of brain bistable illusion

Bistable illusion reflects two different kinds of interpretations for a single image, which is currently known as a competition between two groups of antagonism of neurons. Recent research indicates that these two groups of antagonism of neurons express different comprehension, while one group is emitting a pulse, the other group will be restrained. On the other hand, when this inhibition mechanism becomes weaker, the other antagonism neurons group will take over the interpretation. Since attention plays key roles controlling cognition, is highly interesting to find the location and frequency band used by brain (with either top-down or bottom-up control) to reach deterministic visual perceptions. In our study, we used a 16-channel EEG system to record brain signals from subjects while conducting bistable illusion testing. An extra channel of the EEG system was used for temporal marking. The moment when subjects reach a perception switch, they click the channel and mark the time. The recorded data were presented in form of brain electrical activity map (BEAM) with different frequency bands for analysis. It was found that the visual cortex in the on the right side between parietal and occipital areas was controlling the switching of perception. In the periods with stable perception, we can constantly observe all the delta, theta, alpha and beta waves. While the period perception is switching, almost all theta, alpha, and beta waves were suppressed by delta waves. This result suggests that delta wave may control the processing of perception switching.
Spinal Angulation: A Limitation of the Fetal Lamb Model of Myelomeningocele.

INTRODUCTION The surgically induced fetal lamb model is the most commonly used large animal model of myelomeningocele (MMC) but is subject to variation due to surgical technique during defect creation. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty-one fetal lambs underwent creation of the MMC defect, followed by defect repair with either an extracellular matrix (ECM) patch (n = 10) or ECM seeded with placental mesenchymal stromal cells (n = 21). Postnatal hindlimb function was assessed using the Sheep Locomotor Rating (SLR) scale. Postmortem magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine was used to measure the level and degree of spinal angulation, as well as cross-sectional area of remaining vertebral bone. RESULTS Median level of angulation was between the 2nd and 3rd lumbar vertebrae, with a median angle of 24.3 degrees (interquartile range 16.2-35.3). There was a negative correlation between angulation degree and SLR (r = -0.44, p = 0.013). Degree of angulation also negatively correlated with the normalized cross-sectional area of remaining vertebral bone (r = -0.75, p < 0.0001). DISCUSSION Surgical creation of fetal MMC leads to varying severity of spinal angulation in the ovine model, which affects postnatal functional outcomes. Postnatal assessment of spinal angulation aids in standardization of the surgical model of fetal MMC repair.
The role of WNT10B in normal prostate gland development and prostate cancer

Background WNT signaling is implicated in embryonic development, and in adult tissue homeostasis, while its deregulation is evident in disease. This study investigates the unique roles of canonical WNT10B in both normal prostate development and prostate cancer (PCa) progression. Methods Organ culture and rat ventral prostates (VPs) were used to study Wnt10b ontogeny and growth effect of WNT10B protein. PB-SV40 LTag rat VPs were utilized for Wnt expression polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array and immunohistochemistry. Human localized PCa tissue microarrays (TMAs) were investigated for differential WNT10B expression. Human RNA-seq data sets were queried for differential expression of WNT10B in metastatic and localized PCa. Knockdown of WNT10B in PC3 cells was utilized to study its effects on proliferation, stemness, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and xenograft propagation. Results Wnt10b expression was highest at birth and rapidly declined in the postnatal rat VP. Exogenous WNT10B addition to culture developing VPs decreased growth suggesting an antiproliferative role. VPs from PB-SV40 LTag rats with localized PCa showed a 25-fold reduction in Wnt10b messenger RNA (mRNA) expession, confirmed at the protein level. Human PCa TMAs revealed elevated WNT10B protein in prostate intraepithelial neoplasia compared with normal prostates but reduced levels in localized PCa specimens. In contrast, RNA-seq data set of annotated human PCa metastasis found a significant increase in WNT10B mRNA expression compared with localized tumors suggesting stage-specific functions of WNT10B. Similarly, WNT10B mRNA levels were increased in metastatic cell lines PC3, PC3M, as well as in HuSLC, a PCa stem-like cell line, as compared with disease-free primary prostate epithelial cells. WNT10B knockdown in PC3 cells reduced expression of EMT genes, MMP9 and stemness genes NANOG and SOX2 and markedly reduced the stem cell-like side population. Furthermore, loss of WNT10B abrogated the ability of PC3 cells to propagate tumors via serial transplantation. Conclusions Taken together, these results suggest a dual role for WNT10B in normal development and in PCa progression with opposing functions depending on disease stage. We propose that decreased WNT10B levels in localized cancer allow for a hyperproliferative state, whereas increased levels in advanced disease confer a stemness and malignant propensity which is mitigated by knocking down WNT10B levels. This raises the potential for WNT10B as a novel target for therapeutic intervention in metastatic PCa.
Differential neurocognitive network perturbation in amnestic and aphasic Alzheimer disease

Objective To determine if Alzheimer disease (AD) is associated with aphasic rather than amnestic dementias in certain circumstances related in part to perturbations in different networks. Methods Three groups were investigated: 14 participants suspected of having the neuropathology of AD based on clinically diagnosed amnestic dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT), 26 individuals with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) with either a positive 18F-florbetapir amyloid PET scan or confirmed AD at autopsy, and 26 neurologically intact controls. The groups were compared using rs-fMRI. Seeds included the left hemisphere inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) for the language network, the left hippocampus for the episodic memory network, and the left posterior cingulate for the default mode network (DMN). Results Greater connectivity perturbations were found from the hippocampus for the DAT group and from the IFG for the PPA group. Furthermore, connectivity alterations in the PPA group were more asymmetric and favored the language-dominant left hemisphere. Loss of connectivity from the DMN seed was of a similar magnitude in the PPA and DAT groups. Conclusions Despite the presumptive common underlying neuropathology of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, the 2 groups displayed 2 different patterns of network perturbation, each concordant with the clinical presentation and the anatomy of neurodegeneration.
Estimating the Effects of Fine Particulate Matter on 432 Cardiovascular Diseases Using Multi-Outcome Regression With Tree-Structured Shrinkage

The positive relationship between airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is established. Little is known about effect size heterogeneity across distinct CVD outco...
Clinical analysis on 30 cases of emergency obstetric hysterectomy

Objective To compare and analyze the emergency obstetric hysterectomy in the four years from January 2010 to December 2013,so as to master the surgical indications and reduce the incidence of obstetrical emergency hysterectomy.Method We retrospectively analyzed 30 patients admitted in our hospital from January 2010 to December 2013.Results Firstly,the rate of caesarean section in 2013 was obviously higher than those in 2010-2012,but the incidence of the emergency obstetric hysterectomy in 2013 didn' t go up; secondly,the main indications of emergency obstetric hysterectomy were placental factors (70％); thirdly,both the using of plugging the yarn in vagina and the usage rate of Bakri balloon in 2013 were significantly higher than those in the three years from January 2010 to December 2012,(x 2=1001.36,39.65,P=0.000,0.000); fourthly,the incidence of the emergency obstetric hysterectomy and the rate of postpartum hemorrhage in 2013 were both obviously lower those in the three years from January 2010 to December 2012 (x 2=16.56,3.26,P=0.000,0.039).Conclusion Firstly,we should prevent the occurrence of abnormal placenta in order to reduce the incidence of obstetrical emergency hysterectomy; secondly,the use of Bakri balloon could advance the success rate of the rescue of postpartum bleeding,and reduce the referral rate; thirdly,the using of plugging the yarn in vagina could reduce the rate of postpartum hemorrhage; fourthly,the lower rate of the postpartum hemorrhage and the usage of Bakri balloon both could reduce the incidence of obstetrical emergency hysterectomy. Key words: Obstetrical emergency hysterectomy; Bakri balloon; Reduce
Long term crop rotation effect on subsequent soybean yield explained by soil and root-associated microbiomes and soil health indicators

Crop rotation is an important management tactic that farmers use to manage crop production and reduce pests and diseases. Long-term crop rotations may select groups of microbes that form beneficial or pathogenic associations with the following crops, which could explain observed crop yield differences with different crop sequences. To test this hypothesis, we used two locations each with four long-term (12–14-year), replicated, rotation treatments: continuous corn (CCC), corn/corn/soybean (SCC), corn/soybean (CSC), and soybean/corn (SCS). Afterwards, soybean was planted, and yield and soil health indicators, bulk soil microbiome, and soybean root-associated microbiome were assessed. Soybean yields, as well as soil protein, and POXC as soil health indicators were higher following CCC than in the other three treatments at both locations. A bacterial taxon in family JG30-KF-AS9 was enriched in CCC, whereas Microvirga, Rhodomicrobium, and Micromonosporaceae were enriched in SCS. Several ascomycetes explain lowered yield as soybean pathogens in SCS. Surprisingly, Tumularia, Pyrenochaetopsis and Schizothecium were enriched in soybean roots after CCC, suggesting corn pathogens colonizing soybean roots as nonpathogens. Our finding of associations between soil health indicators related to microbiomes and soybean yield has wide-ranging implications, opening the possibility of manipulating microbiomes to improve crop yield potential.
Evaluation of the Cost-effectiveness of Doublet Therapy in Metastatic BRAF Variant Colorectal Cancer.

Importance The BEACON trial showed that combination therapy with encorafenib (BRAF inhibitor) and cetuximab (EGFR inhibitor) was associated with prolonged overall survival compared with standard chemotherapy in patients with metastaticBRAFvariant colorectal cancer. However, the cost-effectiveness of using these agents in this clinical setting is unknown. Objective To create a cost-effectiveness model to compare doublet therapy (encorafenib plus cetuximab) with standard chemotherapy (cetuximab plus irinotecan or cetuximab plus folinic acid, fluorouracil, and irinotecan) in treating patients with metastaticBRAFvariant colorectal cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants This economic evaluation constructed a Markov model to compare the lifetime cost and utility of doublet therapy and standard chemotherapy. Parametric survival modeling was used to extrapolate the effectiveness of each line of therapy from large clinical trials. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses assessed the uncertainty in the model. Patients mirrored the cohorts in the BEACON trial: they had metastaticBRAFvariant colorectal cancer and were followed up as they progressed through multiple lines of therapy, best supportive care, and death. Data collection and data analysis were performed from November 15, 2019, to July 14, 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, which was calculated using the cumulative cost and effectiveness in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), of doublet therapy compared with standard chemotherapy. Results The model patient cohort had a mean age of 61 years, and 53% of the patients were women, 66% had 1 previous line of therapy, and 8% had high microsatellite instability. Doublet therapy was associated with an improvement of 0.15 QALYs compared with standard chemotherapy. However, the incremental cost of doublet therapy was $78 233, leading to an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $523 374 per QALY gained. Concomitant decreases in the price of encorafenib and cetuximab are needed to achieve cost-effectiveness at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $150 000 per QALY gained. Conclusions and Relevance This study found that doublet therapy for metastaticBRAFvariant colorectal cancer was unlikely to be cost-effective under current pricing. Cost-effectiveness needs to be considered in clinical trial design, particularly when combining new therapies with non-cost-effective treatments that are coadministered without a fixed duration.
Clinical Outcomes and Technical Approach of Thymectomy in the Veterans Health Administration.

Abstract Background Thymectomy is traditionally performed via transsternal incision, but less invasive modalities have emerged, including transcervical, thoracoscopic, and robotic approaches. Despite the advantages of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS) over thoracotomy, most thymectomies are performed via sternotomy. This study compared the utilization and 30-day post-operative outcomes of transsternal, transcervical, and VATS thymectomy in the Veterans Health Administration. Methods This was a retrospective review of veterans that underwent thymectomy via the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program. 30-day outcomes were compared between techniques, adjusting for confounding covariates. Temporal trends were analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, rho(ρ). Results From 2008-2019, 594 thymectomies were performed: 376(63.3%) transsternal, 113(19.0%) VATS(including robotic approaches), and 105(17.7%) transcervical cases. VATS utilization increased from 0% in 2008 to 61% of case volume in 2019. Relative to transsternal technique, VATS thymectomy was associated with decreased odds of pulmonary complications (adjusted odds ratio=0.06;p=0.028) and shorter hospital stay (2.9±0.4 days shorter;p Conclusions Transsternal approach comprised most thymectomy cases amongst veterans, while VATS thymectomy utilization increased over time and was associated with favorable outcomes. 30-day outcomes after thymectomy improved over time, which may reflect a trend towards wider utilization of less invasive approaches. Future studies should examine long-term outcomes.
Quality With a Human Face? The Samuels Planetree Model Hospital Unit

Article-at-a-Glance Background Hospitals across the country are seeking to restructure the delivery of care. Planetree, an international consumer health care organization, works with hospitals to cultivate educated health care consumers and to create caring inpatient environments. This article gives an overview of Planetree's philosophy, examines staff and patient satisfaction, and contrasts Planetree with total quality management (TQM)/continuous quality improvement (CQI) as practiced at one hospital. Planetree’s philosophy Planetrees model differs from other patient-centered or patient-focused care models because of its emphasis on educating patients and making them active partners in the care process. To help make the hospital environment less forbidding, more homelike, and more conducive to social interaction, Planetree physically redesigns the hospital space. Study results Planetree hopes to achieve many goals with its restructuring of patient care, two of which are staff and patient satisfaction. Preliminary surveys indicate that nurses and nursing assistants on Planetree are more satisfied than are staff on comparable units. The results of patient surveys, however, are more ambiguous. Planetree patients are no more, or no less, satisfied with their care than patients on comparable units. Discussion Both Planetree and TQM/CQI have goals of improving the delivery of patient care, and there are times when these approaches work in concert. There are times, however, when the different vantage points of TQM/CQI and Planetree may raise different questions and foster different solutions. Questions are also raised regarding whether Planetree benefits all patients in the same way. Furthermore, since it is not clear if Planetree's vision of humanizing patient care brings the results it hopes for, a long-term multifaceted research program is called for.
Predictors of mortality following symptomatic pulmonary embolism in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.

To determine 30-day mortality and predictors of mortality following perioperative pulmonary embolism (PE). We searched both the Mayo Clinic electronic medical records and Autopsy Registry, between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2001, for patients who developed PE within 30 days after noncardiac surgery performed under general or neuraxial anesthesia. Medical records of all identified patients were reviewed using standardized data collection forms. The association between risk factors for PE and 30-day post-PE mortality was assessed using t tests, exact binomial tests, and logistic regression. We identified 158 patients with probable or definite perioperative PE. The overall 30-day mortality from the day of PE was 25.3%, i.e., 40 patients died. Hypotension requiring treatment, need for mechanical ventilation, and intensive care unit admission were the prominent univariate predictors of 30-day mortality (all P ≤ 0.001). Other significant factors were exact bi normal tests, and higher ASA physical status (P = 0.002), longer surgical time (P = 0.030), recent central vein cannulation (P = 0.021) and intraoperative use of either blood transfusions or other blood products (P = 0.010). Using multi-variable analysis, hemodynamic instability was found to be the dominant independent risk factor associated with mortality. Perioperative PE is associated with a high 30-day mortality. Patients who experience hemodynamic instability and require vasoactive treatment at presentation of PE have extremely low survival rates; therefore, for these patients the most aggressive therapeutic modalities should be considered.
Treatment of patients with stage IV cancer: do the ends justify the means?

Most experienced head and neck surgeons recommend aggressive treatment-Including radical surgery—for patients with resectable Stage IV cancers. Yet, given the poor overall cure rate of 15% and the deformity and disability often associated with treatment, one of the most frequently asked questions at our conference on tumors was: Are we really helping these patients? We found little data in the relevant literature to answer this or other questions. Are there subgroups with a better outlook? What is the evidence for palliation in the 85% of patients who fail treatment and how is it best achieved? How do patients and their families view their treatment In retrospect? To find the answers, we studied the records of 76 consecutive patients (previously untreated) who presented with Stage IV carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract in 1981–82. We also interviewed surviving patients or family members and friends by phone. Overall mean survival was 15 months, with a 2-year disease-free survival rate of 16%. More ...
Capitalizing on Culture: How Cultural Capital Shapes Educational Experiences and Outcomes

Social reproduction theory suggests that the educational system perpetuates inequality by rewarding the cultural capital of students from privileged social classes. This article reviews the empirical evidence for this view of education, highlighting debates in the field and directions for future research. Questions of exactly what cultural attributes constitute cultural capital, why cultural capital is linked to improved educational outcomes, and what kinds of students benefit from cultural capital are addressed.
Access and Availability

AbstractArt museum libraries provide unparalleled resources to the interested user. While specialized researchers have long been aware of these collections, the general public has not necessarily known of their existence and accessibility. With the advent of the web and the digitization of collections, institutions have the opportunity to increase a collection's visibility. However, increased visibility does not inherently translate into increased accessibility or use. New patrons may not be aware of the norms associated with special research collections and may be intimidated by the process of accessing information. Using a codebook to perform content analysis, this study quantitatively evaluates use and visiting policies on art museum library web pages. By studying the existence of these policies, the author hopes to explore one aspect of library accessibility and provide librarians and museum professionals with a framework for understanding the utility of making these policies publicly available.
Primeval Galaxies, the IGM, and the QSO-protogalaxy Connection

The other members of this panel are far more knowledgable than I about galaxy evolution and the nature of the faint galaxy population. Thus, rather than address the main panel discussion topics head-on, I will instead briefly summarize some of the things we may be able to learn about the universe at high redshift from the study of two classes of objects that I know something about: AGNs at high redshift and starburst galaxies at low redshift. I will organize my remarks around several of the questions the panel has been asked to address.
The effect of texturized vegetable protein containing soy carbohydrate on oroileal transit of chromic oxide in cannulated dogs

Texturized vegetable protein (TVP) from soy is widely used in dog foods but contains indigestible carbohydrate, which may affect intestinal transit. This study was conducted to determine whether TVP affects oroileal transit of the marker chromic oxide (Cr2O3). Four canned diets with Cr2O3 added were fed to eight cannulated mixed-breed dogs in a Latin-square design. The four diets contained reciprocal proportions of protein from TVP (0 to 57%) and from beef (100 to 43%). Ileal effluent was collected during wk 3 of each diet period, prececal apparent digestibility was measured on d 1 to 3 (eight dogs), and rate of appearance of Cr2O3 and chyme was measured on d 4 (six dogs). There was a postprandial delay before any chyme or Cr2O3 was collected, but from 2 to 8 h postprandially the rate of excretion was almost constant (approximately 11%/h). As TVP increased, mean prececal digestibility of protein and carbohydrate decreased from 77 to 71% and from 80 to 62%, respectively. Chyme excretion from 2 to 8 h postprandially increased from 5.8 to 8.3 g DM/h (P < .0001) as TVP increased but times for transit of Cr2O3 and appearance of chyme (as percentage total collected/hour) did not change. Mean times to first appearance and 15, 50, and 95% excretion were 76, 160, 347, and 707 min for Cr2O3 and 60, 147, 338, and 712 min for chyme, respectively. Mean Cr2O3 recovery was 93%. In conclusion, small intestinal transit of Cr2O3 was unaffected by increasing dietary TVP despite marked changes in carbohydrate digestibility.
Cytochrome P-450 metabolites mediate extracellular Ca(2+)-induced inhibition of apical K+ channels in the TAL

We used the patch-clamp technique to study the effect of extracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+o) on the activity of the apical 70-pS K+ channel in the isolated split-open thick ascending limb (TAL) of the rat kidney. Raising Ca2+o from 1.1 to 5 mM reversibly reduced the activity of the 70-pS K+ channel in cell-attached patches to 16 +/- 2% of the control value within 300 s. In addition, 50 microM neomycin mimicked the effect of an increase in Ca2+o on channel activity in cell-attached patches and completely inhibited channel activity. The effect of neomycin on the channel activity in cell-attached patches is an indirect effect, since addition of 50 microM neomycin on the 70-pS K+ channel in inside-out patches reduced only the apparent amplitude of the channel current without changing channel open probability. We examined further the role of protein kinase C (PKC) and the cytochrome P-450-dependent metabolites of arachidonic acid in mediating the Ca2+o -induced inhibition of channel activity. Addition of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (2 microM) reversibly blocked channel activity in cell-attached patches to 4 +/- 1% of the control value, whereas 75 nM calphostin C increased the channel activity by 115 +/- 10%. Moreover, addition of 1 nM exogenous PKC reversibly and completely inhibited the 70-pS K+ channel. However, inhibition of PKC with calphostin C (75 nM) only slightly prolonged the time course of the effect of Ca2+o on channel activity (370 +/- 40 s) and failed to abolish the inhibitory effect of 5 mM Ca2+o on channel activity in cell-attached patches, indicating that PKC was not mainly responsible for the effect of Ca2+o on channel activity. In contrast, the effect of 5 mM Ca2+o on the apical 70-pS K+ channel was completely abolished when TAL tubules were first incubated in the 17-octadecynoic acid (5 microM)-containing solution, an agent that specifically blocks cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase. In conclusion, these data indicate that Ca2+o is an important regulator of the apical 70-pS K+ channel and that a cytochrome P-450-dependent metabolite of arachidonic acid is involved in mediating this inhibitory effect.
SU-E-T-24: Development and Implementation of an Automated Algorithm to Determine Radiation Isocenter, Radiation vs. Light Field Coincidence, and Analyze Strip Tests.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop a phantom and analysis software that could be used to quickly and accurately determine the location of radiation isocenter using the Electronic Portal Imaging Device(EPID). The phantom could then be used as a static reference point for performing other tests including: radiation vs. light field coincidence, MLC and Jaw strip tests, and Varian Optical Guidance Platform (OGP) calibration.Methods: The solution proposed uses a collimator setting of 10×10 cm to acquire EPIDimages of the new phantom constructed from LEGO® blocks. Images from a number of gantry and collimator angles are analyzed by the software to determine the position of the jaws and center of the phantom in each image. The distance between a chosen jaw and the phantom center is then compared to the same distance measured after a 180 degree collimator rotation to determine if the phantom is centered in the dimension being investigated. The accuracy of the algorithm's measurements were verified by independent measurement to be approximately equal to the detector's pitch. Light versus radiation field as well as MLC and Jaw strip tests are performed using measurements based on the phantom center once located at the radiation isocenter. Results: Reproducibility tests show that the algorithm's results were objectively repeatable. Additionally, the phantom and software are completely independent of linac vendor and this study presents results from two major linac manufacturers. An OGP calibration array was also integrated into the phantom to allow calibration of the OGP while the phantom is positioned at radiation isocenter to reduce setup uncertainty contained in the calibration.Conclusions: This solution offers a quick, objective method to perform isocenter localization as well as laser alignment, OGP calibration, and other tests on a monthly basis.
Preventing avoidable stockouts: the impact of item‐level RFID in retail

Purpose – This paper aims to characterize some of the operational benefits of item‐level radio‐frequency identification (RFID) in a retail environment.Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines a retail store operation with backroom and shelf stock under the assumption of multiple replenishment and sales periods. Backroom stock is replenished according to a periodic‐review order‐up to policy and shelf stock is replenished continually from the backroom. Backroom replenishment decisions are made based on demand forecasts that are updated in each sales period based on previous sales. The influence of item‐level RFID is two‐fold: first, it directly affects the number of products sold through the efficiency and effectiveness of the backroom‐to‐shelf replenishment process. Second, it indirectly affects the retailer's demand forecast: ceteris paribus, more products sold mean a higher demand forecast, which means a higher order‐up to level in the backroom.Findings – This study confirms that the direct effec...
Minimal multi-element stochastic collocation for uncertainty quantification of discontinuous functions

We propose a multi-element stochastic collocation method that can be applied in high-dimensional parameter space for functions with discontinuities lying along manifolds of general geometries. The key feature of the method is that the parameter space is decomposed into multiple elements defined by the discontinuities and thus only the minimal number of elements are utilized. On each of the resulting elements the function is smooth and can be approximated using high-order methods with fast convergence properties. The decomposition strategy is in direct contrast to the traditional multi-element approaches which define the sub-domains by repeated splitting of the axes in the parameter space. Such methods are more prone to the curse-of-dimensionality because of the fast growth of the number of elements caused by the axis based splitting. The present method is a two-step approach. Firstly a discontinuity detector is used to partition parameter space into disjoint elements in each of which the function is smooth. The detector uses an efficient combination of the high-order polynomial annihilation technique along with adaptive sparse grids, and this allows resolution of general discontinuities with a smaller number of points when the discontinuity manifold is low-dimensional. After partitioning, an adaptive technique based on the least orthogonal interpolant is used to construct a generalized Polynomial Chaos surrogate on each element. The adaptive technique reuses all information from the partitioning and is variance-suppressing. We present numerous numerical examples that illustrate the accuracy, efficiency, and generality of the method. When compared against standard locally-adaptive sparse grid methods, the present method uses many fewer number of collocation samples and is more accurate.
Experimental characterization of interphase mechanical properties of composites

The interphase properties greatly affect the compressive strength of thick composite materials. To characterize the interphase properties, a SIEM (Speckle Interferometry with Electron Microscopy) technique is established. Its capability is demonstrated by an application for determining the effective Young's modulus of the interphase of a metal matrix composite SCS-6/Ti-6-4.
Combined effects in toxicology--a rapid systematic testing procedure: cadmium, mercury, and lead.

A testing procedure is described for the assessment of the toxicological response (e.g., acute toxicity or mutagenicity) of any combination and number of chemical, physical, and biological agents, with no more effort for a particular combination than for a single agent. The method provides a simple, sensitive, and quantitative index of synergism, antagonism, and additivity, and it has been demonstrated experimentally in rats by determining the acute lethality of combinations of cadmium, mercury, and lead salts. In a combination of two metal salts, the dose of one metal of the pair was fixed at or near the no-effect level while the dose of the second metal was increased until the entire dose-response curve was obtained. To evaluate interactions of the three metals, the previous pair of metals were kept fixed at their combined extrapolated LD1 level, and the third metal was increased. The statistical treatment of the data employed a computer program that did not involve probit transformations, but rather the approximate linear relationship between the fractional response and the logarithm of the dose. A particular combination could be synergistic, antagonistic, or additive, depending on the relative doses employed. Generally, a combination was synergistic when the most toxic member was present at or near its LD1 dose in the presence of the much less toxic member; the same combination was protective when the least toxic member was present at or near its LD1 dose. The results clarify apparently contradictory reports regarding the biological effects of metal combinations. The application of the testing procedure to combinations of mutagens is described, and an example is cited involving, for a particular bacterial mutagen, a combination of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine with ethylmethanesulfonate.
Tissue distribution of 14C- and 35S-captopril in rats after intravenous and oral administration.

1. 35S-Captopril (50mg/kg) administered i.v. to rats resulted in radioactivity being widely distributed into highly vascular tissues and into excretory organs.2. After oral administration of 14C-captopril (50mg/kg), radioactivity in most tissues declined at a rate similar to that in blood. Concn. greater than those in blood were found only in kidney, liver and lung. The high concn. of 14C in kidney and liver were due to the excretory role of these organs. The high concn. of 14C in lung may be due to the high binding affinity of captopril to angiotensin-converting enzyme, present in large quantity in lung.
On failure modeling

Abstract : A promising approach to failure modeling, in particular to developing failure-time distributions, is discussed. Under this approach, system state or wear and tear is modeled by an approximately chosen random process, eg, a diffusion process; and the occurrences of fatal shocks are modeled by a Poisson process whose rate function is state dependent. The system is said to fail when either wear and tear accumulates beyond in acceptable or safe level or a fatal shock occurs. This approach has significant merit. First it provides revealing new insights into most of the famous and frequently used lifetime distributions in reliability theory. Moreover, it suggests intuitively appealing ways for enhancing those standard models. Indeed, this approach provides a means of representing the underlying dynamics inherent in failure processes. Reasonable postulates for the dynamics of failure should lend credence to prediction and estimation of reliability, maintainability, and availability. In other words, accuracy of representation could lead to better, more reliable prediction of failure. (Author)
Watershed infarcts in the fetal and neonatal brainstem. An aetiology of central hypoventilation, dysphagia, Möbius syndrome and micrognathia

Watershed zone infarcts of the human cerebral cortex at the overlapping junctions of the anterior and middle cerebral arterial territories are well known. Another watershed zone exists in the brainstem tegmentum, between the terminal perfusion zones of the paramedian penetrating and long circumferential arteries, which are paired segmental vessels arising from the basilar artery. The vertebrobasilar circulation achieves its mature configuration and caudorostral flow by 9 weeks gestation. Systemic hypotension and other conditions of reduced basilar perfusion in the fetus, either early or late in gestation, may result in symmetrical longitudinal columns of infarction in the midbrain and tegmentum of the pons and medulla oblongata and laminar necrosis of the midbrain tectum. Within this zone are cranial nerve nuclei III-XII, the nucleus and tractus solitarius or central pneumotaxic center, as well as the nucleus ambiguus and other somatic motor nuclei that subserve muscles of swallowing, mastication and tongue movement. Watershed infarcts in the human fetal and neonatal brainstem are clinically expressed as multiple cranial neuropathies, failure of central respiratory drive and apnea, dysphagia and aspiration, Mobius syndrome and Pierre Robin sequence. MRI is sometimes helpful, but most of the involved neuroanatomical structures are beneath the resolution of present imaging techniques, and the diagnosis during life depends upon clinical neurological examination of the neonate, sometimes supported by evoked potential studies. Postmortem examination confirms the diagnosis and dates the lesions, but also contributes to better understand transient or persistent vascular insufficiencies in the fetal and neonatal brainstem.
Distributed debugging: network analysis tools

Abstract Testing and fault analysis of embedded computer systems is a tricky business, and distribution of the system makes it much more complicated. This paper sets up a framework for debugging computer networks and demonstrates feasible techniques that can detect a subset of network faults. It integrates an analysis tool called Executable Models into the network throughout its life cycle. This tool is demonstrated through performance analysis and the bottleneck detection of an X.25 protocol. This paper advocates the need for in-advance design for testability of distributed systems.
Predicting the Duration of Lactation: Evidence from a National Survey

: Background: Despite caregiver and policy support for breastfeeding, rates for initiation and duration of breastfeeding fell far short of Healthy People 2000 goals during the 1980s. Methods: Data from the 1988 National Maternal-Infant Health Survey, collected from January 1989 through June 1991, were analyzed to examine predictors of duration of lactation for a sample of 2372 breastfeeding women. We conducted comparisons between women who fully breastfed and those who partially breastfed using logistic regression analysis. Results: Mothers were more likely to breastfeed for longer than six months if they fully breastfed during the first month postpartum, were nonsmokers, were of higher parity, were consistent in their prenatal intent to breastfeed fully or partially and in their postpartum behaviors, participated in childbirth education classes, and delayed their return to work postpartum. Conclusions: In this study sample, although rates did not meet Healthy People 2000 goals for duration of breastfeeding, some predictors of duration were identified that can be affected by programmatic support or public policy. Our findings indicated that variables that are associated with breastfeeding and longer duration of the practice are typically correlated with social status. To support the development of breastfeeding as the cultural norm, interventions targeting breastfeeding outcomes should consider social status, ethnicity, and cultural factors.
Expression of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor in prostate cancer and treatment implications with tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

The platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) is a receptor tyrosine kinase overexpressed in a subset of solid tumors and therefore is the target of drugs inhibiting this function such as imatinib mesylate (Gleevec). Thus far, drug therapy has played a limited role in the treatment of localized prostate cancer (PCa). This study characterizes PDGFR-β expression in a wide spectrum of PCa samples to provide empirical data as part of a rational treatment strategy. A survey of five published prostate expression array studies, including 100 clinically localized PCa, did not identify tumors with increased PDGFR-β expression level. Protein expression of PDGFR-β, as determined by immunohistochemistry, revealed 5% of clinically localized PCa and 16% of metastatic PCa cases to show moderate or strong expression. To develop a strategy to detect patients most likely to profit from Gleevec treatment, we analyzed cDNA expression array data from 10,000 transcripts for PDGFR-β expression and divided tumors in groups based on PDGFR-β expression level. Performing a supervised analysis to identify potential comarkers of PDGFR-β in PCa, we identified a set of genes whose expression was associated with PDGFR-β status including early growth response 1 (Egr1), an upstream effector of PDGF (4.2-fold upregulation), α-methylacyl-CoA racemase, as well as v-Maf and neuroblastoma suppressor of tumorigenicity (both with a 2.2-fold downregulation). Taken together, this study suggests that only a small subset of PCas may be amenable to tyrosine kinase inhibitors specific for PDGFR.
Simultaneous or sequential administration of botulinum neurotoxin E does not reduce the duration of paralysis caused by botulinum neurotoxin A in rat EDL muscle

Exposure to botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT/A) or serotype E (BoNT/E) results in muscle paralysis owing to cleavage of the SNARE protein SNAP-25 between residues 197-198 or 180-181, respectively. Although SNAP-25 is the substrate for both serotypes, the duration of paralysis is considerably longer for muscles exposed to BoNT/A. This study was designed to determine whether paralysis times were determined by differences in the half-lives of the truncated SNAP-25 fragments or by differences in the persistence of the respective BoNT light chain (LC) within the nerve terminals.
Reasoning as a Metaphor for Skill Development in the Social Studies Curriculum

Abstract Exploring the relationships between reasoning and social studies skill coordination, “Reasoning as a Metaphor for Skill Development in the Social Studies Curriculum” presents a theoretical model that attempts to lessen the fragmentation of skill instruction. Because of its pervasiveness in the curriculum, as well as its unreachable qualities, reasoning is used metaphorically as a goal toward which social studies instruction can move. As an example of the pervasiveness of reasoning in the curriculum, one skill is developed in some detail. Finally, some curriculum implications relative to skill coordination are discussed.
Antitumor activity of fermented noni exudates and its fractions

Noni has been extensively used in folk medicine by Polynesians for over 2000 year. Recent studies have shown that noni has a wide spectrum of therapeutic activities including inhibition of angiogenesis, anti-inflammatory effects and anti-cancer activities. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of fermented noni exudates (fNE) were previously found to induce significant tumor rejection in a S180 mouse sarcoma tumor model, while natural killer (NK) cells were demonstrated to be markedly involved in fNE-induced antitumor activity. In this study, fNE was partitioned into three fractions and their antitumor effects were examined using i.p. injection or as water supplement. The in vivo animal study results showed that when delivered by i.p. injection, n-butanol fraction of fNE (BuOH) effectively rejected (100%) tumor challenge and eradicated existing tumors (75%). When delivered as a water supplement, 62.5% of the mice receiving the n-butanol or ethyl acetate fractions resisted tumor cells. The tumor-resistant mice effectively rejected more and higher doses of tumor challenge, indicating that the immune system was activated. The findings confirm those of an earlier study showing fNE to have anti-tumor activity and demonstrating that the n-butanol fraction of fNE contains active antitumor components, to be further identified. More importantly, the antitumor effect of fNE and its fractions as water supplements renders a significant potential for identifying novel and powerful new dietary products for cancer prevention.
Formation of spherules in impact produced vapor plumes

Abstract We have constructed a numerical model of spherule formation in an impact produced vapor plume. This model tracks the expansion of the vapor plume using a one-dimensional Lagrangian hydrocode coupled with the ANEOS equation of state for silica. We then include the equations for nucleation and growth as described by homogeneous nucleation theory to describe the process of spherule formation. We use this model to determine the number and size of the spherules that an impact creates. We also explore when and where spherules are formed in the vapor plume, and how this affects the size of the spherules. In general we find that smaller spherules form in the outer, faster moving, portions of the vapor plume at earlier times. This work also explores the effect of impactor size and impact velocity on the resultant spherule size. We report a simple linear dependence on impactor size and a complex dependence on impact velocity. We find that a 10 km diameter asteroid impacting at a velocity of ∼21 km/s creates spherules that are ∼250 μm in diameter which is comparable to the spherules found in the K/Pg boundary layer.
Acrodermatitis Enteropathica Successfully Treated with Diodoquin1

In 1942 Danbolt and Closs (1) called attention to a group of cases in infants which are characterized by simultaneous occurrence of cutaneous and gastrointestinal disturbance, with periods of exacerbations and remissions, associated with alopecia of the scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes. The eruption consists of irregularly shaped fairly well defined vesiculo-pustulo-bullous plaques located in the region of the mucocutaneous orifices and on the peripheral areas of the extremities. The distal phalanges of the fingers and toes show severe paronychia and the nails are distorted. During the period of exacerbation the cutaneous lesions become acutely inflamed, the oral mucosa is covered with whitish spots and there is marked halitosis present. The children suffer from diarrhea and abdominal discomfort, associated with marked anorexia, listlessness and mental depression. Retarded body growth is another feature of the syndrome. As the authors assumed that the gastrointestinal disturbance is the primary factor and the cause of the eruption and the alopecia, they coined the name “acroderma- titis enteropathica.