cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive Characterization of the General Surgery Residency Learning Environment and the Association With Resident Burnout.

Objectives To characterize the learning environment (ie, workload, program efficiency, social support, organizational culture, meaning in work, and mistreatment) and evaluate associations with burnout in general surgery residents. Background summary data Burnout remains high among general surgery residents and has been linked to workplace exposures such as workload, discrimination, abuse, and harassment. Associations between other measures of the learning environment are poorly understood. Methods Following the 2019 American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination, a cross-sectional survey was administered to all US general surgery residents. The learning environment was characterized using an adapted Areas of Worklife survey instrument, and burnout was measured using an abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory. Associations between burnout and measures of the learning environment were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Results Analysis included 5277 general surgery residents at 301 programs (85.6% response rate). Residents reported dissatisfaction with workload (n = 784, 14.9%), program efficiency and resources (n = 1392, 26.4%), social support and community (n = 1250, 23.7%), organizational culture and values (n = 853, 16.2%), meaning in work (n = 1253, 23.7%), and workplace mistreatment (n = 2661, 50.4%). The overall burnout rate was 43.0%, and residents were more likely to report burnout if they also identified problems with residency workload [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.31-1.94], efficiency (aOR 1.74; 95% CI 1.49-2.03), social support (aOR 1.37, 95% CI 1.15-1.64), organizational culture (aOR 1.64; 95% CI 1.39-1.93), meaning in work (aOR 1.87; 95% CI 1.56-2.25), or experienced workplace mistreatment (aOR 2.49; 95% CI 2.13-2.90). Substantial program-level variation was observed for all measures of the learning environment. Conclusions Resident burnout is independently associated with multiple aspects of the learning environment, including workload, social support, meaning in work, and mistreatment. Efforts to help programs identify and address weaknesses in a targeted fashion may improve trainee burnout.
The landscape of trials for smoldering multiple myeloma: endpoints, trial design, and lessons learnt.

Smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) is a precursor disease state to multiple myeloma (MM) historically defined as meeting serological or morphological parameters of MM but with no evidence of end-org...
Greater adolescent tiredness is related to more emotional arousal during a hyperventilation task: An area under the curve approach.

Abstract Introduction Approximately 36% of adolescents report sleep problems (Crowley et al., 2018). Understanding the relation between sleep and emotional experience is crucial in understanding the high incidence of mental health concerns during adolescence. The current study sought to expand understanding in the area by testing the hypothesis that baseline tiredness ratings would predict greater emotional arousal and negative valence across the course of emotional response elicited by a voluntary hyperventilation procedure. Methods A community sample of 110 youth (10–18 years; 47.8% girls) provided baseline tiredness ratings and ratings of emotional valence and arousal, 2 min before, immediately after, and 3 min after a hyperventilation task. The area under the curve (AUC) was calculated using the repeated measures of valence and arousal, and correlations between the response curves and baseline tiredness were examined. Results and conclusions Findings indicated baseline tiredness was positively associated with AUC arousal (r = 0.23), but not valence. This suggests daytime tiredness is associated with the degree of emotional arousal elicited by a psychobiological stressor. By extension, adolescents may experience more arousing emotional reactions when tired, and thus the common sleep deprivation observed during this developmental period may increase risk for mental health problems associated with elevated emotional reactivity.
Early Prostate Cancer (T1–2N0M0)

The definitive treatment of early stage prostate cancer with radiation therapy has progressed dramatically over the past two decades primarily due to the development and implementation of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) techniques and better definition of the role of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). IMRT has permitted the escalation of radiotherapy dose to the target tissues, namely, the prostate and proximal seminal vesicles, in an effort to improve tumor cell killing and local tumor control, while also reducing dose to nearby organs at risk (OARs) including the bladder, rectum, bowel, femoral heads, and penile bulb. Advances in image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) have improved the accuracy of the delivery of IMRT, reduced PTV margins, and consequently decreased acute and long-term side effects. This chapter will review the clinical evidence for the use of IMRT for early stage, clinically localized (T1–2N0M0) prostate cancer and will outline the processes involved in designing and implementing a safe and effective IMRT treatment plan.
Alternative Astronomical Software Packages

At a time when the United Nations, in collaboration with Wolfram Research, has selected the Mathematica software package to inform developing countries about available scientific tools, it is important to review other choices of software being used by active scientists around the world. For observational astronomers with large volumes of digital data to be analyzed, the main challenges are data reductions, image handling, model comparisons, interactive fits, data simulations and visualizations, etc. There are several good alternative software packages such as: AIPS, IRAF, MIDAS and IDL The first three packages can be obtained free of charge by contacting the sponsoring institutions. Information can be obtained, via the World Wide Web, from the URLs indicated in the footnotes. IDL is a commercial package that can be used in all kinds of computer platforms and is extensively used in space astronomy (e.g., main language of software reduction packages of missions like IUE, HST, ROSAT, SOHO, etc). All of these packages are able to handle some of the most common commercial and scientific data formats (FITS, CDF and HDF). These software packages provide general tools for image processing and data reduction with emphasis on, but not limited to, astronomical applications. All of these packages have good active customer support strategies, the most useful ones being periodic newsletters, related meetings (e.g., annual meeting on Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems), software user groups, bulletin board discussions, FAQs, etc. The purpose of this paper is to present the relative usefulness, available platforms, associated libraries, related resources, of these software packages and the many already existing and potential astronomical applications.
Neurocognitive dysfunction and pharmacological intervention using guanfacine in a rhesus macaque model of self-injurious behavior.

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a common comorbidity of psychiatric disorders but there is a dearth of information about neurological mechanisms underlying the behavior, and few animal models exist. SIB in humans is characterized by any intentional self-directed behavior that leads to wounds, whereas in macaques it is not always accompanied by wounds. We describe a cohort of rhesus macaques displaying SIB as adults, in which changes within the central nervous system were associated with the SIB. In these macaques, increases in central nervous system striatal dopamine (DA) receptor binding (BPND) measured by positron emission tomography (PET) [11C]raclopride imaging correlated with severity of wounding (rs=0.662, P=0.014). Furthermore, utilizing standardized cognitive function tests, we showed that impulsivity (stop signal reaction time, SSRT) and deficits in attentional set shifting (intra-/extradimensional shift) were correlated with increased severity of SIB (rs=0.563, P=0.045 and rs=0.692, P=0.009, respectively). We also tested the efficacy of guanfacine, an α2A adrenergic agonist that acts to improve postsynaptic transmission of neuronal impulses, in reducing SIB. A subset of these animals were enrolled in a randomized experimenter-blinded study that demonstrated guanfacine decreased the severity of wounding in treated animals compared with vehicle-only-treated controls (P=0.043), with residual beneficial effects seen for several weeks after cessation of therapy. Animals with the highest severity of SIB that received guanfacine also showed the most significant improvement (rs=−0.761, P=0.009). The elevated PET BPND was likely due to low intrasynaptic DA, which in turn may have been improved by guanfacine. With underlying physiology potentially representative of the human condition and the ability to affect outcome measures of disease using pharmacotherapy, this model represents a unique opportunity to further our understanding of the biology and treatment of SIB in both animals and humans.
Transfer of training principles for instructional design

The authors wish to acknowledge the advice of Gavriel Salomon and William Winn on an earlier version of this manuscript.
It's Not All About Breast Density: Risk Matters.

In this issue, Kerlikowske and colleagues study the risk for cancer in women with dense breasts to inform strategies for supplemental screening. The editorialists discuss the study and emphasize th...
Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures

This reference contains almost 6000 entries dealing with the history of the scientific, technological and medical accomplishments of cultures outside of the USA and Europe. It aims to bring together knowledge of many disparate fields in one place and to legitimize the study of other cultures' science. No superiority is claimed for other cultures, rather the aim is a mutual exchange of ideas. There are inter-cultural articles on a broad range of topics, such as mathematics and astronomy; philosophical articles on concepts and ideas related to the study of non-Western science, such as rationality, objectivity and method, religion and science, East and West, and magic and science; and more factual ones on topics such as China and the Islamic world, where individual scientists are known to us. Readers can compare disciplines across cultures (Chinese mathematics, trigonometry, maps, medicine, geography etc), and cultures across disciplines (for example, Islamic, Chinese, Indo-Malay, African, and native American astronomy). The entries are arranged alphabetically, with many cross-references, and bibliographies enable readers to move on to the scholarly literature.
Evolution of Massive Stars from Helium Burning to the Start of Neutronization

Evolutionary sequences have been constructed beginning at helium burning and ending in the hydrodynamic collapse of the core when neutronization begins. Details of these models during silicon burning as well as at the onset of neutronization are presented. The connection of these results with the calculations of Wilson (1971) and Arnett (1967) is discussed. Calculations by Ostriker and Gunn (1971) and Falk and Arnett (1972) provide the beginning of a detailed understanding of supernova light curves. Taken together a coherent and continuous picture of stellar evolution through supernova explosion and pulsar formation can be obtained. While the theory still needs much more work, the gaps so obvious a few years ago are disappearing.
The correlation function of tanh limited noise

The hyperbolic tangent symmetric soft limiter can be realized using bipolar transistor pairs in a differential configuration. The output correlation function is analyzed for the case where the input signal is zero mean Guassian noise with a given correlation. Results are given for the limiting cases where the root-mean-square level of the input noise is much greater, or much smaller, than the ultimate limiting levels of plus and minus unity. >
Potential for Microbial Oxidation of Ferrous Iron in Basaltic Glass

Abstract Basaltic glass (BG) is an amorphous ferrous iron [Fe(II)]–containing material present in basaltic rocks, which are abundant on rocky planets such as Earth and Mars. Previous research has suggested that Fe(II) in BG can serve as an energy source for chemolithotrophic microbial metabolism, which has important ramifications for potential past and present microbial life on Mars. However, to date there has been no direct demonstration of microbially catalyzed oxidation of Fe(II) in BG. In this study, three different culture systems were used to investigate the potential for microbial oxidation of Fe(II) in BG, including (1) the chemolithoautotrophic Fe(II)-oxidizing, nitrate-reducing “Straub culture”; (2) the mixotrophic Fe(II)-oxidizing, nitrate-reducing organism Desulfitobacterium frappieri strain G2; and (3) indigenous microorganisms from a streambed Fe seep in Wisconsin. The BG employed consisted of clay and silt-sized particles of freshly quenched lava from the TEB flow in Kilauea, Hawaii. Solubl...
Effects of Silage Based Diets on Feed Intake, Milk Production, and Body Weight of Dairy Cows

Abstract Dairy cattle were assigned uniformly to three forage treatments by lactation number (mean = 2.2) to compare intake, production, and body weight changes over three lactations. Forage treatments were corn silage ad libitum, corn silage restricted plus hay-crop silage, or hay ad libitum. Concentrate treatments, two prepartum and two peak-lactation, were evaluated also. Intakes for the three forage treatments were similar for concentrate, forage, and total dry matter intake. The four concentrate treatments had no consistent effects upon measures of intake. Milk production did not differ significantly among forage treatments. Changes of body weight were similar. Cows fed corn silage, corn silage plus hay-crop silage, and corn silage plus hay had similar feed intakes, milk production, and body weights. There was no advantage for hay included with corn silage.
Spread-of-Masking Effects on Pure Tones and Several Speech Stimuli

A series of experiments was performed to study the upward-spread-of-masking phenomena as it pertains to pure-tone and speech stimuli. In the initial two experiments, three maskers were employed ove...
Understanding miscarriage or insensitive abortion: Time for more defined terminology?

A search of the two major journals of obstetrics and gynecology published in the United States has shown that the word abortion rather than miscarriage to describe early pregnancy loss is 6 times more likely to be used compared with most other English language journals over the last 5 years. The use of miscarriage, with descriptive adjectives such as threatened, incomplete, and complete, is recommended and the term delayed miscarriage is suggested in place of missed abortion.
A highly sensitive canine telemetry model for detection of QT interval prolongation: studies with moxifloxacin, haloperidol and MK-499.

Abstract Introduction Preclinical evaluation of delayed ventricular repolarization manifests electrocardiographically as QT interval prolongation and is routinely used as an indicator of potential risk for pro-arrhythmia (potential to cause Torsades de Pointes) of novel human pharmaceuticals. In accordance with ICH S7A and S7B guidelines we evaluated the sensitivity and validity of the beagle dog telemetry (Integrated Telemetry Services (ITS)) model as a preclinical predictor of QT interval prolongation in humans. Methods Cardiovascular monitoring was conducted for 2 h pre-dose and 24 h post-dosing with moxifloxacin (MOX), haloperidol (HAL), and MK-499, with a toxicokinetic (TK) evaluation in a separate group of dogs. In both cardiovascular and TK studies, MOX (0, 10, 30 and 100 mg/kg), HAL (0, 0.3, 1, 3 mg/kg) and MK-499 (0, 0.03, 0.3 and 3 mg/kg) were administered orally by gavage in 0.5% methylcellulose. Each dog received all 4 doses using a dose-escalation paradigm. Inherent variability of the model was assessed with administration of vehicle (0.5% methylcellulose) alone for 4 days. Results Significant increases in QT c were evident with 10, 30 and 100 mg/kg of MOX ( C max ≤ 40 μM), 0.3, 1 and 3 mg/kg of HAL ( C max ≤ 0.36 μM) and 0.3 and 3 mg/kg of MK-499 ( C max ≤ 825 nM) with peak increases of 45 (20%), 31 (13%), and 45 (19%) ms, respectively ( p ≤ 0.05). Discussion In conclusion, we have demonstrated that the ITS-telemetry beagle dog exhibits low inherent intra-animal variability and high sensitivity to detect small but significant increases in QT/QT c interval (∼ 3–6%) with MOX, HAL and MK-499 in the same range of therapeutic plasma concentrations attained in humans. Therefore, this dog telemetry model should be considered an important preclinical predictor of QT prolongation of novel human pharmaceuticals.
Increase of lymphocyte-mediated tumor-cell destruction by certain patient sera.

Sera from one patient with an ovarian carcinoma, one with sarcoma, one with a breast carcinoma, and four patients with melanoma were found to “potentiate” (i.e. increase) the cytotoxic effect of blood lymphocytes reactive to the respective type of tumor target cells. This effect was specific. Furthermore, sera from the breast cancer and sarcoma patients and from one of the melanoma patients “armed” (i.e. made cytotoxic) lymphocytes from non-reactive donors, not having (had) the respective tumor studied. The possible relevance, in vivo, of these findings, and the frequency with which they occur, need further clarification.
First and second order derivatives having applications to estimation of response surface optima

Abstract Convenient expressions for the gradient vector and Hessian matrix are given for the parametric function that is an optimum on a general, smooth response surface. Constrained as well as unconstrained optima are considered. These derivatives are then used to obtain a large-sample confidence interval estimate of the optimum and a measure of the bias associated with the point estimate of the optimum. For linear models, the large-sample confidence interval estimate of the optimum is shown to coincide with the Khuri—Conlon (1981) confidence bounds. Other areas of application discussed are nonlinear models and computation of conservative confidence intervals for the optimum response.
Reply to the Letter to the Editor: Mid-America Orthopaedic Association Physician in Training Award: Surgical technique: Pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures: a technique to aid closed reduction.

To the Editor: I appreciate the exuberant and detailed response by Ozkaya and colleagues. Additionally, I appreciate the reference to their prior published “joy-stick” technique [3]. Finding more options and techniques to improve supracondylar humeral fracture care is to be encouraged [1]. First, the authors claim that the lateral to medial K-wire insertion below the level of the deltoid insertion is safer than our posterior to anterior Schantz pin distal triceps insertion. We believe that our technique is actually safer than theirs. Since the radial nerve courses from proximal to distal and ulnar, to radial distal, to the deltoid muscle, and anterior to the triceps muscle, their technique could jeopardize injury to the radial nerve more than our technique, which does not jeopardize any potential neural structures [2]. Posteriorly, we have the least risky pin insertion site. We had no clinical injury to the triceps integrity or function. In fact, percutaneous insertion of a pin through the deltoid or triceps has the same effect. We agree that more distal pin insertion allows for greater control of the diaphyseal segment and overall reduction quality. We disagree that these fractures do not require “tremendous effort,” since some fractures require extensive control of translation, rotation, flexion/extension, and length. Secondly, we had not experienced any problems utilizing 2.5 mm terminally threaded Schantz pins. In fact, the 2.5 mm size is perfectly situated between the 2 mm and 3 mm pins utilized by Parmaksizoglu and colleagues [3]. Additionally, the terminal thread prevents translation and anterior protrusion versus a smooth pin. We have not had any problems such as iatrogenic fractures, ectopic bone, or callus formation from our 2.5 mm pin technique. The one patient that had an open technique had impalement of distal humerus within the brachialis that did not get “milked out” or disengaged. We are sorry that we did not elaborate further with this example in the original article. Again, we would like to thank the CORR® journal for publishing our technique and Ozkaya et al. for continuing an important dialogue regarding treatment of the patients whom we treat.
A Diagrammatic Formulation of the Kinetic Theory of Fluctuations in Equilibrium Classical Fluids. I. The Fluctuation Basis and the Cluster Properties of Associated Functions

This is the first of a series of papers that presents a kinetic theory of fluctuations in equilibrium classical fluids that makes extensive use of diagrammatic techniques in its development and that will facilitate the use of diagrammatic techniques in the derivation of approximate kinetic theories. We develop the theory for atomic liquids, but the results are easily generalizable to molecular liquids. The fundamental fluctuating quantity in the theory is f(R,P), the density of particles (atoms) at a point in single-particle phase space. The time correlation function for fluctuations of this quantity from its average, , is the most basic correlation function of concern in generalized kinetic theories of fluctuations in liquids. In this paper, we investigate the properties of a basis set of vectors for the Hilbert space of classical dynamical variables that was suggested by Gross, Boley, and Lindenfeld. In later papers, this basis set, which we call the "fluctuation basis", will be used to construct a diagrammatic theory for this correlation function, its generalizations, and its memory function.
Una ciudad flexible de extraños

Cities, even though they tend to lose their charm as they become transformed into standardized and impersonal spaces, maintain their ability to attract indiv...
Ceftriaxone, a beta-lactam antibiotic, attenuates relapse-like ethanol-drinking behavior in alcohol-preferring rats

Relapse-like ethanol-drinking behavior depends on increased glutamate transmission in the mesocorticolimbic motive circuit. Extracellular glutamate is regulated by a number of glutamate transporters. Of these transporters, glutamate transporter 1 (GLT1) is responsible for the majority of extracellular glutamate uptake. We have recently reported that ceftriaxone (CEF) treatment (i.p.), a β-lactam antibiotic known to elevate GTL1 expression, reduced ethanol intake in male alcohol-preferring (P) rats. We investigated here whether CEF treatment attenuates relapse-like ethanol-drinking behavior. P rats were exposed to free choice of 15% and 30% ethanol for 5 weeks and treated with CEF (50 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) during the last 5 days of the 2-week deprivation period. Rats treated with CEF during the deprivation period showed a reduction in ethanol intake compared with saline-treated rats upon re-exposure to ethanol; this effect persisted for 9 days. Moreover, CEF-mediated attenuation in relapse to ethanol-drinking behavior was associated with upregulation of GLT1 level in prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens core. GLT1 upregulation was revealed only at the higher dose of CEF. In addition, CEF has no effect on relapse-like sucrose-drinking behavior. These findings suggest that ceftriaxone might be used as a potential therapeutic treatment for the attenuation of relapse-like ethanol-drinking behavior.
Engineering model for wear

Abstract The wear produced between two metallic bodies sliding relative to each other has been correlated with stress. The results of 1,200 tests for various combinations of materials and lubricants have shown that wear can be eliminated for a given amount of time if the shear stress is kept below, a certain fraction of the yield point in shear of the weaker of the two metals. It has been shown that this fraction is a function of the materials and the lubricant used. Values of this fraction have been determined for a large number of combinations of materials.
Computational geometry column 49

The new algorithm of Bobenko and Izmestiev for reconstructing the unique polyhedron determined by given gluings of polygons is described.
Estimates of hypolimnetic oxygen deficits in ponds

Shallow tropical integrated culture ponds in the Pearl River Delta. China, have been found to stratify almost daily, with high organic loadings and dense algal growth. The dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration is super-saturated in the epilimnion and is under 2 mg/l in the hypolimnion (>lm). The compensation depth corresponds to twice the Secchi disk depth ranging from 50 to 80cm. As a result, little or no net oxygen is produced in the hypolimnion (> 1 m). The low DO concentration in the hypolimnion causes organic materials, such as unused organic wastes and senescent algae cells, to be incompletely oxidized, since the rate of oxygen consumption by oxidable matter in water is dependent on the dissolved oxygen concentration in water. This material becomes the source of hypolimnetic oxygen deficits (HOD) which can drive whole pond DO to a dangerously low level, should sudden destratification occur. An improved estimate of hypolimnetic oxygen deficits is introduced in this article, and the advantages of this method are discussed.
Reduced renal microvascular reactivity to angiotensin II in diabetic rats.

Objective: Renal hyperfiltration in early diabetes is often correlated with increased renal blood flow, reflecting dilation of resistance arterioles. This loss of arteriolar tone has been associated with an impaired reactivity to angiotensin II (Ang II). This study determined if outer cortical arterioles (preglomerular and/or postglomerular) of diabetic rats exhibit a diminished reactivity to Ang II and established if renal vascular prostaglandins account for the diminished responsiveness. Methods: The constriction of renal microvessels to Ang II (applied to the kidney bath) was quantitated in hydronephrotic kidneys of diabetic rats (7-10 days after streptozotocin treatment) and nondiabetic rats by in vivo videomicroscopy. Results: Interlobular, afferent, and efferent arterioles of diabetic rats were found to be less reactive to Ang II than arterioles of nondiabetic rats. Indomethacin, added to the bath to inhibit renal vascular prostaglandin synthesis, enhanced the interlobular and efferent arteriolar reactivity to the peptide among diabetic rats. Yet, after indomethacin treatment, the afferent and efferent arterioles of diabetic rats were still less reactive than control arterioles to Ang II. Conclusions: We conclude that the blunted reactivity of afferent and efferent arterioles to Ang II among diabetic hydronephotic kidneys cannot be fully explained by the influence of renal vascular-derived dilator prostaglandins.
Calcium-acidic phospholipid-phosphate complexes in human atherosclerotic aortas.

Since aortic calcification chemically resembles bone mineralization, we tested the hypothesis that a bone mineral nucleator, the Ca-acidic phospholipid-phosphate complexes, is found in atherosclerotic plaques. Calcium-acidic phospholipid-phosphate complexes were isolated from hydroxyapatite-containing calcified plaques and from adjacent nonmineralized areas of adult human aortas. Neonatal aortas, which served as nonmineralized lesion-free controls, contained negligible amounts of the Ca-acidic phospholipid-phosphate complexes. The concentration of complexed acidic phospholipids in the aortic plaques (5 μg/mg demineralized dry wt) was comparable to that found in newly mineralized bone and calcified cartilage. The presence of Ca-acidic phospholipid-phosphate complexes in the nonmineralized regions of the adult aorta, as well as in the mineralized plaques, suggests that this tissue may calcify through mechanisms similar to those involved in bone mineralization.
A Lipid Kinase Cousin Cooperates to Promote Cancer

Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are considered promising drug targets in oncology. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Schmid et al. demonstrate that the PI3Kγ isoform is required for inflammatory myeloid cells to traffic to tumors. Though tumor cells do not express PI3Kγ, selective inhibition of this isoform suppresses tumor growth and angiogenesis.
Rural Health Care Ethics: What Assumptions and Attitudes Should Drive the Research?

Nelson, Lushkov, Pomerantz, and Weeks (Nelson et al. 2006) have provided a valuable service in checking and documenting the widespread suspicion that there's just not much out there on rural health...
Apoptosis of CD4 + CD25 high T cells in response to Sirolimus requires activation of T cell receptor and is modulated by IL-2

Targeted molecular therapies inhibit proliferation and survival of cancer cells but may also affect immune cells. We have evaluated the effects of Sirolimus and Sorafenib on proliferation and survival of lymphoid cell subsets. Both drugs were cytotoxic to CD4+CD25high T cells, and were growth inhibitory for CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Cytotoxicity depended on CD3/CD28 stimulation and was detectable within 12 h, with 80–90% of CD4+CD25high cells killed by 72 h. Cell death was due to apoptosis, based on Annexin V and 7AAD staining. Addition of IL-2 prevented the apoptotic response to Sirolimus, potentially accounting for reports that Sirolimus can enhance proliferation of CD4+CD25high cells. These results predict that Sirolimus or Sorafenib would reduce CD4+CD25high cells if administered prior to antigenic stimulation in an immunotherapy protocol. However, administration of IL-2 protects CD4+CD25high T cells from cytotoxic effects of Sirolimus, a response that may be considered in design of therapeutic protocols.
An existence-uniqueness theorem for nonmultiplying rod models subject to an interior jump condition

Abstract The discrete-state rod model is considered, subject to boundary conditions prescribing the particles incident at the rod ends, and to an interior jump condition motivated by consideration of electron transport in piecewise homogeneous media. This condition asserts that the emergent particle densities at a prescribed interior point depend linearly upon the incident densities of particles moving in the same direction. Under certain physically reasonable assumptions, including the non-multiplying assymption that the secondary scattering ratio be everywhere bounded by one, and that the product of the l 1 norms of the matrices appearing in the interior jump condition not exceed unity, it is shown that there exists a unique solution to this problem, and that it is nonnegative.
Erratum to A multi-level analysis of factors affecting software developers' intention to reuse software assets: An empirical investigation [Inform. Manage. 44 (2007) 613-625]

Erratum to ‘‘A multi-level analysis of factors affecting software developers’ intention to reuse software assets: An empirical investigation’’ [Inform. Manage. 44 (2007) 613–625] Vidhya Mellarkod , Radha Appan , Donald R. Jones *, Karma Sherif c a Area of Information Systems and Quantitative Sciences, Rawls College of Business, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA b Department of Computer and Information Science, Nance College of Business, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44130, USA c Information System, Jesse H. Jones School of Business, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX 77004, USA www.elsevier.com/locate/im Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
Registration of urban imagery to VR models through radiometric queries

In this paper we address the registration of close range imagery to virtual urban models, using buildings and other fixed objects in a scene. We introduce a novel approach, using radiometric and spatial queries to support the registration of ground level imagery. Image registration involves the comparison of an image’s content to the information contained in a VR model, to identify in the VR model the facades that best resemble the ones contained in the processed imagery. This registration-through-queries approach allows us to use coarse information in the form of imprecisely outlined facades to perform image registration, removing the requirements for time-consuming processes like precise delineation of control point measurement. In the paper we introduce radiometric indexing schemes to support object facade queries, and present experiments to demonstrate the function of these metrics in our image registration framework.
Development of an approach for generation of temporally complete daily nadir MODIS reflectance time series

Abstract Consistent, spatially and temporally complete reflectance time series are required for reliable terrestrial monitoring. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), like other polar-orbiting wide field of view satellite sensors, can provide global observations on a nearly daily basis, but the sparseness of valid observations due to cloud, residual atmospheric effects, and sensor anomalies, may result in gaps in the derived reflectance time series. This paper presents an approach for the generation of temporally complete daily MODIS 500 m nadir view BRDF-adjusted reflectance (NBAR) time series. The research is illustrated and assessed quantitatively using two years of cloud and snow screened, daily MODIS Terra and Aqua reflectance data at four sites in Africa, and demonstrated for phenology monitoring using NBAR derived NDVI time series. The components of the approach include: 1) an outlier detection algorithm to remove residual anomalous daily observations undetected in the upstream processing, 2) the dynamic generation of NBAR time series on a daily basis when seven or more observations are available for a day under consideration over a 16-day period, and 3) the means to gap fill the NBAR time series where less than 7 observations are available. The MODIS Ross-Thick/Li-Sparse-Reciprocal BRDF model is used with a rolling approach whereby a 16-day BRDF inversion window is moved on a daily overlapping basis to provide more reliable outlier detection and daily NBAR. NBAR gap filling in periods of missing observations is investigated using static land cover specific archetype BRDF parameters and using BRDF parameters defined adaptively from the temporally closest 16-day periods with 7 or more observations. Scaling factor estimators using ordinary least squares (OLS) and median-based robust least squares regression are investigated, and the robust method is demonstrated to provide on average temporally more coherent gap filled NBAR values. For regions with persistent clouds, the utility of the adaptive NBAR gap filling method is demonstrated to be severely limited due to the decreased likelihood that the surface BRDF at each gap can be described reliably. The reliability of the NBAR gap filling methodology is evaluated statistically using a cross-validation approach. For the small number of study site considered, the adaptive method is shown to provide more accurate results than the archetype method when there are more than an average of ~ 4–5 observations per 16-day window, or when a gap day is on average less than about 30 days from a 16-day period with 7 or more observations. The resulting gap free daily NBAR time series and derived daily NBAR NDVI generated by the approach is shown to capture phenological variations in a coherent temporally consistent manner, suggesting that it is a fruitful avenue for future research and validation.
Is There a Reverse J-Shaped Association Between 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and All-Cause Mortality? Results from the U.S. Nationally Representative NHANES

Context: A reverse J-shaped association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentration and all-cause mortality was suggested in a 9-year follow-up (1991–2000) analysis of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988–1994). Objective: Our objective was to repeat the analyses with 6 years additional follow-up to evaluate whether the association persists through 15 years of follow-up. Participants: The study included 15 099 participants aged ≥20 years with 3784 deaths. Main Outcome Measure: Relative risk (RR) of death from all causes was adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and season using 2 Poisson regression approaches: traditional categorical and cubic splines. Results were given for 9 25(OH)D levels: <20, 20 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 74, 75 to 99 (reference), 100 to 119, and ≥120 nmol/L. Results: The reverse J-shaped association became stronger with longer follow-up and was not affected by excluding deaths within the first 3 years of follow-u...
COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGIC VALUES IN CAPTIVE AND WILD BIGHORN SHEEP

The need for establishing physiologic values for a species was recognized and the many variables affecting these must be considered. The physiologic value differences and similarities between captive and wild bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) was discussed from values obtained from 71 captive and 65 wild bighorns. Similar values between captive and wild sheep occurred with; calcium, blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol, packed cell volume, total protein, albumin, total globulin, alpha globulin, beta globulin, gamma globulin, albumin/globulin ratio, magnesium and hemoglobin. Dissimilarity occurred with; phosphorus, calcium/phosphorus ratio, serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase, glucose, and rectal temperature values. Other variables potentially influencing these values were recognized and the difficulty of separating some variables from the wild/captive classification was discussed.
Charge accumulation of quantum dots at room temperature

The accumulation of charge in InGaAs quantum dots has been measured at room temperature by the photoelectrochemical capacitance-voltage (CV) technique for the first time. A carrier per quantum dot ratio greater than four has been observed. The use of atomic force microscopy and low temperature and room temperature photoluminescence (PL) confirm the existence of quantum dots. Also, a possible excited state is indicated by room temperature PL in a sample with small quantum dots.
Oxytocin blunts social vigilance in the rhesus macaque

Exogenous application of the neuromodulatory hormone oxytocin (OT) promotes prosocial behavior and can improve social function. It is unclear, however, whether OT promotes prosocial behavior per se, or whether it facilitates social interaction by reducing a state of vigilance toward potential social threats. To disambiguate these two possibilities, we exogenously delivered OT to male rhesus macaques, which have a characteristic pattern of species-typical social vigilance, and examined their performance in three social attention tasks. We first determined that, in the absence of competing task demands or goals, OT increased attention to faces and eyes, as in humans. By contrast, OT reduced species typical social vigilance for unfamiliar, dominant, and emotional faces in two additional tasks. OT eliminated the emergence of a typical state of vigilance when dominant face images were available during a social image choice task. Moreover, OT improved performance on a reward-guided saccade task, despite salient social distractors: OT reduced the interference of unfamiliar faces, particularly emotional ones, when these faces were task irrelevant. Together, these results demonstrate that OT suppresses vigilance toward potential social threats in the rhesus macaque. We hypothesize that a basic role for OT in regulating social vigilance may have facilitated the evolution of prosocial behaviors in humans.
Blocking in Pavlovian conditioning: effect of prior excitatory conditioning to a stimulus extraneous to compound conditioning.

The effect of prior excitatory conditioning to a stimulus not included in the compound conditioning phase of the typical blocking experiment was assessed in three CER studies. The first experiment, in which rat subjects received A +, C +, or a combination of A + /C + trials prior to AB + conditioning, showed that A + /C + or C + training produced as robust blocking as A + training relative to a control group with no prior conditioning. A second experiment which was designed to assess the role of background cues in mediating the blocking effect indicated that background cues were not responsible for the A + or C + effects, while a third experiment showed these same effects were not mediated by stimulus generalization. The findings of these experiments are interpreted in the context of pseudoconditioning-induced rehearsal of a US representation in short-term memory.
The pencil, the pin, the table, the bowl and the wheel

The commodity created under global capitalism originates from everywhere and seems to have been made by everyone. Endlessly fungible, it is also endlessly divisible. Analysis of the commodity reveals the indissoluble link between commodification and technologization. Although the medieval commodity is a very different kind of object, not issuing from an economy dedicated to commodity production, and being produced more regionally, the link between production and technology applies to the Middle Ages as much as it does to now. Medieval technology, in particular road-building, is commonly regarded as a regression in comparison to Roman engineering skills. I argue, however, for the directedness of medieval technology, even when in apparent regress. This ‘regression’ calls into question the narratives of progress that inform debates about the posthuman, with all its attendant anxieties and heady possibilities. The case of medieval roads exposes the contingency of ‘efficiency’ as any standard of measure.
Epigenetic events in the colorectum and in colon cancer

Colon cancers arise from benign neoplasms and evolve into adenocarcinomas through a stepwise histological progression sequence, proceeding from either adenomas or hyperplastic polyps/serrated adenomas. Genetic alterations have been associated with specific steps in this polyp–adenocarcinoma sequence and are believed to drive the histological progression of colon cancer. Recently, epigenetic alterations, which include CGI (CpG island) DNA methylation, have been shown to occur in colon polyps and colon cancer. The aberrant methylation of genes appears to co-operate with the genetic alterations to drive the initiation and progression of colon polyps to colon cancer. CGI DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that represses gene transcription in normal cellular processes, but it becomes excessive and aberrant in many neoplasms. The aberrant DNA methylation affects CpG-rich regions, called CGIs, in the 5′ region of genes and results in transcriptional silencing through effects on transcription factor binding and associated changes in chromatin structure. These hypermethylated genes are not only probable pathogenic events affecting colon-cancer formation, but also neoplasm-specific molecular events that may be useful as molecular markers for colon tumours. Furthermore, aberrant DNA methylation of tumour-suppressor genes may occur secondary to a genetic predisposition or to a field-cancerization effect in the colon and may be useful as molecular markers for the risk of developing colon cancer. Abbreviations: ACF, aberrant crypt focus; APC, adenomatous polyposis coli; CGI, CpG island; CIMP, CGI methylator phenotype; HDAC, histone deacetylase; MSI, microsatellite instability; MSP, methylation-specific PCR; MLH1, mutL homologue 1
Effects of temperature on the ferroelectric properties of PbZr0.53Ti0.53O3-based capacitors prepared by pulsed laser-ablation deposition

Abstract The effects of elevated temperature on the long and short term ferroelectric properties of La0.5Sr0.5Co3(LSCO)/PbZr0.53 Ti0.47O3(PZT)/La0.5Co3(LSCO) heterostructure capacitors are presented in this paper. Capacitors are evaluated in the temperature range of 25°C to 100°C. Polarization values (switched and non-switched), coercive voltages, and PZT resistivity are measured as a function of temperature. Rate of fatigue, tendency to imprint, and retention loss are also investigated in the 25–100°C temperature range. An activation energy for the process responsible for loss of remanent polarization is determined from the fatigue data.
Interpreting Dissipated Energy from Complex Modulus Data

An asphalt mixture's ability to absorb energy without fracturing is directly related to cracking performance of asphalt pavement. The dissipated energy per load cycle is commonly determined as the area of the hysteresis loop developed during cyclic loading of asphalt mixture. However, it is unclear whether all dissipated energy determined in this manner is irreversible and associated with damage, or whether it is at least partially reversible and not fully associated with damage. Therefore, this study was undertaken to evaluate the nature of the dissipated energy determined from the area of the hysteresis loop developed during cyclic loading of asphalt mixture. Dissipated energies determined experimentally from cyclic load tests were compared to dissipated energies predicted using rheological parameters determined from static creep tests. For a range of asphalt mixtures, the area of the hysteresis loop appeared to be strongly affected by the delayed elastic behavior of the mixture, even when cyclic response had reached steady-state conditions. Therefore, it appears that the area of the hysteresis loop is not fully associated with damage and very probably overestimates the rate of dissipated energy and damage development during cyclic load testing of asphalt mixture. Furthermore, it is generally not possible to reliably separate reversible from irreversible dissipated energy in the hysteresis loop using conventional complex modulus data. Consequently, it is recommended that irreversible dissipated energy be determined using rheological parameters obtained from static creep test data. The key is to have parameters in the rheological model that properly separate the elastic (immediate and delayed) from the viscous response, since only the viscous response is irreversible and contributes to damage.
Two-Dimensional Ising Model in a Finite Magnetic Field

We present the results of numerical calculations giving accurate estimates of the magnetization of the two-dimensional Ising model on a square lattice. Moreover, we argue that these results are strict lower bounds to the correct magnetization $M(H,T)$. The estimates are obtained by dividing the infinite lattice into finite strips of width between two and nine spins and infinite length. The largest eigenvalue and the corresponding eigenvector of the transfer matrix are then obtained by an iterative process. The estimates of $M(H,T)$ converge to the correct answer for the infinite lattice everywhere except for a small region in the $T\ensuremath{-}H$ plane. We also compute isotherms and critical isobar for the corresponding lattice gas. Finally, we propose a new approximation to the transfer matrix, exactly solvable in two dimensions for $H=O$, which reproduces exactly the critical-point behavior of the full Ising model.
Polyphenoxy Radicals: Synthesis and Homo-Polymerization of 2-(3,5-Dl-t-Butyl-4-Hydroxyphenyl)Isobutyl Methacrylate

We evaluated the chemical stability of various polyphenoxy radicals prepared through the modified synthetic methods. The monomeric 3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl derivatized olefins and methacrylates were prepared in a multistep synthesis starting from 2,6-di-t-butylphenol. These monomers were polymerized in the presence of radical initiators at the refluxing temperature of aromatic solvents under an inert atmosphere. The most stable polyradicals were found to be highly hindered poly(DBPM) radicals.
Enzymatic Nanolithography of Polyaniline Nanopatterns by Using Peroxidase‐Modified Atomic Force Microscopy Tips

A new enzyme nanolithography strategy for creating conducting polymer nanostructures through the modification of AFM tips with peroxidase is described. Scanning of the modified tip in the presence of aniline and hydrogen peroxide is used for biocatalytic patterning of different polyaniline nanostructures (see figure).