cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Newton Algebraic Iteration and Newton-Structured Algebraic Iteration

Newton iteration is a fundamental tool of computer algebra. We specify this iteration for the general problem of algebraic rootfinding and apply it first to the solution of some important problems of computations with polynomials and integers. Then it is applied to computations with general and structured matrices M: we compute the characteristic polynomial det(xI — M), the minimum polynomial, the inverse M−1, and the Krylov matrix K(M, v, q) (for a vector v and a positive integer q). The matrix computation algorithms are fast (although not always superfast) and allow most effective parallelization.
New geographies of development: grounding China’s global integration

The introduction to this themed issue, ‘New Geographies of Development: Grounding China’s Global Integration’, contributes to ongoing reconceptualization of research approaches to China’s global in...
Assessment of Screen Exposure in Young Children, 1997 to 2014.

This study evaluates changes in types of screen time exposure among young children before and after the widespread availability of mobile devices.
Patterns of putative gene loss suggest rampant developmental system drift in nematodes

Gene loss often contributes to the evolution of adaptive traits. Conversely, null mutations frequently reveal no obvious phenotypic consequences. How pervasive is gene loss, what kinds of genes are dispensable, and what are the consequences of gene loss? The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has long been at the forefront of genetic research, yet only recently have genomic resources become available to situate this species in its comparative phylogenetic and evolutionary context. Here, patterns of gene loss within Caenorhabditis are evaluated using 28 nematode genomes (most of them sequenced only in the past few years). Orthologous genes detected in every species except one were defined as being lost within that species. Putative functional roles of lost genes were determined using phenotypic information from C. elegans WormBase ontology terms as well as using existing C. elegans transcriptomic datasets. All species have lost multiple genes in a species-specific manner, with a genus-wide average of several dozen genes per species. Counterintuitively, nearly all species have lost genes that perform essential functions in C. elegans (an average of one third of the genes lost within a species). Retained genes reveal no differences from lost genes in C. elegans transcriptional abundance across all developmental stages when considering all 28 Caenorhabitis genomes. However, when considering only genomes in the subgeneric Elegans group, lost genes tend to have lower expression than retained genes. Taken together, these results suggest that the genetics of developmental processes are evolving rapidly despite a highly conserved adult morphology and cell lineage in this group, a phenomenon known as developmental system drift. These patterns highlight the importance of the comparative approach in interpreting findings in model systems genetics.
WYZ: a pilot study protocol for designing and developing a mobile health application for engagement in HIV care and medication adherence in youth and young adults living with HIV.

Introduction Youth and young adults bear a disproportionate share of the HIV burden and there is a critical need for interventions to curb health disparities experienced among these age groups. The purpose of our research is to build on our theory-guided model and formative research to develop a mobile health application, called WYZ, for improved engagement in HIV care and antiretroviral therapy adherence, and pilot test it among youth and young adults living with HIV (YLWH). In this paper, we explain the design and development of WYZ for YLWH, describe the design of a forthcoming pilot trial for evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of WYZ and compare WYZ with other mobile health applications being developed to improve engagement in HIV care and antiretroviral medication adherence. Methods and analysis We used an agile methodology, shown to be useful in software development, and elicited feedback during beta testing to develop WYZ. WYZ is a modular, adaptive and personalised intervention delivered via a mobile phone. It is grounded in the information, motivation, behaviouralskills model which has been valuable for understanding and guiding the development of interventions for complex health behaviours. WYZ was created in collaboration with YLWH aged 18–29 years using a human-centred design approach that emphasises understanding the perspective of the users of the technology. WYZ is intended to improve engagement in HIV care by: (1) enhancing medication adherence self-efficacy, (2) increasing awareness and use of community resources, (3) reducing barriers to communication between youth and their healthcare team, and (4) providing a secure platform for the formation of a private online community of YLWH. We will conduct a 6-month single-arm pilot study to examine feasibility and acceptability of WYZ among 76 YLWH who live or receive care in the San Francisco Bay Area. All study activities, including recruitment, screening, enrolment, study assessments, provision of incentives and exit interviews, will be conducted remotely. We will explore feasibility and acceptability outcomes of the intervention using quantitative and qualitative methods. Ethics and dissemination Study staff will obtain written consent for study participation from all participants. This study and its protocols have been approved by the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Institutional Review Board. Study staff will work with the UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies’ Community Engagement Core and the Youth Advisory Panel to disseminate results to the participants and the community using presentations, community forums, journal publications and/or social media. Trial registration number NCT03587857; Pre-results.
Liver transplant waitlist outcomes in alcoholic hepatitis compared with other liver diseases: An analysis of UNOS registry.

There is growing interest in performing liver transplantation (LT) in patients with alcoholic hepatitis (AH) without a mandated abstinence period. The aim of this study is to investigate waitlist outcomes in AH patients compared to those with other liver diseases. Using data from the UNOS registry, adult patients listed for LT between 2009 and 2018 were evaluated. Waitlist outcomes were compared among liver diseases. A total of 64 646 patients were eligible, including 286 with AH, 16 871 with alcoholic cirrhosis (AC), 13 730 with hepatitis C (HCV), 10 315 with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and 5841 with cholestatic liver disease (CLD). In comparison with AH patients, patients with HCV, NASH, and CLD had a significantly higher risk of waitlist mortality and a lower likelihood of recovery on the waitlist. These trends were more prominent in the waiting-time period of 91-365 days than in shorter periods. In intention-to-treat analysis, positive prognostic effect of LT was significant in AH patients with MELD score ≥35 (HR 0.04, P < .001). AH patients showed lower mortality risk and a higher chance of recovery while on waitlist than other liver diseases, especially when waiting time exceeded 90 days. These results indicate the importance of continuous evaluation of disease progression in AH patients awaiting LT.
Fake Review Detection on Yelp Dataset Using Classification Techniques in Machine Learning

This paper provides a summary of our research, which aims to build a machine learning model that can detect whether the reviews on Yelp’s dataset are true or fake. In particular, we applied and compared different classification techniques in machine learning to find out which one would give the best result. Brief descriptions for each of the classification techniques are provided to aid understanding of why some methods are better than others in some cases. The best result was achieved by using the XGBoost classification technique, with F-1 score reaching 0.99 in prediction.
Chapter 11 – Voltammetric Methods

Publisher Summary Voltammetric methods are a collection of electroanalytical techniques in which the potential of an electrolytic cell is varied toward negative or positive values and the current is measured. The output of the experiment is the current vs. the potential applied to the cell. Typical cells consist of reference and counter electrodes and a working electrode. The reference electrode is designed to hold a constant potential, and a potentiostatic circuit is used so that a variation in the potential applied to the cell changes the oxidizing or reducing power of the working electrode. This chapter characterizes different types of voltammetry by the different types of potential waveforms applied to the cell. If the applied potential is varied linearly and the current measured continuously, the method is called linear sweep voltammetry. If a series of pulses of increasing heights is applied to the cell and the current measured at the end of each pulse, the technique is called normal pulse voltammetry.
A new methodology for kick detection during petroleum drilling using long short-term memory recurrent neural network

Abstract Kick is a downhole phenomenon which can lead to blowout, and so early detection is important. In addition to early detection, the need to prevent false alarm is also useful in order to minimize wastage of operation time. A major challenge in ensuring early detection is that it increases the chances of false alarm. While several data-driven approaches have been used in the past, there is also ongoing research on the use of derived indicators such as d -exponent for kick detection. This article presents a data-driven approach which uses d -exponent and standpipe pressure for kick detection. The data-driven approach presented in this article serves as a complementary methodology to other stand-alone kick detection equations, and uses d -exponent and standpipe pressure as inputs. This paper proposes a methodology which uses the long short-term memory recurrent neural network (LSTM-RNN) to capture temporal relationships between time series data comprising of d -exponent data and standpipe pressure data with the aim of increasing the chances of achieving early kick detection without false alarm. The methodology involves obtaining the slope trend of the d -exponent data and the peak reduction in the standpipe pressure data for training the LSTM-RNN for kick detection. Field data is used for training and testing. Early detection was achieved without false alarm.
Outcomes of Type II Endoleak Treatment Using Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer (OnyxTM).

Introduction:This study reports our experience with the use of an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (Onyx™) for the treatment of type II endoleak after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneury...
The Emergence of Written Language: From Numeracy to Literacy

This chapter reviews how written signs first emerged and developed into systematic writing systems. The first sign system appeared to fulfill accounting purposes for the preservation of private properties in antiquity. Initial written signs, including plain tallies, complex tokens, and tokens in clay envelopes, are reviewed. Written signs before the emergence of the Greek alphabet, such as cuneiforms and hieroglyphs, are also reviewed. As agricultural culture and urbanization took place, writing systems became more multifaceted and systematized. The characteristics of true alphabets are discussed. For a comparison purpose, the Chinese writing system is briefly mentioned. The chapter ends with a discussion of the transition from numeracy to literacy.
A study of the learnability of relational properties: model counting meets machine learning (MCML)

This paper introduces the MCML approach for empirically studying the learnability of relational properties that can be expressed in the well-known software design language Alloy. A key novelty of MCML is quantification of the performance of and semantic differences among trained machine learning (ML) models, specifically decision trees, with respect to entire (bounded) input spaces, and not just for given training and test datasets (as is the common practice). MCML reduces the quantification problems to the classic complexity theory problem of model counting, and employs state-of-the-art model counters. The results show that relatively simple ML models can achieve surprisingly high performance (accuracy and F1-score) when evaluated in the common setting of using training and test datasets -- even when the training dataset is much smaller than the test dataset -- indicating the seeming simplicity of learning relational properties. However, MCML metrics based on model counting show that the performance can degrade substantially when tested against the entire (bounded) input space, indicating the high complexity of precisely learning these properties, and the usefulness of model counting in quantifying the true performance.
Superior Capsular Reconstruction: A Systematic Review of Surgical Techniques and Clinical Outcomes.

Purpose To evaluate surgical techniques and clinical outcomes of arthroscopic superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) for the treatment of massive irreparable rotator cuff tears. Methods A systematic review was registered with PROSPERO and performed using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines. The PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases were searched. Studies investigating SCR with reported surgical techniques were included. Animal studies, cadaveric studies, review studies, and letters to the editor were excluded. The technical aspects of the surgical techniques for SCR were analyzed in each article, which included graft type, glenoid fixation method, greater tuberosity fixation method, graft passage technique, suture management, margin convergence, concomitant procedures, and postoperative rehabilitation protocol. Clinical outcomes, when available, were also analyzed. Results We screened 365 articles, of which 29 described surgical techniques for SCR. According to the Modified Coleman Methodology Score, 24 articles were rated as poor (score Conclusions Many surgical techniques exist for arthroscopic SCR. However, no superior technique was shown because there were no studies comparing clinical outcomes among these various techniques. Level of Evidence Level V, systematic review of Level III, IV, and V studies.
Empowered to Serve? : Higher Education International Center Directors and Their Roles on Campus Internationalization

Some institutions have sought to centralize the supports they give students by developing a center or office dedicated to international students, led by a director or manager overseeing international student support. However, these directors are also not given the resources needed to fully support international students. Our study focuses on the role and empowerment of these international center leaders. A multi-institution case study approach, guided by the empowerment framework, was utilized. The first research question asked what perceptions international center directors have of the resources and support structures provided by their institutions for the growing international student population. The second research question examined how international center directors perceive their empowerment, and which dimensions of empowerment they experience, or lack. Findings include international center directors reporting their sense of empowerment is founded in their desire to serve, sense of autonomy, and the sense of meaning they find engaging in the work.
The Clinical Utility of 18F-Fluciclovine PET/CT in Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer: an Academic Center Experience Post FDA Approval

To evaluate the diagnostic performance and clinical utility of 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT in patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer (PC). 18F-Fluciclovine scans of 165 consecutive men with BCR after primary definitive treatment with prostatectomy (n = 102) or radiotherapy (n = 63) were retrospectively evaluated. Seventy patients had concurrent imaging with at least one other conventional modality (CT (n = 31), MRI (n = 31), or bone scan (n = 26)). Findings from 18F-fluciclovine PET were compared with those from conventional imaging modalities. The positivity rate and impact of 18F-fluciclovine PET on patient management were recorded. In 33 patients who underwent at least one other PET imaging (18F-NaF PET/CT (n = 12), 68Ga-PSMA11 PET/CT (n = 5), 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT (n = 20), and 68Ga-RM2 PET/MRI (n = 5)), additional findings were evaluated. The overall positivity rate of 18F-fluciclovine PET was 67 %, which, as expected, increased with higher prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels (ng/ml): 15 % (PSA < 0.5), 50 % (0.5 ≤ PSA < 1), 56 % (1 ≤ PSA < 2), 68 % (2 ≤ PSA < 5), and 94 % (PSA ≥ 5), respectively. One hundred and two patients (62 %) had changes in clinical management based on 18F-fluciclovine PET findings. Twelve of these patients (12 %) had lesion localization on 18F-fluciclovine PET, despite negative conventional imaging. Treatment plans of 14 patients with negative 18F-fluciclovine PET were changed based on additional PET imaging with a different radiopharmaceutical. 18F-Fluciclovine PET/CT remains a useful diagnostic tool in the workup of patients with BCR PC, changing clinical management in 62 % of participants in our cohort.
The Inception and Progression of a True Partnership: How to Make It Work for at Least 20 Years

A cancer partnership was established between the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center (LCCC) Georgetown University Medical Center in 2000 to foc...
A Budget Impact Analysis of Gene Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease: The Medicaid Perspective.

Importance Hundreds of gene therapies are undergoing clinical testing and are likely to be priced more than $1 million per course of treatment. The association that high prices will have with insurance coverage of gene therapy remains unclear. Gene therapy for sickle cell disease has shown early success and would be one of the first gene therapies available for a relatively large population. Objectives To estimate the budget impact and affordability of a gene therapy for severe sickle cell disease from the perspective of US Medicaid programs with the highest prevalence of sickle cell disease while exploring the impact of an annuity payment model. Design, Setting, and Participants A budget impact analysis was performed from January 1 to May 31, 2020, for a sickle cell disease gene therapy from the perspective of 10 state Medicaid plans with a 5-year time horizon, using state-level disease prevalence data from 2012. Disease prevalence, Medicaid enrollment, and expenditures were derived from the available literature. The eligible population was based on modified clinical trial inclusion criteria including individuals aged 13 to 45 years with severe disease. Exposures The gene therapy was assumed to be administered to 7% of the eligible population annually and was curative (no subsequent disease-related expenditures). The gene therapy price was $1.85 million in the base case, and baseline disease-related expenditures were $42 200 per year. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcomes were total budget impact and budget impact per member per month in years 1 through 5. One-way sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate uncertainty of market diffusion, size of eligible population, price of therapy, and cost of routine care. Results An estimated 5464 Medicaid enrollees would be eligible for the gene therapy nationally, with 2315 individuals in the 10 Medicaid programs of interest (16 per 100 000 enrollees). The model projected a mean 1-year budget impact of $29.96 million per state Medicaid program in the sample ($1.91 per member per month). A 5-year annuity payment reduced the short-term budget impact. Conclusions and Relevance This study suggests that a gene therapy for severe sickle cell disease is likely to produce a considerable budget impact for many Medicaid plans while potentially offering substantial benefit to patients. Payers may need to take steps to ensure affordability and access. Gene therapy for sickle cell disease is likely to provide an early demonstration of the unique financial challenges associated with this emerging drug class.
Breaking the Cycle of Overwork and Recuperation: Altering Somatic Engagement Across Boundaries

Past research often relegates the management of the ideal worker’s overworking body to the nonwork environment. Reflecting a segmentation approach to managing the boundary between work and nonwork,...
Evaluation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in US Urban Middle Schools Using a Multiple Baseline Experimental Design

We evaluated the impact of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) in an 8-year study in urban middle schools that served primarily African American students living in low-income areas. Participants included 2755 students and 242 teachers. We evaluated the OBPP with a multiple-baseline experimental design where the order and intervention start time was randomly assigned for each school. We assessed the frequency of bullying behaviors and experiences including physical, relational, and verbal aggression and victimization using teacher ratings of student behavior and student-reported data, as well as cyber aggression and victimization and school climate measures using student-reported data. For teacher ratings of student behavior, we found significant main effects across all subtypes of aggression and victimization, with some variability in the timing of effects. The pattern of findings showed delayed intervention effects for boys and a weaker impact of the OBPP on 6th graders. We found main effects for student-reported cyber aggression and victimization, relational aggression, and a composite of physical, verbal, and relational victimization. Decreases in victimization emerged in the 1st or 2nd year of intervention, and reductions in aggression emerged during the 3rd year. Across all findings, once intervention effects emerged, they remained significant in subsequent intervention years. The OBPP resulted in significant decreases in student- and teacher-reported aggression and victimization. However, this intervention had limited impact on general areas of school climate including teacher support, positive peer interactions, and school safety. Overall, the findings offer important prevention and research implications.
Efficient Parallel Determinacy Race Detection for Structured Futures

In task-parallel code, a determinancy race occurs when two logically parallel instructions access the same memory location in a conflicting way. A determinacy race tends to be a bug as it leads to non-deterministic program behaviors. Researchers have studied algorithms for detecting determinacy races in task-parallel code, with most prior work focuses on computations with nice structural properties (e.g., fork-join or pipeline parallelism). For such computations, one can devise provably efficient algorithms with constant overhead, leading to a asymptotically optimal running time --- O(T_1 / P + T_∞) on P cores for a computation with T_1 work and T_∞ span. More recently, researchers have begun to address the problem of race detecting computations with less structural properties, such as ones that arise from the use of futures. Due to the lack of structural properties, the race detection algorithm incurs higher overhead. % Given a computation with work T_1 and span T_∞, the state-of-the-art parallel algorithm for race detecting programs with futures runs in time O((T_1 lgk + k^2) / P + T_∞(lg k + lgr lgk )) on P cores (Xu ηl, 2020), where k is the total number of futures used, k is the maximum number of future operations per "future task,'' and r is the maximum number of readers between two consecutive writes to a given memory location. Interestingly, it has been shown that when one imposes certain restrictions on the use of futures, referred to as the structured futures, although the restrictions do not entirely eliminate arbitrary dependences among subcomputations, one can race detect such programs more efficiently than that for programs with general futures (i.e., no restrictions). The improved efficiency has only been demonstrated for a sequential algorithm (Utterback ηl, 2019) that race detects while executing the computation sequentially, however. The algorithm requires sequential execution, because the correctness of the algorithm relies on updating the necessary data structures while traversing the computation dag in a specific order. An interesting question remains, whether a parallel algorithm exists for race detecting programs with structured future that achieves better execution time compared to that designed for general futures. This work attempts to answer this question. We propose a parallel algorithm designed to race detect structured futures. By exploiting the restrictions imposed by structured futures, the proposed algorithm allows for a constant-time query while keeping fewer previous accessors around to provide the same correctness guarantees as prior work. Our algorithm runs in time O((T_1 + k^2)/P + T_∞ lg k) on P cores. We have also implemented and empirically evaluated the proposed algorithm. When compared to the state-of-the-art sequential algorithm designed for structured futures, although our algorithm has a longer one-core execution time, its absolute running time wins out when running on two cores or more. When compared to the state-of-the-art parallel algorithm designed for general futures, it indeed incurs lower overhead and performs better.
The future of bacteriophage biology

After an illustrious history as one of the primary tools that established the foundations of molecular biology, bacteriophage research is now undergoing a renaissance in which the primary focus is on the phages themselves rather than the molecular mechanisms that they explain. Studies of the evolution of phages and their role in natural ecosystems are flourishing. Practical questions, such as how to use phages to combat human diseases that are caused by bacteria, how to eradicate phage pests in the food industry and what role they have in the causation of human diseases, are receiving increased attention. Phages are also useful in the deeper exploration of basic molecular and biophysical questions.
Hardware/Software Tradeoffs

Tradeoffs between hardware and software implementations occur in application-specific digital systems as well as in the general-purpose computing domain. The nature of such tradeoffs, however, is vastly different between the two domains. Both tradeoff situations are described in this article. Keywords: tradeoffs; application-specific systems; general purpose computers; design; tools
ARMAMENT, DISARMAMENT AND NATIONAL SECURITY:: A Theoretical Duopoly Model of the Arms Race

The quest for national security through the expansion of military force has been a dominant feature of international relations for the past three decades. Since the Second World War this quest has given rise to an arms race which has seen the development, production and deployment of weapons of mass destruction in numbers great enough to threaten the termination of human society. It is thus only reasonable to try to understand the forces which have propelled this process forward and to ask whether the process has, in fact, resulted in the achievement of its alleged primary objective — the improvement, or at least the maintenance of the military security of the participants.
Emergency power system control following a saddle node bifurcation

Restructuring in the electric power industry will result in system operation at higher levels of loading, increasing the potential for voltage instability due to a saddle node bifurcation. In this paper we present a computationally efficient method for emergency system control following such an event. The method only needs information typically available from a state estimator; it does not require the user to supply detailed models of system dynamics.
SU-E-J-258: Prediction of Cervical Cancer Treatment Response Using Radiomics Features Based On F18-FDG Uptake in PET Images

Purpose: Radiomics have shown potential for predicting treatment outcomes in several body sites. This study investigated the correlation between PET Radiomics features and treatment response of cervical cancer outcomes. Methods: our dataset consisted of a cohort of 79 patients diagnosed with cervical cancer, FIGO stage IB-IVA, age range 25–86 years, (median age at diagnosis: 50 years) all treated between: 2009–14 with external beam radiation therapy to a dose range between: 45–50.4 Gy (median= 45 Gy), concurrent cisplatin chemotherapy and MRI-based brachytherapy to a dose of 20–30 Gy (median= 28 Gy). Metabolic Tumor Volume (MTV) in patient’s primary site was delineated on pretreatment PET/CT by two board certified Radiation Oncologists. The features extracted from each patient’s volume were: 26 Co-occurrence matrix (COM) Feature, 11 Run-Length Matrix (RLM), 11 Gray Level Size Zone Matrix (GLSZM) and 33 Intensity-based features (IBF). The treatment outcome was divided based on the last follow up status into three classes: No Evidence of Disease (NED), Alive with Disease (AWD) and Dead of Disease (DOD). The ability for the radiomics features to differentiate between the 3 treatments outcome categories were assessed by One-Way ANOVA test with p-value < 0.05 was to be statistically significant. The results from themore » analysis were compared with the ones obtained previously for standard Uptake Value (SUV). Results: Based on patients last clinical follow-up; 52 showed NED, 17 AWD and 10 DOD. Radiomics Features were able to classify the patients based on their treatment response. A parallel analysis was done for SUV measurements for comparison. Conclusion: Radiomics features were able to differentiate between the three different classes of treatment outcomes. However, most of the features were only able to differentiate between NED and DOD class. Also, The ability or radiomics features to differentiate types of response were more significant than SUV.« less
Postperfusion nonthrombocytopenic purpura: An uncommon sequel of open heart surgery

Abstract Seven instances of an uncommon post operative sequel to open heart surgery are described. In each patient a nonthrombocytopenic purpuric eruption developed, usually in association with atypical lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, fever and splenomegaly. The 7 cases illustrate a clinical spectrum, ranging from the occurrence of comparatively few cutaneous petechiae, during an illness similar in all other respects to the postperfusion syndrome, to a diffuse vasculitis involving cutaneous and renal vessels and resulting in severe renal insufficiency. Although those patients with the mildest symptoms would have escaped detection had they not presented for examination because of other illness, those most severely affected presented difficult diagnostic and therapeutic problems. Because of the appearance of fever and splenomegaly in patients with cardiac abnormalities, the diagnosis most commonly made was subacute bacterial endocarditis. Recognition of the syndrome of postperfusion nonthrombocytopenic purpura should help to clarify the origin of some of the late postoperative fevers of unknown cause occurring in patients undergoing open heart procedures. It also may provide some insight into the possible relation between the postperfusion syndrome and post-transfusion hepatitis.
Orphan drugs in development for long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders: challenges and progress

Fatty acid oxidation disorders are inborn errors of metabolism resulting in failure of β-oxidation within or transport of fatty acids into the mitochondria. The long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders are characterized by variable presentations ranging from newborn cardio- myopathy, to infantile hypoketotic hypoglycemia resulting from liver involvement, to skeletal myopathy often resulting in rhabdomyolysis in adolescents and adults. Treatments for these long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders have typically focused upon avoidance of fasting with dietary fat restriction and medium-chain triglyceride supplementation. These treatments have resulted in only a partial response with improvements in hypoglycemia, reduction in frequency of rhabdomyolysis, and improvement in cardiomyopathy with early therapy, but significant risk remains. Recent advances in therapies for long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders are reviewed in this article. These include sodium D,L-3-hydroxybutyrate, triheptanoin, gene therapy, and bezafibrates. Sodium D,L-3-hydroxybutyrate has shown clinical effect, with improvements in muscle tone, neurological abnormalities, and some cases of cardiomyopathy and leukodystrophy. Triheptanoin has been used as an alternative medium-chain triglyceride in a number of fatty acid oxidation disorders and has shown promising findings in the treatment of cardiomyopathy and hypoglycemia. However, it does not significantly reduce episodes of rhabdomyolysis. Gene therapy has been shown to improve acylcarnitine levels in very-long-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency mouse models, with preservation of glucose levels. Bezafibrates have shown improvements in acylcarnitine concentrations in fibroblast studies, but clinical observa - tions have not demonstrated consistent effects. Together, these treatments have shown some improvements in individual case reports, but there is still a significant need for randomized controlled trials to investigate these therapies, given the ongoing need for improved treatments in these disorders.
Systematic studies of homogeneous nucleation processes; discovery of propensity rules

The objectives of this work are: the extraction from experimental data of a simple propensity rule relating nucleation rate and temperature, the demonstration that this rule can be explained in terms of both microphysical nucleation theory based on the fundamental properties of the nucleating molecules and classical theory, the interpretation of this result in terms of classical nucleation theory, and the determination of a temperature dependent sticking coefficient from the application of microphysical nucleation theory to experimental data for water.
Computer-aided Interactive Classification: Applications of VIBE

Tools like the VIBE visualization system permit human analysts to use both an understanding of a data set's content and a recognition of structure that the visualization reveals. But what happens when a database's semantics are hidden from the analyst? What guidelines or heuristics can he or she use to reveal the "correct" underlying structure? Results of two experiments conducted at the University of Pittsburgh support the claim that VIBE analysts can uncover a meaningful clustering even without semantic clues. In one experiment artificial data sets were created in which some of the variables discriminate one or more clusters and the other half contribute only random noise. Variable selection guidelines based on computed discrimination value were used in an attempt to distinguish between the signal and noise variables. In a second experiment, a human analyst's encoding of 714 short phrases to 23 overlapping and inter-related categories was stripped of meaningful titles and relabeled with integers. A VIBE analyst was able to highlight relationships among the 23 categories solely on the basisof co-assignment of the phrases.
Branching Ratio and Form Factor Measurements of $\Xi^0$ Beta Decay

We present a branching ratio measurement for the beta decay of neutral Cascade hyperon to a positive Sigma, electron and neutrino. Data were collected during 1997 with the KTeV detector at Fermilab. We used the principal decay mode, Cascade to a Lambda and a neutral pion, as the flux normalization mode. The status of the measurement of the ratio of the axial-vector to vector coupling (g_1/f_1) for this decay will also be discussed. Furthermore, we present the preliminary branching ratio measurement for the muonic channel of Cascade beta decay.
Symptoms: in the Head or in the Brain?

The supplement accompanying this issue addresses the study of symptoms. Symptom research is a long-neglected field, one that may now be poised to produce important new insights that will improve th...
Sickle cell vasoocclusion: heterotypic, multicellular aggregations driven by leukocyte adhesion

Homozygous expression of sickle β -globin alters the function of blood cells and the endothelium, producing a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. Intravital microscopy studies in sickle cell mice suggest that vasoocclusion is a complex, sequential, multistep phenomenon involving (1) endothelial activation by sickle erythrocyte (SSRBC), (2) leukocyte (WBC) adhesion to the endothelium, and (3) the direct interaction between SSRBCs and adherent WBCs, which leads to reduced blood flow and tissue ischemia. Each of these steps represents a potentially useful therapeutic target. The identification of molecular determinants mediating vasoocclusion will provide new strategies for the prevention and treatment of this debilitating illness.
A theory-based logic model for innovation policy and evaluation

Current policy and program rationale, objectives, and evaluation use a fragmented picture of the innovation process. This presents a challenge since in the United States officials in both the executive and legislative branches of government see innovation, whether that be new products or processes or business models, as the solution to many of the problems the country faces. The logic model is a popular tool for developing and describing the rationale for a policy or program and its context. This article sets out to describe generic logic models of both the R&D process and the diffusion process, building on existing theory-based frameworks. Then a combined, theory-based logic model for the innovation process is presented. Examples of the elements of the logic, each a possible leverage point or intervention, are provided, along with a discussion of how this comprehensive but simple model might be useful for both evaluation and policy development. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.
Recent advances in counter-current chromatography

During the past several years, counter-current chromatography (CCC) technology has been advanced to cover a broad spectrum of applications, from large-scale preparative to analytical-scale separations. These advances include liquid-liquid dual CCC, foam CCC and partition of macromolecules with aqueous-aqueous polymer phase systems. For these developments the synchronous coil planet centrifuge scheme has been used, which relies on a relatively simple mechanical design. Future developments in CCC may be focused on the improvement of the more intricate non-synchronous coil planet centrifuge scheme which has a greater potential for the separation of biopolymers and cell particles.
Forward modelling of ultrasound fields using a novel directivity spectrum method

A new technique for computing images of transient ultrasound fields is presented. The theory of the method is based on the “directivity spectrum”, which is a generalisation of the angular spectrum. The method, in contrast to the angular spectrum approach, is particularly suited to the computation of transient fields, and it contains no evanescent waves. It allows computed pulse propagation over extended ranges. (3 pages)
Effective Leadership Development: Key Components

Leadership development requires an action-oriented, training- developmental approach, according to this writer. Such a focus should embrace and emphasize components central to effective leadership, he says.
Exclusive processes in quantum chromodynamics: Evolution equations for hadronic wavefunctions and the form factors of mesons

Abstract The predictions of quantum chromodynamics for meson form factors at large momentum transfer are given. Evolution equations are derived which determine the structure of hadronic wavefunctions at short distances from their form at large distances. The eigenvalues of the evolution equations appear as exponents in anomalous logarithm corrections to the nominal power law of form factors determined by dimensional counting. The results lead to detailed tests of the spin and scaling structure of QCD at short distances. The predictions for the charged pion, kaon and rho form factors and the γ → π 0 transition form factor of the photon are absolutely normalized at asymptotic momentum transfer.
Recent Advances in Thermally and Photochemically Initiated Cationic Polymerization

Several new classes of triarylsulfonium salts have been discovered which possess enhanced efficiency as photoinitiators of cationic polymerization. One of these compounds was identified among the components of the Friedel Crafts reaction of benzene with sulfur monochloride and chlorine. Specific new syntheses were developed and are described for the synthesis of these compounds in high yields. The development of several new thermal initiator systems for cationic polymerization based on dialkyl-4-hydroxyphenylsulfonium and dialkylphenacylsulfonium salts is also discussed.
The “Poster Child for offensive realism”: America as a global hegemon

(2002). The “Poster Child for offensive realism”: America as a global hegemon. Security Studies: Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 120-164.
Non-linear r-modes in a spherical shell: issues of principle

ABSTRA C T We use a simple physical model to study the non-linear behaviour of the r-mode instability. We assume that r-modes (Rossby waves) are excited in a thin spherical shell of rotating incompressible fluid. For this case, exact Rossby wave solutions of arbitrary amplitude are known. We find that these non-linear Rossby waves carry zero physical angular momentum and positive physical energy, which is contrary to the folklore belief that the r-mode angular momentum and energy are negative. We think that the origin of the confusion lies in the difference between physical and canonical quantities. Within our model, we confirm the differential drift reported in 2000 by Rezzolla, Lamb & Shapiro. Radiation reaction is introduced into the model by assuming that the fluid is electrically charged; r-modes are coupled to electromagnetic radiation through current (magnetic) multipole moments. We study the coupled equations of charged fluid and Maxwell field dynamics and find the following. To linear order in the mode amplitude, r-modes are subject to the CFS instability, as expected. Radiation reaction decreases the angular velocity of the shell and causes differential rotation (which is distinct from but similar in magnitude to the differential drift reported by Rezzolla et al.) prior to saturation of the r-mode growth. This is contrary to the phenomenological treatments to date, which assumed that, prior to the saturation of the r-mode amplitude, the loss of stellar angular momentum is accounted for by the r-mode growth. This establishes, for the first time, that radiation reaction leads not only to overall loss of angular momentum, but also to differential rotation. Finally, we show that for the la 2 r-mode the electromagnetic radiation reaction is equivalent to the gravitational radiation reaction in the lowest post-Newtonian order. Based on our electromagnetic calculations, we conclude that inertial frame dragging, both from the background rotation and from the r-mode itself, will modify the r-mode frequency by a factor of ,RSch=Rstar (where RSch is the Schwarzschild radius), in qualitative agreement with Kojima’s result from 1998.
The effect of modified culture conditions on protein synthesis in the rabbit lens

Freshly isolated rabbit lenses were incubated in either acidic, basic or physiological medium. The lenses were cultivated for either six hours or for 48 hours. The lens protein synthesis was monitored by measuring amount of radioactive precursor incorporated in the marker proteins. It was found that the alpha crystallin synthesis is pH dependent, whereas other lens marker proteins (IF and MP-26) are not pH dependent for the first six hours of incubation, and only intermediate filament showed diminished synthetic activity in the acidic medium, in the 48 hour cultures.
Cognitive Development and Learning Linear Measurement

It has long been hypothesized that children's level of cognitive development is an important factor in their ability to learn mathematics. In fact, many attempts to apply cognitive psychology to mathematics instruction rest on the premise that mastery of certain mathematical tasks depends on the development of more basic cognitive abilities (e.g., Copeland, 1974; Lesh, 1973; Osborne, 1976). Children who have not yet developed these cognitive abilities presumably are unable to benefit from instruction on certain topics. The hypothesis is intuitively reasonable, but little is known about the effects of specific cognitive abilities on learning particular mathematical concepts. The purpose of the present study was to examine the utility of this hypothesis for mathematics instruction by testing whether, in fact, certain cognitive developmental capacities are required to learn basic mathematical concepts and skills. Logical considerations suggest that two forms of cognitive capacity may be especially important for learning mathematics: logical reasoning ability, as operationalized by Piaget (1952; Piaget, Inhelder, & Szeminska, 1960), and information-processing capacity, as characterized by recent work in cognitive psychology (e.g., Case, 1978a, 1978b). The present study investigated the effects of these cognitive capacities on children's ability to learn concepts of linear measurement. Although theoretically any mathematical content could have been selected to study the effects of these abilities, linear measurement was chosen because of its prevalence in school mathematics programs and its logical dependence on several Piagetian reasoning abilities.
The use of a guide suture in strangulated hernia.

Abstract 1. 1. There is statistical proof that the mortality rate after repair of strangulated hernias is high and that it is markedly increased by bowel surgery. 2. 2. Borderline cases incidental to strangulated hernias are described, in which the damaged part of the bowel has not responded to routine management. At times it is rather difficult to evaluate the viability of such bowel. 3. 3. The advantages of the guide suture, in this type of case, are discussed. 4. 4. Four case reports are given.
An Investigation of Omega Windfinding Accuracy

Abstract The major sources of error in Omega-derived wind estimates are examined and illustrated. Sample dropwindsondes and local Omega signals are used to illustrate the effects of several types of phase propagation anomalies. A stationary test sonde and synthetic Omega phases are used to determine the accuracy of three Omega phase-smoothing algorithms and their associated error estimates and to determine the impact of base station motion for sondes released from aircraft. Omega windfinding errors can be classified as either “internal” or ”external” errors. Internal errors are associated with signal quality and transmitter-sonde geometry, while external errors are caused by anomalous phase propagation. Estimates of wind error (wind uncertainties) are provided by the equations of Omega windfinding. These uncertainties, however, estimate only the effects of internal errors. Precise assessment of errors caused by anomalous phase propagation requires the measurement of phase data by a stationary receiver. Su...