cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Providing Reliable Prognosis to Patients with Gastric Cancer in the Era of Neoadjuvant Therapies: Comparison of AJCC Staging Schemata.

Purpose Patients with gastric cancer who receive neoadjuvant therapy are staged before treatment (cStage) and after treatment (ypStage). We aimed to compare the prognostic reliability of cStage and ypStage, alone and in combination. Materials and Methods Data for all patients who received neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery for gastric adenocarcinoma from 2004 to 2015 were extracted from the National Cancer Database. Kaplan-Meier (KM)curves were used to model overall survival based on cStage alone, ypStage alone, cStage stratified by ypStage, and ypStage stratified by cStage. P-values were generated to summarize the differences in KM curves. The discriminatory power of survival prediction was examined using Harrell's C-statistics. Results We included 8,977 patients in the analysis. As expected, increasing cStage and ypStage were associated with worse survival. The discriminatory prognostic power provided by cStage was poor (C-statistic 0.548), while that provided by ypStage was moderate (C-statistic 0.634). Within each cStage, the addition of ypStage information significantly altered the prognosis (P<0.0001 within cStages I-IV). However, for each ypStage, the addition of cStage information generally did not alter the prognosis (P=0.2874, 0.027, 0.061, 0.049, and 0.007 within ypStages 0-IV, respectively). The discriminatory prognostic power provided by the combination of cStage and ypStage was similar to that of ypStage alone (C-statistic 0.636 vs. 0.634). Conclusions The cStage is unreliable for prognosis, and ypStage is moderately reliable. Combining cStage and ypStage does not improve the discriminatory prognostic power provided by ypStage alone. A ypStage-based prognosis is minimally affected by the initial cStage.
Efficient HW/SW partitioning of Halo: FPGA-accelerated recursive proof composition in blockchain

The blockchain space has seen tremendous innovation and advancement, in the last few years with an explosion of functionality and use cases. However, several challenges naturally arise from the nature of these distributed systems—energy efficiency, privacy, and scalability challenges due to the computational resources required to generate, validate, and store the cryptographic proofs that provide immutable security. New applications of recursive proof composition offer paradigmatic improvements that effectively address these challenges. This paper addresses the practical implementation of these theoretical advances. We demonstrate how HW/SW co-design methods can be algorithmically applied to identify practical hardware optimizations for the cryptographic verification of these zero-knowledge proofs, using Halo as an example. We offer a partitioning methodology of blockchain operations and then discuss the use of the Binary Particle Swarm Optimization (BPSO) algorithm for systemic optimization. To demonstrate our methodology, we implement the Halo algorithm on the Xilinx Zynq-7000 System-on-Chip (SoC). We successfully achieve a considerable speedup of 2.2x, compared to a software-only implementation on a CPU.
Beyond rationality: Expanding the practice of shared decision making in modern medicine

The contemporary healthcare field operates according to an autonomy model of medical decision-making. This model stipulates that patients have the right to make informed choices about their care. Shared decision making (SDM) has arisen as the dominant approach for clinicians and patients to collaborate in care planning and implementation. This approach relies heavily on normative (rational) decision-making processes, and often leaves out descriptive influences that stem from personal, social, and environmental factors and explain how decisions are typically made in the real world. The lack of attention to descriptive decision-making limits SDM in many ways. A multi-level approach to expanding the practice of SDM is proposed, including tailoring the decision encounter based on patients' social, cultural, and environmental context; using relational elements strategically as part of the SDM process; and modifying incentive models to promote greater attention to descriptive impacts on decision-making. These modifications are expected to make SDM, and thus patient care, more inclusive, effective, and acceptable to diverse patients.
Genetic Characterization of Two Human Cases Infected with the Avian Influenza A (H5N6) Viruses — Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, 2021

What is known about this topic? H5N6 has replaced H5N1 as a dominant avian influenza virus (AIV) subtype in southern China. The increasing genetic diversity and geographical distribution of H5N6 pose a serious threat to the poultry industry and human health. What is added by this report? A total of 2 cases of H5N6 that occurred from February 2021 to July 2021 in Guangxi, China were reported in this study. Phylogenetic analysis of gene was constructed, and some mutations of HA gene, PB2 gene, PA gene, M1 gene, NS1 gene, the receptor-binding site were detected. The evolutionary origins of the internal genes were different. What are the implications for public health practice? As a multi-source reassortant virus, the H5N6 highly pathogenic AIV is continuously evolving. There is an urgent need to strengthen the surveillance of drug-resistant strains and novel variants.
Statisticians Engage in Gun Violence Research

Government reports document more than 14,000 homicides and more than 195,000 aggravated assaults with firearms in 2017. In addition, there were 346 mass shootings, with 4 or more victims, including...
Nisbas of the North: Muslims from Armenia, Caucasian Albania, and Azerbaijan in Arabic Biographical Dictionaries (4th-7th centuries AH)

Recognizing that we know little about Arab settlement and Muslim populations in Armenia and Caucasian Albania during the Abbasid period, this article considers the data available in specific biographical compendia in Arabic: the works of al-Samʿānī, Ibn al-Aṯīr, Yāqūt, al-Ṣafadī, and Ibn Ḫallikān. It examines entries of notable Muslims from the fourth/eleventh through the seventh/fourteenth centuries with the nisbas related to the three provinces of the North. These tell of ethnic diversity, but also perceived geographical, scholarly, and ideological connectivity between the North and the more central lands of Islam and, specifically, the Persian cultural sphere. They engage themes and ideas that are key to the study of medieval Islam, such as ethnic diversity, slavery, the geographical definition of Islam, ǧihād, ṯuġūr, Sufism and asceticism, travel fī ṭalab al-ʿilm, and lines of transmission and authority.
Long-term green tea polyphenol intervention decreases urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine levels in a high-risk population for liver cancer

2125 Green tea polyphenols (GTPs) are strong antioxidants and have been found to be antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic in many experimental models and a few human epidemiologic studies. In previous phase IIa intervention study, we found that GTPs at 500 mg and 1,000 mg per day significantly decreased urinary excretion of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), an oxidative DNA damage biomarker, in high-risk residents for liver cancer. To further evaluate the efficacy of GTPs and validate GTP metabolism, we have measured 8-OHdG and GTP components in 700 urine samples collected from a long-term intervention study with 500 mg GTPs per day in 1,800 residents in southern Guangxi, China. Urinary 8-OHdG and GTP components were measured by HPLC-electrocoularray detection. No urinary GTP components were detectable in the placebo group over 12 months (n=350). However, there were significant increases in both urinary (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC) and (-)-epicatechin (EC) levels in the GTP treated group with the averaged values (mean ± SE) of 0.0 ± 0.0, 359.5 ± 45.1, 431.3 ± 75.6, 828.1 ± 121.2, and 1144.0 ± 144.4 ng/mg creatinine for EGC plus EC at 0 (baseline), 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month (p 93%) with glucuronide conjugates accounting for ~ 60% of the totally excreted GTPs. The 8-OHdG levels kept constant in the placebo group over the 12-month period with the averaged levels (mean ± SE) at 10.1 ± 0.8, 10.1 ± 0.9, 9.8 ± 0.8, 10.0 ± 0.8, and 10.1 ± 0.7 ng/mg creatinine, respectively. The 8-OHdG levels in the GTP treated group were significantly decreased with the averaged levels at 10.3 ± 0.8, 8.5 ± 0.7, 7.6 ± 0.5, 6.3 ± 0.3, 6.5 ± 0.3 ng/mg creatinine for 0 (baseline), 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12- month, respectively. Significant dose- (p
Structural Changes in Deoxyribonucleic Acid during Early Stages of Lens Regeneration in Triturus

Abstract When the lens is removed from the newt Triturus, a new lens will form from epithelial cells of the dorsal iris. DNA was isolated from dorsal irises of animals which had been engaged in lens regeneration for 0, 3, 5, and 7 days. The nitrocellulose affinities of the DNA preparations were: 0-day, 12%; 3-day, 15%; 5-day, 86%; and 7-day, 60%. This suggests that structural alterations occur during the early stages of lens regeneration (and initiation of DNA synthesis). These structural changes can be correlated with the cell cycle. The DNA preparations were characterized by hydroxyapatite chromatography, buoyant density in CsCl and CsSO4(Hg), thermal denaturation, and sedimentation in neutral and alkaline sucrose gradients. The DNA isolated from 0-day regenerates (G0 phase of the cell cycle) behaved as native duplex structures containing few nicks. The DNA from 3-day regenerates (early G1 phase) contained a significant number of nicks. The DNA from 5-day regenerates (late G1 phase) contained gaps or missing runs of nucleotides. The DNA from 7-day regenerates (S phase) existed in two configurations. One possessed a great deal of single-stranded character, and the other was similar, but not identical, to the DNA from 5-day regenerates. These results lead us to suggest that prior to entry into the cell cycle, DNA exists in vivo as chromosomal duplexes which are isolated as structures possessing a maximum charge density. During G1, DNA is activated for replication by a process which at first leads to nicks, then gaps. During replication much of the DNA exists in vivo as an extended structure which is isolated as molecules which possess a great deal of single-stranded character.
Erotic Study and the Difficulties of Desire in Education

I want to thank Samuel Rocha for his account of study as an erotic force that "comes and goes, but never leaves us altogether," a force "living in and through desire," "vulnerable to chance, the passions, and the unconscious." I think his account is important not only because it provides a corrective to hollow and prescriptive notions of study that predominate in our educational institutions and pedagogical practices. As feminists like bell hooks have long argued, "understand- ing that eros is a force that enhances our overall effort to be self-actualizing, that it can provide an epistemological grounding informing how we know what we know, enables (us) to use such energy in a classroom setting in ways that invigorate discussion and excite the critical imagination." 1 Feminists, too, have advocated a pedagogy that dares to reckon with the erotic as a source of power precisely because the erotic has been disavowed on social, structural, and educational levels. I find Rocha's account quite refreshing in its desire to uncover the erotic nature of study. I appreciate also his rehabilitation of the highly disparaged work of repetition and memorization as central to the process of erotic study, issues he raises in his link between baby talk and jazz. But as interested as I am in the concept of study, I wonder what these examples imply about the arts of teaching and learning. His two central illustrations seem to imply that perhaps we have no need for the teacher, the master explicator, the one who transmits knowledge in prepared lessons. It would seem that the forces of the erotic in study are what allow the baby to master their mother tongue and the jazz musician their instrument. Both the jazz musician and the baby learn, repeat, experiment, imitate, and memorize, without being formally taught to do so; where does that leave those who work daily on developing and refining educational theory and practice? I also find it troubling that he splits ontology from ethics and I want to trouble his account of fortune and non/fortune, which, I worry, ignores relations in which being is contextualized. His insistence on the ontology of fortune shifts our focus away from the ways in which the very real structures that produce us reproduce themselves. Because we live in the world with others and we push them and they push back, we need to think very carefully about the non-fortunate ontology of structures. I think the ways in which the erotic functions as a fundamental force in study provides us with an excellent entry point into taking such structures and the structures of desire more seriously. I draw on feminist and psychoanalytic theory to complicate Rocha's rather celebratory notion of the erotic, to show that there is something about and within the erotic that is difficult, disruptive, and threatening, on individual and structural levels. And these difficult dimensions of desire wreak havoc on our attachments to ignorance, certainty, and control and can help to explain why desire has been and continues to be disavowed in educational theory and practice. Psychoanalytic theory
Orthogonal polynomials and quadratic extremal problems

The purpose of this paper is to analyse a class of quadratic extremal problems defined on various Hilbert spaces of analytic functions, thereby generalizing an extremal problem on the Dirichlet space which was solved by S.D. Fisher. Each extremal problem considered here is shown to be connected with a system of orthogonal polynomials. The orthogonal polynomials then determine properties of the extremal function, and provide information about the existence of extremals.
High‐Pressure Raman Scattering Study of Majorite‐Garnet Solid Solutions in the System Mg4Si4O12—Mg3Al2Si3O12

We report here the results of Raman scattering measurements to 30 GPa on polycrystalline end-member Mj 100 tetragonal majorite and two majorite-garnet solid solutions, Mj 50 Py 50 and Mj 80 Py 20 (where Mj = Mg 4 Si 4 O 12 and Py = Mg 3 Al 2 Si 3 O 12 ), synthesized at 17.7 GPa and 2000°C. The results are discussed in light of previous Raman, X ray, and elasticity studies. At ambient pressure, variations in the Raman spectra indicate changes in the structure and disorder with increasing Py content. For example, the spectra of Mj 100 confirm its tetragonal structure, and the two bands in Mj 100 at ∼885 cm -1 and ∼928 cm -1 merge in the case of Mj 80 Py 20 and Mj 50 Py 50 . The spectra of Mj 50 Py 50 and Mj 80 Py 20 show similarity to those of Py 100 (cubic garnet structure) and (Mg 79 Fe 21 ) 4 Si 4 O 12 majorite from the Catherwood meteorite, which also has cubic structure. The pressure dependencies of the Raman frequencies for all the modes are found to be linear, without discontinuities, throughout the pressure range of this study, implying no major structural changes. Using the pressure shift of the Raman bands, (∂v i /∂P), the mode Gruneisen parameters, γ l , are calculated using the bulk modulus values measured by Brillouin spectroscopy. The averaged values of mode γ l for the three Mj-Py samples lie in the range 0.81-1.13, lower than those of pyrope garnet (1.5) but close to γ th ∼1.1 calculated for Mj 58 Py 42 .
Magnetotail Plasma and Magnetospheric Substorms

One of the most discussed questions in connection with magnetospheric models in the past few years has been that of merging of magnetic field lines, both at the magnetopause and in the magnetotail, and of what role merging may play in driving magnetospheric convection. The plasma sheet in the magnetotail enters strongly in all such discussions and investigations of its properties and variations are of utmost importance in resolving the differences among the various models. This paper deals with two features of the plasma sheet as observed with the Vela satellites: (a) its time variations during magnetospheric substorms, and (b) the pressure of the magnetotail plasma as related to the dynamic pressure of the solar wind.
Matrix metalloproteinase-9 contributes to intestinal tumourigenesis in the adenomatous polyposis coli multiple intestinal neoplasia mouse

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of 23 extracellular proteases that are best known for their collective ability to degrade all components of the extracellular matrix. We previously demonstrated that genetic ablation of MMP-7 reduced tumour multiplicity in multiple intestinal neoplasia (Min) mice possessing a genetic alteration in the adenomatous polyposis coli gene (APC). These mice, commonly referred to as APC-Min mice, are a frequently used model of early intestinal tumourigenesis. To examine further the role of MMPs in intestinal tumour development, we generated APC-Min mice genetically deficient in MMP-2, -9, -12 or -19. Genetic ablation of MMP-2, -12 or -19 did not affect multiplicity or size of intestinal tumours when crossed into the APC-Min system. However, MMP-9 deficient animals developed 40% fewer tumours than littermate controls, although tumour size distribution remained unaffected. Intestinal adenomas from MMP-9 deficient mice demonstrated a 50% decrease in proliferating cells compared with control tissues, with no difference in apoptosis. To determine the cellular origin of MMP-9 in these tumours, immunofluorescent co-staining with markers for different leucocyte lineages was used to demonstrate that intratumoural MMP-9 is largely a product of neutrophils. These studies extend the potential targets for chemoprevention of intestinal adenomas to MMP-9 in addition to MMP-7 and exclude MMP-2,-12,-19 as attractive targets for intervention.
In situ real time spectroscopic ellipsometry analysis of Ag nanoparticle layers for back contact reflector applications

In this study, RTSE measurements spanning the photon energy range of 0.75–6.50 eV are described in detail for Ag nanoparticle films. This is a broader spectral range than has been previously reported for such measurements, and enables a separation among the contributions due to interband transitions at high energy, intraband transitions at low energies, and nanoparticle plasmon polariton transitions at intermediate energies. The thickness parameters associated with the nucleating nanoparticle layer, as well as the bulk and surface roughness layers for the subsequent thin film growth process, are also reported and correlated with the behavior of the dielectric function components associated with the nucleating and bulk layers.
Erratum to: Laboratory effects models for interlaboratory comparisons

The entries in the columns under ‘‘Fixed eff.’’ and under ‘‘Random eff.’’ have been computed as described in Tables 3 and 4. There is clear agreement between the values for KCRV and u(KCRV) corresponding to Model M and to the Random Effects Model. The values that Model W produces for u(KCRV) are strikingly smaller than all the others, likely unrealistically so. Comparison of the corresponding entries in the last two columns suggests that, for PCBs 101 and 170, the ‘‘excess’’ variability component bs may not be significantly different from 0, which is a ‘‘consistency’’ test in its own right
Measuring the Relationship Between Managerial Competencies and Performance

The use of competency systems to evaluate, reward, and promote managers has become commonplace in many organizations in recent years. Yet, despite their popularity, there is little evidence that competency systems increase managerial effectiveness. In this study, we estimate the relationship between managerial competencies and performance at both the individual and organizational unit levels. We find evidence that competencies are positively related to individual-level performance and that individual managerial performance may be increased by mentoring on a competency system. The evidence of a link between competencies and unit-level performance is weaker.
Hot-Air Quarantine Treatment for ‘Marsh’ White Grapefruit Infested with Caribbean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

A single-stage hot-air quarantine treatment disinfested Florida-grown ‘Marsh’ white grapefruit, Citrus paradise Macfadyen, of Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha Suspensa (Loew), eggs and larvae without damaging the fruit. Treating infested grapefruits with 48 ± 0.3°C forced air for 63, 105, 135, and 195 min, when center pulp temperatures were 28-29, 36-37, 40-41, and 44-45°C, respectively, reduced the number of surviving puparia that developed from treated larvae. Probit analysis estimated the exposure time needed to reach 99.9968% (probit 9) mortality as 202 min (lower and upper FL were 170 and 271 min, respectively) when the mean center pulp temperature was ≥45.7°C. A large-scale confirmatory test resulted in no survivors when 115,037 A. suspense larvae in 3,480 infested grapefruits were heated with 48 ± 0.3°e forced air at an average 0.75 m3/s air flow rate until the center pulp temperature was ≥ 44°C, which required ≥150 min of heating.
Cloacal exstrophy: Individualized management through a staged surgical approach

Cloacal exstrophy, centered on the maldevelopment of the primitive streak mesoderm and cloacal membrane, results in bladder and intestinal exstrophy, omphalocele, gender confusion, and hindgut deformity. The surgical management and outcome of 10 of 14 survivors (1965 to 1988) are described. Genotypic males (6) were assigned male (2) or female (4) phenotype. Genotypic females (4) were unchanged. All had omphalocele closure in the newborn period. Two had loop stomas. Eight had end stomas (ileostomy [6], ileocolostomy [2]). Toddler and adolescent reconstruction differed in each. Early in the study, abdominoperineal pull-through failed in four patients, necessitating permanent stoma. Four patients had a stoma from the outset. Augmentation using colon remnant improved water loss and nutrition in two infants. Exstrophy turn-in for urinary reservoir was considered in all, but was impossible in three who required urinary diversion. Six patients had exstrophy turn-in and now void by clean intermittent catheterization (4), continent vesicostomy (1), and incontinent (1). Hindgut augmentation improved urinary capacity in two. Two genotypic-phenotypic males had penile lengthening. Four genotypic male-phenotypic females had early orchiectomy with subsequent clitoroplasty or vaginoplasty. Four genotypic-phenotypic females had clitoroplasty or vaginoplasty. Cloacal exstrophy is compatible with a useful life and sound psychologic development, but requires staged reconstruction with long-term support and follow-up.
Recovering and Framing the George I. Sanchez Legacy of Chicana/o Student and Policy Advocacy: Utilizing Data for Social Change

Recovering and critically examining the pioneering scholarship and history of George I. Sanchez provide an interpretation toward a legacy of a Chicana/o student and policy advocacy framework for Chicana/o scholars to consider. The author of this work applies a critical policy theoretical analysis by Frank Fischer to develop a Chicana/o student and policy advovacy framework that will further Sanchez’ legacy of social change for Chicana/o students throughout the educational pipeline.
Stability of protein water concentrates from potato starch factory waste effluents

The microbial activity and chemical composition of concentrates prepared from potato starch factory waste were studied. Concentrates stored at room temperature and 35 °C showed gas formation and caramelisation; this study showed that these were not caused by indigenous aerobic or anaerobic bacteria. Chemical composition data indicate that these visible signs of instability were due to non-enzymatic browning. Results also reveal that enzymic proteolysis is occurring. Potential use of this product, e.g. as an animal feed, is very limited and will require a final drying.
B-Myb Expression in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Occurs in a Cell Cycle-dependent Fashion and Down-regulates Promoter Activity of Type I Collagen Genes

The members of the Myb family of transcription factors are defined by homology in the DNA-binding domain; all bind the Myb-binding site (MBS) sequence (YG(A/G)C(A/C/G)GTT(G/A)). Here we report that cultured bovine vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) express B-myb. Levels of B-myb RNA found in exponential growth were reduced dramatically in serum-deprived quiescent SMCs; B-myb mRNA levels increased in the cell cycle during the late G1 to S phase transition following restimulation with serum, epidermal growth factor, or phorbol ester plus insulin-like growth factor-1. Changes in the rate of B-myb gene transcription could account for part of the observed increase following serum addition. Treatment of SMC cultures with actinomycin D indicated a >4-h half-life for B-myb mRNA during the S phase of the cell cycle. Cotransfection of either a bovine or human B-myb expression vector down-regulated the activity of a multimerized MBS element-driven reporter construct in SMCs. Putative MBS elements were detected upstream of the promoters of the two chains of type I collagen, which we have found to be expressed inversely with growth state of the SMC (Kindy, M. S., Chang, C.-J., and Sonenshein, G. E.(1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 11426-11430). In cotransfection experiments, B-myb expression down-regulated the promoter activity of α1(I) and α2(I) collagen constructs an average of 92 and 82%, respectively. Thus, B-myb represents a potential link in the observed inverse relationship between collagen gene expression and growth of vascular SMCs.
16 PF correlates of sensation-seeking: an expansion and validation.

Correlations between the Form C of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF) and Form IV of Zuckerman's Sensation-seeking Scale are presented for 200 undergraduate college students. Previous findings tended to be supported and the analysis was expanded to include four second-stratum 16 PF traits and six 16 PF criterion scores. General sensation-seeking was negatively related to psychoticism and neuroticism and positively related to extraversion, contertia, and independence. The psychoticism and neuroticism factors are also negatively related to the factors of sensation-seeking, thrill seeking, and disinhibition, as well as other significant relationships between these factor scales.
Seismic velocity and attenuation structures in the top 400 km of the Earth's inner core along equatorial paths

[1] We study seismic velocity and attenuation structures in the top 400 km of the Earth's inner core based on modeling of differential traveltimes, amplitude ratios, and waveforms of the PKiKP-PKIKP phases observed at the epicentral distance range of 120°–141° and the PKPbc-PKIKP phases observed at the distance range of 146°–160° along equatorial paths. Our data are selected from the seismograms recorded in the Global Seismographic Network from 1990 to 2001 and many regional seismic networks. The observed PKiKP-PKIKP and PKPbc-PKIKP phases exhibit distinctive “east-west” hemispheric patterns: (1) At the distance ranges of 131°–141° and 146°–151°, PKIKP phases arrive about 0.3 s earlier than the theoretical arrivals based on the Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM) for the PKIKP phases sampling the “eastern hemisphere” (40°E–180°E) of the inner core and about 0.4 s later for those sampling the “western hemisphere” (180°W–40°E). At the distance range of 151°–160°, PKIKP phases arrive about 0.7 s earlier than the predicted arrivals based on PREM for those sampling the eastern hemisphere and about 0.1 s later for those sampling the western hemisphere. (2) Amplitude ratios of the PKIKP/PKiKP phases at the distance range of 131°–141° and of the PKIKP/PKPbc phases at the distance range of 146°–151° are, in general, smaller for the PKIKP phases sampling the eastern hemisphere than for those sampling the western hemisphere. At distances greater than 151°, the PKIKP/PKPbc amplitude ratios become indistinguishable for the two hemispheres. These observations can be best explained by two different types of seismic velocity and attenuation models along equatorial paths, one for each hemisphere, in the top 400 km of the inner core. For the eastern hemisphere, the velocity structure has a velocity increase of 0.748 km/s across the inner core boundary (ICB), a small velocity gradient of 0.0042 (km/s)/100 km in the top 235 km, followed by a steeper velocity gradient of 0.1 (km/s)/100 km extending from 235 km to 375 km, and a velocity gradient of 0.01 (km/s)/100 km in the deeper portion of the inner core; the attenuation structure has an average Q value of 300 in the top 300 km and an average Q value of 600 in the deeper portion of the inner core. For the western hemisphere, the velocity structure has a velocity increase of 0.645 km/s across the ICB and a velocity gradient of 0.049 (km/s)/100 km in the top 375 km; the attenuation structure has an average Q value of 600 in the top 375 km of the inner core. Our results suggest that the inner core hemispheric variations in velocity extend deeper than 375 km below the ICB and the top 235 km of the inner core in the eastern hemisphere is anomalous compared to the rest of the inner core in having a small velocity gradient, high velocity, and high attenuation.
Lower limb length of European early modern humans in relation to mobility and climate

There are two competing hypotheses to explain the relatively long lower limbs of the earliest modern Europeans. The first follows from Allen's (1877) rule and posits that the long legs are indicative of gene flow from warmer regions at the time of the archaic/modern Homo sapiens transition. The second maintains that the long lower limbs are an adaptive response to selection for locomotor efficiency. This paper tests predictions derived from these two competing hypotheses using anthropometric, residential mobility and climatic data for a sample of 19 recent hunter-gatherer groups. For this sample, there is no relationship between relative lower limb length (as reflected in relative sitting height) and residential mobility. Consequently, the mobility hypothesis can be rejected. However, a significant relationship between climate and relative lower limb length could not be rejected. With regard to Later Pleistocene human evolution, these results are interpreted as evidence for significant gene flow from tropical regions associated with the first appearance of modern humans in Europe.
School and neighborhood: residential location choice of immigrant parents in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area

This paper studies how immigrant parents value education for their children in the United States when making residential decisions. Parent valuation of education is examined through the differential effects of school quality on the residential location choices of households with and without children. The analysis relies on data from the 2000 Census and focuses on the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. The results suggest that immigrant parents place a positive weight on school quality when choosing residences. The weight assigned to school is positively associated with household income and householder’s education. The paper further explores variation across immigrants to get at the potential economic mechanisms for differential valuation of school quality. Number of school-aged children in the household, selective migration, and potential returns to education may explain variation in the emphasis immigrant parents place on school quality in residential location choices.
The Bucegi Conglomerate: a Romanian Carpathian submarine slope deposit

THE Bucegi Conglomerate, a thick conglomerate-sandstone unit of Albian age (Cretaceous), is well exposed in the Eastern Carpathian Chain near Sinaia, Romania. This unit occupies more than 5,000 km2 in the vicinity of the change in structural–stratigraphic trend of the mobile belt from E–W to N–S (Fig. 1a). The thickness of this remarkably coarse series is regionally variable and locally exceeds 2,000 m. To the west the conglomerate overlies, with angular unconformity, Middle and Upper Jurassic platform carbonate rocks which in turn unconformably overlie crystalline basement. To the east, over a distance of approximately 10 km, the Bucegi rests with local unconformity on Neocomian and Barremian–Aptian flysch several kilometres thick (Fig. 1b and c). This unconformity post-dates pre-upper Aptian to post-lower Aptian folding 1,2. Previous work has alluded to the shallow marine and nearshore origin3 of this formation, and it has been frequently referred to as a molasse, or para-molasse4, mainly due to its coarse nature, its pebble shape3,5, its stratigraphic position above sandstone-shale turbidite-rich formations, and presumably also to its ‘post-tectonic’ position within the mobile belt. Here we consider an alternative, that is that the Bucegi Conglomerate accumulated in an infra-neritic to deep marine environment and that it records progradation of coarse material directly onto the slope and base of slope of a turbidite basin. The field observations we made in conjunction with Romanian colleagues in selected sections of the Sinaia region (Jepi Valley, Chindichiu road cuts) and an evaluation of previous reports provide a plausible basis to reconsider the depositional origin of the Bucegi.
Urinary tract involvement in a child with epidermolysis bullosa simplex

Epidermolysis bullosa is a rare disorder which may present various systemic involvement. We present a 15-month-old boy with epidermolysis bullosa simplex who was admitted with symptoms of hematuria and dysuria and discuss the pathology from a urological standpoint.
Electrocardiographic cancellation: mathematical basis.

Abstract 1. 1. The concept of electrocardiographic cancellation can be generalized by imposing no limitation on the number of leads utilized in the formation of a synthetic lead for the purpose of cancelling an actual lead. 2. 2. Mathematical methods are given in detail for the computation of two types of cancellation patterns: (a) the minimum root mean square cancellation in which the sum of the squares of the deviations of the potentials from zero is minimized; (b) the minimum range cancellation in which the maximum peak-to-nadir spread of the potential points is minimized. 3. 3. If a synthetic lead is formed by n leads, a cancellation pattern having zero potential at n separate instants of time can always be produced. Therefore the maximum peak and maximum nadir of an actual lead can always be brought to the zero base line by a synthetic lead formed by two or more leads. However, the production of complete cancellation of the upper and lower limiting potentials of an actual lead does not constitute the technique for obtaining either a minimum range or a minimum root mean square type of pattern. 4. 4. Although cancellation patterns usually show multiple zero crossing points, it is mathematically possible for all of the potential points of both a minimum root mean square cancellation and a minimum range cancellation to be grouped on either the positive side or the negative side of the zero base line. Likewise, either type of cancellation pattern may possess only one zero crossing point. 5. 5. The upper and lower limits of a calculated minimum range cancellation are formed by a group of maximally positive and maximally negative potential points, the total number of which exceeds by two the number of leads which form the synthetic lead. If the number of such leads is represented by n, the number of equal and maximally positive potential points may vary from 1 to (n + 1). If the number of these limiting positive potential points is represented by m, the number of equal and maximally negative potential points is (n + 2)-m. If a minimum range cancellation consists entirely of either positive or negative points, (n + 1) of the points are both equal and maximally positive or maximally negative. The respective lower or upper limit of the cancellation pattern is then formed by the two zero end points. 6. 6. Suitable means of expressing quantitatively in per cent the results of both minimum root mean square and minimum range cancellations are presented and discussed. It is pointed out that the denominators of such expressions should contain terms referable only to the actual lead rather than to both the actual and synthetic leads.
Exchange Coupling in Two Dimeric Copper Adenine Complexes

THE examination of interactions between copper ions and adenine is germane to the understanding of the role of trace elements in biochemical processes involving nucleic acids1. Optical and electron paramagnetic resonance investigations of two copper(II) adenine complexes, Cu2(C5H5N5)4(ClO4)4.nH2O and Cu2(C5H4N5)4.4H2O, have been undertaken in order to assess the nature of such interactions. There is definite evidence for antiferro-magnetic coupling between pairs of metal ions in the complexes of neutral and anionic adenine, designated as I and II respectively. The magnetic parameters, g∥ and A∥, which have been determined for II in this study, will supplement the results reported by Goodgame and Price2.
P-003 Intracranial Aneurysms in the Youngest Patients: Characteristics and Treatment Challenges

Background Paediatric intracranial aneurysms have been reviewed in several recent series. These series have included patients up to ages 15–18. However, the characteristics and treatment challenges of aneurysms in young children differ from those in teenagers. As such, we focused on the cohort of children age 10 and under who presented with intracranial aneurysms, and discuss subtypes, presentation, treatment strategies, and outcomes. Methods With approval from the Boston Children’s Hospital Institutional Review Board, the records of children undergoing cerebral or spinal angiography by the senior author (DBO) from October 2006–June 2012 were reviewed to identify patients aged 10 and under who presented with intracranial aneurysm. Presentation, subtype of aneurysm, treatment strategy, and outcome were evaluated. Results Of 592 paediatric cases reviewed, 27 were for paediatric patients up to age 17 harbouring cerebral aneurysms (4.6%), and 15 occurred in children 10 years of age and younger (2.5%), with a mean age at presentation of 5.1 years (range, 3 months - 10 years). Of these fifteen children, 4 had characteristics of arterial dissection, 3 had angiographic characteristics of pseudoaneurysm (with all three having a history of prior microsurgery for tumour), 4 were fusiform, 3 were saccular (with 1/3 in a patient with PHACES and Moyamoya), and 1 was mycotic. Six patients underwent endovascular treatment, 1 underwent combined microsurgical and endovascular repair and 4 underwent microsurgical repair. Four patients have not been treated and are under current observation. One patient expired due to complications related to prior attempted aneurysm treatment at an outside facility, 1 patient expired from complications related to his malignant brain tumour, and 1 patient experienced complications related to attempted microsurgical repair; the other 11 patients are intact or have neurological compromise related to their initial presentation. Conclusions Previous investigations, including patients from birth to late teenage years, have documented unique characteristics of paediatric aneurysms relative to adults. We demonstrate that the youngest patients, those age 10 years and under, have aneurysms even more distinct than those in the larger paediatric cohort. These patients present unique treatment challenges. Disclosures B. Gross: None. E. Smith: None. R. Scott: None. D. Orbach: None.
Halocarbon adsorption in nanoporous materials : A combined calorimetric and Monte Carlo study of trichloroethylene (TCE) in faujasite-type zeolites

Isosteric heats of adsorption of trichloroethylene (TCE) in a series of faujasite-type zeolites, siliceous faujasite, NaY (Si:Al = 2.6), and NaX (Si:Al = 1.2), have been studied by the combination of calorimetry and (N,V,T) Monte Carlo simulations, varying the sorbate loading up to ∼35 molecules per unit-cell. Excellent agreement is obtained between observed and calculated heats, confirming the applicability of our force field to the realm of unsaturated halocarbons for a large range of Si:Al ratio, cation content, and sorbate loading. The relative contributions of short-range and long-range interactions to the heat of adsorption are discussed, and the host/guest pair distribution functions (PDFs) from the MC simulations are analyzed in detail. At fixed loading, TCE heats of adsorption increase in the sequence of host basicity and cation content: siliceous faujasite: ∼40 kJ/mol < NaY: ∼55 kJ/mol < NaX: ∼80 kJ/mol (extrapolated to “zero” loading). Such a correlation is further elucidated from the host/...
Effect of sildenafil in patients with erectile dysfunction taking antihypertensive therapy

Oral sildenafil is an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED), which is a common complaint for patients with hypertension and those taking antihypertensive agents. This post hoc subanalysis assessed the efficacy and safety of sildenafil in men with ED who were receiving concomitant antihypertensive medication. Efficacy was assessed in 3414 men (1218 of whom were taking antihypertensive medication) who received sildenafil (5 to 200 mg) or placebo for 6 weeks to 6 months in 10 double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. The significant improvements in erectile function demonstrated by sildenafil-treated patients were comparable in patients taking and those not taking antihypertensive medication. Safety was assessed in 3975 men (1094 of whom were taking one or more antihypertensive agent, classified as a diuretic, beta-blocker, alpha1-blocker, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, or calcium channel blocker), who received sildenafil or placebo in 18 double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. For patients taking sildenafil and antihypertensive medication, the incidence of treatment-related adverse events (34%) was similar to that for sildenafil-treated patients not taking any antihypertensive agent (38%). The incidences of the most common adverse events and of adverse events potentially related to blood pressure decreases (eg, hypotension, dizziness, and syncope) were similar in both sildenafil groups. The number of antihypertensive medications taken from among the five classes had no effect on the adverse event profile of sildenafil. Sildenafil is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for ED in patients taking concomitant antihypertensive medication, including those on multidrug regimens.
Erupting Solar Magnetic Flux Ropes: Theory and Observation

Measurements of coronograph (LASCO) and extreme-ultraviolet (EIT) images are presented for 11 coronal mass ejection (CME) events. Detailed measurements of these events, selected because they have flux-rope-like morphological features, show excellent agreement with results from a theoretical model of erupting flux-rope dynamics. Here, data are used to provide inputs and constraints on the model wherever possible. We conclude that flux rope CMEs constitute a distinct class of CMEs, characterized by specific morphological and dynamical properties.
Flow of wormlike micelle solutions through a periodic array of cylinders

Solutions of self-assembled wormlike micelles are used with ever increasing frequency in a multitude of consumer products ranging from cosmetic to industrial applications. Owing to the wide range of applications, flows of interest are often complex in nature; exhibiting both extensional and shear regions that can make modeling and prediction both challenging and valuable. Adding to the complexity, the micellar dynamics are continually changing, resulting in a number of interesting phenomena, such as shear banding and extensional flow instabilities. In this paper, we present the results of our investigation into the flow fields generated by a controllable and idealized porous media: a periodic array of cylinders. Our test channel geometry consists of six equally spaced cylinders, arranged perpendicular to the flow. By systematically varying the Deborah number, the flow kinematics, stability and pressure drop were measured. A combination of particle image velocimetry in conjunction with flush mount pressure transducers were used to characterize the flow, while flow induced birefringence measurements were used to determine micelle deformation and alignment. The pressure drop was found to decrease initially due to the shear thinning of the test fluid, and then exhibit a dramatic upturn as other elastic effects begin to dominate. We present evidence of the onset of an elastic instability in one of the test fluids above a critical Deborah number manifest in fluctuating transient pressure drop measurements and asymmetric streamlines. We argue that this disparity in the two test fluids can be attributed to the measurable differences in their extensional rheology.
Monitoring student progress through their written "point of originality"

This paper describes a new method for the objective evaluation of student work through the identification of original content in writing assignments. Using WordNet as a lexical reference, this process allows instructors to track how key phrases are employed and evolve over the course of a student's writing, and to automatically visualize the point at which the student's language first demonstrates original thought, phrased in their own, original words. The paper presents a case study where the analysis method was evaluated by analyzing co-blogging data from a reading and writing intensive undergraduate course. The evidence shows that the tool can be predictive of students' writing in a manner that correlates with their progress in the course and engagement in the technology-mediated activity. By visualizing otherwise subjective information in a way that is objectively intelligible, the goal is to provide educators with the ability to monitor student investment in concepts from the course syllabus, and to extend or modify the boundaries of the syllabus in anticipation of pre-existing knowledge or trends in interest. A tool of this sort can be of value particularly in larger gateway courses, where the sheer size of the class makes the ongoing evaluation of student progress a daunting if not otherwise impossible task.
Revisiting reproduction: Prematurity and the puzzle of progesterone resistance.

Parturition is a complex and involved process. Within the protected confines of the mother, the fetus grows rapidly for 37–42 weeks until the right combination of signals, stemming from both endocrine and mechanical stimulation, induces parturition, culminating in birth. Aberrations in these signals may lead to prematurity or stillbirth.
A Market/Value Based Approach to Satisfy Stakeholders of Higher Education

ABSTRACT What value does the university offer in terms of economic and social development? Having stakeholders question the contribution and value of colleges and universities is not new nor is it unique to American universities. Institutions of higher education are currently facing a crisis of confidence by parents, prospective students, alumni, congressional committees, and the media. Many stakeholders are concerned about the value provided by colleges and universities. Although there has been an effort to call attention to the issue and to examine select educational processes, there is a dire need to address all aspects of the university product. This article provides a market-based paradigm to help university/college administrators understand the critical aspects of identifying, defining, managing, and delivering superior value to all stakeholders of the institution. This article also provides a university planning process model for incorporating value in the strategic planning process of any universi...