cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ET-743: the US experience in sarcomas of soft tissues.

Ecteinascidin-743 (ET-743) has shown promise as a new and effective treatment for soft-tissue sarcomas. Two independent, multicenter, Phase II studies have been performed in the USA for patients with unresectable soft-tissue sarcomas (either chemotherapy-naive or pretreated patients). The patients received ET-743 at a dose of 1500 micrograms/m2 as a 24 h continuous intravenous infusion every 3 weeks on an outpatient basis. Assessments were conducted every 6 weeks until documented progressive disease, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal. Responses were assessed in accordance with conventional oncological criteria and toxicities were graded using the National Cancer Institute common toxicity criteria. A total of 72 patients were enrolled: 36 patients to each study. Confirmed objective response rates were 14% (95% confidence interval (CI) 5 to 30%) and 8% (95% CI 2 to 23%) in chemotherapy-naive and pretreated patients, respectively. In chemotherapy-naive patients, 12-month progression-free and overall survival rates were 18% (95% CI 4 to 32%) and 49% (95% CI 20 to 78%), respectively. For patients with progressive disease despite prior conventional chemotherapy, 12-month progression-free and overall survival rates were 11% (95% CI 2 to 24%) and 55% (95% CI 35 to 75%), respectively. The median duration of response was 11 months. The durability of major responses in a subset of patients was impressive, as was the number of patients who achieved disease stabilization without showing objective response. Overall, ET-743 had a favorable safety profile. The most common grade 3-4 toxicities included neutropenia and transiently increased transaminase concentrations. ET-743 did not cause alopecia, mucositis, cardiotoxicity or neurotoxicity. The side effects were reversible, non-cumulative and manageable. There were no treatment-associated deaths. In conclusion, ET-743 is an active chemotherapeutic agent that can induce objective responses and clinical benefit in a subset of patients with metastatic or advanced soft-tissue sarcoma.
Glutamine- and phosphate-containing hypotonic storage media better maintain erythrocyte membrane physical properties

We have shown that red blood cell (RBC) adenosine-5′-triphosphate (ATP) is better maintained and that there is less hemolysis and K+ leakage in hypotonic experimental additive solutions (EASs) containing glutamine and glutamine plus phosphate (Pi) than in the conventional additive solution Adsol during blood bank storage. The objective of this study was to determine if the beneficial effect produced in these media correlates with better preservation of RBC membrane properties including lipid content, phospholipid organization, aminophospholipid transport (flippase), and prothrombin converting activity. Aliquots of packed RBCs were stored in EASs containing adenine, glucose, sodium chloride, and mannitol, with 10 mmol/L glutamine (EAS 44) or with 10 mmol/L glutamine and 20 mmol/L Pi(EAS 45), or in Adsol. RBC membranes were studied after 0, 28, 42, and 84 days of storage, and vesicle membranes were studied after 84 days. RBC cholesterol and phospholipid content remained significantly greater (P < .01) in EASs than in Adsol. The degree of membrane vesiculation was more than 50% lower in EASs than in Adsol (P < .01). After 42 days of storage, the accessibility of phosphatidylethanolamine to phospholipases was approximately 1.5 times greater for Adsol and EAS 44 samples than for EAS 45 samples (43.5% v 28%). The rates of phosphatidylserine transport were 43% to 70% lower for stored cells but were not dependent on storage media. The amounts of bands 3 and 4.1 in the microvesicle membranes were not statistically different in any of the preparations. These results suggest that storage of RBCs in glutamine and Pi-medium better maintains ATP, lipid content, and phospholipid asymmetry and results in decreased vesiculation.
Combination therapy to checkmate Glioblastoma: clinical challenges and advances

Combination therapy is increasingly becoming the cornerstone of current day antitumor therapy. Glioblastoma multiforme is an aggressive brain tumor with a dismal median survival post diagnosis and a high rate of disease recurrence. The poor prognosis can be attributed to unique treatment limitations, which include the infiltrative nature of tumor cells, failure of anti-glioma drugs to cross the blood–brain barrier, tumor heterogeneity and the highly metastatic and angiogenic nature of the tumor making cells resistant to chemotherapy. Combination therapy approach is being developed against glioblastoma with new innovative combination drug regimens being tested in preclinical and clinical trials. In this review, we discuss the pathophysiology of glioblastoma, diagnostic markers, therapeutic targeting strategies, current treatment limitations, novel combination therapies in the context of current treatment options and the ongoing clinical trials for glioblastoma therapy.
Influence of porosity and pellet dimensions on temperature and stress inhomogeneities during spark plasma sintering of ceramic fuel

Abstract A computational and experimental study involving coupled electro-thermo-mechanical field equations was conducted to investigate the evolution of temperature and stress gradient within the uranium dioxide (UO2) powder during spark plasma sintering (SPS) process. The numerical simulation was implemented using ANSYS finite element (FE) software, and the influence of various pellet sizes and heating rates on the temperature and stress distribution of the ceramic fuels was analyzed. The reliability of this model was verified by comparing the simulation results with experimentally measured process parameter variations. Finally, the optimum pellet dimensions were determined to reduce the overall temperature and stress gradient within the powder compact throughout the sintering process. The results of the present study could be used for further optimization of the pellet dimensions and achieve uniform microstructure in the pellets prepared by SPS.
Mentoring Fellows in Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology for Academic Practice in the Contemporary Era-Perspectives From Mentors Around the United States.

Abstract This special article presents perspectives on the mentoring of fellows for academic practice in adult cardiothoracic anesthesiology. A comprehensive mentoring model should address the areas of clinical care, educational expertise and exposure to scholarly activity. The additional value of educational exposure to patient safety, quality improvement and critical care medicine in this model is also explored.
(275) Somatosensory Predictors of Response to Pregabalin in Painful Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN): A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study

Painful chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a debilitating and treatment-resistant sequela of many chemotherapeutic medications. Ligands of α2δ subunits of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, such as pregabalin, have shown efficacy in reducing mechanical hypersensitivity in animal models of neuropathic pain. In addition, some data suggested that pregabalin may be more efficacious in relieving neuropathic pain in subjects with increased hypersensitivity to pinprick. We hypothesized that mechanical hypersensitivity, as quantified by decreased mechanical pain threshold (MPT) at the dorsal feet, would be predictive of a greater reduction in average daily pain in response to pregabalin versus placebo. In a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study, 26 patients with painful CIPN from oxaliplatin, docetaxel, or paclitaxel received 28-day treatment with pregabalin (titrated to maximum dose 600mg a day) and placebo in cross-over design. Twenty-three participants completed both arms and were eligible for efficacy analysis. There was no significant difference between pregabalin and placebo in reducing average daily pain (22.5% vs 10.7%, p = 0.23) or worst pain (29.2% vs 16.0%, p = 0.13) from baseline. Post-hoc analysis of patients with CIPN caused by oxaliplatin only (n = 18) demonstrated a larger reduction in worst pain with pregabalin than with placebo (35.4% vs 14.6%, p = 0.04). MPT was not significantly correlated with reduction in average pain (p = 0.20) or worst pain (p = 0.19) in response to pregabalin. In summary, baseline mechanical pain threshold tested on dorsal feet did not meaningfully predict the analgesic response to pregabalin in painful CIPN. This work was supported by the ASPIRE grant program by Pfizer, Inc.
Consentability: Consent and Its Limits (Introduction)

Problems regarding the nature of consent are at the heart of many of today’s most pressing issues. For example, the #MeToo movement has underscored the need to move beyond viewing consent as a simple matter of yes or no. Consent is complex because humans and their relationships are complicated. Humans, as a result of cognitive limitations and emotional and physical vulnerabilities, are susceptible to manipulation and mistakes. Given the potential for regret, are there some things to which one should not be permitted to consent? The consentability quandary becomes more urgent with technological advances. Should we allow body hacking? Cryonics? Consumer travel to Mars? Assisted suicide? In Consentability: Consent and Its Limits, Nancy Kim proposes a bold, original framework for evaluating consentability, which considers the complexities surrounding consent.
1.2 kV regrown GaN vertical p-n power diodes with ultra low leakage using advanced materials engineering

Large reverse leakage current is one of limiting factors in realizing applicable regrown GaN p-n junctions. Influences of different dry etching processes have been comprehensively investigated. The reverse leakage current for the regrown sample could be significantly suppressed down to 3.5 nA @ 600 V ( $\mathrm{diameter}=80\ \mu\mathrm{m}$ ), very close to leakage for the as-grown sample, by reducing the etching power combined with appropriate wet etching treatments and a suitable insertion layer. The breakdown voltage and specific on-resistance are 1.2 kV and $0.8\ \mathrm{m} \Omega\cdot \mathrm{cm}2$ , respectively. The improvement in reverse leakage is attributed to the decrease of charge concentrations at the regrowth interface.
Noninvasive, Real-Time Microscopic Imaging Reveals Microvascular Changes in Cutaneous Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Background Through noninvasive imaging of live, individual immune cells of patients post allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), we characterized differences in microvasculature among patients with cutaneous acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) compared to post-HCT patients without any organ aGVHD (controls). Traditional histopathology is often non-specific for cutaneous aGVHD. We present parameters characteristic of cell motion within upper dermal capillaries, which could enable noninvasive tracking of disease development. Objective Test the feasibility of eight quantitative parameters extracted from reflectance confocal videos to distinguish between patients with and without cutaneous aGVHD following HCT. Methods We used a clinical reflectance confocal microscope to noninvasively image left volar forearm dermal capillaries of 5 cutaneous aGVHD patients and 5 post-HCT controls prior to topical and systemic therapies. All diagnoses were retrospectively confirmed on day 100 by a transplant physician (MB) based on initiation and response to therapy. Two raters (JRP, IS) independently estimated capillary density and size, and the number and size of paused (temporarily stopping), adherent (stationary for 30+ sec), and rolling leukocytes. The mean value per two raters was calculated for further analysis. Due to the small sample size, descriptive statistics were used. Results Patients in both study groups were similarly distributed in terms of gender (40% female), age (median 63 and 63, respectively), days post-HCT (median 44 and 41), and underlying disease (60% and 40% acute myeloid leukemia; the rest: myelodysplastic syndrome). 4 patients had only skin involvement: grade 1 (N=1 patient), grade 2 (N=3), whereas one patient had grade 2 cutaneous with symptoms of chronic ocular GVHD. One patient required therapy with systemic steroids. We found an increased number of rolling (median: 2 vs 1), adherent (3 vs 1) and paused (2 vs 1) leukocytes in aGVHD patients, compared to post-HCT controls (Figure 1). The average time of a leukocyte being paused was higher in aGVHD patients (6±7 seconds) than post-HCT controls (2±3 seconds). The size of paused leukocytes was greater in aGVHD patients (9±2¼m) compared to controls (6±4¼m) (Figure 2). Capillary size (8±2 vs. 8±2¼m) and density (4±1 vs. 3±2 capillaries) were similar among both groups. Conclusion In similar-sized capillaries, we observed increased leukocyte interactions with the endothelium in aGVHD patients compared to post-HCT controls. Despite similar sized rolling and adherent leukocytes, the size of paused leukocytes was larger in aGVHD patients. Future studies could evaluate the change of these parameters over time.
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma of the eyelid masquerading as dermatitis

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) may pose a diagnostic challenge for physicians, as clinical presentation and histologic analysis may mimic benign dermatologic conditions. The authors present a cas...
Collaborative care for the wearable cardioverter defibrillator patient: Getting the patient and medical team "vested and active".

Patients with a reduced ejection fraction of 35% or less and a history of myocardial infarction are at increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). These patients have a class I indication for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator after allowing time for medical therapy optimization and potential cardiac recovery. The rates of SCD are highest in this "gap" period early after a cardiac event, and the wearable cardioverter-defibrillator (WCD) is an intervention that can be used to protect against SCD during this time period. There has been a clinical trial that randomized patients with a reduced ejection fraction at the time of myocardial infarction to a WCD versus control. Results of the trial showed no statistically significant difference in the primary endpoint of SCD. There are many intricacies to the interpretation of the trial, including the importance of patient adherence to WCD therapy, which is affected by the patient experience and psychological factors. Patients with a new cardiomyopathy are affected by a mix of psychological factors, including the feeling of safety and protection from a WCD contrasted by the WCD providing a reminder of awareness and fear of ventricular arrhythmias and SCD. Beyond the capabilities of a WCD to defibrillate a life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia, the device can also provide activity and heart failure diagnostics monitoring. Patients need to be engaged in shared decision-making conversations about a WCD, so that patients can make a decision based on their own values construct, ultimately increasing adherence among the patients that want a WCD. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
ABO-Incompatible Heart Transplant in Infants: A UNOS Database Review.

Background ABO-incompatible (ABOi) heart transplantation (HT) in infants has been used to reduce waiting list time and mortality with outcomes comparable to ABO compatible (ABOc). We sought to assess trends in ABOi listing and transplantation for infants within the United Network for Organ Sharing registry and to evaluate its influence on outcomes. Methods We reviewed infants listed for HT in the United Network for Organ Sharing registry (2007-2018). We compared demographic and clinical characteristics, waiting list duration, graft survival, and 1-year freedom from rejection between patients listed for ABOi and ABOc. Cochran-Armitage trend test, univariate nonparametric statistical methods, and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to analyze the data. Results During the study period, 2787 patients were listed for HT, 53% of whom were listed for ABOi. Median waiting list time for patients in blood group O receiving an ABOi transplant was significantly shorter (P Conclusions The number of infants listed and transplanted as ABOi has gradually increased over the past decade, with a significantly decreased waiting list time for ABOi transplants in blood group O. At 1 year after transplant, rejection was comparable between the ABOi and ABOc groups and there was no significant difference in survival.
Age- and movement-related modulation of cortical oscillations in a mouse model of presbycusis.

Abstract Brain oscillations are associated with specific cognitive and sensory processes. How age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) alters cortical oscillations is unclear. Altered inhibitory neurotransmission and temporal processing deficits contribute to speech recognition impairments in presbycusis. Specifically, age-related reduction in parvalbumin positive interneurons and perineuronal nets in the auditory cortex predicts a reduction in gamma oscillations that may lead to a decline in temporal precision and attention. To test the hypothesis that resting and evoked gamma oscillations decline with presbycusis, EEGs were recorded from the auditory and frontal cortex of awake, freely moving C57BL/6 J mice at three ages (3, 14 and 24 months). Resting EEG data were analyzed according to movement state (move versus still). Evoked responses were recorded following presentation of noise bursts or amplitude modulated noise with time varying modulation frequencies. We report an age-related decrease in resting gamma power, a decline in gamma-range synchrony to time varying stimuli, and an increase in noise evoked and induced gamma power. A decline in temporal processing is seen in aged mice that exhibit robust auditory-evoked potentials, dissociating hearing loss from temporal processing deficits. We also report an increase in gamma power when mice moved compared to the still state. However, the movement-related modulation of gamma oscillations did not change with age. Together, these data identify a number of novel markers of presbycusis-related changes in auditory and frontal cortex. Because EEGs are commonly recorded in humans, the mouse data may serve as translation relevant preclinical biomarkers to facilitate the development of therapeutics to delay or reverse central auditory processing deficits in presbycusis.
Early and Forced Marriage

Child marriage is a formal marriage or informal union entered into by an individual before reaching the age of 18. The legally prescribed marriageable age in some jurisdictions is below 18 years, especially in the case of girls; and even when the age is set at 18 years, many jurisdictions permit earlier marriage with parental consent or in special circumstances, such as teenage pregnancy. In certain countries, even when the legal marriage age is 18, cultural traditions take priority over legislative law. Child marriage affects both boys and girls, though the overwhelming majority of those affected are girls, most of who are in poor socioeconomic situations.
From mapping kidney function to mechanism and prediction.

We saw impressive progress in our understanding of the genetics of kidney function and disease in 2021. Genome-wide association studies defined key common variants for kidney function and disease, and multi-omics methods, including quantitative trait analyses and single cell studies, illuminated key genes and cell types responsible for disease development.
Alternatives to Golf Course Developments in an Environmentally Sensitive Market

Developers usually seek to maximize their land’s value. Amenities are often used to accomplish this purpose. One of the most popular amenities of the past half century has been the golf course and the integrated golf course development. Today, however, U.S. golf course developments are overbuilt and represent, to some, a tired model for development-supported amenities. Furthermore, trends in sustainability have led to the creation of denser and less impactful developments, in contrast to the typical sprawling and ecologically impactful golf developments. These trends have forced developers to consider alternative amenities for driving land values and sales pace. Amenities, such as open space preserves, organic farms, urban parks and community centers, create unique centerpieces for new developments and in many cases represent a better value proposal than traditional golf developments. However, in markets where golf courses are not overbuilt and strong demand exists, unique implementations can both satiate golf demand and provide an environmentally functional purpose for the development to placate shareholders and stakeholders alike.
Why Johnny can't encrypt: a usability evaluation of PGP 5.0

User errors cause or contribute to most computer security failures, yet user interfaces for security still tend to be clumsy, confusing, or near-nonexistent. Is this simply due to a failure to apply standard user interface design techniques to security? We argue that, on the contrary, effective security requires a different usability standard, and that it will not be achieved through the user interface design techniques appropriate to other types of consumer software. To test this hypothesis, we performed a case study of a security program which does have a good user interface by general standards: PGP 5.0. Our case study used a cognitive walkthrough analysis together with a laboratory user test to evaluate whether PGP 5.0 can be successfully used by cryptography novices to achieve effective electronic mail security. The analysis found a number of user interface design flaws that may contribute to security failures, and the user test demonstrated that when our test participants were given 90 minutes in which to sign and encrypt a message using PGP 5.0, the majority of them were unable to do so successfully. We conclude that PGP 5.0 is not usable enough to provide effective security for most computer users, despite its attractive graphical user interface, supporting our hypothesis that user interface design for effective security remains an open problem. We close with a brief description of our continuing work on the development and application of user interface design principles and techniques for security.
Octahedral metal carbonyls : XXXIX. A Reinvestigation of the kinetics and mechanism of ligand-exchange in (2,2,7,7-tetramethyl-3,6-dithiaoctane)-tetracarbonyltungsten(0)☆

Abstract A reinvestigation of the kinetics and mechanism of ligand-exchange reactions of (2,2,7,7-tetramethyl-3,6-dithiaoctane)tetracarbonyltungsten(0), (DTO)W(CO) 4 , with alkyl and aryl phosphites and phosphines (L) to afford trans - and cis -L 2 W-(CO) 4 products has been completed. Data support a “simple” ring-opening mechanism involving reversible dissociation of one end of the bidentate DTO ligand, and competition for the resulting five coordinate intermediate between ring-reclosure and attack by L. Comparison of “competition ratios” between attack by L and ring reclosure in this intermediate, probably fluxional, with abilities of other metal carbonyls and intermediates to discriminate among the same nucleophiles provides evidence that reactions of octahedral metal carbonyls with Lewis bases via the associative path are best described as a “dissociative interchange” (I d ) process. Activation parameters indicate, however, that the intermediate exhibits significant ability to discriminate between ring-reclosure and reaction with L.
DBER and STEM education reform: Are we up to the challenge?

The extent and quality of Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER) at the post-secondary level have grown substantially in recent years. Associated research findings are central to current reform efforts to transform science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in colleges and universities across the United States. The increased visibility of DBER efforts creates opportunities and challenges that should be carefully analyzed. In this contribution, I reflect on critical issues that need to be considered and addressed in advancing the fields of DBER, using the articles included in this Special Issue of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching to ground the discussion. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 51: 809–819, 2014
Current Perspectives on the Gleason Grading of Prostate Cancer

Abstract Context.—Since its description in 1966 by Donald Gleason, the Gleason grading has remained a cornerstone in the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer. With widespread use of the prostate specific antigen screening, the diagnosis and management patterns of prostate cancers have dramatically changed. In addition, better understanding of the morphologic spectrum of prostate cancer and its subsequent outcome have prompted the refinement of the grading criteria and reporting practices applicable to contemporary practice management. Objective.—To present contemporary perspectives and approaches to the Gleason grading of prostate cancer. Data Sources.—Personal practice experience, review of medical literature, and excerpts from the 2005 International Society of Urological Pathology Consensus Statement on Gleason Grading of Prostate Cancer. Conclusions.—This review addresses the trend in contemporary practice toward a grading shift, with rare utilization of Gleason patterns 1 and 2, and discusses t...
The Amyloid Hypothesis and the clearance and degradation of Alzheimer's β-peptide

The second generation of therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease (AD) embraces the Amyloid Hypothesis, which asserts that through a series of events not completely understood, misfolding of the amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptide is a primary event eliciting neurodegeneration and AD pathology. A variety of approaches are being tried to interrupt the disease process, including reducing the production of the Abeta peptide, inhibiting its aggregation, and promoting its removal, for example via immunotherapy. The success of anti-Abeta disease-modifying approaches in eliminating the postulated etiologic form(s) of the peptide will ultimately depend on biological clearance and degradation of the various forms of the Abeta peptide from the brain compartment. Little is known about exchange of the Abeta peptide between the brain and blood. Increased understanding of this process in experimental animal models and humans, and how it changes with aging, will likely open new therapeutic avenues. It will also be needed to properly design early clinical trials to verify the efficacy of potential drug candidates working through the Abeta peptide.
InP under high pressures

The direct energy gaps, Eg, and the indirect gaps at the X point, E(X), of GaAs and AlxGa1−xAs alloys are essentially linear functions of hydrostatic pressure, P. Recent photoluminescence measurements of Tozer et al. for InP under high pressures, however, found that Eg(P) is not quite linear, but bends down slightly at high pressures. Using the first-principles pseudofunction method, we have calculated Eg and E(X) as functions of pressure, as well as the zero-temperature equation of state P(V). Our calculated gap curve for InP, Eg(P), bends down slightly, as found in photoluminescence studies. The slope dEg/dP is 8.8 meV/kbar for small pressures P, and is in good agreement with the experimental value, 8.32 meV/kbar. The observed nonlinearity in the dependence of Eg on pressure for InP is attributed to a large derivative of the bulk modulus with respect to pressure. The calculated bond length, bulk modulus, and critical pressure for a phase transition from the zinc blende to a rocksalt structure, and the unit cell volume change at this phase transition are all in good agreement with the data.
The terminal free carboxyl groups of pepsin.

Abstract The application of three methods to the determination of the terminal free carboxyl groups in pepsin has been described. It was determined that pepsin has two terminal free carboxyl groups, both of which are alanine.
Selecting, Presenting and Practicing Vocabulary in a Culturally‐Authentic Context

ABSTRACT Relatively few articles have examined the role of vocabulary in communicative approaches to foreign-language teaching. In this article, we discuss the selection and presentation of vocabulary in current teaching materials and suggest alternative strategies that more closely reflect the goals of communicative curricula.
Structural Insights into the Functional Interaction of KChIP1 with Shal-Type K+ Channels

Four Kv channel-interacting proteins (KChIP1 through KChIP4) interact directly with the N-terminal domain of three Shal-type voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv4.1, Kv4.2, and Kv4.3) to modulate cell surface expression and function of Kv4 channels. Here we report a 2.0 Angstrom crystal structure of the core domain of KChIP1 (KChIP1*) in complex with the N-terminal fragment of Kv4.2 (Kv4.2N30). The complex reveals a clam-shaped dimeric assembly. Four EF-hands from each KChIP1 form each shell of the clam. The N-terminal end of Kv4.2 forming an alpha helix (alpha1) and the C-terminal alpha helix (H10) of KChIP1 are enclosed nearly coaxially by these shells. As a result, the H10 of KChIP1 and alpha1 of Kv4.2 mediate interactions between these two molecules, structurally reminiscent of the interactions between calmodulin and its target peptides. Site-specific mutagenesis combined with functional characterization shows that those interactions mediated by alpha1 and H10 are essential to the modulation of Kv4.2 by KChIPs.
Smoking prevalence and factors associated with smoking status among Vietnamese in California

Introduction: Vietnamese American men have smoking preva- lence rates higher than the general population. We analyzed Vietnamese American smoking behavior by demographic and health-related factors, including some specific to Vietnamese, in the largest tobacco-specific survey yet targeting the Vietnamese population. Methods: Using a statewide surname probability sample and computer-assisted telephone interviewing, we surveyed 1,101 Vietnamese men and 1,078 Vietnamese women in California (63.5% participation among successfully contacted eligible individuals) in 2007-2008. We conducted multivariate regression models to analyze the association between Vietnam- ese male smoking status and demographic and health-related factors. Results: Among women, <1% were current smokers and <2% were former smokers. Among men, 25% were current and 24% were former smokers. Regression models for Vietnamese men delineated factors associated with both current and former smoking (vs. never smoking): being married, being employed, having lower educational attainment, and consuming alco- hol. Other factors associated with current smoking (vs. never smoking) were having no health insurance, having seen a Vietnamese doctor or no doctor visit in the past year, having Vietnamese military or Vietnamese reeducation camp expe- rience, having less knowledge about the harms of smoking, and reporting higher depression symptoms. Increasing age and not being Buddhist were associated with former (vs. never) smoking.
Toxicity and receptor binding properties of Bacillus thuringiensis δ-endotoxins to the midgut brush border membrane vesicles of the rice leaf folders, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis and Marasmia patnalis.

Pesticidal activity and receptor-binding properties of Bacillus thuringiensis toxins to rice leaf folders, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis and Marasmia patnalis, were investigated. Saturation and competition binding experiments were done with iodine (1251)-labeled Bt proteins and brush border membrane vesicles prepared from the midgut of C. medinalis and M. patnalis. The results show saturable, specific, and high-affinity binding of all toxins except Cry2A toxin. Cry1Aa and Cry2A toxins were bound with low affinity but with high binding site concentration. Heterologous competition experiments showed that Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, and Cry1Ac recognized or shared the same binding site that is different from the binding site for Cry2A toxin. Iodine (125I)-labeled Cry1Ac and Cry1Ab toxins were used in ligand blot experiments to detect specific binding proteins in brush border membrane vesicles of C. medinalis and M. patnalis. Cry1Ab toxin protein binds to 205-kDa and 200-kDa proteins respectively in case of C. medinalis and M. patnalis. The apparent molecular mass of the protein bound to labeled Cry1Ac toxins was identified as a 120-kDa protein in both C. medinalis and M. patnalis.
GENERALIZED ENTROPY OF THE HEISENBERG SPIN CHAIN

We consider the XY quantum spin chain in a transverse magnetic field. We consider the Renyi entropy of a block of neighboring spins at zero temperature on an infinite lattice. The Renyi entropy is essentially the trace of some power α of the density matrix of the block. We calculate the entropy of the large block in terms of Klein’s elliptic λ-function. We study the limit entropy as a function of its parameter α. We show that the Renyi entropy is essentially an automorphic function with respect to a certain subgroup of the modular group. Using this, we derive the transformation properties of the Renyi entropy under the map α → α −1 .
Status report of integrated circuits reliability

Abstract The need for reliability data has never been so critical in the semiconductor industry as it is today in the Integrated Circuit Branch of the industry. This document is intended to show the actual extent of Motorola's commitment in verifying that the reliability of integrated circuits justifies all the earlier claims of its potential. Now Motorola is able to show the results that have been obtained after testing over 4000 integrated circuits or components on life test and from general reliability tests (including life tests) which were performed on more than 5000 devices. Motorola's Reliability Department hopes that this information is useful and informative.
Isobutane dehydrogenation reaction in a packed bed catalytic membrane reactor

A packed-bed catalytic ceramic membrane reactor (PBCMR) was used for the isobutane dehydrogenation reaction. The experimental results have shown that through the use of the membrane reactor one can attain better conversions and yields than in a conventional reactor operating under the same outlet pressure and temperature, and feed composition conditions.
Improved spot array generation using diffuser pixels to represent complex-valued modulations

Controllable surface roughness can be used to program the complex transmittance of individual pixels for the purpose of designing Fourier transform holograms. We are developing a photolithographic process for the fabrication of these custom diffuser pixels. Continuous variation of the recording parameters requires extreme accuracy. Therefore, we initially consider the possibility of designing diffractive optics with a small number of effective complex values: e.g. 0.5 magnitude at -120, 0, and 120 degrees. A recently developed ternary pseudorandom encoding algorithm then can be used to encode any desired fully complex function. Simulated designs of spot array generators are used to show that fidelity improves by increasing the number of roughness cells per pixel. Further improvements result from using more complex values, as is shown for designs with an additional zero-valued transmittance (represented by a completely randomly rough pixel). These results indicate that it is practical to fabricate high-fidelity custom diffractive optic functions with only a few recording states. The major advantage of this technique is that any desired complex-valued modulation pattern can be directly encoded and fabricated on a pixel-by-pixel basis, thereby accelerating the speed of both the design and the fabrication process.
Racial/ethnic Differences in Mother-daughter Communication About Sex

White, Black, Latina, and Asian mothers (n = 6929) were compared on aspects of mother-daughter communication about sex. Non-Whites reported higher discomfort. Latinas and Asians were least likely to have discussed sex but most likely to know daughters' sexual status. The converse was observed for Black mothers. Research on the influence of ethnicity on adolescent sexual behavior may inform the design of more effective interventions to reduce sexual risk behavior.
Antibiosis of some lactic acid bacteria including Lactobacillus acidophilus toward Listeria monocytogenes

Abstract Eleven strains of lactic acid bacteria were tested by the ‘spot’ on the ‘lawn’ method for their antagonistic activity against four strains of Listeria monocytogenes. Four out of the five strains of lactic acid bacteria most antagonistic toward the pathogen were those cultures known to produce bacteriocins. Four other strains of lactic acid bacteria were not antagonistic against Listeria by this method. Seventeen inhibition zones of the pathogen were obtained at 25°C as compared to 10 at 32°C. Lactobacillus acidophilus strains NU-A and 88, growing in the presence of L. monocytogenes in milk prevented the latter from attaining populations it would have in pure culture (P
Performance of Scalable Feedback Schemes for Downlink OFDMA

In a downlink Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) system, optimally allocating sub-channels to the users can require excessive feedback. We consider two limited feedback schemes to manage this overhead: a sequential scheme in which each user sends compressed feedback bits over consecutive time slots and a contention scheme in which users send their feedback using a random access protocol. In previous work we characterized the asymptotic performance of these schemes as the number of users and number of sub-channels scale with fixed load ?. That analysis explicitly models the feedback overhead assuming a finite coherence time and fixed feedback rate per sub-channel. In this paper, we revisit this model, and first characterize the performance of both schemes as a function of ?. We then study the performance of these schemes for a finite system via simulation. Finally we examine the relative performance of the two schemes as a function of the load, the available feedback rate, and additional overhead per transmission (e.g., due to synchronization).
Ascent, abort, and entry capability assessment of a Space Station rescue and personnel/logistics vehicle

The ascent, abort, and entry capability of a vehicle for rescue of the Space Station crew or ferry of personnel and supplies to and from the Space Station are analyzed. The configurations of the Space Station rescue vehicle and the Space Station personnel/logistics vehicle (SSPLV) are discussed and illustrated. The nominal ascent trajectory for the SSPLV delivered to orbit on a Titan II is presented. The ascent abort modes from launch to orbital injection are evaluated. It is shown that five landing sites with runways longer than 10,000 ft could provide a landing opportunity from every orbit of the Space Station in a 220-nmi circular orbit with a 28.5 deg inclination.
Linear‐Sweep Voltammetry of a Soluble Redox Couple in a Cylindrical Electrode

An approach is described for using the linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) technique to study the kinetics of flooded porous electrodes by assuming a porous electrode as a collection of identical noninterconnected cylindrical pores that are filled with electrolyte. This assumption makes possible to study the behavior of this ideal electrode as that of a single pore. Alternatively, for an electrode of a given pore-size distribution, it is possible to predict the performance of different pore sizes and then combine the performance values.
Temporal set associated with brief stimulus duration in a psychophysical recognition of length

In order to test the effect of increase or decrease of brief stimulus duration on perceptual process, a psychophysical recognition experiment was conducted, in which two lengths of line were presented in random sequences under instructions to identify which stimulus was presented on each trial. The duration of presentation also varied randomly. Accuracy was lower for the briefest of the three levels of stimulus duration, but only for those sequences in which this level occurred infrequently.
A comparison of nine indices of rainfall intensity

To supplement four frequently used, simple indices of rainfall intensity, namely, five-minute intensity, 15-min intensity, 30-min intensity, and average intensity (P/t) , five compounded measures have been suggested. Through the use of appropriate statistical methods, these nine measures are compared for their relative merit in characterizing rainfall intensity.
A THEORETICAL APPRECIATION OF THE ETHIC OF SOLIDARITY IN POLAND TWENTY‐FIVE YEARS AFTER

The remarkable movement known as Solidarity recently celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in Poland. This essay provides a theoretical appreciation of the values and principles that guided and undergirded the movement, which greatly contributed to the fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe. This systematic overview of the ethic of the Solidarity movement fills a lacuna in the field of ethics because ethicists who are interested in the concept of solidarity have largely overlooked the Polish experience of the 1980s. This essay attempts to describe the key ingredients of the Polish ethic of solidarity by analyzing both Polish treatises on the subject and accounts of events on the ground. It elaborates conceptual categories and describes characteristic features of the movement in order to provide a phenomenological account of the nature of solidarity embodied in Poland during this era. These categories and characteristics include unity among differences, the foundation of hope at the movement's roots, self-sacrifice and heroism, promoting the equality and dignity of all, the centrality of participation, the affirmation of “bread and freedom,” an option for the poor, and the insistence on life in truth. Although this essay does not attempt to demonstrate the relevance of this “thick” ethic of solidarity to capitalist, democratic societies today, by way of conclusion it raises questions pertaining to the contemporary significance of the Polish ethic of solidarity.
Conquering the Meningococcus

Since the first outbreaks of meningococcal meningitis were first described in Geneva in 1804 and in New England in 1806, and since the discovery of the causative agent by Weichselbaum in 1887 and the beginning of epidemics of meningococcal meningitis in the sub-Saharan Africa ∼100 years ago, Neisseria meningitidis has been recognized as the cause worldwide of epidemic meningitis and meningococcemia. The massive epidemic outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa in the 1990's, the emergence since 1995 of serogroups Y, W-135 and X and the prolonged outbreak of serogroup B meningococcal disease in New Zealand over the last decade serve to remind us of the continued potential of the meningococcus to cause global morbidity and mortality. This report reviews new discoveries impacting prevention and future prospects for conquering the meningococcus as a human pathogen.
Autism traits in children and adolescents with Cornelia de Lange syndrome

Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a cohesinopathy causing delayed growth and limb deficits. Individuals with CdLS have mild to profound intellectual disability and autistic features. This study characterizes the behavioral phenotype of children with CdLS, focusing on autistic features, maladaptive behaviors, and impact of age. Children with CdLS (5-18 years) were administered normed instruments to characterize autism features (Childhood Autism Rating Scale, CARS), maladaptive behaviors (Aberrant Behavior Checklist), and adaptive skills (Vineland Adaptive Behaviors Scales). CdLS features and severity were rated with Diagnostic Criteria for CdLS. Forty-one children with CdLS (23 females, 18 males) were classified as having "no autism" (n = 7; 17.1%), "mild autism" (n = 17; 41.4%), and "severe autism" (n = 17; 41.4%), using CARS scores. Characteristic items were abnormal emotional response, stereotypies, odd object use, rigidity, lack of verbal communication, and low intellectual functioning. Verbal communication deficits and repetitive behaviors were higher compared to sensory, social cognition, and behavior abnormalities (P ≤ 0.0001). Maladaptive behaviors associated with autism traits were stereotypies (P = 0.003), hyperactivity (P = 0.01), and lethargy (P = 0.03). Activities of daily living were significantly affected; socialization adaptive skills were a relative strength. However, with advancing age, both socialization (P < 0.0001) and communication (P = 0.001) domains declined significantly. CdLS is characterized by autistic features, notably excessive repetitive behaviors and expressive language deficits. While other adaptive skills are impacted, socialization adaptive skills are less affected. Advancing age can worsen communication and socialization deficits relative to neurotypical peers.
Type inference and semi-unification

The Milner Calculus is the typed l-calculus underlying the type system for the programming language ML [Har86] and several other strongly typed polymorphic functional languages such as Miranda [Tur86] and SPS [Wan84]. Mycroft [Myc84] extended the problematical typing rule for recursive definitions and proved that the resulting calculus, termed Milner-Mycroft Calculus here, is sound with respect to Milner's [Mil78] semantics and that it preserves the principal typing property [DM82] of the Milner Calculus. The extension is of practical significance in typed logic programming languages [MO84] and, more generally, in any language with (mutually) recursive definitions. Mycroft didn't solve the decidability problem for typings in this calculus, though. This was an open problem independently raised also by Meertens [Mee83]. The decidability question was answered in the affirmative just recently by Kfoury et al. in [KTU88]. We show that the type inference problems in the Milner and the Milner-Mycroft Calculi can be reduced to solving equations and inequations between first-order terms, a problem we have termed semi-unification. We show that semi-unification problems have most general solutions in analogy to unification problems — which translates into principal typing properties for the underlying calculi. In contrast to the (essentially) nonconstructive methods of [KTU88] we present functional specifications, which we prove partially correct, for computing the most general solution of semi-unification problems, and we devise a concrete nondeterministic algorithm on a graph-theoretic representation for computing these most general solutions. Finally, we point out some erroneous statements about the efficiency of polymorphic type checking that have persisted throughout the literature including an incorrect claim, submitted by ourselves, of polynomial time type checking in the Milner-Mycroft Calculus.
THeME: a system for testing by hardware monitoring events

The overhead of test coverage analysis is dominated by monitoring the application, which is traditionally performed using instrumentation. However, instrumentation can prohibitively increase the time and especially the memory overhead of an application. As an alternative to instrumentation, we explore how recent hardware advances can be leveraged to improve the overheads of test coverage analysis. These hardware advances include hardware performance monitors and multicore technology. In this work, we present our system, THeME, a testing framework that replaces instrumentation with hardware monitoring. THeME consists of a runtime system that takes advantage of hardware mechanisms and multiple cores and a static component to further extend the coverage derived from hardware event sampling. The results show that up to 90% of the actual coverage can be determined with less time overhead and negligible code growth compared to instrumentation.
A pipelined 5-Msample/s 9-bit analog-to-digital converter

A pipelined, 5-Msample/s, 9-b analog-to-digital converter with digital correction has been designed and fabricated in 3-/spl mu/m CMOS technology. It requires 8500 mil/SUP 2/, consumes 180 mW, and has an input capacitance of 3 pF. A fully differential architecture is used; only a two-phase nonoverlapping clock is required, and an on-chip sample-and-hold amplifier is included.