cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adding bevacizumab to single agent chemotherapy for the treatment of platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer: A cost effectiveness analysis of the AURELIA trial

Abstract Objective AURELIA, a randomized phase III trial of adding bevacizumab (B) to single agent chemotherapy (CT) for the treatment of platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer, demonstrated improved progression free survival (PFS) in the B+CT arm compared to CT alone. We aimed to evaluate the cost effectiveness of adding B to CT in the treatment of platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer. Methods A decision tree model was constructed to evaluate the cost effectiveness of adding bevacizumab (B) to single agent chemotherapy (CT) based on the arms of the AURELIA trial. Costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and progression free survival (PFS) were modeled over fifteen months. Model inputs were extracted from published literature and public sources. Incremental cost effectiveness ratios (ICERs) per QALY gained and ICERs per progression free life year saved (PF-LYS) were calculated. One-way sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of results. Results The ICER associated with B+CT is $410,455 per QALY gained and $217,080 per PF-LYS. At a willingness to pay (WTP) threshold of $50,000/QALY, adding B to single agent CT is not cost effective for this patient population. Even at a WTP threshold of $100,000/QALY, B+CT is not cost effective. These findings are robust to sensitivity analyses. Conclusions Despite gains in QALY and PFS, the addition of B to single agent CT for treatment of platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer is not cost effective. Benefits, risks, and costs associated with treatment should be taken into consideration when prescribing chemotherapy for this patient population.
Novel RNA polymerization reaction catalyzed by a group I ribozyme.

We have converted a bacterial tRNA precursor containing a 205 nt self-splicing group I intron into a RNA enzyme that catalyzes polymerization of an external RNA substrate. The reaction involves transesterification steps analogous to both the forward and reverse exon ligation steps of group I splicing; as such it depends entirely on 3' splice site reactions. The RNA substrate is a 20 nt analogue of the ligated exons (E1.E2), whose 3' end resembles the 3' terminus of the intron RNA enzyme (IVS). The splice junction of the substrate is attacked by the 3' end of the intron, then the molecule displaces the original 3' terminal guanosine so that the new 3' terminus is brought into the active site and used as the attacking nucleophile in the next reaction. Polymerization occurs via a series of covalent enzyme-linked intermediates of the structure IVS.(E2)n, where n = 1 to > or = 18. The 5' exon accumulates during the course of the reaction and can attack the covalent intermediates to produce elongation products of structure E1.(E2)n, regenerating the intron RNA enzyme in unchanged form. In this manner, the enzyme converts 20 nt oligoribonucleotides into polyribonucleotides up to at least 180 nt by 10 nt increments. These results have significant implications for the evolution of RNA-based self-replicating systems.
Anatrophic Nephrolithotomy: Experience With A Simplification of the Smith and Boyce Technique

The anatrophic nephrolithomty procedure described by Smith and Boyce is a safe, effective method to remove dendritic renal calculi. Two major departures from their surgical technique have simplified the procedure in our hands. Our experience with 56 consecutive cases treated with the simplified technique is reported.
Haploinsufficiency of the Myc regulator Mtbp extends survival and delays tumor development in aging mice

Alterations of specific genes can modulate aging. Myc, a transcription factor that regulates the expression of many genes involved in critical cellular functions was shown to have a role in controlling longevity. Decreased expression of Myc inhibited many of the deleterious effects of aging and increased lifespan in mice. Without altering Myc expression, reduced levels of Mtbp, a recently identified regulator of Myc, limit Myc transcriptional activity and proliferation, while increased levels promote Myc-mediated effects. To determine the contribution of Mtbp to the effects of Myc on aging, we studied a large cohort of Mtbp heterozygous mice and littermate matched wild-type controls. Mtbp haploinsufficiency significantly increased longevity and maximal survival in mice. Reduced levels of Mtbp did not alter locomotor activity, litter size, or body size, but Mtbp heterozygous mice did exhibit elevated markers of metabolism, particularly in the liver. Mtbp+/- mice also had a significant delay in spontaneous cancer development, which was most prominent in the hematopoietic system, and an altered tumor spectrum compared to Mtbp+/+ mice. Therefore, the data suggest Mtbp is a regulator of longevity in mice that mimics some, but not all, of the properties of Myc in aging.
Thermal Energy Losses and Conservation in Sauerkraut Processing Plants

Sources and magnitudes of thermal energy losses, as well as fuels for energy, were examined in three sauerkraut processing plants in Western New York. The fuels for thermal energy accounted for 86 to 95% of the total energy purchased by the plants. With suitable energy conservation measures, present usage of thermal energy (Btu) per case containing 24 size 303 cans can be reduced by 6 to 33% depending on characteristics of the plant.
Wood–Graphene Oxide Composite for Highly Efficient Solar Steam Generation and Desalination

Solar steam generation is a highly promising technology for harvesting solar energy, desalination and water purification. We introduce a novel bilayered structure composed of wood and graphene oxide (GO) for highly efficient solar steam generation. The GO layer deposited on the microporous wood provides broad optical absorption and high photothermal conversion resulting in rapid increase in the temperature at the liquid surface. On the other hand, wood serves as a thermal insulator to confine the photothermal heat to the evaporative surface and to facilitate the efficient transport of water from the bulk to the photothermally active space. Owing to the tailored bilayer structure and the optimal thermo-optical properties of the individual components, the wood–GO composite structure exhibited a solar thermal efficiency of ∼83% under simulated solar excitation at a power density of 12 kW/m2. The novel composite structure demonstrated here is highly scalable and cost-efficient, making it an attractive materia...
Author Correction: Pairing of near-ultraviolet solar cells with electrochromic windows for smart management of the solar spectrum

In the version of this Article originally published, Fig. 4f was incorrect. This error has now been corrected (see new figure below).
Autocatalytic Hydration of Dihydropyran to 1,5-Pentanediol Precursors via in situ Formation of Liquid- and Solid-Phase Acids

Dihydropyran (DHP) undergoes autocatalyzed hydration to 2-hydroxytetrahydropyran (2-HY-THP) by carboxylic acids formed in situ in both batch and continuous flow reactors. NMR, GC–MS, and pH analysis corroborate the presence of carboxylic acids in the hydration products. Carboxylic acids, likely in the form of 5-hydroxy-valeric acid, are made as low as 25 °C, increasing solution acidity and autocatalyzing DHP hydration. 1,5-Pentanediol precursors 2-HY-THP and C10 dimers are produced from DHP at ∼98% yields at temperatures ≤100 °C. At ≥140 °C, byproducts are formed, including acidic solid coke and a C10 dimer likely made via aldol condensation-cyclodehydration of the ring-opened tautomer of 2-HY-THP, 5-hydroxyvaleraldehyde. DHP hydration rates continuously increased up to 50 h time-on-stream in continuous reactors demonstrating that the acidic byproducts catalyze this reaction. Activation rates rose with temperature due to increased acidic solid coke formation. The coke formed is soluble in water and its fo...
Integrative Palliative Care and Management of Refractory Epilepsy

Integrative palliative care involves a team of professionals working together to improve the quality of a child’s life. In children with refractory epilepsy, the primary focus is to treat the seizures. This manuscript reviews common epileptic encephalopathies which can serve as prototypes for devastating refractory seizure disorders and demonstrate the need for involvement of pediatric palliative care in patients with severe epilepsy. It provides an update on etiology, prognosis, and overall treatment, delivering insightful information for the palliative care team as they work to improve the quality of life. A number of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments are important in the management of refractory epilepsy. This article reviews the various treatment options for patients with refractory epilepsy and highlights the importance of palliative care. A child neurologist should participate as an integral part of the palliative care team in patients with refractory epilepsy to help guide the discussion about etiology, prognosis, and actively manages seizures as they work with other members of pediatric palliative care team towards improving the quality of life for the patient, caregiver, and family members.
Specialty Choices, Practice Characteristics, and Long-term Outcomes of Two Cohorts of USUHS Medical School Graduates Compared with National Data.

Introduction The education of health professionals and the assessment of their long-term goals are essential. Additionally, in the military health system (MHS), such programs also have the goals of improving readiness, providing high-quality care and meeting the needs and challenges of the MHS. The Uniformed Services University F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine (USUHS) has existed for over 40 years and the assessment of the longer term outcomes of its medical school graduates is an important endeavor. The purpose of this study is to describe the relationship of USUHS on the care in the MHS by reporting specialty choices, practice characteristics and locations of two consecutive cohorts of USUHS graduates and to compare these cohort findings with national data. Two cohorts were chosen as the first cohort has reached retirement and we sought to describe the impact of our graduates following their military service commitment. Materials and Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of our graduates (1980-2009) using data obtained from the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile in two 15-year cohorts. USU graduate data are described and compared with national allopathic medical school data in order to explore USUHS graduates' practice characteristics and how these contrast with national data. Results Family medicine was the most commonly identified primary care specialty across both USUHS cohorts. Other primary care specialties such as Internal Medicine and Pediatrics became more popular among USUHS graduates over time. There were a lower percentage of inactive USUHS graduates from the 1980-1994 cohorts than the U.S. national sample (3.23% vs. 3.98%). The proportion of USUHS graduates working in an office-based practice increased from 34.8% (1980-1994) to 43.6% (1995-2009) yet still was lower than U.S. national data (1980-1994: 73.5%; 1995-2009: 73.8%). The type of practice in which the majority of USUHS and national graduates were involved was direct patient care (over 70% of the population). Practice locations for medical school graduates included all 50 states. Furthermore, though several states such as Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, and Utah were among the top 20 practice locations among USUHS graduates, they did not appear among the top 20 practicing states for U.S. graduates. Conclusions USUHS can play a major role by training health care professionals needed to meet the large health care strategic goals of a transforming military health system. A high percentage of USUHS graduates had significant changes in practice characteristics over time, are staying in practice for longer time compared with U.S. graduates, and practice in all 50 states including those that are underserved.
Autoantibodies Against Peptide-Defined Epitopes of T-Cell Receptors in Retrovirally Infected Humans and Mice

Autoantibodies directed against peptide-defined epitopes of T-cell receptors occur in the serum of healthy humans with the levels and isotypic expression dependent upon physiological changes (aging, pregnancy) or upon the development of autoimmune disease. We carried out investigations of autoantibodies against Tcr peptide-defined epitopes in retroviral infections of humans (HIV-1) and mice (LP-BM5 strain of murine leukemia virus) to determine whether infection with these agents disrupted the regulation of the production of these antibodies. Retroviral infection in humans resulted in increased levels of autoantibody production against putative immunoregulatory regions of the Tcr s chain (Vs CDR1 and Fr3), a result reflecting a disruption of regulation. In addition, antigenic mimicry was observed with a cross-reaction shared between the common portion of the V3 neutralizing loop of the HIV-1 gp 120 molecule and the joining segment of T-cell receptors (Js). Infection of mice with the defective retrovirus resulted in the induction of antibodies directed particularly against Vs CDR1 peptide-defined determinants. Analysis of the virally induced response to a set of 8 CDR1 peptide epitopes indicated a selectivity to the process. It was possible to partially reverse aberrant cytokine changes correlated with the onset of murine MAIDS by administration of T-cell receptor peptides in saline. These results show that retroviral infection in humans and mice has a profound dysfunctional effect on the regulation of autoantibodies to T-cell receptors. The function of these autoantibodies in the immunopathogenesis of acquired immunodeficiency remains to be determined.
Language: Being Clear

While precision in scientific writing means saying what you mean, clarity means avoiding things that you don’t mean. Too often in scientific writing, a cloudy sentence disrupts the continuity and authority of an entire section. In scientific writing, each sentence builds on the ones around it. If one sentence is weak, your language falters and your readers stumble. What makes writing unclear? In scientific writing, there are two principal sources: ambiguity and needless complexity.
Allostatic Load: Importance, Markers, and Score Determination in Minority and Disparity Populations

Allostatic load is a physiological measure of the cumulative burden of stress on the body assessed by markers of physiological dysregulation. It is a multisystem construct that quantifies biological risk which leads to poor health and maladaptive trajectories. In this overview, which is based on a presentation made at the Flip the Script: Understanding African American Women's Resilience in the Face of Allostatic Load meeting at Ohio State University in August 2018, we build upon previous reviews by discussing four key aspects of allostatic load, specifically its: (1) importance, (2) operationalization, (3) use in minority health and health disparities research, and (4) value in such research. Operationalized in various ways, allostatic load is composed of 10 original markers and additional markers deriving from research among minority and disparity populations. The markers represent four biological systems: (1) cardiovascular, (2) metabolic, (3) inflammatory, and (4) neuroendocrine. System-specific racial/ethnic and sex-based differences have been observed. An overall score can be determined using sample-generated or empirically derived clinically relevant cut points. In summary, allostatic load provides an overall and a body system-specific mechanistic link between exposures to stressors and health outcomes that may help explain health disparities among minority populations.
Canonical description of wing kinematics and dynamics for a straight flying insectivorous bat (Hipposideros pratti)

Bats, with highly articulated wings, are some of the most agile flyers in nature. A novel three-dimensional geometric decomposition framework is developed to reduce the complex kinematics of a bat wing into physical movements used to describe flapping flight: namely flapping, stroke plane deviation and pitching, together with cambering and flexion. The decomposition is combined with aerodynamic simulations to investigate the cumulative effect of each motion on force production, and their primary contribution to the unsteady vortex dynamics. For the nearly straight and level flight of Hipposideros pratti, results show that the flapping motion by itself induced a moderate drag and lift. Stroke plane deviation increased lift, and nullified the drag. With the inclusion of the pitching motion into the kinematics, lift production further increased by a factor of more than 2.5, and exhibited a positive net thrust by virtue of the favorable wing orientation during the upstroke. The primary contribution of cambering, which included a maximum chord line displacement of ≈40% standard mean chord, was the stabilization of the leading edge vortex during the downstroke. This increased mean lift by about 35% at the expense of net thrust. Flexion was perhaps the most complex motion with maximum displacements of 75% standard mean chord. This was instrumental in reducing the negative lift during the upstroke by preventing the formation of strong leading edge vortices. The aerodynamic effective angle of attack emerged as a heuristic parameter to describe lift and net thrust production across movements.
Implicit Communication and Enforcement of Corporate Disclosure Regulation

The communication of non-public information in private meetings between corporate officials and financial analysts presents a distinctive regulatory challenge. One reason is that there typically is no record of what transpires in a private meeting. A second is that information may be communicated both explicitly and through implicit communication -- qualitative statements, tone, and non-verbal cues. The private meeting context is particularly conducive to the use of implicit communication. The SEC adopted Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg FD) specifically to address selective disclosures in private meetings, but subsequently a federal court rejected the SEC’s attempt to impose liability for optimistic statements by a corporate official in private meetings with investors that contrasted with the negative tone of the company’s public statements. We provide empirical evidence examining the information content of analyst reports before and after the court’s ruling and suggesting that selective disclosure from managers to financial analysts increased significantly. To explore the mechanism responsible for this change, we survey securities lawyers who advise corporate officials regarding Reg FD compliance. Our survey responses indicate that this increase in disclosure is most likely due to an increase in implicit communication. Our results highlight the challenges associated with enforcing corporate disclosure regulation in the context of implicit communication.
Standing and walking age in children with idiopathic clubfoot: French physiotherapy versus Ponseti method

Abstract Purpose A mild delay in gross motor milestones and walking age has been reported in infants with clubfoot. The influence of different treatments on motor development has been poorly invest...
Tumor PD-L1 Induction by Resveratrol/Piceatannol May Function as a Search, Enhance, and Engage ("SEE") Signal to Facilitate the Elimination of "Cold, Non-Responsive" Low PD-L1-Expressing Tumors by PD-L1 Blockade.

Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is an immune regulatory protein that facilitates tumor escape from host immune surveillance. In the clinic, tumors with high level of PD-L1 have been used to identify patients who might respond favorably to treatment by anti-PD-L1 antibodies (PD-L1 blockade, PLB). Typically, a progression-free response of 9–20% to PLB has been observed, the basis for the low success rate is largely unknown. Recently, we show upregulation of PD-L1 in cancer cells by ≥IC50 supra-pharmacological dose of grape polyphenol resveratrol and piceatannol, alone and combined. Herein, we summarize recent published studies on the regulation of tumor PD-L1 by flavonoids and grape polyphenols. We hypothesize that the induced tumor PD-L1 by resveratrol and/or piceatannol may serve as a Search, Enhance, and Engage (“SEE”) signal to sensitize and augment the recognition and detection of low PD-L1-expressing “cold, non-responsive” tumors. The “SEE” strategy enhances the “visibility” of previously unidentified tumor cells for targeting and eventual eradication by the host antitumor activity. This strategy expands the selection criteria for patients with improved sensitivity and potential responsiveness when used in combination with PLB. The modulation of tumor PD-L1 by flavonoids or polyphenols is proposed to improve the response to PLB in low PD-L1 tumors.
Understanding the Lymphatics: Review of the N Category in the Updated TNM Staging of Cancers of the Digestive System

OBJECTIVE. The N category has been significantly updated in the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer's TNM classification. To ensure correct tumor staging, prognosis, and management, it is critical to be aware of these changes. This article reviews the updated N category, organ-specific regional lymph nodes, and lymphatic drainage pathways for cancers of the digestive system from the esophagus to the anal canal. CONCLUSION. Detection of lymph node involvement may be challenging, and knowledge of nodal characteristics, lymphatic drainage pathways, and imaging modalities is essential to optimize detection rate to ensure accurate staging, prognosis estimation, and streamlined management.
Holistic modeling and analysis of multistage manufacturing processes with sparse effective inputs and mixed profile outputs

In a Multistage Manufacturing Process (MMP), multiple types of sensors are deployed to collect intermediate product quality measurements after each stage of manufacturing. This study aims at modeli...
Anxious, Depressed, and Planning for the Future: Advance Care Planning in Diverse Older Adults.

Author(s): McMahan, Ryan D; Barnes, Deborah E; Ritchie, Christine S; Jin, Chengshi; Shi, Ying; David, Daniel; Walker, Evan J; Tang, Victoria L; Sudore, Rebecca L | Abstract: ObjectivesTo determine whether depression and anxiety are associated with advance care planning (ACP) engagement or values concerning future medical care.DesignCross-sectional.ParticipantsEnglish- and Spanish-speaking patients, aged 55 years and older, from a San Francisco, CA, county hospital.MeasuresDepression was measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire 8-item scale, and anxiety was measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale, using standardized cutoffs of 10 or more for moderate-to-severe symptoms. ACP engagement was measured using validated surveys of ACP behavior change (e.g., self-efficacy and readiness; mean five-point Likert score) and ACP actions (e.g., ask, discuss, and document wishes; 0- to 25-point scale), with higher scores representing higher engagement. In addition, we asked a question about valuing life extension ("some health situations would make life not worth living"). We used adjusted linear and logistic regression.ResultsMean age of 986 participants was 63 years, 81% were non-White, 39% had limited health literacy, 45% were Spanish speaking, 13% had depression, and 10% had anxiety. After adjustment for demographic and health status variables, participants who were depressed versus not depressed had higher ACP behavior change scores (0.2 points; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.06-0.38; P = .007), higher ACP action scores (1.5 points; 95% CI = 0.51-2.57; P = .003), and higher odds of not valuing life extension (odds ratio (OR) = 2.5; 95% CI = 1.5-4.3; P l .001). Results were similar in participants with versus without anxiety (ACP behavior change: 0.2 points; 95% CI = 0.05-0.40; P = .01; ACP action scores: 1.2 points; 95% CI = 0.14-2.32; P = .028; odds of not valuing life extension: OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.3-3.9; P = .004).ConclusionDepression and anxiety were associated with greater ACP engagement and not valuing life extension. Although the direction of association between ACP engagement and values with anxiety and depression cannot be determined in this cross-sectional study, these conditions may influence ACP preferences. Future studies should assess whether changes in anxiety or depression affect ACP preferences over time.
An Assessment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Competencies Among Bachelors-Prepared Registered Nurses in Graduate-Level Study.

Purpose To assess graduate nursing students' lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)-specific health competencies. Method Using a cross-sectional design, a 13-item multiple response survey, derived from The Joint Commission guidelines and LGBT health competencies proposed by the Association of American Medical Colleges, was administered online to 116 registered nurses enrolled in graduate study. Survey items assessed nurses' knowledge of LGBT health, professionalism, provision of patient care, communication skills, care environment, gaps in learning, and systems-based practice. Descriptive analyses were used to summarize frequencies and proportions of study variables. Results Respondent nurses' knowledge about health, prevalent conditions, and social factors that influence LGBT health was somewhat limited. Respondents did not rate their knowledge about LGBT health high (µ = 3.11 [1.1], median = 3) and did not feel qualified to educate other colleagues about LGBT health issues (µ = 2.43 [1.26], median = 2). But 58% (n = 65) indicated that they felt comfortable performing prostate exams on transgender female patients (born with male genitalia); 62% (n = 70) felt comfortable doing pap smears for transgender male patients (born with female genitalia). Sixty nurses (52%) stated that they would advocate reforms within existing health care institutions to improve the care of LGBT patients. Cultural competency training was offered in some health care settings and environmental indications of inclusivity were inconsistent. Conclusions LGBT health competence among graduate nursing students was limited. There is a need to reevaluate LGBT health-related content in nursing curricula as well as robust assessment of competence in LGBT health.
Narrating Hellas: tourism, news publicity and the refugee Crisis's impact on Greece's ‘Nation-Brand’

Modern Greece may be one of the first European states to be branded for touristic exploitation from its very inception. This branding resides undemocratically within its national consciousness and ...
Does breakfast consumption necessarily reduce body weight? Korean experience

This paper examines the empirical relationship between breakfast consumption and body mass index (BMI) for the labor force in Korea. The sample size of 3881 participants in a national survey was divided into two groups based on BMI levels: underweight (BMI < 25) and overweight (BMI ≥ 25). Regression models were estimated to test for the hypothesis that breakfast consumption reduces body weight for overweight people but enables weight gain for underweight people, and hence breakfast intake helps maintain a healthy body weight in either case. Several demographic factors were also included in the model to examine their various impacts on BMI. We further investigated any potential statistical problems that often occur in the cross-sectional data: one is the multicollinearity problem, and another is the heteroscedasticity problem. For the robustness of the results, our sample was further divided into three different age groups, and the key findings were reaffirmed with interaction effects. One significant discovery is that breakfast consumption helped decrease body weight for those categorized as overweight, while it tended to increase body weight for those classified as underweight. In either case, eating breakfast is highly advised and recommended to establish a more balanced and healthier body weight.
Death Concerns, Benefit-Finding, and Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reminders of death are particularly salient. Although much terror management theory research demonstrates that people engage in defensive tactics to manage mortality awareness, other work shows that existential concerns can motivate growth-oriented actions to improve health. The present study explored the associative link between coronavirus anxieties, fear of death, and participants' well-being. Results, using structural equation modeling, found that increased mortality concerns stemming from COVID-19 were associated with heightened benefit finding (e.g., relationship investment, gratefulness, patience) from the pandemic. Increased benefit finding, in turn, was related to higher life satisfaction, meaning in life, self-esteem, resilience, and vitality while also correlating negatively with depression and stress scores. There was no evidence for reverse mediation in that fear of mortality did not predict well-being through coronavirus worries. Overall, although many persons have experienced mental health concerns (e.g., fear, stress) as a function of the COVID-19 pandemic, our findings demonstrate positive benefits that paradoxically follow in terms of an increased appreciation of life, improved relationships, and better health.
Analytical methodology for the analysis of vibration for unconstrained discrete systems and applications to impedance control of redundant robots

This paper presents a general methodology for the analysis and synthesis of a positive semi-definite system described by mass, damping and stiffness matrices that is often encountered in impedance control in robotics research. This general methodology utilizes the fundamental kinematic concept of rigid-body and non-rigid-body motions of which all motions consist. The rigid-body mode results in no net change in the potential energy from the stiffness matrix of the multiple degree-of-freedom (DoF) discrete mechanical system. Example of an unconstrained discrete mechanical system is presented to illustrate the theoretical principle as applied in obtaining the free and forced vibration responses, as well as the dynamic characteristics of the system in natural frequency, $$\omega_n$$ and damping ratio, $$\zeta$$ . In addition, the methodology is applied to the impedance control of redundant robots. The rigid-body mode is equivalent to the motions of a redundant robot which result in no net change in potential energy, also called the zero-potential or ZP mode, of impedance control. Example of a redundant robot is used to demonstrate the application of the methodology in robotics. The dynamic characteristics of $$\omega _n$$ and $$\zeta$$ in the modal space are analyzed, which can be synthesized to modulate the damping of the system analytically.
The Mode Most Traveled: Parking Implications and Policy Responses

A disproportionate number of Americans drive to work alone – at the individual state level, the figure ranges from a low of 58% in New York to 85% in Alabama. What factors explain this travel behavior and what sort of policy responses are required to effect changes? In responding to this question, we used multiple test beds and made the case for using a demand side management approach to remedy parking problems particularly observed in cities central business districts. To this end, we provide an overview of travel behavior and information on policy levers by generating detailed profiles that capture the travel behavior of commuters in the Pacific states of the continental United States. Building off the result that revealed San Francisco as an outlier, we examine the efficacy of modifying parking rates, via elasticity measures, to influence the demand for parking by developing a two-stage panel data regression optimization model for managing parking in the City of San Francisco. A key contribution of the research is deriving these price elasticities of parking demand estimates using panel data methods. Coefficient estimates from the panel data regression are used to fit a linear prediction model that is the primary input to the optimization model. The balance of the thesis focuses on parking information by discussing the design and implementation of ParkPGH, a novel smart parking application that provides real time and predictive information on garage parking availability in downtown Pittsburgh. At its core is a predictive model that uses as input historical parking, weather and event data to provide estimates of available parking spaces. We provide an example of the model implementation using data from the Theater Square garage where we utilize neural network-based predictors and multiple net searches to generate both continuous and binary estimates of parking availability. Provision was made for the binary classifier given the need to reduce the possibility of Type II errors.
The Role of Hyaluronic Acid and Its Receptors in the Growth and Invasion of Brain Tumors

Malignant gliomas induce a complex cascade of changes in the extracellular matrix of the brain during their growth and invasion. This chapter highlights those changes involving hyaluronic acid, a glycosaminoglycan that constitutes much of the brain extracellular matrix, and the biophysical and biochemical effects those changes have on glioma cells. Signaling effects of hyaluronic acid receptors will be discussed, with a focus on CD44. The implications of CD44 enrichment in cancer stem cells will be discussed. Finally, because these interactions are highly dependent on the cellular microenvironment, we will review various in vitro cell culture platforms that have been used to model glioma cell motility and invasion.
Aging, Spirituality, and Pastoral Care: A Multi-National Perspective

* Preface * Introduction * Section 1. Ethical, Theological and Biblical Dimensions * Ethics and Ageing in the 21st Century * Beyond the Biomedical Paradigm: Generating a Spiritual Vision of Ageing * Outward Decay and Inward Renewal: A Biblical Perspective on Ageing and the Image of God * 'Wholeness, Dignity and the Ageing Self': A Conversation Between Philosophy and Theology * The Getting and Losing Wisdom * Section 2. Issues of Ageing and Pastoral Care * Ageing and Isolation: Is the Issue Social Isolation or Is It Lack of Meaning of Life? * Pastoral Support for Late-Life Sexuality * Understanding the Ageing Process: A Developmental Perspective of the Psychosocial and Spiritual Dimensions * Through a Glass Darkly: A Dialogue Between Dementia and Faith * When Words Are No Longer Necessary: The Gift of Ritual * The Spiritual Dimension of Caring: Applying a Model for Spiritual Tasks of Ageing * The Challenges and Opportunities of Faith Community (Parish) Nursing in an Ageing Society * Epilogue * Radical Discipleship for an Ageing Society * Index * Reference Notes Included
An Early Report of Free Muscle Grafts in Rabbits

The first successful free muscle graft was performed in the rat by Studitsky and Bosova in 1960. In the following two decades an increasing number of successful free muscle grafts, particularly in small animals, have been reported from laboratory experiments (Studitsky and Bosova, 1960; Carlson, 1968; Studitsky, 1964; Allbrook, 1975; Carlson and Gutmann, 1976; and Maxwell, 1964), and clinical situations (Thompson, 1971; Hakelius and Stalberg, 1974; Freilinger, 1975; Hakelius, 1974; and Holle et al., 1974).
Determination of Manipulator Contact Information from Joint Torque Measurements

Measurements of the net forces acting on a structure can provide information necessary to determine the location of contacts through which the external forces act, under appropriate assumptions. One practical application of this idea resulted in the contact-resolving force-sensing fingertips developed by Salisbury and Brock. These fingertip sensors employ a 6-axis force sensor under a fingertip shell to measure the net applied force. It has been demonstrated that this type of sensor supplies enough information to determine the location and force components of contacts which transmit pure forces. Bicchi recently extended this analysis to permit the same sensor to also measure a moment exerted about the contact normal.
S-NITROSOGLUTATHIONE INHIBITS ACTIVATION OF TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR NF|[kappa]|B IN HUMAN NEUTROPHILS (PMNS) |[bull]| 182

PMNs produce direct lung injury from release of oxygen radicals, lipid peroxides, and proteases, but also serve a paracrine role by releasing proinflammatory cytokines. NFκB is an important gene transcription factor regulating cytokine expression in many cell types. PMN NFκB activity has not been evaluated. Exogenous nitric oxide (NO) inhibits PMN function (Daher et al., AJRCMB, in press, 1997). We hypothesized that PMNs express NFκB, and that exogenous NO could limit PMN function by inhibiting NFκB activation. Methods: Isolated human PMNs(2×108/sample) were incubated with or without S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO 0.1mM-5mM; Sigma) for 2 hours. PMNs were either unstimulated or stimulated with TNFα (10 ng/ml) or n-formyl methionyl leucine phenylalanine (fMLP; 10 nM). Viability was assessed by vital dye cytotoxicity assay. After PMN nuclear extraction, protein concentration was determined by Bradford assay to provide equivalent loading. NFκB binding was determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Western immunoblot technique was used to determine the effects of GSNO on degradation of IκB-α, a cytoplasmic inhibitor of NFκB nuclear translocation and activation. Results: TNFα and fMLP induced PMN nuclear NFκB activity compared to unstimulated PMNs (n=5). PMN viability was not decreased by GSNO exposure. GSNO decreased NFκB activity in a concentration-dependent fashion. GSNO alone did not affect NFκB activity in the absence of PMN stimulation. GSNO (0.5 mM) inhibited NFκB activity whether given before or during TNFα exposure. IκB-α was maximally degraded at 90 minutes of TNFα exposure. GSNO exposure (500μM) inhibited IκB-α degradation in the presence of TNFα. Conclusion: PMNs manifest NFκB activity which is increased by stimulation with TNFα and fMLP. GSNO inhibits NFκB activation, possibly by inhibiting degradation of IκB-α, a potential anti-inflammatory effect. Funded by a grant from the American Lung Association.
Cyclotron lines in gamma‐ray bursts and magnetic field decay

The presence of cyclotron lines in a significant fraction of γ‐ray burst spectra suggests a source association with strongly magnetized neutron stars. The burster distance scale is not known but constrained by their angular‐ and brightness distribution. Using pulsar data we calculate the corresponding age distribution of Galactic neutron stars and apply an exponential field decay model to test whether the observed incidence rate of cyclotro lines is consistent with decay time scales derived for radio pulsars. We find that the statistical properties of γ‐ray bursts are inconsistent with the idea of events originating at arbitrary times on neutron stars whose fields decay on time scales shorter than ∼109 yrs. Possible interpretations of this inconsistency with radio pulsar field decay models are discussed.
Sport-Related Identities and the "Toxic Jock"

Little attention has been paid to the multidimensional nature of athletic involvement, which includes identity formation as well as participation in sports activities. Five hundred eighty-one sport-involved undergraduate students completed a questionnaire assessing their sport-related identities, goal orientations, primary sport ratings, and conformity to masculine norms. F-tested mean comparisons and hierarchical linear regressions were used to explore the characteristics associated with two distinct sport-related identities (“athletes” and “jocks”). Jock identity was associated with an ego-oriented approach to sports (men only), whereas athlete identity was associated with a task-oriented approach (both genders). Jock identity was positively associated with conformity to masculine norms, particularly for men, whereas athlete identity was positively associated with some masculine norms (i.e., Winning) and negatively associated with others (i.e., Playboy). These findings help to identify the correlates of a “toxic Jock” identity that may signal elevated risk for health-compromising behavior.
Demographic Profiles of Elderly Homeowners in Poverty Who Can Gain from Reverse Mortgages

This paper studies the demographic profiles of elderly homeowners in the United States who are in poverty, and who can use reverse mortgages to raise their economic status. The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) reverse mortgage is simulated using the HECM Worksheet Program and the American Housing Survey of 1991 data in order to compute the magnitude of gains from reverse mortgages. The demographic profiles of households who gain from reverse mortgages are developed in terms of age, household type, race or ethnicity, region, and location. The demographic profiles reveal that households headed by divorced, widowed, or separated women constitute a large majority of homeowners in poverty with potential gains from reverse mortgages. Results from an analytical model of the determinants of potential gains from reverse mortgages indicate that such gains are systematically higher for -- households headed by never-married males, and by divorced, widowed, or separated females; whites compared to African-Americans; households in Northeastern and Southern urban suburbs; and those who do not receive public assistance.
Multiscale analysis of wave-damage interaction in two and three dimensional isotropic plates

In this paper a geometric multiscale finite element method (GMsFEM), recently developed by the authors, is applied to the analysis of wave propagation in damaged plates. The proposed methodology is based on the formulation of both two- and three-dimensional multi-node (or multiscale) elements capable of describing small defects without resorting to excessive mesh refinements. Each multiscale element is equipped with a local mesh that is used to compute the interpolation functions of the element itself and to resolve the local fluctuations of the solution near the defect. The computed shape functions guarantee the continuity of the solution between multiscale and conventional elements. This allows using an undistorted discretization in the uniform portion of the domain while limiting the use of multiscale elements only in the vicinity of the defects. In this article the method is applied to evaluate the reflection coefficients due to cracks of different size and orientation in an otherwise homogeneous plate. Also, numerical simulations of wave-damage interaction are used to compute the scattering coefficients associated to three-dimensional defects in isotropic plates.
PREDICTION OF FETAL MACROSOMIA

A simple system for predicting fetal macrosomia has been developed, involving three risk factors: 1)Glucose intolerance, 2)History of macrosomia and 3)Maternal obesity. To date, 305 infants have been delivered from 302 prospectively screened mothers. The frequencies of risk factors were: 1)Obesity 25%, 2)Glucose intolerance 7.6% and 3)History of macrosomia 7.0%. Thirty one infants (10.1%) were macrosomic (>4000 g) and/or large-for-gestational age (LGA). Overall, the sensitivity of the screening method was 61%. Obesity was the predominant risk factor (48%) among mothers of macrosomic infants, while glucose intolerance was present in only 17%. The macrosomic infants from "at risk" mothers were characteristically LGA (90%) compared to those from normal mothers (50% LGA) (p<.02). The LGA-Macrosomic group of infants were younger (38.8 vs. 41.4 weeks) but heavier (4290 vs. 4062 g) than the AGA-Macrosomic group. They exhibited a significant increase in skinfold thickness, but no difference in length or head circumference compared with the AGA-Macrosomic Group. There appears to be two dinstinct groups of macrosomic infants: those who are asymmetrically large, and those who are symmetrically large, but post-term. If gestational age of 41 weeks or greater is included in the scoring system, 77% sensitivity is achieved in predicting these combined groups. (Supported in part by grants from the Bay Area March of Dimes and the Nestle Co.-USA)
The rna2 mutation of yeast affects the processing of actin mRNA as well as ribosomal protein mRNAs

The temperature sensitive rna2 mutation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae causes a rapid and dramatic decrease in the abundance of most ribosomal protein mRNAs [6, 14]. We and others have recently shown that the processing of ribosomal protein mRNAs is defective at the nonpermissive temperature, suggesting that inefficient mRNA processing might be responsible for the decline in ribosomal protein mRNA levels [2, 4, 8, 11]. Actin is the only known intron-containing non-ribosomal protein yeast nuclear gene [5, 10]. We show here that the processing of actin mRNA is also defective at the nonpermissive temperature in rna2-containing strains. The observation supports the notion that all intron-containing genes are affected in a similar fashion by the rna2 mutation.
Enabling and Exploiting Flexible Task Assignment on GPU through SM-Centric Program Transformations

A GPU's computing power lies in its abundant memory bandwidth and massive parallelism. However, its hardware thread schedulers, despite being able to quickly distribute computation to processors, often fail to capitalize on program characteristics effectively, achieving only a fraction of the GPU's full potential. Moreover, current GPUs do not allow programmers or compilers to control this thread scheduling, forfeiting important optimization opportunities at the program level. This paper presents a transformation centered on Streaming Multiprocessors (SM); this software approach to circumventing the limitations of the hardware scheduler allows flexible program-level control of scheduling. By permitting precise control of job locality on SMs, the transformation overcomes inherent limitations in prior methods. With this technique, flexible control of GPU scheduling at the program level becomes feasible, which opens up new opportunities for GPU program optimizations. The second part of the paper explores how the new opportunities could be leveraged for GPU performance enhancement, what complexities there are, and how to address them. We show that some simple optimization techniques can enhance co-runs of multiple kernels and improve data locality of irregular applications, producing 20-33% average increase in performance, system throughput, and average turnaround time.
Self-Help? Examining the Anti-Crime Effectiveness of Citizen Weapon Possession

Abstract This research examines the effects of individual protective weapon carrying on the likelihood of experiencing stranger-precipitated violent victimization. It is widely assumed that people at risk for victimization often arm themselves to counter their risk; thus, a positive association between weapon carrying and victimization should be anticipated but interpreted as spurious. Yet findings from hierarchical modeling of survey data from over 4,000 Seattle residents indicate that weapon carrying increases the odds of subsequent violent victimization, even when controlling for multiple victimization risk factors. Further, the positive effect of weapon carrying is constant across the 100 communities within which survey respondents were nested. Although other predictors of violent victimization demonstrate non-random variability across context, this suggests that even community-level victimization risk factors cannot explain the positive effect of weapon carrying on victimization found here. Implicati...