cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Helping children apply their knowledge to their behavior on a dimension‐switching task

To investigate why 3-year-olds have difficulty in switching sorting dimensions, children of 3 and 4 years were tested in one of four conditions on Zelazo's card sort task: standard, sleeve, label and face-up. In the standard condition, children were required to sort blue-truck and red-star cards under either a blue-star or red-truck model card, first by color or shape, and then by the other dimension. Here 3-year-olds sorted correctly until the dimension changed; they continue to sort by the initial dimension. The sleeve condition (placing the sorting cards in an envelope prior to sorting) had little effect. In the label condition, the child labeled the relevant sorting dimension on each trial. Most 3-year-olds succeeded; evidently their labeling helped them refocus their attention, overcoming ‘attentional inertia’ (the pull to continue attending to the previously relevant dimension). In the face-up condition, attentional inertia was strengthened because sorted cards were left face-up; 4-year-olds performed worse than in the standard condition. We posit that attentional inertia is the core problem for preschoolers on the card sort task.
Clinical Implication of the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales:: A Constructive Review

The Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (PDMS) is a standardized, norm-referenced test used to assess the fine and gross motor development of children, birth to 83 months of age. While the PDMS has many positive aspects, several areas of concern are evident which affect the clinical interpretation of test scores. The purpose of this review is to discuss the strengths and areas of concern of the PDMS. In addition, suggestions for improvement are provided. The areas discussed include: (1) test construction, (2) test content, (3) test administration, and (4) scoring and reporting test scores.
Classification in psychiatry: Inevitable but not insurmountable

The debate about psychiatric nosology was reignited last year when the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) was published to widespread criticism. Critics cite a number of problems with ‘psychiatric diagnosis’, though it is sometimes unclear which classificatory practices are included under this broad heading. Although it may be possible to avoid the problems inherent in the DSM system, other difficulties associated with classification (labelling, stigma) may prove harder to escape. The first part of this article argues that some form of psychiatric classification is made inevitable by the communicative, epistemic and ethical pressures on psychiatry. In the second half it is suggested that there are ways to think differently about our relationship to psychiatric classification, and that these could play a role in mitigating the harms outlined by diagnosis’ critics.
Emerging Therapeutic Targets in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

The standard front-line treatment of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) remains Rituximab combined with multi-agent cytotoxic chemotherapy. In spite of high response rates to this therapy, relapsed/refractory disease is observed in up to 40% of patients. It is our opinion that additional chemoimmunotherapy, followed by high-dose therapy with autologous stem cell transplant (HDT-ASCT) for responsive disease, is the optimal therapy for these patients. However, many patients cannot tolerate HDT-ASCT, or have relapsed/refractory disease in spite of it. These patients have a poor overall prognosis, and there is no clear consensus as to how these patients should be treated. Over the past decade, significant advances have been made in the understanding of the molecular genesis and subtyping of DLBCL, leading to the identification of multiple pathways and molecules that can be targeted for clinical benefit. Examples include Bcl-2, Bcl-6, cell surface markers, and myriad molecules in both the B-Cell receptor and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways. As agents targeting these molecules and pathways progress from preclinical models to early clinical trials, more is learned about what might predict for response to these agents, such as cell of origin classification, and/or expression of relevant molecular markers, as measured by immunohistochemistry or gene expression profiling. Both the successes and failures of these novel targeted agents promise to dramatically refine, improve, and individualize the classification and treatment of DLBCL. Therefore, it is our opinion that patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL are an ideal population for clinical trials due to both the lack of standardized treatment, and the recent advancements in pathobiology and early-phase treatment options.
An Interview With James Lee Sorenson

This interview explores the combination of social and commercial entrepreneurship. James Lee Sorenson and Sorenson Media have developed a telecommunication system that uses audio and video replay t...
Whither patient-centered care?

We often use the term patient-centered care to describe health care services delivered to patients and families. Individualized care based on the unique needs of patients and families is a core value of nurses and likely would be identified similarly by other types of health care providers as well. Yet, the notion of patient-centered care seems to be lacking in many practice environments today. This has important implications for both nursing practice and research. At a system level, it has been acknowledged that patient-centered care is an aspiration, not a reality. An Institute of Medicine report defined patient-centered care as one of six dimensions central to the redesign of the health care system needed in the 21st century. It is a dimension identified as lacking in our current system. The report defines patient-centered as ". . . providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions" (Committee on Quality of Health Care in America, 2001, p. 6). At a more local level, examples of the lack of patient-centered care experienced by family members, friends, or perhaps even ourselves, often exist. Donald Berwick, the prominent physician founder of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and a national leader in patient safety and quality of care, discusses the situation faced when his wife was hospitalized with a serious illness. He describes how they expected to receive patient-centered care but found themselves caught in ". . . a tangle of onerous rules and assaults on our dignity, and we found our caregivers too often more interested in explaining how something must be done instead of asking us how we needed it to be done" (Berwick, 2004, p. 219). The Picker/Commonwealth Program for Patient-Centered Care conducted a study to identify patients' experiences with and preferences for the health care system. It conducted focus groups and interviews with more than 6,000 patients and 2,000 family members within 6 months of a hospitalization. Seven dimensions of patient-centered care were identified to define what patients said would make care centered on their needs. These dimensions are respect for patients' values, preferences, and expressed needs; physical comfort; emotional support; coordination and integration of care; involvement of family and friends in communication about their health status; frequent information, communication, and education about their condition; and transition and continuity (Gerteis, Edgman-Levitan, Daley, & Delbanco, 1993). These findings provide important benchmarks for examining whether care delivered is patient-centered and, if not, where improvements might be needed in the practice environment. Challenges for patient-centeredness also exist when research is conducted as well. In many research investigations, patients are asked to offer their assessments of treatment in terms of its impact on health-related quality of life or health status. …
Wireless local loop as a fixed/mobile convergence solution

At first sight, wireless local loop (WLL) might seem an ideal springboard for fixed mobile convergence (FMC) since it utilizes mobile-like platforms to provide a fixed service. However, a more detailed examination reveals a more complicated picture. For the user, FMC is the provision of a single phone which provides them with service wherever they are. For the network operator, FMC is the use of a single infrastructure to provide fixed and mobile communications. Hence, a combination of a WLL and cellular system provides FMC as far as the operator is concerned but not as far as the user is concerned. More complexity is added when considering whether voice will migrate to mobile networks whilst data will remain on fixed networks. In such a world, WLL systems would predominantly provide data. However, advanced WLL systems using packet switched infrastructure would allow the integration of mobile and fixed networks more readily than could occur with today's architectures.. Because WLL operators do not have legacy circuit switched networks to consider, they can reach the brave new world of packet switching more quickly and hence might well be the leaders in providing FMC in a packet environment. This paper looks at all these issues, and discusses the future role of WLL in the global telecommunications environment. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In-fiber reflection mode interferometer based on a long-period grating for external refractive-index measurement

We present two novel schemes for refractometry based on a long-period fiber grating– (LPG-) based Michelson interferometer. These schemes are designed to overcome the measurement dependence of previously demonstrated LPG-based refractometry on the immersion depth. The first utilizes an unshielded LPG and the second, a shielded one. Both schemes were tested over a certain refractive-index range, and the measurement of glucose concentration in water was experimentally demonstrated. In addition, the temperature sensitivity of the two schemes is discussed.
Maternal-Fetal Attachment in Pregnant Women Who Use Illicit Drugs

Objective To explore cognitive, affective, and altruistic dimensions of maternal-fetal attachment in pregnant women who use illicit drugs. Design Content analysis with deductive and inductive coding methods was used to uncover common themes in each dimension of attachment. Setting A prenatal clinic of a tertiary medical center in the northeastern United States. Participants Forty pregnant women. Inclusion criteria were the following: used illicit drugs after the last menstrual period, had felt fetal movement, and could read and speak English. Women in methadone treatment programs were excluded. Results Knowing the baby's characteristics and health through fetal movement, acknowledging the fetus as an individual with physical and emotional functions, and knowing the baby by relating the fetus to self and family members are the three major themes in cognitive attachment. Themes in affective attachment include mixing strong affection with guilt and viewing fetal movement as visual and tactile enjoyment but also discomfort. Common themes with conflicting feelings were salient in altruistic attachment, including feeling uncomfortable versus feeling worthwhile, viewing being pregnant as an incentive for lifestyle changes, battling with substance use and concern for fetal health, and alternating between uncertainty and hope in preparing for the baby's arrival. Conclusion Maternal-fetal attachment is not a phenomenon that is present or absent, but a struggle manifested by guilt, concern, and uncertainty. Without proper treatment and counseling, many women struggle between illicit drug use and development of maternal-fetal attachment.
Effects of mutations and constitutive overexpression of EDS1 and PAD4 on plant resistance to different types of microbial pathogens

Abstract Arabidopsis EDS1 and PAD4 are important regulators of plant defense signaling. We have constructed transgenic lines that constitutively overexpress tandem affinity purification (TAP)-tagged EDS1 and PAD4 in the respective eds1-1 and pad4-1 mutant backgrounds. Affinity purified EDS1 complexes contained not only SAG101 as recently reported but also PAD4. The PAD4 complexes, on the other hand, contained EDS1 but not SAG101. These results support that PAD4 and SAG101 interact with EDS1 but not with each other. To determine the effects of constitutive expression of EDS1 and PAD4 on plant disease resistance, we have compared these transgenic plants with the wild type and the respective eds1-1 and pad4-1 mutant plants for responses to the hemibiotrophic bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae and necrotrophic fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. The eds1 and pad4 mutants were highly susceptible to virulent strains of P. syringae and constitutive overexpression of EDS1 and PAD4 enhanced resistance to the bacterial pathogen in a dosage-dependent manner. Enhanced resistance to the bacterial pathogen in transgenic EDS1- and PAD4-overexpressing lines was associated with a quicker and stronger induction of salicylate-regulated PR1 after infection of the bacterial pathogen. By contrast, the eds1-1 and pad4-1 mutants were highly tolerant to B. cinerea and their constitutive overexpression restored the susceptibility of the mutants to the fungal pathogen. The negative role of EDS1 and PAD4 in plant response to the necrotrophic fungal pathogen correlated with their negative effects on induction of jasmonate-regulated PDF1.2gene expression.
Hydrate dissociation pressures of (methane + ethane + water) existence of a locus of minimum pressures

Abstract The dissociation pressures of hydrates in equilibrium with (methane + ethane) gas mixtures containing [0.177CH 4 + 0.823C 2 H 6 ], [0.047CH 4 + 0.953C 2 H 6 ], [0.016CH 4 + 0.984C 2 H 6 ], and [1.000C 2 H 6 ] were determined between 277.0 and 288.0 K. Some (methane + ethane) mixtures were found to form hydrates at lower pressures than mixtures containing only ethane. Additional experiments led to measurements of the four-phase (vapor, hydrocarbon-rich liquid, water-rich liquid, hydrate) equilibrium locus which begins at 287.9 K and 3.33 MPa and ends at the critical-cum-quadruple point at 291.8 K and 5.87 MPa. These results are used to develop the overall phase diagram for (methane + ethane + water).
A Cautionary Note for Bayesian Estimation of the Binomial Parameter n

Abstract Consider r independent realizations of a binomial random variable B(n, p). Given conventionally used priors for n and p it is shown that the tail weight of the marginal posterior density on n is never affected by the data. Consequently, the existence of important parameters associated with the posterior, such as the median and the mean, can be determined in advance by the prior, without regard to any finite amount of experimentation.
A thermal dissociation–chemical ionization mass spectrometry (TD‐CIMS) technique for the simultaneous measurement of peroxyacyl nitrates and dinitrogen pentoxide

[1] We have developed a thermal dissociation–chemical ionization mass spectrometry (TD-CIMS) technique for fast measurements of a series of peroxyacyl nitrates and dinitrogen pentoxide. Thermally generated acylperoxy radicals react with I− to produce a carboxylate ion that is unique for each parent species. NO3 resulting from the decomposition of N2O5 reacts with I− to form NO3−. The measurement technique was verified for PAN and PPN during an informal comparison with a gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with an electron capture detector (ECD) in Boulder, Colorado, during October 2002. Good agreement was obtained between the two instruments with R2 = 0.91 for PAN (n = 657) and R2 = 0.89 for PPN (n = 655). Detection limits of 7 pptv and 4 pptv were determined for PAN and PPN, respectively, for a 1 s integration period and a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The TD-CIMS simultaneously detected ambient PiBN and N2O5 + NO3 in addition to PAN and PPN during the intercomparison period. We estimate a detection limit of 3 pptv in 1 s for PiBN. PnBN would be detected at the same mass, so we cannot rule out a contribution from PnBN to our PiBN estimate. Sensitivity to MPAN was found to be lower than to PAN in laboratory experiments, but a detection limit of 10 pptv can still be achieved by integrating for 15 s. Assuming the same sensitivity as for PAN, the detection limit for the sum of N2O5 and NO3 was estimated to be 12 pptv in 1 s. The fast time response of the TD-CIMS combined with a sensitivity and limit of detection comparable to the GC/ECD make this a promising technique for PAN flux measurements by eddy covariance. PAN uptake by different types of vegetation could be important input for global and regional ozone models, and PAN deposition to snow is of interest in polar regions.
Task engagement after mortality salience: The effects of creativity, conformity and connectedness on worldview defence

Terror management research has shown that activating thoughts about mortality (mortality salience) increases defence of one's worldview. This study investigated how worldview defence is affected by engaging in a task that fosters creativity, conformity, or sharing values after being reminded of death. After writing about death or a control topic, participants were randomly assigned to design a t-shirt with the goal of being as creative as possible, trying to please others but not oneself, or trying to connect with others via shared values. After mortality salience, conforming to others led to increased worldview defence whereas sharing values did not. Further, engaging in a creative task decreased worldview defence after mortality salience. Implications for understanding the interface between different forms of social connectedness, creativity and the management of existential fears are discussed.
Solidification structures in submicron spheres of iron-nickel: Analytical evaluation☆

Abstract Kinetic modeling of solidification in small droplets is developed using classical nucleation theory. Both primary and alternative crystallization phases of iron-nickel alloys are considered. Calculated continuous-cooling-nucleation (CCN) curves and nucleation temperatures for different compositions and particle sizes are used to predict the tendency of phase formation. The calculations are compared with experimental results presented in a companion paper [Acta metall.36, 2525 (1988)] on submicron droplets and it is found that formation of the crystalline phases can be edicted semiquantitatively using classical nucleation theory. Experimental results show that an amorphous phase predominates in particle sizes less than about 30 nm diameter. These data are used to simulate the viscosity function of the liquid alloys and to determine a kinetic glass transition temperature as a function of composition for each phase. Using an isothermal treatment of transient nucleation, transient effects are found to be important close to the kinetic glass transition temperature, however, a non-isothermal treatment of transient nucleation is needed for this application.
WE-E-AUD C-03: Determining An Appropriate Margin Around CTV to Account for Interfraction Motion During IMRT for Cervical Cancer Patients Based On Daily Imaging

Purpose: To derive an appropriate CTV‐to‐PTV margin that will ensure delivery of 100% of the prescribed dose to 95% (on average) of daily CTV's during a treatment course. Method and Materials: Daily CBCTimages are taken for setup of Stage I–IVa cervical cancer patients at our institution. Daily CTV contours drawn on these images take into account the effect of interfraction motion due to organ motion/deformation and tumor regression. To date, we have acquired CBCT data for 15 patients out of which 5 have been analyzed so far. On each CBCT, expert radiation oncologists manually segment CTV, bladder and rectum of that particular day. The CTV contours from all the CBCT scans of the same patient are superimposed on the planning CT scan after rigidly registering each CBCT scan to the planning CT scan. A uniform margin of 0, 3, 5, 7, 10, or 15 mm etc is added around the planning CTV and the average volume of CTV missed over all fractions is analyzed. The isotropic margin that encompasses 95% of daily CTVs on an average is considered adequate for the patient. Results:Statistical analysis of 5 patient's shows that a 7 mm margin is sufficient to cover on an average 98% (min: 95.2, max: 99.6) of daily CTVs of these 5 patients. However a bigger margin of 15 mm is required to adequately cover the high risk cervix region. The mean of the standard deviations in average volume of CTV covered for these 5 patients at 7 mm margin is 2.4 % indicating large inter‐patient variation. Analysis of more patients is required to reduce variation in average CTV volumes among patients. Conclusion: Clinical implementation of CBCTimaging devices has made possible margin evaluation based on daily images that provides a more accurate means of accounting for interfraction motion.
Effects of Commercially Available Dietary Supplements on Resting Energy Expenditure: A Brief Report

Commercially available dietary products advertised to promote weight loss are an underresearched but heavily purchased commodity in the United States. Despite only limited evidence, interest in dietary supplements continues to increase. This work uniquely summarizes the current evidence evaluating the efficacy of several over-the-counter thermogenic products for their effects on resting energy expenditure. Currently, there is some evidence suggesting dietary products containing select ingredients can increase energy expenditure in healthy young people immediately following consumption (within 6 hours). It is unclear if supplement-induced increases in metabolic rate provide additional benefit beyond that provided by dietary constituents that contain similar ingredients. It is also unclear if dietary supplements are effective for weight loss in humans.
Parametric Solid Modeling

Parametric modeling systems are fundamentally changing the design process practiced in the industry today. Practically all commercial CAD systems combine established solid modeling techniques with constraint solving and heuristic algorithms to create, edit and manipulate solid models, while enforcing the requirement that every such solid model must maintain the validity of the prescribed geometric constraints. However, a number of fundamental (open) problems limit the functionality and performance of these parametric modeling systems. For example, the allowable parametric changes are history dependent; the number of parameters describing even relatively simple parts can quickly become prohibitively large, and commercial constraint solvers are limited today to 2-dimensional geometric constraints. Consequently, current parametric modeling systems do not support many practical design situations due to the associated theoretical and computational difficulties, as well as to the considerable organizational obstacles generated by the need to handle large parametric models. This paper investigates the current practices and limitations of parametric solid modeling systems, and explores some alternative approaches that could complement the identified limitations.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Innate immune recognition of, and response to, Clostridium sordellii.

Abstract Clostridium sordellii , an anaerobic pathogen, has recently been associated with rapidly fatal infections following medically induced abortions and injecting drug use. Patients with C. sordellii infection display few signs of inflammation such as fever, or redness and pain at the site of infection. We hypothesized that this could be due to reduced recognition of the organism by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) of the innate immune system. An ELAM-NF-κB luciferase reporter system in TLR-transfected HEK cells was used to measure TLR-dependent recognition of washed, heat-killed C. sordellii and other pathogenic clostridial species. Results demonstrated that all clostridia were well recognized by TLR2 alone and that responses were greatest when TLR2 was co-expressed with TLR6. Further, isolated human monocytes produced the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNFα and the immunoregulator IL-10 in response to C. sordellii . In addition, C. sordellii -stimulated monocytes produced 30% less TNFα following treatment with an anti-TLR2 blocking antibody. These data demonstrate that innate immune recognition of, and response to, cell-associated components of C. sordellii and other clostridial pathogens are mediated by TLR2 in combination with TLR6. We conclude that the characteristic absence of inflammatory signs and symptoms in C. sordellii infection is not related to inadequate immune detection of the organism, but rather is attributable to a species-specific immune system dysfunction that remains to be elucidated.
Morning Sickness: The Client’s Perspective

Thirty-nine women attending a prenatal clinic completed a questionnaire and were interviewed to gather information on early pregnancy nausea as it affected their daily lives: what actions they tried to alleviate the problem; whether those actions helped; and their source of information on the problem. Results of the preliminary study indicate that the nurse's suggestions for alleviating the discomfort cannot be limited to long-standing textbook remedies since no one action helped a majority of the clients. Suggestions for continued research are given.
Containment Methods for Treatment of Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease

The objective of containment treatment in Perthes disease is to hold the femoral head in the acetabulum during the period of ?biologic plasticity? while necrotic bone is resorbed and living bone is restored through the process of ?creeping substitution.? This article identifies the various methods of containment and the technical aspects of each method. Choice of method depends on the experience of the surgeon and the psychosocial needs of the patient and family. Failure is more commonly a result of inappropriate patient selection for a particular method, delay in management, or technical errors rather than to the method that was selected.
Frequencies of hydrophobic and hydrophilic runs and alternations in proteins of known structure

Patterns of alternation of hydrophobic and polar residues are a profound aspect of amino acid sequences, but a feature not easily interpreted for soluble proteins. Here we report statistics of hydrophobicity patterns in proteins of known structure in a current protein database as compared with results from earlier, more limited structure sets. Previous studies indicated that long hydrophobic runs, common in membrane proteins, are underrepresented in soluble proteins. Long runs of hydrophobic residues remain significantly underrepresented in soluble proteins, with none longer than 16 residues observed. These long runs most commonly occur as buried α helices, with extended hydrophobic strands less common. Avoiding aggregation of partially folded intermediates during intracellular folding remains a viable explanation for the rarity of long hydrophobic runs in soluble proteins. Comparison between database editions reveals robustness of statistics on aqueous proteins despite an approximately twofold increase in nonredundant sequences. The expanded database does now allow us to explain several deviations of hydrophobicity statistics from models of random sequence in terms of requirements of specific secondary structure elements. Comparison to prior membrane-bound protein sequences, however, shows significant qualitative changes, with the average hydrophobicity and frequency of long runs of hydrophobic residues noticeably increasing between the database editions. These results suggest that the aqueous proteins of solved structure may represent an essentially complete sample of the universe of aqueous sequences, while the membrane proteins of known structure are not yet representative of the universe of membrane-associated proteins, even by relatively simple measures of hydrophobic patterns.
Nuclear Medicine Technology: Inflammation and Infection Imaging

Abstract The role of nuclear medicine imaging in the detection and evaluation of infection and inflammation is explored through discussion of current and underdevelopment radiopharmaceuticals and their applications.
Bending, vibration and stability of arall® laminates using a generalized laminate plate theory

Abstract A plate bending element based on the generalized laminate plate theory (GLPT) is used to evaluate new composite laminates known as the ARALL-1 ® Laminates. The plate finite element accounts for the transverse shear deformation and layer-wise description of the displacements. The finite element is used to evaluate the stresses, vibration and buckling characteristics of 2/1 and 3/2 ARALL Laminates.
Induction of p53 and Bax during TGF-β1 Initiated Apoptosis in Rat Liver Epithelial Cells

Abstract The relationship between transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) induced growth arrest and apoptosis in rat liver derived epithelial (RLE) cells was analyzed. TGF-β1 treatment of RLE cells induced both cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. However, pretreatment of the cells with either dexamethasone or cyclohexamide suppressed TGF-β1 induced apoptosis, without preventing the cell cycle arrest. Both p53 and Bax were subsequently shown to be overexpressed during the TGF-β1 induced apoptosis. Furthermore, it was revealed that cycloheximide suppressed expression of both p53 and Bax. In contrast, dexamethasone treatment prevented Bax expression alone. Treatment of RLE cells with several growth factors either alone or in combination was ineffective in counteracting TGF-β1 induced apoptosis. In additon, we show that TGF-α also induced both p53 and Bax expressions and augmented TGF-β-induced apoptosis. Thus, p53 and Bax are likely to be key factors in TGF-β1 induced apoptosis in RLE cells.
Polymorphisms of drug metabolizing enzymes and markers of genotoxicity to identify patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma at risk of treatment‐related complications

Survivors of childhood Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) have an increased risk of developing treatment-related complications, especially second malignant neoplasms, as a result of treatment regimens incorporating chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Second cancers include leukemias that generally occur in the first two decades after therapy, and adult-type solid tumors that generally exhibit continued increasing incidence throughout subsequent follow-up. Identified clinical risk factors for second cancers include age at the time of treatment and intensity and type of therapy, with particularly strong associations between the use of radiotherapy and subsequent breast cancer, and alkylator chemotherapy dose-intensity and risk of secondary leukemia. However, second cancers affect a minority of patients, and there is probably great variability in individual susceptibility for this complication. Common genetic polymorphisms in drug-metabolizing enzymes that result in impaired detoxification of chemotherapy or inefficient repair of drug- or radiation-induced genetic damage may lead to increased risk of a second cancer. Studies of the potential role of polymorphisms in the genes encoding the glutathione S-transferases, cytochrome P450 3A4, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase and myeloperoxidase in the etiology of treatment-related complications are reviewed. Biological markers of drug- and radiation-induced genetic damage may also identify patients at higher risk of immediate and delayed side effects of therapy. The Children's Oncology Group (COG) is examining the roles of polymorphisms in drug metabolizing enzymes and biological markers of genotoxicity in predicting the treatment-related outcomes of patients with HL. These investigations may ultimately allow the use of pharmacogenetically guided therapy to improve the outcome of HL therapy and reduce the risk of therapy-related complications, especially secondary malignancies.
ATMS implementation system for identifying traffic conditions leading to potential crashes

Predicting a crash occurrence is the key to traffic safety. Real-time identification of freeway segments with high crash potential is addressed in this paper. For this study, historical crashes and corresponding traffic-surveillance data from loop detectors were gathered from a 36-mi corridor of Interstate 4 for 4 years. Following an exploratory analysis, two types of logistic-regression models (i.e., simple and multivariate) were developed. It was observed that, although the simple models have the advantage of being tolerant in their data requirements, their classification accuracy was inferior to that of the final multivariate model. Hence, the simple models were used to deduce time-space patterns of variation in crash risk while the multivariate model was chosen for final classification of traffic patterns. As a suggested application for the simple models, their output may be used for the preliminary assessment of the crash risk. If there is an indication of high crash risk, then the multivariate model may be employed to explicitly classify the data patterns as leading or not leading to a crash occurrence. A demonstration of this two-stage real-time application strategy, based on simple and multivariate models, is provided in the paper. The output from these model-processing real-time loop-detector data may be utilized by traffic-management authorities for developing proactive traffic-management strategies
How Naïve Is the Market’s Use of Firm-Specific Earnings Information?

Recent studies suggest the apparent delay in the stock-price response to earnings announcements (i.e., post-earnings announcement drift) is caused by investors who underestimate the autocorrelation of seasonally-differenced earnings (persistence). I present results that suggest: (1) a firm’s future persistence is predictable on the basis of its past persistence; (2) the immediate stock-price response to earnings is positively related to historical persistence; (3) post-earnings-announcement drift is independent of historical persistence; and (4) consistent with (2) and (3), the difference between a firm’s current observed persistence and that implied in stock prices is independent of its historical persistence. These results extend prior research by demonstrating that investors are aware not only that seasonally-differenced earnings are autocorrelated, but that investors recognize firm-specific differences in the magnitude of the autocorrelation.
Issues and approaches of automatic focusing algorithms for intelligent robot eye-in-hand system

The new, fast, automatic focusing algorithms, namely Energy Maximization and Histogram Variance Maximization, for computer vision systems have been presented in this article. These two focusing algorithms have greatly reduced the arithmetical operations needed to perform an automatic focusing operation. Experimental evaluations and comparisons to previously developed algorithms have been performed and the results presented. The improved performance in accuracy and speed of our new algorithms will certainly benefit applications such as distance measurement, target tracking, and scene analysis by the use of computer vision techniques.
Adaptive enhancement of Fourier spectra

An adaptive enhancement procedure is presented which emphasizes continuant spectral features such as formant frequencies, by imposing frequency and amplitude continuity constraints on a short-time Fourier representation of the speech signal. At each point in the time-frequency field, the direction of maximum energy correlation is determined by the angle of a linear window at which the energy density within it is closest in magnitude to the point under consideration. Weighted smoothing is then performed in that direction to enhance continuant features. >
Involvement of the Xenopus homeobox gene Xhox3 in pattern formation along the anterior-posterior axis

The Xenopus homeobox gene Xhox3 shows a graded expression in the axial mesoderm, with the highest concentration in the posterior end of frog gastrula and neurula embryos. To investigate the function of the Xhox3 gene, synthetic Xhox3 mRNA was injected into different regions of developing embryos. In particular, Xhox3 was supplied in excess to anterior cells, which normally have the lowest levels of Xhox3 RNA. The results show that injection of Xhox3, but not control, mRNA into prospective anterior regions of developing embryos produces a series of graded axial defects. The injected embryos gastrulate normally but fail to form anterior (head) structures. Our findings suggest that Xhox3 is involved in establishing anterior-posterior cell identities during pattern formation of the axial mesoderm in early embryonic development.
A Continuous Method to Compute Model Parameters for Soft Biological Materials

Developing appropriate mathematical models for biological soft tissues such as ligaments, tendons, and menisci is challenging. Stress-strain behavior of these tissues is known to be continuous and characterized by an exponential toe region followed by a linear elastic region. The conventional curve-fitting technique applies a linear curve to the elastic region followed by a separate exponential curve to the toe region. However, this technique does not enforce continuity at the transition between the two regions leading to inaccuracies in the material model. In this work, a Continuous Method is developed to fit both the exponential and linear regions simultaneously, which ensures continuity between regions. Using both methods, three cases were evaluated: idealized data generated mathematically, noisy idealized data produced by adding random noise to the idealized data, and measured data obtained experimentally. In all three cases, the Continuous Method performed superiorly to the conventional technique, producing smaller errors between the model and data and also eliminating discontinuities at the transition between regions. Improved material models may lead to better predictions of nonlinear biological tissues' behavior resulting in improved the accuracy for a large array of models and computational analyses used to predict clinical outcomes.
Minimal mortality of renal surgery

Abstract Eight hundred fourteen renal operative procedures were reviewed to determine overall mortality and to identify patients at risk. The over-all mortality was 1.35 per cent, but as high as 30 per cent in patients with uremia and sepsis. Carcinomatosis contributed to higher mortality in other groups. In the absence of these three factors renal surgery was associated with very low or no postoperative (thirty day) mortality.
Empirical canonical correlation analysis in subspaces

This paper addresses canonical correlation analysis of two-channel data, when channel covariances are estimated from a limited number of samples, and are not necessarily full-rank. We show that empirical canonical correlations measure the cosines of the principal angles between the row spaces of the data matrices for the two channels. When the number of samples is smaller than the sum of the ranks of the two data matrices, some of the empirical canonical correlations become one, regardless of the two-channel model that generates the samples. In such cases, the empirical canonical correlations may not be used as estimates of correlation between random variables.
Detecting and filtering instant messaging spam - a global and personalized approach

While instant message (IM) is gaining its popularity it is exposed to increasingly severe security threats. A serious problem is IM spam (spim) that is unsolicited commercial messages sent via IM messengers. Unlike e-mail spam (unsolicited bulk e-mails), which has been a serious security issue for a long time and a number of techniques have been proposed to cope with, spim has not received adequate attention from the research community yet, and traditional spam filtering techniques are not directly applicable to spim due to its presence information and real time nature. In this paper, we present a new architecture for detecting and filtering spim. With the unique infrastructure of IM systems spim detection and filtering can be achieved not only at the client (receiver) side - for a personalized filtering - but also at the server side and various IM gateways - for a global filtering. Our technique integrates a number of mature spam defending techniques with modifications for IM applications, such as Black/White List, collaborative feedback based filtering, content-based technique, and challenge-response based filtering. We also design and implement new techniques for efficient spim detection and filtering, including filtering methods based on IM sending rate, content based spim defending techniques, fingerprint vector based filtering, text comparison filtering, and Bayesian filtering. We provide an analysis of their performances based on experimental results.
Production of Lactobacillus cells by dialysis continuous fermentation of deproteinized whey.

Abstract A mathematical model was used to simulate the continuous conversion of deproteinized whey into bacterial cells by a process in which the fermentor contents are poised at a constant pH by the addition of ammonia and are dialyzed through a membrane against water. The simulations predicted outcomes and parameters for experimental tests. Dried deproteinized cheese whey was rehydrated with tap water to high concentration (242mg lactose/ml), supplemented with yeast extract (8 mg/ml), charged into a 5-liter fermentor without sterilization, adjusted in pH (5.5) and temperature (44C), and inoculated with an adapted culture of Lactobacillus bulgaricus . A series of steady-state conditions was managed for 71 days without sterilization or asepsis. Cell concentration, cell productivity, and substrate conversion were more than twice those from an ordinary continuous fermentation for production of Lactobacillus cells.
Dilatometric study of the melting point of three high‐pressure crystallized samples of marlex polyethylene

The melting points of three polyethylenes differing in molecular weight distribution from 47,000 to 147,000 were determined as 141°C ± 0.5°C by dilatometric techniques. Sample preparation procedures were developed to ensure uniform thermal history prior to measuring length as a function of temperature in a precision dilatometer. The specific volume data were reproducible within 0.02%, reflecting the careful annealing procedure used and the extended time allowed for equilibrium to be attained.
Discussion of “Four Case Studies on Chance in Evolution”: Philosophical Themes and Questions

The four case studies on chance in evolution provide a rich source for further philosophical analysis. Among the issues raised are the following: Are there different conceptions of chance at work, or is there a common underlying conception? How can a given concept of chance be distinguished from other chance concepts and from nonchance concepts? How can the occurrence of a given chance process be distinguished empirically from nonchance processes or other chance processes? What role does chance play in evolutionary theory? I argue that in order to answer these questions, a careful distinction between process and outcome must be made; however, the purpose of this essay is not to answer these questions definitively, but rather to elaborate on them and to provide a starting point for further discussion.
Option model for joint production and preventive maintenance system

Abstract Traditionally, optimal preventive maintenance strategies are derived under deterministic and constant rate demand. Using “option”, a powerful financial derivative tool to tackle optimization problem under uncertain environment, this paper presents an analytical, option-based cost model for scheduling joint production and preventive maintenance when demand is uncertain. The manufacturing enterprise can balance the tradeoff between reduced risk from uncertainty that options afford and the increased price premium paid to invest preventive maintenance resources. The optimal number of preventive maintenance work-orders is obtained and numerical examples are included to validate the importance and the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. The comparison with the conventional periodic preventive maintenance policy is also analytically performed. The proposed option-based model is found to add flexibility to the production system and thus reduce the risk of shortage or overage of demand when conventional assumption of constant rate demand is released to stochastic demand.
Smart Thin Film TiNi/Pzt Heterostructures

Thin film layers of shape memory alloys and ferroelectric ceramics can produce a family of ‘smart’ heterostructures capable of performing both sensing and actuating functions. Important issues in the synthesis of these active structures are the ability to generate the appropriate crystalline phases of each material, while producing defect-free homogeneous high quality films. The compatibility of sol-gel processed Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) thin films with thin film shape memory effect TiNi substrates were investigated. Thin film TiNi was deposited on quartz substrates by physical sputter deposition utilizing a TiNi target in a ultra-high vacuum chamber, and followed by in-situ vacuum annealing. PZT was deposited on TiNi by sol-gel and spin coating processes. The ferroelectric tetragonal phase of PZT was obtained by a 600 °C anneal for 5m in air. The heterostructures were nominally defect-free, unlike those obtained through deposition onto bulk TiNi substrates.
What Contributes to Teaching Assistant Development: Differential Responses to Key Design Features.

Graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs) need effective, appropriate professional development opportunities that offer both meaningful foundations and strategically useful tools for their teaching. This study examined and explored the perceptions of TAs with regard to the nature, content, and design characteristics of training and development for teaching in the research university. A group of 210 graduate teaching assistants at a research university reported their perceptions of a range of design elements of training sessions and activities. TAs perceived that training contributed to their learning and development, promoting skills and strategies helpful for their teaching. More focused, strategic sessions received higher overall scores than more general foundational sessions, though strategic sessions were grounded in the more foundational ones. Design features that TAs reported most significantly contributed to their development were: expertise of speakers, structural design of events, and quality of support materials. Eighty percent of TAs reported intentions to continue learning about instructional theory and practice. Findings include consistency with some previous research-based principles of training and development, but also raise new questions regarding TAs’ needs and how to address them.
Wavelength-selective visible-light detector based on integrated graphene transistor and surface plasmon coupler

We have invented a novel photodetector by mating a surface plasmon resonance coupler with a graphene field effect transistor. The device enables wavelength selectivity for spectral sensing applications. Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are generated in a 50 nm thick Ag film on the surface of a prism in the Kretschmann configuration positioned 500 nm from a graphene FET. Incident photons of a given wavelength excite SPPs at a specific incidence angle. These SPP fields excite a transient current whose amplitude follows the angular resonance spectrum of the SPP absorption feature. Though demonstrated first at visible wavelengths, the approach can be extended far into the infrared. We also demonstrate that the resonant current is strongly modulated by gate bias applied to the FET, providing a clear path towards large-scale spectral imagers with locally addressable pixels.