cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent Legislation that Secured a 'Right to Try' Unapproved Drugs: Why the 'Fuss' Over a 'Fix' of What 'Ain’t Broke'?

The significance of the federal Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2017 and its state counterparts is widely misunderstood. The legislation is both more and less than it may seem at first blush. This much is clear: at the federal level, it opens a new pathway, alongside the existing FDA-regulated pathway, for making promising investigational drugs available to seriously ill patients who lack meaningful alternative treatment options (“treatment use”). This Article aims to elucidate the real import of these laws by examining them in the detailed historical context of how treatment use has been regulated before the laws’ advent, and how that regulation had repeatedly been challenged, unsuccessfully, in all three branches of government. The decades-long history of those prior challenges, all of which fundamentally targeted the FDA’s broad gatekeeping role in the modern drug regulatory paradigm, is excavated in considerable depth. Straddling this more-less dichotomy, this Article demonstrates on the one hand why the promise of the new legislation is less than proponents’ bold claims of being life-saving and transformative. To this end, this Article contrasts the new and extant pathways in light of decision factors that matter to mainstream drug developers. Their willingness to participate along any pathway is rate-limiting. Building on this view, this Article canvasses public reports through mid-2020 of actual “right to try” patient experience in order to substantiate the expectation that it would be scant, and unconvincing of broader uptake to come. On the more side of the dichotomy, this Article analyzes the broader ramifications of these bills, even beyond the potential to incentivize questionable fringe business models. In historical context, passage of the legislation is a celebrated “first” success in a long-running series of challenges to the FDA’s broad gatekeeping authority, in this specific context of treatment use. An undercurrent of aversion toward that authority has been persistent, and naturally flows to the sympathetic context of seriously ill patients. As a number of scholars and reporters have observed, proponents of “right to try” have a broader deregulatory agenda, and their ability to have achieved a first breakthrough in the treatment use context is the greater significance of the recent legislative campaign.
Advances in Diagnosis and Risk Stratification of Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing technology in the past decade have made a tremendous impact on basic science and clinical practice. Methods using the latest next generation sequencing technology can sequence an entire human genome within a few hours. Diagnosis and prognostication of hematologic neoplasms have moved from traditional histology and immunophenotyping to integration of cytogenetic and genomic alterations. Using illustrative cases, this chapter provides an overview of the utility of using genomic data for prognostication as well as treatment decision-making for patients with bone marrow neoplasms.
Physiology of Joints

The articular ends are the solid supports and the effectors of joint motion. They are able to serve as such by having mutually complementary osseous configurations and by merging on their surface with a caplike layer of hyaline cartilage. The latter owes its functional capacity partly to its ground substance, whose main constituents are proteoglycans. The characteristic part of the proteoglycans are the glycosaminoglycans [1350, 1352] onto whose negatively charged anions a large proportion of water is attracted [1034, 1035]. The other essential constituent of the articular cartilage is a firmly anchored collagenous fibrillar network (Figs. 5, 7) which enmeshes the ground substance. Due to these components the articular cartilage possesses a high intrinsic pressure and is able to resist the external pressure which arises when two opposing articular surfaces are moved along one another.
The development of a summer study abroad program for engineering and computer science students at Baylor University Cynthia C. Fry

The Baylor in Maastricht (BIM) summer study abroad program is a 41-day study abroad program in the Netherlands. Baylor In Maastricht is a summer program that is sponsored by the School of Engineering and Science of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in conjunction with the Universiteit Maastricht, in the Netherlands. The program gives engineering and computer science students an opportunity to take two Baylor courses (six hours), while also providing an abroad experience in the heart of Europe. It also answers the charge given four years ago by the Dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science to get our students out of the building! This paper discusses the goals and objectives of such a program, and chronicles the design, development, and execution of the resulting study abroad program. We explore, in depth, the number and type of participants, the details of trip planning and organization, the decision on which courses to offer, planned weekend group trips, the facilities and support of the Universiteit Maastricht, and accommodations. This paper will also discuss the execution of the first two study abroad programs to Maastricht, the Netherlands - what worked, what didn't work, what was good, where we have improved. A summary of the student evaluations from the program is included.
Incorporation and Characterization of Carbon Nano Tubes in Random Hole Optical Fibers

Random hole optical fibers are a special kind of optical fiber with randomly sized and spaced holes (tubes) along the cross-section of the fiber. These fibers consist of a solid silica central core region surrounded by a porous silica cladding region. Holey fibers are being considered for potential use in optical switches using very low light power and for pressure and temperature sensors. In this paper, we discuss incorporating carbon nano tubes within the holes of the random hole optical fibers. The hole diameters in these fibers range from 50 nm to about 2.5 microns. The nano particles incorporated have been characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. This may find potential applications in fabricating nano scale devices and sensors inside random hole optical fibers.
Kirkham receives Horton Medal

Don Kirkham received the Robert E. Horton Medal on May 31 at the AGU Spring Meeting in Baltimore. The Horton Medal acknowledges outstanding contributions to the geophysical aspects of hydrology. The award citation and Kirkham's response are given here.
Ozone Health Effects and Emerging Issues in Relation to Standards Setting

Abstract Our current knowledge of o3 exposure and health effects is growing rapidly. Transient respiratory function effects accumulate throughout an exposure day, and ambient exposures have broad daily peaks. 03 exposures also produce changes in airway inflammation and permeability. Healthy adults engaged for ~ 1/2 hr in outdoor exercise show greater responses than those observed in chamber studies involving 1 or 2 hr of exposure, indicating potentiation of the 03 response by other environmental exposures. Acute animal studies show biochemical and structural responses to 03 are potentiated by co-exposure to N02 and H2SO4 Chronic animal studies show that 03 effects on lung structure accumulate, and several recent epidemiological studies suggest that cumulative functional effects are occurring in people. Recent research has also shown: 1) a seasonal variation in functional responsiveness in humans; 2) that a seasonal pattern of daily exposure in monkeys produces greater changes in the lung than a continuous pattern of daily exposures at the same concentration; and 3) that transient exposures produce persistent responses.
Using standardized nursing languages in end-of-life care plans.

PURPOSE: This case study demonstrates the challenges to achieve dignified life closure and a comfortable death for a middle-aged woman with terminal cancer and her family. DATA SOURCES: Data were obtained from a patient known through the author's clinical experiences, personal family experiences, and published sources. DATA SYNTHESIS: The appropriate nursing diagnosis, patient outcomes, and nursing interventions were identified through the use of NANDA-International, the Nursing Outcomes Classification, and the Nursing Interventions Classification. CONCLUSIONS: This case study illustrates the appropriate nursing diagnosis, interventions, and outcomes pertinent to an individual with emotional distress at the end of life. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Employing the NANDA-International standardized nursing diagnosis, the Nursing Interventions Classification and the Nursing Outcomes Classification provided the needed constructs for considering and improving a dying patient's care in a primary and home setting.
Turbulence in planetary occultations: I. A theoretical formulation

The Eikonal equation of geometrical optics and a weak scattering wave-optical formulation are separately used to calculate first- and second-order effects of turbulence on radio propagation through an atmosphere with uniformly varying average refractive index combined with a random component due to turbulence. The extent to which perturbations in bending angle and Doppler frequency affects atmospheric profiles of temperature and pressure derived from Doppler measurements is considered. The determination of the power spectra of turbulence effects, the contribution of different terms, and the use of the spectra for studying planetary atmospheres are discussed.
A dynamic route choice model considering uncertain capacities

: The standard assumption in (dynamic) traffic assignment models is that route choice is solely determined by a (perceived) deterministic travel time. However, recently, there is a growing interest in (dynamic) equilibrium route choice models in which travelers not only select their paths based on an estimated deterministic travel time, but also based on travel time reliability, in this article defined as the probability that the actual travel time deviates from the anticipated value. We extend the linear programming cell transmission model-based dynamic traffic assignment (LP CTM-DTA) model to account for travelers’ consideration of uncertainty regarding saturation flow rates (in this article referred to as capacities). It is shown that these reliability considerations can be accounted for by simply reducing the road capacities appearing in the constraint set of the classical LP CTM-DTA model. More importantly, we provide results on the amount of capacity reduction necessary to ensure a certain reliability level. Although in the proposed model any probability distribution can be used to model the uncertainty, the selection of a specific probability distribution can potentially be burdensome for the modeler. To this end, we also present results on the class of symmetric probability distributions that has been particularly popular in the robust optimization literature. Properties for this broad class of distributions will be derived within the context of the introduced model. In numerical case studies, the model predicts that travel patterns can be significantly different when accounting for travelers’ reliability considerations.
The Control of Photo-Pigmentary Responses in Eyeless Catfish

1. In common with certain other teleosts and lacertilians, eyeless Amiurus nebulosus and Fundulus heteroclitus show a pigmentary response to changes in intensity of illumination. The melanophores contract in the darkness and expand in bright light. The control of this photic response was investigated in Amiurus . 2. The contraction in darkness was not obtained in areas denervated by section of spinal nerves nor in the posterior part of the body after section of the cord. The response is therefore under the control of nervous reflexes passing through the brain. A similar melanophore contraction can be obtained by electrical stimulation of the cord at extremely low frequencies. 3. The response remained in pinealectomized animals. Photoreceptors may possibly be located in the skin or the wall of the diencephalon may be sensitive to light. 4. After hypophysectomy the response continues but the degree of melanophore expansion in bright light is diminished. The expanding hormone of the pituitary is therefore important in that it augments a melanophore response which is under nervous control.
Can contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance assess inflammation of the coronary wall?

Atherosclerotic heart disease remains the most common cause of death and disability for both men and women in the industrialized world. By traditional methods, atherosclerosis can only be diagnosed in advanced stages when the vessel lumen is narrowed and/or blood flow to an organ is reduced. Early
Why Do So Few Minority People Visit National Parks? Visitation and the Accessibility of “America's Best Idea”

It has been said that national parks are “America's Best Idea,” they are among the most famous and instantly recognizable places in the country, and they attract visitors from all over the world. Yet visitors to these sites are overwhelmingly white. A number of theoretical perspectives have been proposed for the absence of minority visitors, including socioeconomic marginality, differing cultural norms, and the lingering legacy of discrimination, but geography is not one of the usual explanations. Given the strong associations between particular regions of the country and the locations of parks, as well as the uneven spatial distribution of population, the absence of geography as an explanation is striking. We examine this issue with the expectation that geography is an important part of the explanation for low minority visitation rates. Put simply, do potential minority visitors live anywhere near national park units? Are they more likely to visit the ones to which they live nearest? This study uses the ...
Respiratory physiology and water relations of three species of Pogonomyrmex harvester ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The respiratory physiology and water relations of three harvester ant species (Pogonomyrmex rugosus Emery, P. occidentalis[Cresson] and P. californicus[Buckley]) were examined at three temperatures (15, 25 and 35°C) using a flow-through respirometry system. As intact ants tended to be active during testing, we performed a parallel set of experiments on individuals rendered motionless by decapitation. Both intact and decapitated ants exhibited discontinuous ventilation. Decapitation caused metabolic rate (V˙CO2) and burst frequency to decrease in all three species. Burst volume either remained constant or increased after removal of the head, though mass-specific V˙CO2 was unaffected except in P. rugosus. Mass-specific V˙CO2s of headless harvesters were comparable with published values derived from motionless specimens of other ant species. The mean Q10 for intact ants of all three species was 2.37; for decapitated insects the mean was 2.32. Respiratory water constituted a small (< 5%) fraction of total loss, and we believe that discontinuous ventilation does not act to conserve water in these organisms, although it may serve other functions.
Relationship between grain

The relationship between the average mean grain boundary curvature,H, and the mean linear grain intercept, λ, has been experimentally determined for aluminum. The ratioH/λ - 1 = 0.31 was found to remain constant throughout grain growth. This value yields a driving pressure for grain growth approximately three times smaller than that derived by conventional modeling and yields realistic results in models of particle- or pore-inhibited grain growth.
Rapid Inhibition of Basal and Glucose-Stimulated Insulin Release by Xylazine*

Xylazine is a tranquilizer that is widely used in both biomedical research and veterinary medicine. We now report that in dogs, clinically effective doses of xylazine both markedly decrease basal insulin levels and completely abolish the rise in insulin produced by iv glucose. These changes in insulin levels lead to elevations of fasting plasma glucose and glucose intolerance. In contrast, glucagon levels are unchanged. These studies suggest that xylazine may be a useful agent in the study of glucose metabolism and beta-cell function.
Increasing stimulus duration can normalize late-positive event related potentials in people with schizophrenia: Possible implications for understanding cognitive deficits

article i nfo Article history: This study determined whether increasing stimulus duration for patients with schizophrenia normalized late Event Related Potentials (ERPs) associated with modulation of response to emotion-evoking stimuli. These ERPs are decreased in patients versus healthy controls when both view stimuli of the same duration. Subjects viewed pictures of hands and judged whether the events depicted were painful or non-painful. Pictures were presentedto patientsfor 500or 800 msandto healthycontrolsfor 200or 500 ms.Participants were 19adultout- patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 18 healthy controls, as assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview. ERPs to neutral stimuli during a 350-900 ms window following stimulus onset were subtracted from ERPs during this same response window to pain stimuli. The area under this difference wave reflected the degree of pain-related positivity and was the dependent measure for analysis. Patient late-positive ERP responsesfollowing 500 and 800 msstimuli were highly similar to responses in healthy controls following 200 and 500 ms stimuli respectively. Patients and controls differed significantly when responses to 500 ms stimuli were compared. People with schizophrenia are known to process information moreslowlythanhealthypeople.Ourresultsindicate thatslowedearlyprocessing ofsensoryinputmaylimiten- gagement of higher cognitive and regulatory processes in patients with schizophrenia. This may be one reason that self-regulation is compromised in patients, and may help explain why measures of slowed information processing account for so much variance in other cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
Treatment of the spectrum of squeezing based on the modes of the universe. I. Theory and a physical picture.

For a leaky cavity driven by an active medium, we clarify the connection between the concepts of single-quasimode squeezing (for the intracavity field) and spectral squeezing (for the input and output fields). Our analysis is based on a rigorous construction of the Fox-Li quasimodes of an empty cavity by a superposition of the true modes of a perfect, large (infinitely large in the limit) cavity which fully subsumes the leaky cavity. To illustrate the physical importance of spectral squeezing (as defined here and as used by other authors), we consider a novel model of a microscopic system that is sensitive to the generalized quadratures of the field. We obtain a simple picture of the reasons why the quantum-noise reduction is in general different inside and outside the cavity. An important special case of our picture is that if the {ital intracavity} field is perfectly squeezed, then the {ital output} field shows no squeezing at all. Our considerations apply to a wide class of systems, examples of which are discussed in the companion paper.
Study of various slanted air-gap structures of interior permanent magnet synchronous motor with brushless field excitation

This paper shows how to maximize the effect of the slanted air-gap structure of an interior permanent magnet synchronous motor with brushless field excitation (BFE) for application in a hybrid electric vehicle. The BFE structure offers high torque density at low speed and weakened flux at high speed. The unique slanted air-gap is intended to increase the output torque of the machine as well as to maximize the ratio of the back-emf of a machine that is controllable by BFE. This irregularly shaped air-gap makes a flux barrier along the d-axis flux path and decreases the d-axis inductance; as a result, the reluctance torque of the machine is much higher than a uniform air-gap machine, and so is the output torque. Also, the machine achieves a higher ratio of the magnitude of controllable back-emf. The determination of the slanted shape was performed by using magnetic equivalent circuit analysis and finite element analysis (FEA).
The Structure of Hexane Soot. Part III: Ozonation Studies

The gravimetric estimation of CO2-evolved, FT-IR monitoring of the rate of formation of surface species, as well as several other measurements during the n-hexane soot/ozone reaction, has led to the conclusion that soot is a layered structure whose layers are chemically bonded, unlike the graphite structure where the layers are ordered by van der Waals forces. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, electrochemical analysis, microgravimetry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the classical BET surface area determination technique have been employed in this work.
Time budgets in growing chicks

Abstract The manner in which rapidly growing chicks distribute their time among diurnal activities was measured in two studies in which the amount of available light was varied to match seasonal extremes. The effectiveness of the chick's time budgets was assessed in terms of the impact on growth. In Experiment 1, 24-hr patterns of feeding, drinking, nesting, and wheel-running were recorded during successive photoperiods with 12, 6, 18, and 12 hr of light when access to a social partner was concurrently available. In Experiment 2, access to a social partner was an exclusive activity. In both studies, chicks' 24-hr behavioral patterns in response to temporal constraints on their diurnal activities were surprisingly plastic, permitting them to defend a normal and high rate of growth. This was accomplished by changes in feeding rate and by nocturnal feeding rather than by systematic elimination of other diurnal activities. When sociality and feeding were competing activities, feeding time decreased and feeding rate increased such that contact with a conspecific as well as rapid growth were defended. The absolute amount of time spent in measured activities was invariant within subjects irrespective of age, photoperiod, or the number and type of activities recorded, providing evidence of time budgets in immature organisms. In both studies, buffer time (the amount of time spent in no activity) emerged as a significant aspect of the daily time budget that is defended through a variety of enviromental challenges.
Mortality differences of two intertidal mussels, Mytilus edulis L. and Geukensia demissa (Dillwyn), in a New Jersey salt marsh

Abstract Mortality of the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, and the ribbed mussel, Geukensia demissa, were compared on intertidal shores of a New Jersey salt marsh where their distributions overlap. Individuals were tethered to stakes in Spartina patches, in open spaces without Spartina, or pools and were monitored between June and September 1995. More M. edulis died than G. demissa in all habitats. M. edulis survived best in Spartina patches while G. demissa survived best in pools. Failure-time analysis was used to estimate median survival times for each species in each habitat. A typical blue mussel will die within the first 40 days, whereas a typical ribbed mussel is likely to survive for several years. Causes of death were not determined in this study, but their pattern was consistent with heat stress. Species-specific differences in mortality may have important consequences for the distributions and persistence of these mussels.
The low α/β ratio for prostate cancer: What does the clinical outcome of HDR brachytherapy tell us?

Abstract Purpose Accumulating evidence demonstrates that prostate cancer has a low α/β ratio. However, several challenging issues have been raised from previous studies, including the biologic equivalence between external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and brachytherapy, the effect of relative biologic effectiveness (RBE) for permanent implantation, and the systematic uncertainties of multi-institutional and multi-modality clinical data. The purpose of this study is to address these issues by reexamining a reported clinical outcome of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy and to confirm the low α/β ratio for prostate cancer. Methods and materials The generalized linear-quadratic (LQ) model with considerations of sublethal damage repair and clonogen repopulation was used to calculate the cell-killing efficiency of radiotherapy treatments for prostate cancer. Standard models of tumor cure based on Poisson statistics were used to bridge cell killing to treatment outcome. The data collected in a clinical trial using EBRT plus HDR brachytherapy boost for prostate cancer at William Beaumont Hospital (WBH) were reanalyzed. A 4-year post-treatment time endpoint was chosen as compared to the 3-year endpoint used in the previous study because of better maturity and stability of the data. The least chi-square method was employed to fit the clinical data to estimate the LQ parameters as well as their confidence intervals. The number of clonogens for prostate tumors derived in a separate study was used as a constraint for the data modeling to improve the confidence level. Results Our analysis demonstrates that only relationships among the LQ parameters, not their definitive and unique values, can be derived from the WBH data set alone. This is due to the large statistical uncertainties, i.e., the small numbers of sampled patients. By combining with the results obtained with the clinical data from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), a new set of LQ parameters (α = 0.14 ± 0.05 Gy −1 , α/β = 3.1 −1.6 +2.6 Gy) was obtained from the current analysis of the WBH data without dealing with data from permanent implants. The results are consistent with a previous study based on the biologic equivalence between EBRT and permanent implants with a consideration of tumor repopulation. This set of LQ parameters provides a consistent interpretation of clinical data currently available for prostate cancer. Conclusions This study provides further evidence to support that prostate cancer has a low α/β ratio of about 3.1 Gy. This study shows that the RBE effect in permanent implantation may not be clinically significant for prostate cancer. The consistency found between this analysis and the previous reported study supports the general biologic equivalence between EBRT and brachytherapy treatments for prostate cancer. The low α/β ratio opens the door to search for more effective radiotherapeutic approaches for prostate cancer, e.g., hypofractionation radiotherapy.
Calculation of radiation damage effects of 800 MeV protons in a “thin” copper target☆

Abstract Radiation damage effects of 800 MeV protons incident on a 1 cm thick copper target have been calculated by using the nucleon-meson transport code to determine the nuclear reactions produced by the protons, and the theory of Lindhard et al. to evaluate the resultant damage energy deposited in the target. Damage effects were found to be nearly uniform across the 1 cm target thickness, and the results obtained can be expressed in cross section form applicable to target thicknesses from about 0.01 cm to 2 cm. The calculation yielded a damage energy cross section (depending slightly on target geometry) of about 350 barn-keV, a nuclear transmutation cross section of 1.0 barn, and indicated copious proton, neutron, and helium production. Comparison of the cross sections obtained with those of several neutron spectra of reactor interest suggests that medium energy proton bombardment may be a useful method for simulating neutron-induced radiation damage effects.
Establishing the psychometric properties of the DSM-III-R personality disorders: Implications for DSM-V

In this study, symptom (item) level data were used to perform a psychometric analysis of the DSM-III-R personality disorders (PDs). Determined for each PD criteria set were convergent validity, discriminant validity, and internal consistency. The results indicated that the majority of the PD criteria sets (6 of the 11) possessed adequate convergent validity, although discriminant validity was problematic for most of these disorders. Internal consistency was also weak for the PD criteria sets, with only 3 of the 11 exceeding a minimum cutoff score of .70. The present study employed a methodology modeled after the one reported by Morey (1988a), and the results of the two studies were highly similar. Consistent findings across the two data sets can be taken to reflect the actual psychometric properties of the DSM-III-R PDs. The success of our replication demonstrates the potential that large-scale psychometric investigations hold for aiding the development and refinement of the DSM PDs. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 54: 795–802, 1998.
Pilot-scale studies of NOx reduction by activated high-sodium lignite chars: A demonstration of the CARBONOX process

Pilot-scale experiments were carried out to quantify the extent of NOx reduction attained by activated lignite chars on simulated and lignite-coal-combustion derived flue gas. Lignite chars, obtained by devolatilizing high-sodium lignite coal in pure nitrogen, were activated by their reaction with a gas mixture consisting of steam and CO2 in nitrogen at 700−750 °C to yield a nitrogen BET surface area of 200−400 m2/g. The effect of gaseous components such as N2, CO2, SO2, and moisture on the extent of NOx reduction was qualitatively examined. NOx reduction exceeded 99% on simulated flue gas at 525−600 °C. The presence of SO2, even at a concentration of 3600 ppm, did not have any detrimental effect on the extent of NOx reduction. Sodium-enhanced char attained >98% NOx reduction on actual flue gas at a relatively lower temperature of 480−560 °C.
Genome-Wide Analysis of Epigenetic Modifications

In plants and animals, gene expression can be altered by changes that do not alter the sequence of nucleotides in DNA but rather modify the chemical structure of either the DNA or the histones that interact with the DNA. These so-called epigenetic modifications are not transient, but persist through cell divisions. Rapidly advancing technologies, such as next-generation DNA sequencing, have dramatically increased our ability to survey epigenetic markers throughout an entire genome. These techniques are revealing in great detail that the many forms and stages of cancer are characterized by a massive number of epigenetic changes. Interpreting such epigenetic marks in cell differentiation and in carcinogenesis is computationally challenging. We review several examples of epigenetic data analysis and discuss the need for computational methods that will enable us to learn from the data the relationships between different kinds of histone modifications and DNA methylation.
Adaptation to context

Argument theorists often stress the idea of adaptation to context as an alternative to seeing argument as linked propositions. But adaptation is not a clear idea. It is in fact a complicated puzzle. Though many aspects of this puzzle are obscure, one clear conclusion is that the question-answer pair is not a good way to conceptualize adaptation to situation.
Statistical analysis of CDMA and 3G signal models

In addressing a recent article on whether a Gaussian model is adequate for the reverse-link CDMA signal, this paper shows the possibility density function (PDF) of the CDMA signal by using a time-domain model of the CDMA signal according to the IS-95 reverse-link modulator operation. The PDF of CDMA signal is shown as a narrow-band Gaussian noise. The analytical results are compared to the simulated data. CDMA signal has a rectangular power spectrum if it can be proved as bandlimited Gaussian stochastic process with zero mean. This will make it possible to express spectrum regrowth in terms of parameters of PAs such as intercept points explicitly, and further aid the design of PAs and DPDs for 3G communication standards (WCDMA, CDMA2000, TD-SCDMA, etc.).
How does temperature affect the function of tissue macrophages

Macrophages create a major danger signal following injury or infection and upon activation release pro-inflammatory cytokines, which in turn help to generate febrile conditions. Thus, like other cells of the body, tissue macrophages are often exposed to naturally occurring elevations in tissue temperature during inflammation and fever. However, whether macrophages sense and respond to temperature changes in a specific manner which modulates their function is still not clear. In this brief review, we highlight recent studies which have analyzed the effects of temperatures on macrophage function, and summarize the possible underlying molecular mechanisms which have been identified. Mild, physiological range hyperthermia has been shown to have both pro- and anti-inflammatory roles in regulating macrophage inflammatory cytokine production and at the meeting presentation, we will show new data demonstrating that hyperthermia can indeed exert both positive and negative signals to macrophages. While some thermal effects are correlated with the induction of heat shock factors/heat shock proteins, overall it is not clear how mild hyperthermia can exert both pro- and anti-inflammatory functions. We also summarize data which shows that hyperthermia can affect other macrophage effector functions, including the anti-tumor cytotoxicity. Overall, these studies may help us to better understand the immunological role of tissue temperature and may provide important information needed to maximize the application of heat in the treatment of various diseases including cancer.
An overview of scale, pattern, process relationships in geomorphology: a remote sensing and GIS perspective

Abstract Satellite remote sensing and geographic information systems are emerging technologies in geomorphology. They offer the opportunity to gain fresh insights into biophysical systems through the spatial, temporal, spectral, and radiometric resolutions of remote sensing systems and through the analytical and data integration capability of GIS. The two technologies can be linked together into a synergistic system that is particularly well suited to the examination of landscape conditions through the interrelationships of scale, pattern, and process, a paradigm that has gained prominence in the fields of biogeography and landscape ecology. In this study, we apply optical and microwave remote sensing systems and GIS methodologies to case studies framed within the fluvial and alpine environments. We use the scale, pattern, and process paradigm to explore landscape relationships in those environments. Satellite image processing, change-detection analyses, digital elevation models, GIS-derived geomorphic indices and variables, composition and pattern metrics of landscape organization, and scale-dependent analyses are described and related to the study of river channel abandonment and the alpine treeline ecotone. We describe appropriate remote sensing and GIS techniques for geomorphic research, and demonstrate the use of such techniques in the application of the scale, pattern, and processes perspective in geomorphic studies.
The role of toll-like receptors in the pathogenesis of renal disease

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are an essential component of innate immunity, the first line of defense against invading pathogens. However, in addition to activating antimicrobial effector responses directly, TLRs lead to the induction of signals that control the activation of adaptive responses including autoimmune responses and allorecognition. This ability of TLR to control both innate and adaptive immunity has a broad applicability to the development of novel immunotherapies and antimicrobial strategies. This review discusses the basic biology of TLR and their contribution to renal disease.
Calibration and performance of laser steering system for dynamic in-flight tracking and measurement

Noncontact measurements of flexible and moving structures have the challenge of obtaining high speed, accurate and registered data over a long range. Many noncontact measurement methods are based on the object staying aligned with the sensor. Yet sometimes the desired loading is a result of the motion interacting with structural dynamics as is the case with aeroelasticity. Triangulation of video data can capture large scale motion, but limits the speed and accuracy of the measurement. Laser vibrometry can capture minute, structural vibrations but must be aligned to the point of interest. This paper presents a method of registering a laser vibrometer steering system to a motion capture system. The basis of calibration lies on determining the location of the laser steering system through the videogrammetry capture volume for dynamic in-flight tracking and measurement. A method for using video capture of the laser is presented to determine registered lines through the capture volume. Results of the calibration are sufficient to have the laser track within half a degree for distances over 4m. The laser is then able to be open-loop steered with static and dynamic accuracies presented. This system can provide real-time structural awareness enabling active control.
Typical findings in pathological grief.

Patients exhibiting pathological grief reactions are those in the middle portion of a spectrum between those on one end with “normal” grief and those on the other end who suffer from full-blown neurosis, psychosomatic symptoms, etc., which are directly related to aknown loss. After examining 23 cases, the author suggests that patients who suffer from pathological grief share a relatively predictable symptomatology. The typical symptoms and signs, as well as typical events in the case histories of such patients, are described.
The Relation Between Perceived Parenting Practices and Achievement Motivation in Mathematics

In this study, perceived parenting styles and parental involvement were examined to determine if they predicted student motivation. The two views of motivation examined included achievement goal th...
Coordination of the smart grid and distributed data centers: A nested game-based optimization framework

The emergence of cloud computing has established a trend towards building energy-hungry and geographically distributed data centers. Due to their enormous energy consumption, data centers are expected to have major impact on the electric power grid by significantly increasing the load at locations where they are built. Dynamic energy pricing policies in the recently proposed smart grid technology can incentivize the cloud computing controller to shift their computation load towards data centers in regions with cheaper electricity. On the other hand, distributed data centers also provide opportunities to help the smart grid to improve load balancing and robustness. To shed some light into these opportunities, this paper considers an interaction system of the smart grid, the cloud computing system, and other load devices. A nested two stage game based formulation is proposed based on the location-dependent real-time pricing policy of the smart grid. The leading player in this game is the smart grid controller that announces the relationship between the electricity price at each power bus and the total load demand at that bus. In the second stage, the cloud computing controller performs resource allocation as response to the pricing functions, whereas the other load devices perform demand side management. The objective of the smart grid controller is to maximize its own profit and perform load balancing among power buses, whereas the objective of the cloud computing controller is to maximize its own profit with respect to the location-dependent pricing functions. The optimal strategies are derived based on the backward induction principle for the smart grid controller, the cloud computing controller, and the other load devices, using convex optimization and heuristic search.
The Relation of School Structure and Social Environment to Parent Involvement in Elementary Schools

Employing a sample of 122 public elementary schools, the present study used results of parent and student surveys to examine relations among school structure, school population composition, parent involvement, and parent perceptions of school safety, school climate, the school facility, the helpfulness of school staff, the academic instruction, teacher-student relationships, and student recognition. At the individual parent level, characteristics associated with higher participation in school activities included having a child enrolled in the gifted and talented program, a child in the second grade, multiple children enrolled in the public schools, and perceptions of a safe, empowering, and positive school climate. In contrast, characteristics associated with lower parent participation in school activities included being Hispanic, African American, or Asian American; being of lower-socioeconomic status; having a child enrolled in either special education or the English-as-a-second-language program. At the...
Algal response to a thermal effluent: study of a power station on the provo river, Utah, USA

The effect of a thermal effluent on the attached algae of the Provo River, Utah, USA, was studied from 1975 to 1977. Data for macroscopic and microscopic algae were collected and analyzed. Diatoms, Cladophora glomerata, and Hydrurus foetidus dominated the flora. The thermal effluent significantly affected the algal flora in a section of river 100 to 135 meters long immediately below the discharge point. Cladophora growth was increased and Hydrurus was absent in this area. In addition, diatom production was often higher and diversity lower than in the rest of the river. Community structure was unique from all other adjacent areas. Small temperature increases which occured as effluent and river waters mixed farther downstream were apparently not as important to the algal flora as other environmental factors.
A role for cytochrome c and cytochrome c peroxidase in electron shuttling from Erv1

Erv1 is a flavin-dependent sulfhydryl oxidase in the mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS) that functions in the import of cysteine-rich proteins. Redox titrations of recombinant Erv1 showed that it contains three distinct couples with midpoint potentials of −320, −215, and −150 mV. Like all redox-active enzymes, Erv1 requires one or more electron acceptors. We have generated strains with erv1 conditional alleles and employed biochemical and genetic strategies to facilitate identifying redox pathways involving Erv1. Here, we report that Erv1 forms a 1:1 complex with cytochrome c and a reduced Erv1 can transfer electrons directly to the ferric form of the cytochrome. Erv1 also utilized molecular oxygen as an electron acceptor to generate hydrogen peroxide, which is subsequently reduced to water by cytochrome c peroxidase (Ccp1). Oxidized Ccp1 was in turn reduced by the Erv1-reduced cytochrome c. By coupling these pathways, cytochrome c and Ccp1 function efficiently as Erv1-dependent electron acceptors. Thus, we propose that Erv1 utilizes diverse pathways for electron shuttling in the IMS.
Random matrix approximation of spectra of integral operators

Let H :L 2(S,cal S,P)→L 2(S,cal S,P) be a compact integral operator with a symmetric kernel h. Let X i ,i∈N , be independent S-valued random variables with common probability law P. Consider the n×n matrix H ˜ n with entries n - 1 h(X i,X j),1≤i,j≤n (this is the matrix of an empirical version of the operator H with P replaced by the empirical measure Pn), and let Hn denote the modification of H˜ n , obtained by deleting its diagonal. It is proved that the l 2 distance between the ordered spectrum of Hn and the ordered spectrum of H tends to zero a.s. if and only if H is Hilbert-Schmidt. Rates of convergence and distributional limit theorems for the difference between the ordered spectra of the operators Hn (or H˜ n ) and H are also obtained under somewhat stronger conditions. These results apply in particular to the kernels of certain functions H =varphi(L) of partial differential operators L (heat kernels, Green functions).
Lesion of the habenular efferent pathway produces anxiety and locomotor hyperactivity in rats: a comparison of the effects of neonatal and adult lesions

Recent studies have implicated the habenula in modulating states of arousal and chronic responses to stress. We examined whether lesion of the habenula efferent pathway, the fasciculus retroflexus (FR), at either 3 (P3) or 70 (P70) days of age affects stress-related anxiety (elevated plus-maze test) and activity levels (open-field test) in rats tested as adults. Both P3- and P70-lesioned rats showed chronically elevated plasma levels of corticosterone. Rats receiving FR lesions as neonates (P3) exhibited greater open arm avoidance on the elevated plus-maze than controls 2 months postoperatively, suggesting a heightened state of anxiety. In contrast, P70-lesioned rats behaved similarly to controls on the plus-maze, but showed increased locomotion and increased grooming in the open field, effects not observed in P3-lesioned rats. When an additional stressful condition was imposed (5 days of social isolation plus 24 h food deprivation) before testing, both FR-lesion groups showed an attenuation of the normal behavioral responses (decreased open-arm entries/time in open arms, increased freezing). The effects of FR lesions on activity and behavioral indices of anxiety may be due to disruption of lateral habenular projections to dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmentum and/or projections to regions containing high concentrations of benzodiazepine receptors, the median and dorsal raphe and dorsal periaqueductal gray. Behavioral differences observed as a function of lesion age suggest differential capabilities of P3- and P70-lesioned rats to utilize compensatory mechanisms to correct FR lesion-induced deficits.
Isozyme comparison within and among worldwide sources of three morphologically distinct species of Phytophthora

One hundred and sixty-two isolates representing worldwide sources of Phytophthora cambivora, P. cinnamomi and P. cactorum were compared using 18 isozyme loci separated by starch-gel electrophoresis. Based on isozyme analysis, the three species were clearly separated and each was further subdivided into electrophoretic types (ETs). No evidence suggests a close relationship between P. cambivora and P. cinnamomi. P. cambivora separated into eight ETs. One ET was the most common worldwide; there were four unique ETs from Australia, one from Japan and two from the U.S.A. No distinguishing morphological features were associated with the different ETs. P. cinnamomi also divided into eight ETs. The two ETs, which represented all the A2 isolates used in the study, could be distinguished from the majority of the A1 isolates based on the migration pattern of isocitrate dehydrogenase. Only one exception to this was seen in an isolate which was reported to have switched mating types from A2 to A1. P. cactorum was divided into two ETs, one common and the other represented by two isolates from strawberry from New York. These two isolates also differed in their sporangial dimensions and oospore pigmentation. The potential of cellulose acetate electrophoresis was evaluated as a rapid diagnostic method. Three enzymes — phosphoglucose isomerase, malate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase — were found to be diagnostic, thus allowing clear differentiation of the three species.