cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular cloning, nucleotide sequence, and abscisic acid induction of a suberization-associated highly anionic peroxidase.

A highly anionic peroxidase induced in suberizing cells was suggested to be the key enzyme involved in polymerization of phenolic monomers to generate the aromatic matrix of suberin. The enzyme encoded by a potato cDNA was found to be highly homologous to the anionic peroxidase induced in suberizing tomato fruit. A tomato genomic library was screened using the potato anionic peroxidase cDNA and one genomic clone was isolated that contained two tandemly oriented anionic peroxidase genes. These genes were sequenced and were 96% and 87% identical to the mRNA for potato anionic peroxidase. Both genes consist of three exons with the relative positions of their two introns being conserved between the two genes. Primer extension analysis showed that only one of the genes is expressed in the periderm of 3 day wound-healed tomato fruits. Southern blot analyses suggested that there are two copies each of the two highly homologous genes per haploid genome in both potato and tomato. Abscisic acid (ABA) induced the accumulation of the anionic peroxidase transcripts in potato and tomato callus tissues. Northern blots showed that peroxidase mRNA was detectable at 2 days and was maximal at 8 days after transfer of potato callus to solid agar media containing 10−4 M ABA. The transcripts induced by ABA in both potato and tomato callus were identical in size to those induced in wound-healing potato tuber and tomato fruit. The anionic peroxidase peptide was detected in extracts of potato callus grown on the ABA-containing media by western blot analysis. The results support the suggestion that stimulation of suberization by ABA involves the induction of the highly anionic peroxidase.
Origin of cholesteryl esters in the blood of cholesterol-fed rabbits: Relative contributions of serum lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase and hepatic ester synthesis

Abstract Cholesterol esterifying activity in rabbit serum has been identified as lecithin-cholesterol acyl transferase. Net esterification during a 24-h incubation was 340 ± 68 μmoles/1 per 24 h and the esterification rate, measured during the initial phase of the reaction with native lipoproteins as substrates, was 33.4 ± 6.7 μ moles/1 per h. Activity in the rabbit was lower than reported in other species. Cholesterol feeding reduced net esterification by 27.3% and the esterification rate by 51.4%. The activity would be insufficient to account for the elevation of blood cholesteryl esters produced by this diet. When [4- 14 C]cholesterol-labeled lipoproteins were injected into a recipient animal and simultaneously added to a portion of recipient serum for incubation, ester cholesterol labeling in vivo far exceeded that observed in vitro . Specific activity data, following injection of either [2- 14 C]mevalonic acid or [4- 14 C]cholesterol-labeled lipoproteins, were compatible with the liver as the major source of blood esters.
Environmental Degradation in Heilongjiang: Policy Reform and Agrarian Dynamics in China's New Hybrid Economy

This paper analyzes environmental degradation in rural China as structurally embedded in China's rapid economic growth in the post-Mao era. The theoretical discussion focuses on changes in the organization of production, resource use, and regional development. A critical assessment of the Chinese hybrid economy challenges standard views of the reforms. The overall environmental problems of state socialist agriculture in China have been aggravated following the agrarian reforms of the current regime. Rather than mitigating negative trends, marketization and privatization have brought new, qualitatively different, environmental problems. Resource decline and its attendant social problems are not limited to aspects of transitional economy but are a fundamental part of the new hybrid system. I offer an alternative explanation for interpreting increases in rural productivity as an appropriation and use of collective assets, suggesting that the mining of communal capital is hidden behind the economic growth of ...
ABSOLUTE, RELATIVE, AND TATE COHOMOLOGY OF MODULES OF FINITE GORENSTEIN DIMENSION

We study finitely generated modules has finite projective dimension. Comparison morphisms and link these functors. We give a self-contained treatment of modules of finite G-dimension, establish basic properties of relative and Tate cohomology, and embed the comparison morphisms into a canonical long exact sequence . We show that these results provide efficient tools for computing old and new numerical invariants of modules over commutative local rings. 2000 Mathematical Subject Classification: 16E05, 13H10, 18G25.
Loss weighting and the human cost of experimentation

Abstract This paper analyzes the dilemma faced by clinicians who must determine a proper sample size for a clinical trial. A large sample size may be used to ensure significant results. In so doing, many patients may be randomized to the wrong arm of a clinical trial. Alternatively, fewer patients may be used in a clinical trial, however, the resulting conclusions will be less certain, and future patients may be harmed by false conclusions. This study introduces a ratio of relative human cost or loss associated with a single present patient receiving incorrect therapy during the clinical trial to a single future patient given incorrect therapy after the trial is over. This “loss weighting” ratio can be estimated, the trade-off between present and future loss can be evaluated and the total loss from a clinical trial can be minimized. The resulting method, based on the loss weighting ratio, suggests an inverse relationship between the number of future patients potentially affected by a clinical trial and the size of desired type I and type II error. The conclusions derived from this paper can be incorporated easily into the current process of sample size determination. This is illustrated with examples from two well-known clinical trials.
Should a Patient With a History of Melanoma Be Advised Against the Use of Oral Contraceptives? The Relatives Are Worried

We recently described the case of a 33-year-old woman who had been diagnosed with a superficial spreading melanoma Clark level 11 depth of invasion 1.2 mm in the first trimester of pregnancy. Her surgeon had advised her to abort the pregnancy and have her tubes tied. We advised her against ending the pregnancy if she was doing it for medical indications. She kept the pregnancy and did well without recurrence of her melanoma. She came to see us 3.5 years later for questions about contraception. The patient came to us in consultation. She had been seeing her dermatologist regularly (every 6 months) and had no evidence of recurrence nor did she have evidence of disease elsewhere. She is of Northern European ancestry and had not had any unusual sun exposure as a child; however as we found out in this consultation two cousins have had melanomas removed. She was accompanied in the current visit by her aunt who was extremely upset. The patient wanted to take oral contraceptives and had taken them for 6 years before her pregnancy and melanoma. Her aunt told her that both of her cousins had taken oral contraceptives. Also she had read in a magazine that oral contraceptives may increase the risk for melanoma. (excerpt)
Quality of life in end-stage renal disease patients: differences in patient and spouse perceptions.

Objectives: Spouses and other proxies consistently rate patient quality of life (QOL) lower than patients rate it themselves. This pattern has been observed in end-stage renal disease (ESRD), cancer, stroke and other chronic illnesses, but it has not been explained. The purpose of the current paper is to examine similarities and differences in spouse and patient ratings of the QOL of patients with ESRD. Method: Patients with ESRD and their spouses participated in baseline and one-year follow-up interviews. Both patients and spouses rated the patient's QOL, mood, functional ability, subjective health, and kidney disease symptoms. Spouses also rated their own QOL. Results: Spouses rated all patient characteristics, including QOL, as worse than did the patient. Change in perceptions of patient's mood and their subjective health predicted both patient and spouse ratings of patient QOL. Change in spouse's perceptions of patient's functional ability predicted spouse ratings of patient QOL, but not the patient's...
METAL-MATRIX COMPOSITES FOR ELECTRONIC PACKAGING

A materials revolution is underway, and there are profound implications for electronic packaging materials. Composites, especially metal-matrix composites, are playing a key role, because of their unique and tailorable combinations of properties; light weight; and low-cost, net-shape fabrication potential.
Mean-field theories of random advection.

Two mean-field theories of random advection are formulated for the purpose of predicting the probability density function (PDF) of a randomly advected passive scalar, subject to an imposed mean scalar gradient. One theory is a generalization of the mean-field analysis used by Holzer and Pumir [Phys. Rev. E 47, 202 (1993)] to derive the phenomenological model of Pumir, Shraiman, and Siggia [Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 2984 (1991)] governing PDF shape in the imposed-gradient configuration. The other theory involves a Langevin equation representing concentration time history within a fluid element. Predicted PDF shapes are compared to results of advection simulations by Holzer and Pumir. Both theories reproduce gross trends, but the Langevin theory provides the better representation of detailed features of the PDF's. An analogy is noted between the two theories and two widely used engineering models of turbulent mixing.
Detecting metamorphic malware by using behavior-based aggregated signature

The capability of advanced malware, such as metamorphic malware and polymorphic malware, are quickly outpacing our current abilities to detect their presence. For example, all current signature based malware-detection methods have become ineffective because they only create signatures based on the executable files that will be obfuscated by every instance of advanced malware. However, behavior is a characteristic in advanced malware that remains consistent throughout variants within a family of malware. We have capitalized upon this to create an aggregated signature for a family of malware. Creating a signature that spans a malware family allows it to identify known and new variants of that family. Using an aggregated signature versus many signatures for each variant for detection of malware provides many benefits to anti-virus vendors and the community as a whole by reducing the size of the signature database, reducing maintenance, and increasing speed of detection without losing accuracy.
Electron paramagnetic resonance in substitutionally disordered magnets

Abstract A theory of electron paramagnetic resonance in substitutionally disordered magnets is outlined. Hydrodynamic arguments are used to obtain a formal expression for the effective g -factor which is evaluated in the molecular field approximation. The linewidth comes from the anisotropic terms in the Hamiltonian and is exchange narrowed.
Characterization of an isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase involved in the juvenile hormone pathway in Aedes aegypti

Isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IPPI) is an enzyme involved in the synthesis of juvenile hormone (JH) in the corpora allata (CA) of insects. IPPI catalyzes the conversion of isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) to dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP); afterward IPP and DMAPP condense in a head-to-tail manner to produce geranyl diphosphate (GPP), this head-to-tail condensation can be repeated, by the further reaction of GPP with IPP, yielding the JH precursor farnesyl diphosphate. An IPPI expressed sequence tag (EST) was obtained from an Aedes aegypti corpora-allata + corpora cardiaca library. Its full-length cDNA encodes a 244-aa protein that shows a high degree of similarity with type I IPPIs from other organisms, particularly for those residues that have important roles in catalysis, metal coordination and interaction with the diphosphate moiety of the IPP. Heterologous expression produced a recombinant protein that metabolized IPP into DMAPP; treatment of DMAPP with phosphoric acid produced isoprene, a volatile compound that was measured with an assay based on a solid-phase micro extraction protocol and direct analysis by gas chromatography. A. aegypti IPPI (AaIPPI) required Mg(2+) or Mn(2+) but not Zn(2+) for full activity and it was entirely inhibited by iodoacetamide. Real time PCR experiments showed that AaIPPI is highly expressed in the CA. Changes in AaIPPI mRNA levels in the CA in the pupal and adult female mosquito corresponded well with changes in JH synthesis (Li et al., 2003). This is the first molecular and functional characterization of an isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase involved in the production of juvenile hormone in the CA of an insect.
Thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties of polyethylene terephthalate-platelet nanocomposites prepared by in situ polymerization

This study used in situ polymerization to prepare polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nanocomposites incorporating Ethoquad-modified montmorillonite (eMMT), unmodified hectorite (HCT), or phenyl hectorite (phHCT) particles to study the impact of platelet surface chemistry and loading on thermal, mechanical, and gas barrier properties. eMMT platelets reduced the PET crystallization rate without altering the ultimate degree of crystallinity. In contrast, HCT and phHCT platelets accelerated the polymer's crystallization rate and increased its crystallinity. DMA results for thermally-quenched samples showed that as T increased past glass transition temperature (Tg), HCT and phHCT nanocomposites (and control PET) manifested precipitous drops in G′ followed by increasing G′ due to cold crystallization; in contrast, eMMT nanocomposites had much higher G′ values around Tg. This provides direct evidence of eMMT reinforcement in thermally-quenched eMMT nanocomposites. These results suggest that eMMT has a strong, favorable interaction with PET, possibly through Ethoquad-PET entanglement. HCT and phHCT have a fundamentally different interaction with PET that increases crystallization rate and Tg by 11 to 17°C. Water barrier improvement in eMMT nanocomposites agrees with previously published oxygen barrier results and can be rationalized in terms of a tortuous path gas barrier model. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 52:1888–1902, 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers
An analysis of live streaming workloads on the internet

In this paper, we study the live streaming workload from a large content delivery network. Our data, collected over a 3 month period, contains over 70 million requests for 5,000 distinct URLs from clients in over 200 countries. To our knowledge, this is the most extensive data of live streaming on the Internet that has been studied to date. Our contributions are two-fold. First, we present a macroscopic analysis of the workload, characterizing popularity, arrival process, session duration, and transport protocol use. Our results show that popularity follows a 2-mode Zipf distribution, session interarrivals within small time-windows are exponential, session durations are heavy-tailed, and that UDP is far from having universal reach on the Internet. Second, we cover two additional characteristics that are more specific to the nature of live streaming applications: the diversity of clients in comparison to traditional broadcast media like radio and TV, and the phenomena that many clients regularly join recurring events. We find that Internet streaming does reach a wide audience, often spanning hundreds of AS domains and tens of countries. More interesting is that small streams also have a diverse audience. We also find that recurring users often have lifetimes of at least as long as one-third of the days in the event.
Distinguishing morphological changes with polarized light scattering

Results of work determining how different biological structures contribute to light scattering will be presented. Further, measurements of phantoms that mimic structural changes expected in vivo will be presented. It is found that polarized measurements can discriminate between phantoms with similar properties.
Look before you leap

The African butterfly fish, Pantodon buchholzi , is the sole member of the family Pantodontidae and is found only in west Africa. This fish has been described as a fresh water flying fish because it leaps out of the water as an escape behaviour. It has a bizarre appearance for a fish, with distinctive dorsal and anal fins that act almost like vertical stabilisers. Its lateral or pectoral fins are especially wide, like butterfly wings, as can be seen on the cover of this month's BJO . Although it is a strong leaper and may jump to a height well beyond its body length, it does not “fly” in the same manner as the pelagic species of the genera Cypselurus or Exocoelus . Ecologically, it occupies a highly specialised visual niche just below the water's surface. Pantodon is an obligate surface feeder and will prey upon insects and other creatures which it sees on or above the water line but rarely, if ever, feeds in the water column. It must simultaneously see …
Eco-tariffs and Global Environmental Policy

Trade restrictions in the form of eco-tariffs have so far not become policy instruments for the protection of global environmental commons. However, other trade instruments addressing PPMs have been introduced in the context of the protection of the ozone layer, codified in the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Furthermore, they figure in policy proposals addressing global warming.
Determination of amino and fatt y acid composition of soybeans using near-infrared spectroscopy

iv CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 2. NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY: DETERMINATION OF AMINO ACID COMPOSITION OF SOYBEANS 20 CHAPTER 3. MEASUREMENT OF SOYBEAN FATTY ACIDS BY NIR SPECTROSCOPY: COMPARISON OF LINEAR AND NONLINEAR CALIBRATION METHODS 49 CHAPTER 4. DIMENSIONALITY REDUCTION OF NIR SPECTRAL DATA USING GLOBAL AND LOCAL IMPLEMENTATIONS OF PCA FOR NEURAL NETWORK CALIBRATIONS 67 CHAPTER 5. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS 84 APPENDIX. SAMPLE MATLAB CODE 88 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 97
Selective neuroanatomic abnormalities in Down's syndrome and their cognitive correlates: evidence from MRI morphometry.

Article abstract—We examined the pattern of neuroanatomic abnormalities in adults with Down9s syndrome (DS) and the cognitive correlates of these abnormalities. Specifically, we compared this pattern with what would be predicted by the hypotheses attributing DS pathology to either premature aging or Alzheimer9s disease. We measured a number of brain regions on MRIs of 25 subjects: 13 persons with the DS phenotype and 12 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Study participants had no history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, or seizure disorder. After statistical adjustment for differences in body size, we found that, in comparison with controls, DS subjects had substantially smaller cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres, ventral pons, mammillary bodies, and hip-pocampal formations. In the cerebellar vermis of DS subjects, we observed smaller lobules VI to VIII without appreciable differences in other regions. In addition, we noted trends for shrinkage of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, inferior temporal and parietal cortices, parietal white matter, and pericalcarine cortex in DS subjects compared with normal controls. The parahippocampal gyrus was larger in DS subjects. We found no significant group differences in the volumes of the prefiontal white matter, the orbitofiontal cortex, the pre- and postcentral gyri, or the basal ganglia. We conclude that the pattern of selective cerebral damage in DS does not clearly fit the predictions of the premature aging or Alzheimer9s disease hypotheses. To examine the relationship between brain abnormalities and cognitive deficits observed in DS, we correlated the size of brain regions that were significantly reduced in DS with performance on tests of intelligence and language. The correlational analysis suggested age-related decline in the DS subjects in general intelligence and basic linguistic skills. General intelligence and mastery of linguistic concepts correlated negatively with the volume of the parahippocampal gyrus. There was no relationship between total brain size and the cognitive variables.
On the optimum switch radix in fat tree networks

Based on a realistic, yet simple cost model, we compute the switch radix that minimizes the cost of a fat tree network to support a given number of end nodes. The cost model comprises two parameters indicating the relative cost of a crosspoint vs. a link, and the crosspoint-independent base cost of a switch. These parameters can be adapted to represent a given technology used to implement links and switches. Based on these inputs, the resulting model allows a quick evaluation of the switch radix that minimizes the overall cost of the network. We demonstrate that the optimum radix depends most strongly on the relative cost of a link, and turns out to be largely independent of the network size. Using a first-order cost bounds analysis based on current CMOS and link technology, our model indicates that the optimum switch radix for large fat trees is driven almost entirely by link cost and as a result lies in the range of hundreds of ports, rather than the tens of ports being offered today by most commercial switch products today.
AMOUNT AND TYPE OF FOREST COVER AND EDGE ARE IMPORTANT PREDICTORS OF GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER DENSITY

Abstract. Considered endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Golden-cheeked Warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia) breeds exclusively in the juniper-oak (Juniperus ashei-Quercus spp.) woodlands of central Texas. Large-scale, spatially explicit models that predict population density as a function of habitat and landscape variables can provide important insight for its management and recovery. We used distance sampling to model detection probability and to estimate the density and abundance of singing male Golden-cheeked Warblers on Fort Hood Military Reservation. We used an information-theoretic approach to evaluate hypotheses concerning the effects of proportion of forest type and forest cover, forest-edge density, and patch size on density. We fitted generalized linear models with detection probability as an offset term to predict density as a function of the habitat and landscape variables, calculate a model-based density and abundance estimate, and map density across the area sampled. The design...
ACS.R: An R Package for Neighborhood-Level Data from the U.S. Census

Over the past decade, the U.S. Census Bureau has implemented the American Community Survey as a replacement for its traditional decennial “long-form” survey. This year — for the first time ever — ACS data was made available at the census tract and block group level for the entire nation, representing geographies small enough to be useful to local planners; in the future these estimates will be updated on a yearly basis, providing much more current data than was ever available in the past. Although the ACS represents a bold strategy with great promise for planners working at the neighborhood scale, it will require them to become comfortable with statistical techniques and concerns that they have traditionally been able to avoid.To help with this challenge the author has been working with local-level planners to determine the most common problems associated with using ACS data, and has implemented these functions as a package in the R statistical programming language. The e ort is still in a “beta” stage, with much work to be done, but the basic framework is in place. The package defines a new “acs” class object (containing estimates, standard errors, and metadata for tables from the ACS), with methods to deal appropriately with common tasks (e.g., combining subgroups or geographies, mathematical operations on estimates, tests of significance, plots of confidence intervals, etc.).
Role of Toll-Like Receptors in Atherosclerosis

To the Editor: We read with interest both the recent paper by Dunzendorfer et al1 and the accompanying commentary.2 We wish to clarify some key points. Dunzendorfer et al report that under antiatherogenic conditions of laminar flow, human coronary artery endothelial cells (ECs) express low levels of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) mRNA and protein. Dunzendorfer et al also reported that TLR2 mRNA and protein expression was increased under conditions of low shear stress and that laminar flow resulted in protein kinase CK2 phosphorylation of SP1, which inhibited binding of SP1 to the TLR2 promoter. These results conflict in part with data published 2 years previously by Liang et al,3 although the authors did not cite this work. That study showed low levels of TLR2 mRNA expression in ECs under laminar flow. There was no change in TLR2 expression but increased TLR4 expression and nuclear factor κB activation with low shear stress in ECs. Moreover, the totality of data reported to date do not unequivocally demonstrate TLR2 expression by ECs that is functionally relevant and, instead, support a much more prominent role for TLR4-mediated signaling in ECs in diseases such as atherosclerosis. …
Restating a Client-Centered Approach to Career Counseling.

Too often, career counseling is associated with objective test scores and rational decision making. The purpose of this article is to reiterate the importance of considering the client's developing self-concept in career counseling.
NASA advances robotic space exploration

NASA's successful exploration of space has uncovered vast amounts of new knowledge about the Earth, the solar system and its other planets, and the stellar spaces beyond. To continue gaining new knowledge has required - and will continue to require - new capabilities in onboard processing hardware, system software, and applications such as autonomy. For example, initial robotic space exploration missions functioned, for the most part, as large flying cameras. These instruments have evolved over time to include more sophisticated imaging radar, multispectral imagers, spectrometers, gravity wave detectors, a host of prepositioned sensors and, most recently, rovers.
The centennial anniversary of the frozen section technique at the Mayo Clinic.

Abstract The frozen section technique has become an invaluable tool to assist the surgeon with intraoperative diagnosis. Although there were various descriptions of frozen section technique before and after the turn of the 20th century, the publication by Louis B. Wilson, MD, at the Mayo Clinic in 1905 heralded the beginning of a new era in intraoperative diagnosis. This historical review traces the circumstances that led to this landmark publication 100 years ago.
Automatic reconstruction of large 3D models of real environments from unregistered data-sets

Towards photo-realistic 3D scene reconstruction from range and color images, we present a statistical technique for multimodal image registration. Statistical tools are employed to measure the dependence of two images, considered as random distributions of pixels, and to find the pose of one imaging system relative to the other. The similarity metrics used in our automatic registration algorithm are based on the chi-squared measure of dependence, which is presented as an alternative to the standard mutual information criterion. These two criteria belong to the class of information-theoretic similarity measures that quantify the dependence in terms of information provided by one image about the other. This approach requires the use of a robust optimization scheme for the maximization of the similarity measure. To achieve accurate results, we investigated the use of heuristics such as genetic algorithms. The retrieved pose parameters are used to generate a texture map from the color image, and the occluded areas in this image are determined and labeled. Finally the 3D scene is rendered as a triangular mesh with texture.
Predicting mining activity with parallel genetic algorithms

We explore several different techniques in our quest to improve the overall model performance of a genetic algorithm calibrated probabilistic cellular automata. We use the Kappa statistic to measure correlation between ground truth data and data predicted by the model. Within the genetic algorithm, we introduce a new evaluation function sensitive to spatial correctness and we explore the idea of evolving different rule parameters for different subregions of the land. We reduce the time required to run a simulation from 6 hours to 10 minutes by parallelizing the code and employing a 10-node cluster. Our empirical results suggest that using the spatially sensitive evaluation function does indeed improve the performance of the model and our preliminary results also show that evolving different rule parameters for different regions tends to improve overall model performance.
Immune Reconstitution after Receipt of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in Children with Advanced or Progressive HIV Disease and Complete or Partial Viral Load Response

We assessed CD4 cell recovery in 175 children with advanced human immunodeficiency virus disease who had received a 4-drug antiretroviral regimen and were categorized as viral load (VL) responders (VLRs), partial VLRs, or non-VLRs. Median CD4 cell counts increased from baseline to week 48, and, among children with maximal follow-up, increases in CD4 cell counts were sustained to week 96 among VLRs and partial VLRs but not among non-VLRs. For VL rebounders still in the study, CD4 cell counts remained increased for 32 weeks after VL rebound. Sustained immunologic benefits can be achieved even with partial VL response in children with advanced disease.
Object-oriented software engineering: a conceptual approach

The design, development, and maintenance of large, complex software systems has long been plagued by the imposition of artificially frozen requirements. A design and development environment which allows a continuum of completion, yet preserves a stable system state is needed. A conceptual object-oriented software engineering environment is presented which separates, yet maintains inviolable ties between the design environment and the working environment. >
A Parametric Approach to Measurement Errors in Receiver Operating Characteristic Studies

The total or partial area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve can be estimated for data from any parametric family. If the variables are measured with error, the resulting area estimates will be biased downward. Bias-corrected estimators are found for normal and exponential models, and simulation studies demonstrate that the bias-corrected estimators have MSE comparable to the uncorrected estimators.
Patterns of resistance to B cell–receptor pathway antagonists in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and strategies for management

Small-molecule kinase inhibitors, especially the two Food and Drug Administration-approved agents idelalisib and ibrutinib, have changed the treatment landscape for patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, with these positive changes comes the new challenge of managing patients who relapse after these agents. The number of patients who have relapsed after taking idelalisib and ibrutinib is low, but as the drugs gain wider use and patients are treated for longer, this number is likely to grow. Because these patients can be challenging to manage effectively, coordinated efforts now to determine how and why patients relapse along with optimal treatment strategies are required to better serve our patients in the future. As well, identification of mechanisms of resistance is crucial to develop rational strategies for management. Current work has identified mechanisms of resistance to ibrutinib, and resistance to idelalisib is also under active investigation. In this review, we will discuss these mechanisms of resistance, as well as current and potential strategies for the management of kinase inhibitor-resistant CLL.
Vagal mechanisms underlying gastric protection induced by chemical activation of raphe pallidus in rats

Peripheral mechanisms involved in kainic acid injected into the raphe pallidus (Rpa)-induced gastric protection were investigated in urethan-anesthetized rats. Gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF), acid secretion, and gastric injury induced by intragastric ethanol (60%) were measured in response to kainic acid (25 pg) injected into the Rpa. Kainic acid reduced ethanol-induced gastric lesions by 57%. The protective effect was blocked by vagotomy, capsaicin deafferentation, and intravenous injection of the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonist CGRP-(8-37) and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). L- but not D-arginine reversed the L-NAME action. Kainic acid injected into the Rpa, unlike outside sites, increased basal GMBF but not acid secretion. Indomethacin unmasked an acid secretory response to kainic acid. These results show that kainic acid injected into the Rpa at a dose that did not stimulate acid secretion, due to the inhibitory effect of prostaglandins, protects against ethanol-induced gastric injury through vagal-dependent activation of CGRP contained in capsaicin-sensitive afferents and nitric oxide-mediated gastric vasodilatory mechanisms.
Implications of Emerging 3D GPU Architecture on the Scan Primitive

Analytic database workloads are growing in data size and query complexity. At the same time, computer architects are struggling to continue the meteoric increase in performance enabled by Moore's Law. We explore the impact of two emerging architectural trends which may help continue the Moore's Law performance trend for analytic database workloads, namely 3D die-stacking and tight accelerator-CPU integration, specifically GPUs. GPUs have evolved from fixed-function units, to programmable discrete chips, and now are integrated with CPUs in most manufactured chips. Past efforts to use GPUs for analytic query processing have not had widespread practical impact, but it is time to re-examine and re-optimize database algorithms for massively data-parallel architectures. We argue that high-throughput data-parallel accelerators are likely to play a big role in future systems as they can be easily exploited by database systems and are becoming ubiquitous. Using the simple scan primitive as an example, we create a starting point for this discussion. We project the performance of both CPUs and GPUs in emerging 3D systems and show that the high-throughput data-parallel architecture of GPUs is more efficient in these future systems. We show that if database designers embrace emerging 3D architectures, there is possibly an order of magnitude performance and energy efficiency gain.
Synthesis, Structural, and Photoluminescence Studies of Gd(terpy)(H2O)(NO3)2M(CN)2 (M = Au, Ag) Complexes: Multiple Emissions from Intra- and Intermolecular Excimers and Exciplexes

The highly luminescent bimetallic cyanide materials, Gd(terpy)(H2O)(NO3)2M(CN)2 (M = Au, Ag; GdAu and GdAg, respectively) are quick and easy to synthesize under ambient conditions. A characteristic feature exhibited by both solid-state compounds is an intense red emission when excited with UV light. Additionally, GdAu exhibits a broad-band green emission upon excitation in the near UV region. A combination of structural and spectroscopic results for the compounds helps explain the underlying conditions responsible for their unique properties. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments expose their structural features, including the fact that they are isostructural. Crystallographic data for the representative GdAu compound (Mo Kα, λ = 0.71073 A, T = 290 K): triclinic, space group P1, a = 7.5707(3) A, b = 10.0671(4) A, c = 15.1260(4) A, α = 74.923(3)°, β = 78.151(3)°, γ = 88.401(3)°, V = 1089.04(7) A3, and Z = 2. Although the compounds crystallize as dimers containing M···M distances smaller than the su...
Adjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer: present and future perspectives.

In recent years, adjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer has advanced considerably. This article reviews these advances and provides an update of the most recent and ongoing trials. In 1990, adjuvant therapy became the “standard of care” for patients with Stage III colon cancer (Dukes C) in the United States. Recent clinical trial data indicate that adjuvant treatment may also be effective in patients with Stage II (Dukes B2) colon cancer. The combination of 5-fluorouracil plus leucovorin may slightly improve survival (5–10 percent) compared with the standard 5-fluorouracil plus levamisole combination. The three-drug regimen (5-fluorouracil plus levamisole plus leucovorin) is more toxic, with no superior effect on survival. Intraportal chemotherapy, although it may significantly improve patient survival, does not decrease the frequency of liver metastases. However, it is still a promising form of adjuvant therapy owing to its short treatment period and relatively equivalent effects in survival compared with that of systemic therapy. For patients with Stage II or Stage III rectal cancer, postoperative systemic 5-fluorouracil plus radiation therapy plus protracted venous 5-fluorouracil infusion is the most effective postoperative adjuvant regimen. However, results from several studies show that preoperative radiation alone or chemoradiation for advanced local rectal cancers might also be effective while also improving resectability, decreasing morbidity, and increasing the chance that a sphincter-sparing procedure may be performed. The role of leucovorin in rectal cancer remains to be determined. Immune therapies with agents such as interferon-α-2a, monoclonal antibody 17-1A, and autologous tumor vaccines are being assessed and could further improve survival.
Intrinsic low thermal conductivity in weakly ionic rocksalt structures

A fundamental challenge in thermoelectric (TE) material research is meeting the simultaneous requirements of high carrier mobility and low thermal conductivity. Simple crystal structures are ideal for maintaining high carrier mobility, but they usually have high thermal conductivity. In this paper, we show by first-principles lattice dynamics and Boltzmann transport calculations that weakly ionic rocksalt structures exhibit strong lattice anharmonicity and low acoustic-phonon group velocity, which combine to produce intrinsic low thermal conductivity. Finally, we unveil microscopic mechanisms that explain experimental observations and provide insights for TE material design and discovery.
The doctor-patient relationship: friend or adversary?

Uniliersi~ )l . Proliidence. R.I. The qualit y of every Doctor-Patient Relationship is never static but is perpetually changing. A physician can never take a Doctor-Patient Relationship for granted with any patient or at any point in time. Appreciation of this basic tenet leads to the growth of confidence and respect in the Doctor-Patient Relationship. Confidence and respect discourages the initiation of an adversarial attitude. the herald of all legal proceedings. The Doctor-Patient Relationship is a privileged relationship granted to physician s. initiated at the professional level , and favors the development of trust and co nfidence. It is natural for a trusting and confident patient to view the doctor as a friend. The wise physician exploits professional respect for the mutual benefit of both patient and doctor. Respect coupled with the patient's perception of the physician as a friend facilitates the physician's work, allays the patient's fears, and can generate within the patient an understanding of the physician's efforts on behalf of the patient. Without patient understanding of the physician's efforts and in the absence of patient awareness of the physician's empathy toward the ill patient. a Doctor-Patient Relationship can exist without respect for the physician and easil y lead to misunderstanding. Misunderstanding in any human relationship in today's society has a propensity to deteriorate toward litigation . To generate trust and confidence in the Doctor-Patient Relationship, the physician must exert a constant effort to achieve human understanding of the patient's perception of his or her current health status. In many instances the patient's perception does not match reality and this imposes an additional duty on the physician to teach. Teaching patients allays fears and promotes understanding by both patient and physician. Human understanding by the physician cannot be equated with "scientific understanding or ability ." Human understanding is the ph ysician 's first step toward developing empathy. Empathy, in turn, increases the physician's awareness of the patient's fears related to the potential consequences of present illness and fosters a friendship attitude. Thus, human understanding and empathy are interrelated in the form of a positive feedback system to
Controlling cephalosporin and aminoglycoside costs through pharmacy and therapeutics committee restrictions

The cost-reducing effect of antibiotic restrictions imposed by a pharmacy and therapeutics (P & T) committee was evaluated. The pharmacy department developed guidelines restricting the use of second-generation cephalosporins and aminoglycosides in cooperation with the infectious disease division. The P & T committee approved the restrictions, and the pharmacy department disseminated information on the program to the hospital's physicians. Specific indications were developed for the use of amikacin, tobramycin, cefoxitin, and cefamandole. In order to prescribe a restricted antibiotic, physicians are required to write an approved indication on the physician's order form. Residents cannot prescribe restricted antibiotics for unapproved indications unless they acquire the signature of an attending physician. Pharmacy personnel closely monitor the restricted antibiotic use and enforce the established guidelines. The major impact of the restrictions was the reversal of a previous trend toward the use of more expensive second-generation cephalosporins and tobramycin to the use of first-generation cephalosporins and gentamicin. Injectable antibiotic expenses decreased by $193,172 in the first 12 months of the program. Antibiotic restrictions imposed by the P & T committee were effective in reducing the cost of antimicrobial therapy.
Controlling the Relative Areas of Photocathodic and Photoanodic Terraces on the SrTiO3(111) Surface

SrTiO3(111) surfaces have been heated in air at 1250 °C, either alone or with reservoirs of TiO2 and SrTiO3 powders. The surface structure and properties were measured by atomic force microscopy, scanning Kelvin probe microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and photochemical marker reactions that leave solid products on the surface at the site of the photochemical reaction. All of the surfaces are made up of atomically flat terraces of two distinguishable types. One terrace has a relatively higher surface potential and promotes the photochemical reduction of Ag+. The other terrace has a relatively lower positive potential and promotes the photochemical oxidation of Pb2+. XPS measurements show that the concentration of titanium at the surface increases with the fraction of TiO2 in the powder reservoir during annealing, and marker reactions show the fraction of terraces that promote oxidation increases with the titanium content. The fractional area of terraces that promote oxidation was controll...
Undergraduates Discover Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

One does not read far or engage in a discussion about the complexity of the modern world without sensing an evolutionary vision which reflects the thought of Teilhard de Chardin. College students who are introduced to the Teilhardian vision respond in positive and creative ways. Teaching such a course reveals insights into young people's reaction to the present and future implications of a high-tech society. In an age of increasing control over the forces of nature by human-kind, crucial questions emerge. Two concerns attract students to Teilhard: fear of the future in terms of the direction and quality of human life; and an interest in the relationship between religion and science, which indicates substantive attitudes of a younger generation toward faith in God. Whether there is agreement with Teilhard is not the question, but the fact that he has pressed us to face the issues.
Clinical Case Vignettes: A Promising Tool to Assess Competence in the Management of Agitation

While standardized patients (SPs) remain the gold standard for assessing clinical competence in a standardized setting, clinical case vignettes that allow free-text, open-ended written responses are more resource- and time-efficient assessment tools. It remains unknown, however, whether this is a valid method for assessing competence in the management of agitation. Twenty-six psychiatry residents partook in a randomized controlled study evaluating a simulation-based teaching intervention on the management of agitated patients. Competence in the management of agitation was assessed using three separate modalities: simulation with SPs, open-ended clinical vignettes, and self-report questionnaires. Performance on clinical vignettes correlated significantly with SP-based assessments (r = 0.59, p = 0.002); self-report questionnaires that assessed one’s own ability to manage agitation did not correlate with SP-based assessments (r = −0.06, p = 0.77). Standardized clinical vignettes may be a simple, time-efficient, and valid tool for assessing residents’ competence in the management of agitation.
Comparative analysis of linker histone H1, MeCP2, and HMGD1 on nucleosome stability and target site accessibility

Chromatin architectural proteins (CAPs) bind the entry/exit DNA of nucleosomes and linker DNA to form higher order chromatin structures with distinct transcriptional outcomes. How CAPs mediate nucleosome dynamics is not well understood. We hypothesize that CAPs regulate DNA target site accessibility through alteration of the rate of spontaneous dissociation of DNA from nucleosomes. We investigated the effects of histone H1, high mobility group D1 (HMGD1), and methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2), on the biophysical properties of nucleosomes and chromatin. We show that MeCP2, like the repressive histone H1, traps the nucleosome in a more compact mononucleosome structure. Furthermore, histone H1 and MeCP2 hinder model transcription factor Gal4 from binding to its cognate DNA site within the nucleosomal DNA. These results demonstrate that MeCP2 behaves like a repressor even in the absence of methylation. Additionally, MeCP2 behaves similarly to histone H1 and HMGD1 in creating a higher-order chromatin structure, which is susceptible to chromatin remodeling by ISWI. Overall, we show that CAP binding results in unique changes to nucleosome structure and dynamics.
Fiscal Shocks in a Heterogeneous Matching Model of the Housing Market

This paper analyzes the impact of a tax policy shock on the macroeconomics of the housing market. I develop a structural search and matching model of the housing market with heterogeneous demand, which is solved numerically. I show that after a negative demand shock there is a composition effect on price due to an upward distortion of match surplus by a tax credit. This means that sellers mitigate downward adjustment of sales prices by accepting a longer wait for to match with a better fit if a tax incentive is offered to searcher-buyers, compared to the counterfactual. This result derives from the heterogeneity of buyers when matching frictions exist, and thereby provides a new explanation of slow downward price adjustment in the housing market after a negative demand shock. I use the model to analyze the impact of the Federal Home Buyer Tax Credit of 2008-2010 on sales, vacancy duration and house prices. I find that the credit raises total sales by inducing buyers to purchase housing units they would previously consider not to be a good fit. The effect is increasing in the actual amount of the tax credit. The paper verifies that the policy is successful in reducing unsold vacancies while boosting average price above steady state.