cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatic identification and classification of surgical margin status from pathology reports following prostate cancer surgery.

Prostate cancer removal surgeries that result in tumor found at the surgical margin, otherwise known as a positive surgical margin, have a significantly higher chance of biochemical recurrence and clinical progression. To support clinical outcomes assessment a system was designed to automatically identify, extract, and classify key phrases from pathology reports describing this outcome. Heuristics and boundary detection were used to extract phrases. Phrases were then classified using support vector machines into one of three classes: ‘positive (involved) margins,’ ‘negative (uninvolved) margins,’ and ‘not-applicable or definitive.’ A total of 851 key phrases were extracted from a sample of 782 reports produced between 1996 and 2006 from two major hospitals. Despite differences in reporting style, at least 1 sentence containing a diagnosis was extracted from 780 of the 782 reports (99.74%). Of the 851 sentences extracted, 97.3% contained diagnoses. Overall accuracy of automated classification of extracted sentences into the three categories was 97.18%.
Population of Ion Clusters Sputtered from Metallic Elements with 10 keV Ar

Theories on ion production from the sputtering of solids have largely ignored the question of ion clusters which are known to be formed. Perhaps one of the reasons is the absence of systematic data on the extent of clustering.
Refractory anemia with hyperplastic bone marrow.

1. The hematologic syndrome called refractory anemia with hyperplastic bone marrow, aregenerative anemia, chronic bone marrow failure, pseudo-aplastic anemia, and many other terms, has been separated into five types on the basis of clinical and hematologic studies on 23 patients carried out over a period of 16 years. These groupings are probably highly artificial but are made to facilitate presentation and description. As more is learned of the chemistry of the bone marrow cells in patients with refractory anemia, a more satisfactory classification will be possible. 2. Type 1 is characterized by bizarre chromatin in the normoblasts, mast cell hyperplasia, hemosiderosis or hemochromatosis and a tendency for spontaneous remissions to occur. 3. Type 2 is at first typified by complete or almost complete erythroid aplasia. Hyperplasia of erythroid cells with maturation arrest and bizarre chromatin pattern may occur later, and finally spontaneous remission may appear with considerable frequency. Mast cell hyperplasia, thymoma and hemosiderosis have been noted. 4. Type 3, associated with exogenous toxins and the preleukemia state, is characterized by pancytopenia and a bizarre chromatin pattern in the normoblasts. Some of these patients may he classified as "DiGuglielmo syndrome." 5. Type 4 also is typified by pancytopenia and hyperplasia of bone marrow but with cells of normal appearance. These patients responded partially or completely when splenectomy was performed, and probably represent a variant of the "hypersplenism" syndrome. 6. Type 5 is refractory megaloblastic anemia with typical cytologic changes evident in all cell types similar to those found in pernicious anemia. 7. Hypotheses are proposed to explain these various types of anemia on the basis of abnormalities in the metabolism of nucleic acids, particularly DNA. Deficiencies of metabolites, inhibition of metabolic reactions by exogenous or endogenous toxins, or by immune mechanism in which DNA serves as haptene, are possible explanations.
π-ADL.NET: a high level architecture description language compiler for the .NET platform

This paper describes some of the results and algorithms from the development of a compiler utility for an Architecture Description Language π-ADL, for the .NET platform. Architecture Description Languages or ADLs, are special purpose high level languages especially construed to define software architectures. π-ADL, a recent addition to this class of languages, is formally based on the π-Calculus, a process oriented formal method. The compiler for π-ADL, named π-ADL .NET, is designed with the view of bringing the architecture driven software design approach to the .NET platform. The process oriented nature and a robust set of parallelism constructs of π-ADL make the π-ADL.NET project a novel application of compiler techniques in the context of the .NET platform, with many valuable lessons learnt. This paper presents the π-ADL.NET effort from a compiler design perspective, and also documents the motivation, vision and future possibilities for this line of work.
Modeling the Use of Frequency and Contextual Biases in Sentence Processing

MacDonald,Pearlmutter, and Seidenberg (1993) propose an alternative to the dominant view in sentence processing that syntactic ambiguities are resolved by heuristics based on structural simplicity. MacDonald et al. argue that such ambiguities can be defined in terms of alternatives associated with information in individual lexical items, and thus that syntactic ambiguities can be resolved by lexical disambiguation mechanisms relying on access to the relative frequencies of alternatives and to biases created by contextual constraints. We present evidence from a computer simulation of the use of frequency-based and contextual constraints in the processing of the main verb/reduced relative syntactic ambiguity, showing that frequency and relatively limited contextual information from a sample of natural language can interact sufficiently to model basic results in the
CHD8 Regulates Cellular Homeostasis and Neuronal Function Genes Across Multiple Models of CHD8 Haploinsufficiency

The packaging of DNA into chromatin determines the transcriptional potential of cells and is central to eukaryotic gene regulation. Recent sequencing of patient mutations has linked de novo loss-of-function mutations to chromatin remodeling factors with specific, causal roles in neurodevelopmental disorders. Characterizing cellular and molecular phenotypes arising from haploinsufficiency of chromatin remodeling factors could reveal convergent mechanisms of pathology. Chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 8 ( CHD8 ) encodes a chromatin remodeling factor gene and has among the highest de novo loss-of-function mutations rates in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mutations to CHD8 are expected to drive neurodevelopmental pathology through global disruptions to gene expression and chromatin state, however, mechanisms associated with CHD8 function have yet to be fully elucidated. We analyzed published transcriptomic and epigenomic data across CHD8 in vitro and in vivo knockdown and knockout models to identify convergent mechanisms of gene regulation by CHD8. We found reproducible high-affinity interactions of CHD8 near promoters of genes necessary for basic cell functions and gene regulation, especially chromatin organization and RNA processing genes. Overlap between CHD8 interaction and differential expression suggests that reduced dosage of CHD8 directly relates to decreased expression of these genes. In addition, genes important for neuronal development and function showed consistent dysregulation, though there was a reduced rate and decreased affinity for CHD8 interactions near these genes. This meta-analysis verifies CHD8 as a critical regulator of gene expression and reveals a consistent set of high affinity CHD8 interaction targets observed across human and mouse in vivo and in vitro studies. Our findings highlight novel core functions of CHD8 and indicate direct and downstream gene regulatory impacts that are likely to be associated with neuropathology underlying CHD8-associated neurodevelopmental disorder.
Singularity in entanglement negativity across finite-temperature phase transitions

Phase transitions at a finite (i.e. nonzero) are typically driven by classical fluctuations, as opposed to those at zero temperature where quantum mechanics plays an essential role. Motivated by this observation, here we ask whether there exist any universal signatures of quantum correlations across a finite temperature phase transition? In this work, we approach this question by investigating one measure of quantum correlations at finite temperature, called `entanglement negativity', in several models that exhibit phase transition.
Sedation, Delirium, and Cognitive Function After Critical Illness

Delirium has been consistently identified as a risk factor for critical illness brain injury, but ICU patients are exposed to a multitude of risk factors for delirium and it remains unclear which of these risk factors should be targeted to improve long-term cognitive outcomes. Because exposure to sedating medications-which are frequently used to treat unwanted yet common symptoms during critical illness-is a risk factor for delirium that is directly controlled by clinicians, the relationship between sedation, delirium, and long-term cognition is of great interest to clinicians, researchers, and patients. This review describes theoretic relationships between sedation, delirium, and long-term cognition and reviews the evidence supporting these theoretic relationships.
Calcium lead titanate thin films for pyroelectric detector application

Pyroelectric materials show a change in their spontaneous polarization due to the temperature variations. This property makes these materials unique for sensing radiation in the infrared (IR) broad range. Here, we report the deposition and characterization of pyroelectric Calcium Lead Titanate (PCT) thin films for using them to fabricate pyroelectric detectors. PCT films were deposited on both silicon and Si/SiN/Ti/Au substrates at 13 mTorr pressure by 200W Radio Frequency (RF) sputtering in Ar+O2 environment for four hours. Substrates were kept at variable temperatures starting from 550 oC up to 800 oC during the deposition. The PCT films were annealed at 550, 600, 650 and 700 oC in O2 environment for 15 minutes. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirm the polycrystalline nature of these films. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) function of scanning electron microscope (SEM) was done to determine the elemental composition of PCT films. Our EDS result reveals the presence of the elements such as Calcium, Lead, Titanium , and Oxygen in the thin films. Moreover, it shows that the films are stoichiometric (Ca0.43Pb0.57)TiO3 (Ca/Ti=0.5, Pb/Ti=0.66). The film thicknesses were measured using a Dektak model XT profilometer which ranges from ~ 250 to 400 nm. The surface morphology obtained from SEM and atomic force microscopy confirms the crack-free nature of our films as well as their smoothness and low surface roughness. Temperature dependence of capacitance, pyroelectric current, and pyroelectric coeeficient were investigated for different PCT films. Our results show that films deposited at 550oC and 600 oC demonstrate better quality and larger values of pyroelectric coefficient. On the other hand, the capacitance fabricated on the PCT films at 550 oC showed the highest value of pyroelectric current and pyroelectric coefficient which are 14 pA and 50 μC/m2K respectively at higher temperature.
Why do they do it? Examining industry and firm effects on social responsibility

Why do firms engage in socially responsible (irresponsible) activities? We utilize a longitudinal sample composed of 2,362 firms in 121 different industries to test the variance in corporate social...
T-cell Receptor V and J Usage Paired With Specific HLA Alleles Associates With Distinct Cervical Cancer Survival Rates

Cervical cancer is more strongly associated with a specific virus, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), in otherwise healthy individuals, than is any other cancer. Thus, there is an expectation that an adaptive immune signature of cervical cancer would be highly apparent. Here we used a genomics approach to investigate the relationship between T-cell receptor (TCR) V and J usage and survival for patients diagnosed with cervical cancer, relying exclusively on tissue and blood exome files. Specific TCR V or J segments, identified in recombination reads recovered from the exome files, were combined with the patient HLA alleles to identify V or J, HLA allele combination groups associated with distinct survival rates. For examples, the T-cell receptor-β (TRB) V6-5, HLA-A*02:01 combination was associated with a positive outcome, and the TRBV6-1, HLA-A*01:01 combination was associated with a negative outcome. Overall, these results point to V or J usage, HLA allele combinations as survival biomarkers, likely conveniently accessible with a noninvasive procedure, and the results may point the way towards immunological reagents useful in therapy designs.
A Combined Mixed Finite Element and Discontinuous Galerkin Method for Miscible Displacement Problem in Porous Media

A combined method consisting of the mixed finite element method for flow and the discontinuous Galerkin method for transport is introduced for the coupled system of miscible displacement problem. A “cut-off” operator M is introduced in the discontinuous Galerkin formular in order to make the combined scheme converge. Optimal error estimates in L 2(H 1) for concentration and in L ∞(L 2) for velocity are derived.
The Climate SystemOpen image in new window

What we have learned from this discussion is that the atmosphere is the part of the climate system most susceptible to outside influences.
Characteristics Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder Risk in Individuals with Down Syndrome.

We examined autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk in a large national sample of 203 individuals with Down syndrome, 6–25 years old, to determine the association of ASD risk with age, sex, IQ, adaptive behaviors, and maladaptive behaviors. We used a two-pronged approach by (1) considering ASD symptomatology continuously across the sample of individuals with DS and examining associations with each characteristic, and (2) dichotomizing our sample into high and low ASD risk groups and comparing groups on each characteristic. The pattern of results was largely similar across both types of analyses. ASD symptomatology/risk was negatively associated with IQ and adaptive behaviors and positively associated with certain types of maladaptive behaviors. Clinical implications for screening and therapeutic purposes are discussed.
Bilateral Electricity Market in a Distribution System Environment

Increasing penetration of proactive agents, including distributed energy resources (DERs) and responsive loads (RLs), in distribution systems motivates methods to incentivize market participation from demand-side resources. The complexity resulting from large-scale integration of proactive agents has challenged the viability of centrally managing grid resources in a distribution system environment and motivated decentralized frameworks to coordinate the transactions. Existing decentralized frameworks are primarily focused on designing transaction mechanisms. They neither include a formal market construct nor a computationally feasible approach for market settlement for a large volume of transactions while ensuring the security of grid operation. This paper presents a distributed computational approach for a distribution system market where the coordination framework is based on agreement on bilateral energy transactions reached by market participants. Using the proposed distributed computational method, participants play a role in determining the set of bilateral transactions that maximizes the social welfare. The distribution system operator (DSO) ensures a secure operating condition of the distribution grid by validating each transaction that is agreed upon. Under a potential violation of security constraints by a proposed bilateral transaction, the DSO runs an optimal power flow (OPF) and recommends a new set of transactions (closest to those previously proposed) while maintaining power system security. The proposed framework is validated using IEEE 123-node test system. The results confirm the feasibility of the proposed approach for distribution systems.
Leadership in Crisis and Crisis in Leadership: A Courageous Follower’s Perspective

King David’s life contained both leadership in crisis and crisis in leadership. David led the Israelite people through several moments of crisis. David also fell to a crisis of leadership during his moral challenges with Bathsheba. Throughout David’s crisis of leadership, Nathan the prophet had the courage to serve, assume responsibility, act morally, challenge, and assist in transformation. Nathan demonstrated the actions of a courageous follower and from these actions provided lessons for modern followers facing a leader’s crisis of leadership.
Pre-Service Teacher’s Use of Block-Based Programming and Computational Thinking to Teach Elementary Mathematics

As block-based programming grows in popularity within education, the integration of its application within teacher education programs needs to be investigated. This article examines block-based programming as a viable tool to teach elementary mathematics conceptually drawing on the connections pre-service teachers made between computational thinking and mathematics. This cross-comparative case study that includes a convergent, mixed-methods design examines how block-based coding and computational thinking for conceptual mathematics (B2C3Math) facilitated ten pre-service teachers’ connections made at a large southeastern US university. Connections between computational thinking and mathematics concepts were investigated while the pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards block-based programming as a conceptual mathematics teaching tool were queried. A focus is not placed on interactive games or simulations made using block-based programming to teach mathematics, but rather on pre-service teachers’ ability to design a lesson teaching mathematics conceptually through the programming process. Descriptive analysis reveals changes in pre-service teachers’ attitudes of the proposed teaching strategy following the implementation of B2C3Math. Pre-service teachers’ reflections and lesson designs provide insight into the quality of the connections made between computational thinking and mathematics for the purpose of conceptual mathematics teaching. Three critical cases are identified to illustrate the spectrum of all ten participants in relation to the major findings. Implications for research and practices using block-based programming for teacher education are discussed.
Endovascular Aortic Repair After Proximal Stent Graft Migration of a Modified Frozen Elephant Trunk

We describe the endovascular repair for a proximal endograft migration following a modified frozen elephant trunk (mFET) repair for a retrograde type A dissection (retro-A AD). A 40-year-old man pr...
New Approaches to Understand Mercury in Trees: Radial and Longitudinal Patterns of Mercury in Tree Rings and Genetic Control of Mercury in Maple Sap

Mercury (Hg) in the environment has been receiving considerable attention in recent years, but little is known about Hg accumulation in trees. We analyzed Hg in tree rings from four tree species at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire to determine whether Hg concentrations are more influenced by soil Hg concentrations, which have been stable or increasing due to the cumulative retention of historical atmospheric Hg deposition, or by atmospheric Hg deposition, which has declined in recent decades. Declining concentrations from the top to the bottom of the bole (p < 0.001) and from older to newer tree rings (p = 0.001) suggest that foliar uptake of Hg is more important than root uptake. Ten sugar maple clones planted in six blocks at the Heiberg Forest in New York State showed significant genetic control of sap Hg concentration (p = 0.02), which was not related to soil Hg concentration differences across blocks. Clones could differ in stomatal uptake, root uptake, or translocation of Hg. Better understanding of the source of Hg in wood is needed to forecast future changes in Hg cycling in forested ecosystems.
Stability, Causality, and Passivity Analysis of Canonical Equivalent Circuits of Improper Rational Transfer Functions With Real Poles and Residues

This paper extends a previous work on synthesis of equivalent circuits using strictly proper canonical R-L and R a -L-R b -C circuit branches, and presents a thorough time-domain and frequency-domain analysis of stability/causality/passivity (SCP) of the R-L circuit branch (based on real pole/residue) and two additional shunt elements R shunt and C shunt parallel to the R-L branch, leading to an improper rational transfer function. We develop a rigorous and comprehensive table of sign-relationships including pole/residue, pole/zero, R/L/C elements, and SCP conditions to describe the interaction of R shunt and C shunt elements with an R-L branch. We also examine the effects on SCP due to negative gain coefficient of the transfer functions. Because such a topology can commonly occur as a result of applying fitting algorithms (e.g., Vector Fitting) on the electrical response of multi-port networks (e.g., impedance, admittance, or scattering parameters), it is important to understand the above SCP conditions for synthesis of practical SPICE models for stable time-domain simulations.
Abstract 3714: Role of miR-29a in pancreatic stellate cell mediated stromal remodeling in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive form of malignancy with nearly equal incidence and mortality rates in patients. The disease is characterized by dense desmoplastic tumor-associated stroma, which prevents effective therapeutic delivery to the tumor core and confers resistance to chemotherapy. The central effectors of such characteristic stroma in PDAC are the pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), which are activated by autocrine and paracrine signaling of the tumor cells and deposit excessive amounts of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins- the major component of the stroma. This interaction of the PSCs with the cancer cells greatly promote tumor progression and metastasis. In our previous work, we demonstrated that microRNA (miRNA) 29a plays a key role in PSC-mediated stromal reaction, and that the loss of the molecule in PSCs accelerates ECM protein accumulation and cancer growth. To understand the mechanistic regulation of miR-29a in PDAC stroma, we performed RNA-seq analysis with human PSCs (hPSCs), which identified 197 genes that differentially expressed with miR-29a overexpression at a false discovery rate less than 0.05. This included 19 downregulated and one upregulated direct miR-29a targets. Of these, expression of six key targets with the highest fold changes, namely, ADAMTS2, IGF1, E2F7, LAMC1, CLDN1 and ITGA6 by miR-29a were validated at the protein level in hPSCs. In addition, canonical pathways associated with the target genes and their network interactions were assessed, which identified the association of the key targets with pathways such as collagen synthesis, insulin signaling, TGF-β and PI3K/Akt pathways. ADAMTS2, E2F7, LAMC1 and CLDN1 expressions were significantly upregulated in PDAC patient pancreas compared to that in healthy individuals. Together, the current study presents a comprehensive understanding of miR-29a mediation in stromal remodeling, and elucidates associated pathways in regulating PSCs9 function in PDAC desmoplasia and pancreatic carcinogenesis. Citation Format: Shatovisha Dey, Sheng Liu, Tricia D. Factora, Solaema Taleb, Primavera Riverahernandez, Lata Udari, Xiaoling Zhong, Jun Wan, Janaiah Kota. Role of miR-29a in pancreatic stellate cell mediated stromal remodeling in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 3714.
Roller compacted geopolymer concrete using recycled concrete aggregate

Abstract In this research mechanical characteristics of roller compacted geopolymer concrete (RCGPC) and roller compacted cement concrete (RCC) using 100% recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) were investigated and compared. The surface morphology and formation of chemical compounds of the selected RCGPC composite mixtures were also analyzed using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It was revealed from the investigation that the compressive strength of the RCGPC material was dependent on the mixture variables like the molar concentration of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) to NaOH ratio (alkali activator), curing time and temperature, and dosage of fly ash. The experimental results depicted that the compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and flexural strength of RCGPC composites varied in the range of 7.5 to 27.6 MPa, 16 to 46.8 GPa, and 2.1 to 3.8 MPa, respectively. While RCC using 12% ordinary cement yielded a compressive strength, modulus, and flexural strength of 18.9 MPa, 32.7 GPa, and 2.1 MPa, respectively. SEM, XRD, and FTIR analysis also revealed the formation of geopolymer compounds and their relative presence in the new composite based on the mixture variables. It is believed that the developed RCA based roller compacted geopolymer concrete could be used as an alternative material for pavement construction.
Comparison of Ambulatory and Inpatient 24 hour EEG: A Value Analysis (P3.277)

Objective: Compare the cost-benefits of ambulatory and inpatient 24 hour EEG studies. Background: Prolonged EEG recordings have a higher yield of diagnostic findings compared to routine EEG (rEEG). Although epilepsy monitoring unit evaluation is the gold standard for prolonged EEG evaluation of epilepsy and spells, ambulatory electroencephalography (AEEG) is widely used. The average charge for a 24 hour video-EEG monitoring session (CPT 95951) is 75% higher than AEEG (CPT 95953). While there are technical advantages of EMU monitoring, the relative value of 24EMU and AEEG in terms of outcome per cost is not known. Design/Methods: We performed a retrospective study comparing diagnostic yield for a single 24 hour EMU (24EMU) admission and AEEG in adults from 1/1/16 through 9/27/17. All had at least one prior rEEG. 67 underwent 24EMU and 43 AEEG. Chart review was performed to capture data on spells, seizures, epileptiform abnormality detection and management changes associated with each modality. Results: The discovery rate of epileptiform discharges was 37.2% for AEEG vs 16.3% for rEEG (chi-squared p-value = 0.02), and 38.8% for 24EMU vs 28.4% for rEEG (chi-squared p-value = 0.20). There was no difference for seizure detection (chi-squared p-value = 0.86) or epileptiform activity discovery (chi-squared p-value = 0.85) between 24EMU and AEEG. Also, there were no differences between rate of diagnosis (chi-squared p-value = 0.55) or management (chi-squared p-value = 0.18) changes between the two modalities. Conclusions: These data suggest that AEEG is non-inferior to 24EMU evaluation for detection of epileptiform abnormalities and seizures or affecting change in diagnosis or treatment. Although 24EMU monitoring provides advantages to AEEG due to immediate technologist availability, technical limitations were not an issue in our AEEG cohort. AEEG provides a lower cost alternative to overnight 24EMU for purposes of obtaining prolonged EEG data. Disclosure: Dr. Mitropanopoulos has nothing to disclose. Dr. Britton has nothing to disclose.
Generalized Bed-Load Function Based on Empirical Data

AbstractThere exist many bed-load functions in the literature to calculate bed-load transport rates, but none of them fit data from low to high shear stress conditions. This research presents a gen...
A Derivative-free Distributed Optimization Algorithm with Applications in Multi-Agent Target Tracking

Multi-agent tracking of a moving target can be modeled as a distributed optimization problem of a time-varying objective function that has an optimum at the ideal sensing states of the agents. The inputs to the objective function are some observed parameters of the target which are obtained from onboard sensory information. In particular, due to recent progress in learning-based vision techniques, these observed parameters may be of large dimensions which may limit communication capabilities, especially for large groups of coordinating agents. In cases where the analytical form of the objective function is unknown or the gradient of the objective function is difficult to estimate, which may occur due to a fast moving target or the high dimensionality of the observation parameters, gradient-based solutions may be inapplicable or computationally prohibitive to apply. In this paper, we propose a derivative-free distributed optimization algorithm based on distributed active perception for multi-agent target tracking. Our proposed method can optimize objective functions without knowledge of the gradient and does not require communication. We derive the information dynamics for general dimensions which are used to analyze the tracking convergence. Simulations and experimental results are provided.
Erlangian Queueing Systems

In this chapter we consider the two single server queuing systems: (i)M/E k /1 with Poisson arrivals and Erlangian service time density, and (ii)E k /M/1 with Erlangian arrivals and exponential service time density. In both systems the processes of interest are the queue length Q(t) and the waiting time W(t). Since the Erlangian density does not have the lack of memory property (for k > 1) the process Q(t) is not Markovian. However an adequate description of the system is easily obtained by making use of the interpretation of the Erlangian density as the k-fold convolution of the exponential density (see Section 1.2). Thus in the system (i) we view the service as being offered in k consecutive phases and in (ii) we view the arrival process as occurring in k successive stages. This description of the system leads to a bivariate Markov process in which Q(t) is one of the variables. The analysis of this bivariate process yields all the required information regarding Q(t) and W(t). As in the preceding chapter we will be concerned only with steady state distributions; in the system E k /M/1 these are obtained explicitly, but in M/E k /1only the transforms (generating functions or Laplace transforms) of these distributions can be obtained.
Globalization, Politics, and Financial Turmoil: Asia's Banking Crisis

In a world where capital moves freely across national borders, developing countries have increasingly been subjected to devastating financial crises caused by the sudden withdrawal of foreign capital. How do such crises come about? This book focuses on a novel causal path: that of miscommunication. By examining the determinants of Asia's financial crisis of 1997–8, it demonstrates why developing democracies are exceptionally vulnerable to breakdowns in communication between financial officials and the chief executive and outlines the disastrous consequences of such breakdowns. The book offers a framework for predicting where chief executives are most likely to be ill informed about critical economic variables. It also considers those situations in which politicians are dependent on financial officials whom they cannot completely trust or in which multiple veto players damage the flow of information.
The Flipped Classroom: Fertile Ground for Nursing Education Research

In the flipped classroom (FC) students view pre-recorded lectures or complete pre-class assignments to learn foundational concepts. Class time involves problem-solving and application activities that cultivate higher-level cognitive skills. A systematic, analytical literature review was conducted to explore the FC's current state of the science within higher education. Examination of this model's definition and measures of student performance, student and faculty perceptions revealed an ill-defined educational approach. Few studies confirmed FC effectiveness; many lacked rigorous design, randomized samples, or control of extraneous variables. Few researchers conducted longitudinal studies to determine sufficiently trends related to FC practice. This study proves relevant to nurse educators transitioning from traditional teaching paradigms to learner-centered models, and provides insight from faculty teaching across disciplines around the world. It reveals pertinent findings and identifies current knowledge gaps that call for further inquiry.
Equations and Inequalities

In this chapter you will deal with content-practice, teaching, and learning issues relevant to the equations and inequalities domain of the CCSSM from Grades 6 to 8 and Algebra 1. Table 8.1 lists the appropriate pages for your convenience. To better appreciate the clusters of content standards that deal with equations and inequalities in school mathematics, it is helpful to begin with a clear description of algebra, at least one that is compatible with the CCSSM at the middle school level.
Using prior learning to facilitate the learning of new causal theories

We present an approach to learning causal knowledge which lies in between two extremely different approaches to learning: • empirical methods (e.g., [12,17]) which detect similarities and differences between between examples to reveal regularities. • explanation-based methods (e.g., [13,4]) which derive a causal explanation for a single event from existing causal knowledge. The event and the causal explanation are generalized to create a new "chunk" of causal knowledge by retaining only those features of the event which were needed to produce the explanation. In the approach to learning presented in this paper and implemented in a program called OCCAM, prior knowledge indicating what sort of distinctions have proven useful in the past influences the search for causal hypotheses. Our approach to learning snares a goal with explanation-based learning: to allow existing knowledge to facilitate future learning so that fewer examples are required. However, it does not share one shortcoming of explanation-based learning since it can create causal theories which are not implications of existing causal theories.
The Body Mass Index Assimilation of U.S. Immigrants: How Do Diet and Exercise Contribute?

Previous work has documented an unhealthy Body Mass Index (BMI) assimilation of U.S. immigrants to natives. We explore the underlying causes of this pattern, which may include both diet-measured by fat, carbohydrate, protein, and caloric intake-and exercise. Increasing fat consumption has the greatest impact on immigrants' weight gain, even among subpopulations whose exercise levels increase. There are also differences in diet behavior by income - poorer immigrants exhibit greater convergence to unhealthy native eating habits. Home country conditions also influence dietary assimilation. Mexican immigrants reduce their carbohydrate intake and converge to native levels, whereas non-Mexican immigrants increase their fat intake.
Do engineering master’s students know what they don’t know?: Exploring abstracting & indexing service use and non-use

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to determine whether engineering master’s students at a medium-sized university use library-provided abstracting and indexing (A&I) services (e.g. Compendex), and if they do, to what extent, in what manner and for what purposes. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methodology approach was used to explore electronic information-seeking patterns of engineering master’s students at New Mexico State University. Usage statistics, a focus group and a Web-based survey were used, the latter composed of 17 questions using a critical incident approach and direct questions to probe: reasons for and method of search, types of materials used (with relative frequencies), means of obtaining materials and evaluations of the usefulness of five library-provided A&I services. Findings – Only 15 per cent of respondents used a subscription A&I service such as Compendex when searching specific terms. The majority of sources used were located through known term searches, and master’s le...
Studies of Star Forming Regions in M33

Molecular clouds similar to Galactic Giant Molecular Clouds have been detected in six of seven fields mapped with the Owens Valley interferometer. Comparison of single dish CO data with B and V photometry is used to study the star formation efficiencies in gas-rich and gas-poor regions.
Superconducting Properties and Structural Characterization of High Tc Oxides

A desire to provide good quality oxide superconducting specimens for research in our materials laboratory and for collaborators at the Synchrotron Light Source, High Flux Beam Reactor, and Alternating Gradient Synchrotron required us to carefully characterize our samples. Earlier, straightforward methods for preparation YBa2Cu3O7(1) superconductors were described. However, these methods are not completely defined, and samples prepared nominally according to recipe may vary in superconducting properties and with respect to the presence of non superconducting minority phases (primarily observed in x-ray diffraction work). Here we describe methods of preparation for these oxides which we utilized, and of characterization to evaluate these materials.
Compression and expansion in central collisions

Dynamics of central collisions of heavy nuclei in the energy range from few tens of MeV/nucleon to a couple of GeV/nucleon is discussed. As the beam energy increases and/or the impact parameter decreases, the maximum compression increases. It is argued that the hydrodynamic behavior of matter sets in the vicinity of balance energy. At higher energies shock fronts are observed to form within head-on reaction simulations, perpendicular to beam axis and separating hot compressed matter from cold. In the semicentral reactions a weak tangential discontinuity develops in-between these fronts. The hot compressed matter exposed to the vacuum in directions parallel to the shock fronts begins to expand collectively into these directions. The expansion affects particle angular distributions and mean energy components and further shapes of spectra and mean energies of particles emitted into any one direction. The variation of slopes and the relative yields measured within the FOPI collaboration are in a general agreement with the results of simulations. As to the FOPI data on stopping, they are consistent with the preference for transverse over the longitudinal motion in the head-on Au + Au collisions. Unfortunately, though, the data cannot be used to decide directly on that preference due to acceptance cuts. Tied to the spatial and temporal changes in the reactions are changes in the entropy per nucleon.
ETIOLOGY OF ANTENATAL HYDROCEPHALUS INDUCED BY FOLIC ACID DEFICIENCY IN THE ALBINO RAT.

Wistar strain albino rats were fed a folic acid free diet with added folic acid antagonists (x-methyl folic acid and 9-methyl pteroylglutamic acid) for a 48-hour period beginning on day 8 and ending on day 10 of gestation. The period of deficiency was terminated by an injection of 500 μg of folic acid in water. If the injection was not made, most animals resorbed their litters. Fetuses were excised from days 16 through 20, processed routinely, decalcified, if necessary, embedded in paraffin, serially sectioned, and stained. Newborns were treated similarly. Hydrocephalus was the only defect observed in the treated animals. The serial sections demonstrated an occluded or extremely stenotic aqueduct of Sylvius in every hydrocephalic animal examined. The stenosis was seen to be present as early as the sixteenth day of gestation, and occlusion was observed in 17-day-old animals. It is concluded that the defect predisposing to hydrocephalus induced by folic acid deficiency in this strain of rats is extreme stenosis or complete occlusion of the aqueduct of Sylvius.
Metoclopramide side effects

Excerpt To the editor: Additional information on the neurologic side effects of metoclopramide should be added to the review of Albibi and McCallum (1). Because metoclopramide blocks dopamine recep...
Modulation of keratinocyte expression of antioxidants by 4-hydroxynonenal, a lipid peroxidation end product.

Abstract 4-Hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) is a lipid peroxidation end product generated in response to oxidative stress in the skin. Keratinocytes contain an array of antioxidant enzymes which protect against oxidative stress. In these studies, we characterized 4-HNE-induced changes in antioxidant expression in mouse keratinocytes. Treatment of primary mouse keratinocytes and PAM 212 keratinocytes with 4-HNE increased mRNA expression for heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), catalase, NADPH:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) A1-2, GSTA3 and GSTA4. In both cell types, HO-1 was the most sensitive, increasing 86–98 fold within 6 h. Further characterization of the effects of 4-HNE on HO-1 demonstrated concentration- and time-dependent increases in mRNA and protein expression which were maximum after 6 h with 30 μM. 4-HNE stimulated keratinocyte Erk1/2, JNK and p38 MAP kinases, as well as PI3 kinase. Inhibition of these enzymes suppressed 4-HNE-induced HO-1 mRNA and protein expression. 4-HNE also activated Nrf2 by inducing its translocation to the nucleus. 4-HNE was markedly less effective in inducing HO-1 mRNA and protein in keratinocytes from Nrf2 −/− mice, when compared to wild type mice, indicating that Nrf2 also regulates 4-HNE-induced signaling. Western blot analysis of caveolar membrane fractions isolated by sucrose density centrifugation demonstrated that 4-HNE-induced HO-1 is localized in keratinocyte caveolae. Treatment of the cells with methyl-β-cyclodextrin, which disrupts caveolar structure, suppressed 4-HNE-induced HO-1. These findings indicate that 4-HNE modulates expression of antioxidant enzymes in keratinocytes, and that this can occur by different mechanisms. Changes in expression of keratinocyte antioxidants may be important in protecting the skin from oxidative stress.
A Naturally Occurring Feline Model of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Despite advances in understanding cancer at the molecular level, timely and effective translation to clinical application of novel therapeutics in human cancer patients is lacking. Cancer drug failure is often a result of toxicity or inefficacy not predicted by preclinical models, emphasizing the need for alternative animal tumor models with improved biologic relevancy. Companion animals (dogs and cats) provide an opportunity to capitalize on an underutilized and biologically relevant translational research model which allows spontaneous disease modeling of human cancer. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common cancer with a poor prognosis and limited clinical advancements in recent years. One potential novel spontaneous animal tumor model is feline oral squamous cell carcinoma (FOSCC). FOSCC and HNSCC share similar etiopathogenesis (tobacco and papillomavirus exposure) and molecular markers (EGFR, VEGF, and p53). Both human and feline SCCs share similar tumor biology, clinical outcome, treatment, and prognosis. Future clinical trials utilizing FOSCC as a tumor model may facilitate translation of preclinical cancer research for human cancer patients.
Plasma Nitrotyrosine (PNT) in Full Term Infants Treated with Inhaled Nitric Oxide (INO) for Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN).† 813

Plasma Nitrotyrosine (PNT) in Full Term Infants Treated with Inhaled Nitric Oxide (INO) for Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN).† 813
Persistent photocurrent in semi-insulating GaAs and its relationship to the deep donor EL2

Abstract A strong persistent photocurrent (PPC) has been observed in some undoped semi-insulating Czochralski grown GaAs samples after illumination near 10 K with 1.1 eV light. The temperature dependence of the PPC at the lowest temperatures indicates thermal activation from shallow acceptors. Analysis of the PPC above 40 K indicates that annealing of the effect commences at this temperature. Infrared absorption studies show that EL2, which is quenched during activation of the PPC does not recover from its metastable state until 120 K or higher. We suggest that the PPC is produced by an interaction between EL2 in its metastable state and some other unidentified defect.
The effects of NMDA and GABAA pharmacological manipulations on ethanol sensitivity in immature and mature animals.

Background: Sensitivity to the hypnotic effects of ethanol dramatically increases with age (Silveri and Spears, 1998). Little is known regarding the neural mechanisms that might underlie this relative resistance of young animals to ethanol. The present study used a psychopharmacological approach to examine the influence of NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) and GABA (γ-Aminobutyric acid) receptor systems in modulating age differences in ethanol responsiveness between young [postnatal day (P26)] and mature (P70) female and male Sprague-Dawley rats. Method: Dose response curves were established for the effects of intraperitoneal (ip) administration of the NMDA antagonist (+)MK-801 (0.75, 1.0, or 1.25 mg/kg), the GABAA agonist muscimol (0.75, 1.25, or 1.75 mg/kg), or saline on loss and regain of the righting reflex and trunk blood alcohol levels following 3.5 g/kg of ethanol. Results: (+)MK-801 increased time to regain the righting reflex at both ages, maintaining the age-related increase in ethanol sensitivity typically observed, although a gender effect also emerged at P70, with females being more sensitive than males to (+)MK-801-induced increases in duration of loss of the righting reflex. In contrast to the across-age similarity in responsiveness to (+)MK-801, P26 animals were considerably more sensitive to muscimol's enhancing effect on ethanol sedation than mature animals. Conclusion: Although modulation of either the NMDA or GABA system enhances the sedative effects of ethanol at both ages, stimulation of the GABAA receptor is a more effective means of prolonging ethanol sedation in immature than mature animals.
Static second-order polarizability calculations for large molecular systems

A procedure to calculate all second-order polarizability tensor elements in static fields has been developed. The calculations are based on semiempirical Hamiltonians (MNDO) that include shaped electric fields. The technique has been applied to mono-, di-, and trisubstituted benzenes incorporating nitro, methyl, and primary and secondary amino groups.
Electrical conductivity of vapor-grown carbon fibers

Abstract Carbon fibers grown by pyrolysis of natural gas were heat-treated at temperatures ranging from 1400 to 3000°C, and characterized by X-ray diffraction. Their electrical resistivity is reported for temperatures between 10 and 370 K, and explained for heat treatment above 2200°C using a simple graphitic band model. Filaments heat-treated at lower temperatures and as-grown fibers show a resistivity with a small temperature dependence.
Effect of Some Hydrogen Ion Buffers on Storage and Freezing of Turkey Spermatozoa

Abstract The effect of 7 hydrogen ion buffers, titrated with 4 bases, i.e., NaOH (Na), 3 NaOH:1 KOH (NaK1), 1 NaOH:1 KOH (NaK2), and Tris (T) plus three conventional buffers, i.e., Tris HCl, phosphate and citrate on turkey spermatozoa were studied. Parameters for assessing damage or lack of damage were motility and GOT (glutamic oxalacetic transaminase) release into the extracellular medium. Motility and GOT were determined immediately (initial) after collection, after slow freeze at 9°C. per minute, after 3 hours storage at 23°C., after 24 hours storage at 5°C. In addition GOT was determined after plunging directly into liquid nitrogen (–196°C.). All hydrogen ion buffers were superior to the conventional buffers (Tris HCl, phosphate, and citrate) for maintaining motility. The lower ionic strength buffers, namely Tricine, Hepes and Tes, were superior for freezing, whereas Tricine and Hepes were not good for storage at 23°C. and 5°C. Tes NaK2 appears to be superior or equal to all other buffers in maintaining motility in all treatments. Tris is unsuitable for use as a titration base for hydrogen ion buffers.