cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patterns of relapse in primary central nervous system lymphoma: inferences regarding the role of the neuro-vascular unit and monoclonal antibodies in treating occult CNS disease

The radiologic features and patterns of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) at initial presentation are well described. High response rates can be achieved with first-line high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) based regimens, yet many relapse within 2 years of diagnosis. We describe the pattern of relapse and review the potential mechanisms involved in relapse. We identified 78 consecutive patients who attained complete radiographic response (CR) during or after first-line treatment for newly diagnosed PCNSL (CD20+, diffuse large B cell type). Patients were treated with HD-MTX based regimen in conjunction with blood–brain barrier disruption (HD-MTX/BBBD); 44 subsequently relapsed. Images and medical records of these 44 consecutive patients were retrospectively reviewed. The anatomical location of enhancing lesions at initial diagnosis and at the time of relapse were identified and compared. 37/44 patients fulfilled inclusion criteria and had new measureable enhancing lesions at relapse; the pattern and location of relapse of these 37 patients were identified. At relapse, the new enhancement was at a spatially distinct site in 30 of 37 patients. Local relapse was found only in seven patients. Unlike gliomas, the majority of PCNSL had radiographic relapse at spatially distinct anatomical locations within the brain behind a previously intact neurovascular unit (NVU), and in few cases outside, the central nervous system (CNS). This may suggest either (1) reactivation of occult reservoirs behind an intact NVU in the CNS (or ocular) or (2) seeding from bone marrow or other extra CNS sites. Recognizing patterns of relapse is key for early detection and may provide insight into potential mechanisms of relapse as well as help develop strategies to extend duration of complete response.
Association of Concussion With Abnormal Menstrual Patterns in Adolescent and Young Women

Importance Brain injury may interrupt menstrual patterns by altering hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis function. Investigators have yet to evaluate the association of concussion with menstrual patterns in young women. Objective To compare abnormal menstrual patterns in adolescent and young women after a sport-related concussion with those after sport-related orthopedic injuries to areas other than the head (nonhead). Design, Setting, and Participants This prospective cohort study of adolescent and young women with a sport-related concussion (n = 68) or a nonhead sport-related orthopedic injury (n = 61) followed up participants for 120 days after injury. Patients aged 12 to 21 years who presented within 30 days after a sport-related injury to a concussion or sports medicine clinic at a single academic center were eligible. Menstrual patterns were assessed using a weekly text message link to an online survey inquiring about bleeding episodes each week. The first patient was enrolled on October 14, 2014, and follow-up was completed on January 24, 2016. Inclusion criteria required participants to be at least 2 years postmenarche, to report regular menses in the previous year, and to report no use of hormonal contraception. Exposures Sport-related concussion or nonhead sport-related orthopedic injury. Main Outcomes and Measures Abnormal menstrual patterns were defined by an intermenstrual interval of less than 21 days (short) or more than 35 days (long) or a bleeding duration of less than 3 days or more than 7 days. Results A total of 1784 survey responses were completed of the 1888 text messages received by patients, yielding 487 menstrual patterns in 128 patients (mean [SD] age, 16.2 [2.0] years). Of the 68 patients who had a concussion, 16 (23.5%) experienced 2 or more abnormal menstrual patterns during the study period compared with 3 of 60 patients (5%) who had an orthopedic injury. Despite similar gynecologic age, body mass index, and type of sports participation between groups, the risk of 2 or more abnormal menstrual bleeding patterns after injury was significantly higher among patients with concussion than among those with an orthopedic injury (odds ratio, 5.85; 95% CI, 1.61-21.22). Conclusions and Relevance Adolescent and young women may have increased risk of multiple abnormal menstrual patterns after concussion. Because abnormal menstrual patterns can have important health implications, monitoring menstrual patterns after concussion may be warranted in this population. Additional research is needed to elucidate the relationship between long-term consequences of concussion and the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis.
Linking the local vertical variability of permeability and porosity to newly-interpreted lithofacies in the lower Mt. Simon CO2 reservoir

Abstract A full understanding of the subsurface processes relevant to CO2 geo-sequestration, including CO2 movement and trapping, requires establishing basic relationships between the sedimentary architecture in CO2 reservoirs and the associated variations in petrophysical attributes that can affect plume dynamics and residual CO2 trapping. In this context, the variance and covariance of petrophysical attributes of the lower Mt. Simon Sandstone reservoir (Illinois, USA) are quantitatively decomposed according to sedimentary textures and structures that vary among sedimentary facies. Building on Ritzi et al. (2016), the sedimentary facies of the lower Mt. Simon are re-classified with new interpretations of sedimentary structures. A newly-revised methodology is used in which factor interactions are formally quantified and the magnitude of their contribution to the variance is compared to the main-factor effects. The decomposition results show the main-factor effects contributing to the variance of permeability and porosity are the differences in grain-size and the presence or absence of bleaching textures. The differences in permeability or porosity among the newly defined sedimentary structures make a relatively small contribution to the sample variance, and the 2-way and 3-way factor interactions are negligible. Permeability and porosity increase with coarser grain size, independent of the presence or absence of bleaching and independent of sedimentary structure. The presence of bleaching textures reduces permeability and porosity independent of the grain size or sedimentary structure. The general approach and these specific results aid in developing parsimonious reservoir simulation models.
A case report of cervical myelopathy after neck manipulation in a patient with cervical spondylosis and radiculopathy: Cause and effect or natural progression?

A 47-year-old female, with cervical spondylosis and radiculopathy, presented with clinical features of cervical myelopathy after outpatient physical therapy. An emergent neurological surgery was scheduled after radiological evidence of cord compression. The symptoms subsided after surgery. Conservative management modalities should be practiced keeping in mind the potential of cervical spondylosis to progress to catastrophic complications such as myelopathy. It may be difficult to accurately implicate neck manipulation in the onset of the cervical myelopathy as it may be clinically silent or coexist with radiculopathy. It is vital to adequately counsel the patient, about this phenomenon to avoid legal ramifications.
Role of Core Protein-Induced Oxidative Stress in the Pathogenesis of Hepatitis C

Chronic infection with the Hepatitis C virus results in slowly progressive liver injury characterized by hepatic necroinflammation, progressive fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver injury results from a combination of immunemediated and direct viral effects. The HCV core protein has been shown to produce oxidative stress when overexpressed in multiple different cell lines as well as in the livers of transgenic mice. The mechanisms of core-induced oxidative stress are not certain, but core protein partially localizes in mitochondria and thus may alter mitochondrial respiration resulting in an increased production of reactive oxygen species. Core-induced oxidative stress produces different consequences in different cell types. In Huh-7 human hepatoma cells, it results in increased lipid peroxidation and induction of antioxidant gene expression. Potential pathological consequences of core-induced oxidative stress include DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, cell cycle dysregulation, and stellate cell activation. These in turn contribute to cell death, fibrogenesis, and carcinogenesis, as seen in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Modulation of oxidative stress may therefore have the potential to modify the clinical course of hepatitis C.
Association of unplanned hospitalizations after chemotherapy with disease specific survival in a racially ethnically diverse population of women with epithelial ovarian cancer.

e17517Background: Unplanned hospital admission following chemotherapy is a measure of quality cancer care. Large retrospective datasets have shown admission rates of 10-35% for women with ovarian c...
Will You Accept an Imperfect AI?: Exploring Designs for Adjusting End-user Expectations of AI Systems

AI technologies have been incorporated into many end-user applications. However, expectations of the capabilities of such systems vary among people. Furthermore, bloated expectations have been identified as negatively affecting perception and acceptance of such systems. Although the intelligibility of ML algorithms has been well studied, there has been little work on methods for setting appropriate expectations before the initial use of an AI-based system. In this work, we use a Scheduling Assistant - an AI system for automated meeting request detection in free-text email - to study the impact of several methods of expectation setting. We explore two versions of this system with the same 50% level of accuracy of the AI component but each designed with a different focus on the types of errors to avoid (avoiding False Positives vs. False Negatives). We show that such different focus can lead to vastly different subjective perceptions of accuracy and acceptance. Further, we design expectation adjustment techniques that prepare users for AI imperfections and result in a significant increase in acceptance.
Endomyocardial Biopsy Findings in Pediatric Heart Transplants Recipients with Positive HLA Associated Antibodies: Review of a Cohort with Poor Outcomes

Purpose Antibody mediated rejection (AMR) continues to be a major complication after heart transplantation (OHT) and poses a risk for allograft failure, graft vasculopathy and mortality. Diagnostic criteria for AMR have evolved over the years. Incidence of AMR is estimated to be 11-20% after OHT. We sought to evaluate the histological characteristics of AMR in endomyocardial biopsies (EMB) of deceased pediatric patients with positive HLA-associated antibodies. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify all pediatric patients ( Results During the study period, 86 OHT recipients had HLA associated antibodies, with 16 eventual deaths, 4 of which followed re-transplantation. A total of 152 biopsies from all 16 patients were reviewed. Eight patients (50%) demonstrated no evidence of pAMR. Eight patients (50%) demonstrated pAMR with peak grade of 3 in two patients; grade 2 in one patient, grade 1(i+) in three, and grade 1(h+) in two patients. Mean duration to onset of pAMR was 16.25 months from OHT, range ( Conclusion In our experience, 50% of the patients with HLA associated antibodies developed pAMR. De-novo DSAs were present in all patients that demonstrated pAMR. Unique histologic predictors of poor outcome are unclear from analysis of existing criteria alone. Additional parameters may need to be included to the existing criteria to improve diagnostic sensitivity of pAMR.
Physical Activity, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Obesity

In this chapter we review the evidence from prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials that consider the interactions between physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and obesity. Furthermore, we consider the interaction between these variables and obesity-related health outcomes. We observe that in prospective studies both PA and CRF are inversely associated with obesity and obesity-related health outcomes. Based on evidence from randomized controlled trials, we highlight the importance of PA for weight management and improvement in CRF, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and hypertension. Finally, we conclude with an overview of current PA recommendations for improving CRF and reducing obesity, as well as a discussion on the importance of PA and CRF as clinically relevant measures beyond obesity management.
Grape pomace and its secondary waste management: Biochar production for a broad range of lead (Pb) removal from water

Abstract Grape pomace (GP) management has been a challenge worldwide. We have previously demonstrated a biorefinery process to recover oil and polyphenols, and produce biofuels from GP sequentially, although over 50% of GP solid waste remains post-processing. To approach zero solid waste during GP processing, herein a pyrolysis process was designed for converting GP and its secondary processing wastes to biochars, which were then evaluated for lead (Pb) adsorption from water. GP lignin pyrolyzed at 700 °C (GPL2700 biochar) with specific surface area of 485 m2/g showed the highest Pb adsorption capacity, and achieved 66.5% of Pb removal from an initially high concentration of 300 mg/L within 30 min. At low initial Pb concentrations (50–3000 μ g/L ), GPL2700 biochar could reduce Pb concentrations to 0.208–77.2 μ g / L . In addition, experimental and modeling results revealed that both physisorption and chemisorption mechanisms were involved in the adsorption process of GPL2700 biochar.
Prevalence and Treatment of Postpartum Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES Many women present for treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) after childbirth. This systematic review describes the efficacy of treatment options for SUI initiated during the 12 months after delivery. METHODS We conducted a systematic review to identify studies comparing treatment options for SUI initiated in the 12 months after parturition. We searched MEDLINE from inception to February 2019, using Medical Subject Heading terms related to pregnancy and urinary incontinence. Preintervention and postintervention populations were compared using analysis of variance with Fisher least significant difference method used to determine efficacy between groups. Grades for Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system was used to categorize quality of evidence as high, moderate, low, or very low. RESULTS We double screened 4548 abstracts, identifying 98 articles for full-text review. Seven studies met the eligibility criteria and were included. Compared with a control group, the 4 interventions identified outperformed the control group (P < 0.001) using Fisher (with effect sizes noted): (1) supervised pelvic floor physical therapy (0.76), (2) electrical stimulation (0.77), (3) home physical therapy (PT) (0.44), and (4) surgery (not applicable). Based on Grades for Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation assessment, there was moderate evidence to support PT and electrical stimulation, with insufficient evidence for surgery. There were no significant differences in parity, age, or body mass index via analysis of variance. The overall strength of evidence is poor for the treatment of postpartum SUI; more data are needed to fully evaluate other treatment options. CONCLUSIONS All identified interventions demonstrated greater improvement for postpartum SUI over no treatment. Supervised PT ± electrostimulation was the most effective nonsurgical intervention.
Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes Specific for a Nonpolymorphic Proteinase 3 Peptide Preferentially Inhibit Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Colony-Forming Units

We previously showed that a peptide (PR1) derived from the primary granule enzyme proteinase 3 induced peptide specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in a normal HLA-A2.1+ individual. These CTL showed HLA-restricted cytotoxicity to myeloid leukemias (which overexpress proteinase 3). To further investigate their antileukemic potential, we studied the ability of PR1-specific CTL, derived from two HLA-A2.1+ normal individuals, to inhibit colony-forming unit granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) from normal and leukemic individuals. CTL from 20 day PR1 peptide-pulsed lymphocyte cultures showed 89% to 98% HLA-A2.1-restricted colony inhibition of chronic myeloid leukemia targets. Colony formation in normal HLA-A2.1+ bone marrow or HLA-A2.1- CML cells was not inhibited. Sequencing of the exon encoding PR1 showed that colony inhibition was not caused by polymorphic differences in proteinase 3 between effectors and targets. Analysis by flow cytometry showed that proteinase 3 was overexpressed in the leukemia targets compared with normal marrow targets (median channel fluorescence 1,399 v 298, P = .009). These results show that PR1-specific allogeneic T cells preferentially inhibit leukemic CFU-GM based on overexpression of proteinase 3, and that proteinase 3-specific CTL could be used for leukemia-specific adoptive immunotherapy.
P101 Comparison of Food Sources of Energy Among Adults that Skip Versus Consume Breakfast

Background Breakfast consumption is associated with lower rates of chronic disease and higher intakes of vitamins and minerals, including calcium, folic acid, and zinc. Skipping breakfast may further pose a threat to diet quality, which may result in less desirable food choices later in the day. Previously, breakfast consumption in children was examined, yet less is known regarding adults. Objective To examine the proportional contribution of food sources to energy intake for adults who skipped vs ate breakfast. Study Design, Setting, Participants This cross-sectional study used data from 31,514 adults, aged 18 years+, from the 2005-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants were categorized according to whether they skipped (n = 4,993) or ate (n = 26,521) breakfast on the recorded day of intake. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Dietary intakes were assessed by a 24-hour dietary recall and meal occasions were self-designated by participants. Food sources were categorized into What We Eat in America Food Categories. Sums of energy were aggregated and used to determine the proportions of energy from each food source for the total day as well as during breakfast and snacks. Results Adults who skipped breakfast consumed greater proportions of total energy from mixed dishes, sweetened-beverages, alcoholic beverages, and sandwiches, and less energy from breads, plant-proteins, milk, fruit, and eggs than those who ate breakfast. Breakfast energy mainly came from breads, eggs, and milk. Snack energy came from sweetened-beverages, alcoholic beverages, sweets, and savory snack-foods for those who skipped breakfast. For adults who ate breakfast, it came from sweets, alcoholic beverages, and savory foods; however, they also consumed more plant-proteins and fruit than those who skipped breakfast. Conclusions Making 1 poor nutritional decision, such as skipping breakfast, likely leads to other poor nutritional decisions throughout the day. Educational efforts should address breakfast's role in promoting nutritional adequacy and improving overall diet quality.
Assessment of Kidney Injury as a Severity Criteria for Clostridioides Difficile Infection.

Background The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) revised their Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) severity classification criteria in 2017 to include an absolute serum creatinine (SCr) value above a threshold (≥1.5 mg/dL) rather than a relative increase from baseline (≥1.5 times the premorbid level). To date, how to best define kidney injury as a CDI disease severity marker has not been validated to assess severe outcomes associated with CDI. Methods This multicenter cohort study included adult hospitalized patients with CDI. Patients were assessed for the presence of acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and CDI severity using the 2010 and 2017 IDSA/SHEA CDI guidelines. Primary outcome was all-cause inpatient mortality. Results The final study cohort consisted of 770 CDI episodes from 705 unique patients aged 65 ± 17 years (female, 54%; CKD, 36.5%; AKI, 29.6%). Eighty-two episodes (10.6%) showed discordant severity classification results due to the inclusion of more patients with preexisting CKD in the severe disease category using an absolute SCr threshold criterion. The absolute SCr criterion better correlated with all-cause mortality (odds ratio [OR], 4.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.76-9.28; P = .001) than the relative increase in SCr (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 0.62-2.89; P = .46). This corresponded to an increased likelihood of the 2017 CDI severity classification criteria to predict mortality (OR, 5.33; 95% CI, 1.81-15.72; P = .002) compared with the 2010 criteria (OR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.16-6.32; P = .02). Conclusions Our findings support the 2017 IDSA/SHEA CDI severity classification criteria of a single pretreatment SCr in future CDI guideline updates.
Deception in the Psychiatric Interview

In modern psychiatric practice, a psychiatric interview represents a process of collecting sufficient information to complete series of templates. A focus on facts to the exclusion of their psychological significance, however, or to the interpersonal through which the facts are (or are not) revealed increases the vulnerability of the interview process to a range of adverse outcomes, not least among which is the distortion and nondisclosure of critical information. This process takes various forms, ranging from seemingly accidental failure to identify important facts as such, to calculated acts of deceit. In its wake, both clinician and patient become disengaged from the interview, experiencing affects of boredom, frustration, or mistrust.
Tribological Performance of Graphite Nanoplatelets Reinforced Al and Al/Al2O3 Self-Lubricating Composites.

In the present work, the effect of graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) on tribological properties of the aluminum (Al), and Al/alumina (Al2O3) composite are studied. GNPs are multilayer graphene sheets which were used as a solid lubricant material. Two sets of composites, Al/GNPs and Al/GNPs/Al2O3 with varying amounts of reinforcements, were synthesized by powder metallurgy that involves cold compaction followed by hot compaction. The hardness of the composites increased with the addition of GNPs and Al2O3. The Al/GNPs composite with 1 wt.% of GNPs (Al/1GNPs) showed a 20% increase in hardness whereas Al/GNPs/ Al2O3 composite with 1 wt.% GNPs and 2 wt.% Al2O3 (Al/1GNPs/2Al2O3) showed 27% increases in hardness compared to the pure Al. The coefficient of friction measured at 20 N was observed to be 22% and 53% lesser for Al/1GNPs and Al/1GNPs/2Al2O3, respectively, compared to corresponding alloys without graphene Al. The X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed the presence of GNPs at the worn surface after the tribology tests. The wear rate was also reduced significantly. In comparison with pure Al, the Al/1GNPs and Al/1GNPs/2Al2O3 composites resulted in 5- and 20-times lesser wear rate, respectively. The addition of Al2O3 caused reduction in wear rate due to higher hardness and load carrying ability, whereas composites with more than 1 wt.% GNPs showed higher wear rate due to lower hardness and higher porosity. The Al/1GNPs/2Al2O3 composite exhibited the least coefficient of friction (0.2–0.25) and wear rate (1 × 10−6–4 × 10−6 mm3/N.m) compared to other GNPs and Al2O3 reinforced Al composites. The worn surfaces were further analyzed to understand the wear mechanism by Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction to detect the Al4C3 phase formation, chemical bonding, and defect formation in graphene.
THE INFLUENCE OF GROUP INVESTIGATION ON THE ABILITY OF CRITICAL THINKING AND SCIENTIFIC WRITING

This study describes the effect of implementing group investigation method on students' critical thinking and the completion of assignments in setting background abilities. This research method is descriptive by applying the group investigation learning method to the Indonesian Language course with eight steps, namely the focus of learning, selecting topics, planning in groups, implementation, analysis and synthesis, presentation of results in front of the class, evaluation, and assessment. As for the research subjects, there were 70 students being in the second semester of the 2019-2020 academic year in the Accounting Study Program at Darma Cendika Chatolic University, Surabaya. The conclusion of this study was that there was a significant effect on the implementation of the group investigation learning method on the critical thinking ability of 85.5% and on the completion of the task of compiling the background by 48.64%.
Conformal Uncertainty Sets for Robust Optimization

Decision-making under uncertainty is hugely important for any decisions sensitive to perturbations in observed data. One method of incorporating uncertainty into making optimal decisions is through robust optimization, which minimizes the worst-case scenario over some uncertainty set. We explore Mahalanobis distance as a novel function for multi-target regression and the construction of joint prediction regions. We also connect conformal prediction regions to robust optimization, providing finite sample valid and conservative uncertainty sets, aptly named conformal uncertainty sets. We compare the coverage and efficiency of the conformal prediction regions generated with Mahalanobis distance to other conformal prediction regions. We also construct a small robust optimization example to compare conformal uncertainty sets to those constructed under the assumption of normality.
Machine Learning Models and Big Data Tools for Evaluating Kidney Acceptance

Abstract The rise of on-demand healthcare and the unprecedented growth of electronic health records has given rise to big data opportunities and data analysis using machine learning. The massive and disparate data management using conventional databases is incredibly challenging and expensive to manage. It often requires specialized analytical tools for developing advanced data-driven capabilities and performing data analytics. This paper explores the capability of an open-source framework ‘Apache Spark’ capable of processing large amounts of data on clusters of nodes to analyze Big data and integrate technologies to provide decision support systems in healthcare settings. Next, we propose machine learning models on top of Apache Spark to expedite the decision-making in allocating organs such as kidney selection for the right candidate, thus increasing donor utilization by locating a recipient within the allotted time. The proposed models help in identifying waitlisted candidates willing to accept kidneys that may otherwise be discarded.
Acute Brain Activation Patterns of High- Versus Low-Frequency Stimulation of the Anterior Nucleus of the Thalamus During Deep Brain Stimulation for Epilepsy.

Background Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) is an increasingly utilized treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. To date, the effect of high-frequency stimulation (HFS) vs low-frequency stimulation (LFS) in ANT DBS is poorly understood. Objective To assess differences in the acute effect of LFS vs HFS in ANT DBS utilizing blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods In this prospective study of 5 patients with ANT DBS for epilepsy, BOLD activation and deactivation were modeled for 145-Hz and 30-Hz ANT stimulation using an fMRI block design. Data were analyzed with a general linear model and combined via 2-stage mixed-effects analysis. Z-score difference maps were nonparametrically thresholded using cluster threshold of z > 3.1 and a (corrected) cluster significance threshold of P = .05. Results HFS produced significantly greater activation within multiple regions, in particular the limbic and default mode network (DMN). LFS produced minimal activation and failed to produce significant activation within these same networks. HFS produced widespread cortical and subcortical deactivation sparing most of the limbic and DMN regions. Meanwhile, LFS produced deactivation in most DMN and limbic structures. Conclusion Our results show that HFS and LFS produce substantial variability in both local and downstream network effects. In particular, largely opposing effects were identified within the limbic network and DMN. These findings may serve as a mechanistic basis for understanding the potential of HFS vs LFS in various epilepsy syndromes.
Inapproximability of Positive Semidefinite Permanents and Quantum State Tomography.

Quantum State Tomography is the task of estimating a quantum state, given many measurements in different bases. We discuss a few variants of what exactly ``estimating a quantum state" means, including maximum likelihood estimation and computing a Bayesian average. We show that, when the measurements are fixed, this problem is NP-Hard to approximate within any constant factor. In the process, we find that it reduces to the problem of approximately computing the permanent of a Hermitian positive semidefinite (HPSD) matrix. This implies that HPSD permanents are also NP-Hard to approximate, resolving a standing question with applications in quantum information and BosonSampling.
Textile Finishing with Mct-ß-Cyclodextrin

Monochlorotriazmyl-scyclodextrin (BETA W7 MCT) is a reactive cyclodextrin derivative that can be covalently fixed to nucleophilic substrates by a condensation reaction. This new type of surface modification means a permanent transfer of cyclodextrin properties to the treated materials.
Detection of fraudulent financial reports with machine learning techniques

This paper describes our efforts to apply various advanced supervised machine learning and natural language processing techniques, including Binomial Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machines, Neural Networks, Ensemble Techniques, and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), to the problem of detecting fraud in financial reporting documents available from the United States’ Security and Exchange Commission EDGAR database. Specifically, we apply LDA to a collection of type 10-K financial reports and to generate document-topic frequency matrix, and then submit these data to a series of advanced classification algorithms. We then apply evaluation metrics, such as Precision, Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve, and Area Under the Curve to evaluate the performance of each algorithm. We conclude that these methods show promise and suggest applying the approach to a larger set of input documents.
New Catalysts for Hydroprocessing: Bimetallic Oxynitrides MI–MII–O–N (MI, MII=Mo, W, V, Nb, Cr, Mn, and Co): Part I. Synthesis and Characterization

A new family of bimetallic oxynitride compounds, MI–MII–O–N (MI, MII=Mo, W, V, Nb, Cr, Mn, and Co), has been synthesized by nitriding bimetallic oxide precursors with ammonia gas via a temperature programmed reaction. The oxide precursors are prepared by conventional solid state reaction between two appropriate monometallic oxides. The synthesis involves passing NH3gas over the oxide precursors at a flow rate of 6.80×102μmol s−1(1000 cm3/min) and raising the temperature at a heating rate of 8.3×10−2K s−1(5 K/min) to a final temperature (Tf) which is held constant for a short period of time (thold). The oxynitrides thus obtained are pyrophoric and need to be passivated before exposing them to air. All these new bimetallic oxynitrides have a face centered cubic crystal structure and high values of surface area. The surface reactivation and the thermal stability of the materials are studied by temperature programmed reduction and this indicates that the compounds can be divided into three groups of different reducibility (high, medium, and low). Their surface activity and surface area are evaluated based on CO chemisorption and N2physisorption measurements. It is found that the chemisorbed CO number density correlates with the reducibility of the compounds.
Analysis of complex rectangular dielectric waveguides

In this paper, a rigorous method for the analysis of the propagation characteristics of various rectangular waveguides is proposed based on the recent development of the numerical mode matching method for multi-region, vertically stratified media. Unlike the conventional two-dimensional finite element method which is widely used for the analysis of dielectric waveguide problems, the numerical mode matching method proposed in this paper uses the propagation properties of the waves on the cross-section of the waveguides to convert the two-dimensional problem into a few one-dimensional problems. These one-dimensional problems are then solved with the one-dimensional finite element method, resulting in a great saving of the number of unknowns needed. A major difference between this method and the conventional mode matching method is that the eigenvalues and eigenmodes of the constituent layered media are found numerically by using a one-dimensional finite element method, which makes the method more versatile ...
Neuropeptide Y infusion decreases plasma renin activity in postmyocardial infarction rats

We wished to determine if chronic neuropeptide Y (NPY) infusion (1 ng/min for 1 week by Alzet minipump) could decrease plasma renin activity (PRA) and norepinephrine (NE) in a rat myocardial infarction (MI) model of moderate compensated congestive heart failure (CHF). CHF was produced by prior (6-8 weeks) ligation of the left coronary artery; control rats were sham-operated. Carotid arterial blood was drawn for PRA and NE in conscious unrestrained rats that had been instrumented 24 h earlier. MI rats had increased PRA as compared with sham-operated rats [8.73 +/- 1.27 vs. 5.10 +/- 0.91 ng angiotensin (AI) I/ml.h, mean +/- SE]. During chronic NPY infusion, PRA was reduced to normal in the MI group (4.78 +/- 0.91) but was not affected in the sham group (5.65 +/- 0.51). Plasma NE was altered similarly, but the changes did not reach statistical significance. These data suggest that NPY has the capacity to restrain renin release in moderate compensated CHF.
Trends in timing of prenatal diagnosis and abortion for fetal chromosomal abnormalities

RESULTS: The 213 cases included 142 cases of Down syndrome (66.7%), 47 cases of Trisomy 18 (22.1%), and 24 cases of Trisomy 13 (11.3%). Two hundred one women (94.4%) chose to undergo abortion. The median gestational ages at prenatal diagnosis and abortion for Trisomy 18 or 13 were 12 weeks (interquartile range, 12e13 weeks) and 13 weeks (interquartile range, 12e15.5 weeks) and did not change over the study period. In contrast, in pregnancies withDownsyndrome,themediangestationalageatprenataldiagnosis (16,13,and12weeks;P<.001)andabortion(17,14,and13weeks; P < .001) both decreased significantly over the study intervals. In Down syndrome pregnancies, the proportion of women who underwent chorionic villus sampling significantly increased over the 3 study intervals (36%, 63%, and 86%; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Since 2005, the gestational ages at prenatal diagnosis and abortion for Down syndrome have declined significantly. These changes are likely attributable to improvements in early screening that leads to higher rates of chorionic villus sampling.
ATTRACTIVENESS AND SUITABILITY OF HOST TREE SPECIES FOR COLONIZATION AND SURVIVAL OF PHORACANTHA SEMIPUNCTATA (COLEOPTERA: CERAMBYCIDAE)

Chez les trois especes d'hotes potentiels de Phoracantha semipunctata (F.), (Eucalyptus propinqua Deane et Maiden, Eucalyptus maculata Hook, et Angophora costata (Gaertner) Britten (tous trois des Myrtaceae)) testees dans le sud-est du Queensland, le nombre de tunnels creuses par les larves neonates, la mortalite larvaire, la survie des larves et les taux de parasitisme ne differaient pas. Le larves qui ont survecu jusqu'a la nymphose chez E. maculata ont creuse des tunnels plus grands que les larves vivant sur les deux autres especes-hotes, ce qui reflete leur taille plus grande. La taille des larves parasitees etait la meme chez les trois especes d'hotes. Ces resultats indiquent qu'il existe bel et bien des differences entre les especes hotes quant a leur capacite d'assurer le developpement des larves, mais les femelles sont incapables de distinguer ces differences au moment de la ponte, ou alors la selection qui favorise la discrimination est faible comparativement aux couts ecologiques potentiels associes.
Antibiotic Abuse in Animal Agriculture: Exacerbating Drug Resistance in Human Pathogens

ABSTRACT Most of the antibiotics produced in the U.S. are fed to farm animals routinely as “growth promoters,” and to facilitate “factory farming.” Unfortunately, this places selective pressure on bacteria to develop antibiotic-resistance. Genes that neutralize antibiotics wind up protecting disease-causing germs. We have seen a tremendous increase in antibiotic-resistance in common food poisoning bacteria like Salmonella, but the problem is even worse than food-borne diseases. Bacteria also can rapidly transfer and spread antibiotic-resistance to other bacterial species. Therefore, diseases not even related to food become resistant to antibiotics, and hence much greater threats. For example, Staphylococci resistant to every available antibiotic have been isolated in recent years. Acquisition of antibiotic-resistance by bioterrorism weapons are also a concern. Use of antibiotics in animal feed, by selecting for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, is thus a global threat to human health. Major scientific and me...
A ``shocking'' Leonid meteor at 1000 fps

Abstract A bright, estimated magnitude −3, Leonid meteor was observed from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Poker Flat Research Range north of Fairbanks, Alaska, at 10:42 UT on 18 November 2001. Images of the meteor were recorded at 1000 frames per second. The millisecond time resolution allows spatial structures in the ablation cloud to be recorded without “smearing” due to the ∼72 km/s Leonid entry velocity. The meteor was first observed at an altitude of about 123 km. As it descended deeper into the atmosphere it brightened and a tail developed. In addition, a bright structure developed in front of the meteor, much resembling a shock, reaching its maximum brightness at an altitude of 104 km. The spatial scale-size of the shock-like structure is large, several 100 m. Observation of such structure has, to our knowledge, not been reported before. We do not have an explanation for its cause. If its formation is similar to the shock observed around re-entry vehicles it would indicate the size of the meteor to be ∼100 m, which is clearly not realistic. The meteor will create ionization, but at 105 km the ion mean-free path is only ∼1 m and it is difficult to see how ionospheric plasma instabilities driven by the ionization caused by the meteor can result in ∼100 m structures. It is more likely that the structure is associated with photo-chemical processes driven by the intense UV radiation from the hot meteor. A simple computer simulation appears to be able to reproduce the observations. However, the process cannot just be photo ionization of the ambient molecular oxygen or nitrogen as the required total photon flux is too large to be energetically possible.
On the successive perception of simultaneous stimuli

When Ss hear two messages concurrently over different “channels” (e.g., different ears, different voices, etc.), they tend to report first one message and then the other, rather than collating the two. This tendency has nothing to do with the nature of the differences between the two channels. It is a manifestation of a tendency for the auditory system to group successive, rather than simultaneous inputs. The same sequential grouping is found in the Ss’ order of report when there is no stimulus property to differentiate between two channels.
Status of Company Usage of Scanner Based Research

Recently, the technology associated with Universal Product Code (UPC) scanners has given rise to the development of a number of research middlemen who accumulate, store, and analyze data for an as yet undescribed clientelle. This is a study which describes these end-users of UPC derived data and scanner based research from two standpoints. The first takes an organizational demographical approach in profiling the most likely adopter. The second explores user applications of scanner based research. A national sample of directors of marketing research is utilized to develop the organizational profile of the user of scanner based research. Findings show that general usage is (but specific usage applications are not) related to the demographics of the organization.
Rebalancing academic psychiatry: why it needs to happen – and soon

Academic psychiatry is in trouble, becoming the narrowest of biological research approaches of decreasing relevance to clinical practice and global health. What is required is a rebalancing of the psychiatric academy to include greater support for researchers conducting social, clinical and community studies within a broad, more humanistic biosocial framework.
A gene-specific method for predicting hemophilia-causing point mutations.

A fundamental goal of medical genetics is the accurate prediction of genotype–phenotype correlations. As an approach to develop more accurate in silico tools for prediction of disease-causing mutations of structural proteins, we present a gene- and disease-specific prediction tool based on a large systematic analysis of missense mutations from hemophilia A (HA) patients. Our HA-specific prediction tool, HApredictor, showed disease prediction accuracy comparable to other publicly available prediction software. In contrast to those methods, its performance is not limited to non-synonymous mutations. Given the role of synonymous mutations in disease and drug codon optimization, we propose that utilizing a gene- and disease-specific method can be highly useful to make functional predictions possible even for synonymous mutations. Incorporating computational metrics at both nucleotide and amino acid levels along with multiple protein sequence/structure alignment significantly improved the predictive performance of our tool. HApredictor is freely available for download at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/CBBresearch/Przytycka/HA_Predict/index.htm.
Supplemental perioperative oxygen for reducing surgical site infection: a meta-analysis.

Objective To assess the efficacy of supplemental perioperative oxygenation for prevention of surgical site infection (SSI). Data sources Computerized PUBMED and MEDLINE search supplemented by manual searches for relevant articles. Study selection Randomized, controlled trials evaluating efficacy of supplemental perioperative oxygenation versus standard care for prevention of SSI in patients’ undergoing colorectal surgery. Data synthesis Data on incidence of SSI were abstracted as dichotomous variables. Pooled estimates of the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were obtained using the DerSimonian and Laird random effects model and the Mantel-Haenzel fixed effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochran Q statistic and I 2 . Results Four randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Supplemental perioperative oxygenation resulted in a reduced incidence of SSI [RR 0.70 (95% CI 0.52‐0.94), P = 0.01], using a fixed effects model. Using the more conservative random effects model, the point estimate was similar [RR 0.74 (95% CI 0.39‐1.43), P = 0.37], but the results failed to achieve statistical significance. The I 2 test showed moderate heterogeneity. Conclusions Our analysis showed that supplemental perioperative oxygenation is beneficial in preventing SSI in patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Because of heterogeneity in study design and patient population, additional randomized trials are needed to determine whether this confers benefit in all patient populations undergoing other types of surgery. Supplemental perioperative oxygenation is a low-cost intervention that we recommend be implemented in patients undergoing colorectal surgery pending the results of further studies. Further research is needed to determine whether or not supplemental hyperoxia may cause unanticipated adverse effects.
Endocytosis at the micropore of Toxoplasma gondii

Ultrastructural studies were undertaken to reexamine the structure and function of the micropore ofToxoplasma gondii. By incubating tachyzoites with the tracer horseradish peroxidase (HRP), we showed for the first time cytochemically that an extracellular tracer was internalized into vacuoles at the micropore. Our morphological observations also demonstrated that the base of the micropore in both tachyzoites and bradyzoites was sometimes covered by a clathrin-like bristle coat. A coated vesicle was observed in continuity with a bradyzoite micropore, and large (150-nm) coated vesicles were occasionally present just beneath the micropore. These results suggest that receptor-mediated endocytosis occurs at the micropore. In other micrographs, however, the micropore appeared uncoated. In some bradyzoites, the uncoated micropore was greatly dilated, and it contained vesicles like those found in the cyst matrix associated with debris from disintegrated parasites. We had previously observed such debris from fragmented organisms in cysts prepared in vivo. These results indicate that residues from dead bradyzoites may provide nutrients for younger, developing parasites in the same cysts. Our observations also suggest that either receptor-mediated or bulk endocytosis can occur at the micropore, perhaps depending upon the availability of specific ligands. Investigation of a receptor-mediated pathway may reveal a means for targeting therapy selectively to the parasites to benefit patients with disseminated toxoplasmosis.
Head, eye, body and limb movements from semicircular canal nerves

Abstract Electric stimulation of single ampullary nerves in alert cats and monkeys produced rapid stereotyped head movements. These head movements were similar in the cat and monkey and appeared to be in a plane parallel to the plane of the canal whose nerve was stimulated. Body and limb responses also were evoked. They were more pronounced in the cat than in the monkey and consisted of varying degrees of ipsilateral forelimb extension, contralateral forelimb flexion, curvature of the trunk, and contralateral circling. By stimulating canals singly or in combination head movements could be produced in any spatial plane. These findings demonstrate the specific nature of the reflex head and postural movements produced by the semicircular canals in these animals.
Kinetics of steam regeneration of virgin and phenol-loaded activated carbon

Abstract The kinetics of the steam-activated carbon reaction was studied in TGA equipment over a wide range of steam pressure (100–10,000 Pa) and temperature (850–950°C) with virgin carbon samples and with samples previously loaded with phenol. No difference was observed in reaction rate between the virgin carbon and the phenol-loaded samples. The experimental data without hydrogen in the feed gas could not be fitted over the whole steam pressure range with the well-known Langmuir-Hinshelwood equation[3] and a single set of rate constants. The rate equation which best represented the data is r k 1 p H 2 O (1 + k 3 p H 2 O ) 2 Further experiments showed that hydrogen in the feed strongly retarded the rate even at low hydrogen pressures (below 1,000 Pa).