cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the communication and streaming complexity of maximum bipartite matching

Consider the following communication problem. Alice holds a graph GA = (P,Q,EA) and Bob holds a graph GB = (P,Q,EB), where |P| = |Q| = n. Alice is allowed to send Bob a message m that depends only on the graph GA. Bob must then output a matching M ⊆ EA ∪ EB. What is the minimum message size of the message m that Alice sends to Bob that allows Bob to recover a matching of size at least (1 − e) times the maximum matching in GA ∪ GB? The minimum message length is the one-round communication complexity of approximating bipartite matching. It is easy to see that the one-round communication complexity also gives a lower bound on the space needed by a one-pass streaming algorithm to compute a (1 − e)-approximate bipartite matching. The focus of this work is to understand one-round communication complexity and one-pass streaming complexity of maximum bipartite matching. In particular, how well can one approximate these problems with linear communication and space? Prior to our work, only a 1/2-approximation was known for both these problems.In order to study these questions, we introduce the concept of an e-matching cover of a bipartite graph G, which is a sparse subgraph of the original graph that preserves the size of maximum matching between every subset of vertices to within an additive en error. We give a polynomial time construction of a 1/2-matching cover of size O(n) with some crucial additional properties, thereby showing that Alice and Bob can achieve a 2/3-approximation with a message of size O(n). While we do not provide bounds on the size of e-matching covers for e 0, a (2/3 + δ)-approximation requires a communication complexity of n1+Ω(1/log log n).We also consider the natural restrictingon of the problem in which GA and GB are only allowed to share vertices on one side of the bipartition, which is motivated by applications to one-pass streaming with vertex arrivals. We show that a 3/4-approximation can be achieved with a linear size message in this case, and this result is best possible in that super-linear space is needed to achieve any better approximation.Finally, we build on our techniques for the restricted version above to design one-pass streaming algorithm for the case when vertices on one side are known in advance, and the vertices on the other side arrive in a streaming manner together with all their incident edges. This is precisely the setting of the celebrated (1 − 1/e)-competitive randomized algorithm of Karp-Vazirani-Vazirani (KVV) for the online bipartite matching problem [12]. We present here the first deterministic one-pass streaming (1 - 1/e)-approximation algorithm using O(n) space for this setting.
Rethinking the Keynesian Revolution

There was a time, not so long ago, when two economists, both working in England, sought to construct theoretical models of a monetary economy that might enable them not only to understand the worki...
Significance of microscopic cholangitis in alcoholic liver disease

Abstract Marked biochemical cholestasis mimicking extrahepatic obstruction may occur in alcoholic liver disease. Twenty-three consecutive hyperbilirubinemic alcoholics who underwent liver biopsy were studied. Comparison of the clinical, laboratory, and histological features was made between patients with no or rare intraductal polymorphonuclear leukocytes, group A (19 cases), and those with polymorphonuclear leukocytes in multiple bile ducts ("microscopic cholangitis"), group B (4 cases). Extrahepatic biliary obstruction was excluded in group B by cholangiography. Group B had significantly higher serum SGOT, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, and cholesterol than group A. All group B patients had periductal acute inflammation and severe panlobular cholestasis. However, there was no significant histological difference comparing group A patients with alkaline phosphatase greater than 300 mIU per ml and group B patients, except for the presence of intraductal polymorphonuclear inflammation. Therefore, we conclude that microscopic cholangitis is a feature of severe cholestasis which may accompany alcoholic liver injury.
Prolonged Trigeminal Sensitization Induces Gut Dysbiosis: Implications for Migraine Pathology (S51.006)

Objective: To investigate the effects of prolonged trigeminal neuron sensitization on the composition of the gut microbiota. Background: Migraine is characterized by peripheral and central sensitization of trigeminal nociceptive neurons. Clinically, neck muscle pathology and sleep deprivation are reported as co-morbid conditions by migraine patients. Another pathological condition associated with more frequent migraine is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A communication link between the gut microbiota and brain is well established. Since an imbalance in gut microbiota (dysbiosis) is implicated in pathological conditions, a better understanding of this relationship is essential for understanding migraine pathology. Methods: To promote prolonged sensitization of trigeminal neurons, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) in the trapezius muscle and REM sleep deprived for one night. Nocifensive behavioral changes in response to mechanical stimulation in the orofacial region were determined using von Frey filaments. Fecal samples were collected and analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to visualize microbial populations in the gut microbiota. DNA sequencing was used to identify bacteria associated with major shifts in resident populations associated with healthy naive and sensitized animals. Results: The combination of neck muscle pathology and REM sleep deprivation caused sustained increases in trigeminal nocifensive behavior to mechanical stimulation. The development of prolonged trigeminal sensitization was associated with major shifts in the gut microbiota when compared to healthy naive animals. Sequence analysis revealed that shifts largely occurred in phyla implicated in intestinal and organismal health. Prolonged sensitization resulted in a loss of commensal bacteria and the emergence of bacteria not abundantly seen in healthy animals. Conclusion: Our results provide evidence that prolonged sensitization of trigeminal neurons promotes development of dysbiosis, which may help to explain why IBS is often reported as a co-morbid condition as the frequency of migraine increases. Study Supported by: NIH DE017805. Disclosure: Dr. Hawkins has nothing to disclose. Dr. Norton has nothing to disclose. Dr. Norton has nothing to disclose.
Joining Mixed Conducting Oxides Using an Air-Fired Electrically Conductive Braze

Paciﬁc Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, USAThe lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrites ~LSCF! are a well-known family of mixed oxygen-ionic/electronic conductors that are ofinterest for use in high-temperature electrochemical devices, such as solid oxide fuel cells and oxygen separation membranes. Oneof the challenges however in developing these types of devices is joining the constituent metallic and ceramic components,particularly with a technique that is compatible with the electrochemically active membrane materials. A new joining process hasbeen developed which employs a silver-copper oxide braze material. In the present study, we found that braze compositionscontaining between 1.4 and 16 mol % CuO offer the best combination of wettability, joint strength, and electrical conductivity. Ourresults indicate that the wettability of the Ag-CuO brazes on LSCF substrates increases with CuO content and that electricalconductivity through the joint remains high as long as the silver content is greater than 66 mol %. Results from long-term,high-temperature resistance experiments conﬁrmed the latter ﬁnding, as minimal degradation in conductivity was observed in thevarious test joints over 500 h of testing at 750°C. Data obtained from three-point bend testing showed that joints formed with abraze composition of 1.4 and 16 mol % CuO displayed maximal average ﬂexural strength.© 2004 The Electrochemical Society. @DOI: 10.1149/1.1764782# All rights reserved.Manuscript submitted September 26, 2003; revised manuscript received January 22, 2004. Available electronically June 17, 2004.
Breastfeeding, Diet, and Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Compare and contrast the incidence of hyperbilirubinemia between breastfed and formula-fed infants throughout the neonatal period and its relationship to early hospital discharge. 2. Describe possible reasons for the occurrence of hyperbilirubinemia in breastfed infants. 3. Compare and contrast the incidence of hyperbilirubinemia related to different infant formulas. Among the many factors related to neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is the composition of an affected infant’s diet. In 1879, Frerichs suggested that “bad nursing” could “exercise a powerful influence” on neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Much has been learned since this suggestion was made. ### EPIDEMIOLOGY Many investigations have documented that the consumption of human milk is related to neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, including one review of 12 studies involving more than 8,000 infants in the first week of life and controlled for factors such as hemolysis to enable comparison of dietary effects alone. Moderate hyperbilirubinemia (total serum bilirubin [TSB], 205 mcmol/L [12 mg/dL]) was present in 12.9% of the breastfed infants and 4% of the formula-fed infants ( P <0.00001). Severe hyperbilirubinemia (TSB, 256 mcmol/L [15 mg/dL]) was present in 2% of the breastfed infants and 0.3% of the formula-fed infants ( P <0.00001). Breastfed infants have higher serum bilirubin levels on each of the first 5 days of life, and this hyperbilirubinemia can persist for weeks to months. The association between feedings of human milk and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia has been reported in preterm infants fed banked human milk or mixtures of human milk and formula and among various races. More recent studies of otherwise healthy newborns have used noninvasive transcutaneous devices to assess hyperbilirubinemia daily (Figs. 1⇓ and 2⇓ ). These studies agree with earlier conclusions that otherwise healthy infants exclusively fed human milk will have higher levels of hyperbilirubinemia than infants who consume formula. The difference begins to become significant …
Long-term human breast carcinoma cell lines of metastatic origin: preliminary characterization.

Nineteen human breast carcinoma cell lines have been established as continous cultures during the past 6 years in our laboratory. This preliminary report is designed to list the lines by their designated code numbers (MDA-MB) and present a brief summary of their morphological, cytogenetic and biochemical characteristics. Sixteen of our lines were obtained from pleural effusions, two from brain metastases, and one from pericardial fluid. All lines have been shown to be distinct entities and are uncontaminated by HeLa cells or each other. A lq marker chromosome is present in all but one of the lines examined.
Microcracks tunneling in brittle matrix composites driven by thermal expansion mismatch

Abstract During processing, brittle composites are susceptible to cracks caused by residual stress. Matrix cracks parallel to fibers are considered in this paper. Each crack initiates from a porosity, confined by the neighboring fibers, tunneling in the matrix. The analysis uses the concept of steady-state tunneling, which eliminates several analytical artifacts in a previous calculation. The cracking coefficient is computed for the full range of elastic mismatch and several fiber arrangements, and is presented in a form that can be used in selecting viable constituents. Calculations also demonstrate that fiber-matrix interface plays a major role in cracking. A sliding interface relaxes tunnel edges, and thereby the energy release rate at the tunnel front.
Supply of Proprietary Technology: A Neglected Line of Research on Business

(1994). Supply of Proprietary Technology: A Neglected Line of Research on Business. International Journal of the Economics of Business: Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 9-10.
Slow light structures in dye-doped polymer waveguides.

We present a simple and consistent technique for fabricating slow light structures in dye-doped polymer waveguides using the process of irreversible photobleaching. The slow light structures are moire gratings. The gratings are holographically written into channel waveguides photobleached in side-chained PMMA/DR1 films. The films are annealed during the photobleaching process in order to remove stresses in the films generated during the photobleaching process. These stresses have been observed to cause distortion and cracking of the film surface. The slowing factor for the moire gratings is calculated from the reflectance spectrum of the waveguides using the Hilbert transform. Moire gratings with slowing factors between 1.6 and 2.6 are demonstrated.
Mesh-Free Analysis of Electrostatic Problems Using the Convex Approximation

In this paper, a two-dimensional mesh-free formulation using a first-order convex approximation is presented for the analysis of electrostatic problems. The generalized mesh-free approximation method is employed to construct the first-order convex approximation which exhibits a weak Kronecker-delta property at the boundary and allows a direct enforcement of essential boundary conditions. A two by two Gaussian quadrature rule based on finite element mesh is utilized for the domain integration of mesh-free discrete equation. One numerical example is analyzed to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed formulation and comparison is made with the analytical and finite element solutions.
Energy gaps and elementary excitations for certain VBS-quantum antiferromagnets

It is shown for a class of antiferromagnetic Hamiltonians how one can get lower bounds for the energy gap above the ground state by diagonalizing a finite system. This method is applied to certain spin chains (including a spin-1 chain). Trial wave functons are proposed for the elementary excitations and are tested in the case of the spin-1 chain.
Cation disorder in high-dose, neutron-irradiated spinel

Abstract The crystal structures of MgAl 2 O 4 spinel single crystals irradiated to high neutron fluences (> 5 x 10 26 n/m 2 ( E n > 0.1 MeV)), were examined by neutron diffraction. Crystal structure refinement of the highest dose sample indicated that the average scattering strength of the tetrahedral crystal sites decreased by ∼ 20% while increasing by ∼ 8% on octahedral sites. Since the neutron scattering length for Mg is considerably larger than for Al, this result is consistent with site exchange between Mg 2+ ions on tetrahedral sites and Al 3+ ions on octahedral sites. Least-squares refinements also indicated that, in all irradiated samples, at least 35% of Mg 2+ and Al 3+ ions in the crystal experienced disordering replacements. This cation sublattice disorder is the largest retained damage ever measured in an irradiated spinel material.
New approach to phase metrology for manufacturing 248-nm lithography-based embedded attenuated phase-shifting mask

One of major benefits of attenuated phase-shifting mask, also called half-tone mask, over binary mask is the increase in depth-of-focus. This improvement, however, will be drastically reduced if phase error over the entire reticle is excessive. It is well known that phase error causes focal shift at the wafer level, leading to loss of useful depth of focus. Therefore, controlling phase error is critical in achieving good lithographic performance of embedded attenuated phase-shifting mask (EPSM). Most recently there are newly developed tools that can be used to measure phase at 248 nm wavelength. However, these tools can't measure phase of actual device patterns such as 0.25 xm contact holes due to beam size. This paper will present a new approach that directly measures focal shift of actual device patterns using Aerial Image Measurement. We have successfully utilized this approach in our development of EPSM reticle fabrication process leading to a focal shift uniformity of ≤ 0.2 μm over the entire 6" EPSM reticle. This new approach is also being used as a quality control tool in our mask fabrication process. New metrology pattern design will be described. Measurement accuracy and repeatability and data analysis methodology will be discussed.
The American press and political community: reporting in Detroit 1865-1920:

This paper argues that the tripartite model of society — economy, state, civil society — offers possibilities for the comparative analysis of news media in democratic countries. Ideally, the press is embedded in civil society's `public sphere' with its participatory and deliberative norms. However the media is also dependent upon the instrumental functions of the economy and the polity. The shifting public posture of the daily press of Detroit in 1865-1920 illustrates two alternative forms of the press under this typology. Journalism of the late 1800s was subordinated to formal political society and thoroughly partisan. In the early 1900s, the media rebelled against this alignment. Declaring itself independent, the press dispensed with its open, emphatic advocacy and migrated to the realm of civil society. However, under the influence of technocratic and professional ideologies, it did not incorporate civil society's broader political dialogues. Instead, it presented an ostensibly apolitical, factual acco...
Sensory cortical re-mapping following upper-limb amputation and subsequent targeted reinnervation: A case report

This case study demonstrates the ability of sensory cortical representations to remap following arm amputation and subsequent targeted reinnervation (TR). Previous human studies have demonstrated functional plasticity in the primary sensory cortex months or years after amputation of the upper arm, forearm, the hand or a single finger, or after subsequent replantation. Targeted reinnervation, a surgical procedure that re-routes inactive, residual sensorimotor nerves previously responsible for innervating the missing limb to alternative muscle groups and skin areas [1–3], has shown the ability to restore a subject's sensation in the reinnervated skin areas. Whether this new technique causes analogous cortical remapping in a similar timeframe as following hand replantation is still unknown. In order to answer this question, high-density electroencephalography was used to study whether the original sensory cortical territory was regained after TR. Before TR, we found that the cortical response to sensory electrical stimulation in the residual limb showed a diffuse bilateral pattern without a clear focus in either the time or spatial domain, Two years after TR, the sensory map of the reinnervated median nerve shifted back to a close-to-normal, predominantly contralateral pattern. The overall trend of TR-induced sensory remapping is similar to previous reports related to hand replantation but occurs over a slower timeframe. This relatively slower progress after TR as compared to after hand replantation could be because TR is performed months or even years after amputation, while hand replantation was performed immediately after the injury. This work provides new evidence for long term plasticity in the human brain.
Wet harvesting of no-carrier-added 211At from an irradiated 209Bi target for radiopharmaceutical applications

Astatine-211 is one of the most promising a-emitters for targeted cancer radiotherapy. However, research and clinical trials involving 211At-labeled radiopharmaceuticals have often been impeded due to the irregular and sometimes inconveniently low recovery yields obtained by the currently used dry distillation procedure. Therefore, a wet harvesting procedure isolating 211At from an irradiated 209Bi target was explored. The procedure involves target dissolution in concentrated HNO3 and extraction of the high oxidation state 211At activity with butyl or isopropyl ether. This method resulted in consistent and nearly quantitative yields. The activity was re-extracted in aqueous phase and applied to NIS6 UVW human glioma cells transfected with cDNA encoding the human sodium/iodide symporter (NIS). The significant and specific uptake of 211At activity by these cells suggests that in the ether phase, high oxidation state 211At is reduced to [211At]astatide anion. The synthesis of the first astatinated organic compound derived from wet harvested 211At, 3-astatobenzoic acid (ABA), was achieved.
Venous pressure and bone formation.

Abstract We have studied the relationship of increased venous pressure to formation of periosteal new bone in growing dogs. The methods used were measurement of fluid spaces in bone by steady-state tracer techniques, measurement of venous pressure, and measurement of the rate of periosteal new bone formation by histomorphometry. The results of paired comparisons—test versus control tibia—show an increase in venous pressure, a decrease in vascular space, an increase in extracellular fluid space (sucrose space), and an increase in periosteal new bone formation on the side of increased venous pressure. The data support the hypothesis that an increase in venous pressure results in an increase in passage of fluid from capillary to bone matrix. Increased extravascular perfusion could be a factor in increasing periosteal bone formation. This flux of fluid may increase streaming potentials in bone and these act as a signal to bone cells to increase bone formation.
Nonphosphorylatable tyrosine surrogates. Implications for protein kinase inhibitor design.

Tyrosine-specific protein kinases are known to utilize short synthetic tyrosine-containing peptides as substrates and, as a consequence, a number of inhibitory peptides have been prepared by replacing the tyrosine moiety in these peptides with a nonphosphorylatable phenylalanine residue. Unfortunately, the inhibitory efficacy of these phenylalanine-based peptides is often disappointing. These results demonstrate the need for nonphosphorylatable tyrosine surrogates that enhance enzyme affinity. As a consequence, we prepared nearly two dozen different phenethylamine derivatives, attached them to the C terminus of an active site-directed peptide (Glu-Glu-Leu-Leu), and examined their effectiveness as inhibitors of pp60c-src. Three derivatives exhibit enhanced inhibitory activity (relative to phenethylamine), including para-substituted sulfonamide and guanidino analogs as well as a pentafluoro-containing species. The para-sulfonamide derivative was selected for further study and was found to function as a competitive inhibitor versus variable peptide substrate and as a noncompetitive inhibitor versus variable ATP. In short, the enhanced inhibitory activity of the sulfonamide derivative is not due to the association of this moiety with the ATP binding site. Furthermore, peptides containing the para-guanidino and pentafluoro derivatives of phenylalanine were prepared. These species also display enhanced inhibitory activity toward pp60c-src relative to the corresponding phenylalanine-based peptide.
Rapid and widespread dispersal of flood sediment on the northern California margin

The dispersal of flood sediment from small river systems is a poorly studied, yet potentially important aspect of active continental-margin sedimentation. In January 1995, during a flood with a 30 yr return period, the Eel River (northern California) delivered an estimated 25 ± 3 × 106 t (metric tons) of fine-grained (<62 µm) sediment to the ocean. The flood formed a distinct layer on the sea bed that was centered on the 70 m isobath, extended for 30 km along shelf and 8 km across shelf, and was as thick as 8.5 cm, but contained only 6 × 106 t of sediment. Thus, 75% of the flood-derived sediment did not form a recognizable deposit, but was instead rapidly and widely dispersed over the continental margin. Stratigraphic models of, and compilations of sediment flux to, active continental margins need to take the dispersive nature of small river systems into account.
2,3-Butanediol production from xylose and other hemicellulosic components by Bacillus polymyxa

In the xylose fermentation of Bacillus polymyxa strain 9035, best 2,3-butanediol yields were obtained with 1.0 % yeast extract, 4–6 % xylose, shaking at 125 rpm and incubation at 30°C. Under these conditions, mannose, galactose, L-arabinose, cellobiose, starch and glucose were readily metabolized and yielded significant amounts of diol. Diol production from xylan was also demonstrated. In addition, the screening of a number of B. polymyxa strains on xylose revealed that only strains 9031-1 and 9035 used xylose extensively and produced significant amounts of diol. The latter strain proved best under scaled-up conditions.
Compressed topology tomography in sensor networks

Wireless sensor network (WSN) topology tomography is essential for routing improvement, topology control, anomaly detection and load balance. Previous studies on WSN topology tomography are restricted to static routing tree estimation, which is unrealistic in real-world WSNs due to wireless channel dynamics. We study general WSN routing topology tomography from indirect measurements observed at the sink, where routing structure is dynamic. We formulate the problem as a novel compressed sensing problem, and present our decoding algorithm. We provide rigorous complexity analyses of our algorithm. Thorough simulations validate the effectiveness of our approach and algorithm.
Unsettling the Environment: The Violence of Language in Angela Rawlings’s Wide Slumber for Lepidopterists

Canadian poet Angela Rawlings’s Wide Slumber for Lepidopterists (2006) raises questions about the violence of language in the context of a settler-colonial nation. Set in (and dedicated to) Northern Ontario, the text reveals the region’s fields and lakes as environments caught up in a violent history. This article argues that Rawlings’s “unsettling” use of experimental, “nonhuman” poetry allows her to critique the role that anthropo-, phallo-, and euro- centric language has played in the (discursive) settling of Canada. By exploring how Rawlings employs what Cynthia Sugars calls the “postcolonial gothic” to disturbingly metamorphose human and nonhuman bodies, this article shows how a postcolonial ecocritical reading of Wide Slumber reveals the (at times violent or difficult) intertwining of national, cultural and ecological concerns. Ultimately, the concept of “unsettling” unites the postcolonial, the environmental and the gothic within Rawlings’s Wide Slumber , a poem that challenges the process of colonial settlement and discourse, shows concern for the well-being of the natural environment, and utilizes gothic disturbance.
Is addressing impairments the shortest path to improving function

As a result of the International Classification of Functioning (ICF), Disability and Health ([World Health Organization, 2001]), physical and occupational therapy practitioners and researchers now ...
Vehicle bearing determination from a triaxial seismometer using Rayleigh wave propogation

Ground vehicle bearing determinations have been made using a single buried three-axis seismometer. The method is based on Rayleigh wave detection and exploits the phase difference between measured wave components. Maximum correlation values for the vertical component cross-correlated with horizontal beam components determine the propagation direction. Theoretical simulations demonstrate the technique. Two applications useful in monitoring vehicle traffic, vehicle velocity estimates and direction of travel (DOT), are also discussed. Comparisons of results obtained for several vehicles at different test sites are included.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
On readout of vibrational qubits using quantum beats

Readout of the final states of qubits is a crucial step towards implementing quantum computation in experiment. Although not scalable to large numbers of qubits per molecule, computational studies show that molecular vibrations could provide a significant (factor 2–5 in the literature) increase in the number of qubits compared to two-level systems. In this theoretical work, we explore the process of readout from vibrational qubits in thiophosgene molecule, SCCl2, using quantum beat oscillations. The quantum beats are measured by first exciting the superposition of the qubit-encoding vibrational states to the electronically excited readout state with variable time-delay pulses. The resulting oscillation of population of the readout state is then detected as a function of time delay. In principle, fitting the quantum beat signal by an analytical expression should allow extracting the values of probability amplitudes and the relative phases of the vibrational qubit states. However, we found that if this procedure is implemented using the standard analytic expression for quantum beats, a non-negligible phase error is obtained. We discuss the origin and properties of this phase error, and propose a new analytical expression to correct the phase error. The corrected expression fits the quantum beat signal very accurately, which may permit reading out the final state of vibrational qubits in experiments by combining the analytic fitting expression with numerical modelling of the readout process. The new expression is also useful as a simple model for fitting any quantum beat experiments where more accurate phase information is desired.
CB2-04: Use of the Oncology Beacon Module and VDW Data to Identify Variations in Treatment for Advanced Colorectal Cancer

Background/AimsVariation in utilization and costs of chemotherapy agents for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients not captured by SEER-Medicare or clinical trials has not been well studied. Little is known about how chemotherapy is administered to patients with advanced disease who are treated in community practices, including such key factors as treatment intent (curative vs. palliative), dosing, treatment modifications, and discontinuations, and whether patients receive new lines of chemotherapy after failing to respond to prior regimens.AimsUsing the wealth of cancer treatment data newly available as a result of recent VDW infrastructure development efforts associated with infusion and chemotherapy utilization, we characterize the number of unique chemotherapy protocols and regimens administered to patients with advanced CRC.MethodsPatients aged > 21 years with stage III or IV CRC, diagnosed between 2007?2010 at three CRN sites were included in the analysis. Using VDW files including tumor registries and data files derived from Kaiser Permanente?s HealthConnect Oncology Beacon? module, patients were followed from diagnosis date through 2010 (or death or disenrollment). We identified and tabulated treatment information including treatment intent, treatment protocols, oral and infused treatment regimens, early cessation and/or dose modification of therapy due to toxicities, and patient characteristics. We also estimate the variation in costs associated with the treatment regimens identified.ResultsPreliminary findings suggest that more than 40% of advanced CRC patients receiving chemotherapy were less than 65 years old. For the majority of cases, treatment intent was noted as adjuvant or neo-adjuvant. Chemotherapy treatments were distributed across 14 standard adult oncology protocols. The most common first line treatment was Oxaliplatin + Fluorouracil + Leucovorin. However, a large number of regimens included the monoclonal antibody, bevacizumab. A number of cases were noted to have treatment plan changes and modifications. Treatment costs were positively correlated to the use of regimens that included bevacizumab.DiscussionNewly available VDW chemotherapy infusion data derived from the EpicCare and Kaiser Permanente?s HealthConnect Oncology Beacon? files (along with other infusion data sources) is a rich cancer treatment data source that researchers can use to conduct clinical- and policy-relevant comparative effectiveness research studies in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.
Granularity issues in a knowledge-based programming environment

Abstract Marvel is a knowledge-based programming environment that assists software development teams in performing and coordinating their activities. While designing Marvel, several granularity issues were discovered that have a strong impact on the degree of intelligence that can be exhibited, as well as on the friendliness and performance of the environment. The most significant granularity issues include the refinement of software entities in the software database and decomposition of the software tools that process the entities and report their results to the human users. This paper describes the many alternative granularities and explains the choices made for Marvel.
The Family Caregiving Experience of Outpatient ECT

Abstract Background Given its safety and efficacy, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is increasingly being provided on an outpatient basis. However, there is limited understanding about the educational needs of the family in providing care to one of its members who is receiving outpatient ECT. Objective The purpose of this study was to identify the needs of family members who were providing care to clients receiving outpatient ECT. Study design Interviews were conducted with eight family members. Themes were identified using Giorgi's method of data analysis. Results Five themes were identified: (1) Family members experienced fear and despair as a result of the ineffectiveness of medications. (2) ECT provided hope, and there were no negative attitudes toward ECT. (3) Stress and coping were factors and had two components : (a) Depressive symptoms created distress and interfered with family coping mechanisms, and (b) caregiving tasks associated with outpatient ECT were not stressful as long as the patient improved. (4) Distressed relationships improved after ECT. (5) Families wanted more emotional support and information. Conclusion Results of this study suggest that it is the caregiving associated with severe depressive symptoms, rather than with the ECT, that creates family distress. The need for more information and emotional support is an important finding that can direct the development of nursing interventions.
Debugging other languages in APL

The advantages (and disadvantages) of on-line debugging have been discussed extensively in the profession. We propose to couple APL with the debugging process. Techniques for ‘translating’ other languages into APL are presented, and the trade-off between the cost of this translation process and the benefits to be gained by debugging in APL are discussed in terms of an actual PL/1 programming project.
Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Soy Protein Substrates Modified by Low Levels of Protease Hydrolysis

ABSTRAC: Endo-protease treatments achieving low degrees of hydrolysis (DH 2% and 4%) were used to improve functional properties of hexane-extracted soy flour (HESF), extruded-expelled partially defatted soy flour (EESF), ethanol-washed soy protein concentrate (SPC), and soy protein isolate (SPI). These substrates had protein dispersitility indices ranging from 11% to 89%. Functional properties, including solubility profile (pH 3 to 7), emulsification capacity and stability, foaming capacity and stability, and apparent viscosity were determined and related to surface hydrophobicity and peptide profiles of the hydrolysates. Protein solubilities of all substrates increased as DH increased. Emulsification capacity and hydrophobicity values of the enzyme-modified HESF and EESF decreased after hydrolysis, whereas these values increased for SPC and SPI. Emulsion stability was improved for all 4% DH hydrulysates. Hydrolyzed SPC had lower foaming capacity and stability. For substrates other than SPC, foaming properties were different depending on DH. Hydrolysis significantly decreased the apparent viscosities regardless of substrate. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) indicated differences in the molecular weight profiles of the hydrolysates. HESF and EESF, which had high proportions of native-state proteins, showed minor changes in the peptide profile due to hydrolysis compared with SPC and SPI.
Rapid decalcification of temporal bones with preservation of ultrastructure

Decalcification of temporal bones, especially from primates, has routinely required long periods of time and has been a major deterrent to many types of morphological studies. In this investigation, temporal bones from the monkey, Macaca fuscata, were decalcified with ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) in a microwave oven. To isolate effects of microwaves on decalcification, tissue was fixed and embedded using routine methods; only decalcification was carried out in the microwave oven. The procedure is described in detail. Instead of months, decalcification was complete in two working days. Control procedures included decalcification at room temperature and use of a regular oven at a temperature equal to that reached in the microwave. The ultrastructure of cochlear tissue was equal to or better than that obtained with routine decalcification.
Polyamine depletion and growth inhibition of Cryptococcus neoformans by α-difluoromethylornithine and cyclohexylamine

The ability of two known inhibitors of polyamine synthesis,α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), and cyclohexylamine, an inhibitor of spermidine synthase, to inhibit thein vitro growth and polyamine synthesis of clinical isolates ofCryptococcus neoformans was examined. Treatment ofC. neoformans with either DFMO or cyclohexylamine resulted in depletion of cellular polyamines and inhibition of growth.Cryptococcus neoformans was shown to lack detectable spermine and to require high concentrations of spermidine, but not putrescine, for growth. The growth inhibition by DFMO and cyclohexylamine was reversed by exogenous polyamines. These findings document the ability of cyclohexylamine and DFMO to inhibit polyamine synthesis and growth in clinically important isolates ofC. neoformans.
The surface structure of α-uranophane and its interaction with Eu(III) – An integrated computational and fluorescence spectroscopy study

Abstract Uranophane is a rare U(VI) secondary silicate mineral that is relevant to the long-term performance of high level nuclear waste repositories. It can be formed under oxidizing conditions, potentially acting as an additional barrier to radionuclide migration through the accessible environment via mineral sorption reactions. To help understand the mechanisms involved in such sorption, a combination of theoretical calculations (classical molecular dynamics and ab initio density functional theory), and experimental work (sorption and laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy studies), have been employed to investigate the uranophane|water interface as well as the interfacial reactivity of the U(VI) silicate toward acidic conditions and radionuclide ion sorption. The combination of theoretical and experimental sorption studies help identify the molecular structure of the surface-sorbed species. Interfacial water is found to orient primarily with the hydrogen-atoms directed towards the negatively charged surface, with sorption sites belonging to three different groups: (1) those involving uranyl oxygen, (2) involving uranyl and silica hydroxyl oxygen atoms, and (3) involving hydroxyl hydrogen. Under basic conditions, deprotonation of the Si–OH groups is predicted to be responsible for uranophane dissolution, while protonation of bridging oxygens is likely responsible for acidic dissolution. Stable inner-sphere sorbed Eu(III) species are observed both experimentally and computationally. Moreover, Eu(III) is found to react with both protonated and deprotonated surface sites, indicating that radionuclides may sorb to the surface of uranophane under a broad range of pH conditions that alter the relative concentrations of protonated and deprotonated surface sites. This is in stark contrast to prior observations regarding other silicate minerals such as quartz, where sorption under basic conditions is enhanced.
Propagation of sound in ducts with shear flow

Abstract Approximate calculations of flat duct wave guide modes based on the Ritz-Galerkin technique are presented. The advantages of the technique are in its ability to incorporate both wall shear layers (boundary layers), non-zero wall admittance characteristics, and to yield the mode functions so computed in the closed form of a family of simple polynomials. The shear layers render the medium dispersive even for the lowest mode on which they appear to have the maximum influence. The influence on all modes is accentuated as the frequency is increased or for upstream propagation. Thus the mode profiles computed are significantly different from those computed using uniform convection velocity. On the other hand, the cutoff frequencies do not appear to be appreciably altered, at least so long as the shear layers are thin. From the calculations presented it would seem that the continuous particle displacement boundary condition used with a slip velocity profile is an adequate approximation only at low frequencies and low Mach numbers. Even so, this approximate boundary condition (continuous particle displacement) performs better for downstream propagation compared to the upstream propagation. Otherwise, it becomes imperative, especially for the lower order modes at high frequencies, to include the more realistic no-slip velocity profile in the calculations.
Statistics of weak grain boundaries for spall damage in polycrystalline copper

Correlations between spall damage and local microstructure were investigated using polycrystalline copper samples via laser-driven plate impacts at low pressures. Electron backscattering diffraction was used to relate the presence of porosity to microstructural features such as grain boundaries and triple points. Preferred void-nucleation sites were identified in terms of their crystallography via statistical sampling in serial sectioned specimens. Results indicate that terminated twins and grain boundaries with misorientations between 25° and 50° are the preferred locations for intergranular damage localization.
Hysteresis and the Dynamic Elasticity of Consolidated Granular Materials

Quasistatic elasticity measurements on rocks show them to be strikingly nonlinear and to have elastic hysteresis with end point memory. When the model for this quasistatic elasticity is extended to the description of nonlinear dynamic elasticity the elastic elements responsible for the hysteresis dominate the behavior. Consequently, in a resonant bar, driven to nonlinearity, the frequency shift and the attenuation are predicted to be nonanalytic functions of the strain field. A resonant bar experiment yielding results in substantial qualitative and quantitative accord with these predictions is reported. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society }
Clinical Assessment of the Social Suppor T of Families with Handicapped Children

Families of children with handicapping conditions face both acute and chronic stressors that require continual adjustment. A supportive environment has been found to reduce the impact of stressors. Since the family's social network may be supportive or nonsupportive, an assessment of the family's social support is useful for planning nursing interventions.An analysis of the properties of social networks is included in order to enable a better understanding of the conditions under which support is provided as well as the negative effects of network ties. The Personal Resource Questionnaire and the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire are discussed as research instruments that provide indicants of network properties. Guidelines for obtaining a comprehensive assessment of the family's support are included.
Effective spatial and angular correlations in beams of any state of spatial coherence and an associated phase-space product

We study effective spatial and angular correlations in beams of any state of spatial coherence, and we introduce a phase-space product, Q, which takes these correlations into account. This phase-space product is shown to reduce to the conventional beam-quality factor M2 when the beam is spatially fully coherent. We also determine the lower bound for the value of Q and demonstrate that it is attained for all Gaussian Schell-model beams.
Adsorption of triethygermane on Si(100): thermal and nonthermal channels for ethyl ligand removal/dissociation

Adsorption of triethylgemane (TEG) on the Si(100) surface at 100 K has been studied using a variety of surface-sensitive spectroscopies. Thermally and electronically desorbed species were analyzed using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and electron-stimulated desorption (ESD) techniques. Electronically desorbed ions (H+) were analyzed using a time-of-flight technique (TOF) and time evolution studies were conducted on desorbing neutral species. Direct analysis of surface species were carried out using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high-resolution electron energy loss (HREELS) spectroscopy. Evidence is offered for (1) an electron-induced channel for direct ethylene desorption via a β-hydride elimination process; (2) an electron-stimulated transfer of ethyl ligands from a Ge to a Si site; and (3) both thermal- and electron-stimulated desorption of methyl groups. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Death of Human Cancer Cells Following Photodynamic Therapy: Apoptosis Competence is Necessary for Bcl‐2 Protection but not for Induction of Autophagy†

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an efficient inducer of apoptosis in many types of cells, except in cells deficient in one or more of the factors that mediate apoptosis. Recent reports have identified autophagy as a potential alternative cell death process following PDT. Here we investigated the occurrence of autophagy after PDT with the photosensitizer Pc 4 in human cancer cells that are deficient in the pro-apoptotic factor Bax (human prostate cancer DU145 cells) or the apoptosis mediator caspase-3 (human breast cancer MCF-7v cells) and in apoptosis-competent cells (MCF-7c3 cells that stably overexpress human pro-caspase-3 and Chinese hamster ovary CHO 5A100 cells). Further, each of the cell lines was also studied with and without stably overexpressed Bcl-2. Autophagy was identified by electron microscopic observation of the presence of double-membrane-delineated autophagosomal vesicles in the cytosol and by immunoblot observation of the Pc 4-PDT dose- and time-dependent increase in the level of LC3-II, a component of the autophagosomal membrane. Autophagy was observed in all of the cell lines studied, whether or not they were capable of typical apoptosis and whether or not they overexpressed Bcl-2. The presence of stably overexpressed Bcl-2 in the cells protected against PDT-induced apoptosis and loss of clonogenicity in apoptosis-competent cells (MCF-7c3 and CHO 5A100 cells). In contrast, Bcl-2 overexpression did not protect against the development of autophagy in any of the cell lines or against loss of clonogenicity in apoptosis-deficient cells (MCF-7v and DU145 cells). Furthermore, 3-methyladenine and wortmannin, inhibitors of autophagy, provided greater protection against loss of viability to apoptosis-deficient than to apoptosis-competent cells. The results show that autophagy occurs during cell death following PDT in human cancer cells competent or not for normal apoptosis. Only the apoptosis-competent cells are protected by Bcl-2 against cell death.