cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Typicality Mediates Performance during Category Verification in Both Ad-Hoc and Well-Defined Categories.

Abstract Background The typicality effect is present in neurologically intact populations for natural, ad-hoc, and well-defined categories. Although sparse, there is evidence of typicality effects in persons with chronic stroke aphasia for natural and ad-hoc categories. However, it is unknown exactly what influences the typicality effect in this population. Aims The present study explores the possible contributors to the typicality effect in persons with aphasia by analyzing and comparing data from both normal and language-disordered populations, from persons with aphasia with more semantic impairment versus those with less semantic impairment, and from two types of categories with very different boundary structure (ad-hoc vs. well-defined). Methods and procedures A total of 40 neurologically healthy adults (20 older, 20 younger) and 35 persons with aphasia (20 LSI (less-semantically impaired) patients, 15 MSI (more-semantically impaired) patients) participated in the study. Participants completed one of two tasks: either category verification for ad-hoc categories or category verification for well-defined categories. Outcomes and results Neurologically healthy participants showed typicality effects for both ad-hoc and well-defined categories. MSI patients showed a typicality effect for well-defined categories, but not for ad-hoc categories, whereas LSI patients showed a typicality effect for ad-hoc categories, but not for well-defined categories. Conclusions These results suggest that the degree of semantic impairment mediates the typicality effect in persons with aphasia depending on the structure of the category. Learning outcomes: After reading this article, the reader should be able to: (1) Describe the typicality effect and in which populations it occurs. (2) Explain how the typicality effect might change depending on category structure. (3) summarize how semantic impairment influences category representation and/or access.
Culture studies of Enteromorpha linza (L.) J.Ag. and Ulvaria oxysperma (Kützing) Bliding (Chlorophyceae, Ulvales) from Central America

Abstract Enteromorpha linza and Ulvaria oxysperma from Colombia and Costa Rica, respectively, were studied by observations of material collected from nature and laboratory culture experiments. Results of these investigations are compared with the literature from Japanese and European studies. Both E. linza and U. oxysperma are. shown to be haplobiontic, reproducing exclusively by bi- and quadriflagellate zoospores. Results of cytological investigations are discussed: N=10 was indicated for E. linza, while no determination was possible for Ulvaria.
Dynamic twinning: Polymorphism of thallium thiocyanate studied with x‐ray diffraction

TlSCN melts at 230 °C and has a phase transition at 90 °C, with ΔSf=9.56 e.u./mol and Δstr=0.15 e.u./mol. Lattice parameter determination at several temperatures reveals that (ΔV/V) ⋅ 100 =0.6% at the phase transition. The crystal structure of phase II (stable below 90 °C) has been refined based on the structure reported by Bussem, Gunther, and Tubin [Z. Phys. Chem. Abt. B 24, 1 (1934)]. At 24 °C, TlSCN is orthorhombic Pbcm, a=6.783(1), b=6.816(1), c=7.606(1) A, Z=4, Dx=4.96 g/cc. Least‐squares analysis resulted in R=0.040, with S–C=1.622(9) A, C–N=1.173(10) A, and ∠S–C–N=178.7(7)°, in agreement with interatomic distances and angles reported for other univalent metal–thiocyanate salts. Above 90 °C, phase I is tetragonal, with (at 130 °C) a=6.815(1), c=7.773(1) A, Z=4, Dx=4.82 g/cc. Single‐crystal data were refined in space group I4/mcm using group‐refinement least‐squares analysis of six variable parameters to R=0.067, where the group refined was the TlSCN moiety found in the structure of phase II. The sm...
Testing hypotheses about the self: Assessments of job suitability1

This investigation examined the strategies employed by individuals when testing hypotheses about the self. Participants known to possess masculine, feminine, or androgynous sex role identities tested hypotheses about their suitability for one of two jobs: either a job characterized in terms of the attributes and aptitudes typically associated with a “masculine” personality, or one characterized in terms of those typically associated with a “feminine” personality. When testing these hypotheses about themselves, participants preferentially reported those aspects of themselves that would suggest their suitedness rather than their unsuitedness for the job under consideration regardless of their sex role identity. Moreover, subsequent judgments of job suitability were positively related to the amount of suitedness evidence reported, but unrelated to the amount of unsuitedness evidence reported. Some consequences of these strategies for testing hypotheses about the self are discussed.
Effect of phosphorus fertilization on water stress in Douglas fir seedlings during soil drying

A growth chamber experiment was conducted to determine if P fertilization to enhance the P nutrition of otherwise N and P deficient Douglas fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] seedlings reduces water stress in the seedlings during drought periods. Seedlings were grown in pasteurized mineral soil under well-watered conditions and fertilized periodically with a small amount of nutrient solution containing P at either of three levels: 0, 20, or 50 mg P L-1. By age 6 mo, leaf nutrient analysis indicated that N and P were deficient in control (0 mg P L-1) seedlings. The highest level of P fertilization, which doubled leaf P concentration, did not affect plant biomass, suggesting that N deficiency was limiting growth. When these seedlings were subjected to drought, there was no effect of P fertilization on leaf water potential or osmotic potential. Furthermore, P fertilized seedlings had lower stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis rate. These results indicate that enhanced P nutrition, in the presence of N deficiency, does not reduce water stress in Douglas fir seedlings during drought periods.
Tourism and world peace: The case of Argentina

Abstract The world is becoming a global village in which people from different continents are made to feel like next door neighbors. In facilitating more authentic social relationships between individuals, tourism can help overcome many real prejudices and foster new bonds of fraternity. In this sense tourism has become a real force for world peace (Pope John Paul II, cited in D'Amore 1988).
Genetic relationships of Mlsa among polymorphic loci on distal mouse chromosome 1

The segregation of Mlsa with respect to genes localized distally on mouse chromosome 1 was examined in two sets of recombinant inbred (RI) strains. In order to localize Mlsa, a linkage map based on analysis of both interspecific backcross mice and multiple sets of RI strains was utilized: (centromere) - Ren-1,2 - 10 centimorgans (cM) - At-3 - 8cM-Apo-A2/Ly-17 - 2cM - Spna-1 - 4cM - Akp-1 - (telomere). The Mlsa allele was mapped to a region that extended just centromeric of Ly-17 (one crossover in 40 RI strains) to just telomeric of Spna-1 (no crossover in 40 RI strains). The identification of multiple polymorphic loci in the region of Mlsa should allow precise gene localization and assist in efforts to clone this gene.
Immunoglobulin Administration and Ribavirin Therapy: Efficacy in Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection of the Cotton Rat

We studied the effects of combined administration of human immunoglobulin (IVIG) and ribavirin aerosol on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus). Cotton rats assigned to receive combined therapy were administered Gamimune, a preparation of purified IVIG with a high titer of anti-RSV neutralizing activity, intraperitoneally 24 h prior to intranasal RSV challenge and then treated with ribavirin aerosol 3 days after challenge. Lung viral titers from these cotton rats (geometric mean titers [GMT] log10 = 0.15 +/- 0.5) were lower than titers from untreated animals (GMT, log10 = 3.7 +/- 0.6) and animals treated with either IVIG alone (GMT, log10 = 1.8 +/- 0.9) or ribavirin alone (GMT, log10 = 1.9 +/- 1.1). Only one of 12 cotton rats treated with both IVIG and ribavirin had a demonstrable titer of virus after RSV challenge. When IVIG administration was delayed until day 3 after virus challenge, lung viral titers were still lowest in animals receiving both IVIG and ribavirin. In comparison, there was no additive antiviral effect between IVIG and ribavirin against RSV infections of HEp-2 cells in vitro. Pathologic changes on histologic examination of pulmonary tissues from animals challenged with RSV were least prominent in animals treated with both IVIG and ribavirin. Despite the apparent absence of in vitro additive antiviral effect, combined use of IVIG and ribavirin was more efficacious against RSV infection in the cotton rat than use of either agent alone.
Reduced local energy for atomic Hartree-Fock wavefunctions

Evaluation de l'energie locale reduite a partir de formules analytiques pour les elements matriciels «reduits» en fonction de la coordonnee radiale r 1 , a partir d'une base d'orbitales de type Slater
Chemical signals from submarine fluid advection onto the continental shelf

We report unambiguous signals of subsurface fluid input on the continental shelf 40–80 km from shore in water depths of 20–45 m. The site of this input is near the continental shelf break off the South Carolina coast between 32°–33°N and 78.5°–79.5°W. Repeated transects over this area reveal enrichments of 226Ra, 228Ra, and Ba by factors of 3–4 above ambient ocean concentrations. The short-lived 223Ra and 224Ra are enriched by over an order of magnitude. The Ra and Ba enrichments are not caused by up welling of deep water as no such 226Ra or Ba concentrations occur in the upper 2000 m of the Atlantic Ocean. Sediments in the region are largely relic sand and do not offer a viable source for 226Ra, 228Ra, and Ba enrichments. We conclude that the source is the discharge of submarine fluids enriched in 226Ra, 228Ra, and Ba. The salinity of water in the Ra-Ba-enriched zone is diluted by 0.2–0.6‰ relative to water at the same depth farther offshore. Pronounced salinity and density anomalies characterize one site of active discharge. Estimates of 226Ra and Ba concentrations in the fluids and the replacement time of water in the enriched zone suggest the fluid flux is similar to the summertime flow of major rivers in the area. The region of Ra-Ba enrichment is also characterized by a strong fluorescence signal, indicating high concentrations of chlorophyll in the water. It is probable that the leaking fluids supply nutrients that stimulate productivity in the bottom waters which are within the photic zone. Because the fluorescence signal is restricted to depths greater than 20 m, it is unlikely that the signal could be recognized by satellite or aircraft sensors.
Screening of microorganisms producing α-methylserine hydroxymethyltransferase, purification of the enzyme, gene cloning, and application to the enzymatic synthesis of α-methyl-l-serine

Abstract Through the screening of microorganisms capable of utilizing α-methylserine, three representative strains belonging to the bacterial genera Paracoccus , Aminobacter , and Ensifer were selected as potent producers of α-methylserine hydroxymethyltransferase, an enzyme that catalyzes the interconversion between α-methyl- l -serine and d -alanine via tetrahydrofolate. Among these strains, Paracoccus sp. AJ110402 was selected as the strain exhibiting the highest α-methylserine hydroxymethyltransferase activity. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity from a cell-free extract of this strain. The native enzyme is a homodimer with apparent molecular mass of 85 kDa and contains 1 mol of pyridoxal-5′-phosphate per mol of the subunit. The K m for α-methyl- l -serine and tetrahydrofolate was 0.54 mM and 73 μM, respectively. The gene from Paracoccus sp. AJ110402 encoding α-methylserine hydroxymethyltransferase was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli . Sequence analysis revealed an open reading frame of 1278 bp, encoding a polypeptide with a calculated molecular mass of 46.0 kDa. Using E. coli cells as whole-cell catalysts, 9.7 mmol of α-methyl- l -serine was stereoselectively obtained from 15 mmol of d -alanine and 13.2 mmol of formaldehyde.
Kinship terminology: polysemy or categorization?

The target article offers an analysis of the categorization of kin types and empirical evidence that cross-cultural universals may be amenable to OT explanation. Since the analysis concerns the structuring of conceptual categories rather than the use of words, it differs from previous OT analyses in lexical semantics in what is considered to be the input and output of optimization.
The Danger of Scald Burns During Hair Braiding

The cases are presented of three patients who sustained scald burns after placing their braided hair in boiling water to set the braids. Caretakers and cosmetologists should be warned of the potential danger from scald burns when setting hair braids. Emergency physicians should be aware of this mechanism of injury for scald burns to the scalp, face, back, and neck regions.
Dependent ML An approach to practical programming with dependent types

We present an approach to enriching the type system of ML with a restricted form of dependent types, where type index terms are required to be drawn from a given type index language ${\cal L}$ that is completely separate from run-time programs, leading to the DML(${\cal L}$) language schema. This enrichment allows for specification and inference of significantly more precise type information, facilitating program error detection and compiler optimization. The primary contribution of the paper lies in our language design, which can effectively support the use of dependent types in practical programming. In particular, this design makes it both natural and straightforward to accommodate dependent types in the presence of effects such as references and exceptions.
N2O as a dynamical tracer in the Arctic vortex

This paper reports N2O measurements obtained by the Airborne Tunable Laser Absorption Spectrometer from 14 flights of the NASA ER-2 aircraft during the 1989 Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition field campaign. In the altitude range expected for ozone loss, N2O has a long photochemical lifetime, making it an excellent tracer of lower stratospheric air motions. As in the southern hemisphere, the zonal wind speed maximum and large gradients of potential vorticity and N2O identify the vortex edge. The N2O profiles inside the vortex indicate net descent relative to outside the vortex and to the summer polar lower stratosphere. The descent of the N2O profile during the Arctic night relative to the summer profile is comparable to the downward shift in the vertical profile observed in the 1987 Antarctic winter vortex. Winter profiles at the poles are very similar above the 435 K potential temperature surface, but divergent below.
Conversion of S-phenylsulfonylcysteine residues to mixed disulfides at pH 4.0: utility in protein thiol blocking and in protein-S-nitrosothiol detection

A three step protocol for protein S-nitrosothiol conversion to fluorescent mixed disulfides with purified proteins, referred to as the thiosulfonate switch, is explored which involves: (1) thiol blocking at pH 4.0 using S-phenylsulfonylcysteine (SPSC); (2) trapping of protein S-nitrosothiols as their S-phenylsulfonylcysteines employing sodium benzenesulfinate; and (3) tagging the protein thiosulfonate with a fluorescent rhodamine based probe bearing a reactive thiol (Rhod-SH), which forms a mixed disulfide between the probe and the formerly S-nitrosated cysteine residue. S-Nitrosated bovine serum albumin and the S-nitrosated C-terminally truncated form of AdhR-SH (alcohol dehydrogenase regulator) designated as AdhR*-SNO were selectively labelled by the thiosulfonate switch both individually and in protein mixtures containing free thiols. This protocol features the facile reaction of thiols with S-phenylsulfonylcysteines forming mixed disulfides at mild acidic pH (pH = 4.0) in both the initial blocking step as well as in the conversion of protein-S-sulfonylcysteines to form stable fluorescent disulfides. Labelling was monitored by TOF-MS and gel electrophoresis. Proteolysis and peptide analysis of the resulting digest identified the cysteine residues containing mixed disulfides bearing the fluorescent probe, Rhod-SH.
Flow under curvature: singularity formation, minimal surfaces, and geodesics

We study hypersurfacesmoving under flow that depends on the mean curvature. The approach is based on a numerical technique that embeds the evolving hypersurface as the zero level set of a family of evolving surfaces. In this setting, the resulting partial differential equation for the motion of the level set function may be solved by using numerical techniques borrowed from hyperbolic conservation laws. This technique is applied to several problems: the evolution of a dumbbell, and related many-armed surfaces, collapsing under mean curvature; the construction of a minimal surface attached to a given one-dimensional wire frame in R3, and, more generally, the construction of surfaces whose mean curvature is a prescribed function of position; the motion of curves on two-manifolds under flow that depends on geodesic curvature. Some experiments involving flow controlled by Gaussian curvature are also included.
Association between limited English proficiency and understanding prescription labels among five ethnic groups in California.

Objective. Misunderstanding of prescription labels results in adverse drug events and non-adherence. We assessed the effect of limited English and other factors on prescription understanding among five ethnic groups in a controlled analysis. Design. Subjects were respondents to California's 2007 Health Interview Survey who received a prescription in the past year. In separate logistic regressions, limited English's effect on self-reported prescription understanding – controlling for bilingual doctor, education level, medications for chronic conditions, disability, years in USA, citizenship and socio-demographics – was estimated for Mexicans, Central Americans, Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese. Results. Unweighted sample size was 48,968. Approximately 14% had limited English and 8% had difficulty in understanding prescriptions. In multivariate analysis, limited English increased odds of difficulty in understanding prescriptions by three times for Mexicans, Central Americans, and Koreans, and four times for...
Use of the Hepatitis-B Vaccine and Infection with Hepatitis B and C among Orthopaedic Surgeons*

We used a questionnaire, with a guarantee of anonymity to the respondents, and conducted serological testing of 3411 attendees at the 1991 Annual Meeting of The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons to evaluate the prevalences of infection with the hepatitis-B and C viruses and the use of the hepatitis-B vaccine among orthopaedic surgeons. There was evidence of infection with hepatitis B in 410 (13 per cent) of 3239 participants who had reported having no non-occupational risk factors; 2103 (65 per cent) reported that they had been immunized with the hepatitis-B vaccine. Of 3262 participants who reported having no non-occupational risk factors and who were evaluated for infection with hepatitis C, twenty-seven (less than 1 per cent) tested positive for the antibody to the hepatitis-C virus. The prevalence of previous infection with hepatitis B increased with increasing age; four (3 per cent) of 136 surgeons who were twenty to twenty-nine years old had evidence of infection, whereas ninety-six (27 per cent) of 360 surgeons who were sixty years old or more had evidence of infection. The prevalence of infection with hepatitis C also increased with increasing age; none of 135 surgeons who were twenty to twenty-nine years old had evidence of infection, and five (1 per cent) of 360 surgeons who were sixty years old or more had evidence of the virus. The prevalence of vaccination decreased steadily with age: 123 (90 per cent) of 136 surgeons who were twenty to twenty-nine years old reported that they had received the hepatitis-B vaccine, whereas 127 (35 per cent) of 360 surgeons who were sixty years old or more reported that they had received the vaccine. The prevalence of infection with hepatitis B or hepatitis C was not associated with the measured indices of exposure to the blood of patients (the number of cutaneous or mucosal contacts with blood that had occurred within the previous month or the number of percutaneous injuries that had occurred within the previous month or year, as recalled by the participants). In conclusion, the prevalence of immunization with the hepatitis-B vaccine was high among the orthopaedic surgeons studied. Although the prevalence of infection with the hepatitis-C virus was several times greater in the current investigation than has been reported in studies of blood donors in the United States, infection with this virus was not associated with the indices of occupational exposure to blood measured in this study.
Least squares and bounded variation regularization with nondifferentiable functionals

Let A be an operator from a real Banach space into a real Hilbert space. In this paper we study least squares regularization methods for the ill-posed operator equation A(u) = f using nonlinear nondifferentiable penalty functionals. We introduce a notion of distributional approximation, and use constructs of distributional approximations to establish convergence and stability of approximations of bounded variation solutions of the operator equation. We also show that the results provide a framework for a rigorous analysis of numerical methods based on Euler-Lagrange equations to solve the minimization problem. This justifies many of the numerical implementation schemes of bounded variation minimization that have been recently proposed.
Monitoring rapid temporal change in a volcano with coda wave interferometry

[1] Multiply–scattered waves typically dominate the late part of the seismic coda in local earthquake seismograms. Small medium changes that have no detectable influence on the first arrivals are amplified by multiple scattering and may thus be readily observed in the coda. We exploit this idea using Coda Wave Interferometry to monitor temporal changes at Mount Erebus Volcano, Antarctica. Erebus is one of the few volcanoes on Earth with a long–lived convecting lava lake. Large exsolved gas bubbles generate impulsive Strombolian explosions that provide a repeating seismic source of seismic energy propagating through the strongly scattering geology of the volcano. We examined these signals during a particularly active eruptive two–month period between December, 1999 and February, 2000. Early seismograms are highly reproducible throughout this period. During the first month this is also the case for the coda. Approximately midway through this period, however, the seismic coda decorrelates rapidly over a period of several days. This indicates a rapid change in the scattering properties of the volcano, likely reflecting subtle changes in the near–summit magma/conduit system that would not be discernible using direct– or single–scattered seismic wave methods.
Comparison of three nonradioisotopic polymerase chain reaction-based methods for detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1

Three nonradioisotopic polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based detection techniques were evaluated for sensitivity and specificity in detecting human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) proviral DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The Roche prototype HIV-1 PCR assay, the Du Pont enzyme-linked oligonucleotide sandwich assay (ELOSA), and the Gen-Probe hybridization protection assay (HPA) were compared with a standard radioisotopic oligonucleotide solution hybridization (OSH) technique. A panel of 111 well-characterized clinical samples that included peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 48 healthy, low-risk, HIV-1 antibody-negative subjects, 24 antibody-positive subjects with stable CD4 counts of less than 200/mm3, and 39 antibody-positive subjects with stable CD4 counts of greater than 800/mm3 were studied. Each method demonstrated good specificity, ranging between 96 and 100%; those of the OSH and ELOSA (Du Pont) were 100%, those of the HPA (Gen-Probe) were 100% with one probe and 96% with the other probe, and that of the HIV-1 PCR assay (Roche) was 96%. Sensitivities ranged from 96 to 100% for the low-CD4-count group, with the OSH, the HIV-1 PCR assay (Roche), and the HPA (Gen-Probe) all attaining a sensitivity of 100%. For the high-CD4-count group, sensitivities ranged from 69 to 97%, with the OSH attaining a sensitivity of 97% and the HPA attaining sensitivities of 97% with one probe and 95% with the other probe. These data indicate that the nonradioisotopic techniques are sensitive and specific for the detection of HIV-1 proviral DNA in clinical samples.
Crack Opening Displacement as a Criterion for Crack Propagation in Thermal Barrier Coatings

Finite element methods have been used to simulate and understand the physical basis behind surface cracks leading to interface delamination in thermal barrier coatings. Traditionally energy release rate has been used as a criterion for crack propagation in thermal barrier coatings. There have been some conceptual difficulties in using this approach when the coating is modeled as an inelastic material. In this study the possibility of using crack opening displacement behind the crack tip as a surface crack propagation criterion has been explored. It is seen that for a surface crack opening displacement criterion of 6 microns from 0.1mm from the crack tip, the crack propagates to about 65% of the top coat thickness which matches with final crack lengths obtained from experiments.
Cambodian Early Adolescents’ Academic Achievement: The Role of Social Capital

This study examined the associations of parents’ cultural beliefs and attitudes with respect to fate, traditional gender roles, aspirations, and involvement in children’s academic achievement in Cambodia. Based on Coleman’s social capital theory, a good parent-child relationship enables children’s school success because resources are created as a result of the children’s recognizing the value their parents place on education. Samples included 202 parent-child dyads. Results showed that greater students’ academic achievement was predicted by lower parents’ fatalistic beliefs and longer length of residence. Parents’ gender role attitudes indirectly predicted academic achievement via extra class hours for only girls. However, parents’ academic involvement and aspirations often associated with academic achievement among children in North America were not similarly associated in this study, raising the question of cultural specificity of these variables in other places in the world. The results suggest the imp...
Identification of an upstream regulatory sequence that mediates the transcription of mox genes in Methylobacterium extorquens AM1

A multiple A-tract sequence has been identified in the promoter regions for the mxaF, pqqA, mxaW, mxbD and mxcQ genes involved in methanol oxidation in Methylobacterium extorquens AM1, a facultative methylotroph. Site-directed mutagenesis was exploited to delete or change this conserved sequence. Promoter-xylE transcriptional fusions were used to assess promoter activity in these mutants. A fiftyfold drop in the XylE activity was observed for the mxaF and pqqA promoters without this sequence, and a five- to sixfold drop in the XylE activity was observed for the mxbD and mxcQ promoters without this sequence. Mutants were generated in the chromosomal copies in which this sequence was either deleted or altered, and these mutants were unable to grow on methanol. When one of these sequences was added to Plac of Escherichia coli, which is a weak constitutive promoter in M. extorquens AM1, the activity increased two- to threefold. These results suggest that this sequence is essential for normal expression of these genes in M. extorquens AM1, and may serve as a general enhancer element for genetic constructs in this bacterium.
Ad hoc networking via named data

The design of the Internet protocol stack, with IP at the waist of the hourglass, mandates that packet delivery is governed by the destination IP address. This design has enabled explosive growth of the wired Internet, but faces two basic issues when applied to mobile environments. First, many mobile networks, such as mobile ad-hoc networks, are infrastructure-free, while Internet protocols are generally built with infrastructure support in mind (e.g., DHCP servers to handle IP address assignments). Second, node mobility introduces a high degree of dynamics in node interconnectivity, which defeats conventional routing protocols, originally designed for wired networks. In this paper, we argue that mobile networks can be made more effective and efficient through Named Data Networking (NDN) [4] (aka CCN).
Concurrent therapy with taxane versus non-taxane containing regimens in locally advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN): A systematic review

Summary Background Platinum compounds remain the most widely utilized systemic agents in combination with radiation for treating SCCHN in the concurrent setting. Despite recent interest in using taxanes in this setting, there is a lack of randomized clinical trials to support this approach. We conducted a systematic review of published clinical trials of taxane-containing versus standard non-taxane-based regimens used in definitive treatment of SCCHN. Methods Trials published between 1994 and 2012 were identified by an electronic search of public databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane library). All prospective studies were independently identified by two authors for inclusion. Studies were excluded if induction therapy was part of the regimen or if targeted agents were used. Trials using cisplatin- or carboplatin-based regimens and paclitaxel or docetaxel were included. Demographic data, treatment response, locoregional failure free rate (LFFR), progression-free and overall survival (PFS, OS) and toxicities were extracted and analyzed using Comprehensive Meta Analysis software (Version 2.0). Outcome data were pooled and reported as weighted response rate (RR), PFS and OS. Results A total of 790 studies were retrieved and 42 studies with 3120 patients were included: 804 patients were treated with taxanes (80% males, median age 57 years) and 2316 with non-taxanes (86% males, median age 56 years). Progression free survival was not different between the two groups. Weighted median survival was compared from those studies that reported these data; taxanes = 36.7 months ( N = 197) versus non-taxanes = 25 months ( N = 503), P Conclusions The improved overall survival observed supports the choice of taxane-based regimens in the concurrent setting but may also reflect the predominance of single arm multi-agent phase II trials in the taxane arm. Our findings urge the need for better standardization of taxane-based regimens.
Spatially patterned gene delivery for localized neuron survival and neurite extension.

Natural tissues can have complex architectures, which arise in part from spatial patterns in gene expression. Regenerative strategies for damaged tissue must recreate these architectures to restore function. In this article, we demonstrate spatially controlled gene delivery from a substrate for directing cellular processes. Non-viral vectors were immobilized to substrates in linear patterns using microfluidic techniques, and cells cultured on the surface had localized gene expression within the cell population. Transfection was achieved in pattern widths as low as 100 μm, with efficiencies dependent on the microchannel treatment and vector concentration. The ability of patterned expression to localize cellular processes was investigated using a neuronal co-culture model. Patterned expression of the diffusible neurotrophic factor nerve growth factor initiated neuron survival and neurite out-growth primarily within the pattern, which decreased significantly in regions directly adjacent to the pattern. Primary neurite density was significantly greater on patterned substrates than on surfaces without patterns. This approach demonstrates the basic technology to create patterns of gene expression that can direct tissue formation and could be employed in regenerative strategies to recreate the complex cellular architectures observed in tissues.
DC flashover of a dielectric surface in atmospheric conditions

Surface flashover is a major consideration in a wide variety of high-voltage applications, and yet has not been studied in great detail for atmospheric conditions, with modern diagnostic tools. Environmental conditions to be considered include pressure, humidity, and gas present in the volume surrounding the dielectric. In order to gain knowledge into the underlying process involved in dielectric surface flashover, a setup has been created to produce and closely monitor the flashover event. Within the setup parameters such as geometry, material, and temporal characteristics of the applied voltage can be altered. Current, voltage, luminosity, and optical emission spectra are measured with nanosecond to subnanosecond resolution. Spatially and temporally resolved light emission data is also gathered along the arc channel. Our fast imaging data show a distinct trend for the spark in air to closely follow the surface even if an electrical field with a strong normal component is present. This tendency is lacking in the presence of gases such as nitrogen, where the spark follows more closely the electric field lines and develops away from the surface. Further, the breakdown voltage in all measured gases decreases with increasing humidity, in some cases as much as 50% with an increase from 10% relative humidity to 90% relative humidity.
Service Migration in a Cloud Architecture

This paper examines service migration in a new computing paradigm, the cloud computing environment (CCE), by examining security and integration issues associated with service implementation. We postulate that a cloud architecture will evolve to be both more flexible and heterogeneous in resources because of the services complexity demanded by organizations. This introduces additional, but tractable, complications when considering the service migration concept within three support areas; acquisition, implementation, and security that present significant challenges to service migration in the cloud. From the consumer perspective, these support areas present the slowest and most costly components of the migration problem for small to medium size organizations. We hypothesize that several mechanisms including CCE platform standards and a computational virtual machine will need to be developed (or will emerge and achieve dominance in the cloud market domain) to facilitate service migration and the resolution of the issues identified.
Commentary on learning to talk like an (urban) woodsman: an artistic intervention

Rebekah Modrak's Learning to Talk like an (Urban) Woodsman: An Artistic Intervention project presents an artistic critique of the Best Made Co. lifestyle “axe” brand. The article and the Re Made Co. “plunger” art piece it describes engage directly with issues discussed by brand researchers and other scholars, such as the strategic use of appealing design and product aesthetics, the sign value of brands, and the creation of brand identity and cultural codes based upon the performance of an idealized, historicized and gendered mythology. The artwork itself, the reactions to the Re Made Co. project and the artist's reflections, all add to the interdisciplinary exploration of brands, brand culture and meaning.
Afferent stimulation provided by glove electrode during task-specific arm exercise following stroke

Background:Sensory amplitude electrical stimulation (SES) and repetitive task practice reduce impairments and arm dysfunction when delivered separately following stroke.Objective:To determine if home-based, task-specific arm exercise was more effective when administered concurrent with SES.Methods:Thirty-eight subjects with chronic stroke and mean Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) score 28/66 (15–45) participated. Subjects were randomly assigned to an SES (n = 20) or sham stimulation (n = 18) group. Subjects engaged in task-based home exercise for 30 minutes, twice daily, for four weeks while wearing a glove electrode on the impaired hand. Experimental subjects received SES while control subjects received sham stimulation during exercise. Primary outcome measures: FMA and Arm Motor Ability Test (AMAT).Results:There were no significant between-group differences for outcome measures. There was a significant difference between the pre- and post-test scores in the SES group AMAT median time (P = 0.003 95% confidenc...
Closing the Loop on Nursing Library Instruction: Using Student Performance to Improve Outcomes

Two librarians analyzed nursing students’ performance on an information literacy assignment to determine how they could change their instruction to better assist the students in comprehending the material. After identifying major areas of difficulty, including the use of search techniques, they revised both the instruction and the assignment, closing the loop by utilizing their assessment data. Next, they analyzed those results to evaluate the effectiveness of their changes and to make further improvements, thus demonstrating the iterative nature of instruction and assessment. The evidence-based instruction cycle of teaching, assessing, and revising should be repeated frequently to keep the assignment fresh and relevant.
Infrared Properties of Magnesium Oxide

The absorption spectrum of polycrystalline and single-crystal magnesium oxide was determined in the 4000 to 166 cm−1 spectral region. In the range 4000 to about 1100 cm−1, the absorption coefficient of the polycrystalline MgO was higher than that of the single-crystal MgO owing to scattering by the grain boundaries. This scattering decreased with increase of the grain diameter. No difference in reflectivity could be detected between the polycrystalline and single-crystal material in the 4000 to 300 cm−lwave number region. The optical constants, n and k, were determined by the classical dispersion theory, assuming a single oscillator. From the maximum reflectivity, the resonance frequency was at 428 cm−1; the value obtained from the acoustical vibration was at 475 cm−1. The corresponding s factors were 0.64 and 0.72, respectively.
On the dynamics of two-dimensional array beam scanning via perimeter detuning of coupled oscillator arrays

Arrays of voltage-controlled oscillators coupled to nearest neighbors have been proposed as a means of controlling the aperture phase of one-dimensional (1-D) and two-dimensional (2-D) array antennas. It has been demonstrated, both theoretically and experimentally, that one may achieve linear distributions of phase across a linear array aperture by tuning the end oscillators of the array away from the ensemble frequency of a mutually injection-locked array of oscillators. These linear distributions result in steering of the radiated beam. It is demonstrated theoretically that one may achieve similar beamsteering in two dimensions by appropriately tuning the perimeter oscillators of a 2-D array. The analysis is based on a continuum representation of the phase in which a continuous function satisfying a partial differential equation of diffusion type passes through the phase of each oscillator as its independent variables pass through integer values indexing the oscillators. Solutions of the partial differential equation for the phase function exhibit the dynamic behavior of the array during the beamsteering transient.
On diversity combining for correlated slowly flat-fading Rayleigh channels

Presents exact and approximate analytical expressions for the error probabilities for communications systems with PSK and non-coherent FSK modulation schemes. The authors model their system with correlated, flat-fading Rayleigh channels with additive white Gaussian noise. The solutions hold for M-ary signaling, L-order diversity, and a correlation of /spl rho/. >
Characterization and Charge Distribution of the Asparagine-Linked Oligosaccharides on Secreted Mouse Thyrotropin and Free α-Subunits

Mouse hemipituitaries in vitro secrete TSH, composed of an α-β heterodimer, as well as excess (free) α-subunits. By dual metabolic labeling with [35S]sulfate and [3H] mannose, we have characterized oligosaccharides from secreted TSH α, TSHβ, and free α-subunits released from the apoprotein by enzymatic deglycosylation. Oligosaccharides from each subunit displayed a distinct anion exchange HPLC profile due to a specific pattern of sialylation and sulfation. Six species were obtained from TSHα (with two glycosylation sites), including neutral oligosaccharides as well as those with one or two negative charges. For TSHβ (with one glycosylation site) at least eight oligosaccharide species were noted, representing nearly every permutation of sialylation and sulfation; approximately 30% contained three or more negative charges. Analysis of [3H] mannose-labeled oligosaccharides on Concanavalin-A-agarose showed 85% binding for those from TSHa, 70% for free α, and 50% for those from TSHβ. These data demonstrate tha...
New results on the Fermi surface of β brass type alloys

De Haas-van Alphen frequencies not previously reported have been measured for β′-PdIn and β′-CuZn. The results for PdIn suggest a reinterpretation of some of the previous results and offer an explanation of a previously unexplained set of de Haas-van Alphen frequencies in PdIn and AgZn. A recent nonlocal pseudo-potential model by Taylor can account for the experimental results reported here as well as the earlier data.
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Reauthorization Accountability and Personal Responsibility

The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a school-reform law closely aligned with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB); a civil rights law; and a “cousin” of the 1996 welfare reform law. By imposing new or strengthened accountability expectations on students with disabilities and their parents, the reauthorized IDEA conveys a message about personal responsibilities. In that respect, it makes accountability—the hallmark of NCLB, and one of the core concepts in the original (1975) and all subsequent authorizations of IDEA—a bilateral concept: Congress, the SEAs, and the LEAs will assume shared responsibilities for educating students with disabilities and benefiting their parents, but the students and their parents must take on more responsibilities for their own behavior and for their relationships with the SEAs and LEAs.
Modal analysis of step discontinuities in graded-index dielectric slab waveguides

The modal solutions of the TE- and TM-modes of an arbitrary graded-index dielectric slab waveguide have been derived by applying the generalized telegraphist's equations to the equivalent inhomogeneous parallel-plate waveguide model with electric or magnetic walls. These modal solutions have been employed in a mode-matching procedure to calculate the transmission properties of step discontinuities in arbitrarily graded-index dielectric slab waveguides such as diffused optical waveguides having exponential, Gaussian and complementary error-function index profiles. For slab waveguides containing an abrupt offset, the radiated power is found to increase smoothly with increasing displacement. Power loss calculations for an abrupt change in diffusion depth for which the dominant mode is in the vicinity of cutoff, exhibit a sharp transition from almost zero loss to nearly total radiation loss. >
Serum and Egg Yolk Antibody Detection in Chickens Infected with Low Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Virus

SUMMARY. Surveillance for low pathogenicity avian influenza virus (LPAIV) infections has primarily relied on labor-intensive collection and serological testing of serum, but for many poultry diseases, easier-to-collect yolk samples have replaced serum for surveillance testing. A time-course LPAIV infection study in layers was performed to evaluate the utility of antibody detection in serum vs. egg yolk samples. Layers inoculated with the LPAIV A/Bobwhite Quail/Pennsylvania/20304/98 (H7N2) were tested for antibody levels in the serum and egg yolk by using the agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGID), hemagglutination-inhibition test (HI), and a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Anti-influenza specific antibodies were detected in the serum as early as 7 days postinoculation (DPI), and the majority of the hens remained positive until 42 DPI. Antibodies in the egg yolk were first detected by AGID at 7 DPI, which was also the first day of detection in serum. However, the majority of...
Tailored liquid-crystal switching on ferroelectric polymer films

— The development of voltage-controlled visible-wavelength progression in displays and optical data storage devices using ferroelectric polymers and liquid crystals is described. Ferroelectric polymers are materials that have a ready distribution of dipoles which can be oriented by manipulating material composition and external fields. Utilizing the charge polarization distribution, their performance as an alignment layer for inducing liquid-crystal alignment is presented. The switching response of the devices was tailored by changing the material composition through copolymers and nanoclay doping.
Intracellular pH and Na fluxes in barnacle muscle with evidence for reversal of the ionic mechanism of intracellular pH regulation.

The ion transport mechanism that regulates intracellular pH (pHi) in giant barnacle muscle fibers was studied by measuring pHi and unidirectional Na+ fluxes in internally dialyzed fibers. The overall process normally results in a net acid extrusion from the cell, presumably by a membrane transport mechanism that exchanges external Na+ and HCO-3 for internal Cl- and possibly H+. However, we found that net transport can be reversed either by lowering [HCO-3]o and pHo or by reducing [Na+]o. This reversal (acid uptake) required external Cl-, was stimulated by raising [Na+]i, and was blocked by SITS. When the transporter was operating in the net forward direction (acid extrusion), we found a unidirectional Na+ influx of approximately 60 pmol . cm-2 . s-1, which required external HCO-3 and internal Cl- and was stimulated by cyclic AMP and blocked by SITS or DIDS. These properties of the Na+ influx are all shared with the net acid extrusion process. We also found that under conditions of net forward transport, the pHi-regulating system mediated a unidirectional Na+ efflux, which was significantly smaller than the simultaneous Na+ influx. These data are consistent with a reversible transport mechanism which, even when operating in the net forward direction, mediates a small amount of reversed transport. We also found that the ouabain-sensitive Na+ efflux was sharply inhibited by acidic pHi, being totally absent at pHi values below approximately 6.8.