cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Multicohort Open-label Phase II Trial of Bipolar Androgen Therapy in Men with Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer (RESTORE): A Comparison of Post-abiraterone Versus Post-enzalutamide Cohorts

Abstract Background Cyclic high-dose testosterone injections, also known as bipolar androgen therapy (BAT), is a novel treatment strategy for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). BAT has shown clinical activity in prior studies enrolling men with mCRPC and may potentially restore sensitivity to prior androgen receptor (AR)-targeted agents. Objective To evaluate the clinical activity of BAT in patients progressing on AR-targeted therapy as well as responses to abiraterone or enzalutamide upon rechallenge after BAT. Design, setting, and participants RESTORE is a multicohort phase II study enrolling asymptomatic mCRPC patients after abiraterone or enzalutamide at Johns Hopkins Hospital (NCT02090114). Participants (29 after abiraterone and 30 after enzalutamide) received 400 mg testosterone cypionate intramuscularly every 28 days, with ongoing luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist/antagonist treatment (ie, BAT). Following progression on BAT, patients were rechallenged with their most recent AR-targeted therapy. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Coprimary endpoints were >50% decline in PSA from baseline (PSA50) responses to BAT and following AR-targeted therapy rechallenge. Outcomes in the post-abiraterone cohort are presented, as well as updated results from the post-enzalutamide cohort and an exploratory AR-V7 analysis. Results and limitations No statistically significant difference in PSA50 response rates to BAT was observed (30% [post-enzalutamide cohort] vs 17% [post-abiraterone cohort], p = 0.4). However, PSA50 responses to AR-targeted therapy rechallenge were higher in the post-enzalutamide cohort (68% vs 16%, p = 0.001). The median time from enrollment to progression following rechallenge with AR-targeted therapy (ie, progression-free survival 2; PFS2) was longer in the post-enzalutamide versus post-abiraterone patients (12.8 vs 8.1 mo, p = 0.04). Outcomes were worse in patients with detectable AR-V7 in circulating tumor cells (median PFS2: 10.3 vs 7.1 mo, p = 0.005). Conclusions BAT shows clinical activity in mCRPC patients and may be more effective at resensitizing to enzalutamide versus abiraterone. Patient summary BAT is well tolerated in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients. The type of prior AR-targeted therapy might affect response to BAT as well as AR-therapy rechallenge. BAT followed by AR-targeted therapy rechallenge did not improve outcomes in AR-V7–positive patients.
Dual effects of obesity on satellite cells and muscle regeneration.

Obesity is a complex metabolic disorder that often leads to a decrease in insulin sensitivity, chronic inflammation, and overall decline in human health and well-being. In mouse skeletal muscle, obesity has been shown to impair muscle regeneration after injury; however, the mechanism underlying these changes has yet to be determined. To test whether there is a negative impact of obesity on satellite cell (SC) decisions and behaviors, we fed C57BL/6 mice normal chow (NC, control) or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 10 weeks and performed SC proliferation and differentiation assays in vitro. SCs from HFD mice formed colonies with smaller size (p .05) of the regenerating fibers in HFD and NC muscles, suggesting that other factors may mitigate the negative impact of obesity on SCs properties.
Sleep quality and anger expression: An examination of psychosocial mechanisms across the adult lifespan

Abstract Objective Despite perceptions that older adults will “age out” of violent or aggressive behaviors, aggression remains a unique concern in late-life and can have severe implications for this age group. Emerging research has investigated a universal health behavior – sleep – as a risk and protective factor for aggressive behavior. However, little is known about how sleep and aggression may be linked in older adulthood or about the role of potential psychosocial mechanisms linking sleep and aggression. Consequently, the overall aim of the present study is to extend our understanding of the sleep—aggression link to older adulthood and to examine psychosocial factors as potential links of this association in a national sample of adults. Methods Data from national sample of 816 adults from the Midlife in the United States dataset, were used to link sleep quality to anger expressed outwards via psychosocial mediators. Age differences in these associations were also examined. Results Using moderated parallel mediation models, poorer sleep quality predicted the expression of anger outwards via emotional (angrier affect, 95% CI [0.040, 0.137]) and cognitive (poorer perceptions of solidarity with family [0.001, 0.025], and affective solidarity towards a spouse or partner [0.019, 0.068]) pathways. However, there were significant age differences in these pathways with anger expression for older adults less driven by angry affect and more so by perceptions of solidarity with a spouse or partner. Conclusion Sleep quality is tied to cognitive perceptions of relationships, although the target of these perceptions, and the subsequent links with anger expressions, depends on age. Therapeutic interventions for relational skills may need a different focus at different timepoints across the lifespan. Although angry affect emerged as a pathway for younger and middle-aged adults, managing anger may be less relevant than coping with perceptions of interpersonal relationships for older adults.
Degenerate four-wave mixing as a low-power source of squeezed light

Squeezed light is a quantum resource that can improve the sensitivity of optical measurements. However, existing sources of squeezed light generally require high powers and are not amenable to portability. Here we theoretically investigate an alternative technique for generating squeezing using degenerate four-wave-mixing in atomic vapors. We show that by minimizing excess noise, this technique has the potential to generate measurable squeezing with low powers attainable by a small diode laser. We suggest experimental techniques to reduce excess noise and employ this alternative nonlinear optical process to build a compact, low-power source of squeezed light.
Preservation Not Paralysis: Reflections on Launching a Born-Digital Preservation Program:

Born-digital materials are fleeting and fragile, yet digital preservation has been a challenge with its evolving methods and technical requirements. Added to this, many libraries, archives, and mus...
Investigating the Psychometric Properties of the Social-Emotional Learning Scale:

Educators and educational support staff are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of systematic efforts to support students’ social and emotional growth. Logically, the success of social-em...
The allometry of cellular DNA and ribosomal gene content among microbes and its use for the assessment of microbiome community structure.

The determination of taxon-specific composition of microbiomes by combining high-throughput sequencing of ribosomal genes with phyloinformatic analyses has become routine in microbiology and allied sciences. Systematic biases to this approach based on the demonstrable variability of ribosomal operon copy number per genome were recognized early. The more recent realization that polyploidy is probably the norm, rather than the exception, among microbes from all domains of life, points to an even larger source bias. We found that the number of 16S or 18S RNA genes per cell, a combined result of the number of RNA gene loci per genome and ploidy level, follows an allometric power law of cell volume with an exponent of 2/3 across 6 orders of magnitude in small subunit copy number per cell and 9 orders of magnitude in cell size. This stands in contrast to cell DNA content, which follows a power law with an exponent of ¾. In practical terms, that relationship allows for a single, simple correction for variations in both copy number per genome and ploidy level in ribosomal gene analyses of taxa-specific abundance. In biological terms, it points to the uniqueness of ribosomal gene content among microbial properties that scale with size.
Outcomes of Percutaneous Thermal Ablation for Biopsy-Proven T1a Renal Cell Carcinoma in Patients With Other Primary Malignancies.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to investigate the oncologic effectiveness and survival outcomes of percutaneous image-guided thermal ablation for clinical T1a renal cell carcinoma (RCC) ...
Arterial Spin Labeling Reveals Elevated Cerebral Blood Flow with Distinct Clusters of Hypo- and Hyperperfusion after Traumatic Brain Injury.

Imaging detection of brain perfusion alterations after traumatic brain injury (TBI) may provide prognostic insights. In this study, we used arterial spin labeling (ASL) to quantify cross-sectional ...
Sub-ppm/°C Bandgap References With Natural Basis Expansion for Curvature Cancellation

A general approach based on a natural basis function expansion to cancel the temperature-curvature of the base-emitter voltage in the bipolar transistors embedded in bandgap references is presented. The proposed method can be applied to the widely used Banba, Kuijk, and Brokaw structures to build references with sub-ppm/°C temperature coefficients. Current version and voltage version embodiments based on a self-bootstrapping concept are provided. Error sources that can potentially affect the reference performance are analyzed and their effects on the temperature coefficient are minimized after trimming. Monte Carlo simulation results confirm that after calibration, temperature drift performance is within the design/trimming target 0.5 ppm/°C. A partially integrated Kuijk-based prototype reference has been designed and fabricated in a 65nm UMC process. Measurement results demonstrated a 1.5 ppm/°C temperature coefficient over a temperature range of 0 °C to 80 °C with a low-cost two-temperature trimming method. With additional trimming, 0.8 ppm/°C performance was achieved.
Screening of prototype antiseizure and anti-inflammatory compounds in the Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus model of epilepsy

Objective Infection with Theiler's Murine Encephalomyelitis Virus (TMEV) in C57Bl/6J mice results in handling-induced seizures and is useful for evaluating compounds effective against infection-induced seizures. However, to date only a few compounds have been evaluated in this model, and a comprehensive study of antiseizure medications (ASMs) has not yet been performed. Furthermore, as the TMEV infection produces marked neuroinflammation, an evaluation of prototype anti-inflammatory compounds is needed as well. Methods Male C57Bl/6J mice were inoculated with TMEV (day 0) followed by daily administrations of test compounds (day 3-7) and subsequent handling sessions (day 3-7). Doses of ASMs, comprising several mechanistic classes, were selected based on previously published data demonstrating the effect of these compounds in reducing seizures in the 6 Hz model of pharmacoresistant seizures. Doses of anti-inflammatory compounds, comprising several mechanistic classes, were selected based on published evidence of reduction of inflammation or inflammation-related endpoints. Results Several prototype ASMs reduced acute seizures following TMEV infection: lacosamide, phenytoin, ezogabine, phenobarbital, tiagabine, gabapentin, levetiracetam, topiramate, and sodium valproate. Of these, phenobarbital and sodium valproate had the greatest effect (>95% seizure burden reduction). Prototype anti-inflammatory drugs celecoxib, dexamethasone, and prednisone also moderately reduced seizure burden. Significance The TMEV model is utilized by the Epilepsy Therapy Screening Program (ETSP) as a tool for evaluation of novel compounds. Compounds reducing seizures in the TMEV comprise distinct mechanistic classes, some with mechanisms of action that extend beyond traditional ASMs.
Small-world networks

Everyone is familiar with the small-world phenomenon: soon after meeting a stranger, we are often suprised to discover that we have a mutual friend, or that we are somehow linked by a short chain of friends. In this talk, I’ll present evidence that the small-world phenomenon is more than a curiosity of social networks — it is actually a general property of large, sparse networks whose topology is neither completely regular nor completely random. To check this idea, Duncan Watts and I have analyzed three networks of scientific interest: the neural network of the nematode worm C. elegans, the electrical power grid of the western United States, and the collaboration graph of actors in feature films. All three are small worlds, in the sense that the average number of “handshakes” separating any two members is extremely small (close to the theoretical lower limit set by a random graph). Yet at the same time, all three networks exhibit much more local clustering than a random net, demonstrating that they are not random. I’ll also discuss a class of model networks that interpolate between regular lattices and random graphs. Previous theoretical research on complex systems in a wide range of disciplines has focused almost exclusively on networks that are either regular or random. Real networks often lie somewhere in between. Our mathematical model shows that networks in this middle ground tend to exhibit the small-world phenomenon, thanks to the presence of a few long-range edges that link parts of the graph that would otherwise be far apart. Furthermore, we find that when various dynamical systems are coupled in a small-world fashion, they exhibit much greater propagation speed, computational power, and synchronizability than their locally connected, regular counterparts. We explore the implications of these results for simple models of disease spreading, global computation in cellular automata, and collective locking of biological oscillators.
Outcomes Associated With Fractional Flow-Guided Revascularization: A Meta-analysis

Background Deferral of revascularization for abnormal but nonischemic lesions is usually recommended; however, the long-term outcome of this approach is not well known. Hypothesis Deferral of nonischemic lesions will be associated with a low frequency of adverse events. Methods A PubMed search of the MEDLINE database identified studies that reported clinical outcomes among patients who had fractional flow reserve-guided revascularization. We further categorized studies into 2 subgroups: left main and non–left main coronary artery lesions. Baseline demographics and clinical outcome data were extracted by 3 independent reviewers. Fixed and random effects summary risk ratios were constructed using Mantel-Haenszel and DerSimonian-Laird models, respectively. The primary outcome was the composite of death, myocardial infarction, and revascularization. Results From 741 potential studies, 17 were included in the meta-analysis (n = 2975 participants), 8 in the left main subgroup (n = 595) and 9 studies (n = 2380) in non–left main subgroup. In the left main subgroup, the incidence of the composite outcome was 15.3% in the no-ischemia/deferral group vs 14.3% in the ischemia/revascularization group (risk ratio [RR] = 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76-1.68, P = 0.54, I2 = 3.7%). In the non–left main subgroup, the incidence of the composite outcome was 9.2% in the no-ischemia/deferral group vs 18.8% in the ischemia/revascularization group (RR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.34-0.52, P < 0.0001, I2 = 20.7%). Conclusions Patients with left main coronary disease had a relatively high incidence of adverse cardiovascular events, which was similar in both the deferral and revascularization groups. In patients with non–left main disease, ischemia was associated with worse outcomes despite revascularization.
Linking Classroom Learning to the Community Through Service Learning

Service learning is valued as a means of providing education to students and service to the community. The purpose of this article is to describe the incorporation of service learning in an undergraduate baccalaureate level Gerontology nursing course. Details of the service learning experience, community agency partnership, the students' reflections, evaluations from both the students and community agency staff, and faculty challenges are presented. This information may be useful to others who are considering service learning as a strategy for educating students while providing service to the community.
METHODS AND DATA FOR REACTOR SHIELD CALCULATIONS.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the methods and data for reactor shield calculations. The principal problem of shield analysis is the penetration of particles to points that are separated from the particles' birthplaces by large amounts of material. The core is dynamic while the shield is passive. Nonlinearity is characteristic of core studies at high power. In core studies, the important particles are born in the core and they spend the rest of their lifetime there or in its immediate neighborhood. In shielding studies, the important particles are those that reach a sensitive region, generally external to the system. Another major difference is gamma radiation. Both gamma rays and neutrons are important in shielding. One other very significant difference between core and shield problems lies in the expected importance of a neutron born in the core. There are three main ways of estimating shield effectiveness. The first is by measurement. The measurements may be on faithfully detailed system mockups; they may be on general-purpose experimental facilities requiring extensive transformation and interpretation of results or they may be on a facility intermediate between these extremes.
Epoxyeicosatrienoic Acids Enhance Embryonic Haematopoiesis and Adult Marrow Engraftment

Haematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) transplant is a widely used treatment for life-threatening conditions such as leukaemia; however, the molecular mechanisms regulating HSPC engraftment of the recipient niche remain incompletely understood. Here we develop a competitive HSPC transplant method in adult zebrafish, using in vivo imaging as a non-invasive readout. We use this system to conduct a chemical screen, and identify epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) as a family of lipids that enhance HSPC engraftment. The pro-haematopoietic effects of EETs were conserved in the developing zebrafish embryo, where 11,12-EET promoted HSPC specification by activating a unique activator protein 1 (AP-1) and runx1 transcription program autonomous to the haemogenic endothelium. This effect required the activation of the phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI(3)K) pathway, specifically PI(3)Kγ. In adult HSPCs, 11,12-EET induced transcriptional programs, including AP-1 activation, which modulate several cellular processes, such as migration, to promote engraftment. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the EET effects on enhancing HSPC homing and engraftment are conserved in mammals. Our study establishes a new method to explore the molecular mechanisms of HSPC engraftment, and discovers a previously unrecognized, evolutionarily conserved pathway regulating multiple haematopoietic generation and regeneration processes. EETs may have clinical application in marrow or cord blood transplantation.
Inhibition of intestinal tumorigenesis in ApcMin/+ mice by (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), and polyphenon E (PPE)

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 4894 In the present study, we treated 5 week old female Apc Min/+ mice for 8 weeks, with either control (AIN-93G) diet, control diet with 0.08% EGCG (in the drinking fluid), control diet with 0.08% ECG (in the drinking fluid), control diet with 0.12% PPE (a standardized green tea catechin mixture containing 65% EGCG) in the drinking fluid, or control diet supplemented with 0.12% PPE in the diet. We found that PPE administered in the diet inhibited total intestinal tumor multiplicity by 70.5% in comparison to the control group. This decrease in tumor multiplicity was greater than the decrease observed in the group administered with PPE in the drinking fluid (by 24.5%) or 0.08% EGCG (51%). ECG (0.08%) had no significant effect on tumor multiplicity. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that in comparison to the adenomas in the control group, treatment with PPE and EGCG decreased cell proliferation index (based on Ki-67 expression), increased apoptotic index (cleaved caspase-3), decreased β-catenin nuclear expression and decreased phospho-Akt. To investigate the improved efficacy of the PPE in the diet relative to the PPE in the drinking fluid, we examine the small intestinal levels of the catechins. HPLC analysis revealed that mice treated with PPE in the diet had higher levels of EGCG (1.6 - 3.3-fold increase), EGC (1.2 - 2.3-fold increase), and EC (1.8 - 4.1-fold increase) than mice treated with PPE in the drinking fluid. This increase in catechin levels, at comparable doses of PPE, may be due to the relatively slower gastrointestinal transit of food compared to fluid. The results suggest that both EGCG and PPE exert cancer prevention activity by inhibiting cell proliferation, promoting apoptosis, modulating Wnt signaling and Akt pathway. Additionally, formulation of PPE in the diet results in higher local concentrations of catechins than formulation in the drinking fluid and may represent a better means of delivering cancer preventive compounds to the gastrointestinal tract. (Supported by NIH grant CA88961). *Both authors contributed equally to this abstract
Modeling and Experiments of X-Ray Ablation of National Ignition Facility First Wall Materials

This paper discusses results of modeling and experiments on the x-ray response of selected materials relevant to NIF target chamber design. X-ray energy deposition occurs in such small characteristic depths (on the order of a micron) that thermal conduction and hydrodynamic motion significantly affect the material response, even during the typical 10-ns pulses. The finite-difference ablation model integrates four separate processes: x-ray energy deposition, heat conduction, hydrodynamics, and surface vaporization. Experiments have been conducted at the Nova laser facility in Livermore on response of various materials to NIF-relevant x-ray fluences. Fused silica, Si nitride, B carbide, B, Si carbide, C, Al2O3, and Al were tested. Response was diagnosed using post-shot examinations of the surfaces with SEM and atomic force microscopes. Judgements were made about the dominant removal mechanisms for each material; relative importances of these processes were also studied with the x-ray response model.
Automating Genetic Network Inference with Minimal Physical Experimentation Using Coevolution

A major challenge in system biology is the automatic inference of gene regulation network topology—an instance of reverse engineering—based on limited local data whose collection is costly and slow. Reverse engineering implies the reconstruction of a hidden system based only on input and output data sets generated by the target system. Here we present a generalized evolutionary algorithm that can reverse engineer a hidden network based solely on input supplied to the network and the output obtained, using a minimal number of tests of the physical system. The algorithm has two stages: the first stage evolves a system hypothesis, and the second stage evolves a new experiment that should be carried out on the target system in order to extract the most information. We present the general algorithm, which we call the estimation-exploration algorithm, and demonstrate it both for the inference of gene regulatory networks without the need to perform expensive and disruptive knockout studies, and the inference of morphological properties of a robot without extensive physical testing.
Cycle-based analysis of damage and failure in advanced composites under fatigue: 1. Experimental observation of damage development within loading cycles

Abstract Damage development within loading cycles and the possibility of cycle-based modeling of fatigue damage evolution and failure in advanced composites are addressed in this work. In Part 1 of the work, the fatigue damage development in an unnotched composite laminate is studied by an advanced acoustic emission (AE) technique. The overall time history of the acoustic emission is recorded and separated into the emission from loading and unloading phases of the loading cycles. The source location histories and distributions of the AE events over the fatigue stress range are extracted and analyzed. Qualitatively different time histories and stress distributions for the emission generated during loading and unloading are observed and analyzed, for the first time. It is concluded that most of the emission from the unloading phase is due to internal friction between the crack faces and most of the damage is developed during the loading phase of the cycles. The location distribution of the fatigue damage is found to be fairly random to failure, indicating that the dominating fatigue fracture process in an unnotched laminate is scattered damage nucleation and accumulation. The time history of the overall damage evolution is found to exhibit the classical initial, steady, and final failure development stages. Within the loading cycles, the damage is developed over the entire stress range, with the substantial amount developed at stresses below the maximum fatigue stress. The latter observation sheds light on the reported effects of the loading cycle shape on the fatigue behavior and life of composites. The results of this study provide an insight into fatigue damage development in composites and constitute a fundamental basis for the development of a cycle-based model in Part 2 of this work.
CAMP-DEPENDENT ENHANCEMENT OF DIHYDROPYRIDINE-SENSITIVE CALCIUM CHANNEL AVAILABILITY IN HIPPOCAMPAL NEURONS

Dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium channels can be strongly modulated by cAMP-dependent phosphorylation. This modulation takes the form of increased channel availability in cardiac myocytes (for review, see [McDonald et al., 1994][1]) and has been suggested to be essential for voltage-dependent facilitation in adrenal chromaffin cells ([Artalejo et al., 1992][2]) and skeletal muscle ([Sculptoreanu et al., 1993b][3]). To determine the role of cAMP-dependent phosphorylation on dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium channels in hippocampal neurons, we have used both single-channel and whole-cell recording techniques and have examined the effects of the membrane-permeable cAMP analog 8-(4-chlorophenylthio) (CPT)-cAMP and the protein kinase inhibitors 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7) and N -[2-( p -bromocinnamyl-amino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide (H-89). Hippocampal neurons contain two kinds of dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium channel activity: Ls and Lp ([Kavalali and Plummer, 1994][4]). The Ls channel closely resembles the cardiac L-type channel, whereas the Lp channel shows a novel low-voltage form of voltage-dependent potentiation ([Kavalali and Plummer, 1996][5]). 8-CPT-cAMP increased the availability of both the Ls and Lp channels and caused a parallel increase in Lp channel reopenings at the repolarization potential that result from voltage-dependent potentiation. This effect was completely blocked by the broad spectrum kinase inhibitor H-7 and by the protein kinase A-specific inhibitor H-89. The two inhibitors, however, did not disrupt baseline potentiation of the Lp channel, suggesting that cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity can enhance Ls and Lp channel activity but is not required for voltage-dependent potentiation in hippocampal neurons. [1]: #ref-49 [2]: #ref-5 [3]: #ref-68 [4]: #ref-37 [5]: #ref-38
Optimization of inductive RFID technology

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology holds promise for managing products through their lifecycle. Passive RFID tags can be read at a distance and do not require a line of sight between tag and reader. This paper identifies the technical parameters that harm RFID performance and evaluates measures to enhance performance. Issues addressed include read range, algorithms for communication between tag and reader, the process by which the tag modulates the carrier signal, the theory behind powering a passive tag via a LC circuit antenna, and the algorithm for simultaneously receiving and decoding information from more than one tag.
2.1.2 Electrochemical Hydrogen Sensor for Aluminium Melts

The subject matter of this presentation involves a class of resistive based electrochemical gas sensors that includes ruthenium and vandium oxides. In illustrating the potential of this class of metal oxide gas sensors, carbon monoxide and nitric oxide are used as examples. The fabrication of the devices, their synthesis, performance and sensing mechanisms are the focus of this study. For these ambient temperature devices, electrochemical measurements are rapidly and readily made by simple electronics, and integration into mobile electronic devices can lead to mHealth and mEnvironmental applications.
Surface reconstruction from constructive solid geometry for interactive visualization

A method is presented for constructing a set of triangles that closely approximates the surface of a constructive solid geometry model. The method subdivides an initial triangulation of the model's primitives into triangles that can be classified accurately as either on or off of the surface of the whole model, and then recombines these small triangles into larger ones that are still either entirely on or entirely off the surface. Subdivision and recombination can be done in a preprocessing step, allowing later rendering of the triangles on the surface (i.e., the triangles visible from outside the model) to proceed at interactive rates. Performance measurements confirm that this method achieves interactive rendering speeds. This approach has been used with good results in an interactive scientific visualization program.
Predicting Injuries of Women in Episodes of Intimate Partner Violence: Individual and Composite Risk Factors

This article examines incidents of intimate partner violence (IPV). The study involved a large sample of female victims and male perpetrators of IPV from Framingham, Massachusetts, just west of Boston. Physical injuries to IPV victims, which are sometimes serious and can be a harbinger of intimate partner homicide, were explored in order to explain the individual (and constellation of) factors that predict victim injury. We employed an innovative statistical technique that identified the profile or configuration of victim, perpetrator, and incident variables that predict victim injury. In applying various statistical techniques, different results emerged, which highlighted the complex nature of IPV.
Limitations of combined flexible sigmoidoscopy and double-contrast barium enema in patients with rectal bleeding

Eighty-seven outpatients with non-massive rectal bleeding or asymptomatic positive fecal occult blood were evaluated with 35 cm flexible sigmoidoscopy, double contrast barium enema (DBCE) and colonoscopy. 82% had hemorrhoids and 35% harbored colorectal neoplasia. The combination of flexible sigmoidoscopy and DCBE missed none of 7 malignant lesions. However, 36% of benign polyps greater than or equal to 1 cm and 60.25% of those less than 1 cm were not detected by this combination. The presence of hemorrhoids should not prevent a search for colon neoplasia and colonoscopy is the preferred method.
The nature of taxonomy.

The Winter 1986 issue of IMAGE contained a timely and much needed critical analysis of NANDA Nursing Diagnosis Taxonomy I. In this article, Porter identifies the major problem of the NANDA Nursing Diagnosis Taxonomy I—its lack of logical consistency. However, her discussion of the problem reflects some general misunderstanding within nursing about the nature or characteristics of taxonomy and the methods that may be used to develop a taxonomy.
Improving Coreference Resolution by Using Conversational Metadata

In this paper, we propose the use of metadata contained in documents to improve coreference resolution. Specifically, we quantify the impact of speaker and turn information on the performance of our coreference system, and show that the metadata can be effectively encoded as features of a statistical resolution system, which leads to a statistically significant improvement in performance.
Estimation of mass ratio of the total kernels within a sample of in-shell peanuts using RF impedance method

It would be useful to know the total kernel mass within a given mass of peanuts (mass ratio) while the peanuts are bought or being processed. In this work, the possibility of finding the mass ratio while the peanuts were in their shells was investigated. Capacitance, phase angle, and dissipation factor measurements on a parallel-plate capacitor holding in-shell peanut samples were made at frequencies from 1 to 10 MHz insteps of 1 MHz. A calibration equation was developed by multilinear regression analysis correlating the percentage ratio of the kernel weight with the measured capacitance, dissipation factor, and phase angle values of in-shell peanut samples with known kernel weights. The equation was used to predict the percentage mass ratio in the validation groups. Fitness of calibration model was verified using standard error of calibration, root mean square error of calibration, and leverage and influence plots. The predictability percentage, within 1% and 2% of the visual determination, was calculated by comparing the kernel mass ratio, obtained by the model equation and the reference value obtained by visual determination. Cross-validation gave 96% and 100% predictability, and external validation gave 87% and 98% predictability within 1% and 2% difference, respectively.
Internal surface reversed-phase silica support prepared with chymotrypsin

Abstract A silica bonded phase packing material specifically designed to accommodate the direct injection of serum or plasma samples is described. The support represents the second in a series of packing materials derived from a new concept in liquid chromatography referred to as internal surface reversed-phase (ISRP) chromatography. In this alternative synthesis method to the prototype ISRP material, the silica based supports are first modified with an amine silane and butoxy- l -phenylalanine (Boc- l -Phe). The Boc- l -Phe partitioning phase is then cleaved from the external surface of the silica particulated with α-chymotrypsin. The remaining amine groups are capped with hydrophilic glycidol. The anticonvulsant drugs phenytoin, carbamazepine, and phenobarbital in serum are successfully analyzed with the new ISRP packing material.
Exciton structure in the u.v.-absorption edge of tetragonal GeO2

Abstract Intrinsic, polarized u.v.-absorption of crystalline tetragonal GeO 2 is presented for ∝ in the range 5–10 3 cm -1 at room temperature and below. Sharp-line structure strongly polarized E ⊥ c at 77 K and below is attributed to a weakly-bound direct-forbidden exciton. A close correspondence is noted with experimental results on the SnO 2 isomorph. The previous theoretical and experimental studies on the band structure of tetragonal germania are inconsistent with the present results.
Comparison of Wind Profiler and Aircraft Wind Measurements at Chebogue Point, Nova Scotia

Abstract In August 1993, a 915-MHz boundary layer wind-profiling radar was deployed at Chebogue Point, Nova Scotia, to provide wind, turbulence, and boundary layer structure information for the North Atlantic Regional Experiment summer 1993 intensive campaign. The National Research Council Canada Twin Otter atmospheric research aircraft was also part of that campaign. During the campaign, the Twin Otter flew 29 soundings over Chebogue Point. This paper describes a comparison of the wind speed and direction measured by the profiler and the aircraft. In the height range 300–2000 m above sea level, the random difference between the wind speed measurements is 0.9 m s−1, and the random difference between the wind direction measurements is 9°. There is a small systematic difference in the wind speeds (0.14 m s−1) that is probably due to uncertainty in the zenith angles of the radar beams and extremely good agreement (within 0.5°) in the wind direction. The Kalman filter-smoother technique used to remove drifts ...
Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) foliar chemistry in Northern Vermont and New York, USA

Current and one-year-old foliage was collected from sixty-five red spruce trees growing in thirteen stands at different elevations in the Green Mountains of Vermont and Adirondacks of New York. Sample trees were randomly selected from visually healthy trees at each site. Foliage was analyzed for major and minor elements. In July 1984, foliar Ca, Mg, and Zn concentrations were significantly greater at low than at high elevations. In October 1984, Ca, Mg, and Zn concentrations were higher at low elevations and Ca and Mg concentrations varied significantly among locations within elevational groups. Nitrogen concentration was significantly higher in the high-elevation group in July but not in October. The average red spruce foliar Mg concentration at the end of the growing season in the high elevation stands (442 mg kg−1) is much lower than values reported for other mature red spruce stands in the eastern United States.
All Space Will Be Public Space

In a world in which people voluntarily live their private lives in public, we need to work with behavioral science to design and create safe public spaces.
Deconvolution of overlapping chromatographic peaks using constrained non-linear optimization

Abstract Non-linear regression involving Gaussian, modified Gaussian or Weibull functions is currently used for deconvoluting fused chromatograms. In this paper, we report that deconvolution of fused chromatograms is a problem in constrained non-linear optimization and not an unconstrained problem as assumed by previous researchers. A modified version of the generalized exponential function is shown to fit chromatographic peaks using the Box-Complex method for constrained optimization. Previously reported problems of false fits do not occur with this method. Several deconvolutios on real size exclusion chromatographic data are shown to demonstrate the power of the technique.
Mechanoreceptor function in the razor clam: sensory aspects of the foot withdrawal reflex.

Abstract 1. 1. Receptors which provide the imput to the foot withdrawal reflex in the razor clam have been studied using controlled mechanical stimulation. Recording were made from various nerves innervating the foot. 2. 2. The root mechanoreceptors are highly phasic; each receptor typically generates a single impulse at the beggining of a prolonged displacement and another impulse when the displacing probe is withdrawn. The receptors require a stimulus of rapid rise rate (critical velocity approximately 10 mm/sec) and will not follow a rapidly repeated stimulus. This will respond to stimulation perpendicular or parallel to the foot surface with equivalent thresholds (displacements of 60–100 μ). Vibratory stimuli are not generally effective, and neither the mechanoreceptors studied nor any other receptors evidently respond to muscle contraction. 3. 3. Receptive fields are a few mm in diameter, but a receptor will respond to intense mechanical stimuli delivered outside its primary receptive field. Intensity is likely to be coded by the number of units responding. 4. 4. Receptors in the mantle and collar have characteristics similar to those in the foot. It is probable that all mechanoreceptors in exposed tissues function as alarm receptors. 5. 5. The force with which the tissue resists a prolonged displacement was measured with a force-sensing probe. The force declines rapidly after onset of displacement, reaches a static plateau and exhibits a negative peak and gradual return to baseline if the displacing probe is rapidly withdrawn. 6. 6. The receptors' phasic properties and requirement for rapid displacements may be largely explained by a conventional visco-elastic model of mechanoreceptor adaptation. Measurements of force during prolonged displacements also are in accord with the model.
Association of statin use with a pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation for rectal cancer

Purpose: To assess whether 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, or statins, might enhance the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiation in rectal cancer. Methods and Materials: Between 1996 and 2001, 358 patients with clinically resectable, nonmetastatic rectal cancer underwent surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center after neoadjuvant chemoradiation for either locally advanced tumors or low-lying tumors that would require abdominoperineal resection. We excluded 9 patients for radiation therapy dose Results: Thirty-three patients (9%) used a statin, with no differences in clinical stage according to digital rectal examination or ultrasound compared with the other 324 patients. At the time of surgery, 23 nonstatin patients (7%) were found to have metastatic disease, compared with 0% for statin patients. The unadjusted pCR rates with and without statin use were 30% and 17%, respectively ( p = 0.10). Variables significant univariately at the p = 0.15 level were entered into a multivariate model, as were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which were strongly associated with statin use. The odds ratio for statin use on pCR was 4.2 (95% confidence interval, 1.7–12.1; p = 0.003) after adjusting for NSAID use, clinical stage, and type of chemotherapy. Conclusion: In multivariate analysis, statin use is associated with an improved pCR rate after neoadjuvant chemoradiation for rectal cancer. The low prevalence of statin use limits the power to detect a significant difference at a type I error threshold of p = 0.05 in this analysis. Although no definitive conclusions can be drawn on the basis of this retrospective study, the unusually high incidence of pCR after chemoradiation suggests that the use of statins in the treatment of rectal cancer warrants further evaluation.
A Hybrid Evaluation Model for Evaluating Online Professional Development.

Online professional development is multidimensional. It encompasses: a) an online, web‐based format; b) professional development; and most likely c) specific objectives tailored to and created for the respective online professional development course. Evaluating online professional development is therefore also multidimensional and as such both important and difficult. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the structure of an evaluation model developed and used to evaluate a custom‐built online professional development course, emphasizing how the evaluation model fits within and contributes to better understanding of online professional development evaluation. A hybrid model is conceptualized as one solution to this problem. The conceptualization of the hybrid model is presented in theoretical terms. This is followed by a concise summary of its application to an online professional development course.
On the significance of microtubule flexural behavior in cytoskeletal mechanics.

Quantitative description of cell mechanics has challenged biological scientists for the past two decades. Various structural models have been attempted to analyze the structure of the cytoskeleton. One important aspect that has been largely ignored in all these modeling approaches is related to the flexural and buckling behavior of microtubular filaments. The objective of this paper is to explore the influence of this flexural and buckling behavior in cytoskeletal mechanics. In vitro the microtubules are observed to buckle in the first mode, reminiscent of a free, simply-supported beam. In vivo images of microtubules, however, indicate that the buckling mostly occurs in higher modes. This buckling mode switch takes place mostly because of the lateral support of microtubules via their connections to actin and intermediate filaments. These lateral loads are exerted throughout the microtubule length and yield a considerable bending behavior that, unless properly accounted for, would produce erroneous results in the modeling and analysis of the cytoskeletal mechanics. One of the promising attempts towards mechanical modeling of the cytoskeleton is the tensegrity model, which simplifies the complex network of cytoskeletal filaments into a combination merely of tension-bearing actin filaments and compression-bearing microtubules. Interestingly, this discrete model can qualitatively explain many experimental observations in cell mechanics. However, evidence suggests that the simplicity of this model may undermine the accuracy of its predictions, given the model's underlying assumption that “every single member bears solely either tensile or compressive behavior,” i.e. neglecting the flexural behavior of the microtubule filaments. We invoke an anisotropic continuum model for microtubules and compare the bending energy stored in a single microtubule with its axial strain energy at the verge of buckling. Our results suggest that the bending energy can exceed the axial energy of microtubules by 40 folds. A modification to tensegrity model is, therefore, proved necessary in order to take into account the flexural response of microtubules. The concept of “bendo-tensegrity” is proposed as a modification to contemporary cytoskeletal tensegrity models.
Flexural strength of creep feed ground ceramics: general pattern, ductile-brittle transition and mlp modeling

Three ceramic materials including two aluminas and one silicon nitride were ground under various creep feed conditions. Flexural strengths of the ground specimens were measured by four-point bending. The experimental data indicates a general flexural strength pattern consisted of three regimes as a function of mean unit load and grit depth of cut (or mean chip cross-sectional area). Defining ductile-brittle transition as the point where strength starts to degrade, it is found that the transition occurs at higher mean unit load, grit depth of cut, or mean chip cross-sectional area for the lower strength material. The percentage of fractured area is found not to be a good indicator of strength for alumina materials. The multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural network is proposed to establish the strength model. The general form of the MLP-based strength models as well as the fitted parameters are given. The implications of the study are discussed with respect to past studies.
Compositional dependence of optically encoded second-harmonic generation in pure binary lead-silicate and ternary barium borosilicate glasses

Ultrahigh-purity undoped binary lead-silicate and ternary barium borosilicate glass systems were used to study the dependence of photoinduced second-harmonic generation (SHG) on the composition of these materials. The experiments revealed a peak in the SHG conversion efficiency as a function of the compositional dependence in the ternary glass system that correlates with the density of three-oxygen-coordinated boron. A nonexponential decay of the SHG during the readout process was observed for the lead-silicate glasses. In addition, these glasses exhibited threshold behavior in the second-harmonic conversion efficiency with varying IR preparation intensity.