cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in invasive bladder cancer: Update of a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data

Abstract Objectives: To evaluate the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy in invasive bladder cancer. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of updated individual patient data from all available randomised controlled trials comparing local treatment plus adjuvant chemotherapy versus the same local treatment alone. Results: Analyses were based on 491 patients from six trials, representing 90% of all patients randomised in cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy trials and 66% of patients from all eligible trials. The power of this meta-analysis is clearly limited. The overall hazard ratio for survival of 0.75 (95% CI 0.60–0.96, p =0.019) suggests a 25% relative reduction in the risk of death for chemotherapy compared to that on control. Cox regression suggests that small imbalances in patient characteristics do not bias the results in favour of chemotherapy. However, the impact of trials that stopped early, of patients not receiving allocated treatments or not receiving salvage chemotherapy is less clear. Conclusions: This IPD meta-analysis provides the best evidence currently available on the role of adjuvant chemotherapy for invasive bladder cancer. However, at present there is insufficient evidence on which to reliably base treatment decisions. These results highlight the urgent need for further research into the use of adjuvant chemotherapy. The results of appropriately sized randomised trials, such as the ongoing EORTC-30994 trial are needed before any definitive conclusions can be drawn.
Combining over- and under-approximating program analyses for automatic software testing

This dissertation attacks the well-known problem of path-imprecision in static program analysis. Our starting point is an existing static program analysis that over-approximates the execution paths of the analyzed program. We then make this over-approximating program analysis more precise for automatic testing in an object-oriented programming language. We achieve this by combining the overapproximating program analysis with usage-observing and under-approximating analyses. More specifically, we make the following contributions. We present a technique to eliminate language-level unsound bug warnings produced by an execution-path-over-approximating analysis for object-oriented programs that is based on the weakest precondition calculus. Our technique post-processes the results of the over-approximating analysis by solving the produced constraint systems and generating and executing concrete test-cases that satisfy the given constraint systems. Only test-cases that confirm the results of the over-approximating static analysis are presented to the user. This technique has the important side-benefit of making the results of a weakest-precondition based static analysis easier to understand for human consumers. We show examples from our experiments that visually demonstrate the difference between hundreds of complicated constraints and a simple corresponding JUnit test-case. Besides eliminating language-level unsound bug warnings, we present an additional technique that also addresses user-level unsound bug warnings. This technique preprocesses the testee with a dynamic analysis that takes advantage of actual user data. It annotates the testee with the knowledge obtained from this pre-processing step and thereby provides guidance for the over-approximating analysis. We also present an improvement to dynamic invariant detection for object-oriented programming languages. Previous approaches do not take behavioral subtyping into account and therefore may produce inconsistent results, which can throw off automated analyses such as the ones we are performing for bug-finding. Finally, we address the problem of unwanted dependencies between test-cases caused by global state. We present two techniques for efficiently re-initializing global state between test-case executions and discuss their trade-offs. We have implemented the above techniques in the JCrasher, Check 'n' Crash, and DSD-Crasher tools and present initial experience in using them for automated bug finding in real-world Java programs.
Departmental Professionalism and Its Impact on Indicators of Violence in Police–Citizen Encounters

Citizens’ beliefs that officers are employing unnecessary or excessive levels of force can quickly erode police legitimacy and can lead to severe consequences including loss of life, civil disorder...
Positive Feedback and System Resilience from Graphical and Finite-Difference Models: The Amazon Ecosystem—An Example

Abstract Positive feedback has the potential to create multiple steady states that divide system space into regions of distinct behavioral modes. Graphical analysis can be used to recognize systems likely to behave in this way. For example, positive feedback created by interactions among tropical forest, regional hydrology, and climate in the Amazon basin may produce multiple steady states. As deforestation progresses, one state—the normal forest with a high leaf area index—is stable and promotes system resilience. However, deforestation can cause the system to shift toward and past a second, unstable state at moderate levels of forest cover. The latter separates forest stability in the face of stress from runaway behavior and system collapse into an alternative grassland ecology. To test this inference, a two-dimensional finite-difference model has been constructed that includes parameterizations of the functions controlling feedback. Results of the experiment indicate that human-driven deforestation may...
All Benefits, No Costs: The Grand Illusion of Miranda’s Defenders

A leading defender of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Miranda v. Arizona concluded that the famous and controversial criminal law decision provides substantial benefits and virtually no costs. But how can something that makes so little difference be so important? In the real world, things are more complicated. This rejoinder article contends that this “no costs” illusion is possible only by indulging every presumption against Miranda’s harm. Miranda’s defender does not acknowledge that the range of error in methodology is equally likely to create a “deceptive illusion” of low or nonexistent costs. Part I demonstrates that, far from calculating Miranda’s greatest possible harm, conventional studies simply read the data resourcefully to put Miranda in the best possible light and to shrink Miranda’s costs to an acceptable level. Part II then takes on challenges to the desirability of modifying Miranda by replacing its waiver and questioning cut-off rules with a mandatory videotaping regime.
Fact, Fiction And Proof In The 21st Century: Evidence And Credibility For Fact Finding By Administrative Law Judges

Administrative law judges (ALJ’s). like trial judges, minimize their chances of reversal by writing their opinions so as to persuade the reviewing agency or court that they reached the right decision in the first instance - or that even if the reviewing body would be inclined to rule differently, it should defer to the ALJ. The ALJ’s task is to "make the record sing” so well that the reviewing body finds itself humming along.
N-[2-(9H-Carbazol-9-yl)eth­yl]-4-(methyl­sulfon­yl)aniline

In the title mol­ecule, C21H20N2O2S, the dihedral angle between the mean plane of the carbazole ring system [maximum deviation = 0.021 (4) A] and the benzene ring is 80.15 (6)°. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by N—H⋯O and weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a C(8) chain along [001].
Solvent extraction of mercury using Alamine 304

A study has been undertaken to develop a solvent extraction system for mercury using Alamine 304 in aqueous chloride medium. The parameters investigated included reagent concentration, acid concentration, pH, aqueous to organic phase ratio, and rate of extraction and stripping. The study shows that mercury can be extracted rapidly and efficiently from aqueous chloride solutions. A number of aqueous stripping reagents removed more than 90% of the mercury from the organic phase with only one equilibrium. These include HNO3, NaOH and EDTA.
Chapter 17 The Assessment of Limb Apraxia: The Limb Apraxia Test

Limb apraxia has long been recognized as an impairment of purposive limb movements associated primarily with left hemispheric pathology. Its clinical assessment, however, typically has been highly subjective and variable. In this paper we discuss factors that are important to the assessment of limb apraxia, including the basic nature and categorization of movements to be assessed, methods for eliciting responses, the potential influence of aphasia on representational limb movements, salient response characteristics, and scoring of performance. We then describe the item, subtest structure, and scoring of the Limb Apraxia Test (LAT), an 80-item test of imitative unilateral upper limb movement, which was designed to meet the need for a valid and reliable quantitative measure of limb apraxia. Finally, we summarize the LAT performance of normal, right-hemisphere-damaged and left-hemisphere-damaged-aphasic groups, emphasizing data which demonstrate the reliability, validity, and usefulness of the test.
Inoculative Release of Phytoseiid Mites (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) into the Rapidly Expanding Canopy of Hops for Control of Tetranychus urticae (Acarina: Tetranychidae)

Biological control of Tetranychus urticae Koch was studied on hops, Humulus lupulus L., a rapidly growing perennial crop, in westem Oregon. Single or mixed species of Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman), Metaseiuius occidentalis (Nesbitt), Typhlodromus pyri Scheuten, and Amblyseius andersoni Chant were released inoculatively into individual plants in 1992–1993. Success of T. urticae control depended on the phytoseiid species released and the ratios and distributions of pest and predaceous mites. The most effective control was by N. fallacis or M. occidentalis or a mixture of both species. In 1993, M. occidentalis provided poor control, probably because of cool weather. T. pyri and A. andersoni provided some control, but always less than N. fallacis and M. occidentalis . Analysis of spatial distributions indicated that both N. fallacis and M. occidentalis dispersed throughout hop plants if T. urticae were not abundant, but they stayed on the lower parts of the plant when T. urticae were abundant. Factors governing the distributions and dispersal of T. urticae and phytoseiids on hops and the effectiveness of biological control are discussed.
Microbiological method for the detection of pantothentic acid in food

The growth of Lactobacillus plantamn(ATCC 8014) and the pantothetic acid content in the solution shows a linear relationship.Pantothetic acid content in food can be measured by absorbency of bacterial solution after a certain period of time.The standard curve reflected good linear relationship in the range of 10-100 ng.The inter-batch RSD was between 2.1% and 4.3%,and the intra-batch RSD between 2.7% and 4.1%.The rate of recovery was between 88.4% and 100.5%.
Management Differences and Productivity: A Simulated Investigation into Dummy Variables in Two-Stage Data Envelopment Analysis

This paper tests the ability of two-stage DEA to pick up on efficiency differences between two groups. Using the context of franchising, I simulate establishment-level data and give franchisee-owned establishments an artificial output bump of various sizes. Using an ownership dummy variable in the second stage regression, I find that two-stage DEA is able to detect that franchisee-owned establishments are more efficient than their franchisor-owned counterparts. The results suggest that the estimated ownership effect is a lower bound on the true value. I find that franchisee-owned establishments are 4.4 percentage points more efficient than franchisor-owned establishments when a 5% ownership effect is used. Similar results are found for effects of 10%, 15%, 25%, and 50%. The results hold up remarkably well to various robustness checks. I test the results using the DEA inputs in the second-stage regression, logged DEA scores in the second-stage regression, and alternate DEA specifications. I also check my results against the commonly-used average product measure of productivity. In all of these robustness checks, the estimated effect from ownership stays steady.
Analysis of Oral Health Advocacy in the Peer-Reviewed Literature, 2013 to 2016

Introduction Advocacy is the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal. The recent peer-reviewed literature on advocacy for oral health and dental care is slim, disparate, and not reflective of the ever-expanding dynamism of this field.
IMPACC: A Tightly Integrated MPI+OpenACC Framework Exploiting Shared Memory Parallelism

We propose IMPACC, an MPI+OpenACC framework for heterogeneous accelerator clusters. IMPACC tightly integrates MPI and OpenACC, while exploiting the shared memory parallelism in the target system. IMPACC dynamically adapts the input MPI+OpenACC applications on the target heterogeneous accelerator clusters to fully exploit target system-specific features. IMPACC provides the programmers with the unified virtual address space, automatic NUMA-friendly task-device mapping, efficient integrated communication routines, seamless streamlining of asynchronous executions, and transparent memory sharing. We have implemented IMPACC and evaluated its performance using three heterogeneous accelerator systems, including Titan supercomputer. Results show that IMPACC can achieve easier programming, higher performance, and better scalability than the current MPI+OpenACC model.
Improving Education Outcomes in Developing Countries: Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, and Policy Implications

Abstract Improvements in empirical research standards for credible identification of the causal impact of education policies on education outcomes have led to a significant increase in the body of evidence available on improving education outcomes in developing countries. This chapter aims to synthesize this evidence, interpret their results, and discuss the reasons why some interventions appear to be effective and others do not, with the ultimate goal of drawing implications for both research and policy. Interpreting the evidence for generalizable lessons is challenging because of variation across contexts, duration and quality of studies, and the details of specific interventions studied. Nevertheless, some broad patterns do emerge. Demand-side interventions that increase the immediate returns to (or reduce household costs of) school enrollment, or that increase students’ returns to effort, are broadly effective at increasing time in school and learning outcomes, but vary considerably in cost-effectiveness. Many expensive “standard” school inputs are often not very effective at improving outcomes, though some specific inputs (which are often less expensive) are. Interventions that focus on improved pedagogy (especially supplemental instruction to children lagging behind grade level competencies) are particularly effective, and so are interventions that improve school governance and teacher accountability. Our broad policy message is that the evidence points to several promising ways in which the efficiency of education spending in developing countries can be improved by pivoting public expenditure from less cost-effective to more cost-effective ways of achieving the same objectives. We conclude by documenting areas where more research is needed, and offer suggestions on the public goods and standards needed to make it easier for decentralized and uncoordinated research studies to be compared across contexts.
Blood Gas and Acid-Base Changes in the Neonatal Foal

This article reviews what are considered the basic concepts of gas transport, blood gases, and acid-base physiology is most mammalian species. Techniques for the appropriate collection of blood samples for blood gas and acid-base determinations in the newborn foal are described. Guidelines for interpretation of these values in the normal foal and those animals undergoing respiratory and metabolic derangements are provided.
Optimal Design and Synthesis of Algae Processing Network under Uncertainty Based on Return on Investment

This article addresses the robust design and synthesis of algae processing networks under feedstock and product price uncertainty. We develop a superstructure of algae processing networks for the production of biodiesel and bioproducts. Based on the superstructure, we proposed a two-stage adaptive robust mixed-integer linear fractional programming problem to maximize the return on investment (ROI) of the algae processing processes under feedstock and product price uncertainty. Due to the fractional term and multi-level optimization structure, the problem cannot be solved directly by any solver. We propose a solution strategy that integrates a parametric algorithm and a column-and-constraint-generation algorithm. Robustness of the optimal solution is controlled by the budget of uncertain parameters, and the obtained robust optimal ROIs range from 6.38% to 7.62%. The robust optimal processing route selects algae cultivation in raceway open ponds, harvesting via centrifugation, supercritical CO2 extraction, heterogeneously catalysed transesterification, directly combusting the biogas in the remnant treatment process, and poly-hydroxybutyrate upgrading process.
The retinal pigment epithelium is the unique site of transthyretin synthesis in the rat eye.

Transthyretin (TTR), or prealbumin, is a 55-kD tetrameric protein which plays an important role in the plasma transport of thyroxine, and through its interaction with retinol-binding protein, of retinol. Four major sources of TTR synthesis have been identified in the mammal: liver hepatocytes, visceral yolk sac endoderm, choroid plexus epithelium, and the eye. We now report in situ hybridization studies demonstrating that in the rat eye, the retinal pigment epithelium is the unique source of TTR synthesis. This finding underscores the developmental, structural, and functional homology between the choroid plexus epithelium and the retinal pigment epithelium. Although the functional significance of ocular TTR synthesis is unclear, it is likely that it serves to transport thyroxine or retinol across the blood-retina barrier, thereby facilitating their effects on differentiation and morphogenesis. Considering the importance of retinol in the biochemistry of the visual process, we propose that TTR may play a role in the intraocular cycling of retinol. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 31:497-501, 1990
Excited-State Processes of Cyclometalated Platinum(II) Charge-Transfer Dimers Bridged by Hydroxypyridines

A series of four anti-disposed dinuclear platinum(II) complexes featuring metal-metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MMLCT) excited states, bridged by either 2-hydroxy-6-methylpyridine or 2-hydroxy-6-phenylpyridine and cyclometalated with 7,8-benzoquinoline or 2-phenylpyridine, are presented. The 2-hydroxypyridine bridging ligands control intramolecular d8-d8 metal-metal σ interactions, affecting the frontier orbitals' electronic structure, resulting in marked changes to the ground- and excited-state properties of these complexes. Three of these molecules possess reversible one-electron oxidations in cyclic voltammetry experiments as a result of strong intramolecular metallophilic interactions. In this series of molecules, X-ray crystallography revealed Pt-Pt distances ranging between 2.815 and 2.878 A; the former represents the shortest reported metal-metal distance for platinum(II) dimers possessing low-energy MMLCT transitions. All four molecules reported here display visible absorption bands beyond 500 nm and feature MMLCT-based red photoluminescence (PL) above 700 nm at room temperature with high PL quantum yields (up to 4%) and long excited-state lifetimes (up to 341 ns). The latter were recorded using both transient PL and transient absorption experiments that self-consistently yielded quantitatively identical excited-state lifetimes. The energy-gap law was successfully applied to this series of chromophores, documenting this behavior for the first time in molecules possessing MMLCT excited states. The combined data illustrate that entirely new classes of MMLCT chromophores can be envisioned using bridging pyridyl hydroxides in cooperation with various C^N cyclometalates to achieve photophysical properties suitable for excited-state electron- and energy-transfer chemistry.
Enhancer of zeste-homolog 2 (EZH2) expression and clinical outcomes in metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

350Background: In prostate cancer, overexpression of EZH2 is associated with disease recurrence, androgen independent growth, cell invasion, and metastases. We evaluated the prognostic significance of EZH2 gene expression in metastatic biopsies from men with CRPC. Methods: EZH2 (RNA) expression was evaluated in two serial metastatic site biopsies in patients (pts) prior to treatment with abiraterone acetate and prednisone (pre-AA/P) and after 12 weeks of treatment (post-AA/P). All pts were enrolled and prospectively followed for clinical outcomes. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), defined as the time from CRPC to death or last follow-up. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed on EZH2 expression using normalized fragments per kilobase million (FPKM) > 1 for association with OS and time to treatment failure (TTF). Results: Of 92 enrolled pts, 59 pts had (pre-AA/P) gene expression using RNA-seq, 45 had paired pre and post-AA/P RNA-seq available for analysis. In pre-AA/P sampl...
Recent developments in encapsulation and release of functional food ingredients: delivery by design

The development of colloidal delivery systems (CDS) to encapsulate, protect, and release bioactive agents has exploded in recent years, as seen by the large increase in papers published in this area. These delivery systems include micelles, microemulsions, nanoemulsions, emulsions, multiple emulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, protein nanoparticles, and biopolymer microgels. Despite this fact, it is unclear how many of these delivery systems are actually being adapted by industry, or if they are even suitable for commercial applications. Many of the CDS described in scientific manuscripts are prepared from ingredients that are not legally acceptable in foods, are fabricated using processing operations that are uneconomic or cannot be scaled up, or have properties incompatible with the intended final application. This article describes the principle of `delivery by design’ (DbD) as a more rational approach to create CDS with properties suitable for commercial applications.
The Strategy for Cleaning up Our Waters

The United States is embarked on a national program to clean up its waters and eliminate pollutant discharge from all man-made sources. The purpose of this program is to protect not only human health and welfare from the direct impact of polluted water but also to protect the delicate web of life on which man’s survival depends. The strategy for accomplishing this purpose is based on an attempt to blend a number of complex components including technological capability, economics, scientific measurement, and judgments about safety; all brought together by the political decision process. The strategy is being implemented through numerous daily decisions of government officials who are under pressure from industry, the general public, and special interest groups.
Using Type Information to Simplify Formulas

The ability to simplify formulas is central to the ability to prove theorems by induction; a principal activity during an inductive proof is transforming the induction conclusion into an expression resembling the induction hypothesis so that the induction hypothesis can be used. To simplify a formula, we simplify its subterms under the assumptions we can glean from the context of the subterms in the formula. In this chapter, we describe how we represent such assumptions so that they can be readily used. We also explain how we derive from an expression or a recursive function definition a superset of the types of objects the expression or function returns. The ability to look at a term and immediately see that it may return certain types of objects is used in almost all our theorem-proving heuristics.
Precision Medicine and Personalized Management of Lipoprotein and Lipid Disorders in Chronic and End-Stage Kidney Disease

Summary: Precision medicine is an emerging field that calls for individualization of treatment strategies based on characteristics unique to each patient. In lipid management, current guidelines are driven mainly by clinical trial results that presently indicate that patients with non–dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (CKD) should be treated with a β-hydroxy β-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitor, also known as statin therapy. For patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) being treated with hemodialysis, statin therapy has not been shown to successfully reduce poor outcomes in trials and therefore is not recommended. The two major guidelines dissent on whether statin therapy should be of moderate or high intensity in non–dialysis-dependent CKD patients, but often leave the prescribing clinician to make that decision. These decisions often are complicated by the increased concerns for adverse events such as myopathies in patients with advanced kidney disease and ESKD. In the future, there may be an opportunity to further identify CKD and ESKD patients who are more likely to benefit from lipid-modifying therapy as opposed to those who likely will suffer from its side effects using precision medicine tools. For now, data from genetics studies and subgroup analyses may provide insight for future research directions in this field and we review some of the work that has been published in this regard.
A Low-Overhead Integrity Verification for Big Data Transfers

The amount of data generated by scientific and commercial applications is growing at an ever-increasing pace. This data is often moved between geographically distributed sites for various purposes such as collaboration and backup which has led to significant increase in data transfer rates. Surge in data transfer rates when combined with proliferation of scientific applications that cannot tolerate data corruption triggered enhanced integrity verification techniques to be developed. End- to-end integrity verification minimizes the likelihood of silent data corruption by comparing checksum of files at source and destination servers using secure hash algorithms such as MD5 and SHA1. However, it imposes significant performance penalty due to overhead of checksum computation. In this paper, we propose Fast Integrity VERification (FIVER) algorithm which overlaps checksum computation and data transfer operations of files to minimize the cost of integrity verification. Extensive experiments show that FIVER is able to bring down the cost from 60% by the state-of-the-art solutions to below 10% by concurrently executing transfer and checksum operations and enabling file I/O share between them. We also implemented FIVER-Hybrid to mimic disk access patterns of sequential integrity verification approach to capture possible data corruption that may occur during file write operations which FIVER may miss. Results show that FIVER-Hybrid is able to reduce execution time by 20% compared to sequential approach without compromising the reliability of integrity verification.
Dose of remote limb ischemic conditioning for enhancing learning in healthy young adults

Remote limb ischemic conditioning (RLIC) is a technique in which tissues distant from the target organ are exposed to brief, sub-lethal bouts of ischemia. The effects of remotely applied ischemic conditioning are systemically transferred to the target organ, and typically manifested as protection from subsequent ischemic injury. Previous studies in our lab have found and confirmed that RLIC enhances learning and retention during motor training on a balance task. The current study tested the effect of RLIC dose (number of cycles) on learning enhancement in young, healthy adults. Forty healthy participants age 18–40 years were randomized to receive 5 cycles of sham conditioning (n = 9), 3 cycles of RLIC (n = 11), 4 cycles of RLIC (n = 10), or 5 cycles of RLIC (n = 10) using a blood pressure cuff around the upper arm once a day for 7 consecutive weekdays (Days 1–7). Participants concurrently trained on a balance task, bimanual cup stacking task, and a discrete sequence production task on Days 3–7. Change in performance on each of the three tasks was compared across groups. Participants in all four groups improved their performance on each of the three tasks over time. However, RLIC at any dose did not enhance learning on any of the three tasks. While RLIC is safe, inexpensive, and clinically feasible, reproducibility may be challenged by unidentified factors, raising critical challenges to the straightforward translation of RLIC for improving rehabilitation outcomes in individuals recovering from neurological injury.
Evaluation of finite element human body models for use in a standardized protocol for pedestrian safety assessment.

Objective: Finite element human body models (HBMs) must be certified for use within the EuroNCAP pedestrian safety assessment protocol. We demonstrate that the Global Human Body Model Consortium (G...
Negative association of perceived risk and willingness to participate in innovative psychiatric research protocols

Abstract Psychiatric researchers grapple with concerns that individuals with mental illness may be less likely to appreciate risks of research participation, particularly compared to people not suffering from mental illness. Therefore, empirical studies that directly compare the perspectives of such individuals are needed. In addition, it is important to evaluate perspectives regarding varied types of research protocols, particularly as innovative psychiatric research protocols emerge. In this pilot study, respondents with a mood disorder (n = 25) as well as respondents without a mood disorder (n = 55) were recruited using Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) platform. These respondents were surveyed regarding four psychiatric research projects (i.e., experimental medication [pill form]; non-invasive magnetic brain stimulation; experimental medication [intravenous infusion]; and implantation of a device in the brain). Regardless of health status, respondents rated the four research protocols as somewhat to highly risky. The brain-device implant protocol was seen as the most risky, while the magnetic brain stimulation project was viewed as “somewhat risky”. Respondents, on average and regardless of health status, rated their willingness at or below “somewhat willing.” Respondents were least willing to participate in the brain-device implant protocol, whereas they were “somewhat willing” to participate in the magnetic brain stimulation protocol. Trust in medical research was negatively associated with perceived risk of research protocols. Perceived risk was negatively associated with willingness to participate, even when adjusting for potential confounders, suggesting that attunement to risk crosses diagnostic, gender, and ethnic categories, and is more salient to research decision-making than trust in medical research and dispositional optimism. The findings of this study may offer reassurance about the underlying decision-making processes of individuals considering participation in innovative neuroscience studies.
Evaluation of Malaria Diagnostic Methods as a Key for Successful Control and Elimination Programs.

Malaria is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) world malaria report for 2018, there were 228 million cases and 405,000 deaths worldwide. This paper reviews and highlights the importance of accurate, sensitive and affordable diagnostic methods in the fight against malaria. The PubMed online database was used to search for publications that examined the different diagnostic tests for malaria. Currently used diagnostic methods include microscopy, rapid diagnostic tests (RDT), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Upcoming methods were identified as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA), isothermal thermophilic helicase-dependent amplification (tHDA), saliva-based test for nucleic-acid amplification, saliva-based test for Plasmodium protein detection, urine malaria test (UMT), and transdermal hemozoin detection. RDT, despite its increasing false negative, is still the most feasible diagnostic test because it is easy to use, fast, and does not need expensive equipment. Noninvasive tests that do not require a blood sample, but use saliva or urine, are some of the recent tests under development that have the potential to aid malaria control and elimination. Emerging resistance to anti-malaria drugs and to insecticides used against vectors continues to thwart progress in controlling malaria. Therefore, future innovation will be required to enable the application of more sensitive and affordable methods in resource-limited settings.
A deficit-accumulation frailty index predicts survival outcomes in patients with gynecologic malignancy.

Abstract Objective To determine the association between scores from a 25-item patient-reported Rockwood Accumulation of Deficits Frailty Index (DAFI) and survival outcomes in gynecologic cancer patients. Methods A frailty index was constructed from the SEER-MHOS database. The DAFI was applied to women age ≥ 65 diagnosed with all types of gynecologic cancers between 1998 and 2015. The impact of frailty status at cancer diagnosis on overall survival (OS) was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards regression. Results In this cohort (n = 1336) the median age at diagnosis was 74 (range 65–97). Nine hundred sixty-two (72%) women were Caucasian and 132 (10%) were African-American. Overall, 651(49%) of patients were considered frail. On multivariate analysis, frail patients had a 48% increased risk for death (aHR 1.48; 95% CI 1.29–1.69; P Conclusions Frailty appears to be a significant predictor of mortality in gynecologic cancer patients regardless of chronological age. This measure of functional age may be of particular utility in women with loco-regional disease only who otherwise would have a favorable prognosis.
Origins of the poisoning effect of chlorine on the CO hydrogenation activity of alumina-supported cobalt monitored by operando FT-IR spectroscopy

Abstract The effect of chlorine, introduced as trichloroethylene, on the CO hydrogenation activity at atmospheric pressure of an alumina-supported cobalt was studied by operando diffuse reflectance FT-IR spectroscopy (DRIFTS). The IR signal of CO(ads) could be essentially decomposed into only three bands, whether chlorine was present or not. Chlorine induced a strong and partly reversible poisoning. A major effect of chlorine on the electronic structure of the cobalt particles was evidenced here, in addition to the previously reported site blocking. The electronic density removed by chlorine from the metallic cobalt limited the weakening of the C–O bonds, which occurs through electronic back-donation from cobalt to the CO π∗ anti-bonding orbital. The CO(ads) exhibiting a wave number at ca. 1881 cm−1 were most affected by chlorine, suggesting that those were associated with the most active sites. The 1881 cm−1 species only led to a minor dipole–dipole coupling and were thus most likely part of a mono-dimensional, or even punctual, network of CO(ads). These species could possibly be bridged CO adsorbed on edges and steps, where chlorine could preferentially adsorb. The corresponding C–O bond strength increased by about 15 ± 8 kJ/mol in the presence of chlorine. Assuming that the rate-determining step of CO hydrogenation was C–O bond dissociation, these observations are consistent with chlorine main poisoning effects being both site blocking (i.e. competitive adsorption) and an electronic effect through the strengthening of the C–O bond that made CO(ads) less likely to dissociate (i.e. modification of the activation energy barrier).
Simple Device for Automatically Transferring Broth Cultures

A simple device is described for automatically transferring broth cultures from one tube to another by means of a tilting platform.
The lens capsule. Sugar and amino acid composition.

Abstract Anterior and posterior portions of the lens capsules of calf and cow eyes were obtained free of cellular material by a procedure which included ultrasonic treatment. Sugar analyses indicated that approximately 11% of the dry weight of the capsules was in the form of monosaccharide residues, which were identified as glucose, galactose, mannose, fucose, hexosamines, and sialic acids. Small amounts of hexuronic acids were also present. The hexosamines consisted of glucosamine and galactosamine, which were present in the ratios of 92:8 in the calf anterior capsule and 93:7 in the calf posterior capsule. The sialic acids consisted of both N-glycolyl- and N-acetylneuraminic acids in the ratio of 60:40 in the anterior calf capsule and 65:35 in the posterior calf capsule. Distinct differences with age were noted in the composition of the lens capsule. Cow capsules contained larger amounts of glucose and galactose, and smaller levels of mannose and hexosamine than those from calves. Decreases in the sialic acid content were observed in the older animals while the fucose remained constant with age. The posterior portions of the capsules of both age groups contained less glucose and galactose than the anterior parts, but more sialic acid and hexuronic acid. The peptide portion of the capsules was characterized by the occurrence of a large amount of glycine (approximately one-fourth of the amino acid residues), as well as of hydroxyproline (10% of the amino acid residues) and hydroxylysine (4% of the amino acid residues). In addition, all of the commonly occurring amino acids were present, including cystine, methionine and tryptophan. Amide analyses indicated that nearly half of the dicarboxylic amino acids were in the uncharged form; in the anterior calf capsule 45% of these amino acids were in the amide form. An accounting of the charged groups of the capsules indicated that each had a net positive charge; the anterior calf capsule had a positive charge of 25 per 1000 amino acid residues. Of particular note in the amino acid composition of the lens capsules was the occurrence of very high hydroxylysine to lysine and hydroxyproline to proline ratios, which increased still further with age. While the composition of these lens capsules place them in the collagen group of proteins, they appear most closely related to other extracellular membranes, such as the renal glomerular basement membrane.
Termites like it hot and humid: the ability of arboreal tropical termites to mediate their nest environment against ambient conditions

Tropical termites are physiologically adapted to a narrow range of climatic conditions, and as a result may be particularly impacted by global climate change. Because of their key roles as decomposers and ecosystem engineers, any climatic impact on termites could have serious ramifications for tropical ecosystems. The ability of termites to mediate their nest environment could allow them to cope with these changes. The temperature and RH in nests of the tropical termite Nasutitermes acajutlae were compared with ambient conditions on the island of St John, U.S. Virgin Islands, over a 5-year period using data loggers inserted into nest cartons. Nest conditions were found to be significantly warmer, more humid, and less variable than ambient conditions with respect to both temperature and RH. A comparison of dead nests, live non-reproductive nests, and live reproductive nests revealed that temperature mediation appears to be primarily the result of the presence of termites, with reproductive nests producing the highest temperatures, while high RH is maintained by the insulating effects of the nest material. Environmental variability across the years of this study had a significant influence on nest temperature and RH, suggesting that if tropical conditions become warmer and drier as predicted, N. acajutlae may have difficulty adapting over the long term.
Siting a wind farm in Oregon: Considering a hierarchical decision model with four scenarios

This paper primarily serves two purposes: first, it looks to develop a methodology that takes scenarios and certain hard-to-measure intangibles such as politics, social impact, and even religion; as well as more tangible and measurable variables such as environmental impacts, cost and types of materials, storage and wind turbine technologies, to name a few, that then could be used as input to a decision-making model on where to build a wind farm. The hierarchical decision model (HDM) then analyzes these variables, based on an independent judging panel, in order to come up with a recommendation for the best site on where to build the wind farm. Second, the preliminary discussion of this paper serves as a prototype of developing a methodology that might one day serve as part of an overall comprehensive energy policy for the State of Oregon.
Dealer Behavior and the Trading of Newly Issued Corporate Bonds

This paper provides some of the first evidence on the behavior of dealers trading in newly issued corporate bonds, based on a sample of 4,122 bonds issued from July 2002 to May 2008. We find that there is economically large underpricing for corporate bond issues, but that the measured underpricing reflects both the underwriters’ ex-ante pricing decision as well as price dispersion in after-market trading. Based on institutional sized trades (over 100 bonds), underpricing averages 45 basis points (BP) for investment grade and 124 BP for high yield offerings. Large institutions are net sellers of bonds in the initial days of trading, while smaller sized retail customers purchase bonds from non-syndicate member dealers at widely varying prices; small customers purchasing a bond on the same day from the same dealer frequently pay prices differing by over $2 (per $100 face amount). Finally, there is no evidence that dealers in newly issued bonds accumulate significant inventory positions, even when issues subsequently trade below the offering price.
Compensation Structure and Systemic Risk

Testimony of Kevin J. Murphy before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services, Hearing on Compensation Structure and Systemic Risk, June 11, 2009.
Understanding the Utility of Adjuvant Systemic Therapy for Primary Breast Cancer

PURPOSE: Physicians and patients require quantitative information on the expected benefits of adjuvant therapy for primary breast cancer to make appropriate treatment decisions. To date, there has not been any widely available method for estimating the benefits from adjuvant systemic therapy, in terms of long-term disease-free survival probabilities, in patients with primary breast cancer. METHODS: Baseline prognostic information for primary breast cancer patients was estimated by asking 11 breast cancer specialists to complete a questionnaire on baseline prognosis and then using mean values. Data on the relative benefits of adjuvant therapy were culled from systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials. A computer algorithm was developed to calculate 10-year absolute outcome data. Results from this evaluation were compared with a previously described actuarial algorithm. RESULTS: Individual prognostic estimates varied within a group of breast cancer specialists, but mean values of their estimates c...
Holographic laser radar

Experimental results obtained using holographic laser radar are presented. Holographic laser radar is method for obtaining fine-resolution, 3-D images from laser illuminated objects. A series of complex valued holograms is recorded for a series of laser frequencies. These holograms are assembled into a 3-D data array and Fourier transformation yields a 3-D image. Experimental results obtained using a dye laser are presented.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Measurement of organic carbon in polar snow samples

Glaciers provide a unique medium for the study of palaeoatmos-pheric chemistry1–3, particularly in polar glaciers where chemical records may extend for at least several hundred thousand years. Glaciochemical records from remote, high-latitude areas provide a regional- to global-scale integration of past atmospheric chemistry. These records yield information regarding climate change4–7, volcanic events8,9 and solar activity10, as well as the effect of human activities11,12. Although gaseous forms of organic carbon have been analysed in polar ice13,14, we present here the first measurements, to our knowledge, of organic carbon from polar firn samples. Our measurements are among the lowest reported for organic carbon in precipitation. The data indicate that dissolved organic carbon in Greenland snow has a seasonal deposition pattern, with higher concentrations observed in the winter/spring period. Although we are unable to establish the source of the organic carbon in Greenland snow, three possibilities are discussed.
Shock wave lithotripsy success determined by skin-to-stone distance on computed tomography

Abstract Objectives To evaluate whether the skin-to-stone distance (SSD), body mass index (BMI), and Hounsfield unit (HU) density can be used as independent predictors of stone-free (SF) status after shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) of lower pole kidney stones. No studies have evaluated the SSD by non-contrast-enhanced computed tomography (NCCT) as a predictor of SWL success. Studies have suggested that the BMI and HU density of urinary calculi on NCCT may predict the SF rate after SWL. Methods The radiographs of 64 patients treated with SWL (DoliS lithotripter) from March 2000 to April 2004 with lower pole kidney stones measuring 0.5 to 1.5 cm on NCCT were reviewed. The average SSD was calculated by measuring three distances from the center of the stone to the skin (0°, 45°, and 90° angles) on NCCT. The BMI and HU density were determined, and chemical analysis was performed on all stones. Radiographic assessment of the kidneys, ureter, and bladder at 6 weeks categorized patients into the SF or residual stone group. Logistic regression was fit, using SSD, BMI, and HU density as predictors, to assess the SF rates after SWL. Results Of 64 patients, 30 were SF and 34 had residual stones. The mean SSD was 8.12 ± 1.74 cm for the SF group versus 11.53 ± 1.89 cm for the residual stone group ( P P Conclusions The SSD may predict the outcome after SWL of lower pole kidney stones. SWL in patients with an SSD greater than 10 cm is likely to fail. The use of the SSD may be transferable to the treatment of all urinary stones, regardless of location.
ASPECTS OF THE SYNTAX, THE PRAGMATICS, AND THE PRODUCTION OF CODE-SWITCHING: CANTONESE AND ENGLISH

ASPECTS OF THE SYNTAX, THE PRAGMATICS, AND THE PRODUCTION OF CODE-SWITCHING: CANTONESE AND ENGLISH. Brian Hok-Shing Chan. Bern: Peter Lang, 2003. Pp. ix + 333. $74.95 cloth.Are there syntactic constraints to code-switching? Based on Chan's University College London dissertation, this book argues that code-switched utterances are constrained by the same set of mechanisms that govern monolingual utterances. Building on the work of Mahootian (1993) and MacSwan (1997), Chan makes two additional claims. First, he argues that functional categories and lexical categories behave differently in code-switching. These differences lead him to distinguish between functional and lexical categories in the production process. Second, he extends his initial argument to claim that code-switching and pure languages are governed by the same set of constraints and principles not only for syntax but also for production and pragmatics.
The future of high-efficiency diode lasers

We present a summary view of the DARPA Super High Efficiency Diode Sources (SHEDS) and Architecture for Diode High Energy Laser Systems (ADHELS) programs. The goal of these programs is development of technology of a future compact, field-deployable high energy laser (HEL) system.