cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A paradigm for data-driven predictive modeling using field inversion and machine learning

We propose a modeling paradigm, termed field inversion and machine learning (FIML), that seeks to comprehensively harness data from sources such as high-fidelity simulations and experiments to aid the creation of improved closure models for computational physics applications. In contrast to inferring model parameters, this work uses inverse modeling to obtain corrective, spatially distributed functional terms, offering a route to directly address model-form errors. Once the inference has been performed over a number of problems that are representative of the deficient physics in the closure model, machine learning techniques are used to reconstruct the model corrections in terms of variables that appear in the closure model. These reconstructed functional forms are then used to augment the closure model in a predictive computational setting. As a first demonstrative example, a scalar ordinary differential equation is considered, wherein the model equation has missing and deficient terms. Following this, the methodology is extended to the prediction of turbulent channel flow. In both of these applications, the approach is demonstrated to be able to successfully reconstruct functional corrections and yield accurate predictive solutions while providing a measure of model form uncertainties.
PMx: software package for demographic and genetic analysis and management of pedigreed populations

Summary 1. The concepts and algorithms for demographic and genetic analysis of pedigreed populations have been evolving rapidly in recent years. 2. The PMx software brings together into one integrated package a number of tools for pedigree analysis, including methods for dealing with missing, uncertain and probabilistic data not previously available in distributed software. 3. PMx provides tools for optimal demographic and genetic management of populations of wildlife species, rare domestic breeds, and other populations for which the primary goal is to conserve genetic diversity, and it is being implemented as the primary pedigree management tool for the breeding programmes of zoo associations around the world. 4. PMx can be used to characterize the demography and genetics of any captive or wild population for which pedigree and life-history data are available.
Anomalies: The Equity Premium Puzzle

Stable URL:http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0895-3309%28199724%2911%3A1%3C191%3AATEPP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-0The Journal of Economic Perspectives is currently published by American Economic Association.Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available athttp://www.jstor.org/about/terms.html. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtainedprior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content inthe JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use.Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained athttp://www.jstor.org/journals/aea.html.Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printedpage of such transmission.The JSTOR Archive is a trusted digital repository providing for long-term preservation and access to leading academicjournals and scholarly literature from around the world. The Archive is supported by libraries, scholarly societies, publishers,and foundations. It is an initiative of JSTOR, a not-for-profit organization with a mission to help the scholarly community takeadvantage of advances in technology. For more information regarding JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.http://www.jstor.orgFri Aug 17 15:58:04 2007
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins and bFGF Exert Opposing Regulatory Effects on PTHrP Expression and Inorganic Pyrophosphate Elaboration in Immortalized Murine Endochondral Hypertrophic Chondrocytes (MCT Cells)

A fundamental question in endochondral development is why the expression of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), which inhibits chondrocyte maturation and mineralization, becomes attenuated at the stage of chondrocyte hypertrophy. To address this question, we used clonal, phenotypically stable SV40-immortalized murine endochondral chondrocytes that express a growth-arrested hypertrophic phenotype in culture (MCT cells). Addition of individual cytokines to the medium of MCT cells revealed that bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-6, which commits chondrocytes to hypertrophy, markedly inhibited PTHrP production. This activity was shared by three other osteogenic bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP-2, BMP-4, and BMP-7) and by transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), which all inhibited the level of PTHrP mRNA. In contrast, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), an inhibitor of chondrocyte maturation to hypertrophy, induced PTHrP in MCT cells and antagonized the effects of BMP-2, BMP-4, BMP-6, and BMP-7 and TGF-beta on PTHrP expression. Opposing effects of bFGF and BMPs also were exerted on the elaboration of inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPi), which regulates the ability of hypertrophic chondrocytes to mineralize the matrix. Specifically, BMP-2 and BMP-4, but not BMP-6 and BMP-7, shared the ability of TGF-beta to induce PPi release, and this activity was inhibited by bFGF in MCT cells. Our results suggest that effects on PTHrP expression could contribute to the ability of BMP-6 to promote chondrocyte maturation. BMPs and bFGF exert opposing effects on more than one function in immortalized hypertrophic chondrocytes. Thus, the normal decrease in bFGF responsiveness that accompanies chondrocyte hypertrophy may function in part by removing the potential for bFGF to induce PTHrP expression and to oppose the effects of BMPs. MCT cells may be useful in further understanding the mechanisms regulating the differentiation and function of hypertrophic chondrocytes.
Thiazolidinediones and the Risk of Lung, Prostate, and Colon Cancer in Patients With Diabetes

Purpose Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR) mediates cell cycle arrest and adipocyte differentiation; has tumor suppressor activity in liposarcoma, lung, and prostate cancers; and suppresses colonic polyp formation in adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) min/ mice. To assess the influence of thiazolidinediones (TZDs), which are PPAR ligands used to treat diabetes mellitus, a retrospective analysis of a database from 10 Veteran Affairs medical centers was conducted. Patients and Methods Data on male patients 40 years and older diagnosed to have diabetes mellitus between 1997 and 2003 were obtained from the Veterans Integrated Services Network 16 (VISN 16) data warehouse. Subsequent diagnoses of colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer and use of TZD, other antidiabetic agents, and insulin were identified. Cox regression with time-dependent covariates was used to estimate the association between TZD use and cancer risk. Relative risks were adjusted for confounders (age, race/ethnicity, body mass index, use of insulin, and other oral antidiabetic agents). Results Of 87,678 individuals, 1,137 had colorectal cancer, 3,246 had prostate cancer, and 1,371 had lung cancer. We observed a 33% reduction in lung cancer risk among TZD users compared with nonusers after adjusting for confounder interactions (relative risk, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.51 to 0.87). The risk reduction for colorectal and prostate cancers did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion TZD use was associated with reduced risk of lung cancer. Further studies are warranted to confirm our findings. J Clin Oncol 25:1476-1481. © 2007 by American Society of Clinical Oncology
Fructose Consumption: Considerations for Future Research on Its Effects on Adipose Distribution, Lipid Metabolism, and Insulin Sensitivity in Humans

Results from a recent study investigating the metabolic effects of consuming fructose-sweetened beverages at 25% of energy requirements for 10 wk demonstrate that a high-fructose diet induces dyslipidemia, decreases insulin sensitivity, and increases visceral adiposity. The purpose of this review is to present aspects of the study design which may be critical for assessment of the metabolic effects of sugar consumption. Collection of postprandial blood samples is required to document the full effects of fructose on lipid metabolism. Fasting triglyceride (TG) concentrations are an unreliable index of fructose-induced dyslipidemia. Differences in the short-term (24-h) and long-term (>2 wk) effects of fructose consumption on TG and apolipoprotein-B demonstrate that acute effects can differ substantially from those occurring after sustained fructose exposure. Investigating the effects of fructose when consumed ad libitum compared with energy-balanced diets suggest that additive effects of fructose-induced de novo lipogenesis and positive energy balance may contribute to dyslipidemia and decreased insulin sensitivity. Increases of intra-abdominal fat observed in subjects consuming fructose, but not glucose, for 10 wk indicate that the 2 sugars have differential effects on regional adipose deposition. However, the increase of fasting glucose, insulin, and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance at 2 wk and the lack of increase of 24-h systemic FFA concentrations suggest that fructose decreases insulin sensitivity independently of visceral adiposity and FFA. The lower postprandial glucose and insulin excursions in subjects consuming fructose and increased excursions in those consuming glucose do not support a relationship between dietary glycemic index and the development of dyslipidemia, decreased insulin sensitivity, or increased visceral adiposity.
CRINKLY4 : a TNFR-like receptor kinase involved in maize epidermal differentiation

The maize crinkly4 (cr4) mutation affects leaf epidermis differentiation such that cell size and morphology are altered, and surface functions are compromised, allowing graft-like fusions between organs. In the seed, loss of cr4 inhibits aleurone formation in a pattern that reflects the normal progression of differentiation over the developing endosperm surface. The cr4 gene was isolated by transposon tagging and found to encode a putative receptor kinase. The extracellular domain contains a cysteine-rich region similar to the ligand binding domain in mammalian tumor necrosis factor receptors (TNFRs) and seven copies of a previously unknown 39-amino acid repeat. The results suggest a role for cr4 in a differentiation signal.
Salvage surgery for bladder outlet obstruction after prostatectomy or cystectomy.

Purpose of reviewObstruction of the outlet secondary to a recurrent bladder neck contracture postprostatectomy or cystectomy presents a reconstructive challenge combined with the goal of restoring normal lower urinary tract function. The majority of bladder neck contractures are responsive to urethr
Diffraction and external reflection by dielectric faceted particles

The scattering of light by dielectric particles much larger than the wavelength of incident light is attributed to diffraction, external reflection and outgoing refracted waves. This paper focuses on diffraction and external reflection by faceted particles, which can be calculated semi-analytically based on physical optics. Three approximate methods; the surface-integral method (SIM), the volume-integral method (VIM), and the diffraction plus reflection pattern from ray optics (DPR) are compared. Four elements of the amplitude scattering matrix in the SIM and the VIM are presented in an explicit form. Of interest is that diffraction and external reflection are separable in the SIM, whereas they are combined in the VIM. A feature of zero forward reflection is noticed in the SIM. The applicability of the DPR method is restricted to particles with random orientations. In the manner of van de Hulst, we develop a new technique to compute the reflection pattern of randomly oriented convex particles using spheres with the same refractive index, resulting in an improvement in the precision of the reflection calculation in near-forward and near-backward directions. The accuracy of the aforementioned three methods is investigated by comparing their results with those from the discrete-dipole-approximation (DDA) method for hexagonal particles at the refractive index of 1.3+i1.0. For particles with fixed orientations, it is found that the SIM and the VIM are comparable in accuracy and applicable when the size parameter is on the order of 20. The ray-spreading effect on the phase function is evident from the results of various size parameters. For randomly oriented particles, the DPR is more efficient than the SIM and the VIM.
The Status Costs of Subordinate Cultural Capital: At-Home Fathers’ Collective Pursuit of Cultural Legitimacy through Capitalizing Consumption Practices

Consumer researchers have primarily conceptualized cultural capital either as an endowed stock of resources that tend to reproduce socioeconomic hierarchies among consumer collectivities or as constellations of knowledge and skill that consumers acquire by making identity investments in a given consumption field. These studies, however, have given scant attention to the theoretical distinction between dominant and subordinate forms of cultural capital, with the latter affording comparatively lower conversion rates for economic, social, and symbolic capital. To redress this oversight, this article presents a multimethod investigation of middle-class men who are performing the emergent gender role of at-home fatherhood. Our analysis profiles and theoretically elaborates upon a set of capitalizing consumption practices through which at-home fathers seek to enhance the conversion rates of their acquisitions of domesticated (and subordinate) cultural capital and to build greater cultural legitimacy for their marginalized gender identity.
Wideband energy reflectance findings in presence of normal tympanogram in children with Down's syndrome.

Abstract Objectives The prevalence of middle ear disorders in children with Down syndrome is higher than normal children due to the associated craniofacial abnormalities. The goal of this study is to evaluate middle ear function using wideband energy reflectance at ambient pressure in 14 young children with Down syndrome and matched control group (2½–5 years old; N = 19 ears per group) who each have a normal 226 Hz tympanogram. Methods All children underwent otoscopic examination, hearing screening using play audiometry (500–4000 Hz), and middle ear testing using 226 Hz tympanometry and wideband energy reflectance. The chirp signals for the wideband energy reflectance were presented to the child's ear at 65 dB SPL stimulus level and the recording was done over 220–8000 Hz range. The measured energy reflectance represents the ratio of the sound energy reflected from the tympanic membrane to the incident sound energy transmitted to the middle ear at a specific frequency. Paired Samples t-test was computed for the mean, 95th, 75th, 25th, and 5th percentile data of each frequency of the two groups. Results Despite the presence of normal tympanometric findings in both groups, results revealed abnormal wideband energy reflectance findings in 63% of the children with Down syndrome compared to the normal wideband energy reflectance findings in the control group. The mean energy reflectance ratio of the Down syndrome group was abnormally lower than that of the control at 5700–8000 Hz (p Conclusions Abnormally low energy reflectance ratios above 4000 Hz in the presence of normal tympanograms in the Down syndrome group may suggest associated congenital middle ear anomalies in children with DS. The present findings suggest that wideband energy reflectance has the potential to be of more practical value in children with DS than tympanometry. Further research with a larger number of Down syndrome children will illuminate the potential of wideband energy reflectance in diagnosing middle ear disorders in children with Down syndrome.
Reliability estimation for a software system with sequential independent reviews

Suppose that several sequential test and correction cycles have been completed for the purpose of improving the reliability of a given software system. One way to quantify the success of these efforts is to estimate the probability that all faults are found by the end of the last cycle, We describe how to evaluate this probability both prior to and after observing the numbers of faults detected in each cycle and we show when these two evaluations would be the same.
Research dynamics, impact, and dissemination: A topic-level analysis

In informetrics, journals have been used as a standard unit to analyze research impact, productivity, and scholarship. The increasing practice of interdisciplinary research challenges the effectiveness of journal-based assessments. The aim of this article is to highlight topics as a valuable unit of analysis. A set of topic-based approaches is applied to a data set on library and information science publications. Results show that topic-based approaches are capable of revealing the research dynamics, impact, and dissemination of the selected data set. The article also identifies a nonsignificant relationship between topic popularity and impact and argues for the need to use both variables in describing topic characteristics. Additionally, a flow map illustrates critical topic-level knowledge dissemination channels.
Effects of latanoprost and timolol-XE on hydrodynamics in the normal eye.

Abstract PURPOSE: To compare the effects of latanoprost and timolol-XE on ocular pressure and perfusion in healthy adults, with respect to episcleral venous pressure. METHODS: A double-masked, placebo-controlled crossover study of weeklong bedtime treatment with one drop of drug, with placebo contralaterally, followed by a 3-week washout and alternate-drug/contralateral-placebo repeat. Intraocular pressure was measured by applanation and by pneumotonometry, providing pulsatile ocular circulatory estimates. Measurements of episcleral venous pressure were obtained (Friberg method). RESULTS: Twenty subjects participated (five men, 15 women; mean age, 39 years (range, 21 to 55 years); mean baseline intraocular pressure, 13.4 mm Hg). A greater decrease in intraocular pressure was seen among these subjects the morning after initiating treatment with latanoprost (−2.0 mm Hg; P P = .051) (latanoprost versus timolol Δ P = .008). This ocular hypotensive effect remained significant that evening with latanoprost (−3.2 mm Hg; P P = .2). By the morning of day 8, mean intraocular pressure remained 3.2 mm Hg below baseline with latanoprost and 2.3 mm Hg below baseline with timolol-XE ( P P = .04) through the weeklong treatment interval, consistently higher than during timolol-XE treatment of the same subjects. CONCLUSION: Latanoprost caused an overnight decrease in intraocular pressure in normotensive normal eyes, and both drugs significantly reduced intraocular pressure within 1 week. Intraocular pressure remained higher than episcleral venous pressure throughout treatment with both drugs. Latanoprost was associated with enhanced pulsatile ocular perfusion not seen with timolol-XE treatment.
Alcohol-naïve alcohol-preferring (P) rats exhibit higher local cerebral glucose utilization than alcohol-nonpreferring (NP) and wistar rats

Background: The present study determined local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) rates in alcohol-naive alcohol-preferring (P), alcohol nonpreferring (NP), and outbred Wistar rats to test the hypothesis that innate differences in functional neuronal activity are present in limbic regions as a result of selective breeding for high-alcohol drinking behavior. Methods: All procedures were conducted during the dark cycle. 2-[14C]deoxyglucose ([14C]2-DG; 125 μCi/kg) was injected intravenously and timed arterial blood samples were collected during the following 45 min and assayed for glucose and [14C]2-DG content. Rats were then decapitated, the brains removed and frozen to −70°C, and 20 μm coronal sections were prepared for quantitative autoradiographic analysis. Results: Rates of LCGU were determined in 55 regions and subregions, including limbic, cortical, and subcortical structures. LCGU rates were significantly (p < 0.01) higher in several limbic (e.g., ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens shell, olfactory tubercle, medial prefrontal cortex, and lateral hypothalamus), cortical (e.g., parietal, temporal, occipital, cingulate, piriform, and entorhinal), and subcortical (e.g., thalamus, habenula, preoptic area, and striatum) regions in P rats, compared with NP and Wistar rats, whereas rates in Wistar rats were higher in a few regions (e.g., CA1 and CA3 regions of the posterior hippocampus) than NP rats. Conclusions: The data suggest that selective breeding for high-alcohol drinking produces intrinsically higher functional neuronal activity in the central nervous system regions of the high-alcohol consuming P line compared with low-alcohol drinking NP or Wistar rats, although these differences may not generalize to other rat lines selectively bred for divergent alcohol drinking.
Observability measures and performance sensitivity in the model reduction problem

Abstract A model reduction problem (MRP) is related to the control problem by use of a ‘ model quality index ’ which measures the performance of the higher-order system when the control is based upon a lower-order model. By truncating modal coordinates which have smaller sensitivity to the model quality index a first approximation to the MRP is obtained. Another approximation to the MRP is obtained by truncation of modal coordinates which have smaller sensitivities to the first term in the model quality index, called the ‘ cost of information ’. Several theorems relate the scalar measures of observability of each modal coordinate to the first-order sensitivity of the ‘ cost of information ’ and of the model quality index. A case study with a flexible spacecraft illustrates truncation on the basis of observability measures and controllability measures.
On the discriminability of virtual and real sound sources

A method for direct comparison between virtual and real sound sources has been developed in which listeners are presented with real sources while wearing small headphones over which virtual sources may also be presented. Adequacy of this method is assessed both acoustically and psychophysically by comparing virtual free-field stimulation to actual free-field stimulation produced by loudspeakers in an anechoic chamber. The effects of windowing the impulse response of the correction filter used for virtual synthesis are also examined. Using this method, it is concluded that when no windowing is applied to the correction filter impulse response (20.48 ms in duration at a 100 kHz sampling rate), stimulation resulting from virtual synthesis is indiscriminable from real sound source stimulation. As window length is decreased, successive increases in discriminability are observed, however. These psychophysical results are consistent with acoustic validation measures.
Molecular characterization of a phenanthrene degradation pathway in Mycobacterium vanbaalenii PYR-1

Mycobacterium vanbaalenii PYR-1 is capable of degrading a number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to ring cleavage metabolites via multiple pathways. Genes for the large and small subunits of a pyrene dioxygenase, nidA and nidB, respectively, were previously identified in M. vanbaalenii PYR-1 [Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67 (2001) 3577]. A library of the M. vanbaalenii PYR-1 genome was constructed in a fosmid vector to identify additional genes involved in PAH degradation. Twelve fosmid clones containing nidA were identified by Southern hybridization. Sequence analysis of one nidA-positive clone, pFOS608, revealed a number of additional genes involved in PAH degradation. At this locus, one putative operon contained genes involved in phthalate degradation, and another contained genes encoding a putative ABC transporter(s). A number of the genes found in this region are homologous to those involved in phenanthrene degradation via the phthalic acid pathway. The majority of phenanthrene degradation genes were located between putative transposase genes. In Escherichia coli, pFOS608 converted phenanthrene into phenanthrene cis-3,4-dihydrodiol, and converted 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid into 2'-carboxybenzalpyruvate, 2-carboxybenzaldehyde, and phthalic acid. A subclone containing nidA and nidB converted phenanthrene into phenanthrene cis-3,4-dihydrodiol, suggesting that the NidAB dioxygenase is responsible for an initial attack on phenanthrene. This study is the first to identify genes responsible for the degradation of phenanthrene via the phthalic acid pathway in Mycobacterium species.
Projective spaces of cyber-physical networks for identification of dispersion-diffusions

Cyber-physical networks promise to identify the spatial diffusion-dispersion phenomena by utilizing sensors to measure the underlying physical phenomenon and using models and information operations executed on computational nodes to estimate the parameters. We propose a projective space that utilizes the parameters of the underlying phenomenon, each of which might be measured or computed or both using multiple sensor and computation nodes. The projective space captures both the sensor variables from spatial domain and computational variables from cyber domain. These variables are related to the parameters of the phenomenon, which themselves are related to each other as per the underlying process. Additionally, these variables satisfy informational relationships that represent their competing and complementary nature, and are also characterized by their error and objective functions. Using projective spaces the design and analysis of a cyber-physical network can be decomposed into two separate parts that can each be rigorously and systematically carried out: (a) sensor and computation node selection and placement, and (b) selection and optimization of information fusion operations.
Internet News: Is It a Replacement for Traditional Media Outlets?

The Internet has changed the political world, but its effect on media usage patterns is not well understood. In particular, previous research suggests no clear answer to the question of whether the...
The Association between Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Acute Cardiac Events

BACKGROUND: Increased cardiac stress, hypoxemia, and inflammation may contribute to acute cardiac events, such as myocardial infarction (MI), arrhythmia, and/or congestive heart failure (CHF). We sought to determine the incidence of such events in patients who were hospitalized for community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia. METHODS: We studied the medical records of all patients who were admitted for pneumococcal pneumonia during a 5-year period (2001-2005) to identify those who had MI, atrial fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia, or new-onset or worsening CHF at the time of hospital admission. RESULTS: Of 170 patients, 33 (19.4%) had > or =1 of these major cardiac events. Twelve had MI, of whom 2 also had arrhythmia and 5 had new-onset or worsening CHF. Eight had new-onset atrial fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia; 6 of these also had new CHF. Thirteen had newly diagnosed or worsening CHF, without MI or new arrhythmias. Hypoxemia and anemia were prominent. Importantly, patients with concurrent pneumococcal pneumonia and cardiac events had a significantly higher mortality than those with pneumococcal pneumonia alone (P<.008). The coexistence of pulmonary and cardiac disease was often overlooked by admitting physicians who, seeking a unifying diagnosis, emphasized one diagnosis to the exclusion of the other. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with pneumococcal pneumonia are at substantial risk for a concurrent acute cardiac event, such as MI, serious arrhythmia, or new or worsening CHF. This concurrence significantly increases mortality due to pneumonia. Admitting physicians tend to seek a unifying diagnosis, but the frequent coexistence of pneumonia and cardiac events indicates the importance of considering multiple diagnoses.
Marinesco-Sjogren Syndrome and SIL1 Mutations

Investigators from Aachen University, Germany, and multiple centers in Europe, UK, USA, Turkey and Argentina, report the results of SIL1 mutation analysis in 62 patients presenting with early-onset ataxia, cataracts and myopathy, the characteristic Marinesco-Sjogren syndrome triad.
Reassessing the Institutional Legitimacy of the South African Constitutional Court: New Evidence, Revised Theory

ABSTRACTOutside South Africa, the South African Constitutional Court is one of the most esteemed high courts in the world. Inside the country, however, empirical evidence suggests that the Court has been unable to build much of a store of popular legitimacy. Some scholars have suggested that the shortfall of legitimacy is of little consequence because the Court has been able to maintain its independence, largely through the largess of the government. My purpose here is to reconsider both the empirical evidence on the Court’s support and the theoretical position that judicial independence can be effectively guaranteed by the government. I find that confidence in the Constitutional Court has indeed grown since its first decade of operation. However, confidence is not the same thing as legitimacy, even if sustained confidence may evolve into institutional legitimacy, so my evidence cannot be taken to suggest that the Court has developed a “reservoir of goodwill” among the South African people. I conclude by ...
Intermediate-dose intravenous methotrexate with intravenous mercaptopurine is superior to repetitive low-dose oral methotrexate with intravenous mercaptopurine for children with lower-risk B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a Pediatric Oncology Group phase III trial.

PURPOSETo determine whether early intensification with 12 courses of intravenous methotrexate and intravenous mercaptopurine (IVMTX/IVMP) is superior to 12 courses of repetitive, low-dose oral MTX with I.V. MP (LDMTX/IVMP) for prevention of relapse in children with lower-risk B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).PATIENTS AND METHODSSeven hundred nine patients were entered onto the study. Vincristine, prednisone, and asparaginase were used for remission induction. Patients were randomized to receive intensification with either IVMTX 1,000 mg/m2 plus IVMP 1,000 mg/m2 (regimen A) or LDMTX 30 mg/m2 every 6 hours for six doses with IVMP 1,000 mg/m2 (regimen B). Twelve courses were administered at 2-week intervals. Triple intrathecal therapy (TIT) was used for CNS prophylaxis. Continuation therapy included standard oral MP, weekly MTX, and TIT every 12 weeks for 2 years.RESULTSSix hundred ninety-nine (99%) patients achieved remission. Three hundred forty-nine were assigned to regimen A and 350 to regime...
Even a worm can turn.

A previously fit and well 24 year old US born white man presented for evaluation of abdominal pain. He had felt tired for the past two days and had been experiencing headaches, subjective fevers, and diffuse abdominal pain. Despite this he had maintained a good appetite and his normal diet, which included eating sushi at least once a week. His symptoms improved greatly after he noted a tape-like object in his stool. He had travelled to California, …
Space-Product Equilibrium in the Dairy Industry of the Northeastern and North Central Regions

The broad impact of the removal of all institutional barriers to the production and movement of fluid milk on the dairy industry of the Northeastern and North Central regions is examined. Competitive equilibrium patterns of milk production, utilization, prices, and shipments are obtained by estimating supply and demand functions for various areas of the nation and relating prices in the areas by transfer costs for fluid and manufactured milk. The effects of alternative estimates of some key variables are studied. All equilibrium solutions show a decline in Class I prices in the Northeast, a general increase in manufacturing milk prices, and some shift of production from the Northeast to the Lake States. These results are modified only a little by introducing a hypothetical fresh milk concentrate. Some implications for price policy are discussed.
MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION IN THE LIMBS OF TARICHA GRANULOSA (CAUDATA: SALAMANDRIDAE): EVOLUTIONARY AND PHYLOGENETIC IMPLICATIONS

Variation in the limb skeleton was studied in a large sample (452 individuals) of adult newts (Taricha granulosa) from a single population in central California. A standard morphology is found in the hands and feet in more than 70% of individuals, but there is important variation in the remainder of the sample. Although twice as many individuals express variant tarsal (18.9%) than carpal (9.3%) patterns, the carpus reveals a greater diversity of variant conditions. Only a few of the many possible arrangements (including loss, addition, and amalgamation) of the seven carpal and nine tarsal elements are encountered. Most of the observed patterns are readily classified on the basis of phylogenetic relationship and models of development. Five patterns are bilaterally symmetrical. Two of these five arrangements are atavisms that represent plesiomorphic states. The other three symmetrical variants duplicate patterns found elsewhere among derived urodele taxa. These homoplastic patterns correspond to apomorphies of other genera within the same family or apomorphies of deeply nested and highly specialized members of other families (e.g., several plethodontid genera). This variation reveals the potential of the generative system and suggests the existence of limited domains of phenotypic expression. Both the origin of novelty and the restoration of ancestral states reflect the action of design constraints that not only place limits but also provide opportunities during the morphologic and phyletic diversification of urodeles.
Protection of the patent internal mammary artery by-pass graft from subsequent sternotomy.

Objective We describe a technique to protect the patent internal mammary artery graft from injury by repeat sternotomy. Interventions The internal mammary artery is dissected as far proximally as possible. The left pleural space is opened widely thus allowing the left lung to protrude through the pleural defect once mechanical ventilation is resumed. The left lung is then interposed between the internal mammary graft and the sternum. The internal mammary artery is thereby protected from adherence to the sternum and injury upon resternotomy. Results In two patients in whom this technique was employed repeat sternotomy was easily performed without injury to the internal mammary artery. Conclusions This simple technique effectively protects the patent internal mammary artery bypass graft from injury at subsequent sternotomy.
Automatic Test on Multi-beam DF Equipment

A method for automatic testing on multi-beam direction finding equipment is studied, and the factors impacting on the multi-beam direction finding performance is analyzed. An automatic test and alignment system is outlined, which performs testing on channel conformance and direction finding performance of multi-beam direction finding equipment. The said automatic test and alignment equipment is capable to measure, accurately and quickly, the channel conformance and direction finding error, seek the mismatched channels and frequency bands and help to reduce laboring load and working period for aligning the multi-beam direction finding equipment. The said automatic test system has found significant application in equipment manufacture.
In Vitro Dissolution of Cystine Urinary Calculi

AbstractDissolution of cystine urinary calculi was studied in vitro. Sodium hydroxide, acetylcysteine and tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (tromethamine) were tested for effectiveness in dissolving cystine calculi.Calculi were mounted in a dissolution apparatus. Dissolution rates were calculated from the amount of cystine released into solution per unit time and were compared with linear regression techniques. Calculated dissolution rates of all the irrigating agents tested were similar at a pH of 7.5 and were significantly different at pH 10.0. The most effective agent in the promotion of cystine dissolution was 2 per cent acetylcysteine.Sprague-Dawley rats were used to test the effect of 2 per cent acetylcysteine, 0.3 molar tromethamine and 2 per cent acetylcysteine mixed with 0.3 molar tromethamine on the urothelium. A nephrostomy tube was placed in the left kidney of each rat. The kidneys were irrigated for 3 days with either 2 per cent acetylcysteine, 0.3 molar tromethamine or 2 per cent acetylcystein...
Evaluation of Acute Urinary Tract Infection in Children by Dimercaptosuccinic Acid Scintigraphy: A Prospective Study

AbstractA prospective study examining the incidence of dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) abnormalities in children at the time of acute urinary tract infection, the progression of these abnormalities following treatment and their correlation with the presence of vesicoureteral reflux is reported. DMSA scans performed within 72 hours of presentation in 65 previously healthy children with acute urinary tract infection were abnormal in 34 (52%). The scan appearances of 30 of 36 (83%) initially abnormal kidneys improved or became normal on the repeat DMSA study performed at 3 to 6 months after the acute urinary tract infection. A cystogram demonstrated significant vesicoureteral reflux in 11 of 45 cases (24%). Of these 11 cases 10 had abnormal DMSA studies and 1 had dilated upper tracts on ultrasound.Several conclusions may be drawn from our study. The incidence of DMSA abnormalities at the time of acute urinary tract infection is high but these abnormalities tend to resolve with time. An abnormal DMSA study at ...
Savant Skills, Special Skills, and Intelligence Vary Widely in Autism

Six savant skills found in autism also occur in typical individuals. These include extraordinary memory for numbers and facts, rapid mental mathematical calculation, mental calendar calculation, extraordinary autobiographical memory, accurate music replication after hearing a musical piece a single time, and drawing an image or scene with detailed fidelity after viewing it for a single time. Neither the population prevalence of savant skills in autism nor the prevalence of parallel extraordinary skills in typical individuals is known. Prevalence estimates for savant skill in autism have ranged from less than 1% to 33%. Evidence has suggested that intense practice, practice-induced brain changes, and atypical brain structure may each contribute to savant skills, as well as to superior perceptual discrimination and pattern recognition skills. The inter-relationship of intelligence, atypical sensory responsiveness, superior perceptual discrimination skills, and savant skills has not been determined.
Precision Targeting: Mast Cells Wipe Out Infected Bladder Epithelia

Exfoliating infected bladder epithelium is a powerful host defense mechanism that reduces bacterial burden. In this issue of Immunity, Choi et al. (2016) present a function of mast cells that orchestrates the infected epithelial cell exfoliation via cytolytic granules.
Rigorous floating-point mixed-precision tuning

Virtually all real-valued computations are carried out using floating-point data types and operations. The precision of these data types must be set with the goals of reducing the overall round-off error, but also emphasizing performance improvements. Often, a mixed-precision allocation achieves this optimum; unfortunately, there are no techniques available to compute such allocations and conservatively meet a given error target across all program inputs. In this work, we present a rigorous approach to precision allocation based on formal analysis via Symbolic Taylor Expansions, and error analysis based on interval functions. This approach is implemented in an automated tool called FPTuner that generates and solves a quadratically constrained quadratic program to obtain a precision-annotated version of the given expression. FPTuner automatically introduces all the requisite precision up and down casting operations. It also allows users to flexibly control precision allocation using constraints to cap the number of high precision operators as well as group operators to allocate the same precision to facilitate vectorization. We evaluate FPTuner by tuning several benchmarks and measuring the proportion of lower precision operators allocated as we increase the error threshold. We also measure the reduction in energy consumption resulting from executing mixed-precision tuned code on a real hardware platform. We observe significant energy savings in response to mixed-precision tuning, but also observe situations where unexpected compiler behaviors thwart intended optimizations.
Critical Race Theory, Afro-Pessimism, and Racial Progress Narratives:

Much work in the sociology of race and ethnicity centers on an underlying narrative of racial progress. Progress narratives are typically conceptualized as a linear process of slow, yet inevitable,...
Pulmonary endarterectomy under intermittent deep hypothermic circulatory arrest

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension occurs in very few patients after acute embolism, and pulmonary thromboendarterectomy is the main and curative treatment. Here we have a patient with a chronic thrombus in the pulmonary artery that required thromboendarterectomy with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.
Empirical Case Study of Preservice K-8 Teachers’ Perceptions of Chivalry

Attwood addresses two primary questions: (1) What are pre-service K-8 teachers’ perception(s) of chivalry? And (2), is gender still important in perceptions of chivalry and who the majority believes can be chivalrous? Surveys were administered to pre-service K-8 teachers at a university in the United States (thirty-six pre-service teachers in 2013 and fifty-one pre-service teachers in 2014). Implications of the research results are discussed, including the importance of artistic representation of social values in popular media and the ostensibly surprising result that gender appeared to have no statistically significant effect on the overall opinion of chivalry as a social concept.
Development and assessment of lidar modeling to retrieve IOPs

synthetic bio-optical dataset of inherent optical properties (IOPs) was created based on Chlorophyll concentrations ranging between 0.01 and 30 mg m-3. Dissolved and particulate fractions of absorption were varied to account for the natural ranges in values. The IOPs will then be used as inputs to a time-resolved Monte-Carlo radiative transfer model to generate accurate lidar backscatter time history wave forms. Test experiments were performed to validate the model, where the primary lidar geometry in the model matched an existing system developed at HBOI under NOAA-OAR funding. The system uses blue and green pulsed laser sources (473 and 532 nm, respectively) and has two telescopes arranged at a 10° offset (on and off axis) from one another. The field of view of the telescopes is set at 1°. Approaches are being investigated to invert simulated and measured lidar results to derive input water column IOP properties. Results are tested through application to lidar measurements collected in an experimental tank with known suspended particle type and concentration.
Sleeping Patterns of Children and Adolescents: Developmental Trends, Disruptions, and Adaptations

This article focuses on the development of sleep/wake patterns and sleep architecture from infancy through adolescence. It also examines consequential developmental changes and environmental variables that disrupt and influence the formation of sleep/wake schedules, sleep behaviors, and sleepiness for each age group. During the infant, toddler, and preschool years, parent-child interactions and situational factors, such as bedtime routines, sleeping arrangements, and soothing styles, affect sleep. Similarly, school schedules, hours spent in extracurricular activities, and the onset of puberty shift and modify the relationship between sleep and wake time for the school-aged child and adolescent.
A FORECASTING MODEL

This chapter presents a large-scale econometric model for the Philadelphia region. The Philadelphia model was developed in four stages, beginning with a small 26 equation model given in Glickman, which was estimated for the 1949–1966 sample period. The earliest model was essentially a three-sector model involving: (1) manufacturing; (2) wholesale, retail trade, and selected services; and (3) all other activities. For each sector, equations were specified for output, employment, and average annual wage—both in real and in money terms. Also, equations were estimated for gross regional product, personal income, consumer prices, labor force, and population. Finally, there was a small government block in which local government revenues and local government expenditures were determined. The current model consists of 228 equations of which 105 are stochastic. It takes as exogenous 30 variables from the U.S. economy and 17 regional exogenous variables and 44 lagged endogenous variables for a 1947–1971 sample period.
Automotive Fuel Economy

In this day of energy uncertainty our attention is sharply focused on every major energy user in the United States, and for that matter, the entire world. No energy consumer is immune from consideration, whether it be production of goods, home heating and cooling, or transportation. Clearly, one of the most important factors in the energy use equation is automotive transportation and in particular the automobile. The incentives to improve automotive vehicle efficiency are substantial and growing year by year. It can be reliably predicted that the cost of petroleum-based energy will continue to increase and the supply will remain uncertain since many of the principal sources of this energy form are in relatively unstable areas of the world. The ongoing political uncertainties in the Middle East and other developing areas that are net exporters of petroleum are before us daily in the news media. Even with the appearance of petroleumlike synthetic gasoline, diesel fuel, or methanol derived from coal or oil shale, little impact can be made on the basic supply structure in the next 10–20 years. It is in this period of transition that the free world is most vulnerable to dislocations in petroleum availability.
In vitro malignant transformation of hamster retina by herpes simplex virus.

Hamster retina was infected in vitro with irradiated herpes simplex virus type 2. Cells underwent malignant transformation, and when injected subcutaneously into nude mice and hamsters, produced transferable tumors. Transformed cells were found to have HSV antigen as determined by indirect fluorescent staining. In addition, the undifferentiated transformed retinal cells possess neurosecretory granules and retinoic acid receptors and produce growth factor, features similar to those found in spontaneous human retinoblastoma. This is the first neoplasm of ocular tissues induced experimentally by herpes simplex virus (HSV). Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 24:1489-1495, 1983 In recent years, viruses have been studied widely as a possible cause of many types of human cancer. The herpes viruses, composed of double-stranded DNA within a large icosahedral capsid have emerged as the principal DNA virus suspect in human tumor virology. Viruses belonging to this group have been implicated as etiologic agents in cancer in both humans and lower animals. 1 Two of the three viruses that have been associated with human cancer on the basis of multidisciplinary evidence are the Epstein-Barr virus, a herpes virus associated with Burkitt's lymphoma, and herpes simplex virus type 2 which is associated with carcinoma of the cervix. 2 Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is the most extensively described ocular pathogen in this group of viruses: both types 1 and 2 clinically infect the cornea, uvea, and retina in humans. The role of HSV in the development of intraocular tumors, however, has not been studied previously. The purpose of the experiments reported here was to determine if HSV has the capability to cause malignant transformation of mammalian neural retina in vitro.