cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variation in Intraocular Pressure and the Risk of Developing Open-Angle Glaucoma: The Los Angeles Latino Eye Study

Purpose To determine whether measures of intraocular pressure (IOP) variation are independently associated with the risk of developing open-angle glaucoma (OAG). Design A population-based, longitudinal study. Methods A total of 3666 Latinos free of OAG at the baseline of the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study were followed up 4 years later. Maximum IOP, standard deviation (SD) of IOP, range of IOP, and mean IOP were derived from 6 readings obtained at the 2 visits. OAG diagnosis at each visit was based on the consensus of experts who had access to all clinical examination data from that visit. Multivariate logistic regression was performed. Results Maximum, SD, and range of IOP were all associated with risk of developing OAG, and SD and range of IOP remained significantly associated even after adjustment for mean IOP. Maximum IOP provided the best fit to the data and other IOP measures were not associated with OAG risk in the model that had included maximum IOP. The effect of IOP variation varied by the level of IOP. Among participants with higher IOPs (≥15 mm Hg), only higher levels of maximum IOP were associated with a higher OAG risk ( P P Conclusions IOP variation was an independent risk factor for OAG. Maximum IOP was the most consistent IOP measure for predicting OAG risk across the entire spectrum of IOPs, possibly by capturing the effect of IOP variation among persons with relative lower IOPs as well as mean IOP effects in those with higher IOPs.
A compact, low-cost, real-time interrogation system for dynamic interrogation of microstrip patch antenna sensor

Microstrip patch antenna sensors have been demonstrated for strain, temperature, crack, moisture sensing etc. These antenna sensors are attractive because of their simple configuration, low profile, and conformability. Most of these studies, however, were carried out in lab settings using a specialized microwave instrument, which is expensive and has a low interrogation speed. This paper presents the development of a low cost interrogation system that can dynamically interrogate the antenna sensor and wirelessly transmit the acquired data to a smart device. The hardware implementation of the interrogation system as well as it characterization using a test apparatus imitate a prosthetic socket are presented. We demonstrated that the interrogation system can extract the resonant frequencies of the antenna sensors at real time.
Cervical spine injury in rollover crashes: Anthropometry, excursion, roof deformation, and ATD prediction.

Abstract While rollover crashes are rare, approximately one third of vehicle occupant fatalities occur in rollover crashes. Most severe-to-fatal injuries resulting from rollover crashes occur in the head or neck region, due to head and neck interaction with the roof during the crash. While many studies have used anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) to predict head and neck injury, the biofidelity of ATDs in rollover has not been established. This study aims to build on previous research to compare the dynamic response and injuries sustained by four post mortem human surrogates (PMHS) to those predicted by six different ATDs in full-scale rollover crash tests. Additionally, this study evaluates injuries sustained by PMHS relative to possible contributing factors including occupant kinematics, occupant anthropometry, and vehicle roof deformation. While the vehicle kinematics and roof deformation were comparable for all tests, three out of the four PMHS sustained cervical spine injury, but only the tallest specimen sustained cervical spine fracture. Neck flexion at the time of head-to-roof contact appears to have affected cervical spine injury risk in these cases. Despite the injuries sustained in the PMHS, none of the six ATDs measured forces or accelerations that exceeded injury assessment reference values (IARVs), which adds to recent literature illustrating substantial differences between ATDs and PMHS in a rollover-like scenario.
Chemistry of Protoplanetary Disks

We consider the chemistry occurring in protoplanetary disks and its possible contribution to the organic inventory of primitive solar system bodies. First, we outline the main physical and chemical processes associated with the formation of solar-type stars and their accretion disks. We then summarise the current observational status of protoplanetary disks and review chemical models of them. Finally, we discuss possible signatures of nebular chemistry in primitive organic material, paying particular attention to those related to isotope fractionation in comets and meteorites.
Modeling Water and Wind Erosion

Modeling water and wind erosion is important to understanding the processes governing soil erosion, predicting runoff and soil erosion rates, and identifying or choosing appropriate measures of erosion control. Modeling permits the: (1) understanding of the driving processes, (2) evaluation of on-site and off-site impacts on soil productivity and water and air pollution on large scale, (3) identification of strategies for erosion control, and (4) assessment of the performance of soil conservation practices for reducing water and wind erosion. Well-developed and properly calibrated models provide good estimates of soil erosion risks. Soil erosion results from a complex interaction of soil-plant-atmospheric forces. Thus, modeling soil erosion requires a multidisciplinary approach among soil scientists, crop scientists, hydrologists, sedimentologists, meteorologists, and others. Models must be able to integrate processes, factors and causes at various spatial and temporal scales.
Interference of hawthorn on serum digoxin measurements by immunoassays and pharmacodynamic interaction with digoxin.

Abstract Context.—Hawthorn is an herb indicated for treating cardiac illness. Because a patient taking digoxin may also take hawthorn, we investigated potential interference of hawthorn in serum digoxin measurements using immunoassays as well as pharmacodynamic interaction between hawthorn and digoxin. Hawthorn contains alkaloids that are structurally similar to digoxin and may interfere with serum digoxin measurement using immunoassays. In addition, hawthorn has cardioactive properties similar to digoxin. Objective.—To study potential pharmacodynamic interaction between hawthorn and digoxin. Design.—The effects of hawthorn extract on serum digoxin measurements using Digoxin III (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois) and the Tina-Quant digoxin assay (Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, Indiana) were investigated using 2 different brands of extract. To study the pharmacodynamic interaction between hawthorn and digoxin, we used an isolated adult rat cardiomyocyte system, measuring calcium transients by r...
FaRCg1: a quantitative trait locus conferring resistance to Colletotrichum crown rot caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in octoploid strawberry

Colletotrichum crown rot (CCR) is an important disease of strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) throughout the Southeastern US and in subtropical climates around the world, where hot and humid conditions facilitate rapid disease development. Yet no resistance loci have been described to date, as genetic studies have been historically difficult in allo-octoploid (2n = 8x = 56) strawberry. In the present study, we investigate the genetic architecture of resistance to CCR. Four population sets from the University of Florida were inoculated in four different seasons from 2013–2014 to 2016–2017. Two large, multiparental discovery population sets were used for QTL discovery, and two validation sets of cultivars and advanced selections representing the parent pool of the breeding program were also assessed. Subgenome-specific single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were mapped, and FlexQTL™ software was utilized to perform a Bayesian, pedigree-based QTL analysis. A quantitative trait locus on linkage group 6B, which we name FaRCg1, accounts for most of the genetic variation for resistance in the discovery sets (26.8–29.8% in 2013–2014 and 17% in 2015–2016). High-throughput marker assays were developed for the most significant SNPs which correlated with the mode of the QTL region. The discovery and characterization of the FaRCg1 locus and the molecular tools developed from it will be utilized to achieve increased genetic gains for resistance.
Sommerstorffia Spinosa Arnaudow

Sommerstorffia spinosa, a predaceous species of the family Saprolegniaceae which captures and devours rotifers, was collected in August, 1950, in soil from an alpine tundra stream at an altitude of...
Complete atrioventricular canal repair with a decellularized porcine small intestinal submucosa patch

Background Congenital heart defects affect nearly 1% of all children born per year in the United States, and complete atrioventricular canal (CAVC) accounts for 2%-9%. While several patch materials have been used for septal defect closure during CAVC repair, clear superiority of one material over another has yet to be established. Methods A retrospective review of clinical outcomes following CAVC repair at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital/Columbia University was performed on operations conducted from March 2010 to September 2017. Univariate and Kaplan-Meir survival analyses were utilized to evaluate primary outcomes of interest following CAVC repair in the modern surgical era. Results A total of 73 patients were analyzed, with an average operative age of 22 weeks. The majority (71%) of the patients underwent a 2-patch repair. A CorMatrix patch was used for ventricular septal defect(VSD) closure in 77% of the patients, and/or in 75% of atrial septal defect closures. There was one in-hospital mortality (1.4%) due to respiratory failure. One patient required a pacemaker. At mid-term follow-up (1.6 years), a total of 7 patients required 8 reoperations due to cardiac-related indications, including 5 for left atrioventricular valve (LAVV) repair, 1 for LAVV replacement, and 2 isolated residual VSDs. Conclusion A standardized repair for CAVC results in excellent outcomes in the current era, with low rates of reoperations. CorMatrix for the closure of CAVC has proven to produce good results with equivalent outcomes to other patch materials. Its ease of use and pliability make it an attractive alternative for consideration.
The differential equations for specific activities in a distributed tracer system.

Under the assumption of simple Fick-law diffusion with convection and/or imposed force fields, the flux law for tagged molecules in a tracer system is derived, and the Sheppard-Householder interfusion coefficient identified. The partial differential equations for concentrations of tagged species and for specific activities in an open distributed reaction system are derived and compared.
Acute and Late Skin Toxicity from Breast Radiation

Acute and late skin toxicities are an unfortunate but expected side effect of breast cancer treatment with radiation therapy. Thoughtful consideration of the normal structure and function of the skin and the anatomy of the breast may facilitate understanding and anticipation of radiation-related skin reactions. Specific acute and late toxicities have been described and are largely evaluated using provider-reported ratings of clinical exam findings. Risks for development of skin toxicity are likely related to both patient- and treatment-specific factors. Most techniques for the management of skin toxicity are experience-based or supported by small, non-randomized studies. Adoption of more detailed assessments of dermal injury following radiotherapy may improve understanding of discrete entities and identify new avenues toward the development of tailored management strategies for specific radiation-related skin toxicities.
Rapid Generation of High-Quality RISC-V Processors from Functional Instruction Set Specifications

The increasing popularity of compute acceleration for emerging domains such as artificial intelligence and computer vision has led to the growing need for domain-specific accelerators, often implemented as specialized processors that execute a set of domain-optimized instructions. The ability to rapidly explore (1) various possibilities of the customized instruction set, and (2) its corresponding micro-architectural features is critical to achieve the best quality-of-results (QoRs). However, this ability is frequently hindered by the manual design process at the register transfer level (RTL). Such an RTL-based methodology is often expensive and slow to react when the design specifications change at the instruction-set level and/or micro-architectural level. We address this deficiency in domain-specific processor design with ASSIST, a behavior-level synthesis framework for RISC-V processors. From an untimed functional instruction set description, ASSIST generates a spectrum of RISC-V processors implementing varying micro-architectural design choices, which enables effective tradeoffs between different QoR metrics. We demonstrate the automatic synthesis of more than 60 in-order processor implementations with varying pipeline structures from the RISC-V 32I instruction set, some of which dominate the manually optimized counterparts in the area-performance Pareto frontier. In addition, we propose an autotuning-based approach for optimizing the implementations under a given performance constraint and the technology target. We further present case studies of synthesizing various custom instruction extensions and customized instruction sets for cryptography and machine learning applications.
Temporal trends and outcomes of patients waiting on left ventricular assist devices and inotropes for heart transplantation

We sought to evaluate the trends and outcomes of patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and inotropes at the time of listing for heart transplantation. Adults with an LVAD implanted and listed with 1A status were identified in the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) registry between 2010 and 2017. Patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of inotropes at the time of listing and transplantation. A total of 2714 patients were included in the study including 664 patients on inotropes at the time of listing, 235 at the time of transplantation, and 118 on inotropes both at listing and at the time of transplantation. Patients on LVAD and inotropes at the time of listing were more frequently supported with a right ventricular assist device (RVAD) (P < .001), had higher risk of death in the waiting list (sub-hazard ratio [SHR] = 1.48, 95% CI 1.14-1.90, P = .002), and were less likely to be transplanted (SHR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.63-0.78, P < .001) compared with those not on inotropes, after adjusting for described confounders. Approximately 1 in 10 LVAD recipients listed as status 1A are on inotropic therapy at the time of heart transplantation. Patients on LVAD and inotropes have worse outcomes in terms of survival and lower rates of transplantation.
The Ocean Reader: History, Culture, Politics: Edited by Eric Paul Roorda. Durham, Duke University Press, 2020. xx + 524 pp., illustrations, maps, bibliography, index. ISBN 9781478006008 (hbk), 9781478006961 (pbk), 9781478007456 (ebook). US$119.95 (hbk), US$29.95 (pbk/ebook).

Eric Paul Roorda’s Ocean Reader represents a timely addition to a growing body of literature that seeks to historicize the world’s oceans occupying an expanding 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface. ...
Distributed Fault Detection and Estimation for Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control System in a Platoon

Wireless vehicle to vehicle communication in a vehicle platoon is proposed in intelligent transportation systems to increase safety of the transportation system and assist drivers for improved decision making. However, similar to any networked system, cooperative connected vehicles in a platoon are vulnerable to malfunction due to failures in network communication. In addition to the possible data corruption, sensor and actuator faults can have significant effects on the control strategy for cruise control. This paper considers a platoon of connected vehicles equipped with cooperative adaptive cruise control and presents a reconstructive method based on sliding mode observer to estimate and reconstruct the faults in the sensors and actuators of vehicles.
Design and optimization of Single Pass Tangential Flow Filtration for inline concentration of monoclonal antibodies

Abstract A number of Single Pass Tangential Flow Filtration (SPTFF) systems have recently been commercialized for inline concentration of monoclonal antibodies and other biotherapeutics, both to resolve bottlenecks in existing processes and as part of the development of integrated continuous downstream processes. The objective of this study was to examine the design and optimization of SPTFF modules using a previously developed mathematical model for the filtrate flux and pressure drop that specifically accounts for the concentration dependence of the antibody viscosity and osmotic pressure as well as the variation of the flow rate and antibody concentration with the position in the long pathlength SPTFF device. Model simulations were performed to examine the effects of channel width, length, and cassette staging (number of parallel cassettes in each stage) on SPTFF performance. The concentration factor (conversion) was greatest for a long thin channel configuration, but this also caused very large feed-side pressure drops. The use of cascade configurations, with a greater number of parallel channels near the feed inlet, significantly reduced the pressure drop but with a corresponding increase in total membrane area. A key factor governing the SPTFF performance was the increase in viscosity of the antibody solution at high conversion. These results provide important insights into the design and optimization of SPTFF systems for monoclonal antibody processing.
Antimicrobial and surgical management of intra-abdominal infections in children

Complicated intra-abdominal infections are a common problem in children. The etiology of these infections varies by age, with necrotizing enterocolitis being the most common cause in neonates, and appendicitis the most common cause in children. Diagnosis is based on clinical and laboratory findings as well as appropriate imaging studies. These infections are generally the result of mixed gastrointestinal flora, most commonly Escherichia coli and Bacteroides spp. The basic treatment principles for complicated intra-abdominal infections include adequate hemodynamic resuscitation, appropriate antimicrobial therapy, and source control. Antibiotic regimens should include agents effective against common Gram-negative facultative/aerobic bacilli as well as anaerobes. Increased antibiotic resistance has developed among several of the pathogens involved in these infections, which may need to be taken into consideration when selecting empiric therapy. In addition to appropriate antimicrobial therapy, adequate source control has been considered essential in the management of these infections. However, the need for definitive source control procedures in all patients has been challenged, and it has been demonstrated that deferral of these procedures or use of drainage instead of definitive procedures may suffice in selected children and neonates. The advent of laparoscopic procedures has also allowed less invasive approaches to be used in managing the nidus of infection. In this review, some aspects of the etiology, diagnosis and treatment of pediatric intra-abdominal infections will be addressed, particularly with regard to controversies in the use of antimicrobial therapy and source control procedures for these infections.
金融//教//育 之謬論 (The Financial Education Fallacy)

The English Version of this paper can be found at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1869323.In the wake of the Great Recession, financial education has received renewed political support. Research to date does not demonstrate a causal chain from financial education to higher financial literacy to better financial behavior to improved financial outcomes, yet the search for effective financial education continues. But it is time to ask whether this enterprise is misguided. If we could create a society where ordinary consumers are sufficiently educated that they could navigate one by one through an ever-changing cornucopia of financial products, would we want to live in it? Two reasons we would not are discussed here. First, the time, expense, and invasion of privacy that would be required would be enormous. Second, living in such a world would entail, paradoxically, a decrease in individual autonomy. Although I have argued elsewhere that we will never find the effective financial education for which many search, the more fundamental fallacy may be the assumption that this is the path we should take at all.
Adaptive Population Control

In this chapter we model the action of a population that is collectively trying to control their population size by imperfectly recalling much of what they have done in terms of birth rate control over the recent past. They assess the gap between their current population size and that size dictated by their physical environment. It takes time to gain the information about these two population sizes. Once the population knows these levels, we assume they react by changing their birth rate. The new birth rate is an average of the ones remembered over the recent past. The death rate for this population and the level of the desired population size are dependent on the population density. The part of the model illustrated in Figure 21.1 captures these relationships among area, population density, death rates, and desired population level.
Electrochemical and enzymatic oxidation of 5-hydroxytryptophol: Part II. Studies at physiological pH

Abstract The key event in the electrochemical oxidation of 5-hydroxytryptophol (5-HTOL) at physiological pH is formation of a carbocation intermediate (15b). This intermediate undergoes a series of ion-substrate coupling reactions. The major product of these reactions is 5,5-dihydroxy-4,4'-bitryptophol (A). Further attack of carbocation 15b on A yields several trimers including one containing an ether bridge between two 5-HTOL residues (I). This key trimer is the precursor of a number of dioxepin derivatives. Carbocation 15b can also be attacked by water yielding, ultimately, tryptophol-4,5-dione (B). Overall, electro-oxidation of 5-HTOL generates a very complex mixture of products. Peroxidase/H2O2, ceruloplasmin/O2, and tyrosinase/O2 also oxidize 5-HTOL. The product profiles generated in these enzymemediated reactions are very similar to the electrochemically driven process. The possibility is discussed that oxidation chemistry or biochemistry of 5-HTOL or other biogenic indoles in the central nervous system might play a role in the etiology of neurodegenerative illnesses.
On multivariate Newton-like inequalities

We study multivariate entire functions and polynomials with non-negative coefficients. A class of Strongly Log-Concave entire functions, generalizing Minkowski volume polynomials, is introduced: an entire function f in m variables is called Strongly Log-Concave if the function \((\partial x_{1})^{c_{1}}...(\partial x_{m})^{c_{m}}f\) is either zero or \(\log((\partial x_{1})^{c_{1}}...(\partial x_{m})^{c_{m}}f)\) is concave on \(R_{+}^{m}\) . We start with yet another point of view (of propagation) on the standard univariate (or homogeneous bivariate) Newton Inequalities. We prove analogues of the Newton Inequalities in the multivariate Strongly Log-Concave case. One of the corollaries of our new Newton-like inequalities is the fact that the support supp(f) of a Strongly Log-Concave entire function f is pseudo-convex (D-convex in our notation). The proofs are based on a natural convex relaxation of the derivatives Der f (r 1,...,r m ) of f at zero and on the lower bounds on Der f (r 1,...,r m ), which generalize the van der Waerden-Egorychev-Falikman inequality for the permanent of doubly-stochastic matrices. A few open questions are posed in the final section.
An Evaluation of Sharp Interface Models for CO2‐Brine Displacement in Aquifers

Understanding multiphase transport within saline aquifers is necessary for safe and efficient CO2 sequestration. To that end, numerous full-physics codes exist for rigorously modeling multiphase flow within porous and permeable rock formations. High-fidelity simulation with such codes is data- and computation-intensive, and may not be suitable for screening-level calculations. Alternatively, under conditions of vertical equilibrium, a class of sharp-interface models result in simplified relationships that can be solved with limited computing resources and geologic/fluidic data. In this study, the sharp-interface model of Nordbotten and Celia (2006a,2006b) is evaluated against results from a commercial full-physics simulator for a semi-confined system with vertical permeability heterogeneity. In general, significant differences were observed between the simulator and the sharp-interface model results. A variety of adjustments were made to the sharp-interface model including modifications to the fluid saturation and effective viscosity in the two-phase region behind the CO2 -brine interface. These adaptations significantly improved the predictive ability of the sharp interface model while maintaining overall tractability.
Technical interaction in large complex technology systems and its impact on technology management decisions

A mathematical model to examine the influence of interactions between technologies in a large complex technology system on the system behavior and the related decision analysis is presented. In this model, the behavior of a technology system is assumed to be determined by three sets of parameters: (1) the initial state; (2) the internal structure, i.e. the interactions between the elements of the system; and (3) the boundary conditions, i.e. the resource allocation to the system. The system behavior can be simulated by solving the model. Sensitivity analyses can be done for decisionmakers to examine the influence of their decisions on system behavior. The utility of this approach is demonstrated in the context of a real-world case study of a technology subsystem of aircraft engines, which includes 23 interacted technologies. The initial state and the interaction parameters are obtained from evaluations made by 30 experts. The system behavior is then simulated by solving 23 nonlinear differential equations by using the Runge-Kutta algorithm. The numerical results show that, under a certain internal structure and a certain boundary condition, the distribution of technologies in the system exhibits similarities. >
Microbial chemotaxis in flowing water in the vicinity of a source of attractant or repellent

Abstract Chemotaxis by a population of microbial organisms is studied using two versions of a mathematical model for the chemotactic response to analyze the behavior of marine micro-organisms in flowing water near a source of attractant or repellent. The model yields predictions of the steady-state distributions of the microbial population which may be compared with experiment. A set of laboratory procedures is suggested to provide the data for comparison with the predictions of the model.
Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Complicating Cytomegalovirus Retinitis

Six eyes in four patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis developed retinal holes and retinal detachment. Holes appeared in areas of necrosis and were typically large and round with shaggy edges. Differentiation from exudative detachment was sometimes difficult because of obscuration of the fundus by vitreous haze. Cryotherapy was successful in closing open breaks without detachment; cryotherapy and exoplant surgery were used effectively to treat the initial detachments. The occurrence of massive periretinal proliferation and late development of new areas of hole formation or retinitis complicated therapy for these detachments.
Temporal and spatial pattern of MASH-1 expression in the developing rat retina demonstrates progenitor cell heterogeneity.

The temporal and spatial pattern of mammalian achaete-scute homolog 1 (MASH-1) expression in the developing rat retina was examined in an effort to correlate achaete-scute homolog expression with the generation of particular cell classes. The expression of MASH-1 was restricted to the latter portion of retinal neurogenesis and was most closely correlated with the appearance of bipolar cells and Muller glia, two cell classes that are generated late in retinogenesis. We also examined the proliferative nature of the MASH-1 -expressing cell type to confirm that MASH-1 is expressed by progenitor cells and to determine the proportion of the proliferating population that expresses MASH-1. MASH-1 was expressed by only 10-30% of the total proliferating population, depending on the age examined. Thus, MASH-1 expression provides a molecular marker of heterogeneity among retinal progenitor cells and may play a role in the commitment and/or differentiation of one or more of the late-appearing retinal phenotypes.
Trimethylamine in Menstruous Women

HAVAS'S recent communication in these columns1 on the suggestive hormonal properties of trimethylamine recalls the fact that it was so long ago as 1902 that Michin2 first directed attention to the presence of trimethylamine in the vaginal secretion of women. Michin carried out his investigations on Russian women. Briefly, his findings were as follows:
Phase II study of pemetrexed in combination with carboplatin in the first-line treatment of advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND The primary objectives of this study were to determine the efficacy and tolerability of a pemetrexed-carboplatin combination as first-line therapy in patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer. METHODS Eligibility criteria included Zubrod performance status of 0 or 1, Stage IIIB (malignant effusion) or IV disease, and no prior chemotherapy. Treatment was pemetrexed 500 mg/m2 given intravenously and carboplatin area under the serum concentration–time curve = 6 given intravenously on Day 1 every 3 weeks for six cycles; patients could receive additional cycles at the discretion of the treating physician and patient. All patients received folic acid, vitamin B12, and dexamethasone prophylaxis. RESULTS Fifty patients (31 men and 19 women) were treated. The median age was 62 years. Ninety-six percent of patients had Stage IV disease, and 88% had a performance status of 1. The median number of cycles was 6; 15 patients received 8 or more cycles. There was Grade 3/4 neutropenia in 11 (22%) and 2 (4%) patients, respectively; Grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia in 1 (2%) and 0 patients, respectively. Three patients (6%) experienced Grade 3 nonhematologic side effects (diarrhea, neutropenic pneumonia, and fatigue). No patients had sensory neuropathy or alopecia >Grade 1. The partial response rate was 24%, median time to progression 5.4 months, 1-year survival 56.0%, and median survival 13.5 months. CONCLUSIONS This is an active, very well-tolerated regimen. Trials focused on how to integrate this doublet with novel agents are warranted. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
An application of the full CCSDT coupled-cluster method to potential energy curves: The CH4→CH3+H dissociation

Abstract The potential energy surface for the dissociation of methane CH 4 →CH 3 • +H • is investigated using many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) and coupled-cluster (CC) methods including full CCSDT. Full fourth-order MBPT(4) based upon an unrestricted Hartree-Fock reference function shows the characteristic rise in the 1.5–3.0 A region due to spin contamination. The full CCSDT and its approximations based on a restricted Hartree-Fock sum higher-order correlation effects even in the 3.0–5.0 A range, where degeneracy effects are quite large, essentially recovering all the MR-CI correlation energy.
The impact of changing climate on phenology, productivity, and benthic–pelagic coupling in Narragansett Bay

Abstract The timing and magnitude of phytoplankton blooms have changed markedly in Narragansett Bay, RI (USA) over the last half century. The traditional winter–spring bloom has decreased or, in many years, disappeared. Relatively short, often intense, diatom blooms have become common in spring, summer, and fall replacing the summer flagellate blooms of the past. The annual and summer mean abundance (cell counts) and biomass (chl a ) of phytoplankton appear to have decreased based on almost 50 years of biweekly monitoring by others at a mid bay station. These changes have been related to warming of the water, especially during winter, and to increased cloudiness. A significant decline in the winter wind speed may also have played a role. The changes in the phenology of the phytoplankton and the oligotrophication of the bay appear to have decreased greatly the quantity and (perhaps) quality of the organic matter being deposited on the bottom of the bay. This decline has resulted in a very much reduced benthic metabolism as reflected in oxygen uptake, nutrient regeneration, and the magnitude and direction of the net flux of N 2 gas. Based on many decades of standard weekly trawls carried out by the Graduate School of Oceanography, the winter biomass of bottom feeding epibenthic animals has also declined sharply at the mid bay station. After decades of relatively constant anthropogenic nitrogen loading (and declining phosphorus loading), the fertilization of the bay will soon be reduced during May–October due to implementation of advanced wastewater treatment. This is intended to produce an oligotrophication of the urban Providence River estuary and the Upper Bay. The anticipated decline in the productivity of the upper bay region will probably decrease summer hypoxia in that area. However, it may have unanticipated consequences for secondary production in the mid and lower bay where climate-induced oligotrophication has already much weakened the historically strong benthic–pelagic coupling.
Preparing students for graduate study: An eLearning approach

This paper describes the development and preliminary evaluation of an eLearning program intended to provide incoming nursing students with the basic knowledge, skills and abilities needed to succeed in graduate-level, online coursework. Using Mayer's principles (2008) for the effective design of multimedia instruction, an open-access, self-directed, online program was developed. The Graduate School Boot Camp includes five online modules focused on learning strategies and time management, academic writing, technology, research, and library skills. To motivate and engage learners, the program integrates a fun, graphical sports theme with audiovisual presentations, examples, demonstrations and practice exercises. Learners begin with a self-assessment based on the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire or MSLQ (Pintrich et al., 1993). To assess change in knowledge levels before and after completing the program, learners take a pre-test and post-test. Preliminary findings indicate that the students found the information relevant and useful. They enjoyed the self-paced, multimedia format, and liked the option to return to specific content later. This innovative program offers a way to prepare students proactively, and may prove useful in identifying students at risk and connecting them with the appropriate resources to facilitate successful program completion.
Protein sorting within the mhc class II antigen-processing pathway

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules are required for the presentation of antigenic peptides that are derived predominantly from internalized proteins. The assembly of MHC class II/peptide complexes occurs within endosomal compartments of antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Therefore, for assembly to occur, MHC class II molecules, foreign proteins, and accessory molecules must be sorted to appropriate intracellular sites. My laboratory is trying to understand how proteins are sorted to various antigen-processing compartments as well as to conventional endosomal organelles. Using chimeric marker proteins and a variety of biochemical and genetic approaches, we are addressing the specificity of protein sorting and the mechanisms by which sorting signals are deciphered. By using a similar chimeric protein approach to target endogenous proteins to distinct compartments, we hope to address the role of processing events in each compartment in the generation of MHC class II ligands.
Viscosity and die swell of acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene filled with glass beads and glass fibers

Shear viscosity and die swell ratio of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene filled with glass beads and glass fibers were measured. The relative viscosity of the composites increased with filler content, but decreased with shear rate. At low shear rates, fiber filled systems had higher relative viscosities than bead filled systems. At high shear rates, the opposite was observed. The die swell ratio of the unfilled material increased linearly with the logarithm of the shear rate. Systems highly filled with glass beads or fibers showed a maximum in the die swell ratio at medium shear rates. The magnitude of the maximum in the die swell ratio increased with the filler content and the die length, up to a certain length, in a series of dies that had the same radius. The presence of a maximum in the die swell ratio of the filled melts is explained by an order-disorder phenomenon observed earlier by Wu.
Proliferative Tumor Doubling Times of Prostatic Carcinoma

Prostate cancer (PCa) has a variable biology ranging from latent cancer to extremely aggressive tumors. Proliferative activities of cancers may indicate their biological potential. A flow cytometric assay to calculate maximum proliferative doubling times (T(max)) of PCa in radical prostatectomy specimens after preoperative in vivo bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) infusion is presented. Only 4/17 specimens had tumors large enough for flow cytometric analysis. The T(max) of tumors was similar and ranged from 0.6 to 3.6 months. Tumors had calculated doubling times 2- to 25-fold faster than their matched normal tissue. Variations in labeling index and T(max) were observed within a tumor as well as between different Gleason grades. The observed PSA doubling times (PSA-DT) ranged from 18.4 to 32.0 months, considerably slower than the corresponding T(max) of tumors involved. While lack of data for apoptotic rates is a limitation, apparent biological differences between latent versus aggressive PCa may be attributable to variations in apoptotic rates of these tumors rather than their cell proliferative rates.
Revision of Stenotaphrum (Gramineae. Paniceae) with attention to its historical geography

Seven species are recognized, of whichStenotaphrum helferi, native to forested streambanks in southeastern Asia, is considered the most primitive. Four species are restricted to tropical islands and coasts of the western Indian Ocean ; one of these, 5.dimidiatum, may have had its range within the region expanded by planting as a pasture grass during the early colonial period.Stenotaphrum micranthum is a naturally wide-ranging beach pioneer in both the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans, particularly on small, remote islands. The last species,S. secundatum, includes fertile diploids and sterile polyploids. The common diploid race has been found since the early days of botanical exploration as a seashore pioneer on both sides of the Atlantic; in West Africa it is strictly tropical, but in the New World it ranges from the Carolinas and Bermuda to Argentina; early Pacific expeditions also found it in Hawaii and the Australian region ; this race has been taken inland as a lawn grass and spread locally as a weed. A triploid clone of this species, originally confined to the Cape of Good Hope region, has recently been planted and naturalized in Australia, various Pacific islands, and North America; another aberrant Southern Hemisphere race has become naturalized in the Mediterranean region.
Kernel continuum regression

The continuum regression technique provides an appealing regression framework connecting ordinary least squares, partial least squares and principal component regression in one family. It offers some insight on the underlying regression model for a given application. Moreover, it helps to provide deep understanding of various regression techniques. Despite the useful framework, however, the current development on continuum regression is only for linear regression. In many applications, nonlinear regression is necessary. The extension of continuum regression from linear models to nonlinear models using kernel learning is considered. The proposed kernel continuum regression technique is quite general and can handle very flexible regression model estimation. An efficient algorithm is developed for fast implementation. Numerical examples have demonstrated the usefulness of the proposed technique.
Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae: a call for cultural change.

Starting in 2011, a cluster of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) occurred at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. The authors of this commentary refle...
On the principal axes of diffusion in difference schemes for 2D transport problems

Via Taylor series, we associate with a difference stencil Lh approximating Lu := aux + buy its modified equation: Lhu = Lu + (h2) {Auxx + 2Buxy + Cuyy} + O(h2). By rotating axes to eliminate the 2Buxy term, the principle axes through which the diffusion in Lh acts is calculated. Interestingly, for many schemes proposed for 2D transport problems these axes have little to do with the “streamline” and ”crosswind” directions of the continuous problem. Several examples are considered from this point of view.
FUTURE TRENDS IN THE APPLICATION AND IMPACT OF PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY WITHIN THE SCHOOL SETTING

The number of children and adolescents using prescription medications is continually climbing. The preceding articles have offered discussions on a multitude of areas within this subject matter. This article will serve to summarize some of those points raised with particular emphasis on where we go from here in terms of training and professional practice. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An Evaluation of Hedonic Price Indexes for Thirty‐four Large SMSAs

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, a set of price indexes are developed for thirty-four metropolitan areas for the years 1975 and 1978. Indexes are also broken down by central city and suburb for twenty two of the metropolitan areas. These indexes measure variation in the price per unit of owner-occupied housing stock and the price per unit of housing services of rental housing. Confidence intervals are constructed for the price indexes. It is found that the indexes are reasonably precise measures in that the typical ratio of the confidence interval to the predicted median rent or value is about 13%. Also, analysis of the confidence intervals indicates substantial and statistically significant variation in the price of housing stock and services among the metropolitan areas studied. One of the major benefits of this set of indexes is that it can be used to address one of the most important questions in real estate — Why do housing prices and rents vary among metropolitan areas and over time? Research projects are currently underway that use the data to address these two questions.
Lessons from Research on Dyslexia: Implications for a Classification System for Learning Disabilities:

Specific reading disability/dyslexia is examined as the one type of learning disability for which research results are complete and consistent enough to suggest a model. The implications of this model are then considered for all achievement domains and a total of three types of learning disabilities (LD) emerge—specific language impairment, specific reading disability/dyslexia, and specific math disability. When the core symptoms and the secondary symptoms for these types of learning disabilities are considered separately, it becomes evident that these three types of learning disabilities can account for discrepancies in all of the academic domains included in federal and state definitions of LD. This resulting classification system links the findings from recent LD research, syndromes from neuropsychology, and the criteria that school districts are mandated to operationalize. The implications of the proposed classification system are discussed in relation to prevalence, diagnosis, and intervention.
Socio-economic Correlates of Consumer Behavior

MARKET RESEARCH ANALYSTS have studied consumer buying motives and habits with respect to innumerable product lines. Very few researchers have made use of social organization variables as correlates of specific buying motives and habits. The purpose of the present paper is to examine social organization determinants of consumer-buying motives in food purchasing.' Following the procedure of other market researchers, an attempt was made to ascertain consumers' patronage motives in buying groceries.2 Each consumer interviewed in the study was asked: "Why do you buy your groceries at this store?" (Store previously indicated and from which respondent purchased majority of groceries). The reasons given were ranked by respondents 1, 2, 3. A value of 3 was assigned to the first reason, 2 for the second and 1 for the third. The results given in Table 1 indicate that consumers patronize particular stores for specific reasons. In order to compare buying motives with
Competing structural orderings and transitions to glass in mixed crystals of Rb1-x(NH4)xH 2PO4

Frustration is produced in crystals of the KDP family by mixing ferroelectric and antiferroelectric constituents. Birefringence and dielectric measurements are reported for 0 ≤ x ≲ 0.35. They indicate an interesting phase diagram, with a glassy phase probably preceded by a mixed phase for the upper part of the concentration range investigated. The randomness of the competing short-range interactions is likely to play a major role, making these structural glasses truly analogous to magnetic spin glasses.
Reactive astrocytic responses to denervation in the motor cortex of adult rats are sensitive to manipulations of behavioral experience

Recent research has suggested that mild denervation of the neocortex of adult rats may facilitate neuronal growth in response to behavioral changes. Astrocytes react to denervation, produce growth-promoting factors and are a potential mediator of this denervation-facilitated growth. The present study assessed whether astrocytic reactions to denervation vary dependent upon post-injury behavioral experience. Denervation of the transcallosal afferents to the motor cortex was induced via partial transections of the corpus callosum. Transected- or sham-operated rats were then either forced to use the opposite forelimb (via limb-restricting vests) or permitted to use both forelimbs normally for 8 days. In the motor cortex, the surface density of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-immunoreactive (IR) astrocytic processes and the density of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2)-IR glial cells was significantly increased as a result of transections alone and as a result of forced forelimb-use alone in comparison to controls. The combination of transections and forced-use significantly enhanced GFAP-IR in comparison to all other groups, but did not further enhance FGF-2-IR. These findings are consistent with behavior and denervation having interactive influences on astrocytic reactivity in the motor cortex. These results also raise the possibility that astrocyte-mediated support of neural restructuring after brain injury might be enhanced with appropriate post-injury behavioral manipulations.