cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Summary for Decision Makers

Natural climate variability is a prominent factor that affects many aspects of life, livelihoods, landscapes, and decision-making across the Southwestern U.S. (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah; included are the adjacent United States-Mexico border and Southwest Native Nations land). These natural fluctuations have caused droughts, floods, heat waves, cold snaps, heavy snow falls, severe winds, intense storms, the battering of coastal areas, and acute air-quality conditions. And as a region that has experienced—within the relatively short time span of several decades—rapid increases in human population (Figure 1.1), significant alterations in land use and land cover, limits on the supplies of water, long-term drought, and other climatic changes, the Southwest can be considered to be one of the most “climate-challenged” regions of North America. This document summarizes current understanding of climate variability, climate change, climate impacts, and possible solution choices for the climate challenge, all issues that are covered in greater depth in Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwest United States.i
Curvature from Every Angle

Curvature of plane and space curves is a staple of the calculus course. However, the connections between the center of curvature, the evolute and involutes, parallel curves, envelopes of families of curves, and the Bi-Fold Door Problem are not the typical fare in a calculus course. This unit explores, via Maple, curvature of plane curves — and associated concepts.
Age Distribution, Trends, and Forecasts of Under-5 Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa

Background: Despite the sharp decline in global under-5 deaths since 1990, uneven progress has been achieved across and within countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the Millennium Development Goals targets for child mortality were met only by a few countries, and recently new targets were set in goals for Sustainable Development that include the eradication of preventable deaths by reducing neonatal and under-5 mortality rates to at least as low 12 and 25 per 1000 live births by 2030, respectively. As the reduction of preventable deaths has a direct impact on their age distribution, the foci of this study are assessing age patterns, trends over time, and forecasts of mortality rates in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods and findings: Data came from 104 nationally-representative Demographic and Health Surveys with full birth histories from 31 Sub-Saharan African countries from 1990 to 2016 (a total of 448 country-years of data). We assessed the distribution of age at death through the following demographic model. First, we used a direct method for the estimation of death rates with full-birth histories from survey data to construct age profiles of under-5 mortality on a monthly basis. Second, a two-dimensional P-spline approach was used to smooth out raw estimates of death rates by age and time. Third, a variant of the Lee-Carter model, designed for populations with limited data, was used to fit and forecast age profiles of mortality. We used mortality estimates from the United Nations Inter-agency group for Child Mortality Estimation to adjust, validate and minimize the risk of bias in survival, truncation, and recall in mortality estimation. Our study has three salient findings. First, we observe a monotonous decline of death rates at every age in most countries, but with notable differences in the age-patterns over time. Second, our projections of continued decline of child mortality differ from existing estimates from the United Nations Inter-agency group for Child Mortality Estimation in 5 countries for both neonatal and under-5 mortality. Finally, we predict that only 5 countries (Guinea, Liberia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda) are on track to achieve the sustainable development goal targets on child mortality by 2030. Poor data quality issues that include bias in the report of births and deaths, or age heaping, remain a limitation of this study. Conclusions: This study is the first to combine full birth history data and mortality estimates from external reliable sources to model age patterns of under-5 mortality across time in Sub-Saharan Africa. We demonstrate that countries with a rapid pace of mortality reduction across ages would be more likely to achieve the sustainable development goal targets of child mortality reduction. Our mortality model predicts that if neonatal and under-5 deaths decline at the rates observed during the last 25 years, only 5 countries would reach those targets by 2030, 15 would achieve them between 2030 and 2050, and 11 afterwards.
OUTCOMES OF THORACIC ENDOVASCULAR AORTIC REPAIR FOR ACUTE UNCOMPLICATED STANFORD TYPE-B AORTIC DISSECTION: A SINGLE-CENTER EXPERIENCE WITH 522 CASES

To report our single-center experience with thoracic endovascular aortic repair for acute uncomplicated Stanford type B aortic dissection and to investigate the clinical and imaging features on presentation that relate to poor outcome. This retrospective study included 522 consecutive patients (468
Nutrition and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Nutritional support, whether enteral or parenteral, is an important part of the treatment of IBD. Inadequate oral intake, malabsorption, and increased gastrointestinal losses all contribute to malnutrition. Weight loss, cachexia, abnormal body composition, and multiple micronutrient deficiencies are common. Acute repletion of body weight and correction of specific nutrient deficiencies improve the patients' sense of well-being and decrease morbidity, especially in the perioperative period. If a short period of bowel rest (10 to 14 days) is part of the medical therapy of acute exacerbations of IBD, TPN should be administered to prevent further nutritional deficiencies. Chronic undernutrition, and growth failure in children, usually are best treated by intensive enteral supplementation. Prolonged bowel rest and TPN (4 to 6 weeks) have not been shown to improve outcome but may be appropriate in carefully selected patients. Long-term home TPN may be necessary for patients who have short gut syndrome. The mainstay of treatment for IBD is medical therapy including corticosteroids. Timely and appropriate surgery is equally important and should not be considered a last resort. Careful nutritional management is essential but is adjunctive rather than primary therapy.
Evaluation of silicon photomultipliers for multiphoton and laser scanning microscopy

The silicon photomultiplier (SIPM) is an emerging detector technology that enables both high sensitivity and high dynamic range detection of visible and near-infrared light at a fraction of the cost of conventional vacuum tube photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). A low-cost detection circuit is presented and the performance of a commercial SIPM is evaluated for high-speed laser scanning microscopy applications. For moderate-to-high-speed fluorescent imaging applications, the measurements and imaging results indicate that the SIPM exceeds the sensitivity of GaAsP PMTs, while providing higher dynamic range and better saturation behavior. For low speed or applications requiring large detector areas, the GaAsP PMT retains a sensitivity advantage due to large area and lower dark counts. The calculations presented show that, above a critical detection bandwidth, the SIPM sensitivity exceeds that of a GaAsP PMT.
A State Level Retrospective Analysis of Newborn Screening for Hemoglobinopathies

Introduction: Screening for variant hemoglobin is essential in identifying newborns born with hemoglobinopathies, including sickle cell trait (SCT). Screening allows families the opportunity for patient education as well as genetic counseling. This study aimed to better understand the trends in newborn screening of variant hemoglobin in the state of Nebraska over a period of eight years. Methods: Using the Department of Health and Human Services state-level screening information,the crude incidence rate of SCT was calculated as the screened positives divided by the total number of screened newborns within the state of Nebraska from 2011 to 2018. Rates were further delineated by variant. A Daniel's test was utilized to determine if the crude incidence rates exhibited characteristics of a trend. Rates were also examined with joinpoint regression to determine annual percent change (APC). Excel v 1808 and Joinpoint Trend Analysis v 4.5 software packages were used for all analyses; p Results: We identified 3,416 newborns with SCT among a total of 211,697 live births, which is an incidence rate of 161.4 cases per 10,000 screened newborns. There was no evidence of a trend in the overall incidence rate from 2011 to 2018 (p = 0.493). However, the incidence of FA Barts significantly increased over the examined interval (p = 0.015) with a 4.4% APC (95% CI: 0.7% to 8.3%; p =0.026) Conclusion: The data obtained from this study showed no significant change in the incidence of SCT in the state of Nebraska from 2011 to 2018. However, there was a significant increase in the incidence of Hemoglobin FA Barts. Hemoglobin FA Barts is associated primarily with alpha thalassemia, which is most prevalent in southeast Asia, but is also common in the Mediterranean, Africa, Middle east, Central Asia and India. This finding is of interest and likely related to the changing migration patterns in the state of Nebraska. For the healthcare system to continue to provide appropriate care, future studies should aim to further elucidate this trend and patient demographics of this increasing patient population in the state of Nebraska. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Taurine Suppression of Central Amygdala GABAergic Inhibitory Signaling via Glycine Receptors Is Disrupted in Alcohol Dependence.

Background Alcohol use disorder (AUD) increases brain stress systems while suppressing reward system functioning. One expression of stress system recruitment is elevated GABAergic activity in the central amygdala (CeA), which is involved in the excessive drinking seen with AUD. The sulfonic amino acid taurine, a glycine receptor partial agonist, modulates GABAergic activity in the rewarding effects of alcohol. Despite taurine abundance in the amygdala, its role in the dysregulation of GABAergic activity associated with AUD has not been studied. Thus, here, we evaluated the effects of taurine on locally stimulated GABAergic neurotransmission in the CeA of naive- and alcohol-dependent rats. Methods We recorded intracellularly from CeA neurons of naive- and alcohol-dependent rats, quantifying locally evoked GABAA receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (eIPSP). We examined the effects of taurine and alcohol on CeA eIPSP to characterize potential alcohol dependence-induced changes in the effects of taurine. Results We found that taurine decreased amplitudes of eIPSP in CeA neurons of naive rats, without affecting the acute alcohol-induced facilitation of GABAergic responses. In CeA neurons from dependent rats, taurine no longer had an effect on eIPSP, but now blocked the ethanol (EtOH)-induced increase in eIPSP amplitude normally seen. Additionally, preapplication of the glycine receptor-specific antagonist strychnine blocked the EtOH-induced increase in eIPSP amplitude in neurons from naive rats. Conclusions These data suggest taurine may act to oppose the effects of acute alcohol via the glycine receptor in the CeA of naive rats, and this modulatory system is altered in the CeA of dependent rats.
INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ASPECTS OF RECOMBINANT DNA RESEARCH

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the international legal aspects of recombinant DNA research. An increasing international exploration of technologies such as nuclear power, weather modification, pesticides, drugs, and other chemicals give rise to international responsibility to create a legal regime that will at the same time maximize and disseminate benefits from the research, assess and minimize risks associated with it, and handle disputes about liability for damages resulting from it. The development of genetic engineering, including recombinant DNA techniques, presents instance of technology that raises international legal and political issues. A major international issue is whether and how to harmonize the provisions of the various national guidelines. Harmonization may be essential both for the protection of society and for scientists, who may fear that whether they will be the first to make a scientific breakthrough that will depend upon where their laboratory is located. The lack of harmonization could induce some companies to shop for the country with the fewest and least expensive restrictions, at the expense of protection to the international community.
Accurate Self-Localization in Transit Stations: A Case Study

Public transit stations and hubs can be difficult to navigate by people who are blind or have low vision, and by people with cognitive impairment. We are building a system, named RouteMe2, that provides microrouting and guidance in these environments. A critical component of this system is self-localization. In this paper, we present a system for self-localization in outdoor places (such as a train station), in which GPS signal is available but, due to shading from nearby buildings, often unreliable. We propose a new approach that uses a small number of Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons to increase self-localization accuracy by means of statistical fusion with data from GPS, paired with a Bayes discrete filter tracker. A number of experiments were conducted at San Jose Diridon light rail station to quantitatively assess the performance of the proposed system.
Survival of the Fittest: Impact of Cardiorespiratory Fitness on Outcomes in Men and Women with Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract Cardiovascular disease (CVD) in general and myocardial infarction in particular are the leading causes of mortality in men and women globally. Sex differences in CVD recovery exist, with higher rates of mortality, recurrent myocardial infarction, and poor functional outcomes seen in women compared to men with CVD. Physical inactivity has been identified as a crucial modifiable risk factor linked with poor survival and recovery in patients with CVD. Cardiac rehabilitation programs that aim to improve physical inactivity and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), a measure of physical fitness in patients with CVD, have gained popularity. The goals of this commentary were to summarize the existing literature on the impact of CRF on survival in patients with CVD, to document the impact of sex on CVD outcomes, and to highlight any gaps in current knowledge. Even minor improvements in CRF have been linked with improved survival, although contemporary data from randomized controlled trials have shown mixed results. Gender differences in cardiac rehabilitation have been well documented, with lower referral, enrollment, and completion rates noted in women compared to men with CVD. However, data on sex differences in CRF with cardiac rehabilitation are scant, mostly indicating lower peak CRF observed in female compared to male patients on completion. It is unclear whether similar thresholds of peak CRF are needed in male and female patients to improve survival after onset of CVD, and whether exercise prescriptions need to be adapted to include additional forms of exercise. CRF is also influenced by age, with a decline in peak exercise capacity with advancing age observed in both sexes, but steeper declines noted in men than women. From this perspective, we review the data intersecting age, sex, and exercise on survival in patients with CVD, as well as the biological mechanisms at play, and we identify areas for future research (Clin Ther. 2020; 42:XXX–XXX) © 2020 Elsevier Inc.
A review of preoperative planning technologies for spinal deformity correction

Abstract Multiple pre-operative planning software systems are available to surgeons performing spinal deformity correction. The systems boast accurate and efficient assessments of spinal alignment parameters, and allow surgeons to template corrective instrumentation and osteotomies. Here, we review several systems that are capable of interfacing with imaging databases, assessing spinal alignment, and templating for surgery. Additionally we will touch on further extensions of these systems including the creation of 3D printed models, pedicle screw guiders, osteotomy guiders, and custom made 3D implants. Likely the systems mentioned here are the first of many in a new era of digitally enhanced surgical techniques.
Survival following upfront chemotherapy for treatment-naïve metastatic prostate cancer: a real-world retrospective cohort study.

Upfront chemotherapy prolongs overall survival for men with metastatic, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) based on data from clinical trials. We sought to assess the association between upfront chemotherapy and overall survival in men with mHSPC in a real-world cohort. We performed a retrospective cohort study of men with de novo, treatment-naive metastatic prostate cancer from a large, national cancer database in the United States (2014–2015). Men in the upfront chemotherapy group received chemotherapy within 4 months of diagnosis (n = 1033, 28%) versus no chemotherapy or chemotherapy later than 12 months after diagnosis (controls; n = 2704, 72%). Overall survival was assessed using Kaplan–Meier estimates and compared using multivariable Cox regression analysis. After a median follow-up of 23 months, median overall survival was 35.7 months in the upfront chemotherapy group and 32.5 months for controls (log-rank p 0.2). In this real-world cohort, upfront chemotherapy for mHSPC was associated with longer overall survival. These data support the continued use of chemotherapy for men with mHSPC regardless of race or age if they are fit for chemotherapy and underscore the importance of evaluating cancer therapeutics outside of clinical trials to demonstrate treatment efficacy in populations that may be underrepresented in clinical trials.
Impact of nitrogen doping of niobium superconducting cavities on the sensitivity of surface resistance to trapped magnetic flux

Future particle accelerators such as the SLAC “Linac Coherent Light Source-II” (LCLS-II) and the proposed Cornell Energy Recovery Linac require hundreds of superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) niobium cavities operating in continuous wave mode. In order to achieve economic feasibility of projects such as these, the cavities must achieve a very high intrinsic quality factor (Q0) to keep cryogenic losses within feasible limits. To reach these high Q0's in the case of LCLS-II, nitrogen-doping of niobium cavities has been selected as the cavity preparation technique. When dealing with Q0's greater than 1 × 1010, the effects of ambient magnetic field on Q0 become significant. Here, we show that the sensitivity to RF losses from trapped magnetic field in a cavity's walls is strongly dependent on the cavity preparation. Specifically, standard electropolished and 120 °C baked cavities show a sensitivity of residual resistance from trapped magnetic flux of ∼0.6 and ∼0.8 nΩ/mG trapped, respectively, while nitrogen...
Geographic Distribution and Host Range of Lethal Bronzing Associated with Phytoplasma Subgroup 16SrIV-D on Palms in Southern Louisiana

Lethal bronzing (LB), also previously known as date palm lethal decline or Texas Phoenix palm decline, associated with phytoplasma subgroup 16SrIV-D, was first identified in Louisiana in December 2...
Parent Caregiving Experiences and Posttraumatic Growth Following Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant.

Background: Parents of children recovering from hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) experience significant distress due to unpredictable and potentially life-threatening complications. Distre...
Effects of Pore Connectivity and Tortuosity on the Dynamics of Fluids Confined in Sub-nanometer Pores

We report molecular dynamics simulation studies addressing the effects of pore connectivity on the dynamics of two representative fluids CO$_2$ and ethane in silicalite by systematically varying the degree of pore connectivity through selectively blocking some pore space with immobile methane molecules. By selectively turning off the pore spaces in the shape of straight, or tortuous zigzag channels, we also probe the effects of pore tortuosity. In general, pore connectivity is found to facilitate both the translational as well as rotational dynamics of both fluids, while the intermolecular modes of vibration in both fluids remain largely unaffected. The effects of providing connections between a set of straight or zigzag channel-like pores are however more nuanced. Pore tortuosity facilitates the rotational motion, but suppresses the translational motion of CO$_2$, while its effects on the rotational and translational motion of ethane are less pronounced. The intermolecular vibrational modes of both fluids shift to higher energies with an increase in the number of tortuous pores. The results reported here provide a detailed molecular level understanding of the effects of pore connectivity on the dynamics of fluids and thus have implications for applications like fluid separation.
Neonatal repair of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection accompanied by unilateral lung agenesis and Goldenhar syndrome: a case report.

BACKGROUND Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection accompanied by unilateral lung agenesis and Goldenhar syndrome is extremely rare. CASE PRESENTATION We present a case of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection accompanied by unilateral lung agenesis and Goldenhar syndrome in a patient who was diagnosed based on transthoracic echocardiography and computed tomography. We observed complete absence of the lung, the bronchial tree, and vascular structures on the right side, with abnormal drainage of the left pulmonary veins into the innominate vein. The patient showed clear clinical evidence of pulmonary venous obstruction and underwent surgery 3 days after birth. The pulmonary venous chamber containing the vertical vein was anastomosed to the left atrium using 7-0 PDS running sutures via a median sternotomy. Echocardiography and computed tomography performed 1 year postoperatively revealed no pulmonary venous obstruction. CONCLUSION We report a rare case of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection accompanied by unilateral lung agenesis and Goldenhar syndrome, which was successfully repaired 3 days after birth. A median sternotomy is a safe and effective approach for surgical repair of congenital heart disease with unilateral lung agenesis. Repair of the supra cardiac total anomalous pulmonary connection using the vertical vein is feasible in patients with a small pulmonary venous chamber.
A comparison of emergence delirium scales following general anesthesia in children

Summary Background: Emergence delirium (ED) is of increasing interest since the introduction of short-acting volatiles such as sevoflurane. Methods: We compared the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED), Watcha and Cravero scales for assessing the presence of ED in 117 of 118 consecutive children <18 years recovering from general anesthesia. The primary measure was the worst score for ED as assessed on each scale and for each patient during their PACU stay. An experienced anesthetist observer also made a subjective assessment of the presence of ED. Results: A PAED score of ≥10 detected ED in 37 children (32%), while the Watcha detected 30 (26%) and Cravero 41 (35%). Twenty-five patients (21%) fulfilled criteria for ED in all three scales as did all eight patients assessed by the experienced pediatric anesthetist observer. Median PAED scores (interquartile ranges) for patients assessed as having ED or not respectively were for Watcha, 12 (11,14), 7 (4,8); for Cravero, 11 (9,13), 7 (4,8); and for the experienced anesthetist observer, 14.5 (13.5,16.5), 7 (6,10). Conclusions: All three scales correlated reasonably well with each other but have individual limitations in their potential to assess whether ED is present. In the absence of developing an improved research tool to assess ED, a PAED score >12 appears to provide greater sensitivity and specificity than a PAED score ≥10. However, the Watcha scale is a simpler tool to use in clinical practice and may have a higher overall sensitivity and specificity than the other scales.
Rapid on-site evaluation of EBUS-TBNA specimens of lymph nodes: Comparative analysis and recommendations for standardization.

BACKGROUND There is no widely accepted rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) reporting system for endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration. At the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, ROSE reporting was unstructured. The goal was to evaluate, compare, and improve upon 2 structured approaches proposed in the literature. METHODS One hundred eighteen consecutive nodal aspirates were retrospectively reviewed by a pathology resident and a staff cytopathologist, both of whom were blinded to the original unstructured readings. Each reviewer interpreted every specimen with 2 different structured criteria proposed in the literature: criteria from the University of Minnesota (the Minnesota [MN] criteria) and criteria from the North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System (the New York [NY] criteria). The data allowed a comparison of the original unstructured ROSE system with the MN and NY scoring schemes and the final diagnosis. RESULTS Original on-site adequacy (OSA) had been assessed at 96%. Three cases were false-adequate according to the original unstructured approach; these had been called adequate on site, but a subsequent slide review including cell blocks did not show definite nodal tissue. OSA dropped to 86% with the MN criteria and to 85% with the NY criteria. No false-adequate on-site diagnoses would have been rendered with the application of either structured criteria. There were no significant differences between the MN and NY criteria with respect to the determination of OSA. An assessment of ease of application favored the NY criteria. With respect to diagnostic categories, each of the systems (MN and NY) was felt to have a category of value not used by the other system. CONCLUSIONS A standardized intra- and inter-institutional system for ROSE reporting is needed. On the basis of comparative analyses and consensus, modifications to prior criteria have been proposed in the hope of approaching this goal. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2015;123:362–72. © 2015 American Cancer Society
Stem cells in human breast development and cancer

The epithelial components of the breast are thought to arise from a stem cell population that is capable of both self-renewal and lineage-specific differentiation. We and others have hypothesized that mammary stem cells or their immediate progeny are targets for transformation during carcinogenesis. Normal stem cells and carcinoma cells share many characteristics including self-renewal capacity, telomerase expression, ability to differentiate, resistance to apoptosis, and ability to home to specific sites. Mammary transformation may require dysregulation of pathways that control normal stem cell self-renewal such as Notch, Wnt, Hedgehog, and Bmi-1. In order to study these pathways in normal mammary development, we have developed an in vitro culture system in which primary human epithelial cells isolated from reduction mammoplasties are cultured as 'mammospheres' on non-adherent surfaces. Cells within mammospheres are able to self-renew, as well as to differentiate into all the lineages found in the mammary gland. Utilizing this system, we demonstrate bidirectional interaction between Notch and Hedgehog signaling and Bmi-1 in the regulation of stem cell self-renewal. When mammospheres are admixed with irradiated human mammary fibroblasts and implanted into the cleared fatpads of NOD/SCID mice, they are able to reconstitute the ductal alveolar structures found in the human mammary gland. The stem cell model of carcinogenesis may also provide a partial explanation for the generation of cellular heterogeneity seen within mammary tumors. Using flow cytometry, we have identified a small population of cells within primary or metastatic breast cancers that bear the cell surface phenotype ESA+CD44+CD24-/lowLineage- that have the properties of human tumor stem cells. As few as 200 of these cells are able to reproducibly generate tumors in NOD/SCID mice, while the vast majority of cells in these tumors that lack this phenotype are incapable of tumor formation even when tens of thousands of cells are injected. Consistent with a stem cell model, tumorigenic cells generate tumors that recapitulate the phenotypic heterogeneity found in the original tumors. We have demonstrated that pathways that control normal stem cell self-renewal, such as Hedgehog, are activated in mammary tumor stem cells, compared with their differentiated progeny. Despite progress in breast cancer therapeutics, metastatic breast cancer remains an incurable disease. Current therapies that have been developed by virtue of their ability to induce tumor regression may selectively target more differentiated cells in tumors, while leaving the tumor stem cell population intact, accounting for treatment resistance and relapse. Multiple mechanisms may account for this resistance to apoptosis, including increased expression of anti-apoptotic genes, increased DNA repair mechanisms, and transporter proteins such as BCRP found in the tumor stem cell population. The targeting of stem cell self-renewal pathways such as Hedgehog or Notch may thus provide a novel and more effective approach for the treatment of advanced breast cancer.
Nathan Saul Mendelsohn

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the background of Nathan Saul Mendelsohn. Nathan Mendelsohn's contributions to mathematics in Canada as a teacher, administrator, editor, international delegate, “server-on-committees,” elected officer, board member, and moving force in general are well-known. The history of Mendelsohn triple systems is typical of Nathan's work—that is, he has pioneered many avenues of research in combinatorics. Nathan is a remarkable mathematician in the two ways that really count: depth of scholarship and perception of the future.
ZD1839 (Iressa™) in non-small cell lung cancer

Despite the advent of cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the prognosis for this patient population remains poor. Novel biologically targeted agents currently in development have the potential for greater efficacy against NSCLC, and possibly less toxicity than is associated with conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is recognized as a potentially useful target, and the small molecule, orally active EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor ZD1839 (Iressa) is currently the furthest along in clinical development of the anti-EGFR agents. This review summarizes the currently available clinical data on the use of ZD1839 in the treatment of NSCLC.
Linkage analysis of susceptibility to hyperoxia. Nrf2 is a candidate gene

A strong role for reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been proposed in the pathogenesis of a number of lung diseases. Hyperoxia (> 95% oxygen) generates ROS and extensive lung damage, and has been used as a model of oxidant injury. However, the precise mechanisms of hyperoxia-induced toxicity have not been completely clarified. This study was designed to identify hyperoxia susceptibility genes in C57BL/6J (susceptible) and C3H/HeJ (resistant) mice. The quantitative phenotypes used for this analysis were pulmonary inflammatory cell influx, epithelial cell sloughing, and hyperpermeability. Genome-wide linkage analyses of intercross (F2) and recombinant inbred cohorts identified significant and suggestive quantitative trait loci on chromosomes 2 (hyperoxia susceptibility locus 1 [Hsl1]) and 3 (Hsl2), respectively. Comparative mapping of Hsl1 identified a strong candidate gene, Nfe2l2 (nuclear factor, erythroid derived 2, like 2 or Nrf2) that encodes a transcription factor NRF2 which regulates antioxidant and phase 2 gene expression. Strain-specific variation in lung Nrf2 messenger RNA expression and a T --> C substitution in the B6 Nrf2 promoter that cosegregated with susceptibility phenotypes in F2 animals supported Nrf2 as a candidate gene. Results from this study have important implications for understanding the mechanisms through which oxidants mediate the pathogenesis of lung disease.
Unit roots in the presence of moving average errors: tests of consumer price inflation

The issue of stationarity is a critical one in time series modelling. Tests designed to detect unit roots are sensitive, however, to model specification. While it has previously been shown that the presence of moving average errors may adversely affect the size of Dickey–Fuller type tests for stationarity in finite samples, this paper demonstrates that the order of the moving average process is also important. Critical values of unit root tests for MA(2) processes are shown to be larger than comparable values for MA(1) processes, which are in turn larger than Dickey–Fuller values. Consumer Price Inflation is estimated as an MA(2) process and is tested for stationarity using the computed critical values for time series with MA(2) errors.
Adaptive multi-antenna systems based on self-growing symmetric radial basis function

We propose a self-growing strategy to improve the learning speed of the symmetric radial basis function (SRBF) beamformer for multi-antenna systems. This novel beamforming scheme is designed based on a geometric relationship between the hidden nodes of SRBF and the current array outputs. The center vectors of this novel scheme can be quickly and properly initialized, so the fast learning can be achieved. We have shown that, under a short training sequence, bit-error rates are greatly improved, even when the number of center vectors is really huge.
Effect of dietary cadmium on tissue distribution of 109cadmium following a single oral dose in young goats.

Abstract Cadmium metabolism was investigated following a single oral dose of 109 Cd in four- to six-month-old male goats fed a practical diet with and without 100ppm of supplemental cadmium as CdCl 2 . Tissue distribution of 109 Cd and total body retention were determined 14 days after dosing. Highest concentrations were found in the kidneys, liver, duodenum, and abomasum, respectively. Total body retention was 0.3 to 0.4% of the dose with about one-half of this in the liver, one-fourth in the kidneys, and a large part of the remainder in the gastrointestinal tissue and contents. Bone, muscle, blood, hair, skin, and connective tissues contained very small amounts. Feeding the high metabolic load of 100ppm of dietary cadmium significantly decreased 109 Cd concentrations in the gastrointestinal tract tissues, but the effect was not sufficient to produce a detectable change in over-all body retention. 109 Cadmium levels in other tissues were not materially influenced by cadmium feeding. Daily rate of 109 Cd fecal excretion declined linearly and rapidly during the second week, with about 20% of the body burden eliminated on Day 8 and less than 5% on Day 14. After 21 days of cadmium feeding, kidney, duodenum, and liver concentrations of stable cadmium were 62, 28, and 18ppm of dry matter, compared to 2.7, 2.5, and 1.6ppm in comparable tissues of control animals. Ruminants do not have a homeostatic control mechanism for controlling cadmium absorption or excretion which is affected by level of dietary or tissue cadmium content. However, very low levels are absorbed.
An empirical study of brand switching for a retail service

Abstract The purpose of our study is to identify and measure the relative influence of different factors contributing to brand switching in a retail service context. We examine three types of variables related to brand switching for a high involvement, experience-oriented retail service: (1) changes in usage context or situation; (2) marketing mix variables which are directly controllable by the firm; and (3) customer background variables. Using data from an extensive survey of lodging customers, we build a model of the probability of brand switching as a function of these variables and implement three measures of relative variable influence. The strategic marketing implications of the findings are discussed.
Energy-conserving feedback EDF scheduling for embedded systems with real-time constraints

Embedded systems have limited energy resources. Hence, they should conserve these resources to extend their period of operation. Recently, dynamic frequency scaling (DFS) and dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) have been added to a various embedded processors as a means to increase battery life. A number of scheduling techniques have been developed to exploit DFS and DVS for real-time systems to reduce energy consumption. These techniques exploit idle and slack time of a schedule. Idle time can be consumed by lowering the processor frequency of selected tasks while slack time allows later tasks to execute at lower frequencies with reduced voltage demands.Our work delivers energy savings beyond the level of prior work. We enhance the earliest-deadline first (EDF) scheduling to exploit slack time generated by the invocation of the task at multiple frequency levels within the same invocation. The technique relies strictly on operating system support within the scheduler to implement the approach. Early scaling at a low frequency, determined by a feedback mechanism and facilitated by a slack-passing scheme, capitalizes on high probabilities of a task to finish its execution without utilizing its worst-case execution budget. If a task does not complete at a certain point in time within its low frequency range, the remainder of it continues to execute at a higher frequency. Our experiments demonstrate that the resulting energy savings exceed those of previously published work by up to 33%. In addition, our method only adds a constant complexity at each scheduling point, which has not been achieved by prior work, to the best of our knowledge.
Effectiveness of selenium in prevention of nutritional muscular-dystrophy in the chick.

SummaryResults have been presented which show that whereas supplementation of a dystrophy-producing diet of severely Vit. E-depleted chicks with either 2.5 mg of d-alpha tocopheryl acetate or 1.0 mg of selenium as sodium selenite per kilogram of diet alone has no effect upon dystrophy, supplementation with these amounts of selenium and Vit. E together completely prevents muscular dystrophy. These results indicate therefore, that both selenium and Vit. E are concerned in prevention of nutritional muscular dystrophy in the chick.
Efficient strategy for checkpointing in a transaction oriented database and its performance evaluation

A new efficient checkpointing strategy for a transaction oriented database system that operates in a stable on-line environment is proposed. Detailed experimental results are reported to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme in terms of different system parameters.
Neutrophil homeostasis: a new role for stromal cell-derived factor-1.

Neutrophils are a key component of the innate immune response and a major contributor to inflammation. Accordingly, their number in the blood is tightly controlled. Neutrophils are normally produced exclusively in the bone marrow, and their release into the blood is tightly regulated to maintain homeostatic levels in the blood. Herein, recent evidence is reviewed showing that stromal cell-derived l'actor-1 (SDF-1, CXCL12) plays a key role in regulating neutrophil trafficking in the bone marrow. Moreover, studies are discussed showing that granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, primarily through regulation of SDF-1 expression in the bone marrow, plays ah essential role in maintaining neutrophil homeostasis in the blood.
Ramanujan subspaces and digital signal processing

Ramanujan-sums have in the past been used to extract hidden periods. In a recent paper it was shown that for finite duration (FIR) sequences, the traditional representation is not suitable. Two new types of Ramanujan-sum expansions were proposed for the FIR case, each offering an integer basis, and applications in the extraction of hidden periodicities were developed. Crucial to these developments was the introduction of Ramanujan spaces. The aim of this paper is to develop some properties of these subspaces in the context of signal processing. The design of near orthogonal bases for these spaces is emphasized.
A Test of “Gender” and “Job” Models of Sex Differences in Job Involvement

The sources of gender differences in subjective job involvement are investigated utilizing cross-sectional and panel data from the 1972-73 and 1977 Quality of Employment Surveys. Analyses do not support previous arguments that differences in gender socialization and family responsibilities are the sources of females' lower involvement with a job. Instead, characteristics of the job setting, in particular work autonomy, are more important determinants of job involvement as men and wvomen generally react similarly to their wvork conditions. Women are found to be more involved with their jobs than men after controlling differences in wvork autonomy. The findings also indicate wvomen became more involved with their jobs over the period of study whereas men's subjective involvement decreased. The steadily increasing numbers of women entering the labor force in recent decades has generated a considerable body of research examining their work orientations and job attitudes. Most of this literature focuses on gender differences in work values (e.g., Lacy, Bokemeier & Shepard 1983; Simpson & Mutran 1981; Walker, Tausky & Oliver 1982) or job satisfaction (e.g., Jurik & Halemba 1984; Martin & Hanson 1985; Miller 1980). Few studies, however, have systematically investigated the sources of men's and women's psychological involvement with their jobs.' Existing research is largely descriptive and indicates that women are less psychologically involved with their work than men (Agassi 1982; Andrisani 1978; Clarke 1983; Lacy, Bokemeier & Shepard 1983; Mannheim 1983; Sekaran 1983). *The data were made available by the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research. The data for Quality of Employment Surveys were collected by Robert P. Quinn and Graham L. Staines. Neither the original collectors of the data nor the Consortium bear any responsibility for the analyses or interpretation presented here. The research was partially supported by the University of Houston Computing Center. The comments of Jeylan Mortimer and two anonymous referees are gratefully appreciated. Address correspondence to the author, Department of Sociology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77004. ? 1987 The University of North Carolina Press
Imaging and management of rectal cancer

Local staging and management of rectal cancer has evolved during the past decade. Imaging modalities used for staging rectal cancer include CT, endoscopic ultrasound, pelvic phased-array coil MRI, endorectal MRI, and PET. Each modality has its strengths and limitations. Evidence supports the use of both endoscopic ultrasound and CT in staging rectal cancer. MRI is the only reliable tool for determining the status of the circumferential resection margin, which is important for the assessment of the risk of local recurrence.
Moving courses online as a catalyst of pedagogical innovation: An activity theory-based view

The poster illustrates the use of Activity Theory as an analytical tool for study of pedagogical innovation. This exploration is based on the in-depth study of the process of converting several face-to-face courses to online teaching format in the context of one university. Data from interviews with participants in different roles in the process is analyzed using the activity theory framework. The study findings suggest that exposure to online teaching technologies and methods can act as a catalyst of pedagogical innovation. The poster also illustrates the utility of activity theory for examination of the dynamic processes mixing pedagogy and technology in the complex contexts of higher education institutions.
SELECTION STRATEGIES FOR BIVARIATE LOGLINEAR SMOOTHING MODELS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON NEAT EQUATING FUNCTIONS

This study evaluated 8 statistical strategies for selecting the parameterizations of loglinear models for bivariate test score distributions and for using these strategies in equating. Four of the strategies were based on significance tests of chi-square statistics (likelihood ratio, Pearson, Freeman-Tukey, and Cressie-Read chi-squares) and 4 additional strategies were based on different evaluations of the likelihood ratio chi-square statistic (Akaike information criterion [AIC], Bayesian information criterion [BIC], consistent Akaike information criterion [CAIC], and Goodman). The focus was on the selection strategies' accuracies in selecting bivariate parameterizations and the implications of using each selection strategy for chained and poststratification equating functions. The results showed that selection strategies differ in terms of their tendencies to select complex versus simple bivariate parameterizations and that the strategies that tended to select more complex parameterizations (i.e., Pearson and Cressie-Read chi-squares) usually produced the least biased and most variable equating functions.
Room temperature ALD oxide liner for TSV applications

To date, Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) O3/TEOS has been the prevalent dielectric liner for TSV applications. This process typically results in poor step coverage for high aspect ratio (HAR) TSV scenarios, and also requires a capping layer to provide acceptable reliability performance due to the high moisture content of the O3/TEOS material. This study reports on a high throughput room temperature Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) batch process for use as a dielectric liner in TSV applications, which provides several advantages over existing processes. Process characterization was completed to achieve a 100nm thickness SiO2 liner for a 6×55µm TSV size with nearly 100% conformal sidewall coverage, demonstrating the usefulness of this process for scaling to 3×50µm TSV size and beyond. Characterization of the ALD SiO2 dielectric liner showed breakdown voltage, leakage, and parasitic capacitance values as good as, or better than, the PECVD O3/TEOS dielectric process of record. In addition, the batch ALD process allows for a significant cost reduction of the overall TSV module. The new ALD SiO2 dielectric liner material was also validated through the downstream TSV fabrication process with no adverse effects.
Neuropsychological and Behavioral Measures of Attention Assess Different Constructs in Children With Traumatic Brain Injury

Neuropsychological and behavioral measures are used to assess attention, but little convergence has been found between these two assessment methods. However, many prior studies have not considered attention as a multicomponent system, which may contribute to this lack of agreement between neuropsychological and behavioral measures. To address this the current study examined the relationship between the neuropsychological measures that comprise a four-component model of attention and parent-report behavioral ratings of attention problems and hyperactivity. A total of 65 children and adolescents who had sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) were included in the study. Principal components analysis identified the four attention components in this sample, which accounted for 80.9% of the variance. However, correlations between the neuropsychological measures of attention and behavioral ratings of attention and hyperactivity were low and non-significant. This minimal correspondence suggests that neuropsycho...