cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Patient Age on Clinical Efficacy and Toxicity of Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy

The addition of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) to the therapeutic armamentarium for solid malignancies has resulted in unprecedented improvements in patient outcomes in many cancers. The landscape of ICIs continues to evolve with novel approaches such as dual immune checkpoint blockade and combination therapies with other anticancer agents including cytotoxic chemotherapies and/or antiangiogenics. However, there is significant heterogeneity seen in antitumor responses, with certain patients deriving durable benefit, others experiencing initial benefit followed by acquired resistance necessitating change in therapy, and still others who are primarily refractory to ICIs. While generally better tolerated than traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy, ICIs are associated with unique toxicities, termed immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which can be severe or even lethal. As a disease of aging, older individuals make up a large proportion of patients diagnosed with cancer, yet this population is often underrepresented in clinical trials. Because ICIs indirectly target malignant cells through T cell activation, it has been hypothesized that age-related changes to the immune system may impact the efficacy and toxicity of these drugs. In this review, we discuss differences in the clinical efficacy and toxicity of ICIs in patients at the extremes of age.
B-1 Cost/Weight Trade Methodology

Recommendations for the materials and construction for the B-1 airframe structure were determined on the basis of cost/weight trade studies. This represents an intensive evaluation of competitive materials and fabrication techniques that are feasible for use on this airframe within the constraints of the time period and performance requirements of the air vehicle. Titanium alloys were selected for major structural components comprising approximately 20 percent of the total airframe weight. These areas are indicated in figure 1.
Dentine method: Aging white-tailed deer by tooth measurements

The ability to age white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is essential for population management, but field-aging techniques based on visual assessment of tooth-wear patterns lack accuracy. We used regression analysis to relate tooth measurements to age of 54 known-age wild South Texas (USA) male deer captured from 2002 to 2012. Using 9 animals/age class, from 2.5 to 7.5 years old, we measured cusp height and widths of each layer of enamel or dentine within each cusp of the third premolar (P3) on both left and right sides of the lower jaws. We found a linear relationship between age and dentine width (D), particularly within the anterior buccal cusp of P3 on the right jaw (r2 = 0.727). The regression equation, Age = 1.819 + (1.755 × D) provided a predictive aging model. We validated this model with 140 jaws from different known-age male deer within the same age range and from the same locations. Placement within the correct year class was achieved for 48% of male deer, and 90% were classified within 1 year of their actual age. This accuracy was greater than that achieved by 27 Wildlife Society members who correctly aged 28% of a subsample of the same jaws by tooth-wear patterns. Thus, using tooth measurements to age deer provided more accurate age estimation than visual tooth-wear methods. The dentine method is particularly useful for deer ≥3.5 years old. This technique may need to be calibrated with measurements from local known-aged deer before being used to age animals from regions beyond South Texas. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.
Usage‐Based Language: Investigating the Latent Structures That Underpin Acquisition

Each of us as language learners had different language experiences, yet somehow we have converged upon broadly the same language system. From diverse, often noisy samples, we have attained similar linguistic competence. How so? What mechanisms channel language acquisition? Could our linguistic commonalities possibly have converged from our shared psychology of learning as applied to the evidence of similar-enough language experience? This article outlines a research program to investigate whether there are sufficient constraints in the dynamics of language to promote robust induction by means of statistical learning over limited samples. It illustrates the approach with regard to English verbs, their grammatical form, semantics, and Zipfian patterns of usage. It explores the emergence of structure from experience using methods from cognitive linguistics, corpus linguistics, learning theory, complex systems, and network science.
Freedom and other variables in the choice of public pension systems

There are three types of public pension systems popular throughout the world: Pay-As-You-Go (defined benefit), Funded (defined contribution), and Mixed. The latter two systems were largely adopted in the 1990s after Chile successfully built its Funded system. In this paper we analyze the choice of these types of pension system, identifying factors that affect countries' choice. Several measures of freedom - economic and political - are associated with these choices. The estimated effects of the two freedoms on pension choice and percent elderly are quite interesting and intuitive.
Weighted Scoring Rules That Maximize Condorcet Efficiency

Computer enumeration techniques are used to find the range of weights for weighted scoring rules on three candidates that will maximize Condoreet efficiency for odd numbers of voters, up to 31. Voters’ preference rankings on candidates are generated from a Polya-Eggenberger urn model. Results suggest that widely held notions regarding the overall superiority of Borda Rule, particularly regarding Condorcet efficiency, are highly dependent on an assumption of independence of voters’ preferences. With relatively low measures of dependence between voters’ preferences, reflecting social homogeneity, plurality rule is more Condoreet efficient than Borda Rule. Results contradict theoretical findings in Van Newenhizen (1992).
A security class project in graphical passwords

This paper details the development and implementation of a research project in support of a Computer Security and Information Warfare class. The purpose of the project is to teach students in-depth knowledge about a security topic and provide a research experience. This particular security project is graphical passwords and the goal of the project is to investigate a unique implementation of a graphical passwords scheme known as Cued Click Points (CCP). The CCP method has a large key space that reduces the likelihood of a successful attack using traditional techniques such as brute force or dictionary attacks. The project developed an implementation of CCP that combined the graphical approach with user?s familiarity with navigating through Google maps. The user is presented with an image of the United States and simply clicks to where the 'key' destination is located using a zooming map levels approach. Google Maps and the Processing environment permit a simple implementation allowing the focus of the project to be on data collection and analysis. This paper will provide background on the CCP approach, describe the implementation, and present the results based on user feedback using the system.
Preliminary evaluation of the publicly available Laboratory for Breast Radiodensity Assessment (LIBRA) software tool: comparison of fully automated area and volumetric density measures in a case–control study with digital mammography

Breast density, commonly quantified as the percentage of mammographically dense tissue area, is a strong breast cancer risk factor. We investigated associations between breast cancer and fully automated measures of breast density made by a new publicly available software tool, the Laboratory for Individualized Breast Radiodensity Assessment (LIBRA). Digital mammograms from 106 invasive breast cancer cases and 318 age-matched controls were retrospectively analyzed. Density estimates acquired by LIBRA were compared with commercially available software and standard Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) density estimates. Associations between the different density measures and breast cancer were evaluated by using logistic regression after adjustment for Gail risk factors and body mass index (BMI). Area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was used to assess discriminatory capacity, and odds ratios (ORs) for each density measure are provided. All automated density measures had a significant association with breast cancer (OR = 1.47–2.23, AUC = 0.59–0.71, P < 0.01) which was strengthened after adjustment for Gail risk factors and BMI (OR = 1.96–2.64, AUC = 0.82–0.85, P < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, absolute dense area (OR = 1.84, P < 0.001) and absolute dense volume (OR = 1.67, P = 0.003) were jointly associated with breast cancer (AUC = 0.77, P < 0.01), having a larger discriminatory capacity than models considering the Gail risk factors alone (AUC = 0.64, P < 0.001) or the Gail risk factors plus standard area percent density (AUC = 0.68, P = 0.01). After BMI was further adjusted for, absolute dense area retained significance (OR = 2.18, P < 0.001) and volume percent density approached significance (OR = 1.47, P = 0.06). This combined area-volume density model also had a significantly (P < 0.001) improved discriminatory capacity (AUC = 0.86) relative to a model considering the Gail risk factors plus BMI (AUC = 0.80). Our study suggests that new automated density measures may ultimately augment the current standard breast cancer risk factors. In addition, the ability to fully automate density estimation with digital mammography, particularly through the use of publically available breast density estimation software, could accelerate the translation of density reporting in routine breast cancer screening and surveillance protocols and facilitate broader research into the use of breast density as a risk factor for breast cancer.
Advances in Crop Synthetic Biology: A Platform that Bridges the Expertiseof Crop Molecular Biologists, Engineers, Software Developers andMathematical Modelers

Copyright: © 2015 Sticklen M. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Advances in Crop Synthetic Biology: A Platform that Bridges the Expertise of Crop Molecular Biologists, Engineers, Software Developers and Mathematical Modelers
Tumor Metabolism: MAGE-A Proteins Help TRIM Turn Over AMPK

MAGE-A proteins are testis-specific E3 ubiquitin ligase components whose expression is upregulated in many cancers. MAGE-A3 and -A6 act as oncogenes and recent work now shows that they degrade the central metabolic regulator AMPK, providing a novel mechanism for rewiring cancer metabolism.
A New Pseudo-Random Number Generator

Although the multiplicative congruential method for generating pseudo-random numbers is widely used and has passed a number of tests of randomness [1, 2], attempts have been made to find an additive congruential method since it could be expected to be faster. Tests on a Fibonacci sequence [1] have shown it to be unsatisfactory. The sequence xi+1 = (2a + 1) xi + c (mod 235) (1) has been tested on the IBM 704. In appendix I it is shown that the sequence generates the full period of 235 numbers for a g 2 and c odd. Similar results obtain for decimal machines. Since multiplication by a power of the base can be accomplished by shifting, which is comparable in speed to addition, this scheme requires essentially three additions. It takes 14 machine cycles on the IBM 704, compared to 28 for the multiplicative method, so that the saving is 168 ms/random number. The scheme has the further advantage that it does not destroy the multiplier-quotient register.Some tests have been made on the randomness of this sequence for a = 7 and c = 1, and a summary of the results is given in appendix II, where now the random numbers are considered to lie in the interval (0, 1).The serial correlation coefficient between one member of this sequence and the next is shown by Coveyou [3] to be approximately 0.8 per cent. By taking a = 9 this correlation coefficient can be reduced to approximately 0.2 per cent without increasing the time. Taking a = 21 would make this correlation very small but would require one more machine cycle on the IBM 704. Another way to reduce the correlation is to choose c such that the numerator in Coveyou's expression for the correlation coefficient is zero. This cannot be done exactly since it requires that c = (.5 ± √3/6)2P where P is the number of binary digits (excluding sign) in a machine word. However, a machine representation close to either of these numbers should be satisfactory. Some correlations with c = (.788+)235 and a = 7 were obtained and did not differ significantly from those given for c = 1 in the first section of appendix II.The author wishes to thank R. R. Coveyou for communicating his results in advance of publication and Elizabeth Wetherell for carrying out the calculations.
Myocardial Blood Flow and Oxygen Consumption in Man Early After Valve Replacement

Twenty-one patients without demonstrable coronary artery disease have been studied in the first 48 hours after aortic or mitral valve replacement to determine the possible contribution of abnormalities of left ventricular myocardial blood flow and oxygen consumption to the impaired cardiac performance which is sometimes evident in such patients. In the 14 patients making an uneventful recovery (group A), the mean value for left ventricular coronary blood flow (Kety-Schmidt method) in each study period was between 105.9 and 111.2 ml·min–1·100 g–1, and myocardial oxygen consumption between 11.1 and 12.7 ml·min–1·100 g–1, both being higher than in normal resting man. Oxygen extraction was 59 to 69%, and coronary sinus oxygen tension 23 to 29 mm Hg. Lactate extraction was normal. Five patients (group B) required pharmacologic support because of low cardiac output; all had undergone mitral valve replacement. In them, left ventricular coronary blood flow and oxygen consumption were the same as in group A; howev...
Cryptographic Authentication of Time-Invariant Quantities

With any strong cryptographic algorithm, such as the data encryption standard (DES), it is possible to devise protocols for authentication. One technique, which allows arbitrary, time-invariant quantities (such as encrypted keys and passwords) to be authenticated, is based upon a secret cryptographic (master) key residing in a host processor. Each quantity to be authenticated has a corresponding precomputed test pattern. At any later time, the test pattern can be used together with the quantity to be authenticated to generate a nonsecret verification pattern. The verification pattern can in turn be used as the basis for accepting or rejecting the quantity to be authenticated.
Ab Initio CI Calculations of the Energy Difference between Trimethylenemethane and Butadiene

Ab initio configuration interaction (CI) calculations have been carried out in order to determine the energy difference between 3A i2 trimethylenemethane (TMM) and 1Ag butadiene. The pi CI value of 38.3 kcal/mol is very similar to the CI values obtained when excitations of the sigma electrons are permitted. This finding suggests that correlation effects involving sigma orbitals make at most a small contribution to the energy differences between non-Kekule hydrocarbon diradicals and their closed-shell isomers. Possible complications in the experimental measurement of this energy difference are discussed. It is pointed out that methylenecyclopropane might be formed in attempts to deprotonate the 2-methallyl cation, without the involvement of TMM. From the experimental heats of formation of methylenecyclopropane and butadiene, an energy difference of 14–16 kcal/mol between 3A i2 TMM and methylenecyclopropane is estimated. This is in excellent agreement with a previous energy difference obtained by direct calculation.
vascular endothelial growth factor and DPC4 predict adjuvant therapy outcomes in resected pancreatic cancer

Angiogenesis is important for pancreatic cancer progression, but its role in predicting response to therapy is not known. We investigated the association of various angiogenic factors and intratumoral microvessel density (IMD) with adjuvant therapy and survival in resected pancreatic cancer. Tissue cores from a multi-institutional retrospective series of resected patients were used to build a pancreatic cancer tissue microarray. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF), CD31 (for IMD), and DPC4 expression were determined using immunohistochemistry. Expression of VEGF and PD-ECGF, both proangiogenic factors, was observed in 70 (56%) and 75 (59%) of 124 tumors, respectively. Expression of DPC4, an angiogenesis inhibitor, was observed in 59 of 124 (48%) tumors. VEGF expression correlated significantly with increased IMD (P=.03), as did loss of antiangiogenic DPC4 (P=.05). PD-ECGF expression did not correlate with IMD. Use of adjuvant therapy was associated with increased survival in patients with VEGF-positive tumors (18.8 [treated] versus 11.2 [untreated] months; hazard ratio [HR]=0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19-0.76; P=.005), but not in patients with VEGF-negative tumors. Similarly, improved survival was observed in patients with high IMD (16.3 [treated] versus 11.2 [untreated] months; HR=0.44, 95% CI, 0.23-0.87; P=.02) and in patients with loss of DPC4 (20.3 [treated] versus 11.2 [untreated] months; HR=0.31, 95% CI, 0.14-0.67; P=.002), but not in those with low IMD or normal DPC4 expression. VEGF (stimulator) and DPC4 (inhibitor) are important regulators of pancreatic tumor angiogenesis and predictive of benefit from adjuvant therapy. Adjuvant therapy may have both antiangiogenic and cytotoxic effects. Addition of anti-VEGF agents to adjuvant regimens may further improve outcomes.
Expert knowledge in palliative care on the World Wide Web: palliativedrugs.org

In my last Internet-related article, I speculated that social networking would be the coming wave in the effort to share knowledge among experts in various disciplines. At the time I did not know that a palliative care site on the World Wide Web (WWW), palliativedrugs.com, already provided the infrastructure for sharing expert knowledge in the field. The Web site is an excellent traditional formulary but it is primarily devoted to "unlicensed" ("off-label") use of medications in palliative care, something we in the specialty often do with little to support our interventions except shared knowledge and experience. There is nothing fancy about this Web site. In a good way, its format is a throwback to Web sites of the 1990s. In only the loosest sense can one describe it as "multimedia." Yet, it provides the perfect forum for expert knowledge and is a "must see" resource. Its existing content is voluminous and reliable, filtered and reviewed by renowned clinicians and educators in the field. Although its origin and structure were not specifically designed for social or professional networking, the Web site's format makes it a natural way for practitioners around the world to contribute to an ever-growing body of expertise in palliative care.
Porosity of the upper edifice of Axial Seamount

Seamounts are not solid basalt structures, but have relatively high porosities in their upper crustal sections. At Axial Seamount, off the coast of Oregon, United States, we used on-bottom gravity measurements with a Bell gravity meter within deep-sea submersible Alvin to determine a porosity of 31% for the uppermost ∼100 m of the edifice. The southwestern caldera wall has a porosity of 22% and the caldera floor has a slightly higher porosity of 33%. Seafloor observations and models indicate that these high porosities result from large-scale structural features such as lava tubes and cracks, large lava drain backs, or regions of open pillow basalts in the near subsurface. These high-porosity zones can affect the subsurface permeability, and models of hydrothermal upflow zones explain observed localized gravity anomalies. The variety of hydrothermal alteration, hydrothermally active areas, and open porous features appears to be related to the high porosity that is inferred from geophysical measurements on this active seafloor volcano.
Labor’s New Opening to International Human Rights Standards

Most trade unionists were oblivious to international human rights movement in the last half of the twentieth century. For their part, human rights advocates did not include workers' rights on their agenda. But in the late 1990s, labor and human rights advocates came together to reframe workers' collective action as a human rights mission rather than a self-interested syndical action. A new labor–human rights alliance built a wide-ranging discourse of workers' rights as human rights. The expertise and knowledge attributable to human rights actors gave their critique of workers' rights violations in the U.S. a high measure of authoritativeness compared with trade unionists making the same claims. Critics suggest that a human rights frame moves away from a class analysis, de-emphasizing principles of industrial democracy and mass action in favor of individual rights. This article argues that a human rights argument can help win needed labor law reform to protect workers' rights.
Archaic period settlement and subsistence in the Maya lowlands: new starch grain and lithic data from Freshwater Creek, Belize

Excavations and regional reconnaissance survey in Mesoamerica's tropical Maya lowlands of northeastern Belize document the association of a distinctive orange soil horizon with patinated stone tools dating to the Archaic period (8000–3500 cal BP). Archaic period deposits of this type were found along the Freshwater Creek drainage and on small islands associated with this riverine system. Stone tool assemblages (n = 778) from these sites indicate a spatial separation of tool use and resharpening at island versus shore sites at Progresso Lagoon and Laguna de On and expand the range of stone tool types reported from the Archaic period in the region. Starch grains (n = 81) were recovered from seven of these stone tools (two unifaces, four bifaces, and a hammer stone) and indicate that preceramic peoples in northern Belize used these implements to harvest or process maize along with several other domesticated plants species. The presence of starch from chili pepper, manioc, and taxa of the bean and squash families is also documented on a number of the same tools. These data are consistent with paleoecological studies in the region suggesting an extended period of horticultural activity in the Maya region prior to the adoption of ceramics and settled village life that occurred after ∼3000 cal BP.
Association of urinary cadmium and myocardial infarction.

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of individuals 45-79 years old in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (1988-1994) (NHANES III). Myocardial infarction was determined by electrocardiogram (ECG). Our sample included 4912 participants, which when weighted represented 52,234,055 Americans. We performed adjusted logistic regressions with the Framingham risk score, pack-years of smoking, race-ethnicity, and family history of heart attack, and diabetes as covariates. Urinary cadmium >or= 0.88 microg/g creatinine had an odds ratio of 1.86 (95% CI 1.26-2.75) compared to urinary cadmium or= 0.88 microg/g creatinine had an odds ratio of 1.80 (95% CI 1.06-3.04) compared to urinary cadmium or= 0.88 microg/g creatinine had an odds ratio of 1.85 (95% CI 1.10-3.14) compared to urinary cadmium <0.43 microg/g creatinine.
Using Data to Manage for Performance at Public Universities

As performance-oriented reforms have become more commonplace in recent years, questions about the factors that drive organizational adoption and use of performance systems for internal management are of central importance. This article uses data taken from a survey of presidents at public universities to advance our understanding about the use of data and performance management strategies within public organizations. The central research question is, why do public administrators choose to employ performance management strategies? In addition, the author also explores variation in the extent to which public universities use performance management strategies for three tasks that are central to public management: (1) strategic planning, (2) evaluating employees, and (3) interacting with external stakeholders. Findings indicate that public universities often use performance data to help manage, but many of the causal factors that lead to data use vary across management functions.
Bursting Neural Networks: A Reexamination

Many of the motor neurons in the lobster (Panulirus interruptus) stomatogastric ganglion exhibit plateau potentials; that is, prolonged regenerative depolarizations resulting from active membrane properties, that drive the neurons to fire impulses during bursts. Plateaus are latent in isolated ganglia but are unmasked by central input. These findings emphasize the role of cellular properties as compared to synaptic wiring in the production of cyclic motor patterns by ensembles of neurons.
Bacteremic infectability: a function of vascular graft material and design.

Abstract Ninety female mongrel dogs had their infrarenal adbominal aortas alternately replaced with ultralightweight Dacron, expanded Teflon, or external velour Dacron grafts. The grafts were left in place for either 3 or 6 months, challenged with an intravenous infusion of Staphylococcus aureus , and then retrieved. 1. 1.|Gross examination showed that the external velour grafts were most frequently lined at 3 months. At 6 months the velour and Teflon grafts were lined significantly more frequently than the ultralightweight graft. 2. 2.|Microscopic examination reveals that the velour grafts are cellularly healed more frequently at 3 months than the other two grafts. At 6 months the velour and Teflon grafts were more frequently healed than the ultralightweight Dacron; however the cellular lining of the teflon grafts was very thin compared to that of the velour and ultralightweight grafts. 3. 3.|The infection rates at 3 months were: velour, 50%; Teflon, 50%; and ultralightweight, 80%. At 6 months the rates were: velour, 20%; Teflon, 40%; and ultralightweight, 60%. We conclude that the velour graft is most resistant to infection of bacteremic origin because of its tendency to heal more quickly and completely.
Fall-related injuries in anticoagulated stroke patients during inpatient rehabilitation.

Abstract Objective: To compare the frequency and severity of fall-related injuries in anticoagulated patients undergoing rehabilitation after stroke to nonanticoagulated stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation. Design: Retrospective chart review. Setting: Free-standing rehabilitation hospital. Patients: 264 patients who sustained falls while undergoing intensive inpatient rehabilitation after stroke. Measurements: Injuries, categorized as minor (abrasions and bruises) or major (intracranial hemorrhage, fracture, major bleeding). Main Results: A total of 400 falls in 264 patients undergoing inpatient stroke rehabilitation were reviewed. One hundred thirty-one falls were sustained by 93 patients receiving anticoagulation, whereas 269 falls were sustained by 175 patients not receiving anticoagulation. In both the anticoagulation group and the control (nonanticoagulated) group, approximately one in five falls resulted in minor injuries (abrasions or bruises). Three fractures occurred, but no major bleeding events or intracranial hemorrhage occurred in either group. Conclusions: The risk for minor injury secondary to fall is comparable between the two groups, and the risk is low in this setting for hemorrhagic injuries in stroke patients falling while receiving anticoagulation.
A model for the adsorption of single metal ion solutes in aqueous solution onto activated carbon produced from pecan shells

Abstract Adsorption isotherms for activated carbon made from pecan shells have been obtained at 25 °C and an approximate pH of 3 for a number of metal ion solutes. It was found that the Slips and Freundlich equations were satisfactory for explaining the experimental data. The correlation of metal ion adsorption with the solute parameters of metal ion electronegativity and first stability constant of the metal hydroxide was investigated. In the case of most of the metal ions studied, higher electronegativities and stability constants corresponded to the higher adsorption levels of metal ions onto the activated carbon. A correlation was developed that predicts the constants of the Freundlich equation from the selected parameters of the metal ions, and thus can predict the adsorption isotherms at constant pH. The developed correlation gives results with acceptable deviations from experimental data. A procedure is proposed for obtaining similar correlations for different conditions (temperature, pH, carbon type and dosage). The ratio of equivalent metal ions adsorbed to protons released is calculated for the studied metal ions over a range of concentrations. In most cases, particularly at low concentrations, this ratio is close to one, confirming that ion exchange of one proton with one equivalent metal ion is the dominant reaction mechanism.
Dimensions of possession importance

The present study examines the characteristics of possessions which consumers deem to be their most important. Two orthogonal dimensions emerged as an interpretive structure for possession meaning: A sacred/secular dimension, and a subjective/objective dimension. Examples of products falling into each quadrant (e.g., sacred-objective) are described and their implications for future research inquiry are discussed.
On Optimal Replacement Thresholds with Technological Expectations

Abstract Y. Balcer and S. A. Lippman (1984, J. Econ. Theory34, 292–318) develop a model to analyze the “buy or wait” problem under technological change. They show that this dynamic problem has a threshold solution: if the difference between the best available technology and that currently held exceeds a certain threshold, then buy. They also claim that the threshold is increasing in the “discovery potential.” That is, the faster the technology is changing, the higher the threshold. In this note, we point out an error in the proof of that theorem and further, we provide a numerical counterexample to the claim. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: O32, O33.
The technical constants of some cubic and non-cubic materials

The elastic constants (technical constants) for some polycrystalline materials of cubic and non-cubic (hexagonal, tetragonal, trigonal and orthorhombic) symmetry have been computed by a new averaging scheme involving the squared reciprocal sound velocities. The computed values are compared with those from the averaging scheme of Hill. An examination of the data reveals that the predictions for the shear modulus and Young's modulus of cubic materials agree with those of Hill within 0.01% and 0.5%, respectively, while the new scheme overestimates the values of the bulk modulus for cubic materials by 3.8% on average. For the non-cubic materials, the predicted values of shear modulus, Young's modulus and bulk modulus are within 2.7%, 0.3% and 13.5%, respectively, of Hill's values.
Contrasting task demands alter the perceived duration of brief time intervals

Four experiments were performed to assess the effects of task differences on duration judgments. Experiments 1 and 2 used the method of reproduction in prospective, within-subjects designs; their results supported previous research on the effects of task difficulty. Both experiments, using tasks that varied along somewhat different dimensions, found that subjects provided reproduction values that varied inversely with task difficulty. That is, while subjects tended to underreproduce across all tasks, the more difficult the task performed during the target interval, the greater the extent of the under-reproduction. Experiments 3 and 4 used a modification of the reproduction method by placing demands upon the subjects during both the target interval and the reproduction phase of each trial; they demonstrated that the greater the degree of contrast between demands made by the task performed during the target interval and those made during reproduction, the less accurate the duration reproduction. The results are discussed in terms of the contextual and resource allocation models of duration estimation.
Incidence of Tuberculosis Among the Personnel of the College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, and the Cincinnati General Hospital

Summary The incidence of tuberculosis among the personnel of the College of Medicine of the University of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati General Hospital from July 1, 1931 to July 2, 1935, is presented. A comparison of this incidence to that in other institutions is made. An average annual incidence of 3.2 per cent was found among the student nurses—a rate 5.4 times greater than among undergraduate women at the University of Minnesota, and 1.4 times greater than among student nurses at the University of California. The average annual rate among medical students was 0.7 per cent. This was found to be approximately the same rate as at Western Reserve and Johns Hopkins Universities, but was two times greater than the rate among undergraduate men at the University of Minnesota. The following average annual incidence rates per hundred for the other groups were found: affiliate nurses, 3.4; graduate nurses, 2.9; doctors, 2.2; and employees, 0.4.
Generalized correlations for molecular weight and concentration dependence of zero-shear viscosity of high polymer solutions

Data are presented to show that two correlations of viscosity–concentration data are useful representations for data over wide ranges of molecular weight and up to at least moderately high concentrations for both good and fair solvents. Low molecular weight polymer solutions (below the critical entanglement molecular weight Mc) generally have higher viscosities than predicted by the correlations. One correlation is ηsp/c[η] versus k′[η], where ηsp is specific viscosity, c is polymer concentration, [η] is intrinsic viscosity, and k′ is the Huggins constant. A standard curve for good solvent systems has been defined up to k′[η]c ≈ 3. It can also be used for fair solvents up to k′[η]c ≈ 1.25· low estimates are obtained at higher values. A simpler and more useful correlation is ηR versus c[η], where ηR is relative viscosity. Fair solvent viscosities can be predicted from the good solvent curve up to c[η] ≈ 3, above which estimates are low. Poor solvent data can also be correlated as ηR versus c[η] for molecular weights below 1 to 2 × 105.
Effect of timing of postoperative chemotherapy on survival of dogs with osteosarcoma

BACKGROUND After excision of primary tumors, initiation of chemotherapy for micrometastases is often delayed for 2 to 4 weeks to permit patient recovery and early healing of the surgical wound. However, studies using murine tumors have indicated that removal of a primary tumor may cause increased cell proliferation within micrometastases during the first 7 to 10 days after surgery, potentially rendering the micrometastases more susceptible to chemotherapy. Clinical trials assessing the value of early postoperative initiation of chemotherapy for human breast carcinoma have yielded conflicting results. Osteosarcoma of dogs is a naturally occurring model for human tumors likely to have micrometastases at the time of diagnosis. METHODS Before surgery, 102 dogs with osteosarcoma were randomized to receive cisplatin and doxorubicin chemotherapy beginning either 2 days or 10 days after amputation. Survival analysis was performed for each treatment group and for a historic control group comprised of 162 dogs treated by amputation alone. RESULTS Median survival times for dogs treated by amputation alone and for dogs receiving chemotherapy beginning 2 or 10 days after surgery were 5.5, 11.5, and 11.0 months, respectively. Survival was significantly longer for each of the two groups of dogs receiving chemotherapy than for control dogs (P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in survival between treatment groups (P = 0.727). CONCLUSIONS These results do not disprove the theory that removal of a primary tumor alters the growth kinetics of metastases, but do imply that there is no substantial advantage to early postoperative initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy for spontaneous tumors of large species. Cancer 1997; 79:1343-50. © 1997 American Cancer Society.
A general central limit theorem for FKG systems

A central limit theorem is given which is applicable to (not necessarily monotonic) functions of random variables satisfying the FKG inequalities. One consequence is convergence of the block spin scaling limit for the magnetization and energy densities (jointly) to the infinite temperature fixed point of independent Gaussian blocks for a large class of Ising ferromagnets whenever the susceptibility is finite. Another consequence is a central limit theorem for the density of thesurface of the infinite cluster in percolation models.
Need for Complementary Use of Air Ventriculography and Computerized Tomographic Scanning in Infected Hydrocephalus

Shunt failure in a hydrocephalic infant revealed a limitation of computerized tomographic scanning in the evaluation of hydrocephalus. The possibility of unilateral hydrocephalus in the patient who has a history of ventriculitis suggests a need for air ventriculography or pneumoencephalography before treatment by ventricular shunting. Air studies are also advised before external ventricular drainage and intrathecal antibiotic treatment to prevent incomplete therapy in cases where the lateral ventricles do not communicate. (Neurosurgery, 6: 98--98, 1980)
Absorption Induced in Optical Waveguides by Pulsed Electrons as a Function of Temperature, Low Dose Rate Gamma and Beta Rays, and 14 MeV Neutrons

Three separate studies of radiation-induced absorption in glass and plastic waveguides have been completed. First, the absorption induced by low dose-rate 60Co gamma rays and 90Sr beta rays has been measured and compared with results obtained using higher dose rates. The comparison shows the absorption is independent of dose-rate from 500 rads/day to 106 rads/day to total doses of 6 x 104 rads. Second, the absorption induced in optical fibers by 14 MeV neutrons has been measured. The data were compared with results from 60Co gamma-ray irradiations using calculated values of the neutron ionizing dose as a basis of comparison. The results show that the absorption induced by 14 MeV neutrons at the fluences reported here is determined by the neutron ionizing dose in the spectral region from 400 nm to 1100 nm. Third, the effects of temperature on the transient absorption following pulsed electron irradiation has been measured. Predictions from kinetic models for geminate recombination, tunneling, thermal untrapping, and impurity-associated scavenging were compared with the experimental data. The results appear to identify kinetic processes that determine recombination in various irradiated waveguides.
Computation of transverse shear stresses in the vicinity of the circumferential re-entrant corner line of an internal part-through hole weakening an edge-loaded plate

Abstract A semi-analytical post-processing method, termed equilibrium/compatibility method here, is used for computation of hitherto unavailable through-thickness variation of transverse shear stresses in the vicinity of the circumferential re-entrant corner line of an internal part-through circular cylindrical hole weakening an edge-loaded plate. A C o -type triangular “composite” plate element, based on the assumptions of transverse inextensibility and piece (“layer”)-wise constant shear-angle theory (LCST), is employed to first compute the inplane stresses and “layer”-wise through-thickness average transverse shear stresses, which serve as the starting point for computation of through-thickness distribution of transverse shear stresses in the vicinity of the circumferential re-entrant corner line of the internal part-through hole. The same stresses computed by the conventional equilibrium method (EM) are, in contrast, in serious error in the presence of the circumferential re-entrant corner line singularity arising out of the internal part-through hole, and are found to violate the compatibility condition. The computed maximum transverse shear stress can be high enough to cause catastrophic transverse shear fracture in the shape of a cone, starting from the circumferential re-entrant corner line of the internal part-through hole. The results computed by the present analysis are in line with a three-dimensional asymptotic analysis.
Stellar Lyα Emission Lines in the Hubble Space Telescope Archive: Intrinsic Line Fluxes and Absorption from the Heliosphere and Astrospheres*

We search the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) archive for previously unanalyzed observations of stellar H I Lyα emission lines, our primary purpose being to look for new detections of Lyα absorption from the outer heliosphere and to also search for analogous absorption from the astrospheres surrounding the observed stars. The astrospheric absorption is of particular interest because it can be used to study solar-like stellar winds that are otherwise undetectable. We find and analyze 33 HST Lyα spectra in the archive. All the spectra were taken with the E140M grating of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) instrument on board HST. The HST STIS spectra yield four new detections of heliospheric absorption (70 Oph, ξ Boo, 61 Vir, and HD 165185) and seven new detections of astrospheric absorption (EV Lac, 70 Oph, ξ Boo, 61 Vir, δ Eri, HD 128987, and DK UMa), doubling the previous number of heliospheric and astrospheric detections. When combined with previous results, 10 of 17 lines of sight within 10 pc yield detections of astrospheric absorption. This high detection fraction implies that most of the ISM within 10 pc must be at least partially neutral, since the presence of H I within the ISM surrounding the observed star is necessary for an astrospheric detection. In contrast, the detection percentage is only 9.7% (3 out of 31) for stars beyond 10 pc. Our Lyα analyses provide measurements of ISM H I and D I column densities for all 33 lines of sight, and we discuss some implications of these results. Finally, we measure chromospheric Lyα fluxes from the observed stars. We use these fluxes to determine how Lyα flux correlates with coronal X-ray and chromospheric Mg II emission, and we also study how Lyα emission depends on stellar rotation.
Ultraviolet light and mitomycin C induced sister-chromatid exchanges in fibroblasts from patients with retinoblastoma

Ultraviolet light and mitomycin C (MMC) induced sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were investigated in 6 diploid fibroblast strains derived from 3 patients with deletion 13 and retinoblastoma, one patient with a hereditary form of retinoblastoma, one patient with trisomy 13, and one normal control. Two fibroblast strains with del(13)(q14q22) showed a significant increase in SCEs compared to the control after UV and MMC treatments. In contrast, cell strains with del(13)(q12q14) and trisomy 13 did not show increased SCEs. The frequency of SCEs in fibroblasts from a patient with autosomal dominant retinoblastomas (no deletions) was significantly increased by UV, but not by MMC. The results suggest that cell strains with different deletions of chromosome 13 have different SCE responses to UV and MMC inductions. The cells with del(13)(q14q22) may have a DNA-repair defect.
Inactivation of adenovirus using low-dose UV/H2O2 advanced oxidation

Adenovirus has consistently been observed to be the most resistant known pathogen to disinfection by ultraviolet light. This has had an impact on regulations set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency regarding the use of UV disinfection for virus inactivation in groundwater and surface water. In this study, enhancement of UV inactivation of adenovirus was evaluated when hydrogen peroxide was added to create an advanced oxidation process (AOP). While 4 log reduction of adenovirus was determined to require a UV dose (UV fluence) of about 200 mJ/cm(2) from a low pressure (LP) UV source (emitting at 253.7 nm), addition of 10 mg/L H(2)O(2) achieved 4 log inactivation at a dose of 120 mJ/cm(2). DNA damage was assessed using a novel nested PCR approach, and similar levels of DNA damage between the two different treatments were noted, suggesting the AOP enhancement in inactivation was not due to additional DNA damage. Hydroxyl radicals produced in the advanced oxidation process are likely able to damage parts of the virus not targeted by LPUV, such as attachment proteins, enhancing the UV-induced inactivation. The AOP-enhanced inactivation potential was modeled in three natural waters. This research sheds light on the inactivation mechanisms of viruses with ultraviolet light and in the presence of hydroxyl radicals and provides a practical means to enhance inactivation of this UV-resistant virus.
Effects of natural environmental conditions on faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in jaguars (Panthera onca) in Belize

In situ studies that rely on non-invasive faecal hormone monitoring are subject to problems due to potential changes in hormone concentrations in samples exposed to field conditions. In this study, we conducted an environmental validation for measurement of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs) in jaguars (Panthera onca). We collected fresh faeces (e.g. no older than 8 h) fr om jaguars (six males and four females), housed at the Belize Zoo, and exposed them randomly to two environmental conditions: shade and sun. A control (first sub-sample) was immediately frozen, after which sub-samples were frozen daily over a 5 da y period in both the dry and wet seasons. We quantified FGMs using a cortisol enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and a corticosterone radioimmunoassay (RIA), both capable of identifying relevant metabolites. Results indicated that FGMs assessed with the cortisol EIA were stable for 5 da ys during the dry season but for <1 da y during the wet season, while FGMs assessed with the corticosterone RIA were stable for 5 da ys during both the dry and wet seasons. Exposure of jaguar faeces to sun or shade had no effect on FGM concentrations, despite significant differences in weather parameters. Analysis of faecal morphology proved unreliable in identifying faecal age. We conclude that the corticosterone RIA is suitable for assessing FGMs in free-ranging Belizean jaguars by surveying the same transects every 3–4 da ys in both seasons. The cortisol EIA can be used during the dry season, but there are possible shifts in metabolite immunoactivity in wet conditions. Assessment of adrenal activity in jaguars ranging areas of varying human disturbance is a timely application of this methodology in Belize.