cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating latent class models with conditional dependence in record linkage

Record linkage methods commonly use a traditional latent class model to classify record pairs from different sources as true matches or non-matches. This approach was first formally described by Fellegi and Sunter and assumes that the agreement in fields is independent conditional on the latent class. Consequences of violating the conditional independence assumption include bias in parameter estimates from the model. We sought to further characterize the impact of conditional dependence on the overall misclassification rate, sensitivity, and positive predictive value in the record linkage problem when the conditional independence assumption is violated. Additionally, we evaluate various methods to account for the conditional dependence. These methods include loglinear models with appropriate interaction terms identified through the correlation residual plot as well as Gaussian random effects models. The proposed models are used to link newborn screening data obtained from a health information exchange. On the basis of simulations, loglinear models with interaction terms demonstrated the best misclassification rate, although this type of model cannot accommodate other data features such as continuous measures for agreement. Results indicate that Gaussian random effects models, which can handle additional data features, perform better than assuming conditional independence and in some situations perform as well as the loglinear model with interaction terms. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Photodynamic Therapy in Cholangiocarcinoma

Most patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma have unresectable disease and require palliation with biliary stenting to alleviate symptoms. Although chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been ineffective, many studies have suggested that the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) may improve quality of life and perhaps survival in these patients. The ability of PDT to transmit through bile makes it a unique platform for intervention in the biliary tree. This article addresses the clinical implications of endoscopic biliary drainage, explores past and present study findings with PDT for cholangiocarcinoma, and offers an introduction to the novel techniques for direct visualization.
Foot orthotics for low back pain: The state of our understanding and recommendations for future research

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the article is to evaluate the literature on the use of foot orthotics for low back pain and to make specific recommendations for future research. Methods Database searches were conducted using PubMed, EBSCO, GALE, Google Scholar, and clinicaltrials.gov. The biomedical literature was reviewed to determine the current state of knowledge on the benefits of foot orthotics for low back pain related to biomechanical mechanisms and clinical outcomes. Results It may be argued that foot orthotics are experimental, investigational, or unproven for low back pain due to lack of sufficient evidence for their clinical effectiveness. This conclusion is based upon lack of high quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, there is extensive research on biomechanical mechanisms underlying the benefits of orthotics that may be used to address this gap. Additionally, promising pilot studies are beginning to emerge in the literature and ongoing large-scale RCTs are addressing effects of foot orthotics on chronic low back pain. Conclusions Based upon the critical evaluation of the current research on foot orthotics related to biomechanical mechanisms and clinical outcomes, recommendations for future research to address the evidence-practice gaps on the use of foot orthotics for low back pain are presented.
Design of a high-efficiency permanent magnet synchronous motor and inverter system

Utilization of renewable energy has become the future trend in the trucking industry. Electrical power generated from renewable energy can replace part of the fuel energy. There is usually limited space for storing on-board battery. Thus, to better utilize the battery power, it becomes critical to have an efficient energy conversion device that can transfer energy from battery to amenities such as air conditioner, microwave, TV, mini refrigerator, etc. In this work, a high-efficiency permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) can be such energy conversion device for an all-electric Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) application, which will have a desired output power of 2 kW at 2 krpm, and maintain a high efficiency greater than 90%. With our novel technology, the designed motor can adjust its speed through a DC to AC inverter to provide a variable load. For example, with high efficiency performance, the fully charged battery sets (48 volts) can supply the electrical power and cooling to the cabin for about 10 hours without recharging using the main engine. A novel design of DC to AC inverter with a high performance embedded system for driving the designed motor is developed. Advanced sensorless control is applied to the design.
An Interview With Dr. Raj Jain, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis

Dr. Raj Jain is a Fellow of IEEE, a Fellow of ACM, a Fellow of AAAS, a winner of ACM SIGCOMM Test of Time award, CDAC-ACCS Foundation Award 2009 and ranks among the top 90 in Citeseer’s list of Mos...
Assessment of monoamide extractants and solid supports as new extraction chromatographic materials

Abstract The potential of monoamide-based extraction chromatographic materials for actinide recovery was assessed by monitoring uranium partitioning into six different materials. These materials were comprised of two solid supports (Amberlite XAD 4 and XAD 7) coated with one of three extractants: di-2-ethylhexyl butyramide (DEHBA), di-2-ethyhexyl isobutryamide (DEHiBA), or di-2-ethyhexyl acetylamide (DEHAA). This report considers differences in uranium partitioning depending on the solid support, extractant, aqueous phase conditions and amount of extractant coating on a given support. Studies indicate the acetyl amide extractant coated onto XAD 7 is a top candidate for further investigation. This is an interesting finding as the acetyl amide is not generally considered a particularly useful extractant for solvent extraction separations due to its tendency to form a third phase. This information contrasts the general paradigm that a given extractant can be equally useful for extraction chromatographic or solvent extraction separations and indicates that the development of future classes of extraction chromatographic materials should carefully consider the role of alkyl groups in their optimization. Additionally, the efficacy of the developed monoamide materials are compared with more classically utilized organophosphorous materials to consider opportunities for advancement in f-element separations.
Laser resonators: retrospective and prospective

We take a look backward at some of the important concepts in optical resonators that have evolved since the first lasers were developed some three decades ago, including.
Does Every Question Need a Level-I Answer? Pragmatic and Ethical Considerations of Clinical Practice Guidelines

The AAOS is committed to developing treatment guidelines to improve patient care and to identify gaps in our clinical knowledge base. As Chair of the rotator cuff guidelines work group, I was honored to work with a knowledgeable and experienced group of surgeons and researchers in this endeavor. Giv
Career Preparation of High School Students: A Multi-Country Study:

The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with career preparation of high school students in four countries: China, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. The human bioecologi...
Brief Introduction on Adolescent Over-the-Counter(OTC) Drug Product Use Research in the United States and the Inspiration Provided to Our Country

Objective To provide the reference for the consumer research on adolescent OTC drug use in our country.Methods Providing the inspiration for OTC drug research and work through brief introduction the research and the relevant advice on adolescent OTC drug product use in the United States.Results and Conclusion We may do research on adolescent OTC drug use in our country,providing basis for decision making and interventions for ensuring adolescent using OTC drug safely and effectively,and standardizing gradually based on carrying out in a deep-going way.
The Path of Administration System Reform in China: The Humanity Bureaucrat System

Nowadays,there is a hot debate in the academic circles,which is whether we choose the Bureaucrat System posed by Marx Web as our country's administration system.This thesis holds that we should establish the Humanity Bureaucrat System.So we should absorb the reasonable elements of bureaucrat,perfect the administration system and add the elements of humanity in order to establish the humanity bureaucrat.
Play-Along Mapping of Musical Controllers.

We describe our tool for interactively creating musical controller mappings using a “play-along” paradigm, in which a user pretends to play along with a musical score in real-time using an arbitrary input control modality. As the user “performs,” a supervised machine learning system builds a training dataset from the user’s gestures and the synthesis engine’s current parameters. After one or more training stages, the algorithm learns a mapping from user inputs to synthesis parameters. Control is transferred to the user, who can then control the synthesis in real-time.
Connecting caddisworm silk structure and mechanical properties: combined infrared spectroscopy and mechanical analysis

The underwater silk of an aquatic casemaking caddisfly larvae ( Hesperophylax occidentalis) is viscoelastic, and displays distinct yield behaviour, large strain cycle hysteresis and near complete recovery of its initial strength and stiffness when unloaded. Yield followed by a stress plateau has been attributed to sequential rupture of serial Ca 2+ -cross-linked phosphoserine (pS) β-domains. Spontaneous recovery has been attributed to refolding of the Ca 2+ /pS domains powered by an elastic network. In this study, native Ca 2+ ions were exchanged with other metal ions, followed by combined mechanical and FTIR analysis to probe the contribution of pS/metal ion complexes to silk mechanical properties. After exchange of Ca 2+ with Na + , the fibres are soft elastomers and the infrared spectra are consistent with C v3 symmetry of the – groups. Multivalent metal ions decreased the – symmetry and the symmetric stretching modes ( v s ) split in a manner characteristic of ordered phosphate compounds, such as phosphate minerals and lamellar bilayers of phosphatidic acid lipids. Integrated intensities of the v s bands, indicative of the metal ion9s effect on transition dipole moment of the P–O bonds, and thereby the strength of the phosphate metal complex, increased in the order: Na + 2+ 2+ 2+ 2+ 3+ 3+ 2+ 2+ . With a subset of the metal ion series, the initial stiffness and yield stress of metal ion-exchanged fibres increased in the same order: establishing the link between phosphate transition dipole moments and silk fibre strength.
Absence of observable geodetic strain accompanying Danville, California, earthquake sequence

Repeated precise measurements of three lines of the California geodimeter network near Danville, California, were undertaken beginning 2 weeks before the largest ( ML = 4.25) events in the Danville eathquake swarm and extending over 5 months. The measurements suggest that changes in length of about 1 cm in a direction consistent with right-lateral slip on the Pleasanton fault may have occurred at about the time of the largest shocks. However, the precision of measurement is not sufficient to prove such changes. The evidence does exclude the possibility that changes greater than about 2 cm accompanied the Danville shocks.
The Limited Promise of Geographical Indications for Developing Country Farmers

This book chapter attempts to cut through the hype from advocates of strong protection of “geographical indications” (GIs) and appreciate GIs for what are: a potentially useful tool – in some circumstances – for raising rural incomes in developing countries. In this sense, properly calibrated legal protection of GIs should be part of a “development agenda” for jurisdictions with significant rural economies. The chapter explores some of the factors determining whether and how GI marketing (and GI legal protection) can help any particular rural region – with specific discussions of Ethiopia’s coffee regions, Femi liquor from Goa, and Papus New Guinea coffee.
Characterization of the Tetraspan Junctional Complex (4JC) superfamily

Connexins or innexins form gap junctions, while claudins and occludins form tight junctions. In this study, statistical data, derived using novel software, indicate that these four junctional protein families and eleven other families of channel and channel auxiliary proteins are related by common descent and comprise the Tetraspan (4 TMS) Junctional Complex (4JC) Superfamily. These proteins all share similar 4 transmembrane α-helical (TMS) topologies. Evidence is presented that they arose via an intragenic duplication event, whereby a 2 TMS-encoding genetic element duplicated tandemly to give 4 TMS proteins. In cases where high resolution structural data were available, the conclusion of homology was supported by conducting structural comparisons. Phylogenetic trees reveal the probable relationships of these 15 families to each other. Long homologues containing fusions to other recognizable domains as well as internally duplicated or fused domains are reported. Large "fusion" proteins containing 4JC domains proved to fall predominantly into family-specific patterns as follows: (1) the 4JC domain was N-terminal; (2) the 4JC domain was C-terminal; (3) the 4JC domain was duplicated or occasionally triplicated and (4) mixed fusion types were present. Our observations provide insight into the evolutionary origins and subfunctions of these proteins as well as guides concerning their structural and functional relationships.
Should Mental Health Screening and Psychotherapy Be Required Prior to Body Modification for Gender Expression

Some people want to modify their bodies through hormonal and surgical treatments in order to resolve gender dysphoria, the distress they experience when their bodies do not align with their gender identity. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) offers guidelines to clinicians regarding treatment of people wanting to modify their bodies for this reason. Prior to these modifications, WPATH advises that mental health screening is needed and that psychotherapy is recommended though not a requirement. In fact, these advisories allow clinicians some freedom in applying the standards to specific cases. Although some variation from the WPATH Standards of Care can be clinically acceptable, informed consent remains an essential component of clinical encounters involving body modifications.
Can routine cavity shave margins (CSM) improve local control in breast cancer? Initial results of the SHAVE trial, a prospective randomized controlled trial of routine CSM vs. standard partial mastectomy (SPM).

1012 Background: Considerable controversy exists regarding the utility of routine CSM in patients undergoing partial mastectomy for breast cancer. We performed a prospective RCT to determine whethe...
Response of the Lattice across the Filling-Controlled Mott Metal-Insulator Transition of a Rare Earth Titanate.

The lattice response of a prototype Mott insulator, ${\mathrm{SmTiO}}_{3}$, to hole doping is investigated with atomic-scale spatial resolution. ${\mathrm{SmTiO}}_{3}$ films are doped with Sr on the Sm site with concentrations that span the insulating and metallic sides of the filling-controlled Mott metal-insulator transition (MIT). The ${\mathrm{GdFeO}}_{3}$-type distortions are investigated using an atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy technique that can resolve small lattice distortions with picometer precision. We show that these distortions are gradually and uniformly reduced as the Sr concentration is increased without any phase separation. Significant distortions persist into the metallic state. The results present a new picture of the physics of this prototype filling-controlled MIT, which is discussed.
How General Can We Go: What Is Computable and What Is not

Need to take uncertainty into account when processing data: reminder. The resulting estimates are never 100% accurate: measurements are never absolutely accurate, physical models used for predictions are usually only approximate, and sometimes (like in quantum physics) these models only predict the probabilities of different events.
The unit and focus of analysis in lingua franca English interactions: in search of a method

The dominant analytical approaches to Lingua Franca English interactions are largely influenced by a structuralist orientation that prioritizes verbal resources in localized face-to-face contexts. ...
Judgment and Decision Making

Earlier we said that the use of professional judgment will influence the decision-making process when the application of decision-making rules does not point to a correct alternative. When the evidence is not clear-cut, the exercise of judgment can be critical in selecting a final option.
Aircraft Performance: An Engineering Approach

Aircraft Performance: An Engineering Approach introduces flight performance analysis techniques that enable readers to determine performance and flight capabilities of aircraft. Flight performance analysis for prop-driven and jet aircraft is explored, supported by examples and illustrations, many in full color. MATLAB programming for performance analysis is included, and coverage of modern aircraft types is emphasized. The text builds a strong foundation for advanced coursework in aircraft design and performance analysis.
Maternal Sepsis: Recognition, Treatment, and Escalation of Care

The purpose of this article is to provide a brief review of maternal sepsis and the supporting literature for recognition and management. Recent findings suggest that there is significant room for improvement in identifying patients at risk, expeditiously providing appropriate intervention, and developing action plans to best care for these patients and prevent morbidity and mortality. Improved education and understanding of the unique presentation of sepsis during pregnancy may help to improve detection, timely treatment, and expedite appropriate transfer to higher levels of care.
A Critical Analysis of Biased Parsers in Unsupervised Parsing.

A series of recent papers has used a parsing algorithm due to Shen et al. (2018) to recover phrase-structure trees based on proxies for "syntactic depth." These proxy depths are obtained from the representations learned by recurrent language models augmented with mechanisms that encourage the (unsupervised) discovery of hierarchical structure latent in natural language sentences. Using the same parser, we show that proxies derived from a conventional LSTM language model produce trees comparably well to the specialized architectures used in previous work. However, we also provide a detailed analysis of the parsing algorithm, showing (1) that it is incomplete---that is, it can recover only a fraction of possible trees---and (2) that it has a marked bias for right-branching structures which results in inflated performance in right-branching languages like English. Our analysis shows that evaluating with biased parsing algorithms can inflate the apparent structural competence of language models.
Speaking Up and Walking Out: Are Vulnerable Patients Less Likely to Disagree With or Change Doctors?

Older, less educated, and lower-income Medicare beneficiaries are less likely to disagree with or change doctors; to help prevent disparities, doctors and advocates should encourage vulnerable populations to express their concerns and perspectives.
Utilization of Fast Response Pressure Measurements to Non-Intrusively Monitor Blade Vibration in Axial Compressors

The present disclosure relates to a novel method to monitor rotor blade vibration using unsteady casing pressure. The novel method applies a non-intrusive blade vibration monitoring technique by using an array of unsteady pressure sensors flush-mounted in the casing of a multistage axial compressor. The novel method comprises using spinning mode theory to obtain frequency and nodal diameter information for all pressure waves that can be identified and determining any of the pressure waves that is associated with blade vibration.
Output wind power curve optimization based on design wind speed concept

The output wind power curve versus wind speed is the most important characterization parameter of wind turbines. It allows quantifying and analyzing the design performances of wind turbines, monito...
Aircraft Performance Model Calibration and Validation for General Aviation Safety Analysis

Performance models facilitate a wide range of safety analyses in aviation. In an ideal scenario, the performance models would show inherently good agreement with the true performance of the aircraf...
The Roadmap from Concept to Infusion for a Cold Survivable Distributed Motor Controller

This paper will present JPL's effort working towards a distributed motor controller capable of working out in the ambient environment of in-situ missions to icy worlds such as Europa and Enceladus. Placing electronics out at the actuators has been a long-time goal for JPL because it enables a significant reduction in cable mass and its associated complexity. Learning from the previous efforts in this area we have developed a pragmatic approach based upon developing incremental deliveries that are complete products that could be sold on their own merits. These products take us closer by tackling a particular challenge by producing a tangible product that can be infused on its own long before we are ready to infuse the product that addresses our entire goal. In this paper we will discuss the goal we are trying to achieve along with the roadmap for getting there. We will present the products we have produced along with the projects that have baselined these products into their designs. We will finish by discussing our plans for the future.
A mm-Scale Sensor Node with a 2.7GHz 1.3μW Transceiver Using Full-Duplex Self-Coherent Backscattering Achieving 3.5m Range

This paper presents a 1.3 μW backscatter-based transceiver for battery-powered millimeter-scale sensor nodes. By taking advantage of the coherence of reflected dual-side bands, it attains an optimum SNR and improved interference rejection with low-power, non-coherent binary modulation. Integrated with a 2.1×4 mm planar antenna in a complete, crystal-less sensor node, it achieves a 3.5 m communication distance with a reader transmitting 31 dBm equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP).
EL SIGNIFICADO OCULTO DE LOS CAMBIOS DE CÓDIGOS EN CONVERSACIONES ESPAÑOL INGLÉS

Resumen: El analisis de la conversacion en dos lenguas desde los puntos de vista de Myers-Scotton, Auer y otros investigadores se usa como base para analizar la conversacion en espanol e ingles en una comunidad hispana de Georgia, EEUU. Indicamos cuales son las fuerzas y las debilidades en el analisis de estos investigadores para mejorar nuestro analisis, con implicaciones para futuros estudios.
Raman Scattering and Disordered Thin-Film Growth Phenomena

The use of Raman scattering as a probe of growth of thin films is reviewed. Enhancement of Raman signals to study early stages of growth and submonolayer films is described.
Limb positioning and initiation: An evolutionary context of pattern and formation

Before limbs or fins, can be patterned and grow they must be initiated. Initiation of the limb first involves designating a portion of lateral plate mesoderm along the flank as the site of the future limb. Following specification, a myriad of cellular and molecular events interact to generate a bud that will grow and form the limb. The past three decades has provided a wealth of understanding on how those events generate the limb bud and how variations in them result in different limb forms. Comparatively, much less attention has been given to the earliest steps of limb formation and what impacts altering the position and initiation of the limb have had on evolution. Here, we first review the processes and pathways involved in these two phases of limb initiation, as determined from amniote model systems. We then broaden our scope to examine how variation in the limb initiation module has contributed to biological diversity in amniotes. Finally, we review what is known about limb initiation in fish and amphibians, and consider what mechanisms are conserved across vertebrates.
TID and Heavy-Ion Performance of an RHBD Multichannel Digitizer in 180-nm CMOS

We present the design, fabrication, and radiation testing of a custom 20-channel application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for amplification and digitization of microvolt signal levels from space instrumentation (e.g., thermopile sensors) operating in harsh space radiation environments. The ASIC is fabricated in a commercial 180-nm complementary metal oxide silicon (CMOS) process node using a combination of radiation hard by design and discrete-time analog signal processing to mitigate leakage, offset, 1/ $f$ , and thermal noise. The chip has an input-referred integrated noise voltage of 190 nV in a 240-Hz bandwidth. Irradiation with very high total ionizing dose (TID) and high-energy heavy ions was carried out to evaluate the chip’s radiation hardness. The chip’s postradiation performance evidenced parametric immunity to greater than 50 Mrad (Si) TID and no single-event latch-up up to at least 123.6 MeV-cm2/mg linear energy transfer.
Battery energy storage control using a reinforcement learning approach with cyclic time-dependent Markov process

Abstract Scheduling efficient energy management system operations to respond to the unstable customer demand, electricity prices, and weather increases the complexity of the control systems and requires a flexible and cost-effective control policy. This study develops an intelligent and real-time battery energy storage control based on a reinforcement learning model focused on residential houses connected to the grid and equipped with solar photovoltaic panels and a battery energy storage system. Because the reinforcement learning’s performance is very dependent on the design of the underlying Markov decision process, a cyclic time-dependent Markov Process is uniquely designed to capture existing daily cyclic patterns in demand, electricity price, and solar energy. The Markov Process is successfully used in the Q-learning algorithm, resulting in more efficient battery energy control and saving electricity costs. The proposed Q-learning algorithm is compared with benchmark models of a deterministic equivalent solution and a One-step Roll-out algorithm. Numerical experiments show the gap between the deterministic equivalent solution and Q-learning approaches for one-month electricity cost decreased from 7.99% to 3.63% for house 27 and 6.91% to 3.26% for house 387 when the discrete size of demand, solar energy, price, and battery energy level adjusted to 20. Accordingly, the better performance of the proposed Q-learning is demonstrated compared to the One-step Roll-out algorithm. Moreover, the effect of discrete size of state-space parameters on the adaptive Q-learning performance and computational time are investigated. Variations in the electricity price significantly affect the Q-learning algorithm’s performance more than other parameters.
Sex differences in the brain.

This special issue of Cognitive Neuroscience focuses on sex differences in the brain. Berchicci, Bianco, and Di Russo found ERP auditory cortex activity was larger in females than males during sound perception. Spets, Fritch, Thakral, & Slotnick reported greater fMRI activity during high- versus low-confidence spatial memory in males than females within the lateral prefrontal cortex and other brain regions. Using fMRI resting-state data, Murray, Maurer, Peechatka, Frederick, Kaiser, and Janes observed females spent more time in transient dorsal attention/occipital/sensory-motor network states and males spent more time in transient salience network states, and de Lacy, Kutz, and Calhoun found that brain dynamism (transitioning between brain states) was correlated with anxiety/depression in males and drive/novelty-seeking/self-control in females. Kurth, Gaser, and Luders predicted the sex of girls and boys with an 80.4% accuracy using a classifier based on anatomic (MRI) data. In a discussion paper, Spets and Slotnick conducted an fMRI meta-analysis that revealed greater male than female long-term memory activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex, visual processing regions, and the parahippocampal cortex, and argued against the claim there is reporting bias in sex-differences studies. In response to this discussion paper, commentaries were written by Cahill; de Lacy; Hausmann; McGlade, Rogowska, and Yurgelun-Todd; Sneider and Silveri; Tejavibulya and Scheinost; Wiersch and Weis; Young and Compere. It is hoped that these findings will help motivate a shift in the field to consider sex as a factor in cognitive neuroscience studies.
Predictors of Financial Toxicity in Patients Receiving Concurrent Radiation and Chemotherapy.

Purpose/Objective(s) Financial toxicity (FT) is an increasingly recognized concern for cancer patients. We reviewed prospectively collected data to explore factors associated with FT among patients undergoing concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy (CRT) within an urban, academic radiation oncology department serving a diverse patient population. Materials/Methods The study population was drawn from three prospective trials at our institution of patients receiving concurrent curative-intent CRT. FT was evaluated using weekly EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire assessments during the concurrent CRT course. FT was rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from experiencing “no” FT to “very much”. Patients were classified as having FT if they answered anything other than “no”. Rate of change of FT per 30 days was calculated for each patient using linear regression. Those with a rate of increase ≥ 1 point per month were categorized as having treatment-related FT. Chi squared, t test, and logistic were used as appropriate to assess patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and hospitalization as predictors of FT. Results 235 patients were included: 32% had head & neck cancer, 29% gastrointestinal primary, 27% lung cancer, 9% cervix cancer, and 4% glioblastoma multiforme. 34% of the study population identified as Black or African American, and 38% identified as Hispanic. On average, patients completed QLQ-C30 5.4 times. Before starting CRT, 52% of patients reported experiencing at least some FT. Higher T stage (P = 0.003) was associated with FT before CRT on bivariate analyses. On multivariate analysis, younger age (OR = 1.06, P = 0.02) was associated with higher FT before CRT after adjusting for age, race, insurance, socioeconomic status, and stage. The mean rate of change in FT was 0.23 points per month. 26% of patients demonstrated treatment-related FT. Experiencing FT before CRT was not associated with treatment-related FT (P = 0.693). Hospitalization during RT (P = 0.015) and cervical cancer diagnosis (P = 0.032) were associated with treatment-related FT. On multivariate analyses, hospitalization (OR 2.92, P = 0.008) was associated with treatment-related FT after adjusting for age, race, insurance, and stage. Conclusion Over half of patients reported FT prior to starting CRT. Reassuringly, most patients did not experience a significant increase in FT over the course of concurrent CRT. However, around a quarter of patients did experience treatment-related FT, which was associated with hospitalization during treatment. The finding that patients experience FT prior to CRT start suggests that FT should be evaluated as soon as cancer is diagnosed to allow for early intervention. Further research will help define mechanisms of FT and design interventions to improve FT and avoid hospitalizations.
Lumped circuit approximations for flux in systems governed by the laplace equation: The stoma of zero thickness

Abstract It is pointed out that the mass transfer coefficients for two complicated geometries (well source in a plane; disc source over a plane) are well approximated by their standard lumped circuit approximations, although in the disc case this seems not to have been recognized. The lumped circuit method is then shown to work equally well for a tube containing a punctured diaphragm and for a plane with a circular aperture, one side of the plane being nonabsorbing and the other a source. The latter (and previously unsolved) problem, which is that of the thin stoma, is handled by formulating it in terms of coupled dual integral equations which are then treated by Neumann expansion techniques; explicit analytic and numerical details are provided in the hope that this little known—but powerful—method of solution will gain wider currency.
Perturbation of insulin-receptor interactions by intramolecular hormone cross-linking. Analysis of relative movement among residues A1, B1, and B29.

Abstract We have evaluated, by use of isolated canine hepatocytes, the importance of intramolecular hormone cross-linking (and of concomitant changes in molecular flexibility) to the interaction of insulin with its plasma membrane receptor. Cross-linked hormone analogs were prepared by reacting porcine insulin, N alpha A1-t-butyloxycarbonyl insulin or N alpha A1-t-butyloxycarbonyl [D-LysA1]insulin with various dicarboxylic acid active esters to obtain alpha-GlyA1/epsilon-LysB29-, alpha-PheB1/epsilon-LysB29-, and epsilon-D-LysA1/epsilon-LysB29-cross-linked insulins, respectively. In the aggregate, insulin analogs cross-linked by groups containing 2-12 atoms retained 1.4-35% of the receptor binding potency of native insulin. Analysis of our results suggests that: (a) loss of chemical functionality, steric interference, and restriction of potential intramolecular movement can all play roles in determining the receptor binding potencies of cross-linked insulin analogs; (b) restriction of intramolecular movement between residues A1 and B29 affects negatively the binding of insulin to its receptor (but accounts for only a fraction of the conformational change which insulin must undergo to achieve a high affinity state of ligand-receptor interaction); and (c) introduction of a cross-link between residues B1 and B29 (residues that are in fact in proximity in one crystalline form of the hormone) decreases markedly the receptor binding potencies of the corresponding analogs. The importance of these findings is discussed in relation to the potential structure of insulin when it is bound to its plasma membrane receptor.
Physical Health Problems and Barriers to Optimal Health Care Among Children in Foster Care

Children and adolescents in foster care placement represent a unique population with special health care needs, often resulting from pre-placement early adversity and neglected, unaddressed health care needs. High rates of all health problems, including acute and/or chronic physical, mental, and developmental issues prevail. Disparities in health status and access to health care are observed. This article summarizes the physical health problems of children in foster care, who are predisposed to poor health outcomes when complex care needs are unaddressed. Despite recognition of the significant burden of health care need among this unique population, barriers to effective and optimal health care delivery remain. Legislative solutions to overcome obstacles to health care delivery for children in foster care are discussed.
The feasibility of using a forehead reflectance pulse oximeter for automated remote triage

The extreme conditions of combat and multi-casualty rescue often make field triage difficult and put the medic or first responder at risk. In an effort to improve Reid triage, we have developed an automated remote triage system called ARTEMIS for use in the battlefield or disaster zone. This preliminary research seeks to empirically demonstrate that the Nonin forehead reflectance pulse oximeter is a viable sensor for measuring essential physiological parameters used in automated field triage systems such as ARTEMIS.
Energy Efficiency and Industrial Classification

In this article, energy consumption data for 300 manufacturing plants in Southern California are collected and analyzed by standard industrial classification (SIC) code. The results show that in order of magnitude, combined heat and power (CHP), variable speed drive (VSD), and compressed air systems offer the largest opportunities to reduce energy use in small and medium sized manufacturing plants. It also follows that the SIC is not a convenient tool to classify energy use, and in fact, to date there is no such convenient code to sort manufacturing plants by their energy intensity. The energy use profile cannot be systematically fitted to existing industry classification for the group of targeted plants. Opportunities and challenges related to capturing the potential energy savings in small and medium sized plants are also summarized.
Alcohol Use and Cigarette Smoking During Pregnancy Among American Indians/Alaska Natives

Previous research states that American Indian/Alaska Native pregnant women exhibit high rates of alcohol use and smoking. The current study uses the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (2005-2009) to update and expand on this literature. Results reveal lower rates of alcohol use and, with compositional controls, lower rates of smoking for American Indian/Alaska Native pregnant women compared with pregnant women of other racial/ethnic groups. These findings support social-structural explanations of substance use among American Indian/Alaska Native pregnant women and refute commonly offered cultural arguments that alcohol use and smoking reflect something that is "uniquely Indian."
Rapid covering by shadow as a cue to predation risk in three lizard species

Because predators attacking from above may cast shadows on prey, diverse prey have evolved behavioural responses (fleeing, freezing, descending in water) to shadowing. I studied escape responses to shadow in three lizard species by passing my hand overhead, casting a shadow on them or not. Theory predicts immediate fleeing when a predator is detected closer than the optimal flight initiation distance (predator–prey distance when escape begins). Predictions that Sceloporus virgatus, S. jarrovii and Urosaurus ornatus are more likely to flee and to either flee or adopt alert postures when covered by shadow were verified. Probability of fleeing or alerting did not differ among age/sex groups in S. virgatus. For probability of fleeing, shadow and age/sex group effects interacted, juveniles seeming to be slightly less likely to flee from shadow. Sceloporus virgatus covered by shadow fled more frequently on horizontal than vertical surfaces, when fully exposed than beneath overhanging objects, and when shadow encroached rapidly than slowly. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that probability of fleeing is greater when shadow is more likely to indicate attack. Responses to sudden covering by shadow conform to predictions based of escape theory based on predation risk.
Hedgehog: Linking Uracil to Innate Defense

The ability of the gut epithelium to defend against pathogens while tolerating harmless commensal organisms remains an important puzzle. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Lee et al. (2015) reveal how pathogen-secreted uracil acts at two steps to induce ROS via the Hedgehog pathway.
The Influence of Front-End Hardware on Digital Ultrasonic Imaging

Les systemes d'imagerie ultrasonore dependent des transducteurs de l'electronique de controle pour la generation des impulsions d'irradiation pour la detection des echos reflechis et la conversion des donnees en forme numerique
Structural alterations of chromosome 2 in Leishmania major as evidence for diploidy, including spontaneous amplification of the mini-exon array

Abstract We have utilized pulsed field electrophoresis to characterize several karyotypic alterations in Leishmania major . Promastigotes of the LT252 line contain three small chromosomes, of 300, 350 and 385 kb. Quantitative densitometry of ethidium bromide-stained gels suggest that these chromosomes are present in equal levels (2:2:2). Two derivatives of this line, one appearing spontaneously (LT252 Δ ) and one obtained following selection with methotrexate (11-MTXR20), exhibit altered levels of these chromosomes, in the ratio of 2:1:3, respectively. The variant pattern in both lines is due to an increase in size of chromosome 2, yielding a new chromosome similar in size to chromosome 3. The enlarged chromosome 2 of the LT252 Δ line is a result of amplification of the mini-exon gene array normally located on this chromosome, which increases from about 93 to 150 copies of the 0.44-kb mini-exon tandem repeat, as shown by quantitative hybridization and sizing of the mini-exon array. In contrast, the increased size of chromosome 2 within the methotrexate-resistant mutant 11-MTXR20 is not due to mini-exon amplification. In both variant lines, there are equal levels of the wild-type and enlarged chromosome 2, and the wild-type chromosome 2 is now present at 50% of the level of chromosome 1. These and other data suggest that Leishmania is diploid for chromosomes bearing housekeeping genes such as the mini-exon locus.
Transitions in individuality.

The evolution of multicellular organisms is the premier example of the integration of lower levels into a single, higher–level individual. Explaining the evolutionary transition from single cells to multicellular organisms is a major challenge for evolutionary theory. We provide an explicit two locus genetic framework for understanding this transition in terms of the increase of cooperation among cells and the regulation of conflict within the emerging organism. Heritability of fitness and individuality at the new level emerge as a result of the evolution of organismal functions that restrict the opportunity for conflict within and ensure cooperation among cells. Conflict leads, through the evolution of adaptations that reduce it, to greater individuality and harmony for the organism.
Effects of fluid convection and particle spin on ferrohydrodynamic pumping in traveling wave magnetic fields

Ferrofluid pumping in a traveling wave magnetic field without a free surface is analyzed by finding the time average magnetic force and torque and numerically solving the coupled linear and angular momentum conservation equations. It is necessary that the fluid convection and particle spin terms be significant in the magnetization constitutive law and that spin viscosity be small in order to predict the experimentally observed reverse pumping at low magnetic field strengths and forward pumping at high magnetic field strengths.
Synthesis and purification of sodium [11C]benzoate for physiological and metabolic studies: evaluation in a tumor-bearing dog

Abstract Sodium benzoate labeled with the cyclotron produced, positron emitting radioisotope 11C ( t 1 2 = 20.4 min ) has been investigated as a potential agent for renal and tumor visualization using γ-scintigraphy. Sodium [11]benzoate was prepared by the Grignard reaction of phenylmagnesium bromide and 11C-CO2 with no carrier added. A dog bearing an osteogenic sarcoma in the head of the left femur was studied using the High Energy Gamma (HEG) rectilinear scanner at the Sloan-Kettering Institute following i.v. administration of no-carrier-added sodium [11C]benzoate. The high-contrast image of the kidneys in this dog demonstrates the potential usefulness of [11C]benzoate as a renal scanning agent. Visualization of a canine osteogenic sarcoma, in addition to a human brain tumor reported in a previous study, suggests that [11C]benzoate should be further evaluated as a tumor imaging agent.
Expression of fibrogenic cytokines in rat small intestine after fractionated irradiation

The molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate the radiation-induced fibrotic response in the intestine are not known. In addition to increased amounts of connective tissue, inflammatory cell aggregates are often found, especially in conjunction with acute or chronic mucosal ulcerations. These inflammatory cells are a major source of cytokines that influence connective tissue metabolism. Hence, a possible link may exist between the cellular inflammatory response and fibrosis. This preclinical study examined the influence of fractionated irradiation on the expression of three inflammatory/fibrogenic cytokines in rat small intestine. A rat intestinal transposition model was used for localized fractionated irradiation of a 3-4-cm segment of small bowel. Fifty-nine male Sprague-Dawley rats were irradiated or sham irradiated with 9 daily fractions of 5.2 Gy. Expression of Interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), and Platelet derived growth factor-AA (PDGF-AA) was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Irradiated and unirradiated intestine was examined 24 h, 14 days, and 26 weeks after completion of irradiation. Unirradiated intestine exhibited immunohistochemical expression of IL-1 alpha, TGF-beta 1 and PDGF-AA that conformed to known staining patterns in normal tissue. Irradiated intestine showed increased expression of all three cytokines at all assessment times. The increased cytokine expression correlated with fibrosis and inflammatory cell infiltrates in irradiated intestine. This was particularly evident in areas with mucosal ulcerations. Fractionated irradiation of small intestine elicits increased expression of IL-1 alpha, TGF-beta 1, and PDGF-AA in areas of acute and chronic radiation injury.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Escherichia coli Uracil- and Ethenocytosine-Initiated Base Excision DNA Repair: Rate-Limiting Step and Patch Size Distribution†

The rate, extent, and DNA synthesis patch size of base excision repair (BER) were measured using Escherichia coli GM31 cell-free extracts and a pGEM (form I) DNA substrate containing a site-specific uracil or ethenocytosine target. The rate of complete BER was stimulated (∼3-fold) by adding exogenous E. coli DNA ligase to the cell-free extract, whereas addition of E. coli Ung, Nfo, Fpg, or Pol I did not stimulate BER. Hence, DNA ligation was identified as the rate-limiting step in the E. coli BER pathway. The addition of exogenous DNA polymerase I caused modest inhibition of BER, which was overcome by concomitant addition of DNA ligase. Repair patch size determinations were performed to assess the distribution of DNA synthesis associated with both uracil- and ethenocytosine-initiated BER. During the early phase (0−5 min) of the BER reaction, the large majority of repair events resulted from short patch (1-nucleotide) DNA synthesis. However, during the late phase (>10 min) both short and long (2−20 nucleot...