cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical, pharmacodynamic (PD), and pharmacokinetic (PK) evaluation of cediranib in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): A phase II study (CTEP 7147).

4112 Background: Sorafenib remains the only approved systemic therapy in HCC. We performed a phase II study of cediranib (AZD2171)—a more potent and selective pan-VEGF receptor inhibitor—in advanced HCC patients (pts). Methods: Eligibility criteria included unresectable or metastatic measurable HCC, ECOG PS ≤2, CLIP score ≤3, and adequate organ function. Patients received cediranib at 30 mg po qd continuously (4-wk cycle). The primary endpoint was progression free survival (PFS). We also assessed overall survival (OS) and response rates, steady-state PK of cediranib, and blood circulating biomarkers. Results: Since 6/16/09, we have enrolled the targeted 17 pts required for the first stage of the planned study: ECOG 0/1/2=5/11/1, CLIP 1/2/3=6/4/7, Child A/B=14/3, BCLC C=17. Nine pts had prior sorafenib. The best response was stable disease in five pts (29%). The median PFS was 5.3 months (95% CI: 3.5-9.7). The median OS was 11.7 months (95% CI: 7.5-13.6). Grade 3 toxicities included hypertension (29%), hyp...
A meta-analysis of interview length on reliability and validity

First impressions are frequently seen as a biasing factor that may prevent an interviewer from forming a comprehensive assessment of the applicant. However, research has found that people can make surprisingly accurate impressions of others based on minimal information. Additional exposure to the applicant would be expected to lead to a more accurate impression, but a previous meta-analysis on the employment interview found evidence for a negative relationship between the length of the interview and validity. Using a much larger sample of studies, the current meta-analysis examined whether length of the interview was related to the validity of the interview. In addition, I examined the relation between interview length and reliability. Results revealed that the subset of studies reporting length of interviews yielded reliability and validity estimates consistent with more comprehensive meta-analyses. Consistent with previous research on consensus judgements of personality, length of the interview was found to be unrelated to reliability. However, contrary to the previous meta-analysis, validity was also unrelated to the length of the interview. Practitioner points Little attention has been given to how the length of time spent interviewing job candidates relates to the reliability and validity of interviews Length of the interview was not related to reliability or validity of interviews Results suggest that organizations can implement shorter interviews to save time and money compared to longer interviews, without sacrificing reliability and predictive validity
Potentially Actionable Targets: Evidence Standards for Credible Next Generation Sequencing Technology Assessment Claims

Despite considerable resources devoted to developing databases to support competitive credible claims for next generation sequencing (NGS) claims, we have yet to meet the standards required in health technology assessment to support such claims. The purpose of this commentary is to consider options open in establishing claims for NGS recommendations. Although NGS platforms offer potential promise in improving clinical outcomes, supporting cost-effectiveness and reducing the overall cost of care in target populations, this has yet to be demonstrated on a scale that is likely to satisfy reimbursers and health care decision makers. Issues addressed include (i) the importance of credible, evaluable and replicable claims from individual NGS platforms; (ii) the difficulties in moving beyond broad-brush claims for improved survival; (iii) the standards required for an NGS evidence base; (iv) protocol designs in establishing the independent contribution of NGS actionable therapy recommendations to outcomes claims; (v) the role of NGS registries; and (vi) protocols to support ongoing credible, evaluable and replicable claims in target patient populations. The critical issue is not analytical and clinical validity but clinical utility. This has yet to be demonstrated. Type: Commentary
A Moment in American Policy: The Death of Anwar al-Awlaki

This chapter looks at three policy directions from President Obama’s first three years in office that have influenced the fusion of financialization and militarization in capitalism: the mobilization of force (including the pivot to Asia), heightened convergence of operating principles in reshaping American capitalism for the challenges of globalization, and the gradual separation of government from public reach, the better to conduct military affairs and ensure business hegemony against domestic critics or international rivals. These policies set President Obama somewhat apart from his Europe-centric predecessors, as does his acceleration of the drone campaign.
Radiotherapy dose-volume parameters predict videofluoroscopy-detected dysphagia per DIGEST after IMRT for oropharyngeal cancer: Results of a prospective registry.

Abstract Purpose Our primary aim was to prospectively validate retrospective dose–response models of chronic radiation-associated dysphagia (RAD) after intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). The secondary aim was to validate a grade ≥2 cut-point of the published videofluoroscopic dysphagia severity (Dynamic Imaging Grade for Swallowing Toxicity, DIGEST) as radiation dose-dependent. Material and methods Ninety-seven patients enrolled on an IRB-approved prospective registry protocol with stage I–IV OPC underwent pre- and 3–6 month post-RT videofluoroscopy. Dose–volume histograms (DVH) for swallowing regions of interest (ROI) were calculated. Dysphagia severity was graded per DIGEST criteria (dichotomized with grade ≥2 as moderate/severe RAD). Recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) and Bayesian Information Criteria (BIC) were used to identify dose–volume effects associated with moderate/severe RAD. Results 31% developed moderate/severe RAD (i.e. DIGEST grade ≥2) at 3–6 months after RT. RPA found DVH-derived dosimetric parameters of geniohyoid/mylohyoid (GHM), superior pharyngeal constrictor (SPC), and supraglottic region were associated with DIGEST grade ≥2 RAD. V61 ≥ 18.57% of GHM demonstrated optimal model performance for prediction of DIGEST grade ≥2. Conclusion The findings from this prospective longitudinal registry validate prior observations that dose to submental musculature predicts for increased burden of dysphagia after oropharyngeal IMRT. Findings also support dichotomization of DIGEST grade ≥2 as a dose-dependent split for use as an endpoint in trials or predictive dose–response analysis of videofluoroscopy results.
Cables and Cable Systems

A cable is the simplest continuous underconstrained structural system. Its analytical model is a flexible wire, or a fiber, i.e., a perfectly flexible structural element capable of resisting only one type of force, axial tension. A cable is a variant system, with the exception of a rectilinear configuration with both ends fixed, when it is quasi-variant. The role of the cable as a structural component in engineering applications is diverse and growing. One of the reasons is the very logic of technical progress, resulting in an ever-increasing materials strength. As a matter of principle, tension is the only type of stress fully capitalizing on this trend. The cable also serves as an analytical model for a membrane in a uniaxial stress state. This can be either a wrinkling membrane or a membrane in a state of plane strain, like a membrane trough under a hydrostatic load considered in Section 1.
Electrons in Semiconductors: Empirical and ab initio Pseudopotential Theories

The pseudopotential concept has had a profound impact on our understanding of the electronic structure of semiconductors and is often said to serve as the standard model of condensed phases. In this chapter, both empirical and ab initio pseudopotential concepts are reviewed along with some central applications. Empirical pseudopotentials were first employed to describe the optical and dielectric properties of tetrahedral semiconductors. They established the validity of a one-electron band structure picture. The band structures, although first constructed over 30 years ago, still stand essentially correct. Ab initio pseudopotentials coupled to density functional theory are at the heart of modern theories for understanding the chemical bond in solids. Such pseudopotentials have been applied to predict accurately the phase stabilities, structural properties, vibration modes, and compressibilities of semiconductors in the liquid, amorphous, and solid states.
Constructing the Reality of the Immigrant Life

This study focuses on one discursive construction of social reality, the construction of self-identity. To survive in a new culture, immigrants must come to know the “facts” and the ethos of the society. That knowledge, however, is not passively absorbed by the people, but is at least in part constructed by them from the information verbally transmitted through conversations. Four discourses among immigrants were analyzed to point out important aspects of the participants' understanding of their New World, as well as their own place in it. Optimistic outlook for the future, determination, language competency, and racial and ethnic problems were prominent. Tenets of the social constructionist perspective and the Hermeneutic–Dialectic method are also outlined.
A Stochastic and Mathematically Integrative Model of the Gender Modulation of Cardiorespiratory Activity

Breath-to-breath interval (BBI) and heartbeat-toheartbeat interval (RRI) variability intrinsically contain a combination of random and temporally scaled characteristics. The objective of this study was to design and test a stochastic and mathematically integrative model (SIM) of cardiorespiratory function that could replicate any genderbased differences in breathing or heartrate variability during a calm, resting state. BBI and RRI sequences were recorded from 12 healthy subjects. Inter-breath and inter-beat memory were estimated with an autocorrelation function, and discrete probability density functions were created by fitting polynomial curves to the normalized histograms of each sequence. The SIM generated an artificial BBI or RRI sequence by constructing a random series of interval values selected from a discrete PDF, and then integrating the series with parameters from the autocorrelation analysis. Fractal scaling was quantified with detrended fluctuation analysis. A significant gender difference was identified in the autocorrelation coefficients of the BBI. The SIM produced artificial BBI and RRI sequences with significant fractal scaling as compared to randomly-shuffled surrogate data (p < 0.001), and with fractal-scaling characteristics similar to the original human data. The SIMgenerated BBI sequences also exhibited the same significant gender-based differences as identified in the human data (p < 0.01). In conclusion, this research demonstrated a stochastic and integrative model that replicated the gender-based differences in fractal scaling in resting human breathing patterns.
Joint Spatial and Spectral Localization of OFDM Sources with Noncoherent Arrays

Localizing users in an orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) system without the knowledge of their subcarrier assignments poses a unique challenge. This problem arises in non-cooperative situations where the localizing algorithm does not have access to the OFDMA multiple access layer. In this paper we propose a clustering-based algorithm for joint spatial and spectral localization of OFDMA users with noncoherent arrays. The proposed method consists of three step. First, each array estimates the direction-of-arrival (DOA) of a potential source in every subcarrier. Next, the potential source's position is estimated via multiangulation of these per-subcarrier DOAs. Finally a clustering step identifies the source occupying each subcarrier and combines subcarrier-wise position estimates to form the aggregate estimate. Simulation results are included to illustrate the performance of the proposed algorithm.
How Dynamic are Hemodynamics?: Short-Term Changes in Hemodynamic Measures and Indices among Heart Failure Patients

Purpose Pulmonary arterial catheters (PAC) are valuable tools for guiding heart failure management and evaluating patients for advanced therapies. Although several hemodynamically-derived indices have prognostic value in patients with advanced heart failure, the short-term variance that can be seen in these measurements has not been well described. This study aimed to determine short-term variations in hemodynamic measurements and associated indices among heart failure patients. Methods Patients undergoing clinically-indicated PAC placement at our institution from April 2018 with serial hemodynamic measurements were prospectively recruited. Hemodynamics and clinical variables were collected at the time 0 and again at 24 hours. Hemodynamic indices frequently used to assess the right ventricle, including pulmonary artery pulsatility index (PAPi), right atrial pressure (RAP) to pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) ratio, and transpulmonary gradient were also calculated for both time points. Results Data was available for 57 patients with an average of age 58.3 years. Compared to baseline measurements, 24-hour data revealed a significant reduction in RAP (-1.6 mmHg; p= Conclusion Our single-center experience with short-term hemodynamic measurements revealed improvement in filling pressures over 24 hours. Notably, in patients with initially elevated RAP, PAPi significantly improved. Such findings demonstrate that PAPi's utility as a risk prediction index must be considered in the context of its variability based on loading conditions, rather than as a static value.
The Impact of VLSI on CAM

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the impact of very large scale integration (VLSI) on computer aided manufacturing (CAM). A CAM system entails a hierarchical structure of computers linked together to form an integrated information network that will monitor a broad spectrum of interrelated tasks and controls, each of these tasks based on some overall management strategy, with the flow of information being both upstream and downstream. Two major duties encompassed by the manufacturing engineering group are numerical control (NC) tool-path generation, which is a program using an engineering drawing as a basis to guide the motion of a machine tool as a part is being cut, and the production of a process plan by which the flow of material through the factory floor is controlled, both of which are impacted significantly by VLSI. The processing power and speeds associated with VLSI make real-time adaptive control, diagnostics, and sensing realizable in the near future as a part of a CNC machine tool.
Glucose Metabolism Linked to Antiviral Responses

Viral infection causes the host to activate an antiviral response that, in part, is dependent on mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) to stimulate type I interferons. Zhang et al. (2019) demonstrate that glucose-generated lactate interacts with MAVS to suppress type I interferons. This study links glucose metabolism to antiviral responses.
Cataclysmic variable evolution and the white dwarf mass problem: A Review

Abstract Although the theory of cataclysmic variable (CV) evolution is able to explain several observational aspects, strong discrepancies have existed for decades between observations and theoretical predictions of the orbital period distribution, the location of the minimum period, and the space density of CVs. Moreover, it has been shown in the last decade that the average white dwarf (WD) mass observed in CVs is significantly higher than the average mass in single WDs or in detached progenitors of CVs, and that there is an absence of helium-core WDs in CVs which is not observed in their immediate detached progenitors. This highly motivated us to revise the theory of CV formation and evolution. A new empirical model for angular momentum loss in CVs was developed in order to explain the high average WD mass observed and the absence of systems with helium-core WDs. This model seems to help, at the same time, with all of the above mentioned disagreements between theory and observations. Moreover, it also provides us with a very likely explanation for the existence of low-mass WDs without a companion. Here we will review the standard model for CV evolution and the disagreements that have existed for decades between simulations and observations with their possible solutions and/or improvements. We will also summarize the recently confirmed disagreement related to the average WD mass and the fraction of helium-core WDs among CVs, as well as the development of an empirical model that allows us to solve all the disagreements, discussing the physics that could be involved.
Implant Failure Prediction Using Discriminant Analysis

Electronic dental records (EDR) provide access to a vast repository of clinical information which may be used for analyzing dental care delivery. The goal of this study was identification of determinants of implant survival and development of implant failure prediction model using large data set of intact and failed implant parameters extracted from EDR. A retrospective analysis of 19 variables reflecting patient, surgeon and dental treatment characteristics of 800 dental implants was performed using discriminant analysis to develop a predictive model identifying potential implant failure based on characteristics routinely available in a clinical care setting. The intact and failed implant characteristics were compared using the Goodman and Kruskal's lambda test, the point-biserial test, the chi-square test, and ANOVA test. A stepwise discriminant analysis reduced model dimensionality from 19 to 4 features. The final discriminant analysis model included the following variables: non-temporary implant, pre-op antibiotics, immunocompromised status, and gender. Overall, 72% of implant failure cases and 62% of intact implants were correctly identified by the resulting discriminant function. As the final predictive feature set is readily available in EDR, the resulting algorithm may be implemented as a clinical decision support module embedded into EDR to promote personalized approach in dental implant patients.
Numerical Assessment of Orthographic Neighbourhood Size Fluctuation in Writing Using Fractal Dimension Analysis

The orthographic size of a targeted word, the number of new words that can be generated from a targeted word by exchanging a single letter, offers a research window where words can be transformed i...
Action Recognition and State Change Prediction in a Recipe Understanding Task Using a Lightweight Neural Network Model

Consider a natural language sentence describing a specific step in a food recipe. In such instructions, recognizing actions (such as press, bake, etc.) and the resulting changes in the state of the ingredients (shape molded, custard cooked, temperature hot, etc.) is a challenging task. One way to cope with this challenge is to explicitly model a simulator module that applies actions to entities and predicts the resulting outcome (Bosselut et al. 2018). However, such a model can be unnecessarily complex. In this paper, we propose a simplified neural network model that separates action recognition and state change prediction, while coupling the two through a novel loss function. This allows learning to indirectly influence each other. Our model, although simpler, achieves higher state change prediction performance (67% average accuracy for ours vs. 55% in (Bosselut et al. 2018)) and takes fewer samples to train (10K ours vs. 65K+ by (Bosselut et al. 2018)).
Effective Hamiltonians derived from equation-of-motion coupled-cluster wave functions: Theory and application to the Hubbard and Heisenberg Hamiltonians.

Effective Hamiltonians, which are commonly used for fitting experimental observables, provide a coarse-grained representation of exact many-electron states obtained in quantum chemistry calculations; however, the mapping between the two is not trivial. In this contribution, we apply Bloch’s formalism to equation-of-motion coupled-cluster wave functions to rigorously derive effective Hamiltonians in Bloch’s and des Cloizeaux’s forms. We report the key equations and illustrate the theory by application to systems with two or three unpaired electrons, which give rise to electronic states of covalent and ionic characters. We show that Hubbard’s and Heisenberg’s Hamiltonians can be extracted directly from the so-obtained effective Hamiltonians. By establishing a quantitative connection between many-body states and simple models, the approach facilitates the analysis of the correlated wave functions. We propose a simple diagnostic for assessing the validity of the model space choice based on the overlaps between the target- and model-space states. Artifacts affecting the quality of electronic structure calculations such as spin contamination are also discussed.
The influence of anti-politics on arts education policy

This paper presents a critical policy analysis of how anti-political education reforms impact arts education. I consider examples of educational policies—both within arts education and outside the ...
REGULATION AND THE PAYDAY LENDING INDUSTRY

Using a unique, multistate data set and exploiting policy heterogeneity across states and time, I examine average and marginal effects of changing payday‐lending policies on county‐month‐level branch counts between January 2001 and December 2010. Average results on operating branches are mixed: the effects of adopting liquidity requirements and fee ceilings are negative while the effects of adopting balance and rollover limits are positive. Adopting balance limits decreases new branch counts. Marginal effects of relaxing rollover ceilings are positive for operating branches, though negative for new branches. Results highlight the need to consider both consumer‐ and producer‐interest perspectives when examining the relationship between industry and regulation. (JEL L22, G28, D22)
Hierarchical Classification for Unknown Faults

Data-driven prognostics and health management (PHM) models are generally trained on a set of data collected from the system under study. A standard assumption of this paradigm is that the training data contains all the normal operating conditions and fault conditions that are possible. If the training data does not contain all possible conditions, a single classifier approach will not be adequate because the PHM model could have difficulty classifying a new condition not previously seen during training. This study investigates the use of hierarchical classification in situations where the training data is incomplete in terms of the faults that are present in the testing set and characterizes the proposed problem as a transfer learning problem. The hierarchical classifier employs non-mandatory leaf node prediction where the model is not required to move to the lower levels of the hierarchy. It is hypothesized that this construction allows the classification to stop at a higher level when the fault is not present in the training data. The proposed method is demonstrated on a hydraulic actuator condition monitoring data set.
PCNP: A new era in shaping health policy.

ABSTRACT The Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (PCNP) is the state organization that promotes and protects the practice of more than 15,000 certified registered nurse practitioners in Pennsylvania. PCNP, credited for many legislative successes related to nurse practitioner (NP) practice since the 1980s, continues to expand its advocacy endeavors and mission to advance professional NP practice. To further promote the practice of NPs, a novel platform was established. This novel platform, PCNP: A New Era in Shaping Health Policy, was created as a forum where formal comments can be issued on proposed state and federal legislation that affects NP practice, as well as engages NPs from across the state to participate in the commenting process. After one year of active engagement in this forum, a formal commenting structure was successfully established with heighted visibility for health policy issues with real member participation.
Preoperative prognostic nutritional index predicts prognosis of patients with oral cavity cancer

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether prognostic nutritional index (PNI) predicts patient survival outcomes in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS The data of a total of 360 patients subjected to primary surgery for OSCC were retrospectively analysed. Patients were categorised into high-PNI (≥51.75) and low-PNI (<51.75) groups based on the PNI cut-off value attained from receiver operating characteristic analyses (p < .001), and the intergroup differences in clinicopathological features were determined. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard model were employed to determine the survival prediction ability of the PNI, and a nomogram based on the PNI was established for individualised survival prediction. RESULTS A low PNI was noted to exhibit a significant association with shorter overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) (both p < .001). Multivariate Cox analyses showed that a lower PNI independently indicated shorter OS and DFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.187; p = .001 and HR = 1.459; p = .023, respectively). The concordance index and calibration plots of the PNI-based nomogram revealed the high discriminative ability for OS. CONCLUSIONS Preoperative PNI is a valuable biomarker for predicting OSCC prognosis, and the proposed PNI-based nomogram can provide individualised prognostic prediction.
Mold as Marking

In late August 2019 a seemingly innocuous message appeared on the homepage of the Loyola University Chicago libraries: “We are temporarily unable to retrieve materials in Library Storage Facility. ...
Laryngomalacia, GER, and sleep apnea are BRUEing – Sometimes!

Brief resolved unexplained events (BRUE) constitute the newest nomenclature of near-miss SIDS, later on termed ALTE. These events have been putatively assigned to the sleeping state and suspected to involve airway obstruction. The current study in the Journal (Nosetti et al., 2021, https://doi.org/10.7363/100207) identifies laryngomalacia and gastroesophageal reflux as being frequently associated with BRUE. The potential implications of such associations are discussed.
Attentional Capture from Looming Alters Perception.

Studies suggest looming motion represents a special class of attentional capture stimulus due to behavioural urgency: the need to act upon objects moving toward us in an environment. In particular,...
Rat model of smoke inhalation-induced acute lung injury

Background Acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a lethal disease with limited therapeutic options and an unacceptably high mortality rate. Understanding the complex pathophysiological processes involved in the development of ALI/ARDS is critical for developing novel therapeutic strategies. Smoke inhalation (SI) injury is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with burn-associated ALI/ARDS; however, to our knowledge few reliable, reproducible models are available for pure SI animal model to investigate therapeutic options for ALI/ARDS without the confounding variables introduced by cutaneous burn or other pathology. Objective To develop a small animal model of pure SI-induced ALI and to use this model for eventual testing of novel therapeutics for ALI. Methods Rats were exposed to smoke using a custom-made smoke generator. Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), heart rate, arterial blood gas, and chest X-ray (CXR) were measured before and after SI. Wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio, lung injury score and immunohistochemical staining of cleaved caspase 3 were performed on harvested lung tissues of healthy and SI animals. Results The current study demonstrates the induction of ALI in rats after SI as reflected by a significant, sustained decrease in SpO2 and the development of diffuse bilateral pulmonary infiltrates on CXR. Lung tissue of animals exposed to SI showed increased inflammation, oedema and apoptosis as reflected by the increase in W/D ratio, injury score and cleaved caspase 3 level of the harvested tissues compared with healthy animals. Conclusion We have successfully developed a small animal model of pure SI-induced ALI. This model is offered to the scientific community as a reliable model of isolated pulmonary SI-induced injury without the confounding variables of cutaneous injury or other systemic pathology to be used for study of novel therapeutics or other investigation.
A deep learning approach for imbalanced crash data in predicting highway-rail grade crossings accidents

Abstract Accurate accident prediction for highway-rail grade crossings (HRGCs) is critically important for assisting at-grade safety improvement decision making. Numerous machine-learning methods were developed focusing on predicting accidents and identifying contributing physical and operational characteristics. A more advanced deep learning-based model is explored as a more accurate means of predicting HRGC crashes compared to machine learning-based approaches. In particular, the prediction performance of the convolution neural network (CNN) model is compared to the most commonly used machine learning methods, such as decision tree (DT) and random forests (RF). A 19-year HRGCs data in North Dakota (ND) is used in this study. Training a machine learning model on an imbalanced data (e.g., unequal distribution of labeled data in accident and no-accident classes) introduce unique challenges for accurate prediction especially for minority class. In this paper, a resampling approach was used to address the imbalanced data issue. Various performance measurements are used to compare the models’ prediction performance. The results indicate that resampling the imbalanced dataset significantly improves the recall rate. The results also show that the proposed deep learning-based approach which deepens the layer levels and adapts to the training dataset has better prediction performance compared to other machine learning-based methods.
Street Justice: Retaliation in the Criminal Underworld

Street criminals live in a dangerous world, but they cannot realistically rely on the criminal justice system to protect them from predation by fellow lawbreakers; they are on their own when it comes to dealing with crimes perpetrated against them and often use retaliation as a mechanism for deterring and responding to victimization. Although retaliation lies at the heart of much of the violence that plagues many inner-city neighborhoods across the United States, it has received scant attention from criminologists. As a result, the structure, process, and forms of retaliation in the real world setting of urban America remain poorly understood. Street Justice: Retaliation in the Criminal World, first published in 2006, explores the face of modern day retaliation from the perspective of currently active criminals who have experienced it first hand, as offenders, victims, or both.
Resection of infantile brain tumors after neoadjuvant chemotherapy: the St. Jude experience

Object Brain tumors in infants are often large, high grade, and vascular, making complete resection difficult and placing children at risk for neurological complications and excessive blood loss. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy may reduce tumor vascularity and volume, which can facilitate resection. The authors evaluated how an ongoing institutional prospective chemotherapy trial would affect patients who did not have a gross-total resection (GTR) immediately and who therefore required further surgical intervention to achieve definitive tumor resection. Methods Thirteen infants (4 girls and 9 boys) who were enrolled in an institutional protocol in which they were treated with multiagent chemotherapy (methotrexate, vincristine, cisplatin, and cyclophosphamide with vinblastine for high-risk patients) subsequently underwent second-look surgery. The primary outcome was extent of resection achieved in postchemotherapy surgery. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative blood loss, radiographic response to the chemoth...
Annual monsoon rains recorded by Jurassic dunes.

Pangaea, the largest landmass in the Earth's history, was nearly bisected by the Equator during the late Palaeozoic and early Mesozoic eras. Modelling experiments and stratigraphic studies have suggested that the supercontinent generated a monsoonal atmospheric circulation that led to extreme seasonality1,2,3, but direct evidence for annual rainfall periodicity has been lacking4. In the Mesozoic era, about 190 million years ago, thick deposits of wind-blown sand accumulated in dunes of a vast, low-latitude desert at Pangaea's western margin5,6,7. These deposits are now situated in the southwestern USA. Here we analyse slump masses in the annual depositional cycles within these deposits, which have been described for some outcrops of the Navajo Sandstone8. Twenty-four slumps, which were generated by heavy rainfall, appear within one interval representing 36 years of dune migration. We interpret the positions of 20 of these masses to indicate slumping during summer monsoon rains, with the other four having been the result of winter storms. The slumped lee faces of these Jurassic dunes therefore represent a prehistoric record of yearly rain events.
Evidence of decreased dopamine receptor-mediated control of gap junction coupling in the inner nuclear layer of the diabetic Ins2Akita mouse retina (1129.1)

Dopamine (DA) is a light-adaptive factor that plays an important role in daytime vision. DA controls the gain of retinal signal transmission partly by controlling gap junction coupling of retinal n...
On Generation of Firewall Log Status Reporter (SRr) Using Perl

Computer System Administration and Network Administration are few such areas where Practical Extraction Reporting Language (Perl) has robust utilization these days apart from Bioinformatics. The key role of a System/Network Administrator is to monitor log files. Log file are updated every day. To scan the summary of large log files and to quickly determine if there is anything wrong with the server or network we develop a Firewall Log Status Reporter (SRr). SRr helps to generate the reports based on the parameters of interest. SRr provides the facility to admin to generate the individual firewall report or all reports in one go. By scrutinizing the results of the reports admin can trace how many times a particular request has been made from which source to which destination and can track the errors easily. Perl scripts can be seen as the UNIX script replacement in future arena and SRr is one development with the same hope that we can believe in. SRr is a generalized and customizable utility completely written in Perl and may be used for text mining and data mining application in Bioinformatics research and development too.
Low cost bidirectionnal QPSK transmission with optical frequency conversion

We propose and demonstrate a low cost bidirectional radio-over-fiber system based on the use of a simple p-i-n photodiode (PD) and a VCSEL. PD provides both photodetection and frequency conversion capabilities and its mixing efficiency is evaluated through the measurement of the PD non-linear parameter. The functionality of the RoF up-link and down-link systems is verified experimentally for microwave (MW) subcarrier frequency conversion of a 10 Mbaud QPSK digital signal in the 10 GHz band, measuring conversion gain and Error Vector Magnitude (EVM). The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed bidirectional RoF system performs efficiently without significant distortion on the digitally modulated subcarrier, and could be advantageously used for mm-wave applications.
Correlation of Longitudinal Intravascular Ultrasound Data for the Clinical Assessment of Coronary Artery Disease Progression

Virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) has gained increasing utility in the cardiac catheterization laboratory, not only in determining underlying atherosclerotic lesion composition prior to stent placement, but also in clinical studies assessing the natural history of coronary artery disease (CAD) [1]. Furthermore, VH-IVUS has provided an excellent means of quantifying disease progression by comparing data sets collected over time (i.e., longitudinal studies) and potentially identifying rapidly progressing and potentially vulnerable plaques. One difficulty, however, in analyzing VH-IVUS derived CAD progression is the accurate co-registration of image sets collected over a period of time. Commonly, an expert VH-IVUS image reader reviews these image sets side-by-side on a display and co-registers images along the vessel main axis, herein axially co-registered, by identifying image locations relative to fiduciary anatomical markers (e.g., branches). Despite this method being the standard for analyzing CAD progression, it is limited by the inability to accurately co-register VH-IVUS data in the circumferential direction (i.e., rotating images such that their cylindrical coordinate bases coincide; herein circumferentially co-registered). Thus, a significant amount of information on focal plaque progression is lost that could provide a greater understanding of the natural evolution of CAD, the effects of various pharmaceutical agents (e.g., statins) on lesion composition changes, and the impact of local mechanical factors that induce plaque progression/regression and transformation.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Pathology of small airways disease.

N Context.—The term small airways disease encompasses a generally poorly understood group of lung diseases that may arise primarily within the small airways or secondarily from diseases primarily affecting the bronchi or lung parenchyma. Their histology may be confusing; however, because treatments and prognoses vary, correct pathologic diagnosis is important. Objective.—To present a nonexhaustive review of the pathology of primary and secondary small airways diseases, including small airways disease related to tobacco; to various other exposures, including mineral dusts; to diseases involving other areas of the lung with secondary bronchiolar involvement; and to recently described bronchiolitic disorders. Data Sources.—Current literature is reviewed. Conclusions.—Small airways diseases include a wide variety of diseases of which the pathologist must consider. Uncommon conditions such as diffuse idiopathic neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia and diffuse panbronchiolitis may show relatively specific diagnostic features histologically; however, most small airways diseases exhibit nonspecific histologic features. Conditions not considered primary pulmonary diseases, such as collagen vascular diseases, bone marrow transplantation, and inflammatory bowel disease, must also be considered in patients with small airways changes histologically. Clinical and radiologic correlation is important for obtaining the best possible diagnosis. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2010;134:702–718)
Employee turnover intention among newcomers in travel industry.

†NAMHYUN KIMDepartment of Recreation, Sport and Tourism, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL USAABSTRACTThe continual high turnover rate in the tourism and hospitality industry is the most problematic managerial topic. Using a sample of 304travel agency employees, this research aims to identify differences in turnover antecedents between newcomers from graduate school orother industries and newcomers from the same industry. The results suggest several differences in both newcomer groups. Supervisorsupport is an antecedent for veterans, whereas personnel management, prospects and job‐related factors are only signiﬁcant for neophytes.External causes were revealed as the most signiﬁcant antecedents in both groups, whereas co‐worker support was not signiﬁcant forturnover intention in either group. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Time-sharing vs. source-splitting in the Slepian-Wolf problem: error exponents analysis

We discuss two approaches for decoding at arbitrary rates in the Slepian-Wolf problem - time sharing and source splitting - both of which rely on constituent vertex decoders. We consider the error exponents for both schemes and conclude that source-splitting is more robust at coding at arbitrary rates, as the error exponent for time-sharing degrades significantly at rates near vertices. As a by-product of our analysis, we exhibit an interesting connection between minimum mean-squared error estimation and error exponents.
Harm reduction interventions to prevent HIV/AIDS transmission in involuntary detainees

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: 1. To locate and describe outcome studies evaluating the effectiveness of interventions designed to prevent transmission of HIV among involuntary detainees. 2. To summarise the effectiveness of these interventions, including whether outcomes are different depending on the type of institution, prisoner gender, and prisoner age. 3. To identify gaps and indicate future research, policy, and programme needs. The objectives of this review are to compare the effectiveness of interventions (medical and behavioural) designed to prevent transmission of HIV among involuntary detainees, inclusive of prisoners, those involuntarily detained in half‐way homes, etc. Subjects should be mentally healthy. Medical intervention could constitute methadone maintenance programmes or other medications. Behavioural interventions could include various types of educational programmes and behavioural models. Subgroup analysis: Subgroup analysis will be done for type of institution (such as prisons, half way homes, etc.); gender (male, female, and transgender); age (adolescents vs. adults) and type of intervention (medical vs. behavioural; one‐to‐one intervention vs. group intervention).
Extended contact after birth: time-controlled or self-regulatory?

To the Editor.— Lamb has written a thought-provoking article in which he reviewed the research on early contact and maternalinfant bonding.1 He concluded that the methodologies were impoverished and the conclusions were based on equivocal findings. Although his critique merits consideration, it is important to realize that the contact opportunities were self-regulatory in only one of the many studies he reviewed.2 In the context of birth, self-regulatory means that the mother and infant remain together after birth in the same bed, or at least adjacent ones, and are allowed to interact with each other on cue and to satiety.
Intermittent pansystolic murmur and presumed mitral regurgitation after acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Intermittent pulmonary hypertension and a pansystolic murmur suggesting mitral regurgitation during ischemic chest pain are described in an elderly patient with a recent extensive inferior infarction. Similar clinical and hemodynamic changes could be evoked by passive elevation of both legs. Acute diastolic volume load so produced may induce acute myocardial ischemia and papillary muscle dysfunction as a result of increased left ventricular wall tension and, hence, greater oxygen requirement in a patient with extensive coronary artery disease.
Wilms' tumor: cure of malignant pleural effusion exclusively with chemotherapy.

A malignant pleural effusion was diagnosed by thoracentesis in a 12-year-old patient with an established diagnosis of Wilms' tumor. He was treated with chemotherapy and achieved a reduction in the size of the primary tumor and resolution of the effusion. The primary tumor was then resected and chemotherapy continued for a total of 18 months. At the request of the parents, radiation therapy to the thorax was withheld. The patient has remained free of disease for the past 8 years. © 1995 Wi1ey-Liss Inc.
Effect of refractive-index nonlinearity on the optical quality of high-power laser beams

Both small-scale and large-scale partial self-focusing produce phase distortions which result in loss of optical quality of the beam. Both effects are herein studied and both can result in significant power loss. Incipient fine-scale self-focusing losses can be mitigated by spatial filtering. Nonlinear lensing, i.e., partial large-scale self-focusing, is more or less serious depending on the size of the target onto which the beam is to be focused.
An Unusual Song-Like Vocalization Produced by Female Bachman's Sparrows (Peucaea aestivalis)

Abstract We describe a new female vocalization for Peucaea aestivalis (Bachman's Sparrow) that may represent a type of female song. The vocalization has characteristics that are similar to the “excited” or “flight” songs that male P. aestivalis produce, and similar song characteristics can be found among other members of the genus, including one congener for which female singing is common. Two marked female P. aestivalis were observed producing the vocalization as well as four unmarked individuals that were paired with territorial males. A recording of one of these unmarked individuals collected in 1989 is similar to the vocalizations observed for marked females. Field notes collected at the time the recording was made suggested the “odd song” was produced by a female, and we provide a sonogram of this new vocalization based on this recording. The vocalization appears to be rare and may be difficult to link to external stimuli and social function.
Concentration of RNA on the heteropycnotic XY bivalent of the rat.

Abstract 1. 1. The XY bivalent of the rat primary spermatocyte has been observed to be heteropycnotic. 2. 2. The sex bivalent appears embedded in a vesicle which is as rich in RNA as the nucleoli. The nucleoli disappear before or during pachytene. The vesicle associated with the sex chromosomes retains its RNA and its identity through diplotene. 3. 3. No chiasmata between the X and the Y have been observed. An end to end association, however, has been seen. 4. 4. The heteropycnotic sex chromosomes occupy a position in the nucleus opposite the point near which lies the idiozome.
Finishing off fibrils

Bortezomib shows high activity in light chain amyloidosis. Responses occur rapidly and are seen in cardiac, renal, and hepatic disease. Toxicity in this fragile population is significant.
In Vivo and In Vitro Localization of Leishmania within Macrophage Phagolysosomes: Use of Colloidal Gold as a Lysosomal Label

The interaction of Leishmania with lysosomes within macrophages in vivo has been investigated. Lysosomes labeled with colloidal gold in vivo fused with phagocytic vacuoles containing Leishmania amastigotes within the macrophages of infected footpad tissue of BALB/c mice. This localization of Leishmania within macrophage phagolysosomes in vivo is the first confirmation for any obligate intracellulaire protozoon that parasite-lysosome interactions in vitro occur in vivo.
From Noise To Coherence In A Free-Electron Laser Oscillator

A unified classical stochastic treatment of spontaneous and stimulated emission in a free-electron-laser oscillator is presented. The theory accounts for photon noise phenomenologically and includes also the effects of electron shot noise. Computer simulation results for the time evolution of the laser field, from incoherent spontaneous emission to coherent stimulated emission and eventual saturation, are reported for a one-dimensional model of the Stanford free-electron-laser oscillator.© (1984) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.