cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Examining the Types, Features, and Use of Instructional Materials in Afterschool Science

Afterschool programs have garnered much attention as promising environments for learning where children can engage in rich science activities. Yet, little is known about the kinds of instructional materials used in typical, large-scale afterschool programs that implement science with diverse populations of children. In this study, we investigated the types, features, and use of science instructional materials at more than 150 public afterschool program sites across California. Using afterschool site survey data, we categorized the types and the range of materials used at the sites. We then collected a subsample of the instructional materials for in-depth analysis of their support features for enabling staff and children to enact science. We also interviewed afterschool site staff to better understand how they selected and used materials. Results from our analysis of survey and interview data show that afterschool staff primarily used stand-alone lessons and activities found on the Internet or in activity books as resources for planning and enacting science. Our analysis of the subsample of instructional materials indicate that curricular materials, while used less frequently by afterschool staff, have on average more of the support features that would help them implement high-quality science experiences with children.
Corticosteroid and Cortisol Serum Levels Following Intra-articular Triamcinolone Acetonide Lumbar Facet Joint Injections.

Background Facet joint steroid injections are used to treat chronic low back. However, little is known about the systemic absorption and serum levels of steroids following intra-articular facet joint injections. The primary objective of this preliminary study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics of triamcinolone acetonide following fluoroscopically guided intra-articular lumbar facet joint injections in a cohort of patients with chronic low back pain. A secondary aim was to investigate the effects of triamcinolone on serum cortisol levels following lumbar facet joint injections. Methods The study cohort included five patients undergoing fluoroscopically guided intra-articular lumbar facet joint injections at a pain medicine specialty clinic. Blood was collected prior to the injections and on days 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 following the injections. Results The terminal elimination half-life of triamcinolone in a noncompartmental analysis was 213 hours. The peak median triamcinolone concentration of 3.6 ng/mL was detected within 24 hours after the injections. Serum cortisol levels were 1.9 ng/ml. Conclusions The peak serum concentration of triamcinolone following intra-articular facet joint injections occurred within 24 hours. The median terminal elimination half-life was 213 hours but baseline cortisol levels were suppressed for an average of 4.4 days. Clinically, the prolonged half-life and endocrine effects of triamcinolone could increase the risk of serious drug-drug interactions in patients taking medications that inhibit corticosteroid metabolism. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Preliminary Evaluation of the Viability of Peritoneal Drainage Catheters Implanted in Rats for Extended Durations

Purpose/Aim: In developing a novel peritoneal oxygenation therapy, catheters implanted into the peritoneal cavity became obstructed with omental tissue and prevented the infusion and removal of fluid from the peritoneal cavity. The obstruction of peritoneal catheters is a significant failure in researching various peritoneal treatments as further fluid administration is no longer possible. The purpose of this preliminary study was to determine the most effective catheter design for infusion and removal of fluid into the peritoneal cavity of rats. Materials and Methods: Four types of catheters were tested including the Jackson-Pratt, round fluted drain, flat fluted drain, and an original design. Three of each catheter type were surgically placed into the peritoneal cavity of rats (n = 12). In order to test the efficacy of each catheter, saline was infused and extracted twice daily. Catheters were scored on a weighted scale based on the amount of time they remained patent, the subjective force needed for extraction/infusion, and the amount of saline removed. Results: The round and flat fluted drain catheters remained patent for the full duration of the study (12 days) compared to the other models which failed after 7 days. These catheters also yielded a high average for extracted saline volume and an easy extraction/infusion. Conclusions: The round and flat fluted drain catheters were recognized as viable options to be used in rats for peritoneal drain studies of up to 12 days.
Air Quality Awareness Among U.S. Adults With Respiratory and Heart Disease.

Introduction Poor air quality affects respiratory and cardiovascular health. Information about health risks associated with outdoor air quality is communicated to the public using air quality alerts. This study was conducted to assess associations of existing respiratory and heart disease with three aspects of air quality awareness: awareness of air quality alerts, discussing with a health professional strategies to reduce air pollution exposure, and avoiding busy roads to reduce air pollution exposure when walking, biking, or exercising outdoors. Methods During 2014–2016, a total of 12,599 U.S. adults participated in summer waves of the ConsumerStyles surveys and self-reported asthma, emphysema/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, and each aspect of air quality awareness. In 2017, associations between each health condition and air quality awareness were estimated using log binomial and multinomial regression. Results Overall, 49% of respondents were aware of air quality alerts, 3% discussed with a health professional strategies to reduce air pollution exposure, and 27% always/usually avoided busy roads to reduce air pollution exposure. Asthma was associated with increased prevalence of awareness of air quality alerts (prevalence ratio=1.11, 95% CI=1.04, 1.20), discussing with a health professional (prevalence ratio=4.88, 95% CI=3.74, 6.37), and always/usually avoiding busy roads to reduce air pollution exposure (prevalence ratio=1.13, 95% CI=1.01, 1.27). Heart disease was not associated with air quality awareness. Conclusions Existing respiratory disease, but not heart disease, was associated with increased air quality awareness. These findings reveal important opportunities to raise awareness of air quality alerts and behavior changes aimed at reducing air pollution exposure among adults at risk of exacerbating respiratory and heart diseases.
Application of a gas–liquid entraining rotor to supercritical fluid extraction: Removal of iron(III) from water

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of aqueous solutions is often limited by poor mass transport. The performance of a new gas–liquid entraining device was investigated to improve mass transport and thereby increase extraction efficiency. As a test system, iron(III) was extracted from water with a -diketone chelating agent (HL) and supercritical fluid carbon dioxide. Metal -diketonate complexes with sufficient solubility in supercritical fluid CO 2 are often poorly extracted from aqueous solutions due to limited mass transport between the water-soluble metal ion and the CO2-soluble chelating agent. The new entraining device maximizes contact between the ligand-rich CO2 phase and the metal ion-rich aqueous phase. Iron(III) was extracted from water with the chelating agent 2,2,7-trimethyl-3,5-octanedione (H(tod)) and supercritical fluid CO 2 at 60 ◦ C and 20.8 MPa. With entrainment, 79% of the iron was removed from the aqueous phase. This represents a three-fold increase in iron extraction efficiency over that of a static system. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
Why Do Dual-Class Firms Have Staggered Boards?

Conventional wisdom regards the combination of a staggered board with a dual-class capital structure as superfluous. However, the incidence of this combination in U.S. firms, identified in this Paper, is not trivial. This Paper considers a few possible motivations for this practice and reports the results of empirical studies conducted on dual-class firms with staggered boards. Significantly, even in the universe of dual-class capital structures, effective staggered boards are associated with lower firm value. These findings suggest that entrenchment may not fully explain the correlation between lower value and staggered boards in single-class firms.
Predator's Perspective on Predator–Prey Interactions

Behavioral research on antipredator behavior is often focused on the prey, with little emphasis on the behavior of the predator. Studies that focus on the behavior of predators provide complementary information that promotes a broad view of predator–prey interactions. Taking the perspective of the predator reveals prey selection to be a sequence with multiple stages, and prey animals can adopt antipredator behaviors that affect each of these stages in complementary or conflicting ways. Examining the entire predation sequence gives a more complete accounting of the effect of predators on their prey and a better understanding of the ecological consequences of predation.
Gambler’s Ruin

This chapter is concerned with finding the probability that, in an independent sequence of identical wagers, the gambler loses L or more units (that is, he is ruined) before he wins W or more units. In Section 7.1, we treat the case of even-money payoffs by deriving an explicit formula. In Section 7.2, we consider more-general integer-valued payoffs. Formulas are available in some special cases, but in general a computational algorithm is needed. Finally, Section 7.3 allows arbitrary payoffs, and here we resort to establishing upper and lower bounds on the probability of interest.
Oceans and Human Health

The oceans contain chemicals and microscopic organisms that represent both risks and remedies to humans. Harmful algae including dinoflagellates, diatoms, and cyanobacteria excrete toxins that may bioaccumulate in fish and shellfish. When consumed by humans, these toxins cause ailments such as gastrointestinal illness and diseases as serious as Parkinson disease. Anthropogenic activities have released harmful persistent organic compounds and metals into the environment. Human exposure to these chemicals via shellfish, fish, or even contaminated sediments can cause chronic and acute illness. Transient and autochthonous pathogens in the marine environment emanate from sewage or are natural members of marine microbial communities, respectively. Contact with pathogens in marine waters represents health risks to swimmers as well as seafood consumers. Global climate change is expected to have harmful, although poorly understood, impacts on human well-being. At the same time, many secondary metabolites of sea organisms are being exploited as remedies for serious human illnesses and symptoms.
Passive dosing yields dissolved aqueous exposures of crude oil comparable to the CROSERF (Chemical Response to Oil Spill: Ecological Effects Research Forum) water accommodated fraction method.

The Chemical Response to Oil Spill: Ecological Effects Research Forum's water accommodated fraction procedure was compared with 2 alternative techniques in which crude oil was passively dosed from silicone tubing or O-rings. Fresh Macondo oil (MC252) was dosed at 30 mg/L using each approach to investigate oil dissolution kinetics, which was monitored by fluorometry as estimated oil equivalents (EOEs). Subsequent experiments with each dosing method were then conducted at multiple oil loadings. Following equilibration, test media were analytically characterized for polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry and dissolved oil using biomimetic solid-phase microextraction (SPME). The results showed that equilibrium was achieved within 72 h for all methods. Measured PAH concentrations were compared with oil solubility model predictions of dissolved exposures. The concentration and composition of measured and predicted dissolved PAHs varied with oil loading and were consistent between dosing methods. Two-dimensional GC compositional data for this oil were then used to calculate dissolved toxic units for predicting MC252 oil acute toxicity across the expected range of species sensitivities. Predicted toxic units were nonlinear with loading and correlated to both EOE and biomimetic SPME. Passive dosing methods provide a practical strategy to deliver and maintain dissolved oil concentrations while avoiding the complicating role that droplets can introduce in exposure characterization and test interpretation. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:2810-2819. © 2018 SETAC.
Reconsidering poverty dynamics by analyzing housing spells

Abstract This note reconsiders Bane and Ellwood’s (1986) research on poverty spells. Instead of focusing on cash benefits as a form of public assistance, this note uses time periods on housing assistance as an alternative way to understand poverty dynamics. Housing expenses are the largest costs for families throughout the United States. Using data from the Panel Survey of Income Dynamics from 1987 to 2011, this note undertakes an alternative methodological technique for understanding the dynamics of poverty spells: calculating the probabilities of exiting public housing through analyzing spell durations. The results suggest that most individuals that enter public housing tend to have spells of less than 5 years. Moreover, only 12% of the original sample live in public housing for more than 10 years. Given the precarity of public assistance for low-income populations, scholars must consider alternative ways to understand how long and to what extent people live in poverty.
A Hybrid Stochastic Optimization Framework for Stochastic Composite Nonconvex Optimization

We introduce a new approach to develop stochastic optimization algorithms for a class of stochastic composite and possibly nonconvex optimization problems. The main idea is to combine two stochastic estimators to create a new hybrid one. We first introduce our hybrid estimator and then investigate its fundamental properties to form a foundational theory for algorithmic development. Next, we apply our theory to develop several variants of stochastic gradient methods to solve both expectation and finite-sum composite optimization problems. Our first algorithm can be viewed as a variant of proximal stochastic gradient methods with a single-loop, but can achieve $\mathcal{O}(\sigma^3\varepsilon^{-1} + \sigma \varepsilon^{-3})$-oracle complexity bound, matching the best-known ones from state-of-the-art double-loop algorithms in the literature, where $\sigma > 0$ is the variance and $\varepsilon$ is a desired accuracy. Then, we consider two different variants of our method: adaptive step-size and restarting schemes that have similar theoretical guarantees as in our first algorithm. We also study two mini-batch variants of the proposed methods. In all cases, we achieve the best-known complexity bounds under standard assumptions. We test our methods on several numerical examples with real datasets and compare them with state-of-the-arts. Our numerical experiments show that the new methods are comparable and, in many cases, outperform their competitors.
Harmonic oscillators at resonance, perturbed by a non-linear friction force

Abstract This note is an addendum to the results of Lazer and Frederickson [1], and Lazer [4] on periodic oscillations, with linear part at resonance. We show that a small modification of the argument in [4] provides a more general result. It turns out that things are different for the corresponding Dirichlet boundary value problem.
Regulation and anaerobic function of the Clostridioides difficile β-lactamase.

Clostridioides difficile causes severe antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis. C. difficile is an anaerobic, Gram-positive sporeformer that is highly resistant to β-lactams, the most commonly prescribed antibiotics. The resistance of C. difficile to β-lactam antibiotics allows the pathogen to replicate and cause disease in antibiotic-treated patients. However, the mechanisms of β-lactam resistance in C. difficile are not fully understood. Our data reinforce prior evidence that C. difficile produces a β-lactamase, which is a common β-lactam resistance mechanism found in other bacterial species. Here, we characterize the C. difficile bla operon that encodes a lipoprotein of unknown function and a β-lactamase that was greatly induced in response to several classes of β-lactam antibiotics. An in-frame deletion of the operon abolished β-lactamase activity in C. difficile strain 630Δerm and resulted in decreased resistance to the β-lactam ampicillin. We found that the activity of this β-lactamase, BlaCDD, is dependent upon the redox state of the enzyme. In addition, we observed that transport of BlaCDD out of the cytosol and to the cell surface is facilitated by an N-terminal signal sequence. Our data demonstrate that a cotranscribed lipoprotein, BlaX, aids in BlaCDD activity. Further, we identified a conserved BlaRI regulatory system and demonstrated via insertional disruption that BlaRI controls transcription of the blaXCDD genes in response to β-lactams. These results provide support for the function of a β-lactamase in C. difficile antibiotic resistance and reveal the unique roles of a coregulated lipoprotein and reducing environment in C. difficile β-lactamase activity.
Electrically-tunable holographic polymer stabilized liquid-crystal reflection gratings (Conference Presentation)

This Conference Presentation, Electrically-tunable holographic polymer stabilized liquid-crystal reflection gratings was recorded at Photonics West 2020 held at San Francisco, California, United States.
Engineering the glass waveguide surface for uniform light refraction inside an optofluidic photoreactor (Conference Presentation)

We report a surface-engineered glass waveguide based optofluidic reactor system. Photocatalyst is coated on waveguide surfaces and is activated under light irradiation. In traditional design, light gradually spreads and diminishes along the waveguide, leading to non-uniform distribution of light energy. Here we present a method for modifying glass waveguide surfaces through gradient etching, to extend light transmission length and make light refraction more uniform. The effect of waveguide dimensions and etching patterns on the light refraction intensity profiles along transmission was examined. These waveguides with specially designed surfaces were applied in an optofluidic reactor for photocatalytically converting CO2 into fuels.
Proof of concept for rational design of hepatitis C virus E2 core nanoparticle vaccines

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoproteins E1 and E2 are responsible for cell entry, with E2 being the major target of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). Here, we present a comprehensive strategy for B cell-based HCV vaccine development through E2 optimization and nanoparticle display. We redesigned variable region 2 in a truncated form (tVR2) on E2 cores derived from genotypes 1a and 6a, resulting in improved stability and antigenicity. Crystal structures of three optimized E2 cores with human cross-genotype NAbs (AR3s) revealed how the modified tVR2 stabilizes E2 without altering key neutralizing epitopes. We then displayed these E2 cores on 24- and 60-meric nanoparticles and achieved substantial yield and purity, as well as enhanced antigenicity. In mice, these nanoparticles elicited more effective NAb responses than soluble E2 cores. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) defined distinct B cell patterns associated with nanoparticle-induced antibody responses, which target the conserved neutralizing epitopes on E2 and cross-neutralize HCV genotypes.
Data management for large-scale scientific computations in high performance distributed systems

With the increasing number of scientific applications manipulating huge amounts of data, effective high-level data management is an increasingly important problem. Unfortunately, so far the solutions to the high-level data management problem either require deep understanding of specific storage architectures and file layouts (as in high-performance file storage systems) or produce unsatisfactory I/O performance in exchange for ease-of-use and portability (as in relational DBMSs). In this paper we present a novel application development environment which is built around an active meta-data management system (MDMS) to handle high-level data in an effective manner. The key components of our three-tiered architecture are user application, the MDMS, and a hierarchical storage system (HSS). Our environment overcomes the performance problems of pure database-oriented solutions, while maintaining their advantages in terms of ease-of-use and portability. The high levels of performance are achieved by the MDMS, with the aid of user-specified, performance-oriented directives. Our environment supports a simple, easy-to-use yet powerful user interface, leaving the task of choosing appropriate I/O techniques for the application at hand to the MDMS. We discuss the importance of an active MDMS and show how the three components of our environment, namely the application, the MDMS, and the HSS, fit together. We also report performance numbers from our ongoing implementation and illustrate that significant improvements are made possible without undue programming effort.
A Quantitative Framework for Modeling COVID-19 Risk During Adjuvant Therapy Using Published Randomized Trials of Glioblastoma in the Elderly.

BACKGROUND: During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, contact with the healthcare system for cancer treatment can increase risk of infection and associated mortality. Treatment recommendations must consider this risk for elderly and vulnerable cancer patients. We re-analyzed trials in elderly glioblastoma (GBM) patients, incorporating COVID-19 risk, in order to provide a quantitative framework for comparing different radiation (RT) fractionation schedules on patient outcomes. METHODS: We extracted individual patient-level data (IPLD) for 1,321 patients from Kaplan-Meier curves from five randomized trials on treatment of elderly GBM patients including available subanalyses based on MGMT methylation status. We simulated trial data with incorporation of COVID-19 associated mortality risk in several scenarios (low, medium, and high infection and mortality risks). Median overall survival and hazard ratios were calculated for each simulation replicate. RESULTS: Our simulations reveal how COVID-19-associated risks affect survival under different treatment regimens. Hypofractionated RT with concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) demonstrated the best outcomes in low and medium risk scenarios. In frail elderly patients, shorter courses of RT are preferable. In patients with methylated MGMT receiving single modality treatment, TMZ-alone treatment approaches may be an option in settings with high COVID-19-associated risk. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporation of COVID-19-associated risk models into analysis of randomized trials can help guide clinical decisions during this pandemic. In elderly GBM patients, our results support prioritization of hypofractionated RT and highlight the utility of MGMT methylation status in decision-making in pandemic scenarios. Our quantitative framework can serve as a model for assessing COVID-19 risk associated with treatment across neuro-oncology.
Greedy Algorithm almost Dominates in Smoothed Contextual Bandits.

Online learning algorithms, widely used to power search and content optimization on the web, must balance exploration and exploitation, potentially sacrificing the experience of current users in order to gain information that will lead to better decisions in the future. While necessary in the worst case, explicit exploration has a number of disadvantages compared to the greedy algorithm that always "exploits" by choosing an action that currently looks optimal. We ask under what conditions inherent diversity in the data makes explicit exploration unnecessary. We build on a recent line of work on the smoothed analysis of the greedy algorithm in the linear contextual bandits model. We improve on prior results to show that a greedy approach almost matches the best possible Bayesian regret rate of any other algorithm on the same problem instance whenever the diversity conditions hold, and that this regret is at most $\tilde O(T^{1/3})$.
The effect of COVID-19 on stroke hospitalizations in New York City.

Abstract Background Little is known about the effect of the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on stroke care and the impact of the epidemic on acute stroke hospitalizations has not been described. Methods We analyze the stroke admission rate in three hospitals in New York City from January 1, 2020 through April 17, 2020, identifying all cases of acute ischemic stroke, intraparenchymal hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Results We confirmed 518 cases of out-of-hospital stroke. During the baseline period up to February 25, 2020, the daily stroke admission rate was stable, with the slope of the regression describing the number of admissions over time equal to -0.33 (se = 1.21), not significantly different from 0 (p = 0.79), with daily admissions averaging 41. During the pandemic period, the slope was -4.4 (se = 1.00); i.e., the number of stroke admissions decreased an average of 4.4 per week, (p = 0.005), with weekly admissions averaging 23, a reduction of 44% versus baseline. This general result was not different by patient age, sex, or race/ethnicity. Conclusions The weekly stroke admission rate started declining two weeks prior to the local surge of coronavirus admissions. The consequences of lack of diagnosis and treatment of a large proportion of acute stroke patients are likely severe and lasting.
An Optical Study of BG Geminorum: An Ellipsoidal Binary with an Unseen Primar Star

We describe optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of the bright variable BG Geminorum. Optical photometry shows a pronounced ellipsoidal variation of the K0 I secondary, with amplitudes of ~0.5 mag at VRI and a period of 91.645 days. A deep primary eclipse is visible for wavelengths < 4400A; a shallower secondary eclipse is present at longer wavelengths. Eclipse timings and the radial velocity curve of the K0 secondary star indicate an interacting binary where a lobe-filling secondary, M_2 ~ 0.5 Msun, transfers material into a extended disk around a massive primary, M_1 ~ 4.5 Msun. The primary star is either an early B-type star or a black hole. If it did contain a black hole, BG Gem would be the longest period black hole binary known by a factor of 10, as well as the only eclipsing black hole binary system.
La mujer rural y las reformas agrarias de Perú, Chile y Cuba

This contribution reproduces one of the first articles analyzing rural women’s participation in the Peruvian agrarian reform, published in 1983, along with a new preface by the author. It is argued that processes of socio-economic change are not gender neutral; supposedly gender-neutral reforms may have a negative impact on the position of women. Neither the Peruvian nor Chilean agrarian reforms of the 1970s had an explicit policy to incorporate women into the reform, in contrast to Cuba in this period, where the participation of women in the new production cooperatives was a policy goal. As a result, few women were direct beneficiaries in Peru or Chile in comparison to Cuba. The criteria for being a beneficiary of the reform was the main mechanism of exclusion in the former two countries, specifically, the requirement that these be household heads. The exclusion of women had negative consequences for the success of the production cooperatives. In Cuba, women became cooperative members on their own account; moreover, attention to their domestic responsibilities in the new agrarian communities that were created, along with the support of and effective coordination between the peasant’s and women’s associations, largely explain both how women came to be over one-third of the members and the early success of the cooperativization process.
The Hero and the Victim: Narratives of Criminality in Iraq War Fiction

"The Hero and the Victim: Narratives of Criminality in Iraq War Fiction" analyzes several works of literary fiction, and one popular memoir, by American authors about the U.S. military experience in the Iraq War from 2003 to 2011. In contrast to the emphasis of most ancient war literature on the figure of the warrior-as-hero, and the growing modern emphasis on the figure of the soldier-as-victim, Iraq War fiction reflects the troubled emergence of a new narrative template for war literature: the story of the ordinary soldier as a wrongdoer or even criminal. Iraq War fiction is haunted by depictions of moral injury and expressions of unresolved guilt. The dissertation argues that the emphasis on criminality in Iraq War fiction can be partly explained by the rise of moral cosmopolitanism and its blurring of the traditional conceptual lines between war and crime.
The Phenomenology of Ritual Resistance: Colin Kaepernick as Confucian Sage

In 2016, Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, remained seated during the national anthem in order to protest racial injustice and police brutality against African-Americans. After consulting with National Football League (NFL) and military veteran Nate Boyer, Kaepernick switched to taking a knee during the anthem for the remainder of the season. Several NFL players and other professional athletes subsequently adopted this gesture. This article brings together complementary Confucian and phenomenological analyses to elucidate the significance of Kaepernick’s gesture, and in the process provide a phenomenological characterization of the connection between the Confucian notions of sagehood and ritual. Kaepernick’s gesture subverts the anthem ritual from within while simultaneously remaining faithful to the ideals it is meant to express. Furthermore, it institutes a new bodily form of patriotic self-expression compatible with both American and Confucian ideals.
Differential immune signatures in the tumor microenvironment are associated with colon cancer racial disparities

Background Disparities in colon cancer (CC) outcomes may be due to a more aggressive phenotype in African American patients in the setting of a decreased tumor immunity, though the precise mechanism for this result has not been well elucidated. To explore the molecular factors underlying CC disparities, we compared the immunogenomic signatures of CC from African American and European American patients. Methods We identified all CC patients from the publicly available Cancer Genome Atlas for whom race and survival data are available. Immunophenotype signatures were established for African American and European American patients. Comparisons were made regarding survival and a multivariable linear regression model was created to determine the association of immune cellular components with race. Differential gene expression was also assessed. Results Of the 254 patients identified, 58 (23%) were African American and 196 (77%) were European American. African American patients had a decreased progression free survival (p = 0.04). Tumors from African American patients displayed a reduced fraction of macrophages and CD8+ T cells and an increased fraction of B cells compared with tumors from European Americans. Differences persisted when controlling for sex, age, and disease stage. Immunostimulatory and immunoinhibitory gene profiles including major histocompatibility complex expression differed by race. Conclusions Differences in the tumor immune microenvironment of African American as compared to European American CC specimens may play a role in the survival differences between the groups. These differences may provide targeted therapeutic opportunities.
A prospective study of the adaptive changes in the gut microbiome during standard-of-care chemoradiotherapy for gynecologic cancers.

Background A diverse and abundant gut microbiome can improve cancer patients’ treatment response; however, the effect of pelvic chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on gut diversity and composition is unclear. The purpose of this prospective study was to identify changes in the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome during and after pelvic CRT. Materials and methods Rectal swabs from 58 women with cervical, vaginal, or vulvar cancer from two institutions were prospectively analyzed before CRT (baseline), during CRT (weeks 1, 3, and 5), and at first follow-up (week 12) using 16Sv4 rRNA gene sequencing of the V4 hypervariable region of the bacterial 16S rRNA marker gene. 42 of these patients received antibiotics during the study period. Observed operational taxonomic units (OTUs; representative of richness) and Shannon, Simpson, Inverse Simpson, and Fisher diversity indices were used to characterize alpha (within-sample) diversity. Changes over time were assessed using a paired t-test, repeated measures ANOVA, and linear mixed modeling. Compositional changes in specific bacteria over time were evaluated using linear discriminant analysis effect size. Results Gut microbiome richness and diversity levels continually decreased throughout CRT (mean Shannon diversity index, 2.52 vs. 2.91; all P <0.01), but were at or near baseline levels in 60% of patients by week 12. Patients with higher gut diversity at baseline had the steepest decline in gut microbiome diversity. Gut microbiome composition was significantly altered during CRT, with increases in Proteobacteria and decreases in Clostridiales, but adapted after CRT, with increases in Bacteroides species. Conclusion After CRT, the diversity of the gut microbiomes in this population tended to return to baseline levels by the 12 week follow-up period, but structure and composition remained significantly altered. These changes should be considered when designing studies to analyze the gut microbiome in patients who receive pelvic CRT for gynecologic cancers.
GLEAM: genetic learning by extraction and absorption of modules

Efforts to evolve modularity in genetic programming are as old as the field itself. While many techniques have been proposed to evolve programs that make use of simultaneously-evolved modules, the general problem of evolving large-scale, modular software still stands as a central challenge to the field. In this paper, we present GLEAM, a mechanism of achieving modularity, whereby an evolving program uses a local library of modules. The program can refer to the modules during execution and the ones not used by the program are eventually replaced by code segments extracted from the program itself. Modules can also be absorbed by the program when their references in the program get expanded to the full code segments. We show that this simple mechanism improves the success rate on a number of program synthesis problems.
Trigeminal neuralgia

The paroxysmal facial pain of trigeminal neuralgia is notoriously severe. Recent advances in medical science are achieving significant strides toward alleviating this incapacitating condition. High-resolution neuroimaging techniques are rendering detailed views of underlying neurovascular relationships. Newer antiepileptic medications and novel therapies are proving helpful in treating pain resistant to carbamazepine. Further developments also in targeted neurosurgical and radiosurgical techniques are providing pain relief within increasingly wider margins of safety. Much has been accomplished, yet much remains to be done.
At the Brink of Free Agency: Creating the Foundation for the Messersmith-McNally Decision - 1968-1975

One of the most dramatic periods in baseball’s long history of labor relations occurred from 1968 through 1975. The Major League Baseball Players Association negotiated baseball’s first Basic Agreement in 1968 without the benefit of any leverage that could alter most of Organized Baseball’s long practices that controlled the players’ mobility and wages. In 1975, however, the union won an arbitration panel hearing that determined that pitchers Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith were free agents after playing one full season under the renewed option year of their contracts and filing a grievance under the newly adopted arbitration process. This stunning result fundamentally altered Organized Baseball’s reserve system and launched free agency and the era of tremendous salary growth for major league baseball players. This article highlights the stories of more than twenty players who refused to sign contracts before reporting to spring training between 1968 and 1975. Part I of the article provide a brief discussion of the creation of the reserve system during the nineteenth century. Part II offers a brief description of the three-year period from 1965 to 1968 that was a prelude to Al Downing’s decision in 1968 to report to spring training without signing his contract offer from the New York Yankees. Part III discusses Downing’s negotiations with the Yankees. Part IV covers events from 1969 to 1972 including the significance of Ted Simmons’ contractual dispute with the St. Louis Cardinals. Part V recounts the stories of the twenty players who began the 1973 through 1975 seasons without signing new contracts. Although all of these players, except Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith, ultimately reached an agreement or disappeared from the major league baseball scene, their collective efforts were an important contribution to the Players Association’s winning strategy over the owners.
Treatment of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci, with a Focus on Quinupristin-Dalfopristin

Enterococci are the second most common cause of hospital-acquired infections, and drug resistance among these organisms is a growing problem. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) now account for 7.9% of the nosocomial enterococcal infections. There is no standard therapy for VRE. Although some agents have shown in vitro activity alone or in combination, including ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, novobiocin, teicoplanin, chloramphenicol, and rifampin, treatment options are limited to combinations of drugs with marginal efficacy against the pathogens. Quinupristin-dalfopristin is a new investigational agent with activity against gram-positive cocci, including VRE.
Splice site selection in polyomavirus late pre-mRNA processing.

Abstract Polyomavirus late pre-mRNAs contain one 5' splice site and two message body 3' splice sites, which are not used at equal frequencies. As a result of alternative splicing, the total late mRNA population consists of about 5% mVP2 (no message body splice chosen), about 15% mVP3 (promoter-proximal 3' splice site chosen), and about 80% mVP1 (promoter-distal 3' splice site chosen). To determine whether it is splice site strength that determines the ratio of spliced products, constructs containing duplicated or rearranged 3' splice sites were created. In construct VP1,1, 160 bp surrounding the VP3 3' splice site was substituted with the corresponding region of the VP1 3' splice site. This construct resulted in the duplication of the VP1 3' splicing signal. VP3,3 (two identical VP3 3' splice sites) and VP1,3 (VP1 and VP3 3' splice sites reversed) were similarly created. Each construct maintained wild-type spacing between the 3' splice sites. Analysis of RNAs from transfections showed that in each construct, the 3' splice closest to the polyadenylation site was used preferentially. Analysis of a number of additional constructs indicated that there are no strong cis-acting positive or negative regulators of polyomavirus late splicing; rather, splicing choices appear to be determined largely by relative position of splice sites.
Discrete‐Time Martingales

Discrete-time martingales are stochastic processes motivated by a sequence of fair bets. If the expected winning of each bet is equal to 0 and their outcomes are independent, then the gambler's expected fortune after the next bet is equal to his current fortune. In this example, the sequence of random variables {Z1, Z2, …}, with Zn denoting the gambler's fortune after n bets, n = 1, 2, …, is said to be a discrete-time martingale. This article gives the definition of discrete-time martingales and provides several examples. Keywords: martingale; betting strategy; fair gamble
Early Mobilization in the ICU: An Update

Over the past 10 to 15 years, a culture shift in ICU care has occurred at several leading institutions across the United States. The traditional model of deep anesthesia with prolonged bedrest in mechanically ventilated patients has been replaced with a model of minimal sedation with early mobilization.1 In 2000, Kress reported a landmark study addressing sedation minimization by daily interruption of sedative infusions in mechanically ventilated patients. This study evaluated 128 adult patients who were mechanically ventilated and received continuous sedative infusion; the intervention group (who received daily sedation holidays) had a decrease in duration of mechanical ventilation of 2.4 days per patient in comparison to the control group (interruptions in sedation at the discretion of the attending physician) and a decrease in length of ICU stay by 3.5 days per patient.2 This contributed to an ICU culture change over the next decade, in which more intensive efforts to minimize sedation were made. In a follow-up study published in JAMA in 2012, daily sedation holidays were re-examined by comparing daily sedation interruption combined with a protocol based sedation strategy (designed to reduce overall sedation) to a protocol based sedation strategy alone. In this study, neither the duration of mechanical ventilation nor length of ICU stay was reduced by the addition of daily sedation interruption. The authors concluded that this likely reflected positively on the change in sedation strategy over 10 years following the initial study by Kress. Rather than the usual care of deep sedation in mechanically ventilated patients that resulted in a clinical benefit from daily sedation interruption, the more current model of global sedation minimization now negated the previous beneficial effects of daily sedation interruption.3
Biological variability in concentrations of serum lipids: sources of variation among results from published studies and composite predicted values

To obtain the best estimates of the average intraindividual biological variability (CVb) in the concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), and triglyceride serum lipids in a person's blood, we evaluated results from 30 studies published from 1970 to 1992. The usually more applicable random-effects model estimated an average CVb of 6.1% for TC, 7.4% for HDLC, 9.5% for LDLC, and 22.6% for triglyceride. Composite estimates of the average CVb from all evaluated published studies by different models of estimation ranged from 6.0% to 6.4% for TC, from 6.2% to 7.5% for HDLC, from 7.0% to 9.6% for LDLC, and from 22.4% to 22.9% for triglyceride. Two important factors influenced the reported biological variation of the study subjects: (a) the magnitude of the variability of the analytical method used and (b) the design characteristics of the study--primarily the number of subjects, the sampling interval, and the number of measurements per subject. For TC, we found a statistically significant positive correlation between the reported mean CVb and both the number of study subjects and the analytical variation. For TC and LDLC we estimate CVb as a function of the study design features. The number of patient specimens required to obtain reliable estimates for serum lipid concentrations are determined from the CVb and the current analytical variation.
Design and IC implementation of an ultra-low-ripple switched-capacitor-based buck dc-dc converter

A 5 V/1.1 V, 150 mA, ultra-low-ripple, and high-efficiency switched-capacitor (SC) buck converter is presented based on the interleaved discharging (ID) approach. The circuit is designed using the TSMC 0.35 /spl mu/m process. A novel multiphase PWM generator is also proposed. Simulation and preliminary experimental results show that the output ripple is reduced by a factor of about 3, and the efficiency is improved by 7% under rated load current The ID method provides flexibility in the design optimization of step-down SC dc-dc converters.
Crustal structure of the hawaiian ridge near gardner pinnacles

A series of seismic refraction profiles has been made across a flat bank at Gardner Pinnacles (a pair of volcanic islets on the western Hawaiian Ridge) down the side of the ridge and across the adjacent deep to the floor of the Pacific basin. The ridge is composed principally of material with velocities typical of volcanic islands. The high-velocity oceanic crust, found in the oceanic areas adjacent, extends beneath the ridge and up into the center of the rise. The total crustal section is thickened and the Mohorovicic discontinuity depressed beneath the deep as well as beneath the ridge. The smooth “archipelagic apron” on the north side of the ridge has at most 20 meters of sediment over a layer with a velocity of 3 km/sec, which could be volcanic and is definitely of higher velocity than normal oceanic sediments.
Impairment in Circadian Activity Rhythms Occurs During Dexamethasone Therapy in Children With Leukemia

Background Circadian rhythm disturbances in adults with cancer are associated with fatigue, time to relapse, and death. This study of circadian activity rhythms (CAR) of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on continuation chemotherapy aimed to describe CAR before and after starting dexamethasone, and to determine whether fatigue was associated with less robust CAR. Procedure This was a secondary analysis of data from a multi-institutional study in which children with ALL aged 5–18 years wore an actigraph for 10 consecutive 24-hour periods, five before and five during dexamethasone therapy. CAR parameters measured by actigraphy were calculated for each 5-day period, including peak activity, MESOR, amplitude, acrophase, and circadian quotient. Fatigue was measured on study days 2, 5, 7, and 10 by parent-report and self-report for children ≥7 years. Results Eighty-two children qualified for CAR analysis, and 87 for analysis of daily peak activity patterns and fatigue. Mean age was 8.8 ± 3.3 years. Peak activity, MESOR, and amplitude significantly decreased during dexamethasone therapy. Children on high-dose dexamethasone (8 or 12 mg/m2/d) had significantly higher (better, or more robust) values of several CAR parameters than those on low-dose (6 mg/m2/d). There was a significant trend of decreasing daily pattern of peak activity during dexamethasone therapy only. Fatigue increased across the study and was associated with decreasing CAR peak activity, MESOR, and amplitude. Conclusions Dexamethasone initiation was associated with a decrease in several CAR parameters, and a significant decrease in the trend of daily peak activity. Fatigue was associated with less robust CAR. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014;61:1986–1991. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Characterization of a set of T7 RNA polymerase active site mutants.

We have evaluated the elongation rates, processivities, and abortive transcription characteristics of a set of T7 RNA polymerase mutants that map to the polymerase active site. The effects of these mutations on transcription are complex: they cause decreases in activity and processivity during both the processive and abortive phases of transcription and exhibit disproportionate decreases in activity and processivity on poly(dA).poly(dT) or poly(dT) versus poly(dG).poly(dC) templates. They also exhibit an increase in the proportion of slippage dependent poly(G) transcript synthesis during the initial stages of transcription. It is shown that these multiple, distinct effects on transcription can be attributed to decreases in the mutant enzymes' phosphodiester bond formation rates. Estimates of the decreases in these rates are derived from the measured transcript elongation rates and processivities of the mutant enzymes.