cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcome after Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Multiple Myeloma in Patients with Preceeding Plasma Cell Disorders.

Background: Nearly a third of patients with newly diagnosed myeloma (MM) have a preceding diagnosis of plasma cell proliferative disorder (PCPD), mostly monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) or plasmacytoma. While high dose therapy improves survival in patients with myeloma, it is not clear if patients with preceding PCPD have a different outcome. Methods and Results: We identified 151 patients with preceding PCPD from among 804 patients undergoing high dose therapy at our institution. These included 59 patients (7.3%) who had a preexisting diagnosis of MGUS, 88 (11%) patients, in whom the diagnosis of MM was preceded by SMM, including 23 patients who also had a preceding MGUS or plasmacytoma. In addition, 27 (3.4%) patients gave a preceding history of plasmacytoma. The median duration from the first diagnosis of a PCPD to that of myeloma was 32.4 months (range, 6.1 to 31 years), and was longer for patients with an initial diagnosis of MGUS compared to those with out preceding MGUS. While response rates including complete responses were generally similar between the two groups of patients, those with any preceding PCPD had a median TTP of 24.2 months (95% CI; 20, 28.3) compared to 17.3 (95% CI; 15.7, 18.8) months for those with no previous history (De novo Myeloma); p = 0.01 (Figure 1). The median OS from transplant for patients with previous history was 63.7 months (95% CI; 50.2, 77.4) compared to 48.3 months (95% CI; 39.7, 56.9) for the de novo group, p = 0.01 (Figure 2). These differences were most striking for those with a preceding diagnosis of MGUS; who had a longer time to progression (27.6 months vs. 17.7 months; p = 0.02), and longer OS from transplant (80.2 months vs. 49.3 months, p = 0.046) compared to those without any preceding MGUS. In a multivariate analysis, transplant within 12 months of diagnosis, lower serum M-protein at transplant, PCLI Conclusion: Patients with preexisting PCPD at the time of myeloma diagnosis undergoing HDT has a better outcome reflecting more indolent disease and a favorable biology than those presenting with de novo myeloma and no antecedent plasma cell dyscrasia. Download : Download high-res image (89KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure Download : Download high-res image (86KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure
Decrements in health-related quality of life associated with gender nonconformity among U.S. adolescents and young adults.

Gender nonconformity, that is, transgressing conventionally “masculine” vs. “feminine” characteristics, is often stigmatized. Stigmatization and discrimination are social stressors that raise risk of adverse mental and physical health outcomes and may drive health inequities. However, little is known about the relationship between such social stressors and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This paper aimed to examine associations between perceived gender nonconformity and HRQOL in a cohort of U.S. adolescents and young adults. Using data from 8408 participants (18–31 years) in the U.S. Growing Up Today Study (93% white, 88% middle-to-high income), we estimated risk ratios (RRs) for the association of gender nonconformity (three levels: highly gender conforming, moderately conforming, and gender nonconforming) and HRQOL using the EuroQol questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L). Models were adjusted for demographic characteristics, including sexual orientation identity. Gender nonconformity was independently associated with increased risk of having problems with mobility [RR (95% confidence interval): 1.76 (1.16, 2.68)], usual activities [2.29 (1.67, 3.13)], pain or discomfort [1.59, (1.38, 1.83)], and anxiety or depression [1.72 (1.39, 2.13)], after adjusting for sexual orientation and demographic characteristics. Decrements in health utility by gender nonconformity were observed: compared to persons who were highly gender conforming, mean health utility was lower for the moderately gender conforming [beta (SE): −0.011 (.002)] and lowest for the most gender nonconforming [−0.034 (.005)]. In our study, HRQOL exhibited inequities by gender nonconformity. Future studies, including in more diverse populations, should measure the effect of gender-related harassment, discrimination, and violence victimization on health and HRQOL.
Is social support associated with post-transplant medication adherence and outcomes? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Although social support is used to determine transplant eligibility, the relationship between social support, medication adherence, and survival among transplant recipients remains unclear. We estimated the relationship between social support and post-transplant medication adherence and outcomes using 10 electronic databases from inception to January 2016. Study quality was assessed and all review stages were conducted independently by 2 reviewers. Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted. Thirty-two studies (9102 participants) met inclusion criteria: 21 assessed medication adherence (5197 participants), and 13 assessed clinical outcomes (3905 participants). Among high quality studies, neither social support nor marital status was predictive of medication adherence or post-transplant outcomes. Social support was not associated with medication adherence. It was associated with superior post-transplant outcomes, but the relationship was not significant among high quality studies. Compared to unmarried recipients, married recipients were more likely to adhere to medication post-transplant, but this relationship was not significant among high quality studies. Marital status was not significantly associated with transplant success. Social support is weakly and inconsistently associated with post-transplant adherence and outcomes. Larger prospective studies using consistent and validated measures are needed to justify the use of inadequate social support as a contraindication to transplantation.
Conclusion and Future Trajectory

In this chapter, we summarize the contributions provided in this book and discuss some possible research directions in the future to improve and expand the proposed methods presented in this book.
Stabilization and control of Majorana bound states with elongated skyrmions

We show that elongated magnetic skyrmions can host Majorana bound states in a proximity-coupled two-dimensional electron gas sandwiched between a chiral magnet and an $s$-wave superconductor. Our proposal requires stable skyrmions with unit topological charge, which can be realized in a wide range of multilayer magnets, and it allows quantum information transfer by using standard methods in spintronics via skyrmion motion. We also show how braiding operations can be realized in our proposal.
A Dimensionless Model for Transient Turbulent Natural Convection in Isochoric Vertical Thermal Energy Storage Tubes

Author(s): Lakeh, Reza Baghaei; Wirz, Richard E; Kavehpour, Pirouz; Lavine, Adrienne S | Abstract: In this study, turbulent natural convection heat transfer during the charge cycle of an isochoric vertically oriented thermal energy storage (TES) tube is studied computationally and analytically. The storage fluids considered in this study (supercritical CO2 and liquid toluene) cover a wide range of Rayleigh numbers. The volume of the storage tube is constant and the thermal storage happens in an isochoric process. A computational model was utilized to study turbulent natural convection during the charge cycle. The computational results were further utilized to develop a conceptual and dimensionless model that views the thermal storage process as a hot boundary layer that rises along the tube wall and falls in the center to replace the cold fluid in the core. The dimensionless model predicts that the dimensionless mean temperature of the storage fluid and average Nusselt number of natural convection are functions of L/D ratio, Rayleigh number, and Fourier number that are combined to form a buoyancy-Fourier number.
Communicating through Touch: Macro Fiber Composites for Tactile Stimulation on the Abdomen

Research into sensory substitution systems has expanded, as alternative senses are utilized in real-time to afford object recognition or spatial understanding. Tactile stimulation has long shown promise as a communicatory strategy when applied unobtrusively to the redundant surface areas of the skin. Here, a novel belt, integrating a matrix of macro fiber composites, is purposed to deliver tactile stimuli to the abdomen. The design and development of the belt is presented and a systematic experimental study is conducted to analyze the impact of frequency and duty cycle. The belt is a beta precursor to a soft haptic feedback device that will enable situational awareness and obstacle avoidance through the localization of tactile stimulation relative to a body-centric frame of reference in a local environment.
Clinical Trial Design in Immuno-Oncology

Abstract A clinical trial is the investigation of humans’ response to a medication or intervention. The design of any clinical trial should take into consideration fundamental principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. The decision of answering who, how, and why we test, implicitly follows these principles to shape meaningful endpoints. A clear understanding of how a medication or intervention could impact the natural history of a disease is essential. Chemotherapy has relatively well-understood kinetics and limitations. Over the last two decades, immunotherapy emerged as a new hope for many cancer patients. Despite our relatively limited understanding of its effect in human biology, immunotherapy differs substantially from chemotherapy in mechanism of action, target, response, and safety profile. Drugs or interventions used in immunotherapy mainly enhance immune cells to recognize and kill cancer cells with high specificity. The sequence of examination continues to involve the three standard phases of clinical development, Phases I, II, and III, that evaluate safety, efficacy, and a specific endpoint, respectively. Current clinical trials continue to study similar endpoints since late 1960s mainly time to an event (death, first relapse, metastasis, disease recurrence, or death from a particular cause). Certainly, improved survival and cure are the ultimate goal of interest for all researchers and their patients. Since this endpoint is not always achievable in a time frame that permits rapid drug development, other endpoints such as progression free survival or objective response might be more relevant. Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) were developed and updated between 2000 and 2009 by an international collaboration between the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), National Cancer Institute of the United States, and the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group to define objective responses in solid tumors. The modern era of immunotherapy presents a number of major challenges in the design of early phase clinical trials, including Phase 1 trials with more than thousand patients, the proliferation of over 800 ongoing clinical trials, and many additional experimental medications yet to come. In this chapter, we discuss these challenges and the need for adopting new designs for early phase clinical trials of Immuno-Oncology agents. We also highlight the current clinical experience with immune therapy.
Effect of bracing on paralytic scoliosis secondary to spinal cord injury.

AbstractBackground: The incidence of paralytic scoliosis subsequent to acquired spinal cord injury (SCI) has been reported to range from 46% to 97% in patients injured before the adolescent growth spurt.Objective: The purpose of this report is to review early bracing of children with SCI as a means of preventing or delaying surgical fusion.Methods: Patient records from January 1 996 to December 2001 from the Shriners Hospitals for Children-Philadelphia were retrospectively reviewed; 1 23 patients met the inclusion criteria of cervical or thoracic SCI prior to skeletal maturity. Patients were divided into 5 groups based on their radiographic curve severity at presentation, and then they were subdivided into a group that was managed with prophylactic bracing and a group that was not braced. End-points included completion of bracing regimen, surgery, or cessation of growth.Results: Forty-two patients presented with a curve < 10°, 29 of whom were braced, and 13 who were not. Ofthe braced group, 13 (45%) went ...
Double dissociation of single-interval and rhythmic temporal prediction in cerebellar degeneration and Parkinson’s disease

Predicting the timing of upcoming events is critical for successful interaction in a dynamic world, and is recognized as a key computation for attentional orienting. Temporal predictions can be formed when recent events define a rhythmic structure, as well as in aperiodic streams or even in isolation, when a specified interval is known from previous exposure. However, whether predictions in these two contexts are mediated by a common mechanism, or by distinct, context-dependent mechanisms, is highly controversial. Moreover, although the basal ganglia and cerebellum have been linked to temporal processing, the role of these subcortical structures in temporal orienting of attention is unclear. To address these issues, we tested individuals with cerebellar degeneration or Parkinson's disease, with the latter serving as a model of basal ganglia dysfunction, on temporal prediction tasks in the subsecond range. The participants performed a visual detection task in which the onset of the target was predictable, based on either a rhythmic stream of stimuli, or a single interval, specified by two events that occurred within an aperiodic stream. Patients with cerebellar degeneration showed no benefit from single-interval cuing but preserved benefit from rhythm cuing, whereas patients with Parkinson's disease showed no benefit from rhythm cuing but preserved benefit from single-interval cuing. This double dissociation provides causal evidence for functionally nonoverlapping mechanisms of rhythm- and interval-based temporal prediction for attentional orienting, and establishes the separable contributions of the cerebellum and basal ganglia to these functions, suggesting a mechanistic specialization across timing domains.
Oligonucleotide Therapeutics as a New Class of Drugs for Malignant Brain Tumors: Targeting mRNAs, Regulatory RNAs, Mutations, Combinations, and Beyond.

Malignant brain tumors are rapidly progressive and often fatal owing to resistance to therapies and based on their complex biology, heterogeneity, and isolation from systemic circulation. Glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive primary brain tumor, has high mortality, and affects both children and adults. Despite significant advances in understanding the pathology, multiple clinical trials employing various treatment strategies have failed. With much expanded knowledge of the GBM genome, epigenome, and transcriptome, the field of neuro-oncology is getting closer to achieve breakthrough-targeted molecular therapies. Current developments of oligonucleotide chemistries for CNS applications make this new class of drugs very attractive for targeting molecular pathways dysregulated in brain tumors and are anticipated to vastly expand the spectrum of currently targetable molecules. In this chapter, we will overview the molecular landscape of malignant gliomas and explore the most prominent molecular targets (mRNAs, miRNAs, lncRNAs, and genomic mutations) that provide opportunities for the development of oligonucleotide therapeutics for this class of neurologic diseases. Because malignant brain tumors focally disrupt the blood–brain barrier, this class of diseases might be also more susceptible to systemic treatments with oligonucleotides than other neurologic disorders and, thus, present an entry point for the oligonucleotide therapeutics to the CNS. Nevertheless, delivery of oligonucleotides remains a crucial part of the treatment strategy. Finally, synthetic gRNAs guiding CRISPR–Cas9 editing technologies have a tremendous potential to further expand the applications of oligonucleotide therapeutics and take them beyond RNA targeting.
State of the art review: from the seaside to the bedside: insights from comparative diving physiology into respiratory, sleep and critical care

Anatomical and physiological adaptations of animals to extreme environments provide insight into basic physiological principles and potential therapies for human disease. In that regard, the diving physiology of marine mammals and seabirds is especially relevant to pulmonary and cardiovascular function, and to the pathology and potential treatment of patients with hypoxaemia and/or ischaemia. This review highlights past and recent progress in the field of comparative diving physiology with emphasis on its potential relevance to human medicine.
Advanced arthroscopy: James C. Y. Chow. New York, Springer-Verlag, 2001, 741 pp., $250.00

Abstract Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related surgery, Vol 18, No 6 (July-August), 2002: pp 677–677
Common Uses of Echocardiography for TAVR

Recent guidelines and reviews of echocardiographic imaging during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have emphasized the clinical utility of this modality for intra-procedural guidance and risk assessment [1, 2]. At our institution, we currently perform all TAVR procedures under general anesthesia with a transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) probe in place. At this time, we feel this is a vital safeguard for to mitigate intra-procedural and postimplantation complications. Technical advances, such as miniaturization of TEE probes and 3D imaging with intracardiac probes, may change the intra-procedural imaging protocols in the future.
Black-White Differences in Cardiovascular Disease Mortality: A Prospective US Study, 2003-2017.

Objectives. To determine factors that explain the higher Black:White cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality rates among US adults.Methods. We analyzed data from the Reasons for Geographic and Racia...
Patient-Centered Communication (PCC) in Equine Assisted Mental Health

Experiencing trauma can lead to a variety of chronic and acute symptoms, including post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and poor social skills. Given the va...
A Critique of Jim Aune's Rhetoric, Legal Argumentation, and Historical Materialism

In this particular essay, we provide readers with an ideological critique of Professor Jim Aune's work on legal argumentation and historical materialism. We extend his work on history, ideology, an...
How Do Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Program Directors Feel About Their Graduating Residents' Level of Competence?

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess program directors' impressions of how competent graduating residents are in practicing the full scope of the specialty. The investigators hypothesized that program directors' impressions of their graduating residents' ability to practice the full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery would fall within Laskin's suggested levels. Materials and Methods The investigators implemented a cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was designed and a link to a Partners REDCap (Nashville, TN) survey was e-mailed to 101 oral-maxillofacial surgery program directors. The questionnaire included demographics, and program director's perceived level of preparedness, level of proficiency, comfort, and experience of their graduating residents (July 2018). Results The response rate was 34.7%. Analyses included univariate statistics and a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Significance was set at P Conclusions Using our analyses, program directors believed that the chief residents training in orthognathic surgery was at the level of expertise. Furthermore, 97% of respondents considered orthognathic surgery an area of expertise, suggesting that training at that level is necessary. Our results show that program directors' impressions of their graduates' competence fall within the levels suggested by Laskin.
High-Speed and Low-Power Superconducting Neuromorphic Circuits Based on Quantum Phase-Slip Junctions

The quantum phase-slip junctions (QPSJs) resulting from quantum fluctuation of superconducting order parameter in 1-D superconducting nanowires are explained as exact duals to Josephson junctions (JJs). An overdamped QPSJ can generate a current pulse to emulate a spiking event in biological neurons. We have demonstrated spiking neuron circuits and synaptic circuits using QPSJs in our previous work through simulations in WRspice. The neuron circuit can fire a current pulse as soon as the capacitor voltage is above a threshold, which is similar to an integrate-and-fire neuron (IFN). The synaptic circuit, either based on magnetic JJs and QPSJs or only using QPSJs, functions as an adjustable weighted connection between neurons. To overcome existing problems, such as fan-out limitations, and further explore the possible applications of QPSJs in superconducting neuromorphic computing, we propose new neuromorphic circuits based on QPSJs and JJs in this paper. The neuron, synapse and fan-out circuits operate through the transfer of quantized charge or fluxons, providing circuit operations that emulate brain functions. Since the fabrication of reproducible QPSJ elements remains at a preliminary stage, the demonstration of our circuits design has been primarily done in WRspice simulation with a QPSJ SPICE model.
Meso/macro-scale ultra-soft materials' mechanical property evaluation device and testbed.

Ultra-soft materials find applications in biomedical devices, sensors and actuators, robotics, and wearable electronics. The mechanical properties of soft materials are often determined using nanoindentation and atomic force microscope techniques, which provide localized properties at a small-scale length. There is a need to evaluate the meso/macro-scale properties of ultra-soft materials to develop integrated devices made of the same. Metallic probes in the existing macroscale equipment cannot be used as they can pierce through the soft materials and fail to capture the associated adhesion forces, resulting in inaccurate values. This study has developed a meso/macro-scale mechanical testing platform to characterize ultra-soft materials accurately. This probe can be adapted to any mechanical testing load frame with a small load cell to capture the adhesion forces during the approach and detachment segments of soft materials’ indentation. The integrated camera with the probe enables overcoming the challenge of surface detection and capturing the pull-on and pull-off events. Indentation tests on soft materials with varying stiffness (e.g., high-fat yogurt, chicken breast, aloe Vera, toothpaste, gelatin, and a chocolate bar) were conducted using a 10 mm stiff flat-end polymer probe. A variation of the Johnson–Kendall–Roberts technique was adopted to account for adhesion forces and compute stiffness. Our results suggest that the novel device and methodology can measure mechanical stiffness in the extensive range of 0.5 kPa to a few MPa with high reproducibility at the macro-scale length. The validation was carried out using a commercially available nanoindenter for soft materials.
Public Health in the Age of Ebola: Medical-Legal Partnerships Could Reconcile Patient Needs, Barriers to Care, and Public Safety

Although the United States is far from experiencing an Ebola outbreak, the mere possibility of one prompted new safety protocols such as involuntary quarantines. It also bred anxiety and great fear among both those charged with helping the sick and the public at large. Social and structural circumstances, including a lack of stable public health infrastructure and stigma, played a major part in the spread of the virus in West Africa. The United States faces its own host of social and structural factors which threaten the swift identification and treatment of those living with Ebola, and are not addressed in current approaches to containing the virus in the United States. Medical-legal partnerships (MLP), innovative partnerships between clinical and legal service providers, are positioned to address these social and structural factors, reconcile the tension between patient needs and public health, and secure holistic legal and medical treatment for people infected with the virus. At a time when Ebola has crossed the American border but not threatened a stateside epidemic, MLP collaborators can help shape the national dialogue, appropriate safety protocols, and life after recovery for Ebola survivors.
Wind and Wave Forests: A Case Study and Implications for Silviculture

The perception among scientists is that wave forests are rare. This is probably because few wave forests have been described in the scientific and technical literature, and are, therefore, largely outside the purview of forest managers. The number of reports of wave forests is growing, however. For example, until 1985, wave forests in Newfoundland were virtually unknown, although a few foresters mistook them for strange cutting patterns. Understandably, few have heard of a clonal wave krummholz, which I discovered by chance in southern Labrador in 1988.
Central nervous system action of calcitonin to alter experimental gastric ulcers in rats

Abstract The central nervous system action of calcitonin to influence various experimental models of gastric ulcers and gastric function was studied in rats fasted for 24 h. Intracisternal injection of salmon calcitonin (5 μg) completely suppressed gastric ulcerations induced by exposure to cold restraint stress, intracisternal injection of a stable thyrotropin-releasing hormone analogue, or peroral administration of aspirin. By contrast, intracisternal calcitonin enhanced gastric lesions elicited by peroral administration of 40% ethanol or 0.6 N HCl. Calcitonin action was dose-dependent (0.01–1 μg) and central nervous system mediated inasmuch as intravenous calcitonin, given at a dose 50-fold higher than that effective intracisternally, did not significantly modify gastric mucosal injuries elicited by aspirin or ethanol. Intracisternal injection of calcitonin at 0.01 μg inhibited gastric acid output by 90% in pylorus-ligated rats and suppressed gastric emptying of a liquid meal by 63%–94% in doses ranging from 0.01 to 5 μg. Prostaglandin generation in the gastric mucosa was not modified by intracisternal injection of calcitonin. These results demonstrate that intracisternal calcitonin acts within the brain to potently prevent ulcer formation elicited by stress, thyrotropin-releasing hormone analogue, or aspirin, but is not cytoprotective against necrotizing agents. Calcitonin action is not related to modification of gastric prostaglandin generation but it may involve the inhibition of gastric secretory and motor function.
Tai Chi, Self-Efficacy, and Physical Function in the Elderly

Using Tai Chi as an exercise mode, this study examined the association between self-efficacy and physical function. Ninety-four healthy, physically inactive older adults (M age = 72.8 years, SD = 5.1) were randomly assigned to either a 6-month, twice a week, Tai Chi condition or a wait-list control condition. Outcome variables included self-reports of movement efficacy and physical function assessed at baseline, middle, and termination of the study. Multisample latent curve analyses revealed a significant rate of change attributable to the Tai Chi intervention in both self-efficacy and physical function, with participants experiencing significant improvements over the course of the intervention. Analyses also showed a positive association between self-efficacy and physical function, indicating that improvements in older adults' self-efficacy of movement as a function of Tai Chi were related to increased levels of perceived physical capability. This study uncovered the need for further exploration of the relationship between exercise self-efficacy and physical function for enhancing health-related quality of life in older adults.
Intelligent Computing Systems with Actors - Parallel Dynamic Programming Algorithm of the Polygon Triangulation Problem

In this paper parallel implementations of the Optimal Triangularization Problem are presented using Dynamic Programming Approach. Experimental results with respect to speedup as a function of the polygon size are given. Dynamic Programming implementation is compared with brute force approach from performance perspective. Actor-based parallel implementations are discussed.
Oxidative phosphorylation in fractionated bacterial systems. XXV. Studies on the involvement of metal in Mycobacterium phlei.

Abstract The involvement of metal in oxidation and coupled phosphorylation by cell-free preparations of Mycobacterium phlei was examined. The oxidation of succinate was inhibited by metal-chelating agents, but with β-hydroxybutyrate, chelating agents exhibited an uncoupling effect. The site of inhibition was found to be between the flavoprotein and the cytochrome b regions of the electron transport chain. The inhibitory action of o-phenanthroline was reversed by ferrous ions but not by other divalent metal ions. Ferrous ions restored both oxidation and phosphorylation with succinate and could effectively counteract the uncoupling action of o-phenanthroline on the oxidation of β-hydroxybutyrate. These results suggest that nonheme iron may be involved in the electron transport pathway of M. phlei.
Elderburbia: Aging with a Sense of Place in America

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Philip B. Stafford Year: 2009 Pages: 208 Details: Foreword by Scott Russell Sanders Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group ISBN: 978-0-313-36436-5 (hard cover). Prices: $44.95 USD(hard cover).
Early Childhood Perceptions of Diversity: A Case of Addressing Multicultural Education in the Classroom

This evaluation-based case study research focused on the on how elementary school children perceived diversity in a homogeneous community and analyze how teaching practices can act as an agent to toward and against multicultural pluralism in the classroom. Visual-based methods were used with participants as first grade children were asked to take pictures in the school setting of what they interpreted as diverse. Findings suggested that early childhood students saw the physical manifestation of diversity in many ways and hidden curriculum in the way teachers choose to display diversity in the classroom may hold the key to unlocking a more multicultural curriculum.
Effective inductance calculation for signal conductors above a lossy ground plane in the thin film packages

This paper presents a technique for calculating the effective inductance of a lossy ground plane, considering the mutual inductance effect of signal conductors. This technique takes into account the spatial current slew rate distribution on the ground plane.
Can HIV and Hepatitis C Virus Infection be Eliminated among Persons Who Inject Drugs

HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are readily transmitted among persons who inject drugs. The HIV and HCV epidemics have expanded rapidly, becoming global health issues. Combined prevention has been implemented to reduce injection and sexual transmission of HIV and HCV among persons who inject drugs. Reductions in risky injection and sexual behavior have led to dramatic reductions in HIV in many countries. Whether comparable reductions in HCV transmission can be achieved has yet to be determined. Eliminating HIV and HCV among persons who inject drugs will require considerable resources and commitment, particularly in low and middle income countries.
Electrosurgical treatment of experimental bleeding canine gastric ulcers: Development and testing of a computer control and a better electrode

Abstract Systematic evaluation of the efficacy and safety of endoscopic electrocoagulation of gastrointestinal bleeding has been thwarted by the inability to quantify or control energy delivered to tissue. An analogue computer has been developed which can be inserted in the circuit between a commercial electrosurgical generator and the active electrode. It can record the actual energy delivered to the tissue at any arbitrary generator setting. Additionally, it can deliver a predetermined amount of energy by continuously adjusting the voltage of the generator to compensate for changes in the tissue impedance during electrocoagulation (power leveling). A special electrode has been devised to assure the reproducibility of the area of tissue contact. By using a force gauge at laparotomy with a predetermined energy of 20 joules, the effect of electrode pressure on the depth of injury was measured. Light pressure (1.3 newtons per cm 2 ) injured a mean of 36% and moderate pressure (6.4 newtons per cm 32 ) a mean of 87% of gastric wall thickness. Electrocoagulation applied in the clinical manner, or predetermined by power leveling, stopped all bleeding from experimental gastric ulcers with the same amount of energy for each method. Similarly, chronic studies of the depth of injury with each method of electrocoagulation showed no difference. Furthermore, the whole thickness of the gastric wall was injured in 4% of ulcers treated, and there was no significant difference between the two methods of applying the electrocoagulation. Thus, despite our ability to control energy delivered during monopolar electrocoagulation of experimental gastric ulcers, the depth of injury to the gastric wall was unpredictable and, at times, excessive. Further studies of other types of electrocoagulation are needed and will be facilitated by the availability of this computer-controlled electrosurgical generator.
Incremental network generation in word recognition

It is well known that a network representation of templates has many advantages; however, generating a network by hand is an impossible task for a large vocabulary database. This paper describes an automatic incremental network generation algorithm for speaker independent isolated word recognition. Because of its incremental nature, it is possible to add new words to the network at any time; because of its complete freedom from human intervention, it is language and vocabulary independent. By applying this technique to speaker-independent recognition, recognition accuracy of 99% was obtained for the digits, and 91.92% was obtained for the alphabets.
The Forge of the Spirit: Structure, Motion, and Meaning in the Japanese Martial Tradition

The Forge of the Spirit: Structure, Motion, and Meaning in the Japanese Martial Tradition. John J. Donohue. New York: Garland, 1991. 252 p. $37 (cloth).
Tissue temperature by near-infrared spectroscopy

Optical determinations of tissue temperature by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy provides the basis for measuring localized changes in tissue metabolism associated with congnition, mechanical work, inflammation, or malignancy. Absorbance changes in NIR spectra of tissue water are shown to correlate with tissue sample temperature. Digital tissue transmission spectra of samples 1-5 mm thick of bovine and avain muscles were obtained over temperatures ranging from 17 to 45C. Reflectance spectra were obtained from blocks of porcine muscle over the temperature range 14 to 46C. Multilinear regression analysis of the correlation between absorbance or reflectance and tissue temperature demonstrated that each O-H bond onvertone spectral region (960, 1200, 1450, and 1920 nm) has a high correlation with tissue temperature. Transmission results gave standard error of the estimates (SEE) and standard error of prediction (SEP) from cross-validation analysis of 0.02 to 0.12C for SEE and 0.04 to 0.12C for SEP. Reflectance results gave SEEs of 0.06 to 0.24C. Combinations of O-H vibrational modes of water give rise to NIR absorbance in solution and tissue. The spectra show a regular shift to shorter wavelength absorbance as temperature increases. Such shifts may be due to decreasing hydrogen-bonding with increasing temperature. These studies have established that the temperature dependent changes in water NIR spectra can be utilized to evaluate tissue temperature with precision and accuracy.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Food preferences, practices, and cancer‐related food and nutrition knowledge of southwestern American Indian youth

BACKGROUND Pathways to Health is a cancer prevention and health promotion curriculum for fifth- and seventh-grade Navajo and Pueblo students living in New Mexico. METHODS A diet and nutrition questionnaire was administered to 1007 fifth- and seventh-grade students before beginning the Pathways to Health intervention. Sections of the questionnaire included listing favorite foods, frequency of intake of selected foods (e.g., “How often do you eat vegetables?”), targeted food practices (e.g., “When you eat chicken, do you eat the skin?”), and applied dietary fat and fiber knowledge questions. Descriptive analyses were generated by grade, gender, and tribe. RESULTS Students' favorite foods were pizza, hamburgers, and tacos. Only 35.7% of students reported consuming the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommendation of two or more daily servings of fruit, with only 19.3% reporting more than once-a-day intake of vegetables. The mean score (percent correct responses) to questions identifying common food sources of dietary fat and fiber, and other cancer-related nutrition knowledge questions, was 45.2% and 57.9% for fifth- and seventh-grade students, respectively. CONCLUSIONS These and related data support the need for nutrition education interventions in this population that target essential cancer prevention skills and motivational information required to make positive dietary choices. Cancer 1996;78:1617-22.
Evidence for chimeric sequences formed during random arbitrarily primed PCR.

Chimeric sequences were observed to occur abundantly (48% of clones) during random arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (RAP-PCR) experiments designed to examine differential expression of genes involved in metal resistance in sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Some of the chimeric sequences were composed of sequence from a gene differentially expressed under the imposed conditions and a sequence of the 16S or 23S rRNA gene. The remainder were composed of two rRNA sequences. Experiments using PCR and genomic sequence analysis showed that the chimeric sequences were not due to a genetic mutation (e.g., recombination, transposition). As RAP-PCR has been widely used to identify differentially expressed genes, this observation may aid in our interpretation of RAP-PCR data.
Spirally sinusoidal stress distributions in elastic helicoidal shells

Die Klasse von Problemen der linearen Theorie fur schraubenformige Schalen mit Spannungen und Verzerrungen von der Formeiθf(r) wird auf ein Randwertproblem fur ein System von zwei gewohnlichen Differentialgleichungen dritter Ordnung reduziert. Fur Schalen unter dem Einflus von Endbiegemomenten werden Losungen mit Hilfe von Storungsrechnung sowie asymptotische Losungen bestimmt.
What's wrong with being neutral?

Climate Impact Assessment. SCOPE Report 27. Edited by Robert W. Kates, Jesse H. Ausubel and Mimi Berberian. Wiley:1985. Pp.625. 59, 100.
Solution structure of the cold-shock-like protein from Rickettsia rickettsii

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is caused by Rickettsia rickettsii infection. R. rickettsii can be transmitted to mammals, including humans, through the bite of an infected hard-bodied tick of the family Ixodidae. Since the R. rickettsii genome contains only one cold-shock-like protein and given the essential nature of cold-shock proteins in other bacteria, the structure of the cold-shock-like protein from R. rickettsii was investigated. With the exception of a short α-helix found between β-strands 3 and 4, the solution structure of the R. rickettsii cold-shock-like protein has the typical Greek-key five-stranded β-barrel structure found in most cold-shock domains. Additionally, the R. rickettsii cold-shock-like protein, with a ΔG of unfolding of 18.4 kJ mol−1, has a similar stability when compared with other bacterial cold-shock proteins.
Linear identification of non-Gaussian noncausal autoregressive signal-in-noise processes

A method is presented for estimating the parameters of a stationary non-Gaussian noncausal autoregressive (AR) process that is observed in additive, possibly non-Gaussian noise. The method consists of two linear least-squares estimation steps. First, a spectrally equivalent causal AR signal-in-noise model is fitted to the observation sequence via the extended Yule-Walker equations. This model is then used to filter the observation sequence. Second, an acausal (purely noncausal) all-pass autoregressive moving average (ARMA) model is fitted to the filtered observation sequence by estimating its poles via linear least-squares by using an equation error approach and the higher-order statistics of the filtered sequence. The final noncausal AR model estimate is obtained by cascading the two estimates: the spectrally equivalent causal AR model and the acausal all-pass ARMA model. >
Verhaltensmedizin bei HIV-Infektion

Unsere Studien uber asymptomatische, mit dem "human immunodeficiency virus" (HIV) infizierte homosexuelle Manner zeigen, dass kognitiv-behaviorales Stressmanagement (CBSM) ein geeignetes Mittel ist, die durch die Mitteilung eines positiven HIV-Befundes verursachte psychische Belastung zu reduzieren und zugleich einige immunologische Parameter zu modifizieren. Aus neueren Studien uber HIV-infizierte Manner mit Pra-Aids-Symptomatik geht hervor, dass CBSM beitragen kann: a) Dysphorie, Angst und Stresssymptome zu lindern; b) Kortisol und Noradrenalin zu reduzieren und die Testosteronwerte zu erhohen; c) die Zahl der Antikorper gegen einige Herpes-Viren zu reduzieren und zugleich die Zahl der T-zytotoxischen/Suppressorzellen (CD8) und der naiven T-Helfer- (CD4-) Lymphozyten aufrechtzuerhalten. Vorlaufige Daten unserer neuesten Studien weisen darauf hin, dass mit CBSM die Viruslast bei Mannern, die hoch aktive antiretrovirale Therapie erhalten, reduziert werden kann.
A primitive variable method for the solution of three-dimensional incompressible viscous flows

Abstract In this paper we present a new primitive variable method for the solution of the three-dimensional, incompressible, Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations in generalized curvilinear coordinates. The governing equations are discretized on a non-staggered grid and the discrete continuity equation is replaced by a discrete pressure-Poisson equation. The discrete pressure equation is designed in such a way that: (i) the compatibility condition for the Poisson-Neumann problem is automatically satisfied, and (ii) the discrete incompresibility constraint is satisfied to, at least, truncation error accuracy while the computed pressure is smooth. The momentum equations are integrated in time using the four-stage Runge-Kutta algorithm while the pressure equation is solved using the point-successive relaxation technique. The method is applied to calculate the turbulent flow field over a ship model. The computed results are in very good agreement with the experimental data.
Power-Laws and Structure in Functional Programs

We downloaded from GitHub, Inc., a portfolio of recently updated open source Scala projects containing 16,500 source files with 2.3 million lines of code and 223,000 methods written by hundreds of programmers. A related paper found in this "big data" of functional programs non-Gaussian distributions of lines of code and cyclomatic complexity and speculated that the distributions resembled those of phenomena known to be fractal in structure, following power laws. In this paper we show that power-laws are the best, most parsimonious explanation of the distributions according to R2 analysis and minimum description length principles. We show furthermore that the data are robust and the power-law explanations are persistent even when the largest project in the portfolio, the Scala compiler and standard library, is removed. To our knowledge these findings are the first such report in the literature of power-law distributions of software complexity in functional programs.
Inverse scattering methods applied to nonlinear optical component design

ABSTRACTA random medium model is applied to study propagation and multiple scattering of laser beams innonlinear media containing microparticles. Refractive indices of these nonlinear media are considered tobe isotropic and intensity-dependent. After applying a probabilistic model, we obtain an autocorrelationfunction with exponential-decay shape for the random medium assuming a two-phase mixture. Using the parabolic approximation, we have calculated the mean value of the intensity-dependent part of refractive index from the mutual coherence function. The Feynman diagrammatic technique, biocal anddistorted-wave Born approximations are then invoked to formulate a Fourier relationship between theautocorrelation function and the forward scattered field of the incident light beam. Finally, our Fourier- based inversion algorithm is employed to extract information about the medium from the measured scattered field data.1. INTRODUCTION There is increasing interest in the development of new materials with large nonlinear optical
Compartmentalization and molecular traffic in secondary metabolism: a new understanding of established cellular processes

Great progress has been made in understanding the regulation of expression of genes involved in secondary metabolism. Less is known about the mechanisms that govern the spatial distribution of the enzymes, cofactors, and substrates that mediate catalysis of secondary metabolites within the cell. Filamentous fungi in the genus Aspergillus synthesize an array of secondary metabolites and provide useful systems to analyze the mechanisms that mediate the temporal and spatial regulation of secondary metabolism in eukaryotes. For example, aflatoxin biosynthesis in Aspergillus parasiticus has been studied intensively because this mycotoxin is highly toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic in humans and animals. Using aflatoxin synthesis to illustrate key concepts, this review focuses on the mechanisms by which sub-cellular compartmentalization and intra-cellular molecular traffic contribute to the initiation and completion of secondary metabolism within the cell. We discuss the recent discovery of aflatoxisomes, specialized trafficking vesicles that participate in the compartmentalization of aflatoxin synthesis and export of the toxin to the cell exterior; this work provides a new and clearer understanding of how cells integrate secondary metabolism into basic cellular metabolism via the intra-cellular trafficking machinery.
Unsupervised work knowledge mining through mobility and physical activity sensing

Knowledge of working professionals gained through years of experience is invaluable for any organization. Extracting this knowledge allows an organization to optimize internal processes and facilitate training of new hires. Therefore, there has been a significant research effort in developing techniques for automated knowledge mining at workplaces. However, research in the past have been focused mainly on extracting knowledge of stationary professions such as office workers, who perform most of their day-to-day tasks at their desk. In this work, we propose an approach for mining work knowledge of physically active professions such as nurses, firefighters, waiters, housekeepers or janitors. We leverage the advances of mobile sensing to extract knowledge from workers with high level of mobility and physical activity patterns. We demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach on a real-world scenario of a janitor as a study subject. We show that using data collected from mobile devices carried by a janitor throughout their work, we are able to extract knowledge rules that describe generalized patterns of janitor's behavior. We expect the proposed method to be applied to other fields to mine knowledge from workplaces.