cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Large-scale investigations of variability in children's first words.

A child’s first word is an important step towards language. Aggregated across children, the distribution of these first productive uses of language can act as a window into early cognitive and linguistic development. We investigate both the variability and predictability in children’s first words across four new datasets. We find, first, that children’s first words tend to emerge earlier than previously estimated: more than 75 percent of children produce their first word before their first birthday. Second, we find a high degree of consistency in the types of things children name in their first words, independent of the age at which they are produced. Finally, we show that the particular words that children produce first are predictable from two linguistic factors: input frequency and phonological complexity. Together, our results suggest a degree of independence between early conceptual and linguistic development.
The Withers archive: Online availability of rod Wither’s data

The contents of the lab notebooks of H.R. Withers have been digitized and stored as 23 excel files, a total of approximately 45 megabytes. A procedure is described whereby those interested may gain access to the data.
Constant-Distortion Embeddings of Hausdorff Metrics into Constant-Dimensional l_p Spaces

We show that the Hausdorff metric over constant-size pointsets in constant-dimensional Euclidean space admits an embedding into constant-dimensional l_{infinity} space with constant distortion. More specifically for any s,d>=1, we obtain an embedding of the Hausdorff metric over pointsets of size s in d-dimensional Euclidean space, into l_{\infinity}^{s^{O(s+d)}} with distortion s^{O(s+d)}. We remark that any metric space M admits an isometric embedding into l_{infinity} with dimension proportional to the size of M. In contrast, we obtain an embedding of a space of infinite size into constant-dimensional l_{infinity}. We further improve the distortion and dimension trade-offs by considering probabilistic embeddings of the snowflake version of the Hausdorff metric. For the case of pointsets of size s in the real line of bounded resolution, we obtain a probabilistic embedding into l_1^{O(s*log(s()} with distortion O(s).
Sham surgical procedures for pain intervention result in significant improvements in pain: systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objective To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to study the magnitude of the placebo effect associated with sham surgery procedures. Study Design and Setting We conducted a systematic search for randomized controlled clinical trials comparing any type of surgery to a corresponding sham placebo group and compared improvements in the sham treatment arms in subjective, objective, categorical, and continuous outcomes, as well as complication rates and mortality. Effect sizes were reported as standardized mean differences (SMDs). This is a systematic review and meta-analysis. Results The overall effect size for pain improvement after sham surgery was SMD = 0.22 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.08–0.35) with improvement most marked at 1 month (SMD = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.26–0.43). There was a higher rate of improvement in subjective outcomes compared to objective outcomes for both dichotomized (number of patients with improvement) (42.8% compared to 27.1%) and continuous outcomes (SMD = 0.12, 95% CI = −0.05, 0.30 vs. SMD = −0.01, 95% CI = −0.05, 0.03). There were no deaths in the sham treatment arms and major complications were very rare (0.2%, 95% CI = 0.0–0.6%). Conclusion Sham surgery is associated with a large improvement in pain and other subjective patient-reported outcomes but with relatively small effect on objective outcomes. Sham surgeries are overwhelmingly safe. The magnitude of this effect should be used when planning future sham-controlled surgery trials.
Dispersal and seasonal occurrence of Noctuidonema guyanense, an ectoparasitic nematode of adult fall armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in the United States.

Migrant Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) adult males were collected at 17 widely separated locations throughout the eastern half of the United States and were examined to determine if Noctuidonema guyanense Remillet and Silvain, an ectoparasitic nematode of adult Lepidoptera, were transported with the host. Nematodes were recovered from all locations where moths were captured. Nematode populations and parasitism of fall armyworm males were higher in the eastern states than in the Plains, Midwestern, and Central states (e.g., west Texas, Iowa, and Ohio). Percent parasitism and the number of nematodes per infested fall armyworm changed over time at each location. The initial immigrant fall armyworm males at a given location generally had few or no nematodes. These data suggest that moths with a moderate number of nematodes may be less able to disperse. Nematode populations peaked in mid-to-late August and then declined to a few or none by mid-October at locations north of the Gulf Coast area. Among other...
DNA Replication: Initiation in Bacteria

In free-living organisms, including Escherichia coli , DNA replication starts at replication origins. E. coli contains a single replication origin ( oriC ), which serves as the site for assembly of the replisome, a multi-protein molecular machine that duplicates the circular duplex genome. Replisome assembly is a highly regulated event that is strictly coordinated with the cell cycle. This article reviews the molecular mechanism of replisome assembly at the E. coli replication origin.
ROLE OF LATE GADOLINIUM ENHANCEMENT IN THE EVALUATION OF PATIENTS WITH CARDIAC SARCOIDOSIS: A META-ANALYSIS

Cardiac sarcoidosis clinically manifests as non-caseating granulomas within the myocardium that can lead to areas of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) predominantly within the basal and mid-left ventricular septum close to the His-Purkinje system leading to increased arrhythmias and heart block.
Disparities in detection of antibodies against hepatitis E virus in US blood donor samples using commercial assays.

Background Reported hepatitis E virus (HEV) antibody assay performance characteristics are variable. Using a subset of surplus US blood donation samples, we compared assays for detecting anti-HEV immunoglobulin M (Ig)M and IgG or total anti-HEV antibodies. Study design and methods Samples from 5040 random blood donations, all HEV-RNA negative, collected primarily in the midwestern United States in 2015 were tested for anti-HEV IgM and IgG or total anti-HEV using assays manufactured by Diagnostic Systems, Wantai, and MP Biomedicals. Results Overall, the percentage of detection for anti-HEV IgG and total anti-HEV was 11.4%, and for anti-HEV IgM was 1.8%. Nine samples were reactive for anti-HEV IgM by all assays, giving a recent infection rate of 0.18%. Anti-HEV IgG/total anti-HEV detection rates increased with age. Interassay agreement was higher among the IgG anti-HEV/total anti-HEV assays (84%) than the IgM assays (22%). Regression analyses of signal-to-cutoff ratios from IgG/total antibody assay were heteroskedastic, indicating no constant variance among these assays, suggesting they may detect different epitopes or were affected by waning or less avid antibodies in the US donor population. Conclusions Although similar percentages of IgG anti-HEV/total anti-HEV detection were observed across the three commercial assays, each assay detected a unique sample subpopulation and was heteroskedastic when compared pairwise. Discordance was higher among anti-HEV IgM assays, but a recent HEV infection rate of at least 0.18% was estimated based on assay concordance.
The Context of Debate and the Classic Questions

In Part II, generation is considered within the context of natural philosophy. The Generation of Animals is one of the ‘animal works’: the group of treatises in which Aristotle applied his philosophy to animate nature. These works are often grouped in a single volume in Renaissance editions of the Opera. As well as this logical framework, Renaissance editors sought to place the work within a didactic framework. The assumptions were carefully spelled out by translator/editors such as Gaza. In the Renaissance; certain specific questions are taken up as the focus for debate: questions concerning the place of the soul in generation; and a series of other questions which can be traced back to the “commentary” on De generatione by Galen.
Estimating lead-time bias in lung cancer diagnosis of patients with previous cancers.

Surprisingly, survival from a diagnosis of lung cancer has been found to be longer for those who experienced a previous cancer than for those with no previous cancer. A possible explanation is lead-time bias, which, by advancing the time of diagnosis, apparently extends survival among those with a previous cancer even when they enjoy no real clinical advantage. We propose a discrete parametric model to jointly describe survival in a no-previous-cancer group (where, by definition, lead-time bias cannot exist) and in a previous-cancer group (where lead-time bias is possible). We model the lead time with a negative binomial distribution and the post-lead-time survival with a linear spline on the logit hazard scale, which allows for survival to differ between groups even in the absence of bias; we denote our model Logit-Spline/Negative Binomial. We fit Logit-Spline/Negative Binomial to a propensity-score matched subset of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked data set, conducting sensitivity analyses to assess the effects of key assumptions. With lung cancer-specific death as the end point, the estimated mean lead time is roughly 11 months for stage II with overall survival, it is roughly 3.4 months in stage I&II. For patients with higher-stage lung cancers, the mean lead time is 1 month or less for both outcomes. Accounting for lead-time bias reduces the survival advantage of the previous-cancer group when one exists, but it does not nullify it in all cases.
The Role of Restoration and Key Ecological Invasion Mechanisms in Optimal Spatial-Dynamic Management of Invasive Species

Abstract To increase the ecological realism in an economic analysis of invasive species management in a river network, this paper identifies optimal spatial-dynamic management while accounting for specific invasive species strategies, including long-distance dispersal, exogenous arrivals, propagule pressure, and seed fitness. Although a stylized framework, the inclusion of native species permits analysis of trade-offs between the management actions of invasive species control and of habitat restoration for a range of settings and species characteristics. In general, more aggressive invasive species and more invasion-susceptible ecosystems require greater investment in habitat restoration despite its relative expense. Explicitly modeling invasion strategies reveals that the specific ecological mechanism of invasion defines the location of management activities in the river network, and the choice between invasive species control and habitat restoration. The analysis of this bioeconomic model develops insights that help managers to harness the power of native-invasive species establishment interactions in stemming bio-invasions across time and space.
Mammals of the Boston Harbor Islands: Permanent and Ephemeral Residents

I monitored the mammals of the Boston Harbor Islands through various means from 2010 to 2016 in order to create a baseline inventory of species and assess the possibility of additional, focused, research. I employed camera trapping, visitor sightings, and animal-sign surveys to assess the presence of medium- and large-sized mammals. Small mammals were more closely monitored on 2 of the islands—Bumpkin and Peddocks— using short-interval mark–recapture trapping. Small mammals appear to be permanent residents on the islands and undergo significant population fluctuations, which is unusual for insular populations. Medium and large species likely move between islands and the mainland. Larger species, i.e. Canis latrans (Coyote) and Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer), have been observed with offspring on some of the islands, while medium-sized mammals sighted were single adults. These islands offer a unique situation in which to study insular populations of mammals because the presence of larger animals varies while smaller species cannot move freely between islands or to the mainland.
Agentenbasiertes Selbstmanagement von Automatisierungssystemen

Die steigende Komplexitat moderner Automatisierungsanlagen gefahrdet zunehmend die Beherrschbarkeit der Systeme durch das Prozesspersonal und macht eine Unterstutzung der technischen Betriebsbetreuung erforderlich. Darunter sind die wertschopfenden Tatigkeiten des Prozesspersonals zusammengefasst, welche zur Organisation und Aufrechterhaltung des Betriebs einer Automatisierungsanlage erforderlich sind. Um dieses Ziel zu erreichen wird ein generisches agentenorientiertes Konzept fur ein Selbstmanagementsystem vorgestellt, welches die effiziente Integration von Selbstmanagementfunktionen in Automatisierungsanlagen erlaubt. Ausgehend von den spezifischen Anforderungen an das Selbstmanagement von Automatisierungsanlagen wird eine grundlegende 3-Schicht-Architektur abgeleitet, welche mithilfe von sechs spezialisierten Agententypen umgesetzt wird. Das Funktionsprinzip des agentenbasierten Selbstmanagementsystems wird am Beispiel einer Personenaufzugssteuerung, die um Selbstheilungsfunktionalitat erweitert wird, erlautert.
Chemoinformatics-applications in food chemistry.

Abstract The aim of the present chapter is to present the current research and potential applications of chemoinformatics tools in food chemistry. First, the importance and variety of molecular descriptors and physicochemical properties is delineated, and then a survey and chemical space analysis of representative databases with emphasis on food-related ones is presented. A brief description of methods commonly used in molecular design, followed by examples in food chemistry are presented, such methods include similarity searching, pharmacophore modeling, quantitative structure–activity relationships (QSAR), and molecular docking. The relatedness to virtual screening is emphasized and the perspectives from this field are presented at the end.
Diversity in bacterial chemotactic responses and niche adaptation

The ability of microbes to rapidly sense and adapt to environmental changes plays a major role in structuring microbial communities, in affecting microbial activities, as well as in influencing various microbial interactions with the surroundings. The bacterial chemotaxis signal transduction system is the sensory perception system that allows motile cells to respond optimally to changes in environmental conditions by allowing cells to navigate in gradients of diverse physicochemical parameters that can affect their metabolism. The analysis of complete genome sequences from microorganisms that occupy diverse ecological niches reveal the presence of multiple chemotaxis pathways and a great diversity of chemoreceptors with novel sensory specificities. Owing to its role in mediating rapid responses of bacteria to changes in the surroundings, bacterial chemotaxis is a behavior of interest in applied microbiology as it offers a unique opportunity for understanding the environmental cues that contribute to the survival of bacteria. This chapter explores the diversity of bacterial chemotaxis and suggests how gaining further insights into such diversity may potentially impact future drug and pesticides development and could inform bioremediation strategies.
Aroma Components of an Oil-Based Grill Flavoring by Direct Thermal Desorption-Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry and Sample Dilution Analysis

Grill flavorings are a convenient way for food processors to impart grill-like flavor to meat products that have not been grilled. In this study a commercially available oil-based processed grill flavoring was analyzed by direct thermal desorption (DTD)-gas chromatography-olfactometry (GCO) and DTD-GC-mass spectrometry (MS). Sample mass dilution analysis-GCO was used to indicate which compounds had the greatest impact on the overall aroma of the sample. Major aroma contributors included 1-octen-3-one, 2-methoxyphenol, and (E)-2-nonenal. Minor contributors were (E)-2-decenal and 2,4-decadienal. Other major contributors, characterized as having grill aroma notes, were unidentified. Excluding the possibility of artifact formation from the thermal degradation of fatty acid hydroperoxides, DTD functioned well as a GCO technique, but poorly as a qualitative GC-MS technique.
Effects of the relative fee structure on the use of surgical operations.

OBJECTIVE. The goal is to develop a theoretical and empirical framework for investigating how the demand for an operation may be affected by the fee for the operation (the own-price) and by fees for other services provided by surgeons in the same specialty (the cross-price). The theory suggests an empirical test of whether surgeons create demand for surgery. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING. The study examines the use of 11 frequently performed surgical operations by elderly Medicare enrollees in a cross-section of 316 U.S. metropolitan areas. Medicare physician claims and enrollment files for 1986 are the principal sources of data. STUDY DESIGN. Using econometric methods, a structural demand equation modified to include the own-price and the cross-price is estimated for each study operation. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS. The theory suggests that the utilization response to changes in fees may differ among operations depending on whether demand creation occurs and on the interplay of distinct own-price and cross-price effects. However, the results of the empirical analyses are inconclusive regarding the most appropriate economic model of surgical utilization. Both neoclassical behavior and demand creation are observed, but technical limitations of the analyses, including the cross-sectional design of the study, preclude definitive inferences. CONCLUSIONS. Despite the lack of definitive empirical results, the study has several implications for future research regarding the effect of changes in fees on surgical utilization. In particular, future studies should consider the roles of distinct own-price and cross-price effects, examine the importance of the supply-demand balance in physician services markets, and assess whether typologies of operations that are based on the strictness of their clinical indications predict the appropriate economic model of utilization.
Holographic waveguide head-up display with 2-D pupil expansion and longitudinal image magnification

Head-up displays (HUDs) are used in aircraft to overlay relevant flight information on the vehicle’s externals for pilots to view with continued focus on the far field. In these systems, the field of view (FOV) is traditionally limited by the size of the projection optics. Though classical HUD systems take a significant amount of space in the flight deck, they have become a necessity in avionic transportation. Our research aims to reduce the size of the HUD footprint while offering a wide FOV projected in the far field with an expanded pupil. This has been accomplished by coupling the image-bearing light into a waveguide under total internal reflection conditions, redirecting that light in the orthogonal direction, and then outcoupling the light toward the pilot. Each step was achieved using holographic optical elements. The injection hologram has optical power to obtain longitudinal magnification, whereas the redirection hologram expands the pupil in one dimension and the extraction hologram expands the pupil in a second dimension. Varying diffraction efficiency along the direction of the light propagation ensures even image intensity throughout the expanded pupil. We used ray tracing optical simulations to optimize the design of the system and present a fully operational demonstrator of the HUD. This HUD produces an image with a FOV of 24°×12.6° at a viewing distance of 4.5 in. (114 mm) from the waveguide, with infinite longitudinal magnification and 1.9× by 1.6× horizontal and vertical pupil expansion, respectively.
CARDIOLOGY FELLOW PERCEPTIONS ON SHARED DECISION MAKING IN LEFT MAIN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE: DEVELOPING A PATIENT DECISION AID

While coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) has traditionally been the treatment for left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD), current guidelines support percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as an alternative in select patients. Shared decision making (SDM) may guide patients to a
A Methodology for Measuring FLOSS Ecosystems

FLOSS ecosystem as a whole is a critical component of world’s computing infrastructure, yet not well understood. In order to understand it well, we need to measure it first. We, therefore, aim to provide a framework for measuring key aspects of the entire FLOSS ecosystem. We first consider the FLOSS ecosystem through lens of a supply chain. The concept of supply chain is the existence of series of interconnected parties/affiliates each contributing unique elements and expertise so as to ensure a final solution is accessible to all interested parties. This perspective has been extremely successful in helping allowing companies to cope with multifaceted risks caused by the distributed decision-making in their supply chains, especially as they have become more global. Software ecosystems, similarly, represent distributed decisions in supply chains of code and author contributions, suggesting that relationships among projects, developers, and source code have to be measured. We then describe a massive measurement infrastructure involving discovery, extraction, cleaning, correction, and augmentation of publicly available open-source data from version control systems and other sources. We then illustrate how the key relationships among the nodes representing developers, projects, changes, and files can be accurately measured, how to handle absence of measures for user base in version control data, and, finally, illustrate how such measurement infrastructure can be used to increase knowledge resilience in FLOSS.
Acoustofluidic stick-and-play micropump built on foil for single-cell trapping.

The majority of microfluidic devices nowadays are built on rigid or bulky substrates such as glass slides and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) slabs, and heavily rely on external equipment such as syringe pumps. Although a variety of micropumps have been developed in the past, few of them are suitable for flexible microfluidics or lab-on-a-foil systems. In this paper, stick-and-play acoustic micropump is built on thin and flexible plastic film by printing microstructures termed defended oscillating membrane equipped structures (DOMES) using two-photon polymerization. Specifically, this new micropump induces rectified flow upon the actuation of acoustic waves, and the flow patterns agree with simulation results very well. More importantly, the developed micropump has the capabilities to generate adjustable flow rates as high as 420 nL min−1, and does not suffer from problems such as bubble instability, gas dissolution, and undesired bubble-trapping that commonly occur in other forms of acoustic micropumps. Since the micropump works in stick-and-play mode, it is reusable after cleaning thanks to the easy separation of covers and substrates. Lastly, the developed micropump is applied for creating a self-pumped single-cell trapping device. The excellent trapping capability of the integrated device proves its potential for long-term studies of biological behaviors of individual cells for biomedical applications.
Use of DNA copy number analysis of grade 2-4 gliomas to reveal differences in molecular ontogeny associated with IDH mutation status.

2026 Background: The genetic alterations of glioma have been studied extensively. IDH1 mutation is associated with younger age and better survival. However, differences in molecular ontogeny within...
Compression artifact mitigation for face in video recognition

Face in video recognition (FiVR) is widely used in video surveillance and video analytic. Various solutions have been proposed to improve the performance of face detection, frame selection and face recognition in FiVR systems. However, all these methods have a common inherent ceiling", which is defined by the source video's quality. One key factor causing face image quality loss is video compression standards. To address this challenge, in this paper, first, we analysis and quantify the effects of video compression on the FiVR performance; secondly, we propose to use deep learning based model to mitigate artifacts in compressed input video. We apply the image based convolutional auto-encoder (CAE) to extract the features of input face images and restore them towards less artifacts. From the experimental results, our approach can mitigate artifacts on face images extracted from compressed videos and improve the overall face recognition (FR) performance by as much as 50% in TPR (True Positive Rate) at the same FPR (False Positive Rate) value.
Development and application of interatomic potentials to study the stability and shear strength of Ti/TiN and Cu/TiN interfaces

Abstract A modified embedded atom method interatomic potential was developed to study semi-coherent metal/ceramic interfaces involving Cu, Ti and N. A genetic algorithm was used to fit the model parameters to the physical properties of the materials. To accurately describe interfacial interactions and shear, two-dimensional generalized stacking fault energy profiles for relevant slip systems were selected as one of the major parameterization targets for the models. The models were applied to study semi-coherent Ti(0001)/TiN(111) and Cu(111)/TiN(111) systems. Ti/TiN was stable with misfits accommodated away from the interface. Cu/TiN, in contrast, was more stable with misfits at the interface. A spiral pattern in the misfit dislocation networks was observed away from the Cu/TiN interface, similar to the metal/metal (111) semi-coherent interfaces. The theoretical shear strength calculated for Ti/TiN when the misfits were several layers away from the interface and for Cu/TiN with the misfit at the chemical interface, had reasonable agreement with experiment.
Exploiting Replication Stress as a Novel Therapeutic Intervention.

Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive pediatric tumor of the bone and soft tissue. The current standard of care is radiation and chemotherapy, and patients generally lack targeted therapies. One of the defining molecular features of this tumor type is the presence of significantly elevated levels of replication stress as compared with both normal cells and many other types of cancers, but the source of this stress is poorly understood. Tumors that harbor elevated levels of replication stress rely on the replication stress and DNA damage response pathways to retain viability. Understanding the source of the replication stress in Ewing sarcoma may reveal novel therapeutic targets. Ewing sarcomagenesis is complex, and in this review, we discuss the current state of our knowledge regarding elevated replication stress and the DNA damage response in Ewing sarcoma, one contributor to the disease process. We will also describe how these pathways are being successfully targeted therapeutically in other tumor types, and discuss possible novel, evidence-based therapeutic interventions in Ewing sarcoma. We hope that this consolidation will spark investigations that uncover new therapeutic targets and lead to the development of better treatment options for patients with Ewing sarcoma. Implications: This review uncovers new therapeutic targets in Ewing sarcoma and highlights replication stress as an exploitable vulnerability across multiple cancers.
Nonparaxial scalar diffraction theory modifications for improved efficiency estimation

Using the nonparaxial scalar diffraction equations to estimate the diffraction efficiency of multiple orders of a sinusoidal reflection grating, we compare the results of transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) vector wave simulations for a reflective surface on glass. Modifications are presented that enable the nonparaxial scalar solution to approximate simulation results in each order to within 1% to 2% across a 0 to 90 deg range of incidence angles when the diffracted power is predominantly carried in the first several orders, up to the fourth order. The accuracy of simulations in this regime is particularly important for surface scattering where individual spatial frequencies typically have amplitudes much less than a hundred nanometers. A substantial reduction in the error between vector simulations and scalar estimation of diffraction efficiency is demonstrated with the following modifications: (1) an obliquity factor correction for the specular order based on a first-order power conservation criterion, (2) a “cutoff” factor modifying the obliquity factor as the diffracted angle approaches 90 deg for each order, and (3) nonuniform unallocated power distribution near the low-order cutoffs. The second and third modifications are applied to higher diffraction orders for extending the range of applicable grating heights up to 200 nm (peak-to-valley), periods down to twice the wavelength, and slopes up to 0.2 (root mean square).
Conventional versus drug-eluting embolic transarterial chemoembolization with doxorubicin: comparative drug delivery, pharmacokinetics, and treatment response in a rabbit VX2 tumor model

The purpose of this study was to compare intra-tumoral drug delivery, pharmacokinetics, and treatment response after doxorubicin (DOX) conventional (c-) versus drug-eluting embolic (DEE-) transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in a rabbit VX2 liver tumor model. Twenty-four rabbits with solitary liver tumors underwent c-TACE (n = 12) (1:2 water-in-oil emulsion, 0.6 mL volume, 2 mg DOX) or DEE-TACE (n = 12) (130,000 70–150 µm 2 mg DOX-loaded microspheres). Systemic, intra-tumoral, and liver DOX levels were measured using mass spectrometry up to 7-day post-procedure. Intra-tumoral DOX distribution was quantified using fluorescence imaging. Percent tumor necrosis was quantified by a pathologist blinded to treatment group. Lobar TACE was successfully performed in all cases. Peak concentration (CMAX, µg/mL) for plasma, tumor tissue, and liver were 0.666, 4.232, and 0.270 for c-TACE versus 0.103, 8.988, and 0.610 for DEE-TACE. Area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC, µg/mL ∗ min) for plasma, tumor tissue, and liver were 18.3, 27,078.8, and 1339.1 for c-TACE versus 16.4, 26,204.8, and 1969.6 for DEE-TACE. A single dose of intra-tumoral DOX maintained cytotoxic levels through 7-day post-procedure for both TACE varieties, with a half-life of 1.8 (c-TACE) and 0.8 (DEE-TACE) days. Tumor-to-normal liver DOX ratio was high (c-TACE, 20.2; DEE-TACE, 13.3). c-TACE achieved significantly higher DOX coverage of tumor vs. DEE-TACE (10.8% vs. 2.3%; P = 0.003). Percent tumor necrosis was similar (39% vs. 37%; P = 0.806). In conclusion, in a rabbit VX2 liver tumor model, both c-TACE and DEE-TACE achieved tumoricidal intra-tumoral DOX levels and high tumor-to-normal liver drug ratios, though c-TACE resulted in significantly greater tumor coverage.
Skin Reactions Associated with Breast Cancer Treatment

Despite remarkable advances in the treatment and care of breast cancer, therapeutic regimens used to treat this disease still have a significant impact on the health and well-being of patients undergoing treatment. Understanding the potential side effects of these therapies serves the dual purpose of better preparing patients as they enter into treatment and of allowing the medical community to quickly recognize and mitigate the sequelae of treatment. Some of the most common side effects are adverse skin reactions. There are several important groups of therapeutic agents to consider when classifying common cutaneous side effects: conventional chemotherapeutic agents, HER2-targeted therapies, endocrine therapies, and radiation therapy. Here, we discuss the mechanism of action, common side effects, and optimal management methods for each type of therapy.
A Brief Derivation of Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for a Family of Matrix Quadratic Forms to Have Mutually Independent Non-Central Wishart Distributions

We provide a new, concise derivation of necessary and sufficient conditions for a real matrix-normally distributed matrix X and we characterize the general matrix-normal covariance structure such that, given the symmetric positive-semidefinite matrices Ai, i = 1,2,...,m, the matrix quadratic forms ${\textbf {X}}^{\prime }{\textbf {A}}_{i}{\textbf {X}}$ are distributed as independent noncentral Wishart matrices.
Cerebral Veins: A New "New Frontier".

The article by Ide et al[1][1] in this issue of the American Journal of Neuroradiology has significant relevancy from both theoretic and practical perspectives. The cerebral venous system develops through a series of complex stages, some that remain incompletely understood.[2][2] In the early
How Long? The Historical, Economic and Cultural Factors Behind Working Hours and Overwork (Chapter 23 in R. Burke, ed., Research Companion to Working Time and Work Addiction, E. Elgar.)

How long are hours of work and how many work hours are too many? The aims of this chapter are to address the following questions.What is the historical trend of hours of work per worker - are they getting longer, shorter or staying the same? When and among whom have they been rising? What forces and counterforces generally determine the length of individuals' work hours - economic, social-psychological-cultural, political-regulatory and institutional? How much of the trend in work hours is attributable to incentives and behavior of employers relative to employees? When do long hours of work generate symptoms of overwork for workers? How might overemployment (being employed beyond ones' initially preferred number of hours) eventually lead to either overwork or workaholism - an unforced addiction to work activity? Finally, how might we apply these key underlying determinants of work hours to address work addiction with potential policy levers, to regulate the (over)flow of work hours or minimize the incidence or conditions that might lead to workaholic behavior that results in negative social consequences? This chapter aims to refine the discussion of trends and patterns in work hours by delineating and distinguishing the related notions of long hours,overwork and overemployment and their potential implications for better understanding workaholism in the present. The first part of the chapter traces trends in the history of the length and distribution of working hours. The second develops a comprehensive approach to understanding the economic and other sources of these patterns. The third focuses on the distinct concepts of long hours, overwork and overemployment, and suggests how they may interact. The final section explores the implications of the determination of work hours for the most promising directions for future research on the nature and consequences of long hours of work.
Prediction of depth of shade of a dyed polyester fabric based on fibre fineness and fabric structure

A colour prediction model containing four parameters of dye concentration, fibre fineness, fabric roughness and dye parameter is developed. The model can predict the shade depth of a dyed polyester fabric. The relationship among these factors and shade depths of dyed polyester fabrics was investigated to elucidate the role of fibre fineness and fabric structure on surface reflectance and colour efficiency. The shades of several additional dyed samples were measured and compared against the predicated values to validate the accuracy and performance of the model. The results showed that the predicated depths of shade matched the experimental data to a good extent.
Building the infrastructure for nationwide cancer surveillance and control--a comparison between the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program (United States).

Objective: In preparation for jointly publishing official government cancer statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) compared incidence rates from NCI's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program and CDC's National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR). Methods: Data for 1999 covering 78% of the US population were obtained from SEER and selected NPCR registries that met high quality data criteria. incidence rates (per 100,000 population) were age-adjusted to the 2000 US standard population, and 95% gamma confidence intervals were estimated Results: NPCR rates for all sites combined were higher than SEER rates (males: NPCR 553.6, SEER 538.7; females: NPCR 420.8, SEER 412.5), but rates for specific cancer sites varied by registry program. Rates for colon cancer (males: NPCR 47.0, SEER 42.7; females: NPCR 36.5, SEER 33.8) and tobacco-related cancers were higher in NPCR than SEER. In contrast, NPCR rates were lower than SEER rates for cancers of the female breaset (NPCR 134.0, SEER 135.9), prostate (NPCR 162.0, SEER 170.2), and melanoma as well as for cancers more common among Asians and Pacific Islanders (e.g., stomach cancer).Conclusions: Rate differences may arise from population difference in socio-demographic characteristics, screening use, health behaviors, exposure to cancer causing agents or registry operations factors.
Structured gradient method applied to circular arrays

A constrained least mean square (LMS) algorithm was adapted by Godara and Gray (1989) to take advantage of the Toeplitz nature of the array correlation matrix (ACM). This algorithm, which they termed the structured gradient method, was shown to have superior convergence properties, as well as reduced weight noise. This paper explores the nature of the ACM for a circular array and the structured gradient algorithm is adapted and tested. The convergence properties and computational expense are investigated.
Pharmacologic chaperoning as a strategy to treat Gaucher disease

We briefly introduce the most common lysosomal storage disorder, Gaucher disease, concisely describe the Food and Drug Administration approved strategies to ameliorate Gaucher disease, and then outline the emerging pharmacologic chaperone strategy that offers the promise to remedy this malady.
Labeling and Stigma

The chapter addresses the stigma associated with mental illnesses. It begins by summarizing the development of thinking about labeling and stigma over the past half century within the field of the sociology of mental health. This background leads to our consideration of recent advances in the conceptualization of stigma as we ask: What is stigma? How do different stigmatizing circumstances (mental illness, obesity, facial disfigurement) resemble and differ from one another? We also ask: Why do people stigmatize? In keeping with the Handbook’s emphasis on social class and socioeconomic status (SES), we introduce the concept of “stigma power” and apply this new concept to the questions of “What do people gain by stigmatizing others?” and “How is stigma power exercised?” Finally, we consider the steps people take to avoid, mitigate, or overcome stigma, drawing in particular on Thoits’ (Soc Psychol Q 74:6–28, 2011) theoretical statements about this issue. The conceptual growth that has taken place over time opens enormous possibilities for advancing the sociological understanding of mental illness stigma and by doing so helps to illuminate ways in which the effects of stigma might be mitigated.
The Protein Kinase C Activator l-α-Dioctanoylglycerol: A Potent Stage II Mouse Skin Tumor Promoter

Endogenous diacylglycerol, as produced during ligand-stimulated hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol, is a physiological activator of protein kinase C, a receptor for the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Diacylglycerol mimics many effects of phorbol ester TPA, but it is not known whether diacylglycerol is a mouse skin tumor promoter. The present studies determined the mouse skin tumor-promoting activity of L-alpha-dioctanoylglycerol (DG), a membrane-permeable diacylglycerol derivative. In two independent experiments with female SENCAR mice, DG at a 2 mumol dose, when applied twice weekly to the initiated mouse skin, failed to promote mouse skin tumor formation. Similarly, DG lacked Stage I tumor-promoting activity; twice weekly applications of DG for 2 wk to the initiated mouse skin followed by twice weekly applications of mezerein (3.3 nmol) for as long as 27 wk elicited only a few papillomas per mouse. DG was found to be a potent Stage II mouse skin tumor promoter. In a typical two-stage tumor promotion experiment, SENCAR mice were initiated by application of 20 nmol of DMBA to their shaved backs. Two wk after initiation, 3.3 nmol of TPA were applied twice weekly for 2 wk (Stage I), and then 2 mumol of DG or 3.3 nmol of mezerein were applied to the skin twice weekly for the entire duration of the experiment (Stage II). Stage II tumor promotion with mezerein and DG resulted in 13.33 +/- 0.88 and 11.13 +/- 1.25 papillomas per mouse, respectively, at 19 wk and the carcinoma incidence, 43% and 33%, respectively, at 27 wk of promotion. The tumor-promoting activity of DG was compared with the parent alcohol glycerol, and it was found that glycerol, at a dose as high as 11 mumol, was not a complete, Stage I or Stage II mouse skin tumor promoter. Both TPA and DG, when applied to mouse skin, induced epidermal ornithine decarboxylase activity. Both TPA and DG activate protein kinase C, but the results presented indicate that TPA and DG differ in their tumor-promoting properties. DG, like mezerein, is a Stage II mouse skin tumor promoter.
Research Upregulation of CD23 (FcεRII) Expression in Human Airway Smooth Muscle Cells (huASMC) in Response to IL-4, GM-CSF, and IL-4/GM-CSF

Background Airway smooth muscle cells play a key role in remodeling that contributes to airway hyperreactivity. Airway smooth muscle remodeling includes hypertrophy and hyperplasia. It has been previously shown that the expression of CD23 on ASMC in rabbits can be induced by the IgE component of the atopic serum. We examined if other components of atopic serum are capable of inducing CD23 expression independent of IgE.
Pore Pressure Generation of Silty Sands due to Induced Cyclic Shear Strains

It is well established that the main mechanism for the occurrence of liquefaction under seismic loading conditions is the generation of excess pore water pressure. Most previous research efforts have focused on clean sands, yet sand deposits with fines are more commonly found in nature. Previous laboratory liquefaction studies on the effect of fines on liquefaction susceptibility have not yet reached a consensus. This research presents an investigation on the effect of fines content on excess pore water pressure generation in sands and silty sands. Multiple series of strain-controlled cyclic direct simple shear tests were performed to directly measure the excess pore water pressure generation of sands and silty sands at different strain levels. The soil specimens were tested under three different categories: (1) at a constant relative density; (2) at a constant sand skeleton void ratio; and (3) at a constant overall void ratio. The findings from this study were used to develop insight into the behavior of silty sands under undrained cyclic loading conditions. In general, beneficial effects of the fines were observed in the form of a decrease in excess pore water pressure and an increase in the threshold strain. However, pore water pressure appears to increase when enough fines are present to create a sand skeleton void ratio greater than the maximum void ratio of the clean sand.
The Drosophila Mitochondrial Translation Elongation Factor G1 Contains a Nuclear Localization Signal and Inhibits Growth and DPP Signaling

Mutations in the human mitochondrial elongation factor G1 (EF-G1) are recessive lethal and cause death shortly after birth. We have isolated mutations in iconoclast (ico), which encodes the highly conserved Drosophila orthologue of EF-G1. We find that EF-G1 is essential during fly development, but its function is not required in every tissue. In contrast to null mutations, missense mutations exhibit stronger, possibly neomorphic phenotypes that lead to premature death during embryogenesis. Our experiments show that EF-G1 contains a secondary C-terminal nuclear localization signal. Expression of missense mutant forms of EF-G1 can accumulate in the nucleus and cause growth and patterning defects and animal lethality. We find that transgenes that encode mutant human EF-G1 proteins can rescue ico mutants, indicating that the underlying problem of the human disease is not just the loss of enzymatic activity. Our results are consistent with a model where EF-G1 acts as a retrograde signal from mitochondria to the nucleus to slow down cell proliferation if mitochondrial energy output is low.
Linear restoration of partially coherent images. II. Minimum mean square error

An expression is derived for the transfer function of a linear filter that would optimally (in the minimum-mean-square-error sense) restore a picture which is blurred by a partially coherent imaging system. The effect of degree of coherence on restoration quality is discussed briefly.
Optimization of saturation current density of PECVD SiN coated phosphorus diffused emitters using neural network modeling

Emitter surface passivation by low temperature plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) silicon nitride is investigated and optimized in this paper. We have found that the saturation current density of a 90±10 μ/sq phosphorus diffused emitter with Ns ≈3 x 1019 and Xj ≈0.3 µm can be lowered by a factor of eight by appropriate PECVD silicon nitride deposition and photoassisted anneal. PECVD silicon nitride deposition alone reduces the emitter saturation density (Joe) by about a factor of two to three, and a subsequent photoanneal at temperatures ≥350°C reduces Joe by another factor of three. In spite of the larger flat band shift for direct PECVD silicon nitride coating, the silicon nitride induced surface passivation is found to be about a factor of two inferior to the thermal oxide plus PECVD silicon nitride passivation due to higher interface state density at the SiN/SiO2 interface compared to SiO2/Si interface. A combination of statistical experimental design and neural network modeling is used to show quantitatively that lower radio frequency power, higher substrate temperature, and higher reactor pressure during the PECVD deposition can reduce the Joe of the silicon nitride coated emitter.
Long wavelength pin/HBT optical receiver monolithically integrated with HBT comparator

A GaInAs pin PD, a GaInAs/InP HBT transimpedance-type preamplifier, and a GaInAs/InP HBT comparator have been monolithically integrated on an InP substrate with pin/HBT integration technology. The receiver OEIC with a comparator showed a sensitivity of –36.0 dBm at a bit error rate of 1 × 10-9 for 125 Mbit/s signals.