cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Infinitely many $ \mathcal{N}=1 $ dualities from m + 1 − m = 1

We discuss two infinite classes of 4d supersymmetric theories, T () and $$ {\mathcal{U}}_N^{(m)} $$ , labelled by an arbitrary non-negative integer, m. The T () theory arises from the 6d, A N − 1 type $$ \mathcal{N}=\left(2,0\right) $$ theory reduced on a 3-punctured sphere, with normal bundle given by line bundles of degree (m + 1, −m); the m = 0 case is the $$ \mathcal{N}=2 $$ supersymmetric T N theory. The novelty is the negative-degree line bundle. The $$ {\mathcal{U}}_N^{(m)} $$ theories likewise arise from the 6d $$ \mathcal{N}=\left(2,0\right) $$ theory on a 4-punctured sphere, and can be regarded as gluing together two (partially Higgsed) T () theories. The T () and $$ {\mathcal{U}}_N^{(m)} $$ theories can be represented, in various duality frames, as quiver gauge theories, built from T N components via gauging and nilpotent Higgsing. We analyze the RG flow of the $$ {\mathcal{U}}_N^{(m)} $$ theories, and find that, for all integer m > 0, they end up at the same IR SCFT as SU(N) SQCD with 2N flavors and quartic superpotential. The $$ {\mathcal{U}}_N^{(m)} $$ theories can thus be regarded as an infinite set of UV completions, dual to SQCD with N f = 2N c . The $$ {\mathcal{U}}_N^{(m)} $$ duals have different duality frame quiver representations, with 2m + 1 gauge nodes.
Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Pretreatment Weight Loss and Survival in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose:Socioeconomic status (SES) influences health care outcomes, but the influence of primary payer on cancer-associated wasting is unknown. We hypothesized that primary payer as an indicator of SES would influence pretreatment cancer-associated weight loss and treatment outcomes.Materials and Methods:Retrospective review of medical records identified 1,366 patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) consecutively treated at a tertiary care health system between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2013. Insurance status was obtained from an institutional tumor registry. Cancer-associated weight loss was based on the validated international consensus definition of cachexia. Multivariable regression analyses were used to identify prognostic factors of pretreatment cancer-associated weight loss and survival.Results:The cohort included a representative group of patients with a median age at diagnosis of 64 years, 47% females, and 33% patients of nonwhite race. Pretreatment cancer-associated weight loss w...
Understanding racial literacy through acts of (un)masking: Latinx teachers in a new Latinx diaspora community

As Latinx teachers are recruited to work in U.S. schools, a continued agenda to understand their experiences is warranted. This multiple case study considers the storytelling of six Latinx teachers...
Postoperative Clostridium Difficile Gastroenteritis

Clostridium difficile gastroenteritis can be the cause of an enigmatic postoperative syndrome of high temperature and marked leukocytosis, out of proportion to the initially mild constitutional symptoms. Patients may suffer delayed onset of diarrhea, which will test positive for the C. difficile enterotoxin by latex agglutination. We report 5 cases of C. difficile gastroenteritis that occurred within a 2-year period. We believe that the combination of preoperative bowel preparation, and intraoperative and postoperative systemic antibiotics is the primary operant factor. All patients responded rapidly when oral antibiotics specific for C. difficile were instituted. The sequelae of C. difficile colitis can include toxic megacolon with perforation and peritonitis, increasing the importance of early recognition and appropriate treatment.
Promoting Family-Centered Teaching: Can One Course Make a Difference?.

The Article Research indicates that when families participate in their child’s education, there is an increased gain in the attainment of developmental milestones in early years. Therefore, it is important for teacher education programs to support new teachers in the development of practices that encourage family involvement and participation. The study was guided by the question of whether one 16 week course could enhance preservice teachers’ attitudes towards collaborating with their students’ families. Students enrolled in the class were asked to complete a blank concept map based on their perceptions and beliefs regarding “Serving Individuals with Disabilities and Their Families” at the beginning of the class. Students were then instructed over the following 16-week period on the benefit of parental involvement, home-school communication techniques, and the role of family throughout the IEP process. At the end of the semester, students were again instructed to complete a blank concept map. These maps were matched with the original maps and compared using a series of McNemar tests. The authors examined four overarching categories: Communication, the Role of School/Teachers, Perception of Family Issues, and other (for those responses not fitting in other categories). Results indicated a significant improvement in students’ perceptions in the categories of Communication, the Role of School/Teachers, and Perception of Family Issues. Students expanded their communication role to include sharing resources and information with families and expanded their conceptions of the role of the teacher to include positive interactions with family members, Additionally, Bingham and Abernathy found that “students clearly developed a broader perspective of the characteristics that define and contribute to the distinctive qualities of each family system.”
Electroretinogram recovery in the rabbit after repetitive short-term ischemia in light and dark.

Purpose. To determine the time course and reproducibility of electroretinogram recovery aftershort-term (5- to 20-minute) retinal ischemi ina the light and in the dark.Methods. Electroretinogram recovery was measure in Dutcdh rabbits after 5-, 10- or, 20-min -ute episode osf ocular ischemia, repeated three a timet 1-hous intervalsr . Results were com-pared under light an-d dark-adapted conditions.Results. The rate of b-wave recovery was highly reproducible after repetitive ischemic insults inthe same eye. The rate of b-wave recovery varied in proportion to the duration of ischemia butgenerally reached 100 of% preischemic levels withi 45n to 60 minutes. Recovery was slowerunder dark-adapted conditions than under light-adapted an conditionsd 10 minutes , of isch-emia appeared to be a critical duration to maximize light- and dark-adapted metabolic differ-ences.Conclusions. Becaus oef the speed and reproducibility of electroretinogram recovery th,e useof short-term ischemic episodes may facilitate studie on thse pharmacologic therap ofy retinalischemia. It remain tso be determined , however, whethe the retinar l effect of short-ters mischemia are mediated by the same mechanism ass the effect os f longer-term ischemia. InvestOphthalmol Vis Sci. 1994;35:664-668.XVabbit retin ias irreversibly damage byd periods ofischemia longer than 60-minutes.
Transplanted interleukin-4--secreting mesenchymal stromal cells show extended survival and increased bone mineral density in the murine femur.

Abstract Background Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)–based therapy has great potential to modulate chronic inflammation and enhance tissue regeneration. Crosstalk between MSC-lineage cells and polarized macrophages is critical for bone formation and remodeling in inflammatory bone diseases. However, the translational application of this interaction is limited by the short-term viability of MSCs after cell transplantation. Methods Three types of genetically modified (GM) MSCs were created: ( 1 ) luciferase-expressing reporter MSCs; ( 2 ) MSCs that secrete interleukin (IL)-4 either constitutively; and ( 3 ) MSCs that secrete IL-4 as a response to nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cell (NFκB) activation. Cells were injected into the murine distal femoral bone marrow cavity. MSC viability and bone formation were examined in vivo. Cytokine secretion was determined in a femoral explant organ culture model. Results The reporter MSCs survived up to 4 weeks post-implantation. No difference in the number of viable cells was found between high (2.5 × 106) and low (0.5 × 106) cell-injected groups. Injection of 2.5 × 106 reporter MSCs increased local bone mineral density at 4 weeks post-implantation. Injection of 0.5 × 106 constitutive IL-4 or NFκB-sensing IL-4–secreting MSCs increased bone mineral density at 2 weeks post-implantation. In the femoral explant organ culture model, LPS treatment induced IL-4 secretion in the NFκB-sensing IL-4–secreting MSC group and IL-10 secretion in all the femur samples. No significant differences in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α and IL-1β secretion were observed between the MSC-transplanted and control groups in the explant culture. Discussion Transplanted GM MSCs demonstrated prolonged cell viability when transplanted to a compatible niche within the bone marrow cavity. GM IL-4–secreting MSCs may have great potential to enhance bone regeneration in disorders associated with chronic inflammation.
Abstract 3189: Targeting NPM1 for controlling growth of Ewing sarcoma

Ewing sarcoma is a rare cancer found in children and young adults. Long term survival rates are approximately 70% for patients who present without clinically overt metastases. However, 5 year survival is less than 20% for patients with recurrent tumors or metastasis. Thus, there is a need to improve local tumor control and to treat metastatic disease. Eighty five percent of these cancers are driven by the reciprocal chromosomal translocation t (11;22) (q24;q12), a consequence of a fusion between the 59 portion of Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1 on EWSR1 (chromosome 22) and the 39 portion of Friend leukemia virus integration site 1 on FLI1 (chromosome 11). Nucleophosmin1 (NPM1) is a chaperone protein involved in many cellular functions, including DNA repair. NPM1 has been shown to be a novel prognostic biomarker for patients with localized Ewing9s sarcoma. Overall survival is significantly lower for patients whose tumors express high levels of NPM1. Besides promoting repair of DNA double strand breaks NPM1 directly interacts with and induces c-Myc-induced hyperproliferation and transformation. Consistent with this knowledge is the observation that relapsed Ewing9s patients exhibit high levels of c-Myc expression compared to disease-free patients. Therefore, we wanted to ascertain whether NPM1 represented a molecular target for controlling growth of Ewing9s sarcoma. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeting of NPM1 exons 3 and 4, as well as lentivirus-mediated shRNA targeting of NPM1 mRNA revealed that targeting of NPM1 expression reduced survival (colony formation) of TC32 and A673 cells (P Citation Format: Geri Traver, Konjeti R. Sekhar, Narsimha R. Renthala, Peter A. Crooks, Maxwell Ofori, Michael L. Freeman. Targeting NPM1 for controlling growth of Ewing sarcoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3189.
Outcomes associated with hyperglycemia after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Abstract Objective We evaluated the association between postoperative hyperglycemia and outcomes after abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. Methods We used diagnosis and procedure codes (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification) to identify patients who underwent open or endovascular repair of a nonruptured AAA from September 2008 to March 2014 from the Cerner Health Facts database (Cerner Corporation, North Kansas City, Mo). We evaluated the association between postoperative hyperglycemia (glucose concentration >180 mg/dL) and infections, in-hospital mortality, readmission, patients' characteristics, length of hospital stay, and medications. Multivariable logistic models examined the association of postoperative hyperglycemia with in-hospital infection and mortality. Results Of 2478 patients, 2071 (83.5%) had good postoperative glucose control (80-180 mg/dL), and 407 (16.5%) had suboptimal control (hyperglycemia). Patients who had postoperative hyperglycemia experienced longer hospital stays (9.5 vs 4.7 days; P Conclusions Among patients undergoing elective AAA repair, approximately one in six had postoperative hyperglycemia. After AAA repair in patients with and without diabetes, postoperative hyperglycemia was associated with adverse events, including in-hospital mortality and infections. Compared with those who had open surgery, patients undergoing endovascular repair who had postoperative hyperglycemia had greater risk of infection and death. After controlling for insulin administration and postoperative hyperglycemia, a diabetes diagnosis was associated with lower odds of both infection and in-hospital mortality. Our study suggests that hyperglycemia may be used as a clinical marker as it was found to be significantly associated with inferior outcomes after elective AAA repair. This retrospective study, however, cannot imply causation; further study using prospective methods is needed to elucidate the relationship between postoperative hyperglycemia and patient outcomes.
Parallel algorithms for predicate detection

Given a trace of a distributed computation and a desired predicate, the predicate detection problem is to find a consistent global state that satisfies the given predicate. The predicate detection problem has many applications in the testing and runtime verification of parallel and distributed systems. We show that many problems related to predicate detection are in the parallel complexity class NC, the set of decision problems decidable in polylogarithmic time on a parallel computer with a polynomial number of processors. Given a computation on n processes with at most m local states per process, our parallel algorithm to detect a given conjunctive predicate takes O(log mn) time and O(m3n3 log mn) work. The sequential algorithm takes O(mn2) time. For data race detection, we give a parallel algorithm that takes O(log mn log n) time, also placing that problem in NC. This is the first work, to the best of our knowledge, that places the parallel complexity of such predicate detection problems in the class NC.
Contribution to the embryology ofChaenorrhinum Minus (L.) Lange

The paper reports on an embryological investigation ofChaenorrhinum minus. The development of the female gametophyte is of the Polygonum type. The antipodal cells degenerate early. The endosperm isab initio cellular. The chalazal haustorium is unicellular and binucleate, although occasionally a uninucleate state occurs. No micropylar haustorium is organized. The persistent, thick-walled endothelial cells contribute to the 4–5-layered seed coat. The findings have been evaluated in the light of previous work on the tribe Antirrhineae.
Association between Asthma Medication Adherence and Patient-Provider Collaboration

Asthma is a significant pediatric public health concern, with 8.3% of children in the U.S. diagnosed with asthma. Pediatric asthma morbidity is consistently linked to medication non-adherence. Medication adherence has been shown to be influenced by patient-provider interactions. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between medication adherence, using both objective and subjective reports, to patient-provider collaboration in adolescents with poorly controlled asthma. Thirty adolescents ages 12 to 15 were interviewed along with their caregivers using the Family Asthma Management System Scale (FAMSS). Adherence data were collected via pharmacy refill reports and scores on the FAMSS adherence rating subscale. Patient-provider collaboration was assessed using the corresponding subscale from the FAMSS interview. Pearson correlations were conducted to examine the relationships between both measures of adherence and patient-provider collaboration. There was no significant association between adherence measured with pharmacy refills and patient-provider collaboration (r = .27, p = .176). A significant correlation was found between medication adherence, as measured by the FAMSS ratings, and patient-provider collaboration (r = .53, p = .003). These findings suggest that more collaborative patient-provider relationships may be linked to higher medication adherence among adolescents with poorly controlled asthma.
The Tele-ICU: Formative or Out-of-Date or Both? Practice Models and Future Directions

The tele-ICU concept is almost one-half century old and commercially operational for nearly two decades. The initial “driver” for the development was the critical care physician shortage with the tele-ICU providing a mechanism to “leverage” physicians over greater geography and numbers of patients. Subsequently, the tele-ICU model has become very well established and functional. This chapter reviews the history, process, and functional models and more recent evolutionary changes. But, the health environment is changing dramatically. Staffing models are now transitioning to include more advanced care providers with recent use of extremely remote staff to “turn night into day.” The supply of critical care capable physicians and advanced care providers is changing such that the shortage may disappear in less than a decade. Reimbursement for tele-ICU critical care time has not evolved, while federal and commercial payment plans have changed dramatically. Virtual hospitals are developing which include tele-ICU services with a broad array of supplemental services. Educational programs taking advantage of telemedicine technology have arrived. Perhaps it is time to reconsider whether free standing tele-ICUs should continue or evolve into horizontally or vertically scaled programs, addressing the “population health” goals while providing a broader range of services including outreach care provider education along the model of Project ECHO.
Controller Reduction and Analysis of Suboptimality and Stability of Decentralized Systems

Abstract A traditional approach to the reduced order controller design problem has been to first apply model reduction theory to obtain a reduced order model for the plant and then to apply optimal control theory to obtain a low order controller which is optimal for the reduced order model. This synthesis is based upon a reduced order model which is “close” to the plant only in the open-loop. However, since the control inputs can drastically affect the behavior of the system, the closed-loop system may be far from being optimal or it may even be unstable. In this paper we consider the problem of designing full and low order “decentralized dynamic controllers” by using the closed-loop balancing approach. Specifically we develop some tests for stability and calculate the suboptimality. The present results are along the lines reported by the authors in [5], extended to dynamic compensation.
Maternal outcomes according to cesarean uterine incision between 23 and 27 weeks' gestation.

Cesarean delivery between 23 and 27 weeks’ gestation is a risk factor for performing classical and inverted T uterine incisions. When attempting cesarean delivery via a low transverse incision at a...
Enduring the tests of age and time: Wechsler constructs across versions and revisions

Abstract The Wechsler scales are some of the most commonly used intelligence tests in research and practice. It is unknown whether different versions (i.e., WPPSI, WISC, and WAIS) or revisions (e.g., WISC-IV and WISC-V) of the Wechsler scales measure the same constructs. We tested the factorial invariance across six Wechsler scales (WPPSI-III, WPPSI-IV, WISC-IV, WISC-V, WAIS-III, and WAIS-IV) to investigate whether the constructs measured across these scales are the same. Factorial invariance was tested using four- and five-factor measurement and higher-order models. Results suggested that the constructs measured by the Wechsler scales are generally the same and remarkably consistent across different versions and revisions. Most instances of non-invariance were due to subtest unique variances. The constructs measured by different Wechsler batteries can likely be interpreted similarly.
BASELINE TRICUSPID REGURGITATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH WORSE OUTCOME IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING MITRACLIP THERAPY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is frequently observed in patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) undergoing MitraClip. No prior study has directly evaluated the effect of TR in this population. We perform a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluate the effect of baseline significant TR on
Peer-Prompted Engineering Design: How Do Adolescents Interact and Strategize?.

Engineering design was integrated into K–12 science education in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013), but teaching design remains a challenge for educators. Design problems are ill-defined, ill-structured, and complex problem-solving tasks. Their solutions require creativity and recursive, metacognitive processes that cannot be taught with simple algorithms. Moreover, adolescents do not demonstrate fully developed metacognitive skills because they are undergoing profound developmental changes. In this comparative case study, we explored how peer-delivered metacognitive prompts supported adolescents during a design challenge. We investigated how scripted prompts sparked reflection and stimulated design changes and identified which prompts were most effective. We also observed four interaction patterns between paired peers. The interaction patterns influenced the quantity of design changes and shaped the strategies that students used during revisions.
Sexual Pleasure in Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals: an Update on Recent Advances in the Field

The goal of the current publication was to review literature on sexual pleasure in transgender people published in the past 3 years. An additional aim of the review was to determine whether recent literature differed from the traditionally narrow focus of transgender sexual health research, which has clustered almost exclusively in three topics: (1) orgasmic potential for transgender people who have undergone gender-affirmative genital surgery, (2) sexual desire in relation to gender-affirmative hormone therapy, and (3) HIV-related risk. Twelve recent studies were included in the review. The disciplinary focus of the articles included biomedical interventions, including sexual pleasure in relation to gender-affirmative hormone therapy and surgeries; psychology/sexology, including basic and applied research on transgender people’s sexual pleasure and health; sex education, including pleasure-based and transgender-inclusive curricula; and HIV and sexual health, including the role of sexual pleasure in facilitating or preventing disease transmission. Recent literature builds upon existing bodies of research in meaningful ways. However, the subject matter of recent literature did not stray from the traditionally narrow focus of this research area. Additionally, the vast majority of research was conducted in wealthy, industrialized countries (mostly North America and the Netherlands). Implications for research and clinical practice are explored.
Patients, Procedures, and PPE: Safe Office-Based Anesthesia Recommendations in the COVID-19 Era

The growth of office-based surgery (OBS) has been due to ease of scheduling and convenience for patients; office-based anesthesia safety continues to be well supported in the literature. In 2020, the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) has resulted in dramatic shifts in healthcare, especially in the office-based setting. The goal of closing the economy was to flatten the curve, impacting office-based and ambulatory practices. Reopening of the economy and the return to ambulatory surgery and OBS and procedures have created a challenge due to COVID-19 and the infectious disease precautions that must be taken. Patients may be more apt to return to the outpatient setting to avoid the hospital, especially with the resurgence of COVID-19 cases locally, nationally, and worldwide. This review provides algorithms for screening and testing patients, selecting patients for procedures, choosing appropriate procedures, and selecting suitable personal protective equipment in this unprecedented period.
When text simplification is not enough: could a graph-based visualization facilitate consumers' comprehension of dietary supplement information?

Objective Dietary supplements are widely used. However, dietary supplements are not always safe. For example, an estimated 23 000 emergency room visits every year in the United States were attributed to adverse events related to dietary supplement use. With the rapid development of the Internet, consumers usually seek health information including dietary supplement information online. To help consumers access quality online dietary supplement information, we have identified trustworthy dietary supplement information sources and built an evidence-based knowledge base of dietary supplement information-the integrated DIetary Supplement Knowledge base (iDISK) that integrates and standardizes dietary supplement related information across these different sources. However, as information in iDISK was collected from scientific sources, the complex medical jargon is a barrier for consumers' comprehension. The objective of this study is to assess how different approaches to simplify and represent dietary supplement information from iDISK will affect lay consumers' comprehension. Materials and methods Using a crowdsourcing platform, we recruited participants to read dietary supplement information in 4 different representations from iDISK: (1) original text, (2) syntactic and lexical text simplification (TS), (3) manual TS, and (4) a graph-based visualization. We then assessed how the different simplification and representation strategies affected consumers' comprehension of dietary supplement information in terms of accuracy and response time to a set of comprehension questions. Results With responses from 690 qualified participants, our experiments confirmed that the manual approach, as expected, had the best performance for both accuracy and response time to the comprehension questions, while the graph-based approach ranked the second outperforming other representations. In some cases, the graph-based representation outperformed the manual approach in terms of response time. Conclusions A hybrid approach that combines text and graph-based representations might be needed to accommodate consumers' different information needs and information seeking behavior.
Another perspective on elastic and plastic anisotropy of textured metals

In textured metals, the elastic directionality reflects the crystallographic organization, while the plastic flow follows the preferential pathways of deformation beyond the elastic limit. In here,...
Towards Fidelity in Pharmacy Education with the Patient Care Process for Delivering Comprehensive Medication Management.

Objective. To evaluate fidelity to the Comprehensive Medication Management (CMM) framework using CMM essential functions to analyze the domains of content and competency in a patient care skills course. Methods. This mixed methods approach compared the Pharmacist’s Patient Care Process II (PPCP II) skills course curriculum to the nationally developed CMM framework. CMM curriculum content was mapped to the framework and the percentage of omissions and deficiencies were calculated. Student competency was analyzed using assessment scores in a competency-based learning model. Results. For the content domain, CMM comprised 41.5 class hours (40.7%) of the total 102-hour PPCP II course. CMM curriculum omissions and deficiencies were both calculated at 14.3%, yielding an overall 71.4% alignment to the CMM framework. For the competency domain, the percentage of students initially achieving competence ranged from 76.6% to 98.7% on formative assessments in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. For the summative assessment, 87.5% and 69.2% respectively achieved competency on their first attempt with levels rising significantly to 98.8% and 98.7% after remediation. Overall, 98.7% achieved competency in presented CMM materials in this course. Conclusion. This study found that about 70% of the CMM framework for the core domain of content can be covered and competency achieved by students in approximately 40 hours of direct curricular time. Identified omissions and deficiencies highlight opportunities for course improvement, and remediation of skills resulted in a significant improvement in the number of students achieving competence in CMM helping to promote fidelity in the profession of pharmacy.
Does Race/Ethnicity or Socioeconomic Status Influence Patient Satisfaction in Pediatric Surgical Care?

ObjectiveTo evaluate patient satisfaction in outpatient pediatric surgical care and assess differences in scores by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES).Study DesignObservational, cross-se...
Prologue: The Multipliers for L1(G)

The concept of a multiplier first appears in harmonic analysis in connection with the theory of summability for Fourier series, namely, in attempts to describe those sequences {c n } for which \(\sum\limits_n {{c_n}} {a_n}{e^{\operatorname{int} }}\) is always the Fourier series of a periodic integrable function whenever \(\sum\limits_n {{a_n}{e^{\operatorname{int} }}}\) is such a Fourier series. Subsequently the notion has been employed in many other areas of harmonic analysis, such as the study of properties of the Fourier transformation and its extensions, the investigation of homomorphisms of group algebras, the characterization of group algebras, the study of factorization problems in various topological algebras, the characterization of convolution in terms of its mapping properties, the study of the conjugate Fourier series and of lacunary Fourier series. Multipliers have also appeared in a variety of other contexts, among which we mention the general theory of Banach algebras, representation theory for Banach algebras and locally compact groups, the study of Banach modules, the theory of singular integrals and fractional integration, interpolation theory, stochastic processes, the theory of semigroups of operators, operational calculus, partial differential equations, the study of certain approximation problems and the question of the existence of invariant means.
The C3 Constraint Object-Oriented Database System: An Overview

Constraints provide a flexible and uniform way to conceptually represent diverse data capturing spatio-temporal behavior, complex modeling requirements, partial and incomplete information etc, and have been used in a wide variety of application domains. Constraint databases have recently emerged to deeply integrate data captured by constraints in databases. This paper reports on the development of the first constraint object-oriented database system, C3, and describes its specification, design and implementation. The C3 system is designed to be used for both implementation and optimization of high-level constraint object-oriented query languages such as \(\mathcal{L}yri\mathcal{C}\)or constraint extensions of OQL, and for directly building software systems requiring extensible use of constraint database features. The C3 data manipulation language, Constraint Comprehension Calculus, is an integration constraint calculus for extensible constraint domains within monoid comprehensions, which serve as an optimization-level language for object-oriented queries. The data model for constraint calculus is based on constraint spatio-temporal (CST) objects that may hold spatial, temporal or constraint data, conceptually represented by constraints. New CST objects are constructed, manipulated and queried by means of constraint calculus. The model for monoid comprehensions, in turn, is based on the notion of monoids, which is a generalization of collection and aggregation types to structures over which one can iterate and apply merge operator; this includes disjunctions and conjunctions of constraints. The focal point of our work is achieving the right balance between expressiveness, complexity and representation usefulness, without which the practical use of the system would not be possible. To that end, C3 constraint calculus guarantees polynomial time data complexity, and, furthermore, is tightly integrated with monoid comprehensions to allow deep global optimization.
Enhancing Programming Interface to Effectively Meet Multiple Information Needs of Developers

In the past decades, integrated development environments (IDEs) have been largely advanced to facilitate common software engineering tasks. Yet, with growing information needs driven by increasing complexity in developing modern high-quality software, developers often need to switch among multiple user interfaces, even across different applications, in their development process, which breaks their mental workflow thus tends to adversely affect their working efficiency and productivity. This position paper discusses challenges faced by current IDE designs mainly from working context transitions of developers during the process of seeking multiple information needs for their development tasks. It remarks the primary blockades behind and initially explores some high-level design considerations for overcoming such challenges in the next-generation IDEs. Specifically, a few design enhancements on top of modern IDEs are envisioned, attempting to reduce the overheads of frequent context switching commonly seen in the multitasking of developers.
Hillary Clinton's Race for the White House: Gender Politics & the Media on the Campaign Trail, by Regina G. Lawrence and Melody Rose

The first cut at history is rarely satisfying. Hillary Clinton's Race for the White House is an exception. It provides perspectives that will guide subsequent writing and research on Hillary Clinto...
Leptin is related to body fat content in male distance runners

Leptin, the product of the ob gene, has been reported to be related to body fat in humans (Considine et al. N. Engl. J. Med. 334: 292, 1996). However, little is known about the physiology of this p...
Performance tests for sulfate resistance and alkali-silica reactivity of hydraulic cements

The performance tests are either unsatisfactory or nonexistent with regard to evaluation of sulfate resistance and alkali-silica reactivity of both portland and blended portland cements. Investigations on development of accelerated laboratory tests which can be completed within a few weeks are described. The sulfate attack was accelerated in the laboratory by immersion of small specimens in a standard sulfate solution which was held at constant pH and sulfate concentration. The alkali-silica attack was accelerated by using fine fractions of either borosilicate or an opaline silica mineral as standard reactive aggregate. Tests on several portland cements, portland pozzolan cements, and portland blast-furnace slag cements in accordance with the proposed methods show that the results are consistent with the expected field behavior of the cements.
Copper-64-labeled anti-bcl-2 PNA-peptide conjugates selectively localize to bcl-2-positive tumors in mouse models of B-cell lymphoma.

Abstract Introduction The bcl-2 gene is overexpressed in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). We have reported micro-SPECT/CT imaging of Mec-1 human lymphoma xenografts in SCID mice, using [ 111 In]DOTA-anti- bcl-2 -PNA-Tyr 3 -octreotate. In order to reduce normal organ accumulation and improve imaging contrast, modified monomers with neutral hydrophilic (serine, T S ) or negatively charged (aspartic acid, T D ) residues were synthesized as substitutes for glycine at T 14 in the PNA sequence. The parent and modified PNA-peptide conjugates were labeled with 64 Cu and evaluated in biodistribution studies and high resolution PET/CT imaging of SCID mice bearing bcl-2 -postive Mec-1 xenografts as well as bcl-2 -negative Ramos xenografts. Methods Mice were administered the 64 Cu-labeled conjugates for biodistribution and imaging studies. Biodistributions were obtained from 1 to 48h post-injection. Mice were imaged from 1 to 48h post-injection. Results The parent glycine conjugate and two modified conjugates all showed selective tumor uptake in Mec-1 xenografts. The liver uptake of the serine conjugate was significantly reduced compared to the two other PNA conjugates. Its kidney uptake was highest of the three at 47.1% ID/g at 1h and dropped to 20.6% ID/g at 24h. [Copper-64]DOTA-anti- bcl-2 -T S -PNA-Tyr 3 -octreotate showed tumor uptake of 1.38% ID/g at 1h and 1.06% ID/g at 24h. The tumor-to-blood ratio was increased by factor of 2 from 1h to 24h. This compound detected Mec-1 tumors by micro-PET/CT as early as 1h post-injection and at time points out to 48h. However, the negative control Ramos tumor could not be detected. Conclusions These 64 Cu-labeled, amino acid-modified PNA conjugates showed selective tumor targeting in vivo, and tumor xenografts were detected by micro-PET/CT as early as 1h post-injection, suggesting that bcl-2 expression at the mRNA level can detected by PET in mouse models of NHL. Advances in knowledge and implications for patient care Down-regulating bcl-2 , an anti-apoptotic proto-oncogene, is a mechanism to reverse chemotherapy resistance in humans with NHL. Thus, bcl-2 overexpression might be considered a new independent prognostic parameter in NHL, aiding in the identification of patients at risk for treatment failure. We have developed [ 64 Cu]DOTA-anti- bcl-2 -PNA-Tyr 3 -octreotate conjugates for targeted antisense PET imaging. Our preclinical studies identified an effective combination of antisense and radionuclide imaging, with the goal of future clinical trials in patients. This imaging modality may improve clinical care by identifying patients who might respond better to conventional chemotherapy.
Anodic properties of platinum-chromium alloys in sulfuric acid solution

Abstract Hydrogen adsorption and the formation and reduction of oxygen layers were investigated on four Pt-Cr alloys in N H2SO4 at 30° in the potential region between hydrogen and oxygen evolution. Periodic voltammetric current-potential curves measured at 3 mV/sec give evidence of two different oxidation states of the passive layer on the part of the surface with the electrochemical behavior of chromium. The presence of platinum atoms on the surface may be detected by their influence on the ohmic and capacitive component of the interfacial impedance between 100 c/s and 10 kc/s for the alloys with chromium contents above 11 atomic %.
Lower Bounds for the Norm of Solutions of Linear Differential Systems with a Linear Parameter

For a special class of two-dimensional linear differential systems \(\dot x = \left( {A\left( t \right) + \mu {\rm B}\left( t \right)} \right)x\) including Lyapunov irregular almost periodic systems constructed by V.M. Millionshchikov, we prove the nonexistence of upper bounds for the norms of solutions uniform with respect to t ≥ 0 and µ ∈ ℝ.
Indian Development: Selected Regional Perspectives

1: Amartya Sen: Radical Needs and Moderate Reforms 2: Jean Dreze and Haris Gazdar: Uttar Pradesh: The Burden of Inertia 3: Sunil Sengupta and Haris Gazdar: Agrarian Politics and Rural Development in West Bengal 4: V.K. Ramachandran: On Kerala's Development Achievements 5: Mamta Murthi, Anne-Catherine Guio, and Jean Dreze: Mortality, Fertility and Gender Bias in India: A District Level Analysis
Unit: modular development of distributed interaction techniques for highly interactive user interfaces

The Unit framework uses a dataflow programming language to describe interaction techniques for highly interactive environments, such as augmented, mixed, and virtual reality. Unit places interaction techniques in an abstraction layer between the input devices and the application, which allows the application developer to separate application functionality from interaction techniques and behavior.Unit's modular approach leads to the design of reusable application-independent interaction control components, portions of which can be distributed across different machines. Unit makes it possible at run time to experiment with interaction technique behavior, as well as to switch among different input device configurations. We provide both a visual interface and a programming API for the specification of the dataflow. To demonstrate how Unit works and to show the benefits to the interaction design process, we describe a few interaction techniques implemented using Unit. We also show how Unit's distribution mechanism can offload CPU intensive operations, as well as avoid costly special-purpose hardware in experimental setups.
Electron Beam Propagation In Inhomogeneous Media

This study concerns energetic dense electron beam propagation in nuclear disturbed environments. In particular, it centers on beam losses through dissipation processes. Relevant atmospheric conditions known from high-altitude nuclear explosions are summarized. Modeling of geomagnetic data as well as some new theoretical ideas for studying beam propagation are briefly described.
Microfinance Matures: Opportunities, Risks, and Obstacles for an Emerging Global Industry

tremendous opportunities for the service providers involved and, more importantly for the millions of people who will, as a consequence, newly have access to financial services. Yet the shift is neither inevitable nor without risks. While the volume of microfinance services is clearly growing rapidly, the numbers obscure the unevenness of services provision when considered both geographically and from the standpoint of quality. Estimates of the worldwide number of microfinance borrowers range from 30 to 152 million. Yet markets in many countries, including giants such as Brazil and China, remain untapped relative to those in others, such as Bangladesh. Furthermore, many of the clients included in these figures lack access to an adequately tailored or diverse set of services, including not only credit, but also savings, insurance, and payment products. As a consequence, for most of the world’s low income populations, access to financial services remains either non-existent or substandard. New applications of technology—improvements in back-end processing and integration with cell phones, ATMs, and the Internet—combined with the entry of large new players, such as major banking institutions, are justifiably creating significant excitement in the field of microfinance. Yet a possibility exists that the resulting disruptions within the industry will ultimately diminish, rather than Elisabeth Rhyne and Maria Otero
Live longer on MARS: a yeast paradigm of mitochondrial adaptive ROS signaling in aging.

Adaptive responses to stress, including hormesis, have been im- plicated in longevity, but their mechanisms and outcomes are not fully un- derstood. Here, I briefly summarize a longevity mechanism elucidated in the budding yeast chronological lifespan model by which Mitochondrial Adaptive ROS Signaling (MARS) promotes beneficial epigenetic and metabolic remodel- ing. The potential relevance of MARS to the human disease Ataxia-
Differential expression of PKC isoforms and PC12 cell differentiation.

Abstract Recent reports indicate that the protein kinase inhibitor H7 is capable of inducing both morphological and functional differentiation of a number of neural cell types. This investigation demonstrates that H7 potentiates the neurogenic properties of nerve growth factor (NGF) in PC12 cells with a concomitant change in the accumulation of the βII-protein kinase C (βIIPKC) isoform protein without changes in either α or γ. However, NGF alone stimulates a coordinate increase in all three isoforms. The assay of acetylcholine esterase as a functional marker of neuronal differentiation demonstrates that H7 alone is not capable of stimulating morphological or functional differentiation in PC12 cells. H7 synergizes with NGF through a PKC-dependent pathway and by differential expression of PKC subtypes. The expression of the PKC transcripts for α, βII, and γ all undergo simultaneous yet differential changes in their patterns of expression during treatment with H7 and/or NGF. These data suggest that isoform switching is regulated primarily at the protein level. Last, these findings suggest that expression of PKC isoforms is tightly coupled with neuronal differentiation and may play a role in the maintenance of the differentiated state.
Opiate Agonists and Antagonists Discriminated by Receptor Binding in Brain

Receptor binding of opiate agonists and antagonists can be differentiated in vivo and in vitro. Administration of either rapidly elevates stereospecific [(3)H]dihydromorphine binding to mouse brain extracts by 40 to 100 percent, but antagonists are 10 to 1000 times more potent than agonists; as little as 0.02 milligram of naloxone per kilogram of body weight significantly enhances opiate receptor binding. Sodium enhances antagonist binding in vitro but decreases agonist binding, a qualitative difference that may be relevant to the divergent pharmacological properties of opiate agonists and antagonists.
Successful treatment of relapsed infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia with intensive antimetabolite‐based chemotherapy

Purpose The treatment of infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) continues to be a significant challenge for pediatric oncologists due to the high incidence of early relapses. Salvage regimens used to date have met limited success. We describe two cases of relapsed infant ALL who have achieved long-term survival with an intensive antimetabolite-based salvage regimen. Patients and Methods Two consecutive infants with relapsed ALL presented at our institution and were treated with an antimetabolite-based regimen. Both cases exhibited clinical and biological phenotypes previously associated with infantile ALL. Results Both patients have achieved prolonged and sustained remissions 48 and 30 months EFS respectively following therapy with intensive antimetabolite-based salvage regimen. Conclusions An intensive multiagent antimetabolite-based salvage regimen resulted in prolonged EFS in two cases of relapsed infant ALL. Dose intensification was achieved by administering repeated cycles of the same treatment schema using high dose chemotherapy throughout therapy. These infants were spared prophylactic cranial irradiation without a negative impact on outcome. The use of L-asparaginase, timed after high-dose Cytarabine (ARA-C) throughout therapy, might have contributed to their cure. Med. Pediatr. Oncol. 29:256–259, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A standardized method for determining the acute toxicity of chemicals to earthworms

Abstract A simple procedure for assaying the acute toxicity of chemical compounds to earthworms is presented. Earthworms ( Lumbricus terrestris ) were exposed to standardized test media composed of water, nonsterile sandy loam soil, and different concentrations of rabbit feces (food) ranging from 0 to 100 g/kg. General physical condition of the worms, weight changes, and mortality were the criteria used to evaluate the different media. The greatest percentage increase in group body weights, with no mortalities, occurred in the test medium containing 50 g of food per kilogram of medium. This medium was then evaluated using Benomyl. The 7- and 14-day LC 50 ± SE of Benomyl were found to be 1.704 ± 0.766 and 0.423 ± 0.087 ppm, respectively.
Parental Authority Questionnaire

A questionnaire was developed for the purpose of measuring Baumrind's (1971) permissive, authoritarian, and authoritative parental authority prototypes. It consists of 30 items per parent and yields permissive, authoritarian, and authoritative scores for both the mother and the father; each of these scores is derived from the phenomenological appraisals of the parents' authority by their son or daughter. The results of several studies have supported the Parental Authority Questionnaire as a psychometrically sound and valid measure of Baumrind's parental authority prototypes, and they have suggested that this questionnaire has considerable potential as a valuable tool in the investigation of correlates of parental permissiveness, authoritarianism, and authoritativeness.