cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Results of Chemoimmunotherapy With Fludarabine, Cyclophosphamide, and Rituximab for Patients With Relapsed and Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Abstract Introduction The majority of patients with progressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) will relapse after front-line treatment and will require salvage therapy. The addition of rituximab (R) to fludarabine (F) and cyclophosphamide (C) is associated with improved responses and relapse-free survival in untreated patients with CLL (Hallek et al, 2009) and patients with CLL in first relapse (Robak et al, 2008). We present an update of FCR in patients with relapsed or refractory CLL. Patients and Methods We administered FCR between November 1999 and 2008 to 284 patients with relapsed CLL. Patients received a combination of fludarabine 25 mg/m 2 day 1-3, cyclophosphamide 250 mg/m 2 day 1-3, and rituximab on day 1 at 375mg/m 2 for cycle 1, and 500 mg/m 2 for cycles 2 to 6. Patients were assessed for response by 1996 National Cancer Institute (NCI) Working Group response criteria and for time to failure of therapy (TTF) and overall survival (OS). We assessed standard pretreatment characteristics including response to prior therapy. Results Patients entered into the study had a median age of 60 years (31-84 years). Median number of prior treatments was 2 (range, 1-10). Responses included 86 patients with CR (31%), 41 nPR (15%), and 84 PR (30%); OR was 75%. Median OS is 46 months (95% CI, 41-54 months), and median TTF is 21 months (95% CI, 19-27 months). On multivariate analysis, the variables independently associated with longer TTF were younger age, higher platelets, lower lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) or serum creatinine, lower number of prior treatment, fludarabine sensitivity, and absence of chromosome 17 abnormalities on karyotype. Six full dose cycles of FCR were administered to 104 patients (36%). The most common hematologic toxicity was grade 3 and 4 neutropenia complicating 22% and 34% of treatment courses. Forty-six patients (16%) experienced one or more episodes of pneumonia or sepsis during or following treatment. Conclusion FCR is an effective regimen in patients with relapsed CLL. FCR should be considered as salvage therapy for patients in third relapse or less, not refractory to fludarabine or without chromosome 17 abnormalities or complex karyotype. Elderly patients (> 70 years) experienced more treatment-related toxicity and should be assessed for comorbidities prior to therapy.
The effect of pre-group training on members' level of anxiety

Abstract This article examines the effect of pre-group training upon members' state and trait anxiety levels.
Measurement of the viscosity of guar gum solutions to 50,000 s−1 using a parallel plate rheometer

It is frequently necessary to measure the viscosity of polymer solutions at high shear rates to obtain data under the conditions encountered in industrial processes. Such measurements are most often made on a capillary viscometer. This paper presents a method of determining solution viscosities at shear rates up to 50,000 s−1 in a rotational rheometer using a parallel plate geometry. The two keys to performing these measurements are very small gaps between the parallel plates (on the order of 50 microns) to eliminate inertial secondary flows, and the ability to increase and decrease the shear rate quickly to minimize viscous heating. A technique for setting and measuring small gaps is presented. Possible sources of error including inertia, axial compliance, and viscous heating are analyzed. A comparison Is made between the viscosity of a 0.7 percent hydroxypropyl guar (HPG) solution measured on the parallel plate rheometer and the viscosity measured in a capillary viscometer. Viscosities of HPG solutions having concentrations of 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, and 1.45 percent are presented over the shear rate range 100 to 50,000 s−1.
Gastric Emptying Controls Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

To understand how operations for obesity affect type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) requires an understanding of the control of gastric emptying by receptors in the duodenum and distal ileum and the implications of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) functioning as both the brake hormone and an incretin. The small bowel requires a near isotonic content and proper concentration of glucose and other nutrients. There is a system with receptors at both ends of the small bowel that maintains the required content by regulating gastric emptying and by rapid transit of what might create problems. This explains how GLP-1 causes, prevents and cures T2DM.
Organic Surface Analysis by Two-Laser Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry

This paper describes two-laser ion trap mass spectrometry (L2ITMS) for the analysis of organic, polymeric, and biological surfaces. L2ITMS uses one laser to desorb intact molecules from a surface, a second laser for photoionization, and an ion trap for single or tandem mass spectrometric analysis. We demonstrate the capabilities of this instrument by performing laser desorption/photoionization/tandem mass spectrometric analyses of amino acid and mixed polymer thin films. We then use L2ITMS in conjunction with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to chemically analyze the surface of an ion-bombarded polystyrene thin film. Low-energy SF5+ ion bombardment causes fluorination of intact polystyrene, partial destruction of the aromaticity of the polystyrene, fluorination of the resultant nonaromatic organic material, and sputtering of the polystyrene. The first of these dominates at 50 eV ion energy, while the latter three dominate at 250 eV.
Effect of laser fragmentation of cholesterol and mixed gallstones on in vitro dissolution in methyl tert-butyl ether.

This study examined cholesterol and mixed gallstone dissolution in vitroby methyltert-butyl ether (MTBE) after gallstone fragmentation. Three morphologically identical gallstones were obtained from 42 patients. One stone from each patient was fragmented with laser energy at a wavelength of 504 nm delivered to the stone surface with a 320-μm quartz fiber. Intact and fragmented stones from the same patient were incubated without stirring in MTBE and dissolution was expressed as the percent of initial stone weight remaining after 2 hr. Stone composition did not correlate with the amount of laser energy required for stone fragmentation. Fragmented stones dissolved faster than intact stones in MTBE with 13.97%±0.37% vs 31.0%±0.51% respectively (mean±SEM) of initial stone weight remaining at 2 hr (P<0.0001). Initial stone weight and stone matrix content significantly predicted dissolution of intact (P=0.0033 and P=0.0483, respectively) and fragmented stones (P=0.003 and P=0.0001, respectively) in MTBE. These data suggest that the gallstone matrix may inhibit stone dissolution even after stone fragmentation.
Sediment resuspension and light attenuation in Peoria Lake: can macrophytes improve water quality in this shallow system?

We examined sediment resuspension and light attenuation in relation to the potential for macrophytes to improve water quality conditions in Peoria Lake, Illinois (U.S.A.). The lake exhibited high total suspended solids (TSS) loading and retention of predominantly fine-grained particles in 2000. Large fetches along prevailing wind rose, coupled with shallow morphometry and sediment particles composed of >90% silt and clay resulted in frequent periods of sediment resuspension. As calculated (wave theory) shear stress increased above the critical shear stress (measured experimentally), turbidity increased substantially at a resuspension monitoring station. Resuspension model explorations suggested that establishment of submersed aquatic macrophytes could substantially reduce sediment resuspension in Peoria Lake. However, Kd is currently very high, while Secchi transparency low, at in-lake stations. Thus, in order to establish a persistent macrophyte population in the lake to control resuspension, the underwater light regime will have to improve quite dramatically.
An adjusted likelihood-ratio algorithm for the Behrens-Fisher problem

We present an algorithm which will incorporate an adjusted likelihood and a scaled likelihood procedure for the Behrens-Fisher problem. Nonuniqueness of the maximum likelihood estimates for the common mean are demonstrated on a simple example showing how ill-conditioned the maximum likelihood equations can be. Our results, however, show that the significance levels are stable even when the means are sensitive to perturbations.
Temperature dependence of the absorption edge of vitreous silica

During an investigation of the optical properties of high-purity vitreous silica (fused quartz), which is being developed by NASA as a reflective and ablative heat shield, some interesting properties of theoretical and experimental nature have become apparent which otherwise may have remained unnoticed. Of particular interest for the NASA application is the shift of the absorption edge toward longer wavelengths with increasing temperature. The results of studies of this shift and of the spectral dependence of the absorption edge are summarized in the present paper. Plots of the absorption edge and the absorption spectrum of fused quartz vs temperature are given and discussed.
Vital role of nuclear data in space missions

NASA has a new vision for space exploration in the 21st Century encompassing a broad range of human and robotic missions including missions to Moon, Mars and beyond. Exposure from the hazards of severe space radiation in deep space long duration missions is a critical design driver. Thus, protection from the hazards of severe space radiation is of paramount importance for the new vision. Accurate risk assessments critically depend on the accuracy of the input information about the interaction of ions with materials, electronics and tissues. A huge amount of essential experimental information of nuclear data for all the ions in space, across the periodic table, for a wide range of energies of several (up to a trillion) orders of magnitude are needed for the radiation protection engineering for space missions that is simply not available (due to the high costs) and probably never will be. One is required to know how every element (and all isotopes of each element) in the periodic table interacts and fragments on every other element in the same table as a function of kinetic energy ranging over many decades. In addition, the accuracy of the input information and database, in general and nuclear data in particular, is very critical and of paramount importance for space exposure assessments particularly in view the agency's vision for deep space exploration. As a result, very accurate and reliable analytical models/tools are needed to describe nuclear interactions that are not available so that radiation risks can be assessed and adequate shielding can be designed. State-of-the-art nuclear cross sections models have been developed at the NASA Langley Research Center. An overview of the vital role and importance of nuclear data for space missions with a couple of examples are discussed.
Responsibility and Nanotechnology

In this paper we argue that the concept and practice of responsibility is being transformed within science and engineering. It tells the story of attempts by nanotechnologists to make responsibility ‘do-able’ and calculable in a setting where the established language and tools of risk and risk analysis are seen as inadequate. The research is based on ethnographic participant-observation at the National Science Foundation-funded Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN) at Rice University in Texas, during the period 2003 to 2007, including the controversies and public discussions it was engaged in and the creation of the International Council on Nanotechnology (ICON). CBEN began as a project to study ‘applications’ of nanotechnology to environmental and biological systems, but turned immediately to the study of ‘implications’ to biology and environment. We argue here that the notion of ‘implications’ and the language of risk employed early on addressed two separate but entangled ideas: ...
Molecular Basis of Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Bisphosphate Recognition by the Adaptor Protein Tirap

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) provide a mechanism for host defense by activating innate immune responses. Activated TLRs [e.g., by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)] dimerize, and interact with adaptor proteins through their cytosolic TIR domains to trigger a signaling cascade that ultimately leads to the expression of proteins involved in pro-inflammatory responses. One such adaptor protein is the TIR domain-containing adaptor protein (TIRAP), which contains an N-terminal phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2)-binding region that is required for plasma membrane targeting and a C-terminal TIR domain, which mediates myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) association. Upon ligand binding, the LPS-binding protein TLR4 is proposed to be recruited to PtdIns(4,5)P2-rich regions where TIRAP resides. At these sites, TIRAP recruits MyD88 to the plasma membrane via TIR-TIR domain interactions; thus TIRAP bridges MyD88 binding to activated TLR4. A conserved short stretch at the N-terminus of TIRAP has been shown to be sufficient to target the protein to the plasma membrane. We show that this region, which we named the PtdIns(4,5)P2 binding motif (PBM), folds in dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) micelles, and binds PtdIns(4,5)P2. The solution structure of the DPC-associated TIRAP PBM indicates that the peptide adopts a helical structure in micelles. Furthermore, we demonstrate that PtdIns(4,5)P2 can induce a helical structure in TIRAP PBM, a feature observed in other PtdIns(4,5)P2 modules. NMR data indicates that TIRAP PBM binds PIP2 in a fast exchange regime with a moderate affinity through two conserved basic regions. Thus, these studies will provide a basis for understanding the mechanism of TIRAP's membrane targeting and recruitment of TIR-containing proteins required to trigger pro-inflammatory signaling.
The validation of a home food inventory

Home food inventories provide an efficient method for assessing home food availability; however, few are validated. The present study's aim was to develop and validate a home food inventory that is easily completed by research participants in their homes and includes a comprehensive range of both healthful and less healthful foods that are associated with obesity. A home food inventory (HFI) was developed and tested with two samples. Sample 1 included 51 adult participants and six trained research staff who independently completed the HFI in participants' homes. Sample 2 included 342 families in which parents completed the HFI and the Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ) and students completed three 24-hour dietary recall interviews. HFI items assessed 13 major food categories as well as two categories assessing ready-access to foods in the kitchen and the refrigerator. An obesogenic household food availability score was also created. To assess criterion validity, participants' and research staffs' assessment of home food availability were compared (staff = gold standard). Criterion validity was evaluated with kappa, sensitivity, and specificity. Construct validity was assessed with correlations of five HFI major food category scores with servings of the same foods and associated nutrients from the DHQ and dietary recalls. Kappa statistics for all 13 major food categories and the two ready-access categories ranged from 0.61 to 0.83, indicating substantial agreement. Sensitivity ranged from 0.69 to 0.89, and specificity ranged from 0.86 to 0.95. Spearman correlations between staff and participant major food category scores ranged from 0.71 to 0.97. Correlations between the HFI scores and food group servings and nutrients on the DHQ (parents) were all significant (p < .05) while about half of associations between the HFI and dietary recall interviews (adolescents) were significant (p < .05). The obesogenic home food availability score was significantly associated (p < .05) with energy intake of both parents and adolescents. This new home food inventory is valid, participant-friendly, and may be useful for community-based behavioral nutrition and obesity prevention research. The inventory builds on previous measures by including a wide range of healthful and less healthful foods rather than foods targeted for a specific intervention.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Multiple Tailored Messages for Smoking Cessation Among Callers to the Cancer Information Service

ABSTRACT Self-help materials computer-tailored to the specific needs of smokers have shown promise as a high-reach, low-cost intervention for smoking cessation. Adding tailored cessation materials to telephone-based cessation counseling may be a way of generating greater efficacy in promoting and maintaining cessation. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of adding different types of behavioral smoking cessation materials to brief telephone-based cessation counseling. A total of 1,978 smokers calling the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Cancer Information Service (CIS) for help in quitting smoking initially received brief cognitive–behavioral cessation counseling from a CIS information specialist. Following a baseline interview administered by the information specialist, subjects were randomly assigned to one of four conditions, each delivered by U.S. mail: a single, untailored smoking cessation guide (SU); a single, tailored smoking cessation guide (ST); a series of four (multiple) pr...
Ammonium Acetate Enhances the Attractiveness of a Variety of Protein-Based Baits to Female Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Ammonia and its derivatives are used by female fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) as volatile cues to locate protein-rich food needed to produce their eggs. This need for external protein sources has led to the development of behaviorally based control strategies such as food-based lures and insecticidal baits targeting pestiferous fruit fly species. In field cage studies conducted in Hawaii, we examined the behavioral response of laboratory-reared male and female Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), to seven commercially available protein baits and to beer waste, a relatively inexpensive and readily available substance. Each material was tested alone or in combination with either ammonium acetate or ammonium carbonate. For the majority of baits evaluated, the presence of ammonium acetate, but not ammonium carbonate, elicited a significantly greater level of response of female C. capitata compared with the protein baits alone. The addition of ammonium acetate to selected baits increased bait attractiveness to a level comparable with that elicited by the most widely used spinosad-based protein bait, GF-120. Our findings indicate that the addition of ammonium acetate to commercially available proteinaceous baits and to beer waste can greatly improve their attractiveness to C. capitata, potentially increasing the bait's effectiveness for fruit fly monitoring and suppression.
Inhaled corticosteroid use in asthmatic children receiving Ohio Medicaid: trend analysis, 1997–2001

Background In 1997, national guidelines emphasized that inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) are key therapy for individuals with all classes of persistent asthma, including children. Objective To examine the effect of these guidelines via time-trend analysis of ICS dispensation among children with asthma and Ohio Medicaid insurance. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional analysis by yearly cohorts was performed. From January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2001, all children from birth to the age of 18 years with 6 months of Ohio Medicaid enrollment or more, 1 or more asthma diagnoses associated with a provider claim, and 1 or more prescription claims for an asthma medication in a given calendar year were identified using claims data. The daily beclomethasone equivalent (BME) dose, the daily albuterol equivalent dose, and asthma-related health care use were calculated for each child within each yearly cohort. A time-trend regression analysis of subjects enrolled in all 5 years examined factors associated with BME. Results A total of 77,557 children met the study criteria. Among the 1,475 children enrolled during all 5 years, year of enrollment was a positive independent predictor of BME after adjustment for age, race, sex, systemic steroid bursts, albuterol equivalent dose, and health care use ( P Conclusions The daily BME dose significantly increased for children with asthma insured by Ohio Medicaid from 1997 to 2001. However, the percentages of children receiving both ICS and a therapeutic BME dose were alarmingly low. The mean BME dose was particularly low among children with 1 or more emergency department visits, no hospitalizations, and 3 or fewer physician visits for asthma per year, suggesting that broader efforts to target this group are needed.
Run-time visualization of program data

An improvement to visualization systems that provides a graphics window into an application displaying program data at run-time through an easy-to-use graphical interface is discussed. With little or no instrumentation of the application the user will be able to dynamically select data for graphical display as the program executes on a remote computer system. The data to be displayed and the type of display to be used are chosen interactively while the application is executing. Any data display can be enabled and disabled at any time; it is not necessary to specify the data or graphics technique before compilation as with conventional graphics tools. An architecture for such a remote visualization system is proposed, and an implementation, called Vista, is described. Designed primarily for scientific visualization, Vista or offers an environment for more effective debugging and program development. >
Comparison of responses to alarm calls by patas (Erythrocebus patas) and vervet (Cercopithecus aethiops) monkeys in relation to habitat structure

Published by and copyright of Wiley-Liss Inc. The definitive version of this article is available online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.10104/abstract
An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Atomic Section Model

Society increasingly depends on web applications for business and pleasure. As the use of web applications continues to increase, the number of failures, some minor and some major, continues to grow. A significant problem is that we still have relatively weak abilities to test web applications. Traditional testing techniques do not adequately model or test these novel technologies. The atomic section model (ASM), models web applications to support design, analysis, and testing. This paper presents an empirical study to evaluate the effectiveness of the ASM. The model was implemented into a tool, WASP, which extracts the ASM from the implementation and supports various test criteria. We studied ten web applications, totaling 156 components and 11,829 lines of code. Using WASP, we generated 207 tests, which revealed 31 faults.Seventeen of those faults exposed internal information about the application and server.
Is G2-arrest an active cellular response to irradiation?

SummaryProtein synthesis is normally required for G2-cell progression and for recovery from radiation-induced G2-arrest. In the presence of 5mm caffeine this requirement is alleviated, indicating that the mechanism responsible for G2 cell progression acutally remains intact in irradiated or protein synthesis inhibitor-treated cells. It is suggested that both radiation and cycloheximide-induced G2-arrest are not, therefore, passive consequences of cellular defects, but are rather, active cellular responses to the state of cellular integrity, implying the existence of G2 cell progression controls.
Heterogeneity in Ultimatum Bargaining: The Role of Information, Individual Characteristics, and Emotions

Individuals engage in negotiation and bargaining on a daily basis. Some of these negotiations are small and repeated (as with a spouse, friends, or coworkers) while others are larger and relatively infrequent (as with employers, suppliers, or involving a large personal purchase). In some of these negotiations, interests are in conflict, whereas in others interests are aligned. However, underlying each case, there is a surplus to be divided, and frequently each side jockeys for the largest share possible.
Spin Glasses and High-Tc Superconductivity

This publication deals with the current controversy concerning flux creep or glass behavior in high-T c superconducting single crystals. It is shown that the flux creep picture is merely a phenomenological approach to the glass behavior for relatively short times and low temperatures. Glassy effects are predicted for temperatures between 70% and 95% T c and magnetic field in the range of 300 G to 2000 G. The glass concept can be understood as a generalization of the traditional flux creep picture.
Blood Level of Sodium 1-Methyl Butyl Barbituric Acid and Duration of Anesthesia in Rabbits

Summary1. The correlation between the blood level of sodium pentobarbital and the duration of anesthesia in rabbits was investigated.2. The awakening level was found to be quite constant at about 1.2 mg %, and was uninfluenced by route of administration or dose of the drug in the range tested.3. No relation could be demonstrated between duration of anesthesia and the barbiturate blood level 10 minutes after injection, or with awakening blood level.
Separation of rat anterior pituitary hormones by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

SummaryBands containing hormonal activities of prolactin, GH, TSH and LH were localized on polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic columns. Prolactin activity was found predominantly in the fastest migrating major band. GH activity was associated with a major band migrating at a rate less than that of albumin. TSH and LH activity were found in slowly migrating components very near the origin, and were associated so closely that separate elution was not possible. FSH and ACTH activities were not detected. The possibility that similar hormonal activity may be present in several rather than a single band is suggested.
Gender Stereotypes and Citizens' Impressions of House Candidates' Ideological Orientations

categorization on the basis of gender to occur among the most and least politically sophisticated. Finally, citi? zens draw on stereotypes of women to assign attributes to female candi? dates, not on stereotypes of men to infer attributes of male candidates. A growing body of research demonstrates the importance of candi? date gender for citizen assignment of attributes to candidates. This research is part of a trend in scholarship on public opinion and voting behavior that emphasizes citizens' strategies for forming impres? sions of candidates' attributes with minimal cognitive effort and time (Popkin 1996; Rahn 1993; Sniderman, Brody, and Tetlock 1991). Here I ex? amine the characteristics of candidates and citizens that moderate use of candidate gender as a tool used by citizens to infer the ideological orienta? tions of 1994, 1996, and 1998 candidates for the United States House of Representatives. Though still a minority of candidates, in the 1990s the number of women seeking election to the House of Representatives and the Senate increased considerably, presenting an excellent opportunity for scholars to examine the relevance of candidate gender for citizen assign? ment of pertinent attributes.
Observations on the winter ecology of the bat fly Trichobius corynorhini Cockerell (Diptera: Streblidae).

The frequency and levels of infestation of the bat fly Trichobius corynorhini Cockerell on its normal host Plecotus townsendii Cooper are examined. A direct relationship between winter host density and levels of bat fly infestation is demonstrated. Frequency and levels of infestation are greatest on females. No differences in frequency or levels of infestation are shown for solitary and clustered female hosts, although clustered males are more frequently and heavily parasitized than solitary males. It is hypothesized that higher frequencies and levels of bat fly infestation on males in winter are coincident with a shift from a solitary behavior of males in summer to an increase in cluster frequency and association with females in autumn and winter. Apparent movements of bat flies from more heavily infested females to male hosts may reduce intraspecific competition and thus permit optimal utilization of food resources (blood) when both sexes of the host are together in hibernation and blood from the host is potentially limiting due to a decrease in peripheral circulation. Evidence from the disproportionate frequencies and levels of infestation on males and females in clusters suggests the existence of a host factor produced by females which may attract flies and thus enhance their hostfinding success. This may be necessary to insure reproductive success of flies in the warm summer months owing to the propensity for males to roost singly at this time and for females to form nursery aggregations.
Radical sister : Lucy Freibert as feminist nun, activist, and educator.

RADICAL SISTER: LUCY FREIBERT AS FEMINIST NUN, ACTIVIST, AND EDUCATOR Jessica Whitish April 14, 2014 Sister Lucy Freibert is a Sister of Charity of Nazareth, women’s studies scholar, and a feminist activist. Most importantly to Lucy, she is an educator; she taught the first women’s studies course, “Women in Literature,” at UofL in 1973, leading the charge to bring feminist scholarship and the fight for women’s equality to the university campus. In an oral history with Lucy, I have explored how she has combined her commitments to her faith and her Church with her commitment to feminism, particularly as she navigated the two transitional storms of Vatican II and the women’s liberation movement.
Targeting lymphoma with precision using semisynthetic anti-idiotype peptibodies

B-cell lymphomas express a functionally active and truly tumor-specific cell-surface product, the variable region of the B-cell receptor (BCR), otherwise known as idiotype. The tumor idiotype differs, however, from patient to patient, making it a technical challenge to exploit for therapy. We have developed a method of targeting idiotype by using a semisynthetic personalized therapeutic that is more practical to produce on a patient-by-patient basis than monoclonal antibodies. In this method, a small peptide with affinity for a tumor idiotype is identified by screening a library, chemically synthesized, and then affixed to the amino terminus of a premade IgG Fc protein. We demonstrate that the resultant semisynthetic anti-idiotype peptibodies kill tumor cells in vitro with specificity, trigger tumor cell phagocytosis by macrophages, and efficiently clear human lymphoma in a murine xenograft model. This method could be used to target tumor with true precision on a personalized basis.
Examining Quality in Two Preschool Settings: Publicly Funded Early Childhood Education and Inclusive Early Childhood Education Classrooms

Although classroom quality is an important consideration, few recent research studies have examined the process and structural quality in publicly funded early childhood education (ECE) and inclusive ECE classrooms. This study provides an important contribution to the literature by comparing two conceptualizations of quality in classrooms serving children from low-income households and those with disabilities. (1) To characterize and to determine differences with regard to process and structural quality in publicly funded ECE and inclusive ECE classrooms, and (2) to examine whether and to what extent the process quality varied when controlling for structural quality and classroom income/race variables. One hundred and sixty four classrooms (85 ECE, 79 inclusive) that were enrolled in two large-scale intervention studies examining a book-reading program were included in the present study. The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS; Pianta et al. in Classroom assessment scoring system, Paul H. Brookes, Baltimore, 2008) and three detailed questionnaires were used to quantify process and structural quality, respectively. Results revealed quantitative differences in process quality, specifically in the emotional support dimension of negative climate as well as all dimensions of instructional support, between the two settings. In addition, teachers’ education was a significant predictor of process quality, and publicly funded ECE classrooms scored over two points higher on the instructional support domain of the CLASS when controlling for other structural quality measures and income and race. Our findings have implications for best practice guidelines and policies, particularly for classroom environments serving children with disabilities, which are discussed.
Design of wide-area damping control system for inter-area oscillations in AC/DC hybrid power system

Eigenvalues shifted factor based wide-area damping control system is proposed for the inter-area oscillations in AC/DC hybrid power system.Firstly,nonnegative eigenvalues shifted factor matrix with respect to the shifting of multi-dimension modes are presented.Detail derivation of optimum input vector coordinating DC additional controllers are proposed.Then the optimum locations for controllers are chosen by controllability according to the characteristic of eigenvalues shifted factor.The contribution factors are proposed to select the most effective feedback signals.The simulation results of Western Electricity Co-ordination Council (WECC) demonstrate that wide-area damping control system can coordinate multiple DC additional controllers to move the dominant modes to stable area.Meanwhile,the robustness of wide-area damping control system is tested in the conditions of time delay,loss of signals and uncertainty of models.
Captivity, Adaptation to*

Six stages of adaptation to captivity, adapted from prisoner-of-war and hostage experiences, are presented. The initial stages take place over very short time intervals. The intermediate to late stages require several days to several months of adjustment. Mention is made regarding helpful coping at each of these stages of adaptation.
Patient outcomes after critical illness: a systematic review of qualitative studies following hospital discharge

There is growing interest in patient outcomes following critical illness, with an increasing number and different types of studies conducted, and a need for synthesis of existing findings to help inform the field. For this purpose we conducted a systematic review of qualitative studies evaluating patient outcomes after hospital discharge for survivors of critical illness. We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and CENTRAL databases from inception to June 2015. Studies were eligible for inclusion if the study population was >50 % adults discharged from the ICU, with qualitative evaluation of patient outcomes. Studies were excluded if they focused on specific ICU patient populations or specialty ICUs. Citations were screened in duplicate, and two reviewers extracted data sequentially for each eligible article. Themes related to patient outcome domains were coded and categorized based on the main domains of the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) framework. A total of 2735 citations were screened, and 22 full-text articles were eligible, with year of publication ranging from 1995 to 2015. All of the qualitative themes were extracted from eligible studies and then categorized using PROMIS descriptors: satisfaction with life (16 studies), including positive outlook, acceptance, gratitude, independence, boredom, loneliness, and wishing they had not lived; mental health (15 articles), including symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and irritability/anger; physical health (14 articles), including mobility, activities of daily living, fatigue, appetite, sensory changes, muscle weakness, and sleep disturbances; social health (seven articles), including changes in friends/family relationships; and ability to participate in social roles and activities (six articles), including hobbies and disability. ICU survivors may experience positive emotions and life satisfaction; however, a wide range of mental, physical, social, and functional sequelae occur after hospital discharge. These findings are important for understanding patient-centered outcomes in critical care and providing focus for future interventional studies aimed at improving outcomes of importance to ICU survivors.
All-polarization maintaining mode-locked fiber laser based on carbon NanoWalls saturable absorber

We report a soliton mode-locked oscillation with all-polarization maintaining fiber laser based on Carbon NanoWalls saturable absorber. Kelly sideband which is characteristic spectrum pattern of a soliton mode-locked oscillation was measured and the bandwidth was 5.7nm. High intensity and high damage threshold was also measured.
Computer Architecture's Changing Role in Rebooting Computing

Researchers are now considering alternatives to the von Neumann computer architecture as a way to improve performance. The current approach of simulating benchmark applications favors continued use of the von Neumann architecture, but architects can help overcome this bias.
Analysis of a standalone microgrid stability using generic Markov jump linear systems

Recent developments to address the stability of small power systems, such as AC & DC microgrids include the use of advanced techniques that apply to Markov Jump Linear Systems (MJLSs). The system is considered to oscillate between discrete, finite operating modes, and can be represented as a Stochastic Hybrid System (SHS). Analytical solutions in terms of the moments of the power system dynamic and algebraic states were derived in previous studies. The method is validated for small systems (2 states, 2 modes). However, its scalability to larger systems remains an open question. In this paper, we apply the model to a standalone microgrid (two inverters, 36 states, 2 buses and 3 modes of operation). The resulting system statistics converge to Monte Carlo simulations. Future work will extend the application of the model to arbitrary large scale systems and will derive bounds on the statistics of the dynamic states.
Diagnostic utility of surgical lung biopsies in elderly patients with indeterminate interstitial lung disease.

Background and objective Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is increasingly diagnosed by clinical and computed tomography (CT) criteria; however, surgical lung biopsy (SLB) may still be required in patients who lack definite CT features of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). We reviewed a cohort of elderly patients who underwent SLB, to evaluate the benefit of SLB in diagnosing idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP). Methods We searched the pathology records of Mayo Clinic for ambulatory patients at least 75 years old, who underwent SLB between 2000 and 2012 for indeterminate IIP. Histologic slides were reviewed and clinical data were extracted from the record. Results A total of 55 patients (35 male) were enrolled. Median (interquartile range) age was 77 (76-80) years. Forced vital capacity was 70 (61-76)% and diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide was 48 (42-54)% of predicted. In total, 37 (67%) patients had IPF, including 61% of those with HRCT findings inconsistent with UIP. Thirty-day mortality was 10% and 90-day mortality was 15%. Conclusion The high mortality rate of SLB complicates the risk-benefit analysis in elderly patients with IIP. The expected value of the SLB is probably highest when the HRCT features are inconsistent with UIP, due to the frequent (39%) retrieval of patterns other than UIP.
Adaptive and Automated Reasoning for Autonomous System Resilience in Uncertain Worlds

As autonomous systems are increasingly employed in high-criticality applications, their safe and reliable operation is an overarching concern. Existing applications rely on comprehensive system characterization and preplanned contingencies for operating within known and anticipated circumstances. Human intervention is often required to supplement autonomous systems, but is less desirable as system complexity increases and infeasible for certain applications. Self-managing systems are sought to provide reliable and fully autonomous operation in virtually all circumstances, including hidden and emergent scenarios. Existing approaches to this challenge (i.e., rule-based and utility-based adaptation) lack validity in operational contexts with insufficient a priori knowledge or high uncertainty (which the authors define as uncertain worlds). This paper presents an adaptive and automated decision engine for improving autonomous systems’ inherent resilience and adaptability. The concept is applied to FAA Free Flight initiatives to enhance air traffic management (ATM) safety and flexibility using increased automated technologies. The paper concludes with a discussion of an agent-based model (ABM) in development to evaluate the concept against leading methods for autonomous vehicle navigation and dynamic planning based on (a) mean success rate, (b) mean planning time, (c) mean time between policy violations, and (d) mean time to failure.
Diagnosing Lower-Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis: Can an Emergent Referral System be Improved?:

Introduction—Clinical diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can be difficult. This fact, along with our litigious environment and the expediency of obtaining venous duplex ultrasound (VDU) studie...
Risk of hepatitis B virus reactivation in patients treated with ibrutinib

TO THE EDITOR: Certain therapies for hematologic malignancies, including anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies and allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), are associated with increased risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in patients previously infected with HBV.[1][1],[2][2]
What Kinesiology Can Learn from Music

As a multidisciplinary field of study, kinesiology continues to be influenced by various academic disciplines such as biology, chemistry, education, history, math, philosophy, physics, psychology and sociology. This article highlights two important lessons that kinesiology can learn from the discipline of music.
Precipitation in 339 and 2124 aluminum: A caveat for calorimetry

The sequence of precipitation in solutionized (SOL) 2124 aluminum and direct-quenched from the die (DQD) 339 aluminum has been identified by a combination of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Both alloys form S' (Al2CuMg) as the first precipitate after GP zone dissolution. In each alloy a second phase forms at higher temperatures—Si for DQD 339 Al, θ′ (CuAl2) for SOL 2124 Al. These results illustrate two difficulties associated with the interpretation of calorimetric observations. 1) The S′ phase precipitates at a much higher temperature in 2124 Al than in 339 Al. Calorimetric determinations of activation energies for GP zone dissolution and S' precipitation suggest that the former is the rate-determining step for the latter. Since this or similar effects can be expected to control precipitation rates in other alloys, a precipitate is not uniquely identified simply by the DSC peak temperature. Accordingly, the literature must be viewed with caution unless the precipitate assigned to a DSC peak is identified by TEM. 2) As Si forms in DQD 339 aluminum, 40% of the S' precipitate dissolves. In this circumstance, where two calorimetrically opposed processes occur simultaneously, activation energies determined by differential isothermal calorimetry are erroneous.
A Model of Dispute Sequences

The debate between those that study international conflict from the systemic level and those that examine it from the nation-state level has been overtaken by a new focus on dyads. Questions about why a nation goes to war — what attributes make a nation more or less “war-prone” — or what system configurations — distribution of power, alliance arrangements — account for the greatest amount of war, have recently been replaced with a new concern for “enduring” or long term rivalries between pairs of states.2 Why do certain pairs of states engage in serious conflict after serious conflict while the members of many other dyads have little to no conflict between them.3 Since, as discussed by various writers,4 the choice of the level of analysis can have a critical impact on the statement of the research question and consequently on the answers obtained, it would be desirable if inter-nation conflict processes could be studied at several levels simultaneously. Here we propose a means for accomplishing this, together with analyses that illustrate both the significance and the interplay between these levels.
Diabatic Potential Vorticity Over the Global Tropics

Most readers are familiar with the basic concepts of conservation of absolute vorticity and potential vorticity. The conservation of absolute vorticity is generally used in a two-dimensional context, where the effects of heat sources and sinks, divergence, vertical motion and friction are ignored and the vertical component of the vorticity, i.e., \( \nabla \times \mathbf{V}+f \) is conserved following a parcel. The conservation of potential vorticity, on the other hand, is properly applied to three-dimensional motions of parcels on isentropic surfaces, following the seminal work of Ertel. Here again the heat sources and sinks and the friction terms are ignored. The effects of divergence and vertical motion, however, are retained. In a very simplistic sense, we can use the following two approximate equations: $$ \frac{{d{\zeta_a}}}{dt }=-{\zeta_a}\nabla \cdot \mathbf{V} $$ $$ \frac{{d{\varGamma_d}}}{dt }={\varGamma_d}\nabla \cdot \mathbf{V} $$
Pediatric Head and Neck Lesions

The structures of the face are formed from five mesodermal processes: the midline frontonasal process and the paired maxillary and mandibular processes (Figs. 13.1 and 13.2).
Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Diabetes in the African Immigrant Population of Sacramento County, California:

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of diabetes in the African immigrant population in Sacramento County, California.MethodsA cross-sectiona...
Recent progress in characterization of the core–shell structure of black titania

The recent observation of spectacular photocatalytic activity enhancements generated tremendous interest in the synthesis, properties, and potential applications of black titania. Most black titania are core–shell structures consisting of a perfect crystalline core surrounded by a defective surface shell. Because the properties are attributed to the defective shell, it is particularly important, but very challenging, to obtain atomic structure information of the core, the shell, and the core–shell relationship on a single particle level. While the role of various synthesis approaches for producing black titania with different properties has been extensively reviewed, this review focuses on understanding the structure–functionality relationship in black titania on a single particle level. We start by introducing the crystal and electronic band structure of different TiO2 phases, followed by the discussion of particle size effects, the origin of lattice distortions, and phase control by synthesis, and concluding with the discussion of crystalline order formation and evolution creating the defective shell.