cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of a clinical trial screening tool to enhance patient accrual

Background Clinical trial patient accrual continues to be challenging despite the identification of multiple physician, patient, and system barriers. Expanded collection of demographic data, including socioeconomic status (employment, income, education) and comorbidities, can enhance our understanding of the identified barriers, inform the development of interventions to overcome these barriers, and recognize their impact on treatment outcomes. A clinical trials screening tool was developed to collect expanded demographic data and barriers to trial enrollment; it has been implemented in the National Cancer Institute Clinical Oncology Research Program. The purpose of this article is to describe the development and implementation of the tool and to share information obtained during the first 43 months of its use. Methods There were 19,373 entries collected; 74% of those screened enrolled in a clinical trial. Demographic characteristics were compared between those screened and those enrolled. They varied significantly between the groups. Results Reasons for nonenrollment included ineligibility (50%), eligible but declined (47%), eligible but physician declined to offer participation (2%), and eligible but the study was suspended (1%). The most common reasons for ineligibility were failure to meet the protocol-specific stage of cancer, the presence of comorbidities, and the symptom-eligibility score was not met. The most common reason for eligible patients declining participation was that they had no desire to participate in research. Conclusions The tool provides valuable information about the characteristics of individuals who are screened and enrolled in National Cancer Institute-sponsored trials, as well as about barriers to enrollment in trials. The data also inform protocol development and interventions at the patient, provider, and institutional level.
Applicability of ancestral genotyping in pharmacogenomic research with hormonal contraception

To compare etonogestrel pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic outcomes by both self-reported race/ethnicity and genetically determined ancestry among contraceptive implant users. We conducted a secondary analysis of our parent pharmacogenomic study of 350 implant users. We genotyped these reproductive-aged (18-45 years) women for 88 ancestry-informative single nucleotide polymorphisms. We then assigned each participant a proportion value for African (AFR), European (EUR), and Indigenous American (AMR) ancestry based on reference population data. We correlated genetic ancestry with self-reported race/ethnicity and utilized genetic ancestry proportion values as variables for previously performed association analyses with serum etonogestrel concentrations and progestin-related side effects (e.g., bothersome bleeding and subjective weight gain). We successfully estimated genetically determined ancestry for 332 participants. EUR, AFR, and AMR ancestry were each highly correlated with self-reported White/non-Hispanic race (r = 0.64, p = 4.14 × 10-40 ), Black/African American race (r = 0.88, p = 1.36 × 10-107 ), and Hispanic/Latina ethnicity (r = 0.68, p = 4.03 × 10-47 ), respectively. Neither genetically determined ancestry nor self-reported race/ethnicity were significantly associated with serum etonogestrel concentrations. AFR ancestry and self-reported Black race had similar associations with reporting monthly periods (odds ratio [OR] 2.18, p = 0.09 vs. OR 2.22, p = 0.02) and having received treatment for bothersome bleeding (OR 5.19, p = 0.005 vs. OR 4.73, p = 2.0 × 10-4 ). In multivariable logistic regression for subjective weight gain, AMR ancestry dropped out of the model in preference for self-reported Hispanic/Latina ethnicity. We found no new associations between genetically determined ancestry and contraceptive implant pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetics. Self-reported race/ethnicity were strong surrogates for genetically determined ancestry among this population of contraceptive implant users. Our data suggest that self-reported race/ethnicity, capturing societal and cultural aspects, remain important to the investigation of progestin-related side effects.
Establishing abdominal QST reference values for healthy adults and adolescents

Debilitating abdominal and pelvic pain conditions are highly prevalent in adults and adolescents. Assessing sensory functioning among people with painful conditions is important in understanding the disease. Reference values for Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST), used to assess sensory perception, are well established for other regions but not the abdomen. The aim of this study was to establish QST reference values for the abdomen in a diverse group of males and female adults and adolescents. In this cross-sectional study, 181 healthy, pain-free males and females from age 12-50 years completed a comprehensive QST battery in upper and lower abdomen and a control site. The QST battery consisted of: Dynamic Mechanical Touch (DMT), Light Touch Detection (LTD), Sharp Prick Detection (SPD), Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT), Temporal Summation of Pain (TSP), Cool and Warmth Detection Thresholds (CDT, WDT), and Cold and Heat Pain Thresholds (CPT, HPT). Participants also answered pain-related questionnaires including the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, 36-Item Short Form Survey, Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ). Mean and standard deviation values were calculated for each QST sub-test and separated by age, sex, and body site (upper and lower abdomen, and control site). Results of RMANOVAs indicated that pain sensitivity differed by site and modality, with no consistent pattern indicating one area was generally more sensitive than others. There were also effects of sex with males experienced less sensitivity to pressure and cold pain than females. Self-reported pain sensitivity (PSQ) was associated with greater abdominal sensitivity to punctate, cold, and heat pain. This paper successfully established reference QST values for the upper and lower abdominal sites for healthy, pain-free male and female adolescents and adults which will be critical in understanding somatosensory nervous system function among patients with abdominal and pelvic pain. These data will be critical in understanding nociceptive processing in the abdominal region. Boston Center for Endometriosis/Marriott Family Foundation Investigator Grant Office of Faculty Developtment at Boston Children's Hospital.
Biological mechanisms underlying widowhood's health consequences: Does diet play a role?

Abstract The loss of a spouse is a highly stressful event that puts older adults at increased risk for morbidity and mortality. The risk is highest in the first year to 18 months post-loss; nevertheless, widow(er)s, in general, are at heightened risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) related morbidity and mortality, and to a lesser extent, non-CVD related morbidity and mortality. The primary goal of this article is to argue for a perspective that considers diet and emotion-induced autonomic, neuroendocrine, and immune dysregulation, in unison, to understand the mechanisms underlying morbidity and mortality in early widowhood. Toward this end, we first summarize our previously published work, as well as work from other investigatory teams, showing that compared with those who were not bereaved, widow(er)s have higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine production and more dysregulated autonomic and neuroendocrine activity than non-widow(er)s, independent of health behaviors such as diet. We highlight that a major gap in our current understanding of the biobehavioral mechanisms that underlie the widowhood effect is the role of diet and hypothesize that the adverse health impact of grief and associated negative emotions and diet may be more than additive. Therefore, we propose that diet may be a pathway by which widow(er)s are at higher CVD risk requiring further investigation.
An Exploration of School-Related Social Correlates of Student Psychological Ill-Being

Over the years, research examining student psychological ill-being has sought to explain this phenomenon based on the influences of conditions that students bring into the school environment. This study uses a different lens by directly examining how school relational conditions might be associated with psychological ill-being in students. Using the framework of Self-Determination Theory and data from 2522 US public school students, findings from this study revealed that both faculty and peer relational conditions were significantly associated with psychological need frustration, which was used as the marker for student psychological ill-being. Further, students with free-reduced lunch status reported experiencing need frustration more than their counterparts with non-free-reduced lunch status. Need frustration at the school level was also found to be associated with differences in student perceptions of school relational conditions. Collectively, findings from this study provide potentially useful directions for school practitioners and other educational stakeholders by extracting valuable markers for managing the challenge of student psychological ill-being within the school environment.
Solution to the ghost problem in higher-derivative gravity

With standard Einstein gravity not being renormalizable at the quantum level there is much interest in studying higher-derivative quantum gravity theories. Thus just as a Ricci-scalar-based action produces a propagator that behaves as a non-renormalizable $1/k^2$ at large $k^2$, an action based on the square of the Ricci scalar behaves as a renormalizable $1/k^4$ at large $k^2$. An action based on both the Ricci scalar and its square leads to a renormalizable propagator of the generic Pauli-Villars form. However, given the form of the Hamiltonian and the propagator such theories are thought to be plagued by either energies that are unbounded from below or states of negative Dirac norm (the overlap of a ket with its Hermitian conjugate bra). But when one constructs the quantum Hilbert space one finds (Bender and Mannheim) that in fact neither of these problems is actually present. The Hamiltonian turns out to not be Hermitian but to instead have an antilinear $PT$ symmetry, and for this symmetry the needed inner product is the overlap of a ket with its $PT$ conjugate bra. And this inner product is positive definite. Moreover, for the pure $1/k^4$ propagator the Hamiltonian turns out to not be diagonalizable, and again there are no states of negative energy or of negative norm. Instead there are states of zero norm, non-standard but perfectly acceptable states that serve to maintain probability conservation. With the locally conformal invariant fourth-order derivative conformal gravity theory being in this category, it can be offered as a candidate theory of quantum gravity that is renormalizable and unitary in four spacetime dimensions.
Correspondence Audit Studies are Necessary to Understand Discrimination

Audit studies are a type of field experiment in which researchers use individuals or correspondence (e.g., emails, job applications) to accomplish real tasks and ”audit” decision-makers’ responses to specific characteristics. Audits are extraordinarily valuable because they produce better measures of discrimination than surveys or interviews. They provide the bulk of internally valid evidence that discrimination is a persistent and pervasive phenomenon. While we can and should do better in designing and conducting audits, we cannot discard them completely. In doing so, we would set aside our best tool for examining “what,” “when,” “where,” and even “why” discrimination occurs. Substantially limiting audits would be shortsighted at a time when many forms of discrimination persist across the world.
Family Lawyering with Planned Early Negotiation: How to Get Good Results for Clients and Make Money

Based on interviews with excellent lawyers about how they handle their cases, this article summarizes planned early negotiation (PEN) procedures. Lawyering with PEN really is just good lawyering. Many lawyers do it routinely, though not as consciously, systematically, and efficiently as they might. Collaborative law and cooperative law are forms of PEN involving agreements between both sides to negotiate. But lawyers (in consultation with their clients) can use a PEN approach unilaterally without such agreements. If lawyers can work efficiently and cooperatively, they can encourage the other side to cooperate while retaining the option to litigate vigorously if needed.A systematic PEN process begins with an early assessment of the case including (1) the goals and interests of the parties and lawyers, (2) the critical facts, (3) the likely court outcome, and (4) possible agreements that might satisfy both parties. This process involves planning to negotiate at the earliest appropriate time. Counterpart lawyers take affirmative steps to develop a good working relationship from the outset of the case as this can produce many benefits and avoid many problems. Counterpart lawyers plan the logistics of negotiation including such things as the communication process (e.g., in person, by email, or phone), decisions about whether parties would attend negotiation sessions, arrangements for necessary information to be available, and setting an agenda. Lawyers listen well and essentially act as mediators between their clients and the other side though they obviously always remain committed to advancing their own clients’ interests. Part of good listening involves a respectful demonstration of one’s understanding. This can prompt the other side to feel “heard” and take reasonable positions in negotiation. It can also lead to “creating value” by figuring out what each party values and trading things that one party values more than the other.PEN can increase lawyers' professional satisfaction, generate additional referrals, relieve stress from legal practice, and generate more income. Although making more money through PEN may seem paradoxical, the process is likely to increase client satisfaction and willingness to pay legal fees, thus reducing the amount of lawyers’ unpaid work, as well as generating additional business.
Diagnosis of discrete event systems: a modular approach

We introduce a modular architecture for diagnosis in the framework of discrete event systems. The architecture is best suited for systems with multiple interacting components. We suggest to use local diagnosis at each component and provide conditions on the system structure so that the global system behavior can be diagnosed using these local diagnoses. We also discuss a test to check the diagnosability of a given system in the modular architecture set up.
Angular momentum transfer in the reactions induced by 166 MeV /sup 20/Ne on /sup 63/Cu

A study has been made of the energy, angular, and charge distribution of products emitted in the reaction of 166-MeV $^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$ ions with $^{63}\mathrm{Cu}$. The first three moments of the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray multiplicity distribution and the out-of-plane $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray angular correlations have been measured in coincidence with the projectile-like fragments. Relaxation times of 2.6 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}22}$ s for energy dissipation, 4.1 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}22}$ s for angular momentum transfer, and a charge diffusion coefficient of 0.58 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{22}$ ${(\mathrm{charge}\mathrm{units})}^{2}$ ${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ have been deduced from these data. A small $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray anisotropy and a large width of the multiplicity distribution have been observed. These are interpreted in terms of a random component of transferred angular momentum whose magnitude is comparable to that of the aligned component induced by tangential friction. Thermal excitation of collective modes of motion in the equilibrated dinuclear complex can account quantitatively for these experimental results. Other mechanisms for the generation of a random component of angular momentum are also possible.
A Complex Field

Paleomagnetic data--measurements of the magnetic fields locked into ancient rock--can reveal the locations of continental blocks early in Earth9s history. As Van der Voo describes in his Perspective, the calculations of paleogeography have assumed that Earth9s magnetic field is a simple dipole. Yet recent studies have shown that the more subtle features of the magnetic field--quadrupole and octopole effects--can have a large influence on the calculations. The results have serious implications for efforts to reconstruct the ancient continental configurations.
Sovereignty and the Legitimacy of Non-State Violence: The Legacy of World War II

Sovereignty is a concept that became generally accepted in western Europe around the middle of the 17th century. The Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 is a convenient date to mark this occurrence. States with central power and direction had emerged out of the decentralized and somewhat chaotic organizations of medieval times, and they waged wars against each other as well as with assorted brigands, maurauders, and outlaws. By 1648, they had virtually exhausted themselves and had also devastated Europe, primarily as the result of all-out religious conflicts culminating in the Thirty Years War. They decided to accept some rules, and in a way that decision was meant to close and to fix the community of states and to preserve the status quo.
Local search in unstructured networks

We review a number of message-passing algorithms that can be used to search through power-law networks. Most of these algorithms are meant to be improvements for peer-to-peer file sharing systems, and some may also shed some light on how unstructured social networks with certain topologies might function relatively efficiently with local information. Like the networks that they are designed for, these algorithms are completely decentralized, and they exploit the power-law link distribution in the node degree. We demonstrate that some of these search algorithms can work well on real Gnutella networks, scale sub-linearly with the number of nodes, and may help reduce the network search traffic that tends to cripple such networks.
Functional modification of adipocytes by grape seed extract impairs their pro-tumorigenic signaling on colon cancer stem cells and the daughter cancer cells.

// Sushil Kumar 1, * , Dileep Kumar 1, * , Komal Raina 1, 2 , Rajesh Agarwal 1, 2 , Chapla Agarwal 1, 2 1 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA 2 University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA * Contributed equally and share first authorship Correspondence to: Chapla Agarwal, e-mail: Chapla.Agarwal@UCDenver.edu Keywords: colorectal cancer, obesity, chemoprevention, phytochemicals, adipocytes Received: August 01, 2014 Accepted: September 07, 2014 Published: October 10, 2014 ABSTRACT With global rise in obesity, it is imperative that we identify obesity-driven factors that increase growth and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC), and also discover and develop agents with anti-CRC efficacy under obese conditions. Here in, we investigated grape seed extract (GSE), a well-defined agent with both preventive and anti-CRC efficacy, for its potential to impair pro-tumorigenic signaling of adipocytes on CRC/colon cancer stem cells (CSCs) and associated molecular mechanisms, to control CRC under obese conditions. GSE treatment significantly decreased the growth and invasion promoting effects of both mouse and human adipocytes on CRC cells. Moreover, GSE exerted a direct inhibitory effect, as well as it strongly reduced the growth promoting signals of adipocytes, on colon CSCs. These GSE effects were associated with a decrease in both mRNA and protein levels of various CSC-associated molecules. Notably, GSE effects on adipocytes were not due to changes in lipid content, but by inducing the ‘browning’ of adipocytes as evidenced by an increase in UCP-1 mRNA level and mitochondriogenesis. Together, these findings, for the first time, suggest the ability of GSE to induce ‘brown remodeling’ of white adipocytes, which causes functional modification of adipocytes thus impairing their pro-tumorigenic signals on colon CSCs/CRC cells.
Population viability analysis of the Taruka, Hippocamelus antisensis (D'Órbigny, 1834) (Cervidae) in southern Peru

This study analyzes the probabilities of survival for a population of tarukas (Cervidae: Hippocamelus antisensis) in southern Peru using data gathered in the...
The Effects of Public Commitment and Group Feedback on Curbside Recycling

This study examined the effects of three community interventions that rely on socially mediated consequences, rather than financial incentives, to promote consumer recycling. Households in the commitment-only group signed a letter making a public commitment to recycle and giving permission to publish their names in a local newspaper. The feedback-only group received weekly feedback on pounds of recyclable paper generated by their group. A combined-intervention group received a combination of the two previous interventions. Relative to baseline, the feedback-only and the combined-intervention groups increased the weight of recyclable paper by 25.47% and 40.00%, respectively. In contrast, neither the commitment-only group nor a no-intervention control group showed substantial changes over the same period. The implications of these interventions for developing community-wide recycling programs are discussed.
Toroidal fusion reactor design based on the reversed-field pinch

The toroidal reversed-field pinch (RFP) achieves gross equilibrium and stability with a combination of high shear and wall stabilization, rather than the imposition of tokamak-like q-constraints. Consequently, confinement is provided primarily by poloidal magnetic fields, poloidal betas as large as approximately 0.58 are obtainable, the high ohmic-heating (toroidal) current densities promise a sole means of heating a D-T plasma to ignition, and the plasma aspect ratio is not limited by stability/equilibrium constraints. A reactor-like plasma model has been developed in order to quantify and to assess the general features of a power system based upon RFP confinement. An ''operating point'' has been generated on the basis of this plasma model and a relatively detailed engineering energy balance. These results are used to generate a conceptual engineering model of the reversed-field pinch reactor (RFPR) which includes a general description of a 750 MWe power plant and the preliminary consideration of vacuum/fueling, first wall, blanket, magnet coils, iron core, and the energy storage/transfer system.
Power electronics: will our current technical vision take us to the next level of AC drive product performance?

As drive manufacturers continue to enhance specific power conversion products, a major question arises: will drive manufacturers be able to make the technological breakthroughs to achieve the promise that early in the 21st Century, power electronics will be recognized as a true enabling technology? The purpose of this paper is to identify where true breakthroughs will be needed to achieve a higher level of maturity in AC motor drives. This paper begins by defining the state of the art in AC motor drives by using functional characteristic measures in several key technology areas.
α‐Hydroxy Ketones from the Oxidation of Enol Silyl Ethers with m‐Chloroperbenzoic Acid: 6‐Hydroxy‐ 3,5,5‐Trimethyl‐2‐Cyclohexen‐1‐one

α-Hydroxy ketones from the oxidation of enol silyl ethers with m-chloroperbenzoic acid: 6-hydroxy- 3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one solvent: 11.25 mL (80.4 mmol) of freshly distilled diisopropylamine reactant: 10.0 g (72.4 mmol) of freshly distilled isophorone reactant: 17.5 mL (137.6 mmol) of freshly distilled chlorotrimethylsilane (TMSCL) intermediate: 4,6,6-trimethyl-2-trimethylsiloxycyclohexa-1,3-diene solvent: 3–5 mL of petroleum ether product: 6-hydroxy-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one Keywords: acylation; deprotection, oxygen; hydroxylation; oxidation, CH2 CHOH and CHOR; silylation; assay methods, for butyllithium; dichloromethane (methylene chloride); diisopropylamine; 1,2-dimethoxyethane, purification of; hexane
Bowel obstruction and perforation with an intraperitoneal loop intrauterine contraceptive device

Bleeding and lower abdominal pain were the presenting symptoms of a 26-year-old woman gravida 2 para 2 with a known extrauterine Lippes Loop. Kidney ureter and bladder X-ray examination showed an ectopic Lippes loop in the lower right quadrant with multiple distended loops of small bowel. Chest X-ray showed right lower lobe infiltrate. Treatment was instituted for infection and infiltrate. Diagnosis after 3 days was pelvic thrombophlebitis with septic embolization. At exploratory laparotomy a large multiloculated abdominal-pelvic abscess was found extending from the area of the ectopic Lippes Loop to the right upper quadrant and under the diaphragm. There was a transmural tear in the distal ileum at the IUD site through which a portion of the Lippes Loop extended into the bowel lumen. Bilateral tuboovarian abscesses were present. A subtotal hysterectomy bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and layered closure of the small bowel tear were performed. This case indicates that in the presence of acute pelvic inflammatory disease any extrauterine IUD should be surgically removed.
Rare-earth distributions with a positive Ce anomaly in the Western North Atlantic Ocean

From the vertical distributions of the rare-earth elements (REE) in the Sargasso Sea we now report the first profiles of Pr, Tb, Ho, Tm and Lu in seawater, together with profiles for La, Ce, Sm, Eu and Yb. The first observations of positive Ce anomalies in seawater are ascribed to reducing inshore sediments as a source for Ce (ref. 1). All vertical profiles are consistent with adsorption of trivalent rare earths by settling particles, possibly siliceous or calcareous, followed by their release at or near the sea floor on dissolution of the carriers. The very different Ce profile demonstrates the additional effects of oxidation–reduction reactions.
Exploring the Impact of Non-normality on Spatial Non-stationarity in Geographically Weighted Regression Analyses: Tobacco Outlet Density in New Jersey

The principal rationale for applying geographically weighted regression (GWR) techniques is to investigate the potential spatial non-stationarity of the relationship between the dependent and independent variables—i.e., that the same stimulus would provoke different responses in different locations. The calibration of GWR employs a geographically weighted local least squares regression approach. To obtain meaningful inference, it assumes that the regression residual follows a normal or asymptotically normal distribution. In many classical econometric analyses, the assumption of normality is often readily relaxed, although it has been observed that such relaxation might lead to unreliable inference of the estimated coefficients' statistical significance. No studies, however, have examined the behavior of residual non-normality and its consequences for the modeled relationships in GWR. This study attempts to address this issue for the first time by examining a set of tobacco-outlet-density and demographic v...
Reentry within the isolated canine bundle of His. Possible mechanism for reciprocal rhythm.

Microelectrode techniques were utilized to investigate reentrant activity in the isolated canine bundle of His. The bundle was exposed by dissection in a muscle chamber superfused with oxygenated Tyrode solution. Isolation of the bundle was completed by resection of the atrioventricular (A-V) junction and the proximal bundle branches. Extracellular stimuli were delivered to the proximal bundle. Depression of conduction induced by Tyrode solution containing 13.5 mM potassium ion was monitored by two recording intracellular microelectrodes impaled into cells of the proximal and distal bundle of His. As interelectrode activation times prolonged, second depolarizations of the proximal cell occurred. These second depolarizations often appeared as full amplitude action potentials. When block of conduction occurred immediately distal to the proximal cell, that cell was not reactivated. When conduction failed nearer the distal cell, reactivation of the proximal cell occurred followed by activation of the distal cell after various periods of delay. Occasionally, repetitive reactivation of both cells occurred. We conclude that prolongation of action potential duration proximal to sites of conduction depression may be due to reentry. Furthermore, these data suggest that functional longitudinal dissociation of conduction and reentry can occur within the bundle of His without participation of either the atria or the A-V junction. Thus, reentry within the bundle of His may be a mechanism for reciprocating rhythms.
Self‐hardening calcium phosphate composite scaffold for bone tissue engineering

Abstract Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) sets in situ to form solid hydroxyapatite, can conform to complex cavity shapes without machining, has excellent osteoconductivity, and is able to be resorbed and replaced by new bone. Therefore, CPC is promising for craniofacial and orthopaedic repairs. However, its low strength and lack of macroporosity limit its use. This study investigated CPC reinforcement with absorbable fibers, the effects of fiber volume fraction on mechanical properties and macroporosity, and the cytotoxicity of CPC–fiber composite. The rationale was that large-diameter absorbable fibers would initially strengthen the CPC graft, then dissolve to form long cylindrical macropores for colonization by osteoblasts. Flexural strength, work-of-fracture (toughness), and elastic modulus were measured vs. fiber volume fraction from 0% (CPC Control without fibers) to 60%. Cell culture was performed with osteoblast-like cells, and cell viability was quantified using an enzymatic assay. Flexural strength (mean ± SD; n =6) of CPC with 60% fibers was 13.5 ± 4.4 MPa, three times higher than 3.9 ± 0.5 MPa of CPC Control. Work-of-fracture was increased by 182 times. Long cylindrical macropores 293 ± 46 μm in diameter were created in CPC after fiber dissolution, and the CPC–fiber scaffold reached a macroporosity of 55% and a total porosity of 81%. The new CPC–fiber formulation supported cell adhesion, proliferation and viability. The method of using large-diameter absorbable fibers in bone graft for mechanical properties and formation of long cylindrical macropores for bone ingrowth may be applicable to other tissue engineering materials.
Application of differential global positioning systems to monitor frost heave and thaw settlement in tundra environments

Technological advances in Differential Global Positioning Systems (DGPS), used in conjunction with specially designed survey targets, provide a means for accurately detecting frost heave and thaw settlement in cold environments, and for relating positions precisely in worldwide geodetic reference systems. Under ideal conditions, DGPS technology is capable of measuring vertical change of 1 cm or less. The inexpensive platform targets developed for this study were designed to support a DGPS antenna, to move in concert with the ground surface in response to changes within the active layer, and to function with minimal disturbance. The targets are unlikely to be affected adversely by flooding, cold weather, snow, or animal disturbance. Although the DGPS/target methodology can be strenuous and time consuming in comparison with traditional surveying methods, preliminary results indicate that it can be used to detect frost heave and thaw settlement at very fine resolution. Post-processed rapid static carrier-phase DGPS measured a mean value of vertical heave of 1 cm and mean subsidence of 4 cm during 2001–2002 at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Traditional profile leveling techniques confirmed these measurements. DGPS is a promising tool for measurement of periglacial phenomena, and is applicable over a wide range of spatial scale. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia patients who do not reduce bacteria from the lungs have a worse prognosis.

The authors determined the significance of serial semi-quantitative bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) culture results in patients undergoing therapy for ventilator-associated pneumonia. A total of 32 patients underwent at least 2 nonbronchoscopic BAL studies. Fourteen patients had methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA). Of these, 11 had more than 100 colony-forming units (cfu) of MRSA/mL of BAL from the follow-up BAL. Eighteen patients had an organism other than MRSA, and 7 of these patients had > 100 cfu of bacteria/mL of BAL from the follow-up BAL. Of the 18 patients with > 100 cfu of bacteria/mL of BAL at follow-up, 14 (79%) died, whereas only 5 of 14 (36%) patients who cleared their bacteria at follow-up died within 28 days. The inability to reduce the bacterial burden from the lower respiratory tract within the first few days of therapy for ventilator-associated pneumonia was associated with increased mortality.
ISIS and AAPM: Encouraging Best Practices in Spine Treatment

This first issue of Pain Medicine in 2007 marks an important development in the journal's history, a cause for satisfaction but also for reflection. We have grown incrementally since our inaugural issue 1(1), published in the winter of 2000. Success indicators include: indexing by Medline on our application in 2003; special sections on ethics, forensics, spine, and aging; a more than 3-fold increase in our impact factor from 0.647 in 2002 to 2.37 in 2005 indicating that scientists and authors are citing our papers; and a more than 4-fold increase in yearly submissions including the attraction of international papers from European and Asian scientists. In 2004, Pain Medicine proudly became the official journal of AAPM's kindred organization, the prestigious Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Australia New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (FPMANZCA), an …
The Middle English Reanalysis of DO

SUMMARYFormal (syntactic, distributional) and functional evidence are presented that do did not develop directly from a lexical (causative) verb to a dummy tense-carrier (member of INFL Phrase), but first became an aspectual auxiliary on a par with have and be. Relying on the historical principle that a change, once formulated, can take several generations to complete, and that a transition phase featuring variation and lexical diffusion is to be expected, the authors offer a modified 'Principles and Parameters' account that integrates the extremes of functionalism and formalism.RESUMECette 6tude met en evidence des arguments formels (syntaxiques et distributionels) et fonctionels selon lesquels do "faire" ne serait pas directe-ment transforme de verbe lexical (causatif) en simple marqueur de temps mais aurait d'abord evolue en auxiliaire aspectuel du type have "avoir" ou be "etre". Tout en s'appuyant sur le principe historique qu'un changement, une fois amorce, peut se derouler sur plusieurs generations, et qu'il faut s'attendre a une phase de transition avec des variations et de la diffusion lexicale, les auteurs proposent une analyse modiftee du type 'Principes et Parametres' qui integre les extremes du fonctionalisme et du formalisme.ZUSAMMENFASSUNGIn diesem Aufsatz werden sowohl formale (syntaktische und distributio-nelle) als auch funktionale Argumente beigebracht, denenzufolge do "tun" sich nicht direkt von einem (kausativen) Vollverb zum vorlaufigen Tempus-Trager (also als ein Glied einer 'INFL-Phrase') entwickelt habe, sondern zu-nachst einmal ein aspekthaltiges Hilfswort wurde, have "haben" und be "sein" vergleichbar. Indem sie sich auf das historische Prinzip stutzen, daB ein im Gange befindlicher Wandel mehrere Generationen benotigen kann, um abgeschlossen zu werden, und daB daher eine Ubergangsphase zu erwarten ware, wahrend der sowohl Variation als auch lexikalische Diffusion statt-finden, legen die Autoren eine modifizierte 'Prinzipien und Parameter'-Ana-lyse vor, die die Endpunkte von Formalismus und Funktionalismus verbin-den.
The independent effects of skin tone and facial features on Whites' affective reactions to Blacks

Abstract Research on skin tone and Afrocentric features provides evidence that people use phenotypes (visible physical characteristics) to make inferences about the degree to which stereotypes about the racial group apply to the individual (i.e., to make impressions of others). However, skin tone and Afrocentric features have been confounded in prior research on this topic. The present study examines whether facial features (lip thickness, nose width) have effects on Whites' affective reactions to Black targets, above and beyond the well-documented skin tone effect by experimentally crossing variation in facial features and skin tone. The results showed that both skin tone and facial features independently affected how negatively, as opposed to positively, Whites felt toward Blacks using both implicit and explicit measures. The findings that Whites reacted more negatively toward Blacks with darker skin tone and more prototypical facial features than toward Blacks with lighter skin tone and less prototypical facial features on the explicit measure may indicate that Whites are unaware of the negative effects that Blacks' phenotypes can have on their racial attitudes. The present study demonstrated that subtle facial features, in addition to salient skin tone, also play an important role when predicting Whites' feelings about Blacks. One implication is that it is important to raise people's awareness about the effects that Blacks' phenotypes can have on their attitudes.
1001 NEUTROPHIL HETEROGENEITY IN NEONATES AND ADULTS

Monoclonal antibody 31D8 binds strongly to the major subpopulation of neutrophils (PMN) that depolarize and respond chemotactically to formy1 peptide (FMLP). 31D8 antigen appears by the myelocyte stage of differentiation (Clin. Res. 32:558A. 1984). Newborns have decreased PMN chemotaxis compared to adults. We compared 31D8 binding to PMN from 9 healthy neonates and adults using indirect fluorescent labeling and flow cytometry. All fluorescence curves generated were negatively skewed and some had a less fluorescent peak on the skewed side of the major peak. In order to determine functional significance of the labeling pattern, PMN were placed in chemotactic chambers with FMLP. Mean chemotactic values were 43.5 ± 2.μm for neonate and 64.3 ± 12.4 μrn for adult (p < 0.05). Responsive cells which traversed filters into bottom chambers were collected and labeled with 31D8. These responsive PMN were contained within a symmetric curve about the major peak (31D8 “bright”) of the unseparated population and did not include PMN which contributed to the negative skew (31D8 “dull”). This observation allowed calculation of the size of the 31D8 “bright” and “dull” subpopulations. Adult PMN consisted of 79.2 ± 5.8% 31D8 “bright” cells while neonate PMN consisted of 67.5 ± 4.5% 31D8 “bright” cells (p < 0.0002). These data suggest that neonate PMN are less responsive chemotactically than adult PMN in part because neonate PMN include a larger percentage of less responsive 31D8 “dull” cells.
Pillared montmorillonite clay as a raw material for the synthesis of β′-sialon

To control the SiO2/Al2O3 ratio in a starting clay material for the synthesis of β′-sialon by the carbothermal nitridation process, montmorillonite was pillared with Al2O3. Conversions to sialon of pillared clay (31% Al2O3) and reference unpillared montmorillonite (18% Al2O3) have been compared. Pillared montmorillonite yielded a mixture of β′-sialon and various oxynitrides and oxycarbides of alumina as intermediate products. Pillared clay transformed faster during annealing than structural components of smectite alone. For the proper thermal treatment and clay/carbon ratio, both pillared and unpillared clays resulted in β′-sialon solid solutions.
Three-electron anisotropic quantum dots in variable magnetic fields: Exact results for excitation spectra, spin structures, and entanglement

Exact-diagonalization calculations for $N=3$ electrons in anisotropic quantum dots, covering a broad range of confinement anisotropies and strength of interelectron repulsion, are presented for zero and low magnetic fields. The excitation spectra are analyzed as a function of the strength of the magnetic field and for increasing quantum-dot anisotropy. Analysis of the intrinsic structure of the many-body wave functions through spin-resolved two-point correlations reveals that electrons tend to localize forming Wigner molecules. For certain ranges of dot parameters (mainly at strong anisotropy), the Wigner molecules acquire a linear geometry, and the associated wave functions with a spin projection ${S}_{z}=1∕2$ are similar to the representative class of strongly entangled states referred to as the $W$ states. For other ranges of parameters (mainly at intermediate anisotropy), the Wigner molecules exhibit a more complex structure consisting of two mirror isosceles triangles. This latter structure can be viewed as an embryonic unit of a zigzag Wigner crystal in quantum wires. The degree of entanglement in three-electron quantum dots can be quantified through the use of the von Neumann entropy.
Kinetic and mechanistic studies of sulfur transfer from imidomethylrhenium sulfides.

The bis(2,6-diisopropylphenylimido)methylrhenium(VII) sulfide dimer, {CH3Re(NAr)2}2(μ-S)2 (1), reacts with a 1:1 amount of a phosphine or an alkyl isocyanide to yield a dimeric rhenium(VI) species, {CH3Re(NAr)2}2(μ-S) (2), which has been structurally characterized. The two rhenium atoms in 2 are within bonding distance, 280 pm, more than 90 pm shorter than in 1. With excess L, 1 reacts to give a monomeric rhenium(V) complex, CH3Re(NAr)2L2 (3A, L = PZ3, Z = alkyl, aryl; 3B, L = isocyanide). The rate of formation of 3A is first-order with respect to [1] and second-order with respect to monodentate phosphine concentrations. With bidentate phosphines, however, the order with respect to the phosphine drops to unity. The addition of another (nonoxidizable) coordinating ligand, such as pyridine or one of its derivatives, accelerates the formation of 3A. In the presence of a pyridine ligand the reaction is first-order with respect to phosphine concentration, both monodentate and bidentate. The reactions between p...
Vacuum Centrifugal- Thermite Process for Producing Ceramic-Lined Pipes

Production d'un revetement ceramique a l'interieur d'un tuyau d'acier par reaction de poudres de Al et Fe 3 O 4 et centrifugation sous vide. On obtient une couche dense de α−Al 2 O 3 et de spinelle Al 2 O 3 −FeO, a grain fin, avec de bonnes proprietes mecaniques
Some compiler-compiler techniques for use in extensible languages

This short note aims at introducing the use of some syntax-directed compiler-compiler techniques in extensible languages. At first, it attempts to do this independently of any particular extensible language. In the last section, an example of the use of the technique in PPL is presented.
The relationship between land use and intrazonal trip making behaviors : Evidence and implications

Abstract This paper addresses the relationship between land use, destination selection, and travel mode choice. Specifically, it focuses on intrazonal trips, a sub-category of trip making where both trip origin and trip destination are contained in the same geographic unit of analysis, using data from the 1994 Household Activity and Travel Diary Survey conducted by Portland Metro. Using multinomial logit and binary logistic models to measure travel mode choice and decision to internalize trips, the evidence supports the conclusions that (1) intrazonal trips characteristics suggest mode choice for these trips might be influenced by urban form, which in turn affects regional trip distribution; (2) there is a threshold effect in the ability of economic diversity/mixed use to alter travel behavior; and (3) greater emphasis to destinations within the area where an individual’s home is located needs to be given in trip distribution models.
A Prospective Study of Aspirin Use and the Risk for Colorectal Adenoma

Taking aspirin regularly is associated with a reduced risk for colorectal adenoma. The greatest effect occurred at substantially higher doses than those recommended for prevention of cardiovascular...
Behavior of mesencephalic reticular neurons in sleep and wakefulness

Abstract Spontaneous activity of mesencephalic reticular formation neurons was studied during sleep-wakefulness cycles in chronically prepared cats. In a large proportion of neurons, slow-wave sleep was associated with decreased activity levels compared to arousal and wakefulness. The REM sleep invariably showed high firing rates. Discharge patterns in REM sleep were the opposite of those in arousal or wakefulness. Firing was comparatively regular in the latter states. The pattern of firing in slow-wave sleep appeared to fall between the two extremes. Interspike interval histograms and values of coefficient of variation showed corresponding changes with behavioral shifts. Some neurons showed no modification in rate or pattern during the sleep-wakefulness cycles. Narrow, symmetric interval histograms with single sharp modes, relatively small values of standard deviation and coefficient of variation and the “periodic” autocorrelograms reflect the regularity in firing of some of these neurons. Spontaneous discharges of seven pairs of neurons were successfully recorded with a single microelectrode. Possible interrelationships between these adjacent neurons were sought in cross correlations. In the limited number of neuron pairs studied, the kind of correlation observed in other neuronal populations in sleep-wakefulness cycles was not seen in the present study.
Accuracy and pitfalls of Doppler evaluation of the pressure gradient in aortic coarctation

Although the pressure gradient in aortic coarctation can usually be obtained by comparison of upper and lower limb blood pressures measured by sphygmomanometry, some patients may have upper or lower limb arterial compromise as a result of prior procedures or anomalous origin of the subclavian arteries, either of which may preclude accurate gradient measurement. To determine whether Doppler echocardiography could predict the pressure gradient, the Doppler method was used to predict transcoarctation gradients in 35 studies and the data were compared with the gradients measured at catheterization. Jet velocities were not adequately obtained by Doppler recording in three neonates with coarctation and patent ductus arteriosus, leaving 32 studies for analysis. The mean age of the study patients was 6 ± 5.8 years. The mean Doppler-estimated gradient, calculated using only jet velocities distal to the obstruction (V 2 ) in the modified Bernoulli equation, was 44 ± 17 mm Hg, and the mean catheterization gradient was 36 ± 21 mm Hg (p = NS; r = 0.91, SEE = 7.0 mm Hg; slope = 0.75, y = 17.3 mm Hg). The mean Doppler-estimated gradient using both the pre- and postcoarctation velocities (V 1 and V 2 ) in the modified Bernoulli equation (n = 26) was 36 ± 20 mm Hg, and the mean catheterization gradient was 36 ± 21 mm Hg (p = NS; r = 0.98, SEE = 4.2 mm Hg; slope = 0.91, y = 2.8 mm Hg). Doppler echocardiography closely estimated the pressure gradient in aortic coarctation, and estimation of the gradient improved when the velocities proximal as well as distal to the obstruction were included in the modified Bernoulli equation.
A Comprehensive Program for Tribal Development in the United States

The programs of the United States' Bureau of Indian Affairs under the late President John F. Kennedy and now under President Lyndon B. Johnson have enabled the tribal Americans of the United States to move forward appreciably.1 On the other hand, numerous problems remain, and perhaps the foremost of these consists in the fact that paternalism still dominates native affairs. It would seem appropriate for the United States to now proceed beyond government-planned and governmentdispensed excellence into a "new frontier" of intensive tribal self-development.