cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-dose-rate brachytherapy plus neck dissection for nodal disease

Background. Regional control for advanced nodal disease has been only marginally affected by concurrent che- moradiation, hyperfractionation, concomitant boost, or acceler- ated external radiation. Methods. Twenty-five necks in 24 patients received brachy- therapy treatment (20 Gy in 10 twice-daily fractions) in addition to external radiation, neck dissection 6 chemotherapy. Indica- tions for brachytherapy included initial treatment of bulky dis- ease (n 5 12), recurrence of neck disease in a previously treated patient with at least a 3-month disease-free interval (n 5 6), persistent disease after a curative efforts (n 5 4), inadequate external radiation (ie, <40 Gy) due to either intolerance or non- compliance (n 5 3). Results. Overall actuarial regional control was 67% at 2 years. Regional control for those receiving brachytherapy as part of their initial treatment was 82% despite a mean nodal diameter of 8.7 cm (range, 5-15 cm). The 2-year actuarial re- gional control was 56% for the patients with a disease-free inter- val of at least 3 years. Conclusion. High-dose-rate brachytherapy produced excel- lent regional control. V
Symmetry Plane Laminar and Turbulent Viscous Flow on Bodies at Incidence

METHOD is developed for solving the thin viscous shocklayer equations for flow along the symmetry plane of sharp or blunt bodies at angle of attack in hypersonic flow. The governing equations are obtained from the Navier-Stokes equations by retaining terms up through second order in the inverse square root of the Reynolds number. The resulting equations are solved using a Crank-Nicolson type finite difference scheme. Contents The procedure generally used for this type of problem at zero incidence involves solving the uncoupled in viscid and boundarylayer equations and coupling the solution in an iterative manner. Because of difficulties involved in matching the boundary layer with the inviscid flow for angle-of-attack problems, this method cannot be readily extended. In the present approach, the complete shock-layer flow is obtained from a single set of equations developed from the general steady-state Navier-Stokes equations using effective transport parameters. The matching problem is therefore eliminated, and displacement thickness effects on inviscid flow are included within the shock-layer approximation. Davis1 developed this concept for laminar flow over bodies at zero angle of attack. The method was extended by Eaton and Kaestner2 to the case of laminar flow on the windward planes of sharp cones at angles of attack. The problem is further extended in this paper3 to include combinations of sharp or blunt bodies at angle of attack in laminar or turbulent flow. The analysis is developed for arbitrarily shaped bodies with a minimum of one plane of symmetry. The flow between the bow shock and body surface is calculated by solving the shock-layer equations. Nonlinear terms are locally linearized. The resulting parabolic equations are tridiagonal in form and are solved using the Thomas algorithm.4 To address the turbulent problem, a mean velocity closure scheme is incorporated into the method by using a "Van Driest" type two-layer mixing length model with exponential damping near the wall. Properties at the shock boundary are calculated using Rankine-Hugoniot equations. The body surface temperature is specified and the surface velocities are set equal to zero. The resulting computer code (VIS) written for the CDC 6600 accommodates blunt or sharp power-law bodies, hyperboloids, and cones with elliptical cross sections. However, results are only presented3 for bodies with axisymmetric cross sections.
Characterization of Si3N4 Coated with Chemically‐Vapor‐Deposited Mullite after Na2SO4‐lnduced Corrosion

Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} substrates coated with chemically-vapor-deposited, crystalline mullite (3Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}{center_dot}2SiO{sub 2}) were subjected to a corrosive environment containing Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and O{sub 2} at 1,000 C for 100 h. The composition and microstructure of the as-deposited and corroded specimens were examined and compared. The coating appeared to be effective in preserving and therefore protecting the surface microstructure of the underlying Si{sub 3}N{sub 3} substrates. However, a small degree of Na penetration through mullite grain boundaries was observed to a coating depth of {approximately}1 {micro}m.
Dementia and Hip Fractures: Development of a Pathogenic Framework for Understanding and Studying Risk

Dementia and hip fractures are 2 conditions that are seen primarily in older adults, and both are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. An individual with dementia is up to 3 times more likely than a cognitively intact older adult to sustain a hip fracture. This may occur via several mechanisms, including (1) risk factors that are common to both outcomes; (2) the presence of dementia increasing hip fracture incidence via intermediate risk factors, such as falls, osteoporosis, and vitamin D; and (3) treatment of dementia causing side effects that increase hip fracture risk. We describe a model that applies these 3 mechanisms to explain the relationship between dementia and hip fractures. Comprehensive understanding of these pathways and their relative influence on the outcome of hip fracture will guide the development of effective interventions and potentially improve prevention efforts.
Unique Presentation of an 8p Deletion in a Discordant Twin with Atrioventricular Canal Defect and Prolonged Hypoglycemia

We report on a del(8)(p22) in a severe intrauterine growth retarded newborn with balanced atrioventricular canal defect and prolonged hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy. Atrioventricular septal defects are associated with terminal deletions of chromosome 8p. Hyperinsulinism during infancy represents a group of clinically, genetically and morphologically heterogeneous disorders and is also associated with mutations in several genes. However, such 8p deletions are not associated with hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy.
Regional Localization and Subcellular Compartmentalization of Thyrotropin‐Releasing Hormone in Adult Human Brain

: In the current study, we sought to define the subcellular compartmentalization of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in adult human brain tissues. Upon evaluating tissues (3–24 h post mortem) from 62 humans, ranging in age from 5 to 75 years, we found that TRH was widely distributed throughout the brain. The highest TRH concentration (ng/mg protein) was in the stalk-median eminence region of the hypothalamus (19.3 ± 3.3, mean ± SE); the TRH concentration in the hypothalamus, exclusive of the stalk-median eminence, was much lower (1.7 ± 0.2). Substantial quantities of TRH also were detected in the medulla oblongata (0.26 ± 0.08), mammillary bodies (0.33 ± 0.25), and optic chiasm (0.14 ± 0.07). Lower levels of TRH were found in the amygdala (0.060 ± 0.015) and the corpus striatum (0.033 ± 0.010). TRH was near or below the limits of detection in tissues of the cerebral and cerebellar cortices, the olfactory bulbs, the pons, and the hippocampus. When homogenates of medial basal hypothalamic tissue (preparedin 0.32 M sucrose-10 μM CaCl2) were fractionated by means of differential centrifugation, most of the TRH was recovered in subcellular particles which were pelleted at 10,000 ×g and which contained the highest amounts of occluded LDH activity. When the nuclei-free supernatant fluid (900 ×g S) was fractionated on discontinuous sucrose density gradients or continuous sucrose density gradients, most of the TRH was recovered in subcellular fractions containing synaptosomes. The subcellular distribution of TRH appeared to be stable for up to 24 h post mortem in rat and human brain tissue. In contrast to findings with homogenates of rat hypothalami, exposure of subcellular particles of human hypothalamic origin to hypoosmotic shock caused only minor release of particle bound TRH, which was recovered in the cytosolic fraction. Also in contrast to findings with rat hypothalamic tissue, we were unable to demonstrate convincingly the presence of TRH containing subsynaptosomal particles in homogenates of human hypothalami which were resistant to hypoosmotic shock.
Parent Advocacy in the Face of Adversity: Autism and Families in the People's Republic of China

This article describes the experiences of 43 families of children With autism in the People's Republic of China. Qualitative analysis of intervieWs and questionnaires revealed three main themes regarding caregiver and family experiences. First, parents reported many openly discriminatory beliefs and practices against individuals With disabilities and their families. Second, public schools in China often reject students With autism, limiting opportunity for intervention. Finally, parents in this study reported sacrifices and decisions that demonstrate the love for their children that is so often named as an important part of Chinese culture. Although this is similar in many Ways to parents all over the World, the challenges and obstacles faced by parents in China, and the lack of assistance for them, make consideration of their efforts and commitment worthwhile.
Dimensionality of organizational commitment in volunteer workers: Chamber of commerce board members and role fulfillment

Abstract This study explores the multi-dimensionality of organizational commitment of volunteer chamber of commerce board members using the Meyer and Allen (1997) scale. The effect of organizational commitment on desirable board member roles is also tested. Theory is developed by uniting past research in both organizational commitment and employee motivation. A proposed scale is tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis with data gathered from 616 respondents at 116 chambers of commerce in 36 states. Structural Equations Modeling is then used to examine the effects of organizational commitment on several critical roles the board member is hoped to perform. Unlike prior research using Meyer and Allen’s (1997) scale that focused on paid employees, our results indicate that normative, affective, and continuance commitment based on low alternatives are the three distinct constructs applicable to volunteer employees. Moreover, these components have a positive effect on board member’s roles.
Is Multilingualism a Problematic Paradigm in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, the promotion of Amharic by state nationalism was one of the factors that engendered counternationalisms such as the Eritrean secessionist movement. However, a free market of languages along with the domestication of English can contribute to managing/resolving communal conflicts and can usher the country into the global era. Such a liberal language policy does not jettison vernaculars; on the contrary, it permits them unlimited space to coexist or compete with one another and with English for primacy. Amharic will remain primus entre pares in the foreseeable future. However, the free market will catapult one or more of the major languages in the country as well as English to an official status, keeping the vernaculars for their emblematic values.
Generating test data for functions with pointer inputs

Generating test inputs for a path in a function with integer and real parameters is an important but difficult problem. The problem becomes more difficult when pointers are passed as inputs to a function. In this case, the shape of the input data structure as well as the data values in the fields of this data structure need to be determined for traversal of the given path. The existing techniques to address this problem are inefficient since they use backtracking to simultaneously satisfy the constraints on the pointer variables and the data values used along the path. In this paper, we develop a novel approach that allows the generation of the shape of an input data structure to be done independently of the generation of its data values so as to force the control flow of a function along a given path. We also present a new technique that generates the shape of the input data structure by solving a set of pointer constraints derived in a single pass of the statements along the path. Although simple, our approach is powerful in handling pointer aliasing. It is efficient and provides a practical solution to generating test data for functions with pointer inputs.
Human and Rat ABC Transporter Efflux of Bisphenol A and Bisphenol A Glucuronide: Interspecies Comparison and Implications for Pharmacokinetic Assessment

Significant interspecies differences exist between human and rodent with respect to absorption, distribution, and excretion of bisphenol A (BPA) and its primary metabolite, BPA-glucuronide (BPA-G). ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter enzymes play important roles in these physiological processes, and their enzyme localization (apical vs. basolateral) in the plasma membrane allows for different cellular efflux pathways. In this study, we utilized an ATPase assay to evaluate BPA and BPA-G as potential substrates for the human and rat ABC transporters: P-glycoprotein (MDR1), multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRPs), and breast cancer-resistant protein (BCRP). Based on high ATPase activity, BPA is likely a substrate for rat mdr1b but not for human MDR1 or rat mdr1a. Results indicate that BPA is a potential substrate for rat mrp2 and human MRP2, BCRP, and MRP3. The metabolite BPA-G demonstrated the highest apparent substrate binding affinity for rat mrp2 and human MRP3 but appeared to be a nonsubstrate or potential inhibitor for human MRP2, MDR1, and BCRP and for rat mdr1a, mdr1b, and bcrp. Analysis of ABC transporter amino acid sequences revealed key differences in putative binding site composition that may explain substrate specificity. Collectively, these results suggest that in both rat and human, apical transporters efflux BPA into the bile and/or intestinal lumen. BPA-G would follow a similar pathway in rat; however, in human, due to the basolateral location of MRP3, BPA-G would likely enter systemic and portal blood supplies. These differences between human and rodent ABC transporters may have significant implications for interspecies extrapolation used in risk assessment.
A double-masked, randomized, parallel comparison of a fixed combination of bimatoprost 0.03%/timolol 0.5% with non-fixed combination use in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension

PurposeTo compare the safety and efficacy of the fixed combination product with nonfixed combination use of the same active ingredients in separate bottles (bimatoprost oncedaily [qd], and timolol ...
Design aids and test results for laser-programmable logic arrays

The time required to customized a logic array circuit can be reduced to minutes by the use of laser programming without the access and resistance limitations of electrically programmable devices. A restructable logic array (RLA) that can be completely tested before packaging and can be fabricated in a standard CMOS process has been developed. Its key element is a connective laser link device. Circuits of up to 1200 gate equivalents have been restructured, and a base array of 4000 raw gate equivalents is in fabrication. A chip architecture, associated testing, and electrical design features, as well as their use in custom circuits are described. >
S-Store: a streaming NewSQL system for big velocity applications

First-generation streaming systems did not pay much attention to state management via ACID transactions (e.g., [3, 4]). S-Store is a data management system that combines OLTP transactions with stream processing. To create S-Store, we begin with H-Store, a main-memory transaction processing engine, and add primitives to support streaming. This includes triggers and transaction workflows to implement push-based processing, windows to provide a way to bound the computation, and tables with hidden state to implement scoping for proper isolation. This demo explores the benefits of this approach by showing how a naive implementation of our benchmarks using only H-Store can yield incorrect results. We also show that by exploiting push-based semantics and our implementation of triggers, we can achieve significant improvement in transaction throughput. We demo two modern applications: (i) leaderboard maintenance for a version of "American Idol", and (ii) a city-scale bicycle rental scenario.
The economic value of transmission lines with increased penetrations of stochastic generation

When establishing the current deregulated markets for electric energy, many regulators believed that the size of the congestion rents (i.e. the differences in nodal prices times the quantity of energy transferred) would provide the correct incentives for investing in new transmission lines. This rationale for merchant transmission is potentially feasible for transmission lines that are needed mainly for transferring energy from inexpensive sources to expensive sinks. However, maintaining Operating Reliability is also an important function of transmission. In an AC meshed network, a single transmission line may play an essential role for maintaining the reliability of supply as well as for transferring power. Since reliability is essentially a public good, transmission owners will tend to under-invest in the transmission lines needed for reliability purposes. The objective of this paper is to present an analytical framework for determining the economic value of individual transmission lines, and in particular, to determine how these economic values change when an inherently intermittent source of generation, such as wind capacity, is added to a network.
On the retranslation process in Zadeh's paradigm of computing with words

We discuss Zadeh's paradigm of computing with words and indicate the three important stages. We focus on the retranslation process, selecting a term from our prescribed vocabulary to express information represented using fuzzy sets. A number of criteria of concern in this retranslation process are introduced. Some of these criteria can be seen to correspond to a desire to accurately reflect the given information. Other criteria may correspond to a desire, on the part of the provider of the information, to give a particular perception or "spin". These types of criteria can be of particular importance in many types of information warfare. We discuss some methods for combining these criteria to evaluate potential retranslations.
BET Protein Function Is Required for Inflammation: Brd2 Genetic Disruption and BET Inhibitor JQ1 Impair Mouse Macrophage Inflammatory Responses

Histone acetylation regulates activation and repression of multiple inflammatory genes known to play critical roles in chronic inflammatory diseases. However, proteins responsible for translating the histone acetylation code into an orchestrated proinflammatory cytokine response remain poorly characterized. Bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) proteins are "readers" of histone acetylation marks, with demonstrated roles in gene transcription, but the ability of BET proteins to coordinate the response of inflammatory cytokine genes through translation of histone marks is unknown. We hypothesize that members of the BET family of dual bromodomain-containing transcriptional regulators directly control inflammatory genes. We examined the genetic model of brd2 lo mice, a BET protein hypomorph, to show that Brd2 is essential for proinflammatory cytokine production in macrophages. Studies that use small interfering RNA knockdown and a small-molecule inhibitor of BET protein binding, JQ1, independently demonstrate BET proteins are critical for macrophage inflammatory responses. Furthermore, we show that Brd2 and Brd4 physically associate with the promoters of inflammatory cytokine genes in macrophages. This association is absent in the presence of BET inhibition by JQ1. Finally, we demonstrate that JQ1 ablates cytokine production in vitro and blunts the "cytokine storm" in endotoxemic mice by reducing levels of IL-6 and TNF-α while rescuing mice from LPS-induced death. We propose that targeting BET proteins with small-molecule inhibitors will benefit hyperinflammatory conditions associated with high levels of cytokine production.
Comments on Quantum Mechanical Interference Due to the Earth's Rotation

We present an elementary derivation of the quantum-mechanical phase shift induced by the Earth's rotation.
Locality aware redundancy allocation in nanoelectronic systems

A high level of redundancy is required to deal with the challenge of high defect and fault rates in nano environments. The reconfigurability of nano devices and the regular structure of nano fabrics make reconfiguration based repair an essential approach for both defect and fault tolerance. Ideally, repair based approaches have the best hardware efficiency when full sharing of redundancy is achievable. However, nanoelectronic systems are subject to strict constraints on localized interconnections, which limit the sharing of redundant resources to within a small neighborhood. To more fully understand this challenge, we provide a model for the issue of redundant resource sharing under locality constraint. Our model captures the redundancy sharing essence of a system, and is applicable to any specific topology or layout of a nanoelectronic system. Based on this model, defect tolerance can be well defined, and can be addressed by existing algorithms. In addition, we provide discussion and algorithms for online fault tolerance for various system models. Overall, this paper provides a new framework and novel solutions to a the problem of reliability in nanoelectronic environments, where locality constraint for redundancy sharing plays an important role in developing defect / fault tolerance schemes.
Application of a mass storage system to science data management

Approaches to the issues of data ingestion, data restructuring, physical data models, relationship file structure to data system performance, data product generation, data transfer to remote users, data subset extraction, data browsing, and user interface have been examined. The High Performance Data System architecture provides an environment for bringing together the technologies of mass storage, large bandwidth data networks, high-performance data processing, and intelligent data access. The prototype system demonstrates an approach to these issues. In addition, the design process has defined some important requirements for the mass storage file system, such as logical grouping of files, aggregate file writes, and multiple dynamic storage device hierarchies. >
Imaging surrogate of the ventricular arrhythmia substrate in a swine model of ventricular tachycardia: high resolution LGE vs. high resolution electro-anatomical mapping

Background Assessment of risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) due to ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation (VT/VF) remains one of the most challenging areas in management of patients with chronic myocardial infarction. VT substrate consists of reentry circuits near or within a chronic scar. Invasive catheter mapping using electroanatomical system (EAM) is the clinical standard for identification of reentry circuits. However, current EAM systems have low spatial resolution which may contribute to the high recurrence rate of VT after ablation (50% at 2 years). Better identification of reentry circuits can potentially improve SCD risk assessment and outcome of VT ablation procedures. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) CMR has the potential for noninvasive identification of reentry circuits, but LGE sequences suffer from low spatial resolution and partial voluming (1). In this study, we sought to utilize a highresolution 3D LGE with 1 mm isotropic spatial resolution to image the VT surrogate in swine model of VT.
March 1997--4 year old girl with ring chromosome 22 and brain tumor.

Case Abstract A four year old Caucasian girl with a constitutional ring chromosome 22 abnormality and developmental delay presented with increasing ataxia and a six week history of non-specific symptoms. Imaging studies demonstrated a large third ventricular tumor with apparent involvement of the septum. Microscopic and immunohistochemical studies demonstrated an atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor. This tumor is compared and contrasted to peripheral malignant rhabdoid tumors and central primitive neuroectodermal tumors. The role of a putative tumor suppressor gene on the long arm of chromosome 22 in the pathogenesis of these tumors is also discussed.
Obesity and Lung Health in Children

Obesity among children has increased dramatically and has received considerable recent public health attention. The impact of obesity on lung health has become a recognized problem worldwide and an area of intense research. Obese children and adolescents are at greater risk for asthma, impaired lung mechanics, sleep-disordered breathing, and obesity hypoventilation syndrome. This chapter will discuss our current understanding of these conditions and will explore the possible mechanisms underlying the increased asthma risk among obese children. Obesity may influence the phenotypic characteristics of asthma. For example, obese children with asthma may have more difficulty achieving symptom control. We will explore the current knowledge of how obesity in childhood affects the complex disease characteristics of asthma.
Commentary: Some Issues in Biodegradation

As an individual, not on behalf of the EPA Science Advisory Board, I would like to share with you some of the problems I have observed with reviews of a variety of technologies. I have been with the Science Advisory Board since the marquee at EPA was first lit up, except for a brief period in 1981 when there was an enforced sabbatical leave for some of us. I would like to indicate some of the issues that I see in the area of biodegradation in the broader sense, and in applying genetic engineering to biodegradation in a narrow sense.
Antidepressant and Counseling Utilization Among Older Women With Low Income in the United States

Depression is a serious illness affecting approximately 15 percent of the elderly United States population. Older women are much more likely to suffer from depressive illnesses than men. Medical studies report that antidepressant medications, alone and in tandem with counseling, are effective in alleviating depressive symptoms. However, because older women are substantially more likely to live on modest incomes and possess fewer financial resources than men, they may have less access to antidepressant medications and counseling. Low income means that older women are less able to pay for essential medical services, such as prescription drugs, that have not been covered by Medicare. The poorest of low-income elderly women may qualify for Medicaid, but the near poor are forced to pay out-of-pocket for expenses not covered by Medicare if they do not have private supplemental health insurance. Many do not. A study by National Center on Women & Aging shows that the number of women using mental services represents only a small portion of those women who are depressed. In this research, we examine the effects of low income and supplementary insurance coverage on use of antidepressant medications and psychiatric counseling by women and men aged 65 and over in the United States. Our study sample comprises 12,484 observations of women and men drawn from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2000-05). Our results indicate that, other things equal, (1)women with public or private supplemental prescription drug insurance are more likely to purchase antidepressants than women without drug insurance; (2)men with private supplemental prescription drug insurance are more likely to purchase antidepressants than men without drug insurance; (3)women and men with private supplemental drug insurance are less likely to have psychiatric counseling than women without supplemental drug insurance; (4)men and women with higher family incomes purchase more antidepressants and have more psychiatric visits. Among older women who are particularly vulnerable to depressive illnesses, it is the near poor who lack supplementary health insurance coverage. These women are less likely to purchase antidepressants and have fewer psychiatric visits than other older women with either Medicaid or private supplementary coverage. Our results suggest that Medicare Part D has the potential to significantly alter the provision of antidepressive medical therapies to older women in the United States. However, it remains unclear whether the needs of this vulnerable group will be met. Survey evidence suggests that these women are less likely to successfully enroll in Medicare Part D. Hence, providing appropriate care to this group may continue to be a challenge. These findings will help policymakers meet this challenge by providing empirical evidence describing the extent to which low-income older women suffer from untreated depressive illnesses.
Confronting Community Policing: Minimizing Community Policing as Public Relations

The process of community policing as public relations has a series of causes and effects that are detrimental both to the police, and constituencies they serve and protect. This process subsumes three interrelated interpretations: more energy is expended on public relations efforts promoting community policing than in the implementation of actual community policing programs; public relations methods to promote community policing are used instead of implementing community policing initiatives; and the practice of community policing is simply a public relations exercise.In this chapter, the author reviews the literature and evidence that support the position that community policing is a manifestation of all three interpretations of the relationship between community policing and public relations; explains how community policing is implemented as a public relations tactic; posits some of the effects of community policing as public relations; and, suggests a number of strategies to minimize community policing as public relations, in order to maximize what the framers community policing conceived that it would achieve.
An activated Rac mutant functions as a dominant negative for membrane ruffling

Previous studies have shown that point mutations in the effector domain of Rac1 block specific downstream pathways such as PAK, JNK/SAPK kinases and membrane ruffling. Specifically, the F37A mutation, made in a constitutively activated Q61L background, activates PAK but fails to induce membrane ruffles. We now show that Q61L/F37A Rac not only fails to induce ruffling but potently blocks membrane ruffling induced by serum or PDGF. In the presence of serum, cells do extend filopodia, suggesting that this mutant only blocks a subset of the effectors that induce cytoskeletal reorganization. At later times, this rac mutant induces membrane blebbing, but not apoptosis. These results show that Q61L/F37A Rac, is constitutively activated with respect to PAK activation but functions as a dominant negative for another pathway, membrane ruffling. That an effector domain point mutant can simultaneously function as a dominant negative and dominant positive for different pathways implies that effects of these variants on cell functions must be interpreted with caution.
Easy and Fast Setup of Molecular Dynamics Simulations: Combining VMD and NAMD for Experimentalists

The relationship between structure and function of proteins is directly connected to atomistic aspects of protein dynamics. As a major methodology in structural biology, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations permit the exploration of the physical mechanism underlying the function of proteins by examining their dynamical behavior. Although the advances in MD simulations are leading to a new level of knowledge of macromolecular complexes, reaching the million-to-billion atom regime (1), the vast majority of MD users are interested in straightforward MD simulations of relatively simple proteins. Particularly in the last few years, structural biology experimentalists’ interest in performing MD simulations to improve their knowledge of a protein structure/function relationship has increased greatly. To assist these experimentalists and any novice to MD to overcome the initial learning curve barrier of MD simulation software, we developed a user interface (plugin) that connects the widely employed and user-friendly molecular graphics program VMD to the widely adopted MD program NAMD. Employing this plugin, a user is able to setup an MD simulation in just a few minutes, allowing quick studies of point mutations, partial deletions and even atomic force microscopy experiments. The plugin makes it easy for a new user to perform MD simulations, while it also servers as a learning tool. Many “info buttons” provide the theoretical background underlying the MD procedures carried out in modern MD simulations.1. Perilla, J.R., et al. 2015. Molecular dynamics simulations of large macromolecular complexes. Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 31: 64-74.
Comment on: "Breathers and Kink-Antikink Nucleation"

A Comment on the Letter by M. B\"uttiker and T. Christen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 1895 (1995). The authors of the Letter offer a Reply.
A FORUM FOR RESEARCHERS AFFECTIVE FACTORS IN MATHEMATICS LEARNING: COMMENTS ON A PAPER BY NEALE AND A PLAN FOR RESEARCH

In a recent paper published in The Arithmetic Teacher, Neale (1969) argues persuasively that attitudes toward mathematics have little effect on achievement in the subject, particularly in the usual classroom situation. Although not denying the fact that attitudes affect achievement to some degree, he maintains that achievement probably has a greater effect on attitudes. Neale also summarizes evidence from correlational studies by Cattell and Butcher (1968, Ch. 5) that patience, compliance, and obedience are more important than attitude, interest, or curiosity in their effects on school achievement.
Ethics in Public Service for the New Millennium

(2001). Ethics in Public Service for the New Millennium. Public Integrity: Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 309-312.
Oracle Identity Management and Identity Stores

Many organizations have multiple identity stores to support various business units and processes. These identity stores might be in the form of Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)-compatible directories, database tables, or other formats. In many cases, Oracle Identity Manager (OIM) can be used to manage these various directory formats using Oracle Virtual Directory (OVD). Although this book concentrates on using Oracle Internet Directory (OID) as the primary identity store using LDAP synchronization, it is important to consider this configuration as a possible solution when your environment necessitates it. You might also find it useful to configure the LDAP synchronization to use OVD to start with and prepare the environment for multiple data stores.
Determining the Cause of Quality Problems: Lessons from Diagnostic Disciplines

Diagnosis is a critical task in solving many quality problems. Since it is important in other fields of professional practice, diagnosis has been the target of considerable scientific study. This article brings the findings of research on diagnosis to t..
Prognostic Index for Critically Ill Allogeneic Transplantation Patients

Abstract Outcomes of intensive care for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Allo-SCT) patients remain poor. Better selection of critically ill Allo-SCT patients for intensive care may alleviate costs to the patients, families, and the health care system. We aimed to develop a prognostic index tailored for critically ill Allo-SCT patients as traditional instruments are of limited value in this setting. Six hundred fifty-six Allo-SCT patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2001 and 2010 were divided into training and test sets. Of the 3 multivariable regression models built to predict hospital mortality in the training set, the model with the largest area under receiver operating curve (AUC) in the test set was selected as the prognostic index for intensive care after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (PICAT). The parameters included in the regression model with the highest AUC (.81) were time to ICU from hospital admission, lactate dehydrogenase, bilirubin, albumin, reason for ICU admission, prothrombin time-international normalized ratio, conditioning intensity, age, and comorbidity score. AUC for hospital mortality of PICAT (.80) was significantly larger than that of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) (.61) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) (.72) in all patients. Hospital mortality and median overall survival of patients with PICAT scores of 0 to 2 (n = 141), >2 to 4 (n = 242), and >4 (n = 182) were 34%, 69%, and 91%; and 7.59, .67, and .30 months, respectively. PICAT has good calibration and accuracy in predicting mortality for Allo-SCT patients requiring intensive care. Its AUC was significantly higher than APACHE II and SOFA scores and is also associated with overall survival.
Work Experiences of Patients Receiving Palliative Care at a Comprehensive Cancer Center: Exploratory Analysis

Abstract Background: Employment-related issues have been largely overlooked in cancer patients needing palliative care. These issues may become more relevant as cancer evolves into more of a chronic illness and palliative care is provided independent of stage or prognosis. Objective: To characterize the employment situations of working-age palliative care patients. Design: Cross-sectional survey setting/subjects: Consecutive sample of 112 patients followed in palliative care outpatient clinics at a comprehensive cancer center. Measurements: Thirty-seven-item self-report questionnaire covering demographics, clinical status, and work experiences since diagnosis. Results: The commonest cancer diagnoses were breast, colorectal, gynecological, and lung. Eighty-one percent had active disease. Seventy-four percent were on treatment. Eighty percent recalled being employed at the time of diagnosis, with 65% working full time. At the time of the survey, 44% were employed and 26% were working full time. Most partici...
Therapeutic Uses of Triphala in Ayurvedic Medicine

Abstract Aim: The aim of this article is to review the current literature on the therapeutic uses and efficacy of Triphala. Herbal remedies are among the most ancient medicines used in traditional systems of healthcare such as Ayurveda. Triphala, a well-recognized and highly efficacious polyherbal Ayurvedic medicine consisting of fruits of the plant species Emblica officinalis (Amalaki), Terminalia bellerica (Bibhitaki), and Terminalia chebula (Haritaki), is a cornerstone of gastrointestinal and rejuvenative treatment. Methods: A search of the PubMed database was conducted. Results: In addition, numerous additional therapeutic uses described both in the Ayurvedic medical literature and anecdotally are being validated scientifically. In addition to laxative action, Triphala research has found the formula to be potentially effective for several clinical uses such as appetite stimulation, reduction of hyperacidity, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating, antibacterial, antimutagenic, adaptogenic, h...
Vitamin D Prevents Sunburn: Tips for the Summer?

In the article by Scott et al, a high dose of vitamin D attenuated the inflammatory response to UV radiation in a small group of normal volunteers. The best results were in those subjects who had the greatest increase in circulating 25hydroxyvitamin D. Using microarray analyses these subjects showed a reduction in the expression of inflammatory markers with an increase in markers of skin barrier repair.
Breastfeeding Is Associated with Decreased Childhood Maltreatment

Abstract Purpose: Child maltreatment has serious implications for youth outcomes, yet its associations with early parenting practices are not fully understood. This study investigated whether breastfeeding practices are correlated with childhood maltreatment. Materials and Methods: Data were utilized from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a nationally representative and longitudinal study of adolescents. The analytic sample comprised 4,159 adolescents. The outcome variables included four subtypes of childhood maltreatment (neglect, inadequate supervision, physical abuse, and sexual abuse). The primary independent variable was breastfeeding duration. Covariates of the child, mother, and household were included in analyses. Logistic regression models were employed to predict odds of maltreatment subtypes from breastfeeding duration and covariates. Results: Compared with adolescents never breastfed, adolescents breastfed 9 months or longer had a reduced odds of having experienced...
Case 59: A Near Tragedy

After a long week in the operating room, you are relaxing on a beach south of Durban in South Africa. The weather is wonderful. Just behind the beach is a lagoon. When the tide comes in, the Indian Ocean enters the lagoon at the end of the beach where there are many rocks.
Resisting the Understandable Appeal of CAM.

Alternative medicine practitioners may offer a more informative and satisfying relationship to patients, and the anecdotal support for alternative treatments’ rationales may have emotional appeal, but quack medicines cost money and cause harm. What really matters is whether a treatment can stand up to scientific testing.
Transdisciplinary Management in Geriatric Oncology

As a result of declining fertility and mortality rates, the world is experiencing an aging of its population (Fig. 13.1). According to the UN, the proportion of older adults (60 years and older) comprised 11 % of the world population in 2009 but will represent 22 % by 2050 (2014). Due to advances in public health and medicine in just the past 100 years, life expectancy for the average person in Europe, North America, Japan, and other industrialized countries has increased by more than 50 %. Adults in these societies can reasonably count on living into their 80s and 90s. As cancer occurs more commonly in the older adults, this shift is expected to markedly increase the number of cancer diagnoses. Cancer is diagnosed at a higher rate (53 %), accounts for a higher percentage of survivors (59 %), and results in more deaths among individuals 65 years and older (68 %) compared with younger adults (Hurria et al. 2013). Minorities and older adults represent important population groups that may be particularly vulnerable to suboptimal cancer care, because both groups have been underrepresented in cancer clinical trials (Hutchins et al. 1999) and are also subject to disparities in treatment (Bouchardy et al. 2007; Gross et al. 2008). Colorectal cancer is and will continue to be one of the three leading cancer sites in the year 2030 in both men and women (Smith et al. 2009). Bowel cancer mortality is strongly related to age. In the UK between 2009 and 2011, an average of 57 % of bowel cancer deaths occurred in men and women aged 75 years and over (2014).
Implementation of video player for embedded systems

This paper presents a generic approach to implement a high-performance video coder-decoder that works under limited memory resources and computing power. The encoder runs in a Linux PC, and the decoder runs in an embedded system with processor speed at about 120 MHz. Integer arithmetic is used in calculations. Platform independent Simple Directmedia Layer (SDL) libraries are utilized to play decompressed video data in the embedded system. The C++ Standard Template Library (STL) is used to facilitate and simplify many of the implementations.
Atomic Scale Mechanisms of Stress Production in Elastomers

We outline a series of molecular dynamics computations that reveal an intimate connection at the atomic scale between difference stress (which resists stretches) and pressure (which resists volume changes) in an idealized elastomer, in contrast to the classical theory of rubber elasticity. Our model predicts behavior that is in good agreement with experimental data of D.L. Quested, K.D. Pae, J.L. Sheinbein and B.A. Newman, J. Appl. Phys, 52, (10), 5977 (1981) for the influence of pressure on the difference stress induced by stretching solithane. Further studies along these lines offer opportunities to elucidate the atomic scale mechanisms that control the constitutive behavior of polymers, with the long-term goal of atomic scale materials design.
Spherical Harmonic-Based Spectral Projection Model for Holographic SAR Imaging

A spectral projection model which is based on spherical harmonics is developed for three-dimensional holographic SAR imaging. The addition theorem for spherical harmonics is used for describing the SAR measurement process as a projection of a source spectral vector onto an observation spectral vector. The source vector for a particular scatterer is determined by the spherical coordinates of that scatterer. The dimension of the source vector is determined by the largest dimension of the SAR viewing area. The observation vectors are similarly defined in terms of the spherical coordinates of each measurement point along the SAR flight path. By separating the source and observation terms in the addition theorem, the contribution from each scatterer to each specific SAR measurement is described as the projection of the source spectral vector onto the observation spectral vector. Simulations are used to investigate the spectral properties of a variety of source distributions and SAR flight paths. Sample holographic images are simulated using this spectral projection model.
The 1.2-kV 4H-SiC OCTFET: A New Cell Topology With Improved High-Frequency Figures-of-Merit

A 1.2 kV rated 4H-SiC OCTFET device with octagonal-cell topology is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for the first time. The device was first optimized using TCAD numerical simulations. Devices were then successfully fabricated in a 6-inch foundry. From the measured electrical characteristics, the OCTFET is demonstrated to have $\textsf {1.4}\times $ superior high frequency figures-of-merits (HF-FOM) [ $\textsf {R}_{\textsf {on}}\times \textsf {Q}_{\textsf {gd}}$ ], and $\textsf {2.1}\times $ superior HF-FOM [ $\textsf {R}_{\textsf {on}}\times \textsf {C}_{\textsf {gd}}$ ] compared with the conventional linear-cell MOSFET.
Exploring the Methodological Possibilities of Narrative Inquiry in Service-Learning: Reflections from a Recent Investigation

The purpose of this essay is to argue for the use of narrative inquiry as a distinctive methodological approach in the study of college student experiences and outcomes in service-learning. The author reflects on a recent narrative study of college men in service-learning programs to highlight how narrative scholarship can illuminate the messiness and complexity of service-learning. A participant narrative from the recent investigation is utilized in order to highlight the key tenets of narrative inquiry. Suggestions for high-quality narrative scholarship in service-learning are also offered.
Field-induced quantum spin liquid in the Kitaev-Heisenberg model and its relation to α − RuCl 3

Recently considerable excitement has arisen due to the experimental observation of a field-induced spin liquid phase in the compound $\ensuremath{\alpha}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{RuCl}}_{3}$. However, the nature of this putative spin liquid phase and the relevant microscopic model Hamiltonian remain still unclear. In this work, we address these questions by performing large-scale numerical simulations of a generalized Kitaev-Heisenberg model proposed to describe the physics of $\ensuremath{\alpha}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{RuCl}}_{3}$. While an intermediate phase does not appear for in-plane magnetic fields, our results strongly suggest that a stable intermediate spin liquid phase, sandwiched between a magnetically ordered phase at low fields and a high-field polarized phase, can be induced by out-of-plane magnetic fields. Moreover, we show that this field-induced spin liquid phase can be smoothly connected to a spin liquid possessing a spinon Fermi surface as proposed recently for the Kitaev model. The relevance of our results to $\ensuremath{\alpha}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{RuCl}}_{3}$ is also discussed.