cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Limit Distributions for Smooth Total Variation and χ 2 -Divergence in High Dimensions

Statistical divergences are ubiquitous in machine learning as tools for measuring discrepancy between probability distributions. As these applications inherently rely on approximating distributions from samples, we consider empirical approximation under two popular f-divergences: the total variation (TV) distance and the χ2-divergence. To circumvent the sensitivity of these divergences to support mismatch, the framework of Gaussian smoothing is adopted. We study the limit distributions of $\sqrt n {\delta _{{\text{TV}}}}\left( {{P_n}*{{\mathcal{N}}_\sigma },P*{{\mathcal{N}}_\sigma }} \right)$ and $n{\chi ^2}\left( {{P_n}*{{\mathcal{N}}_\sigma }||P*{{\mathcal{N}}_\sigma }} \right)$, where P n is the empirical measure based on n independently and identically distributed (i.i.d.) observations from P, ${{\mathcal{N}}_\sigma }: = {\mathcal{N}}\left( {0,{\sigma ^2}{{\text{I}}_d}} \right)$, and * stands for convolution. In arbitrary dimension, the limit distributions are characterized in terms of Gaussian process on ℝd with covariance operator that depends on P and the isotropic Gaussian density of parameter σ. This, in turn, implies optimality of the n–1/2 expected value convergence rates recently derived for ${\delta _{{\text{TV }}}}\left( {{P_n}*{{\mathcal{N}}_\sigma },P*{{\mathcal{N}}_\sigma }} \right)$ and ${\chi ^2}\left( {{P_n}*{{\mathcal{N}}_\sigma }||P*{{\mathcal{N}}_\sigma }} \right)$. These strong statistical guarantees promote empirical approximation under Gaussian smoothing as a potent framework for learning and inference based on high-dimensional data.
Diego’s Number Understanding Development through His Subitizing and Counting

Subitizing, a quick apprehension of the numerosity of a small set of items, has been found to explain students’ number understanding when counting. We utilized a constructivist teaching experiment ...
Machine learning to predict refractory corrosion during nuclear waste vitrification

The goal of this study was to determine the effects of model nuclear waste glass composition on the corrosion of Monofrax® K-3 refractory, using machine learning (ML) methods for data investigation and modeling of published borosilicate glass composition data and refractory corrosion performance. First, statistical methods were used for exploration of the data, and the list of features (model terms) was determined. Several model types were explored, and the Bayesian Ridge type was the most promising due to low mean average error and mean standard error as well as high R2 value. Parameters and model results using previously identified model features and those from this study are compared. ML methods appear to give results at least as good as previously available models for describing the effects of glass composition on refractory corrosion.
Association of Bicycle-Related Genital Numbness and Female Sexual Dysfunction: Results From a Large, Multinational, Cross-Sectional Study.

ABSTRACT Introduction Cycling can lead to microtrauma due to increased perineal pressure, possibly contributing to genital numbness and sexual dysfunction in female cyclists. Aim We aim to explore the associations between cycling characteristics, female genital numbness, and female sexual dysfunction. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study on female cyclists and sexual wellness. Participants were recruited through Facebook® advertisements and online outreach at athletic clubs. Participants were asked about their cycling characteristics, genital numbness, and female sexual function using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Univariate and multivariable linear and logistic regression were used to assess risk factors for genital numbness and the association between genital numbness and the FSFI. Outcome Measures The outcome measures were cycling characteristics, questions regarding numbness (intensity, duration, location), and the FSFI score. Results Eight-hundred and seventy-five women were included in the study. Total lifetime miles cycled, biking duration, frequency, distance, speed, and biking surface were not significantly associated with genital numbness. Higher handlebar height was associated with less numbness. The prevalence of sexual dysfunction in the cohort was 52%. Genital numbness was significantly associated with sexual dysfunction (OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.05 – 1.95). Sub-group analysis for location of numbness demonstrated significant increase in risk for sexual dysfunction in cyclists who described numbness aro`und the perineum (OR: 2.72, 95% CI: 1.05 – 7.02) and the vulva (OR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.13 – 2.13). There was also a significant increase in the risk of sexual dysfunction in cyclists who reported a longer duration of numbness (OR: 6.58, 95% CI: 2.27 – 19.07). Conclusions Genital numbness is common in women who cycle and is associated with increased risk of FSD and lower average sexual response scores on FSFI. Lui H, Mmonu N, Awad MA, et al. Association of Bicycle-Related Genital Numbness and Female Sexual Dysfunction: Results From a Large, Multinational, Cross-Sectional Study. Sex Med 2021;9:100365.
American Spring: How Russian State Media Translate American Protests for an Arab Audience

Media coverage of protests following the murder of George Floyd on May 26, 2020, tended to ascribe to the demonstrations two faces: One, presented by organizers and supporters, was a decentralized movement for peaceful change; the other was a violent conspiracy for the disruption of order. Good analysis has flowed into the question of domestic media bias in the coverage of Summer 2020’s historical events. Less attention, however, has been directed to the ways foreign media covered the protests. One of the most powerful voices in framing the story of the protests to a global audience was Russia’s state-sponsored media behemoth RT. And nowhere was RT’s particular take on the demonstrations more pronounced than its Arabic-language broadcast RT Arabic or RT3. Through the lens of discourse analysis, I focus on a small sample of quintessential reports to explore how RT3 covered Summer 2020’s momentous events, what their reporting tells us about Kremlin disinformation strategies, and how RT3’s coverage of the protests factors into the Kremlin’s greater geopolitical agenda vis-a-vis the Middle East and North Africa.
Buprenorphine prescriber monthly patient caseloads: An examination of 6-year trajectories.

Abstract Background Many active buprenorphine prescribers treat few patients monthly, but little information is available regarding how prescribers’ buprenorphine caseload fluctuates over time or how long it takes new prescribers to reach higher patient caseloads. We examine buprenorphine-prescribing clinicians’ patient caseloads over time and explore prescriber characteristics associated with different caseload trajectories. Methods Using 2006–2018 national buprenorphine pharmacy claims, we calculate monthly patient caseloads for buprenorphine prescribers for 6 years following a clinician’s first filled buprenorphine prescription. We use K-means clustering to identify clusters of clinician caseload trajectories and bivariate analyses to examine prescriber and county characteristics associated with different trajectory classes. Results We identified 42,067 buprenorphine prescribers with 3 trajectory classes. High-volume (1.4%;n = 571) whose mean monthly patient caseload increased to approximately 40 patients through the initial 20 months and stabilized at 40 or more patients; moderate-volume (9.2%;n = 3891) whose mean patient caseload increased during the initial 20 months, stabilizing at 15–20 patients; and low-volume (89.4%;n = 37,605), who typically had fewer than 5 patients monthly. Most low-volume prescribers (n = 31,470; 83.7% of all prescribers) initially treated 1–2 patients for several months, followed by no subsequent prescribing. Conclusion Almost three-quarters of buprenorphine prescribers treated no more than a few patients for several months before ceasing buprenorphine prescribing; only 10% of prescribers averaged more than 10 patients per month over the next 6 years. Efforts are needed to identify factors contributing to prescribers being willing to continue prescribing buprenorphine over time and to prescribe to more patients in order to increase access to buprenorphine treatment.
The Political Economy of Law: Decision-Making by Judicial, Legislative, Executive and Administrative Agencies

In the 1980s scholars began applying Positive Political Theory (PPT) to study public law. This chapter summarizes that body of research and its relationship to other schools of legal thought. Like Law and Economics, PPT of Law uses sequential game theory to examine how rules and procedures shape policy and evaluates these outcomes from the perspective of economic efficiency. Like the Legal Process School in traditional legal scholarship, PPT of Law focuses on how the structure and process of legislative, bureaucratic and judicial decision-making influences the law and evaluates these procedures using the principle of democratic legitimacy; however, rather than using procedural norms derived from moral and political philosophy to evaluate procedures, PPT of Law conceptualizes the decision-making procedures of government as rationally designed by elected officials to shape the policies arising from decisions by executive agencies, the courts, and future elected officials. After summarizing this theory, the essay turns to applications of this approach in administrative law and statutory interpretation.
Scheuermann's kyphosis

Purpose of review Scheuermann’s kyphosis is a condition characterized by increased posterior rounding of the thoracic spine in association with structural deformity of the vertebral elements. Currently, there is debate over whether anterior procedures are necessary in the surgical treatment of Scheuermann’s kyphosis. Recent findings Nonoperative treatment is reserved for skeletal immature patients (Risser 2 or less) with a progressive deformity that is cosmetically or functionally unacceptable. Surgical indications for Scheuermann’s kyphosis should be assessed on a case-by-case basis, but in general patients with pain, a rigid deformity, a curve of more than 70–758, progressive deformity and an unacceptable cosmetic appearance are surgical candidates. Newer technologies, such as third generation segmental instrumentation, in combination with compression rod techniques have nearly eliminated the need for combined anterior–posterior procedures. When an anterior procedure is deemed to be necessary, prone video-assisted thoracic surgery anterior release and fusion is an attractive alternative to formal open anterior release to provide the anterior release, followed by posterior correction and then placement of structural graft. Summary Combined anterior–posterior procedures are rarely necessary with current spine instrumentation and techniques. Proper fusion level selection, avoidance of adjacent posterior ligamentous tension band resection, and preventing overcorrection will limit junctional kyphosis.
A Review of: “The New York School of Regional Anesthesia Textbook of Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management, Edited by Admir Hadzic, MD, PhD”

This textbook offers one of the most comprehensive resources available on the subject of acute pain management and regional anesthesia. Dr. Hadzic assembled an impressive collection of experts to c...
Local Effects on Earth Tide Observations

Cavity, topographic and geologic effects have similar influences on the observed tidal variations of tilt and strain. They cause the locally observed tilts and strains to differ from the “true” or regional values.
Trials are best, ignore the rest: safety and efficacy of digoxin.

Observational data might have misled doctors for years. Research, doi:10.1136/bmj.h4451 Nearly 20 years after the digoxin in heart failure (DIG) trial showed that digoxin reduced hospital admissions for heart failure by 28% with no effect on mortality,1 many clinicians still see this drug as a last resort—reflected in guidelines that reserve it only for those with severe or worsening heart failure when first and second line treatments have failed.2 One reason might have been the numerous observational studies indicating the potentially worrying trade-off that digoxin is associated with an increased risk of death. The linked article by Ziff and colleagues (doi:10.1136/bmj.h4451), a meta-analysis of digoxin treatment for heart failure or atrial fibrillation (or both), sheds light on the discordant findings between randomised and observational studies.3 They show that the mechanism of the association with mortality in observational studies is that clinicians preferentially gave digoxin to sicker patients: when these patients died, there was therefore a true but misleading association between death and digoxin. The paper paints …
Assessing community effects on adolescent substance use and delinquency

This study investigates community-level prediction of adolescent substance use and problem behaviors using ratings by community leaders to assess the effects of four risk factors on levels of drug use and problem behaviors. Three questions are examined: (a) Can psychometrically sound measures of community leader perceptions of risk factors in their community be developed?; (b) What is the relationship between community leader ratings of the community and student perceptions of their community?; and (c) How are community leader ratings and student perceptions of the community related to community levels of current student substance use and serious delinquency? Results indicate that community leaders' perceptions of community risk factors demonstrate both internal validity and criterion validity. Community leaders and students demonstrate modest agreement in assessments of community risk factors. Community leaders' ratings of community norms favorable to substance use and community law enforcement permissive of substance use were related to levels of substance use reported by students. Leader ratings of low community attachment, community disorganization, and community law enforcement permissive of substance use were related to community levels of serious delinquency reported by students. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 35: 925–946, 2007.
Two-level time-marching scheme using splines for solving the advection equation

A new numerical algorithm using quintic splines is developed and analyzed: quintic spline Taylor-series expansion (QSTSE). QSTSE is an Eulerian flux-based scheme that uses quintic splines to compute space derivatives and Taylor series expansion to march in time. The new scheme is strictly mass conservative and positive definite while maintaining high peak retention. The new algorithm is compared against accurate space derivatives (ASD), Galerkin finite element techniques, and the Bott scheme. The cases presented include classical rotational fields, deformative fields, as well as a full-scale aerosol model. Research shows that QSTSE presents significant improvements in speed and oscillation suppression against ASD. Furthermore, QSTSE predicts some of the most accurate results among the schemes tested.
Conservation education needs more parasites

Abstract Formal training in conservation biology education is an important component of the suite of solutions to current environmental problems. As conservation biology textbooks underpin many conservation education programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels, the portrayal of conservation issues and coverage of specific biotic groups plays a potentially important role in guiding the training of the next generation of conservation professionals. Parasites represent the majority of species diversity on earth, play critical roles in ecology and evolution, and are often at higher risk of decline and extinction than their free-living counterparts. Yet parasites continue to receive scant attention from conservation scientists and educators. We searched the index of 77 English language conservation biology textbooks for parasite or pathogen related content, published between 1970 and 2009. When present, we categorized a textbook’s parasite content as positive, neutral or negative with respect to the author’s portrayal of parasite biodiversity. The vast majority (72%) of conservation textbooks either portray parasites uniquely as threats to conservation goals established for free-living species or do not mention parasites at all. While no single textbook can be expected to provide extensive treatment of conservation-related topics across all biological groups, we outline three reasons why parasites should feature more prominently in formal conservation education, and suggest several ways in which greater incorporation of these parasite topics could strengthen the teaching and practice of conservation biology.
Cholecystectomy during laparoscopic gastric bypass has no effect on duration of hospital stay.

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be safely performed at the time of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGBP).This study was primarily conducted to examine whether there is any difference in the length of hospital stay and duration of operation in patients who undergo concomitant cholecystectomy with their LRYGBP. In addition, the frequency and nature of complications in the two groups were compared. Methods: Retrospective chart analysis and comparison of 200 patients who underwent LRYGBP alone with 200 patients who underwent LRYGBP with simultaneous cholecystectomy. Results: Concomitant cholecystectomy did not increase length of hospital stay (2.04 ±0.20 days vs 2.06 ±0.29 days in the LRYGBP alone group, P=0.43). Furthermore, the addition of cholecystectomy only added an extra 29 minutes to the operation (P<0.01). In both groups, there was no difference in the rate of postoperative complications (8.5% in both groups, P=0.21), the nature of which was more or less equally distributed amongst the two groups. Conclusion: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed at the time of LRYGBP does not alter length of hospital stay or frequency of postoperative complications and only adds an extra half hour to total operation time.
Abstract 5285: Protein phosphatases modulate kinase signaling mediated Wnt activation

Multiple growth factors, signaling through their respective kinase cascades, phosphorylate beta-catenin at specific Serine residues to cause its nuclear sequestration thereby fueling Wnt driven tumor cell proliferation. Our present work identifies a group of phosphatase genes that attenuate such growth factor mediated activation of Wnt signaling in colo-rectal cancer (CRC) cells. This proposed mechanism proposes an additional mode of regulation of Wnt activity in CRC cells. Using a lentiviral TCF-LEF reporter system, we isolated distinct SW480 (primary) and SW620 (metastatic) cell fractions based on their endogenous level of Wnt activity. Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK) antibody arrays using cell lysates from these cell fractions identified that FGFR3, ALK and RET signaling pathways have a positive correlation with enhanced Wnt activity. Simultaneously qPCR arrays performed on these same cellular fractions identified a total of 10 phosphatase genes whose expression levels are significantly decreased with heightened Wnt activity, out of which 4 genes PHLPP, PHLPPL, PTPRK and PTPN6 are known to regulate the aforementioned RTK pathways. Of these phosphatase genes, PTPRK has been reported to undergo gene fusion events with RSPO3 (a non-canonical activator of Wnt) in CRC patients. Since the fusion gene product provides no additional Wnt activation that the wild-type RSPO3, we theorized that these fusion events occur either to allow CRC cells to utilize the enhanced promoter activity of the PTPRK gene promoter, or to nullify the Wnt attenuating properties of PTPRK. To test this hypothesis, we have presently cloned and identified PTPRK and RSPO3 gene promoter regions and wish to test their activity in distinct Wnt responsive cell fractions. Our work will allow a better understanding of how phosphatase genes may be involved in controlling the Wnt pathway and how their inactivation may contribute to CRC cell proliferation. Citation Format: Debasish Boral, Daotai Nie. Protein phosphatases modulate kinase signaling mediated Wnt activation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 5285. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-5285
POLAROGRAPHIC REDUCTION OF HYDROGEN ION IN NON-AQUEOUS SOLVENTS

Abstract The polarographic reduction of hydrogen ion, furnished by dissociation of a Bronsted acid or present in the undissociated Bronsted acid, is reviewed for the situation where a solvent other than water is involved.
Dynamic connections in neural networks

Massively parallel (neural-like) networks are receiving increasing attention as a mechanism for expressing information processing models. By exploiting powerful primitive units and stability-preserving construction rules, various workers have been able to construct and test quite complex models, particularly in vision research. But all of the detailed technical work was concerned with the structure and behavior offixed networks. The purpose of this paper is to extend the methodology to cover several aspects of change and memory.
Role of Chemokines and Trafficking of Immune Cells in Parasitic Infections

Parasites are diverse eukaryotic pathogens that can have complex life cycles. Their clearance, or control within a mammalian host requires the coordinated effort of the immune system. The cell types recruited to areas of infection can combat the disease, promote parasite replication and survival, or contribute to disease pathology. Location and timing of cell recruitment can be crucial. In this review, we explore the role chemokines play in orchestrating and balancing the immune response to achieve optimal control of parasite replication without promoting pathology.
Prevalence and incidence of serum magnesium abnormalities in hospitalized cats.

Total serum magnesium concentration ([Mg 2 + ] s ) was prospectively determined for 57 cats admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Cornell University Hospital for Animals. Data were collected and analyzed to determine the following: prevalence and incidence of [Mg 2 + ] s abnormalities, medical disorders associated with altered [Mg 2 + ] s , association of altered [Mg 2 + ] s with other electrolyte abnormalities, length of hospitalization for cats with abnormalities of [Mg 2 + ] s versus those with normal [Mg 2 + ] s , and survival of cats with abnormal [Mg 2 + ] s versus those with normal [Mg 2 + ] s . The point prevalence of magnesium abnormalities was 26%, the period prevalence was 46%, and the cumulative incidence was 23%. Hypermagnesemia was associated with abnormalities of serum potassium (P = .04) and phosphate (P = .01) concentrations. Abnormalities of [Mg 2 + ] s were not associated with abnormal serum concentrations of Na + , Ca 2 + , or Cl - . On admission, hypomagnesemia was detected in cats with gastrointestinal, endocrine, and other disorders; hypermagnesemia was detected only in cats with renal disease, obstructive uropathy, or neoplastic disease. The median hospital stay for cats that developed abnormal [Mg 2 + ] s after admission was longer than for cats that remained normomagnesemic (5 versus 4 days, respectively; P = .03). Despite the longer hospital stay, the survival of these cats was lower than that of normomagnesemic cats (54 versus 77%; P = .05). When all cats were considered, the survival of cats with abnormal [Mg 2 + ], also was decreased compared with normomagnesemic cats (62 versus 81%; P = .05). We conclude that abnormalities of [Mg 2 + ] s may affect morbidity and mortality of affected cats.
Autoionization of He Atoms by Partially Stripped Ion Impact

A study of the autoionization process induced by partially stripped ion impact is performed. Electron spectra in momentum space are predicted within a classical model for partially stripped ions. The results are compared with those obtained for pure Coulomb-like projectiles. A quantum-mechanical extension of the Barrachina-Macek model is proposed for partially stripped projectiles. Structure on the electron angular distribution arising in quantum and classical treatments is identified and compared. The presence of rainbow scattering interference is observed in the binary ring profile of the outgoing autoionized electrons for positive-ion impact.
Los alamos national laboratory progress and path to inertial confinement fusion commercialization

KrF lasers appear to be an attractive driver for inertial confinement fusion commercial applications such as electric power production. Los Alamos National Laboratory is working to develop the technology required to demonstrate that KrF lasers can satisfy all of the driver requirements. The latest experimental and theoretical results indicate that cost currently appears to be the main issue for KrF lasers. The Los Alamos program is working to reduce the cost of KrF laser systems by developing damage-resistant optical coatings, low-cost optical blanks, high-intrinsic-efficiency gas mixtures, low-cost and high-efficiency pulsed power, and optimized system architectures. Other potential issues may cause problems after the 5 kJ Aurora KrF laser system becomes operational, such as amplified spontaneous emission, cross talk, or temporal pulse distortion. Design solutions to issues such as these have been identified and will be experimentally demonstrated on Aurora. Issues specific to commercial-applications drivers, such as cost, gas flow, repetitively pulsed power, and high reliability cannot be experimentally addressed at this time. Projections will be made on the ability of KrF lasers to satisfy these requirements. The path to commercialization of inertial fusion for KrF lasers is also described.
A Note On Utility Maximization Under Partial Observations1

Using ideas from stochastic filtering theory and a martingale representation result of Jacod, we discuss problems of utility maximization in “dynamically incomplete” financial markets under partial observations.
Characteristics of opiate dependent patients who attempt suicide.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of opiate dependent patients who attempt suicide. METHOD: Opiate dependent patients (DSM-IV criteria) who had (N = 105) or had not (N = 141) attempted suicide were compared for family history of suicide, childhood trauma, personality traits, and experience of comorbidity with cocaine and/or alcohol dependence, major depressive disorder. and physical disorder. RESULTS: Significantly more opiate dependent patients who had attempted suicide were female (p Language: en
Should we incorporate psychological care into the management of IBS

This Viewpoint discusses the limited effectiveness of standard medical treatments for IBS, which leave about half of patients without satisfactory symptom relief. The article argues that adjunctive psychological therapies might enhance overall IBS outcomes as evidence suggests that psychological treatments can provide long-lasting symptom improvement for the majority of patients with IBS that is refractory to medical treatment.
Interprocedural partial redundancy elimination with application to distributed memory compilation

Partial Redundancy Elimination (PRE) is a general scheme for suppressing partial redundancies which encompasses traditional optimizations like loop invariant code motion and redundant code elimination. In this paper, we address the problem of performing this optimization interprocedurally. We present an Interprocedural Partial Redundancy Elimination (IPRE) scheme based upon a new, concise, full program representation. Our method is applicable to arbitrary recursive programs. We use interprocedural partial redundancy elimination for placement of communication and communication preprocessing statements while compiling for distributed memory parallel machines. We have implemented our scheme as an extension to the Fortran D compilation system. We present experimental results from two codes compiled using our system to demonstrate the useful of IPRE in distributed memory compilation.
New view of the high-pressure behaviour of GdFeO3-type perovskites

Recent determinations of the structures of several GdFeO3-type orthorhombic perovskites (ABO3) show that the octahedra in some become more tilted with increasing pressure. In others the octahedra become less tilted and the structure evolves towards a higher-symmetry configuration. This variety of behaviour can be explained in terms of the relative compressibilities of the octahedral and dodecahedral cation sites in the perovskite structure. If the BO6 octahedra are less compressible than the AO12 sites then the perovskite will become more distorted with pressure, but the perovskite will become less distorted if the BO6 site is more compressible than the AO12 site. In this contribution we use the bond-valence concept to develop a model that predicts the relative compressibilities of the cation sites in oxide perovskites. We introduce the site parameter Mi defined in terms of the coordination number Ni, average bond length at room pressure Ri, and the bond-valence parameters R0 and B,M_i = ({R_i N_i }/ B)\exp [({{R_0 - R_i }) / B}].Mi represents the variation in the bond-valence sum at the central cation in a polyhedral site because of the change of the average bond distance. Experimental data suggest that the pressure-induced changes in the bond-valence sums at the two cation sites within any given perovskite are equal. With this condition we show that the ratio of cation-site compressibilities is given by \beta _B /\beta _A = M_A /M_B. This model, based only upon room-pressure bond lengths and bond-valence parameters, correctly predicts the structural behaviour and some physical properties of the oxide perovskites that have been measured at high pressure.
Binary and phase-shifting image design for optical lithography

A number of pre-distorted mask design techniques for binary and phase-shifting masks are proposed. This approach is based on modeling the imaging mechanism of a stepper by the Hopkins equations and taking advantage of the photoresist nonlinear characteristics. Optimization techniques such as the branch and bound algorithm and simulated annealing algorithm are used to systematically design pre-distorted masks under incoherent and partially coherent illumination. Computer simulations are used to show that contour shapes of our designed mask patterns are sharper than those of conventional masks. The designed phase- shifting masks are shown to result in higher contrast as well as sharper contours than binary masks.
Fitting experimental data

An iterative method is given for fitting experimental data with uncertainties in the measurements of both coordinates to non-linear functions (algebraic or transcendental). The results include a matrix iteration formula for the adjustable parameters of the function and an exact expression for their variances. Two examples are given: Fitting Mo@?ssbauer data to Lorentzian lines and fitting data to a straight line.
TH-C-M100E-08: Evaluation of Multiple-Isocenter IMRT Planning Technique for Field Matching with Limited Collimator Field Size

Purpose: The Elekta Beam Modulator with fully integrated miniMLC has the precision suited for the treatment of smaller tumors. However, the maximum collimator length in the inf/sup direction is 16 cm when most of the head and neck target sizes have a larger dimension. This study used a multi‐isocenter IMRT planning technique with overlapping fields generated using inverse planning. Measurements have been taken to evaluate plans in terms of volume dose and delivery accuracy. The total monitor units for this technique were compared with a standard IMRT plan. Methods and Materials: Ten patients were planned with multiple beam arrangements; eight beam directions for the upper tumor volume without the supraclav and three to four beam arrangements for the lower tumor volume and supraclav. Treatment planning was performed on a CMS/XiO workstation. Treatment fields were delivered on a flat acrylic phantom containing EDR2 film. Isodose distributions were exported from XiO and compared to the measured data using Omni‐Pro software.Results and Conclusions: Multi‐isocenter techniques provide good coverage to the tumor volume while sparing organs at risk. Film distributions show that XiO does not model the effective tongue and groove that is evident in the film measurement. The magnitude of the tongue‐and‐groove dose decrease is on the order of up to 10%. An analysis of the gamma values shows that even with this discrepancy the agreements between plan and measurement were acceptable. The plans are not significantly degraded with small table inaccuracies on the order of 2mm. The total monitor units for multi‐centered plan increased 20% compared to single isocenter delivery. IMRT planning techniques using two or more isocenters for this collimator show clinically acceptable results when splitting the geometry.
Complications of endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract: a single-center experience

OBJECTIVE To evaluate prospectively the complications that occurred during consecutive endoscopies of the upper gastrointestinal tract. PATIENTS AND METHODS We evaluated all endoscopies of the upper gastrointestinal tract (except endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and endosonography) performed at the Ambulatory Surgical Center at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla, between January 1999 and June 2002. A staff gastroenterologist with or without a trainee performed these procedures. Therapeutic procedures included esophageal band ligation, injection sclerotherapy, botulinum toxin injection, extended upper endoscopy, pneumatic balloon dilation, endoscopic mucosal resection, and endoscopic ablation using thermal laser, argon beam coagulator, or photodynamic therapy. All complications were tabulated prospectively as per mandatory state licensure reporting. RESULTS Complications after diagnostic endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract were related to anesthesia in 2 of the 12,841 patients. Perforations in 5 patients were associated with esophageal dilation (2), resection of duodenal lesions (2), or passage of a side-viewing instrument into the duodenum (1). No deaths occurred. CONCLUSIONS Diagnostic endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract is safe, with a complication rate of less than 1 per 5000 cases. Therapeutic endoscopy increases the risk of complications. Compared with complication rates published previously, our results from a single center indicate a favorable reduction in complications related to endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract.
Macroeconomic Policy, Output, and Inflation in the Former Czechoslovakia: Some Evidence from the VAR Analysis

Both macroeconomic policy and structural adjustment factors influenced the dynamics of output and inflation in the former Czechoslovakia during the first phase of its transition from central planning to markets. The results of VAR analysis indicate that, following price liberalization, the impact of structural adjustment processes on the level of output was somewhat stronger than the impact of macroeconomic policy. Moreover, it seems likely that a "looser" macroeconomic policy—advocated by many as a countermeasure to a large decline in industrial production—would only worsen the situation, bringing both higher inflation and a larger decline in industrial production.
H2O adsorption and dissociation on defective hematite (0 0 0 1) surfaces: A DFT study

Abstract The interaction of absorbed water with defected hematite surfaces is studied in low-coverage. Three point-defective surfaces, including an Fe-vacancy, an Fe-adatom site, and an O-vacancy were studied using periodic density functional theory in a periodic slab model. The 2-coordinated O around an Fe-adatom or vacancy shows a decreased electron occupation. As a result, the defective surfaces with Fe-adatoms and vacancies are more reactive for H 2 O than either clean or O-vacancy surfaces. The Fe-adatom surface is most reactive for H 2 O molecular adsorption and is also highly reactive for dissociative adsorption.
Abstract 558: Constitutive activation of p38 MAPK signaling in tumor cells induces osteolytic bone lesions via regulating bone marrow microenvironment

Bone residing tumor cells cause osteolysis, characterized with severe bone pain, multiple fractures and hypercalcemia in patients. While it has been proposed that tumor cells activate osteoclasts and/or inhibit osteoblasts, leading to bone resorption, the mechanism underlying tumor-induced osteoclastogenesis activation in bone marrow microenvironment, which causes osteolytic bone lesions, is yet to be elucidated. P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is commonly constitutively activated in malignant osteolytic tumors. We hypothesize that constitutive activity of p38 MAPK in tumor cells might contribute to osteolytic bone lesions via regulating bone marrow microenvironment. For this purpose, we applied of small hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) to disrupt p38 MAPK activity in myeloma ARP-1 and bone metastatic breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. To evaluate the role of tumor p38 MAPK in bone lesions, tumor cells with p38 MAPK-shRNAs or control vectors were intravenously injected to SCID mice. Lytic lesions in tibial bones were measured by radiograph and μ-CT, and further confirmed by histological examination. The results showed that lytic bone lesions were found in mice bearing of tumor cells with control vectors. In contrast, no or less bone lesions were found in mice with shRNA-expressing tumor cells. Moreover, decrease of osteoclast amounts covered bone surface, as well as circulating levels of collagen type I (bone resorption marker) and TRAP5b (active osteoclast marker), but increase of osteoblast amounts, and osteocalcin (bone formation marker) and ALP (active osteoblast marker), were found in those mice injected with shRNA-tumor cells. Noticeably, tumor p38 MAPK enhanced osteoclast differentiation and activity, as well as inhibited osteoblast maturation and function in vitro. However, disruption of p38 MAPK activity in tumor cells did not affect tumor growth and tumor cell homing to bone. We further identified that tumor p38 MAPK-derived monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) induced bone lesions via activation of RANK/RANKL-mediated NFκB, p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 signaling pathways. In conclusion, our results elucidate a novel mechanism that tumor p38 MAPK activity regulates bone marrow microenvironment and contributes to tumor-induced osteolytic bone lesions. Thus, inhibition of p38 MAPK signaling in tumor cells may have an important implication to treat bone lesions in patients with osteolytic tumors. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 558.
Two open reading frames (ORFs) identified near the hydrogenase structural genes in Azotobacter vinelandii, the first ORF may encode for a polypeptide similar to rubredoxins

Abstract Sequencing of 744 base pairs (bp) of a cloned section of DNA from Azotobacter vinelandii reveals two complete, closely-spaced open reading frames (ORF1 and ORF2). Both ORFs are transcribed from the same DNA strand as that of the structural genes for hydrogenase ( hox K and hox G, Menon, A.L. et al. (1990) Gene 96, 67–74), and are located downstream from the latter genes. The distance between the end of hox G and the beginning of ORF1 is approx. 3.0 kilobases (kb). Most of the deduced amino acid sequence of ORF1 shares high homology with rubredoxin sequences. Some of the deduced amino acid sequence of ORF2 shares homology with that of a reported partial ORF from Rhodobacter capsulatus , ORF located within a region of DNA required for dihydrogen oxidation in that organism. Implications of these findings with respect to dihydrogen metabolism are discussed.
Welfare States in Developing Countries: Unique or Universal?

Do varieties of welfare capitalism exist in the developing world? This analysis challenges scholars of comparative political economy and international political economy who treat the political economies of less developed countries (LDCs) as more or less identical to one another or, at the other extreme, as nations marked by tremendous diversity. This paper is one of the first attempts to highlight systematic differences among the political economies of the developing world, particularly with respect to their distribution regimes. Using cluster analysis, the results illustrate that welfare efforts in LDCs are either directed towards promoting market development (a productive welfare state), protecting select individuals from the market (a protective welfare state), or both (a dual welfare state). The discovery of distinct patterns of welfare regimes in LDCs presents hitherto unknown implications for the influence of domestic politics and policies in late twentieth-century globalization.
Multi-model ensemble analysis of runoff extremes for climate change impact assessments

Summary In this study multi-model ensemble analysis of extreme runoff is performed based on eight regional climate models (RCMs) provided by the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP). Hydrologic simulation is performed by driving the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model over the Pacific Northwest region, for historical and future time periods. Extreme event analysis is then conducted using spatial hierarchical Bayesian modeling (SHB). Ensemble merging of extreme runoff is carried out using Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) in which spatially distributed weights corresponding to each regional climate model are obtained. Comparison of the residuals before and after the multi-model combination shows that the merged signal generally outperforms the best individual signal. The climate model simulations show close performance regarding maximum and minimum temperature and wind speed, however, the differences are more pronounced for precipitation and runoff. Between-model variances increase for the future time series compared to the historical ones indicating larger uncertainties in climate change projections. The combined model is then used to predict projected seasonal runoff extremes and compare them with historical simulations. Ensemble average results suggest that seasonal extreme runoff will increase in most regions in particular the Rockies and west of the Cascades.
Hospital treatment of the encopretic child.

Abstract Encopresis, or fecal soiling, is a troublesome disorder of children that can be quite difficult to manage. It is often a symptom of a disturbed family. This article describes a successful treatment method that is carried out in a hospital setting. In the author's experience, effective treatment requires a combination of behavior modification techniques with individual, group, occupational, and family therapy, in a hospital setting.
Anthrax target in macrophages unveiled

Anthrax lethal toxin lyses macrophages derived from certain inbred mice but not others, forming the basis of a bioassay widely used in the development of antibodies and drugs to treat anthrax. A new study identifies two genes essential for this lysis, revealing potential links between toxin-induced proteolysis and cellular killing.
Advances in pediatric obesity research

Pediatric obesity research focuses on four major areas: prevention and treatment using lifestyle modifications; prevention and treatment using pharmacological or surgical approaches; observational studies on the comorbidities of childhood obesity; and investigations of the genetic and hormonal causes of childhood obesity. This article will review recently reported and ongoing clinical and basic science research on these topics.
Fractionation of the complementary strands of coliphage T4 DNA based on the asymmetric distribution of the poly U and poly U,G binding sites.

Poly I,G interacts preferentially with one of the two complementary DNA strands of lambda and lambda-related phages 21, 434, and phi80, thus permitting preparative separation of the "dense" fraction, consisting of a complex between the intact strands C and poly I,G, from the less dense ("light") fraction containing the intact strands W, which bind 3-4 times less poly I,G. The isolated and self-annealed fractions are over 99% pure as far as their hybridization properties with complementary RNA are concerned. The interaction of poly I,G with intact and fragmented DNA of lambda and its deletion mutants could be interpreted as indicating the asymmetric distribution of poly I,G-binding deoxycytidine-(dC)-rich clusters between the strands of lambda DNA; on the left arm (55% G + C) the dC-clusters seem to be restricted to the C strand, whereas both complementary strands of the right arm (46% G + C) of lambda DNA contain these dC clusters. Thus, the two arms of lambda DNA differ not only in their average base composition (Hershey, 1966), but also in the mode of distribution of the dC-rich clusters, the latter possibly related to the initiation, termination and orientation of the DNA-to-RNA transcription from the complementary DNA strands.
108. Neurocognitive predictors of functional decline in poor-outcome schizophrenia

Although cognitive abilities have been shown to be directly related to social, occupational, and adaptive functioning in patients with schizophrenia, there is no evidence indicating that a specific neuropsychological index can predict decline in functional status. Impairments in verbal learning and memory, verbal skills, and executive functions correlate with functional impairments, and are predictive of functional ability over time. Yet, there is no evidence that impairment on a specific neurocognitive index is associated with functional decline, or whether these measures are all associated with functional impairments due to a global or specific cognitive deficit. In order to test whether any of these neuropsychological measures (Verbal Learning and Memory, Praxis, and Confrontational Naming) is most associated with functional decline, 68 subjects were chosen from a long-term study of the effects of aging in schizophrenia. Subjects were chosen specifically because they declined functionally from a mildly impaired level of functioning to a moderate or severely impaired level of functioning across two assessments (mean interval 5 1.89 years, sd 5 1.42 years), based on a global rating of functioning on the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR). Age and education corrected z-scores were derived for measures of verbal learning, delayed memory, praxic ability, and confrontational naming, based on performance of healthy controls on these measures as part of the Consortium to Establish a Registry of Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD). Change in performance on these neuropsychological measures was calculated by subtracting the standardized z-score of each measure at the follow-up assessment from the standardized score obtained on each measure at the initial assessment. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine if any of these measures were specifically associated with functional decline. Whereas the overall ANOVA was significant (F(1, 67) 5 14.49, p , .001), no specific measure of neurocognitive functioning was able to account for the decline in functional ability (Rao’s R (3, 65) 5 1.19, p , .321). These data suggest that the cognitive decline seen in these patients is generalized, rather than selective. It may be that this functional decline is related to low levels of cortical decline in patients with poor premorbid functioning and a chronic clinical course of illness.