cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Baseline Cognition Assessment Among Patients With Oropharyngeal Cancer Using PROMIS and NIH Toolbox.

Importance Cognitive dysfunction (CD) is recognized by the American Cancer Society as a treatment effect in head and neck cancer, but the extent of this problem at baseline in oropharyngeal cancer (OPC), the most common subsite in current practice, to our knowledge has never been studied. Objective To assess the baseline cognition of patients with OPC using National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored instruments of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery (NIHTB-CB). Design, Setting, and Participants This was a prospective cohort study conducted at a tertiary academic center. Of 83 consecutive patients, newly diagnosed as having OPC from September 2016 to May 2017, 16 were ineligible, 8 refused to participate, and 3 were lost to follow-up after screening, resulting in 56 study participants. Main Outcomes and Measures Self-perceived and objective cognition with PROMIS and NIHTB-CB standardized T scores, respectively, were main outcomes. Impairment was defined as (1) T scores less than 0.5 SD for PROMIS; (2) T score less than 1.5 SD in at least 1 cognitive domain or less than 1 SD in 2 or more domains for NIHTB-CB total cognition; and (3) T score per previously published criteria for NIHTB-CB intelligence-stratified cognition. Results Of the 56 study participants (52 men, 4 women; median age, 59 years [range, 42-77 years]), 19 (34%) had a college degree, and 20 (36%) had a professional or technical occupation. Thirty (about 53%) were never-smokers, 26 (46%) were never-drinkers, 29 (52%) were obese, 13 (23%) had a moderate to severe comorbidity, 3 (5%) used antidepressants, and 25 (52%) had hearing loss. Impaired self-reported, NIHTB-CB total, and intelligence-stratified cognition scores were observed in 6 (11%), 18 (32%), and 12 (21%), respectively. Among all variables, objective impairment was more common in men (23% vs 0%) and those with p16-negative OPC (33% vs 20%), moderate to severe comorbidity (31% vs 18%), and hearing loss (31% vs 12%). Conclusions and Relevance Impaired objective cognition was more common at baseline than self-reported, and was more frequent in men, participants with p16-negative OPC, moderate to severe comorbidity, and hearing loss. NIHTB-CB allowed immediate scoring of demographically adjusted cognitive function. In clinical practice, these scores can be used to identify patients with impaired cognition at baseline who may be susceptible to developing further impairment after treatment. Identification of impairment at baseline will help to institute early cognitive interventions, which may lead to an improved posttreatment quality of life.
Collaborative Argumentation As A Learning Strategy To Improve Student Performance In Engineering Statics: A Pilot Study

Educators have used argumentation to help students understand mathematical ideas which often appear abstract to the novice learner. A preliminary investigation was conducted to determine if collaborative argumentation is a strategy that can improve the student’s conceptual understanding of the topics taught in the engineering course commonly titled Statics. The academic performance of students enrolled in a traditional problems-solving session was compared to the academic performance of students enrolled in a problem-solving session where collaborative argumentation was used. Results suggest that argumentation improved student performance as measured by grades associated with one-hour long exams, although student written responses on a course evaluation survey responses indicate that students did not believe argumentation was a learning strategy was effective.
Die Behandlung der primären Ablatio retinaeMinimal extraokular oder intraokular

The developments in treatment modalities for a primary retinal detachment over the last 70 years have been reviewed. There was a change from a surgery limited to the area of the break to a form of prophylactic surgery including the extent of the detachment. In between Rosengren had limited the treatment to the break with an intraocular gas bubble. A change was brought about by Custodis in 1953 who limited surgery to the break and omitted drainage. This procedure had serious postoperative complications which were eliminated by Lincoff by developing the cryosurgical detachment operation which was subsequently refined to extraocular minimal surgery. The ultimate realization of a minimal extraocular approach was the operation with a temporary balloon. Two additional intraocular procedures evolved, pneumatic retinopexy and primary vitrectomy, following one or the other pattern of treatment. With all four methods reattachment can result in 94-99% of the cases but differences can be seen in the morbidity and rate of reoperations.
Synthesis and characterization of uranyl thiolate complexes. Crystal and molecular structures of [Me4N][UO2(NO3)2(C5H4NS)] and [C16H25N2S2Si2][UO2(NO3)2(C8H12NSSi)]

Abstract The preparations of two monomeric uranyl thiolate compounds are presented. [Me4N][UO2(NO3)2(C5H4NS)] (4) and [C16H25N2S2Si2][UO2(NO3)2(C8H12NSSi)] (5). Crystal data: 4, C9H16N4O8SU, orthorhombic, P212121, a = 8.553(2), b = 13.921(2), c = 14.895(2) A , V = 1773.7(9) A 3 , Z = 4 , 1356 reflections, R = 0.0463. 5, C24H37N5O8S3Si3U, monoclinic, P21/c, a = 11.925(2), b = 27.429(5), c = 11.462(2) A , β = 97.33(3)°, V = 3718(2) A 3 , Z = 4, 1055 reflections, R = 0.0518. These are possible precursors to previously reported uranyl-peroxo and -oxo thiolate clusters. Attempts at oxo transfer from the clusters to substrates are also discussed.
Unraveling the structure and bonding evolution of the newly discovered iron oxide FeO 2

Recently reported synthesis of ${\mathrm{FeO}}_{2}$ at high pressure has stimulated great interest in exploring this new iron oxide and elucidating its properties. Here, we present a systematic computational study of crystal structure, chemical bonding, and sound velocity of ${\mathrm{FeO}}_{2}$ in a wide range of pressure. Our results establish thermodynamic stability of the experimentally observed pyrite phase (P-phase) of ${\mathrm{FeO}}_{2}$ at pressures above 74 GPa and unveil two metastable ${\mathrm{FeO}}_{2}$ phases in $Pbcn$ and $P{4}_{2}/mnm$ symmetry at lower pressures. Simulated x-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra of $Pbcn$ and $P{4}_{2}/mnm\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{FeO}}_{2}$ match well with measured XRD data of the decompression products of P-phase ${\mathrm{FeO}}_{2}$, providing compelling evidence for the presence of these metastable phases. Energetic calculations reveal unusually soft O-O bonds in P-phase ${\mathrm{FeO}}_{2}$ stemming from a low-frequency libration mode of ${\mathrm{FeO}}_{6}$ octahedra, rendering the O-O bond length highly sensitive to computational and physical environments. Calculated sound-velocity profiles of P-phase ${\mathrm{FeO}}_{2}$ are markedly different from those of the $Pbcn$ and $P{4}_{2}/mnm$ phases, underscoring their distinct seismic signatures. Our findings offer insights for understanding the rich structural, bonding, and elastic behaviors of this newly discovered iron oxide.
Field Evaluation of Reduced Rate Brassicaceae Seed Meal Amendment and Rootstock Genotype on the Microbiome and Control of Apple Replant Disease.

An orchard field trial was conducted to assess the utility of reduced rate Brassicaceae seed meal (SM) amendment in concert with specific rootstock genotypes for effective control of apple replant ...
The Design Help Desk: A collaborative approach to design education for scientists and engineers.

Visual design, learning sciences, and nanotechnology may be strange bedfellows; yet, as this paper highlights, peer interaction between a designer and a scientist is an effective method for helping scientists acquire visual design skills. We describe our findings from observing twelve sessions at the Design Help Desk, a tutoring center at the University of Washington. At each session, a scientist (who is expert in his own domain but a novice in design) consulted a designer (who is expert in design but a novice in science) in order to receive advice and guidance on how to improve a scientific visualization. At the Design Help Desk, this pairing consistently produced a momentary disequilibrium in the scientist’s thought process: a disequilibrium that led to agency (where the scientist gained ownership of his/her own learning) and conceptual change in the scientist’s understanding of visual design. Scientists who visited the Design Help Desk were satisfied with their experience, and their published work demonstrated an improved ability to visually communicate research findings—a skill critical to the advancement of science. To our knowledge, the Design Help Desk is a unique effort to educate scientists in visual design; we are not aware of any other design-advice/tutoring centers at public or private universities in the United States or abroad.
Privacy for Free: Communication-Efficient Learning with Differential Privacy Using Sketches

Communication and privacy are two critical concerns in distributed learning. Many existing works treat these concerns separately. In this work, we argue that a natural connection exists between methods for communication reduction and privacy preservation in the context of distributed machine learning. In particular, we prove that Count Sketch, a simple method for data stream summarization, has inherent differential privacy properties. Using these derived privacy guarantees, we propose a novel sketch-based framework (DiffSketch) for distributed learning, where we compress the transmitted messages via sketches to simultaneously achieve communication efficiency and provable privacy benefits. Our evaluation demonstrates that DiffSketch can provide strong differential privacy guarantees (e.g., $\varepsilon$= 1) and reduce communication by 20-50x with only marginal decreases in accuracy. Compared to baselines that treat privacy and communication separately, DiffSketch improves absolute test accuracy by 5%-50% while offering the same privacy guarantees and communication compression.
Unsupervised Language Acquisition

This thesis presents a computational theory of unsupervised language acquisition, precisely defining procedures for learning language from ordinary spoken or written utterances, with no explicit help from a teacher. The theory is based heavily on concepts borrowed from machine learning and statistical estimation. In particular, learning takes place by fitting a stochastic, generative model of language to the evidence. Much of the thesis is devoted to explaining conditions that must hold for this general learning strategy to arrive at linguistically desirable grammars. The thesis introduces a variety of technical innovations, among them a common representation for evidence and grammars, and a learning strategy that separates the ``content'' of linguistic parameters from their representation. Algorithms based on it suffer from few of the search problems that have plagued other computational approaches to language acquisition. The theory has been tested on problems of learning vocabularies and grammars from unsegmented text and continuous speech, and mappings between sound and representations of meaning. It performs extremely well on various objective criteria, acquiring knowledge that causes it to assign almost exactly the same structure to utterances as humans do. This work has application to data compression, language modeling, speech recognition, machine translation, information retrieval, and other tasks that rely on either structural or stochastic descriptions of language.
Emerging roles for lymphatics in acute kidney injury: Beneficial or maleficent?

Acute kidney injury, a sudden decline in renal filtration, is a surprisingly common pathology resulting from ischemic events, local or systemic infection, or drug-induced toxicity in the kidney. Un...
Commutative Rings and Modules

For the most part this chapter is a brief introduction to what is frequently called commutative algebra. We begin with chain conditions (Section 1) and prime ideals (Section 2), both of which play a central role in the study of commutative rings. Actually no commutativity restrictions are made in Section 1 since this material is also essential in the study of arbitrary rings (Chapter IX).
Seeking the queens of science

Readers who want an immediate explanation for the title of The Madame Curie Complex – perhaps while waiting for their own copy of this splendid book to arrive in the post – should visit the webcomic xkcd.
Proposed restructuring of the American fusion program around the fission fusion hybrid

Summary form given only, as follows. In 1996, the goals of the American fusion program were changed from energy production to fusion science. However with this change, there are two fundamental dilemmas. First, how does one measure progress toward the goal; and second, how can this program, which is now only one subfield in all physics research, be justified at the multi hundred million dollar per year level? This author's answer is that it is not possible to do either; indeed it is likely that the program will suffer future large budget cuts. As an alternative, one could build a fission fusion reactor. A tokamak like JET, operating at steady state with DT could generate enough nuclear fuel to power a 300 MW nuclear power station, a future upgrade might be economically viable. Although today there is strong opposition to nuclear power in the United States, in a 21st century world of 10 billion people, all of whom will demand a middle class life style, nuclear energy will be an important part of the power mix. China and India are already going in that direction; Africa and Latin America will too. We have the luxury of refusing nuclear energy, the developing world does not. It is in our interest to be involved, even if only for export market, and to make sure that the nuclear power is developed in as safe and proliferation resistant way as possible. A fission fusion reactor could play an important role in using thorium to breed /sup 233/U, a proliferation resistant nuclear option. In this way, the American fusion program could produce energy much more quickly, and help both the fusion and fission efforts. This poster is a summary of two documented works in this area by the author (1999, 2000).
Comparative metabolism of progesterone in proliferative human endometrium and myometrium.

Abstract In contrast to hepatic metabolism of progesterone, which gives rise to 5β-pregnane derivatives, both endometrium and myometrium are unique in that they reduce the Δ 4 bond of progesterone to form predominantly allo (5α) pregnane products. Differences in progesterone metabolism also exist between endometrium and myometrium. These metabolic differences may relate to the different hormonal effects of progesterone (secretory activity in the endometrium; inhibition of muscle contraction in the myometrium). The major product in endometrium is an unknown dihydroxy compound. 4-Pregnen-20α-ol-3-one is the major product of myometrium. Six additional products have been identified in endometrium; 3 in myometrium. The metabolic pathways of progesterone observed are evaluated in light of possible progesterone hormonal mechanisms.
A Cleavage Site of Ribonuclease F

A new endoribonuclease activity, RNase F, was partially purified from Escherichia coli cells. This activity can specifically cleave a precursor RNA molecule (of species 1) isolated from T4-infected cells [N. Watson & D. Apirion (1981) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 103, 543–551], The cleavage results in products which are very similar to RNA molecules found in the cell, generating a 3′-phosphate and a 5′-hydroxyl groups. The cleavage takes place between a cytosine and an adenine moiety, within a possible loop and stem structure; the cut is in the border between the double-stranded and single-stranded regions of this structure. The specificity of this enzyme could be the introduction of a cleavage near the 3′ ends o f tRNA molecules and other RNAs like species 1 which could resemble tRNA in their three-dimensional structure.
Consistency and MSE Performance of MUSIC-Based DOA of a Single Source in White Noise With Randomly Missing Data

MUSIC is a popular algorithm for estimating the direction of arrival (DOA) in array signal processing applications. In this paper, we analyze the performance of the MUSIC algorithm for a single source system, in the presence of noisy and missing data (when only a random subset of the entries in the data matrix are observed). We prove consistency of the DOA estimate when signal from a single source is impinging on low coherence arrays, and derive an analytic expression for the mean-squared-error (MSE) performance of MUSIC for the case of uniform linear arrays, in the large array and relatively large sample setting. Our analysis is mathematically justified in both the sample rich and deficient regimes. The expression for the MSE is a simple function of array geometry, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the fraction of entries observed, and the ratio of the number of sensors to number of snapshots. We derive a phase transition threshold which separates a regime where MUSIC is consistent from a regime where MUSIC is inconsistent. This threshold depends upon the SNR, the probability of observing entries in the data matrix, and number of sensors and snapshots in a simple manner which we make explicit.
Trichohyalin: A structural protein of hair, tongue, nail, and epidermis

In the course of studies of desmosomes, we found trichohyalin, a 200-kDa protein of the inner root sheath and medulla, in a citric acid-insoluble fraction ("desmosome preparation") from tongue epithelium. Pig tongue epithelium yielded milligram quantities of pure trichohyalin from about 100 g of keratomed epithelium. The protein has an extended shape as determined by gel filtration, ultracentrifugation, and electron microscopy, with a rod domain and a globular domain at one end and overall dimensions of about 85 nm. Crosslinking studies suggest that the protein may be dimeric in solution. The protein is a doublet in some animals but apparently is a single polypeptide of 220 kDa in humans. Immunofluorescence studies showed that it is a major protein of the filiform papillae of the tongue of mammals and is present in isolated cells of the stratum granulosum of some regions of epidermis in a subset of cells containing filaggrin and in the nail matrix. Similarly, in filiform papillae some cells contain granules that stain for both trichohyalin and filaggrin. Immunoblotting confirmed that trichohyalin is present in tongue and epidermis. Polymerase chain reaction with human genomic DNA using oligonucleotide primers based on sheep trichohyalin resulted in synthesis of multiple DNAs, from which a 504-bp fragment was subcloned and sequenced and found to resemble closely the carboxyl terminus of sheep trichohyalin. Studies with antibody to the carboxyl-terminal 14 amino acids of the human sequence show that, whereas the carboxyl-terminal epitope is present only in the stratum granulosum, in epidermis epitopes detected by a monoclonal antibody are demonstrated in both the stratum granulosum and stratum corneum, suggesting that the carboxyl terminus is cleaved in the stratum corneum.
Evaluation of a Method to Improve the Consent Process: Improved Data Retention with Stagnant Comprehension

Our study explored whether a simple, cost-effective intervention directed only at physicians could improve patient comprehension with informed consent process. In our medical university oncology clinic, we performed a baseline survey on 69 patients receiving new therapy, testing for comprehension of the important components of the informed consent process. We then instituted a three-part intervention, including (1) physician education, (2) an available toxicity list, and (3) a checklist to ensure physician compliance. We repeated the survey on 54 consecutive patients who consented for treatment, evaluating four outcomes. The intervention produced a 38 % improvement in patients' listing of toxicities (p = 0.0003) and no significant improvements in the understanding of therapeutic goals, likelihood of achieving those goals, and confidence in their understanding of treatment. Our three-part intervention, directed solely at physicians, improved patients' recall of toxicity data but did not influence the other important areas of patient comprehension within the informed consent process.
Controversies in the diagnosis and management of urinary tract infections in children.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common childhood bacterial infections, after upper respiratory tract and middle ear infections. The current goal of management is to prevent detrimental effects of UTI by early detection and treatment. Recommendations for the imaging of children depend upon age at presentation and sex. All children aged <5 years who have had a febrile UTI require a radiologic evaluation to identify any underlying genitourinary pathology. Older children can undergo a more tailored work-up depending on whether there is a febrile UTI or cystitis-type symptoms. Dysfunctional voiding and urge syndrome significantly increase the risk of developing UTIs in children. Vesicoureteral reflux can increase the risk of pyelonephritis and renal scarring in children with UTIs. For the most part, pyelonephritis can be diagnosed on clinical grounds in the majority of patients and a subsequent 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid scan can be reserved to identify post-nephritic renal scarring. When renal scarring is identified, the child and parents need to be educated regarding the possibility of hypertension, proteinuria, progressive nephropathy, and the risk of complications in future pregnancies. Treatment of UTI is started in the unwell child before the culture results are available and subsequently changed to culture-specific antimicrobial therapy. A short course of treatment is required for acute uncomplicated UTIs. A child with acute pyelonephritis requires 10–14 days of antibacterial treatment. The oral route in young children often causes vomiting, which implies therapeutic delay, a well known risk factor for scarring.
Modification of the initiation of locomotion inHermissenda: Behavioral analysis

Abstract We have examined the effect of a conditioning procedure on various components of visually guided locomotion in Hermissenda . Temporally specific stimulation of the visual system and gravity detecting system (statocysts) with light and rotation produced long-term changes in locomotor behavior. We found that the latency to initiate locomotion in the presence of light was significantly increased for the conditioned group as compared to baseline pre-test latencies and groups that received random presentations of the conditioning stimuli. The variability in the time taken by animals to enter a central illuminated area as reported in earlier studies can be accounted for by the increase in the latency to initiate locomotion. The modifications of visually influenced locomotion exhibits stimulus (CS) specificity since locomotor behavior is not changed following conditioning in the absence of light. In addition, conditioned animals remained in the brightest part of the light gradient significantly less than pre-test measurements. Since this response (initiation of locomotion) can be studied in a semi-intact preparation, it should be possible to investigate how this example of learning generates changes in behavior.
Atom probe tomography for nanoscale characterization of CdTe device absorber layers and interfaces

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells are a leading thin film technology with relatively high efficiencies. However, even the highest published efficiency CdTe cell is well below the theoretical achievable efficiency. Atomic scale characterization would provide important feedback on optimization of CdTe cells for further efficiency improvements. Atom probe tomography (APT), with both high spatial resolution and ppm composition sensitivity, is a technique well-suited for providing these details. It is demonstrated here that the compositions measured for CdTe and ZnTe by APT are sensitive to the analysis conditions, in particular the incident laser energy. Experiments demonstrating the relationships of the analysis parameters are presented. Using optimized values, APT analyses of the absorber layer and interfaces in CdTe devices were performed.
Challenges to Global Green Job Growth

The authors recognize that green is a relative term and that what's green today may be decidedly not green tomorrow. They developed the idea of “shades of green” to try to capture the differences between jobs and looked at where the green jobs currently are. They found that green jobs in renewables are likely to grow, but in other sectors green jobs face enormous challenges. Among them are investment, technology, agriculture, labor market, and urbanization hurdles.
Synthesis of gamma-hydroxy enones via persulfate oxidation of dienyl ethers.☆

Abstract The commercial oxidant “oxone” (2KHSO4·K2SO4·KHSO4) has been found to be a superior reagent for the gamma oxidation of dienyl ethers to axial gamma-hydroxy enones.
Simplified magnetic field modeling and calculation of large air-core reactor coils

A simplified magnetic field model for large air-core reactor coils is proposed. It uses three flexible magnetic dipoles with their numbers of turns and positions flexible. The magnetic flux density was calculated along 5 typical traverses for three different types of coils. At designated field points, close to the coil, the calculation error of the proposed model is less than 5%. The three flexible dipole model proposed is not only simple and easy to be implemented but also gives satisfactory accuracy in the regions of practical interest. It can be applied easily to the calculation of the three dimensional power frequency magnetic field distribution of substations.
The Retail Environment: Relationship of Tension and Social Support:

Sales associates and managers from branches of two department stores were surveyed (n = 193) to determine to what extent tension exists and what source (or combination of sources) of social support is perceived to influence the interaction of life domains. Role theory was used to guide the study. Study variables included: tension, sources of social support (supervisors, family, coworkers), role stressors (role conflict, role ambiguity, role overload), and selected demographic characteristics. Results indicated that role conflict, role overload, number of children, and role ambiguity were significant predictors of tension. Social support from supervisors and coworkers was found to be significantly related to tension. Specifically, for employees experiencing low levels of tension, there were no differences in the level of social support from supervisors and coworkers; for those experiencing high levels of tension, there was significantly more coworker support than supervisor support. Support from familylfri...
Melanocytotoxicity and the Mechanism of Activation of γ-L-Glutaminyl-4-hydroxybenzene

γ -L-Glutaminyl-4-hydroxybenzene is converted by the tyrosinase of the common mushroom, Agaricus bisporus , to the toxic, dormancy-inducting metabolite 2-hydroxy-4-imino-2,5-cyclohexadiene-1-one. Hydroxylation of γ -L-glutaminyl-4-hydroxybenzene by mammalian tyrosinase was monitored by determining tritium water release from γ -L-glutaminyl-[3,5- 3 H]4-hydroxybenzene and occurred at only 25% of the rate found with tyrosine. The dihydroxy product of the hydroxylation reaction, γ -L-glutaminyl-3,4-dihydroxybenzene, was not oxidized by the mammalian enzyme. Therefore, oxidation of γ -L-glutaminyl-4-hydroxybenzene to sulfhydryl-reactive quinones by mammalian tyrosinase is an unlikely explanation for the hair depigmentation and inhibition of melanocarcinoma growth observed following administration of this compound. Cleavage of γ -L-glutaminyl-4-hydroxybenzene by γ -glutamyl transpeptidase releasing p -aminophenol was demonstrated. p -Aminophenol was an active depigmenting and melanocytotoxic compound. N 2 -Methyl- γ -L-glutaminyl-4-hydroxybenzene was synthesized, differing from γ -L-glutaminyl-4-hydroxybenzene only by the presence of a methylated amide linkage. This chemical modification resulted in a compound resistant to cleavage by γ -glutamyl transpeptidase and lacking in melanocytotoxic activity. γ -Glutamyl transpeptidase cleavage is proposed as the route for transformation of γ -L-glutaminyl-4-hydroxybenzene into an active inhibitor of melanocytes.
Comparisons of transport and dispersion model predictions of the european tracer experiment: area- and population-based user-oriented measures of effectiveness

Abstract In October 1994, a tracer gas was released from a location in northwestern France and tracked at 168 sampling locations in 17 countries across Europe. This release, known as the European Tracer Experiment (ETEX), resulted in the collection of a wealth of data. This paper applies a previously described user-oriented measure of effectiveness (MOE) methodology to evaluate the predictions of 46 models against the long-range ETEX observations. The paper extends previous work by computing MOE values that are based on “true” areas (e.g., in square kilometers) and on actual European population distributions. In this way, assessments of model predictions of ETEX are placed in a possible operational context. The predictive performance of the models were assessed with nominal, area-, dosage-, and population-based MOE values and ranked using a few notional user-based scoring functions. This study finds that the rankings of some models—in particular, several of the model predictions that were ranked in the top 10—are relatively insensitive to the particular MOE technique used. This robust behavior, with respect to analysis assumptions, is regarded as an important feature of model performance.
Establishing multivariate specifications for incoming materials using data from multiple scales

The effects of the raw materials onto the product's final quality attributes (FQA) will be combined with the effect from the process operation, and from any differences of scale. A new mathematical framework is proposed to help understand and decouple the effects of raw materials, scale, process conditions and control system onto the FQA for a given product. Ultimately it provides a quantitative way to establish a quality driven multivariate specification for the incoming materials, using data from multiple scales to support it. The new technique is based on multivariate latent variable methods (LVM) coupled with optimization techniques. This proposed method can be used as the basis to quantitatively support a design-space definition that takes into account the inherent variability in the FQA that is brought in by the process operation, the control system and the materials. The methodology is illustrated herein building a multivariate specification for the purchase of a polymeric excipient for the production of tablets.
Performance analysis of a FTTH link utilizing asymmetric data transmission

Abstract A WDM–PON recycling incoming light to transmit upstream data has been analyzed. Effect of Rayleigh scattering, uneven energy distribution and noise accumulation are evaluated to achieve 80 km bidirectional communication with
Duration of colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an acute care facility: A study to assess epidemiologic features

Background Patients with a history of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization or infection are often presumed to remain colonized when they are readmitted to the hospital. This assumption underlies the hospital practice that flags MRSA-positive patients so that these patients can be placed in contact isolation at hospital admission and, when necessary, be given the appropriate empirical therapy and/or antibiotic prophylaxis. Methods To determine the duration of and factors associated with MRSA colonization among patients following discharge, we designed a cohort study of patients hospitalized between October 1, 2007, and July 31, 2009, at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, a 128-bed acute care facility. We defined 3 cohorts: cohort A; patients with both a MRSA infection during hospitalization and nasal colonization at discharge; cohort B; patients with a MRSA infection but no nasal colonization at discharge; and cohort C; patients only nasally colonized at discharge. We collected information on demographic characteristics, underlying conditions, infections, and antibiotic use. We cultured nasal swabs obtained from patients at home. We calculated hazard ratios (HR), comparing cohorts A, B, and C after controlling for other factors. Results We obtained 231 swabs (23 in cohort A, 34 in cohort B, and 174 in cohort C). We documented MRSA colonization in 92 (39.9%) of the 231 patients who returned swabs. The median duration of colonization was 33.3 months. Factors significantly associated with persistent MRSA colonization were (1) total duration of hospital stay from previous admissions prior to study entry and (2) a member of cohort A who had a longer duration of colonization compared with cohorts B and C ( P Conclusion Our data suggest that higher initial inocula of bacteria may be an important determinant of persistent colonization with MRSA.
Reliability of advanced high-k/metal-gate n-FET devices

Hot-carrier degradation and bias-temperature instability of FinFET and fully-depleted SOI devices with high-k gate dielectrics and metal gates are investigated. Thinner SOI results in increased hot-carrier degradation, which can be recovered by junction engineering. FinFETs with (1 1 0) Si active surfaces exhibit degradation of sub-threshold swing after hot carrier stress, indicating generation of interface states. The effect of duty cycle on bias-temperature instability modulates the quasi-steady-state trap occupancy over a broad distribution of electron trapping and de-trapping times. Only the deeper traps remain filled for low duty cycle, and shallower traps are emptied during AC stress.
Effects of pretreatment with dexamethasone or levothyroxine sodium on endotoxin-induced alterations in glucose and insulin dynamics in horses.

Objective—To investigate the effects of dexamethasone or levothyroxine sodium on endotoxin-induced alterations in glucose and insulin dynamics. Animals—24 horses. Procedures—Horses were randomly allocated to 3 treatment groups and received 48 mg of levothyroxine mixed with 200 g of oats, 20 mg of dexamethasone plus oats, or oats alone (control) for 15 days, followed by IV infusion of lipopolysaccharide (20 ng/kg) while individually housed in stalls. Frequently sampled IV glucose tolerance tests were performed prior to pretreatment, after pretreatment, and 20 hours after lipopolysaccharide administration. Area under the curve for plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations was calculated, and minimal model analyses were performed. Results—Significant treatment-by-time effects were detected for insulin sensitivity (SI) and area under the curve for glucose and insulin in the 15-day pretreatment period. Insulin sensitivity significantly decreased over time in all treatment groups, with the largest decreas...
TRANSLATIONAL DOPPLER DETECTION USING DIRECT-DETECT CHIRPED AMPLITUDE-MODULATED LASER RADAR

Translational Doppler detection using a direct-detect, chirped, amplitude-modulated LADAR is demonstrated. A nonoptically coherent system is utilized to lower the target-induced Doppler shift to tens of Hz, as opposed to several hundreds of megahertz for a coherent LADAR design. The Doppler shift is imposed on both the laser carrier and the intensity modulation impressed on the laser carrier. The data indicate that the LADAR is able to measure the Doppler shift due to the translational motion of a moving target. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 43: 358–363, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20469
Orphan Strontium-87 in Abyssal Peridotites: Daddy Was a Granite

The 87Sr/86Sr ratios in some bulk abyssal and alpine peridotites are too high to be binary mixtures of depleted mantle and seawater components. The apparent excess, or "orphan," 87Sr appears to be separated from its radioactive parent. Such observations were widely held to be analytical artifacts. Study of several occurrences of orphan 87Sr shows that the orphan component in abyssal peridotite is located in the alteration products of olivine and enstatite in the peridotite. The orphan 87Sr is most likely introduced by infiltration of low-temperature (<200°C) seawater bearing suspended detrital particulates. These particulates include grains of detrital clay that are partly derived from continental (that is, granitic) sources and thus are highly radiogenic. Orphan 87Sr and other radiogenic isotopes may provide a tracer for low-temperature seawater penetrating into the oceanic crust.
Framing analysis: An approach to news discourse

Abstract In the American political process, news discourse concerning public policy issues is carefully constructed. This occurs in part because both politicians and interest groups take an increasingly proactive approach to amplify their views of what an issue is about However, news media also play an active role in framing public policy issues. Thus, in this article, news discourse is conceived as a sociocognitive process involving all three players: sources, journalists, and audience members operating in the universe of shared culture and on the basis of socially defined roles. Framing analysis is presented as a constructivist approach to examine news discourse with the primary focus on conceptualizing news texts into empirically operationalizable dimensions—syntactical, script, thematic, and rhetorical structures—so that evidence of the news media's framing of issues in news texts may be gathered. This is considered an initial step toward analyzing the news discourse process as a whole. Finally, an ex...
Cyclic urea HIV protease inhibitors containing alkynyl- and alkenyl-tethered heterocycles in the P2 region

Abstract A series of cyclic urea HIV protease inhibitors containing alkynyl-and alkenyl-tethered heterocycles in the P2 region were synthesized. The alkynyl compounds exhibited poor activity against the HIV protease enzyme. However, reduction of the triple bond afforded trans -alkenyl derivatives ( XU348 and XU430 ) which displayed superb potency (sub-nanomolar K i ).
Evaluation of field performance of poplar clones using selected competition indices

Use of competition indices in the analysis of forestry experiments may improve detection and understanding of treatment effects, and thereby improve the application of results. In this paper, we compared the performance of 8 indices in an analysis of a spacing trial of four Populus clones planted in pure and mixed clonal plots. Indices were included as covariates in analyses of variance and evaluated on their ability to decrease mean square error. Indices that were simple to calculate (i.e., required only diameter and spacing or distance information) decreased mean square error by as much as 32%. We then illustrate the use of a simple index to assess clonal response to intra- and inter-genotypic competition and to interpret treatment effects confounded by different levels of competition. In pure clonal plots (intra-genotypic competition), all the clones tested reacted similarly to competition, while the same clones tested in mixed plots (inter-genotypic competition) reacted differently to varying levels of competition. The use of a competition index to assess clone rankings within a mixed clonal plot can be an effective way to predict clonal performance within a mono-clonal planting.
Multiple asparagine deamidation of Bacillus anthracis protective antigen causes charge isoforms whose complexity correlates with reduced biological activity.

Protective antigen is essential for the pathology of Bacillus anthracis and is the proposed immunogen for an improved human anthrax vaccine. Known since discovery to comprise differentially charged isoforms, the cause of heterogeneity has eluded specific structural definition until now. Recombinant protective antigen (rPA) contains similar isoforms that appear early in fermentation and are mostly removed through purification. By liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry sequencing of the entire protein and inspection of spectral data for amino acid modifications, pharmaceutical rPA contained measurable deamidation at seven of its 68 asparagine residues. A direct association between isoform complexity and percent deamidation was observed such that each decreased with purity and increased with protein aging. Position N537 consistently showed the highest level of modification, although its predicted rate of deamidation ranked 10th by theoretical calculation, and other asparagines of higher predicted rates were observed to be unmodified. rPA with more isoforms and greater deamidation displayed lower activities for furin cleavage, heptamerization, and holotoxin formation. Lethal factor-mediated macrophage toxicity correlated inversely with deamidation at residues N466 and N408. The described method measures deamidation without employing theoretical isotopic distributions, comparison between differentially treated samples or computational predictions of reactivity rates, and is broadly applicable to the characterization of other deamidated proteins. Proteins 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Influences of mycorrhizae and phosphorus on belowground competition between two old-field annuals

Abstract We studied the effects of inter- and intraspecific belowground competition, infection by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM), and phosphorus supply rate on the growth of ‘target’ ragweed ( Ambrosia artemisiifolia ) plants in sand culture. Competition came from 0–16 ragweed or black mustard ( Brassica nigra ) ‘neighbors’ in each pot; these neighbors were tied back from the targets to eliminate aboveground competition. In the absence of competition, VAM-inoculated ragweed had a 20-fold greater shoot and total mass, greater total P mass and P concentration in shoots and whole plants, greater P uptake efficiency, and greater root length than uninoculated ragweed. In the presence of belowground competition, target performance generally decreased with increasing neighbor root mass, regardless of the species of the competitor. In general, the responses of VAM-inoculated targets to neighbor root mass at the high P supply rate were best described by linear functions when the neighbors were Ambrosia and by log-linear functions when the neighbors were Brassica , but coefficients of determination were generally low. When we reanalyzed the data using only the maximum target response in each of 16 intervals of neighbor root mass, r 2 values increased and the majority of the regressions were statistically significant. Thus the upper boundaries of target performance were strongly correlated with competitive pressure. The results of these experiments suggest that (1) annual ragweed is obligately mycorrhizal under these soil conditions, (2) belowground competition can strongly affect ragweed growth, adn (3) under some conditions a non-mycorrhizal competitor can have a stronger per-gram belowground competitive effect on the growth of a mycorrhizal plant than a conspecific, mycorrhizal neighbor.
Developing BACE-1 inhibitors for FXS

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a debilitating genetic disorder with no cure and few therapeutic options. Excessive signaling through metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) in FXS leads to increased translation of numerous synaptic proteins and exaggerated long-term depression (LTD). Two of the overexpressed proteins are amyloid-beta protein precursor (APP) and its metabolite amyloid-beta (Aβ), which have been well-studied in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Here we discus the possibility that pharmaceuticals under study for the modulation of these proteins in AD might be viable therapeutic strategies for FXS. Specifically, a recently identified acetyltransferase (ATase) inhibitor that reduces the levels and activity of β-site APP cleaving enzyme (BACE-1) has strong potential to attenuate BACE-1 activity and maintain homeostatic levels APP catabolites in FXS.
Gender differences in a clinical trial for prescription opioid dependence

Although gender differences in substance use disorders have been identified, few studies have examined gender differences in prescription drug dependence. The aim of this study was to examine gender differences in clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in a large clinical trial for prescription opioid dependence. Despite no pre-treatment differences in opioid dependence severity, women reported significantly greater functional impairment, greater psychiatric severity, and higher likelihood of using opioids to cope with negative affect and pain than men. Women were also more likely than men to have first obtained opioids via a legitimate prescription and to use opioids via the intended route of administration. Men reported significantly more alcohol problems than women. There were no significant gender differences in medication dose, treatment retention, or opioid outcomes. Thus, despite the presence of pre-treatment gender differences in this population, once the study treatment was initiated, women and men exhibited similar opioid use outcomes.
Vegetation and the atmospheric cycling of mercury

Abstract Beyond their role in the cycling of the major elements, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, etc., little is known about geobiological interactions involving plants with the elements of lower abundance. Plants influence the distribution of volcanic mercury by uptake from the atmosphere and soil fluids, transport to the shoot and re-release as Hg° into the atmosphere. Release rates as high as 2.5 × 10 −4 g.h −1 per kg are known but even at more typical rates, fluxes far greater than the Environmental Protection Agency calculated U.S. average annual degassing rate of 130 × 10 −6 g.m −2 should exist. On a global basis, the presence or absence of vegetative cover may be a significant regulator of Hg° transport between land surfaces and the atmosphere.
An unusual presentation of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in pregnancy

A 35-year-old, 39-week pregnant woman underwent an uneventful emergent cesarean delivery for suspected placental abruption or uterine dehiscence. Given the urgency of the situation and the unremarkable airway anatomy, general anesthesia was the chosen technique. Four hours after her surgery, she returned to the operating room for persistent vaginal bleeding. Hematology tests performed before the cesarean delivery revealed severe thrombocytopenia. This was later diagnosed as idiopathic thrombocytopenia, which was treated successfully with steroid therapy.
Treg cells, cancer vaccines: timing is everything

In the current issue of Blood , Litzinger and colleagues demonstrate the critical role of proper timing of the denileukin diftitox (ONTAK) treatment for its ability to boost the immunologic activity of cancer vaccines. Therapeutic vaccines against established cancer need to counteract tumor-induced