cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Umbilical cord blood transplantation in Hurler syndrome using busulfan, fludarabine, clofarabine, rATG conditioning regimen

Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (Hunter syndrome) is an X-linked lysosomal disorder caused by deficiency of iduronate-2-sulfatase enzyme activity. Affected males experience progressive disease including airway obstruction, skeletal deformities, cardiomyopathy and, in most cases, neurological decline. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with idursulfase (a recombinant form of human iduronate-2-sulfatase) has shown encouraging results in modifying the non-CNS manifestations. Best results are observed with earlier initiation of ERT. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) may modify CNS and non-CNS manifestations.Wepresent a family of three affected brothers. The oldest brother was diagnosed at age six years and received ERT for four years. He is now 13. The middle brother was diagnosed at age two and a half years and has continued to receive ERT since then. He is now 11 and has milder non-CNS involvement compared to his older brother. His cognitive function is significantly impaired. The youngest brother was diagnosed prenatally, received ERT starting at four months of age, and underwent a mismatched unrelated umbilical cord blood transplant at tenmonths of age. He is now two and a half years old. The progression of his disease has been slowed compared to his brothers’, and he is showing gains in developmental milestones. The three brothers have received different treatments at different ages, and show varying rates of disease progression. Their treatment and clinical histories will be summarized.
Pseudodyskinesis–A Novel Mechanism for Abnormal Motion of the Heart’s Diaphragmatic Wall

We report a case of pseudodyskinesis, where there is dyssynchronous contraction of the heart's diaphragmatic wall despite normal wall thickening. This finding has previously been reported in a small group of patients with liver disease, and has been attributed to elevation of the diaphragm as a result of hepatomegaly and ascites. Our case demonstrates similar findings in a patient without liver disease, in whom the diaphragm was elevated secondary to volume loss in the chest. Our case supports the assertion that diaphragmatic elevation, regardless of cause, is indeed responsible for this probably common echocardiographic finding.
Checkpointing for optimistic concurrency control methods

Restart-oriented concurrency control (CC) methods, such as optimistic CC, outperform blocking-oriented methods, such as standard two-phase locking in a high data contention environment, but this is at the cost of wasted processing due to restarts. Volatile savepoints are considered in this study as a method to reduce this wasted processing and to improve response time. There is the usual tradeoff between the checkpointing overhead and the wasted processing when a transaction is restarted. Our study shows that in a system where objects are accessed and updated uniformly during the lifetime of transactions, significant improvement in performance at high data conflict levels are attainable only when the checkpointing cost is low. This implies few optimally placed checkpoints per transaction. It is observed that checkpointing may result in a significant improvement in performance when access to database hot-spots are deferred to the final steps of transaction execution. The parametric studies reported in this paper are facilitated by closed-form analytic solutions expressing system performance, as well as an iterative solution which takes into account hardware resource contention in addition to data contention. >
Starch–poly(ethylene‐co‐acrylic acid) composite films. Effect of processing conditions on morphology and properties

Formulations containing 4 parts cornstrach, 5 parts poly(ethylene-co-acrylic) (EAA), 1 part urea, and 1.6 parts of either water or aqueous ammonia were extruded at either 110–120°C or 150–160°C; and the resulting extrudates were then extrusion-blown into films. Complex formation between EAA and starch was measured by either X-ray diffraction or by solvent extraction of uncomplexed EAA. Although the processing temperature had only a minor effect on the amount of EAA complexed by starch, use of aqueous ammonia rather than water in these formulations increased the amount of complexed EAA by about a factor of 2. In films prepared with aqueous ammonia, the polysaccharide phase was present as submicron-sized domains. When ammonia was omitted from these formulations, the polysaccharide phase was less uniform in size and contained particles that were over an order of magnitude larger than those observed with ammonia.
Ultrashort optical pulse propagation in metal nanoparticle covered dielectric surfaces

We characterize the behavior of optical pulse propagation in surfaces covered with silver metal nanoparticles and quantify the dispersion introduced as the pulse propagates.
Enhancing knowledge transfer during and after international assignments

– The purpose of this paper is to expand the research in knowledge management, by specifically examining knowledge transfer among expatriates, repatriates and top management teams. The relationships posited here should aid multinational firms in increasing their international assignment return on investment., – Based on previous literature, a theoretical model of the anticipated impact of feedback seeking behaviors and social networks among international assignees and top management teams is presented., – While this article expands the literature in knowledge transfer and encourages multinational enterprises to examine their knowledge management strategies among expatriate, repatriates and top management teams, the model presented is limited. It does not integrate some elements that may cause difficulties for expatriates and repatriates and hinder knowledge transfer., – Top management teams should take an active interest in increasing the knowledge transfer from expatriates and repatriates in the organization because of the expected positive impact it will have on global performance. In order to be more proactive, firms need to implement formal mechanisms, as well as encouraging informal mechanisms in order to transfer knowledge, which should aid the organization in such areas as their expatriation‐repatriation process and foreign subsidiary operations., – To date, no article has addressed how feedback‐seeking behaviors and social networks, together, can enhance knowledge transfer among expatriates, repatriates and Top Management Teams. Furthermore, evidence of effective knowledge transfer during international assignments is scant. Therefore this article fills a gap in the literature by expanding the research on knowledge management.
Continental runoff of osmium into the Baltic Sea

The isotopic composition of osmium (Os) in continental surface waters and shallow ground waters has been determined by analyzing fresh-water Fe-Mn nodules and bog ores. The isotopic composition of the continental runoff from the Precambrian Baltic shield is much more radiogenic ( 187 Os/ 186 Os = 31.2–65.4) than the runoff from the Phanerozoic sedimentary platform to the south of the Baltic Sea ( 187 Os/ 186 Os = 8.6–11.0). Fe-Mn nodules from the Baltic Sea have intermediate values ( 187 Os/ 186 Os = 12.4–21.2), indicating mixture of North Sea water and continental fresh water. Isotope mass-balance calculations indicate that the concentration of Os in the continental runoff is similar to the Os concentration in seawater. Extrapolating these data to infer the global runoff yields ∼48 kg/yr, comparable with previous estimates. The residence time of Os in seawater relative to continental runoff is calculated at ∼32 ka. The oceanic residence time of Os relative to the bulk input to seawater is ∼16 ka, if the mean 187 Os/ 186 Os of the continental runoff is 16. The Os isotopic composition of the continental runoff is much more variable than previously suggested, 187 Os/ 186 Os values >30 being characteristic of Precambrian shields. Glaciation of old cratonic shields might therefore modulate riverine supply of this very radiogenic cratonic Os, linking accelerated increase in the marine Os isotope record to glaciations of Precambrian shields.
Channel One: When Private Interests and the Public Interest Collide

If the notion of public and private spheres seems somehow quaint or old-fashioned, the distinction between public and private corporations will be that much more obscure. Yet Channel One broadcasts in a public school classroom are indisputably the result of a contract between a private corporation (Alloy Media + Marketing) and a public corporation (a local school board). Public school administrators operate within a social and institutional context in which there often appears to be no line between private interests and public interests. The author argues that there is such a line and that public school administrators unwittingly cross it when they make Channel One–type deals. This article examines how the regulatory history of private corporations has shaped the social and institutional context in which public school administrators operate.
Erlotinib, Erlotinib–Sulindac versus Placebo: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Window Trial in Operable Head and Neck Cancer

Purpose: The EGF receptor (EGFR) and COX2 pathways are upregulated in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Preclinical models indicate synergistic antitumor activity from dual blockade. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled window trial of erlotinib, an EGFR inhibitor; erlotinib plus sulindac, a nonselective COX inhibitor; versus placebo. Experimental Design: Patients with untreated, operable stage II-IVb HNSCC were randomized 5:5:3 to erlotinib, erlotinib–sulindac, or placebo. Tumor specimens were collected before and after seven to 14 days of treatment. The primary endpoint was change in Ki67 proliferation index. We hypothesized an ordering effect in Ki67 reduction: erlotinib–sulindac > erlotinib > placebo. We evaluated tissue microarrays by immunohistochemistry for pharmacodynamic modulation of EGFR and COX2 signaling intermediates. Results: From 2005–2009, 47 patients were randomized for the target 39 evaluable patients. Thirty-four tumor pairs were of sufficient quality to assess biomarker modulation. Ki67 was significantly decreased by erlotinib or erlotinib–sulindac (omnibus comparison, two-sided Kruskal–Wallis, P = 0.04). Wilcoxon pairwise contrasts confirmed greater Ki67 effect in both erlotinib groups (erlotinib–sulindac vs. placebo, P = 0.043; erlotinib vs. placebo, P = 0.027). There was a significant trend in ordering of Ki67 reduction: erlotinib–sulindac > erlotinib > placebo (two-sided exact Jonckheere–Terpstra, P = 0.0185). Low baseline pSrc correlated with greater Ki67 reduction (R 2 = 0.312, P = 0.024). Conclusions: Brief treatment with erlotinib significantly decreased proliferation in HNSCC, with additive effect from sulindac. Efficacy studies of dual EGFR–COX inhibition are justified. pSrc is a potential resistance biomarker for anti-EGFR therapy, and warrants investigation as a molecular target. Clin Cancer Res; 20(12); 3289–98. ©2014 AACR .
OptRR: Optimizing Randomized Response Schemes for Privacy-Preserving Data Mining

The randomized response (RR) technique is a promising technique to disguise private categorical data in privacy-preserving data mining (PPDM). Although a number of RR-based methods have been proposed for various data mining computations, no study has systematically compared them to find optimal RR schemes. The difficulty of comparison lies in the fact that to compare two PPDM schemes, one needs to consider two conflicting metrics: privacy and utility. An optimal scheme based on one metric is usually the worst based on the other metric. In this paper, we first describe a method to quantify privacy and utility. We formulate the quantification as estimate problems, and use estimate theories to derive quantification. We then use an evolutionary multi-objective optimization method to find optimal disguise matrices for the randomized response technique. The experimental results have shown that our scheme has a much better performance than the existing RR schemes.
Complementary and alternative medicine therapies in mood disorders

This article reviews the potential uses of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) techniques for individuals with mood disorders. Mood disorders are among the most prevalent mental health issues today and there are many approaches towards their management. While many different types of medication are available, more and more people turn to CAM interventions to help manage their mood disorders. CAM interventions can include herbal remedies, acupuncture and meditation. There is an increasing number of research studies on CAM intervention in mood disorders, and this article critiques such data and attempts to provide a clinical perspective within which these CAM interventions might be considered.
Underwater acoustic MIMO OFDM: An experimental analysis

Performance of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is analyzed on an experimental shallow water acoustic channel. Different modulation levels, numbers of subcarriers and transmitters were tested over a period of two weeks. The objectives in doing so were (a) to assess the effect of environmental conditions on the system performance, (b) to determine the performance limits and the data rate supported by the existing detection methods, and (c) to investigate the possibility to push these limits by employing methods for inter-carrier interference (ICI) compensation.
Conjugated estrogens reduce endothelial prostacyclin production and fail to reduce postbypass blood loss.

Intravenous conjugated estrogens correct bleeding times and reduce bleeding in uremia, gastrointestinal telangiectasias, and liver disease. One study found a similar benefit in patients undergoing open heart surgery. The mechanism by which conjugated estrogens improve bleeding times is unknown. We report on the effect of estrogens on endothelial prostacyclin production and bleeding in coronary bypass surgery. In a randomized, double-blind trial, 16 male patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass surgery received four daily infusions of conjugated estrogens (0.6 mg/kg/day) or placebo, preoperatively. Groups were similar with respect to age, preoperative hemostatic profiles, and pump time. Conjugated estrogens significantly reduced greater saphenous vein endothelial prostacyclin production in the estrogen group compared to control subjects. Postoperative blood loss was not reduced, with a trend toward increased blood loss in the treatment group. We have shown that conjugated estrogens reduce endothelial prostacyclin production and fail to reduce blood loss in coronary bypass surgery. (Chest 1991; 99:1116-19)
Hematologic problems in psychosomatic medicine.

The consultation psychiatrist is frequently called on to assess patients in medical settings with primary or secondary hematologic disorders. This article addresses psychiatric issues that are specific to patients who have selected hematologic disorders, including B 12 and folate deficiency, sickle cell disease, and hemophilia, discussing the diseases, their unique psychiatric manifestations, and approaches to management. A review of hematologic side effects of psychotropic medications is also included.
Ivermectin-induced blindness treated with intravenous lipid therapy in a dog.

Objective To report a case of blindness due to the ingestion of ivermectin and subsequent successful treatment with intravenous lipid (IVL) therapy. Case Summary A female neutered Jack Russell Terrier was examined for acute onset of apparent blindness after being exposed to ivermectin the previous day. The dog appeared to be blind during initial examination. Pupillary light reflex, menace response, and dazzle reflex were not present in either eye. Fundic examination revealed small areas of linear retinal edema. Electroretinography (ERG) showed diminished activity in both eyes. Ivermectin was present in the serum on toxicological assay. Approximately 20 hours after exposure, IVL was infused. Within 30 minutes of initiating the infusion, the pupillary light reflexes returned in both eyes, and by the end of the infusion the patient behaved as if sighted. Fundic examination and ERG were unchanged at this time. The dog was tested for the multidrug resistance gene mutation and was unaffected. New or Unique Information Provided Ivermectin toxicity occurs in dogs with apparent blindness being a common clinical sign. This is the first case report of ivermectin-induced blindness evaluated with ERG before and after treatment with IVL in a dog unaffected by the multidrug resistance gene mutation. Treatment with an infusion of IVL therapy appeared to shorten the clinical course of disease in this patient without affecting ERG results.
Endothelial NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation and Enhanced Neointima Formation in Mice by Adipokine Visfatin

Inflammasomes serve as an intracellular machinery to initiate inflammatory response to various danger signals. The present study tested whether an inflammasome centered on nucleotide oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) triggers endothelial inflammatory response to adipokine visfatin, a major injurious adipokine during obesity. NLRP3 inflammasome components were abundantly expressed in cultured mouse microvascular endothelial cells, including NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein, and caspase-1. These NLRP3 inflammasome molecules could be aggregated to form an inflammasome complex on stimulation of visfatin, as shown by fluorescence confocal microscopy and size exclusion chromatography. Correspondingly, visfatin significantly increased caspase-1 activity and IL-1β release in microvascular endothelial cells, indicating an activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes. In animal experiments, direct infusion of visfatin in mice with partially ligated left carotid artery were found to have significantly increased neointimal formation, which was correlated with increased NLRP3 inflammasome formation and IL-1β production in the intima. Further, visfatin-induced neointimal formation, endothelial inflammasome formation, and IL-1β production in mouse partially ligated left carotid artery were abolished by caspase-1 inhibition, local delivery of apoptosis-associated speck-like protein shRNA or deletion of the ASC gene. In conclusion, the formation and activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes by adipokine visfatin may be an important initiating mechanism to turn on the endothelial inflammatory response leading to arterial inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in mice during early stage obesity.
THE LOGIT AS A MODEL OF PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION

The logit discrete choice model is argued to be flexible, tractable, and intuitively sound as a demand model of product differentiation under oligopoly. The free entry equilibrium product range is greater than or less than the social optimum, depending on cost and demand conditions and the degree of heterogeneity of consumer tastes. If the market provides "too many" products, then the difference between equilibrium and first-best optimal product diversity is negligible. However, when the market solution yields "too few" products, the market may seriously underprovide diversity. Copyright 1992 by Royal Economic Society.
Mapping algorithms for permutation networks

The mapping problem arises when the dependency structure of a parallel algorithm differs from the interconnection of processors in the intended parallel computer (topological variation) or, when the number of processes required by the algorithm exceeds the number of processors available in the computer (cardinality variation). The problem discussed in this paper is to identify a distributed computing environment that best optimizes the objective function for the given problem. Distinct network permutations may result in equivalent process permutation depending upon the mapping of processes onto the processors. In this paper we study the permuting properties of dynamic interconnection networks taking process mapping into consideration. A uniform group theoretic representation for interconnection networks is developed. Finally, an algorithm to evaluate the number of passes required by an interconnection network to realize a given mapping is presented. >
Hemodynamic Shear Stress and Endothelial Dysfunction in Hemodialysis Access

Surgically-created blood conduits used for chronic hemodialysis, including native arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) and synthetic AV grafts (AVGs), are the lifeline for kidney failure patients. Unfortunately, each has its own limitations: AVFs often fail to mature to become useful for dialysis and AVGs often fail due to stenosis as a result of neointimal hyperplasia, which preferentially forms at the graft-venous anastomosis. No clinical therapies are currently available to significantly promote AVF maturation or prevent neointimal hyperplasia in AVGs. Central to devising strategies to solve these problems is a complete mechanistic understanding of the pathophysiological processes. The pathology of arteriovenous access problems is likely multi-factorial. This review focuses on the roles of fluid-wall shear stress (WSS) and endothelial cells (ECs). In arteriovenous access, shunting of arterial blood flow directly into the vein drastically alters the hemodynamics in the vein. These hemodynamic changes are likely major contributors to non-maturation of an AVF vein and/or formation of neointimal hyperplasia at the venous anastomosis of an AVG. ECs separate blood from other vascular wall cells and also influence the phenotype of these other cells. In arteriovenous access, the responses of ECs to aberrant WSS may subsequently lead to AVF non-maturation and/or AVG stenosis. This review provides an overview of the methods for characterizing blood flow and calculating WSS in arteriovenous access and discusses EC responses to arteriovenous hemodynamics. This review also discusses the role of WSS in the pathology of arteriovenous access, as well as confounding factors that modulate the impact of WSS.
Siphons, Water Clocks, Cooling Coffee, and Leaking Capacitors: Classroom Activities and a few Equations to Help Students Understand Radioactive Decay and Other Exponential Processes

Although an understanding of radiometric dating is central to the preparation of every geologist, many students struggle with the concepts and mathematics of radioactive decay. Physical demonstrati...
Midlife Entry into Vocational Training: A Mobility Model

Abstract Few studies examine the pathways that lead from work to education at midlife. We test a mobility model on linked October Supplements of the Current Population Surveys (1989–1991) and occupational data from the 1980 Occupational Characteristics data set to examine adult (ages 45–61) entry into nonemployer sponsored vocational training. The probability of entry is strongly influenced by resources, such as initial education and computer-based skills, and by current work rewards, such as control over the work process. Middle-aged workers with high resources and low rewards are most likely and workers with low resources and low rewards are least likely to retrain. Labor market conditions also shape reentry. Midlife training appears to be an attempt to maintain occupational advantage among those who have already attained a relatively high level of skills-mastery. While initial educational background affects occupational attainment, acquired work-related skills and statuses influence midlife retraining.
Lingual Thyroid Ectopia: Diagnostic SPECT/CT Imaging and Radioactive Iodine Treatment

Background: Lingual thyroid is a rare abnormality of thyroid development that is usually treated conservatively with levothyroxine replacement. Rarely, it becomes large enough to cause obstructive symptoms in the oral cavity, requiring definitive treatment. Patient Findings: This study reports on three patients with lingual thyroid treated with radioactive iodine-131 (131I) with successful radioablation of their ectopic thyroid tissues. Measurement of 24-hour radioactive iodine uptake within thyroidal tissues and hybrid single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography imaging using either iodine-123 or technetium-99m pertechnetate scans were performed in all patients demonstrating the location and size of lingual thyroid and absence of an orthotopic thyroid gland. Summary: The aim of this study was to describe nonsurgical management of obstructive lingual thyroid tissue with 131I therapy for lingual thyroid radioablation. Patients were prepared with a low-iodine diet and levothyroxine withdr...
Symplectic no-core shell-model approach to intermediate-mass nuclei

We present a microscopic description of nuclei in the intermediate-mass region, including the proximity to the proton drip line, based on a no-core shell model with a schematic many-nucleon long-range interaction with no parameter adjustments. The outcome confirms the essential role played by the symplectic symmetry to inform the interaction and the winnowing of shell-model spaces. We show that it is imperative that model spaces be expanded well beyond the current limits up through 15 major shells to accommodate particle excitations, which appear critical to highly deformed spatial structures and the convergence of associated observables.
Chapter 7: Media Warfare, Propaganda and the Law of War

In today’s 24/7 media and Internet culture, warfare does not take place only in the kinetic arena of the battlespace. Airstrikes, artillery barrages and infantry maneuvers are accompanied by equally intense debates and discourse in the media about the legality and legitimacy of military action, with allegations of war crimes and justifications for attacks flying as quickly as drone strikes. With the involvement of international, regional and national courts, commissions of inquiry, other judicial and quasi-judicial entities — and, perhaps most of all, the court of world opinion — this battle of words can often seem to be as important as military capabilities. Numerous factors form, sway and cement that public opinion, including the efforts of militaries and armed groups to control information flows and of journalists, advocacy groups, fact-finding missions and ordinary civilians to seek, publicize and comment on information. This complex mix leads to a combustible arena of media warfare that has significant consequences not only for the way wars are fought and won, but for the legal framework that governs conflicts. This chapter explores how propaganda and media warfare intersect with the international law framework governing conflict, focusing on how information operations and media coverage link back to legal compliance — specifically claims of law violations or compliance — and legitimacy. In essence, the information battlespace has a significant effect on the application and interpretation of the law of armed conflict, including the very definitions that form the heart of the legal framework. Media coverage is an essential tool for the protection of persons and the enforcement of legal and moral norms At the same time, in order to preserve LOAC’s principles and processes, it is helpful to understand how the two interrelate and, in particular, how media coverage’s impact on public discourse can have significant and problematic consequences for the interpretation and development of LOAC.
Breeding and Application of Hybrid Rice Combination Tianyou 2076

Tianyou 2076, a new hybrid rice combination, developed from the CMS line Tianfeng A and a restorer line Fuhui 2076 by Rice Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences. It was certified and released for commercial production in 2011 in Fujian province. Tianyou 2076 was introduced and planted in Fujian province, which showed high and stable yield, extensive adaptability and good evenness. In this paper, we introduced planting performance and high-yielding cultivation techniques of Tianyou 2076.
The Spectrum of Radiation from a Moving Source of Any State of Coherence

The spectrum of a radiation field is the power spectrum of its random fluctuations, and is best determined by the well known Wiener-Khintchine theorem1. Because of this intimate connection with statistics, the relativistic transformation of the power spectral density must be approached with caution. For example, the assumption of statistical stationarity cannot be valid in two frames which are in relative motion, unless there is an accompanying assumption of statistical homogeneity. Einstein, in his famous 1905 paper on special relativity2, derived formulas for the Doppler shift and aberration of light by considering deterministic plane waves only; this is the idealised case of perfect coherence. In this paper I derive the form of the relativistic transformation for an optical field in an arbitary state of coherence. This generalization is important if the “Wolf effect”3, the change of radiation spectrum due to the spatial correlation of the source, is to be applied to astronomy.
Noble gas fractionation during subsurface gas migration

Abstract Environmental monitoring of shale gas production and geological carbon dioxide (CO2) storage requires identification of subsurface gas sources. Noble gases provide a powerful tool to distinguish different sources if the modifications of the gas composition during transport can be accounted for. Despite the recognition of compositional changes due to gas migration in the subsurface, the interpretation of geochemical data relies largely on zero-dimensional mixing and fractionation models. Here we present two-phase flow column experiments that demonstrate these changes. Water containing a dissolved noble gas is displaced by gas comprised of CO2 and argon. We observe a characteristic pattern of initial co-enrichment of noble gases from both phases in banks at the gas front, followed by a depletion of the dissolved noble gas. The enrichment of the co-injected noble gas is due to the dissolution of the more soluble major gas component, while the enrichment of the dissolved noble gas is due to stripping from the groundwater. These processes amount to chromatographic separations that occur during two-phase flow and can be predicted by the theory of gas injection. This theory provides a mechanistic basis for noble gas fractionation during gas migration and improves our ability to identify subsurface gas sources after post-genetic modification. Finally, we show that compositional changes due to two-phase flow can qualitatively explain the spatial compositional trends observed within the Bravo Dome natural CO2 reservoir and some regional compositional trends observed in drinking water wells overlying the Marcellus and Barnett shale regions. In both cases, only the migration of a gas with constant source composition is required, rather than multi-stage mixing and fractionation models previously proposed.
Examining Reactive Customer Engagement Strategies in Online Shopping Cart Abandonment: A Regulatory Fit Perspective

Online retailing is thriving as consumers become more comfortable shopping online (Cho 2004). In the USA alone, online retailing total revenue topped $280 billion by the end of 2013 (Sehgal 2014), an increase of greater than 20 % from just 2 years ago. Electronic commerce (e-commerce) has been identified as an increasingly important component of marketing strategy and customer relations (Close and Kukar-Kinney 2010). Consequently, marketing scholars have acknowledged the need for new models and theories which contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of online consumer behavior (Kukar-Kinney and Close 2010).
Foofah: Transforming Data By Example

Data transformation is a critical first step in modern data analysis: before any analysis can be done, data from a variety of sources must be wrangled into a uniform format that is amenable to the intended analysis and analytical software package. This data transformation task is tedious, time-consuming, and often requires programming skills beyond the expertise of data analysts. In this paper, we develop a technique to synthesize data transformation programs by example, reducing this burden by allowing the analyst to describe the transformation with a small input-output example pair, without being concerned with the transformation steps required to get there. We implemented our technique in a system, FOOFAH, that efficiently searches the space of possible data transformation operations to generate a program that will perform the desired transformation. We experimentally show that data transformation programs can be created quickly with FOOFAH for a wide variety of cases, with 60% less user effort than the well-known WRANGLER system.
The Effects of Differing Knowledge Transfer Strategies on Group Decision Making and Performance

Encouraging reflection on one's existing knowledge in a group setting increases shared understanding, makes information available for problem solving, and makes it easier for members to show and to be shown the merit of others' preferences. However, it is also possible that attempting to constrain the process by which problem solvers manage this reflection process may prevent them from effectively tailoring their approach to different problems. The current research focuses on how the nature of different knowledge transfer strategies impacts problem solving processes and outcomes by examining manipulations of, or constraints to, problem solvers' approach to knowledge transfer. Participants were directed to generate associated knowledge in preparation for answering a series of estimation items, either in a group or individually. We found that groups using a shared reflection process (as opposed to reflecting at an individual member level) were able to give more weight to the inputs of their more expert members and that groups outperformed individuals. We discuss the process of promoting knowledge transfer in a group context relative to an individual context and relate this to the concept of task demonstrability. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Swallow-Breath Interaction and Phase of Respiration with Swallow during Non-Nutritive Suck in Infants Affected by Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

Background: The development of suck-swallow-breath rhythms during nonnutritive suck (NNS) may be an indicator of neurologic integrity. We have described swallow-breath interaction (SwBr) and phase of respiration (POR) with swallow during NNS in low-risk preterm infants (LRP). NNS in infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) has not been described with our method. Method: Suckle, swallow, thoracic motion and nasal airflow were measured during NNS in 10 infants with NAS and 12 unaffected infants (Control). Logistic regression models were fit to describe the 3 types of SwBr and 5 types of POR in terms of the independent variables (Gender, Gestational Age, Birth Weight, Postmenstrual Age, Weeks Post-First Nipple Feed and Swallows per Study). We also compared the NAS group to 16 LRP infants. Results: In the NAS group, there were 94 swallows in 18 studies. In the Control group, there were 94 swallows in 12 studies. There were statistical differences between groups for all 3 types of SwBr. The distribution of SwBr in NAS was similar to LRP infants with NAS having fewer swallows with attenuated respiration and more with central apnea. For POR, there were few differences. Over time, the distribution of SwBr in NAS infants approaches that of Control infants. Discussion: Variability in SwBr and POR during NNS may represent neurologic dysfunction in infants with NAS. Specifically, term infants with NAS display an immature pattern of SwBr making them more similar to preterm infants, rather than a unique pathology. The distribution of SwBr and POR in NAS infants becomes more like term infants, possibly representing catch-up development as the NAS symptoms resolve. Conclusion: SwBr in babies with NAS is different from that of unaffected term infants, actually being similar to preterm infants. Infants with NAS exhibit a dysmature pattern of NNS development which resolves over time.
Neurotoxicity of cytarabine (Ara-C) in dorsal root ganglion neurons originates from impediment of mtDNA synthesis and compromise of mitochondrial function

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) neurotoxicity caused by cancer drugs hinders attainment of chemotherapy goals. Due to leakiness of the blood nerve barrier, circulating chemotherapeutic drugs reach PNS neurons and adversely affect their function. Chemotherapeutic drugs are designed to target dividing cancer cells and mechanisms underlying their toxicity in postmitotic neurons remain to be fully clarified. The objective of this work was to elucidate progression of events triggered by antimitotic drugs in postmitotic neurons. For proof of mechanism study, we chose cytarabine (ara-C), an antimetabolite used in treatment of hematological cancers. Ara-C is a cytosine analog that terminates DNA synthesis. To investigate how ara-C affects postmitotic neurons, which replicate mitochondrial but not genomic DNA, we adapted a model of Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG) neurons. We showed that DNA polymerase γ, which is responsible for mtDNA synthesis, is inhibited by ara-C and that sublethal ara-C exposure of DRG neurons leads to reduction in mtDNA content, ROS generation, oxidative mtDNA damage formation, compromised mitochondrial respiration and diminution of NADPH and GSH stores, as well as, activation of the DNA damage response. Hence, it is plausible that in ara-C exposed DRG neurons, ROS amplified by the high mitochondrial content shifts from physiologic to pathologic levels signaling stress to the nucleus. Combined, the findings suggest that ara-C neurotoxicity in DRG neurons originates in mitochondria and that continuous mtDNA synthesis and reliance on oxidative phosphorylation for energy needs sensitize the highly metabolic neurons to injury by mtDNA synthesis terminating cancer drugs.
Cultured bovine corneal epithelial cells express a functional aquaporin water channel.

PURPOSE. Given recent physiological and in situ hybridization evidence for the presence of a water channel in corneal epithelium, this study was conducted to investigate its expression and characteristics using cultured bovine corneal epithelial cells (CBCEPCs). METHODS. CBCEPCs were grown in DMEM containing 2 ng/ml fibroblast growth factor and 6% fetal bovine serum. To determine their osmotic permeability (P f ) cells were passaged onto rectangular glass coverslips, and anisotonically induced volume changes were monitored by light scattering. To investigate expression, poly(A + ) RNA from CBCEPCs was injected into Xenopus laevis oocytes, and the P, of the oocytes was determined. RESULTS. For CBCEPCs challenged with a 10% hypotonic solution at 37°C, the kinetic constant of volume change was k = 0.52 ± 0.04 seconds -1 , and the calculated P f 72 ± 6 μm/sec (n = 16). The P f of oocytes injected with water was 14 ± 1.8 μm/sec (n = 4); injection with poly(A + ) RNA from CBCEPCs increased P f to 77 ± 6 μm/sec (n = 6). This increase in P f was inhibited by 72% (reduced to 22 ± 1 μm/sec) by 0.3 mM HgCl 2 and was inhibited by 56% to 58% by coinjection with aquaporin (AQP)5 antisense oligonucleotide. CONCLUSIONS. The comparatively high P f determined for CBCEPCs, the presence of mRNA encoding water channels, and sensitivity to mercurial agents are typical of the expression of functional water channels. The predominant message is for AQP5, although the evidence was consistent with the presence of additional water channels. These findings bring renewed support for the notion that the epithelium can contribute to corneal hydration homeostasis.
Explicitly Vectorized Frontal Routine for Hydrodynamic Stability and Bifurcation Analysis by Galerkin/Finite Element Methods

Frontal routines are used for the solution of large, sparse and generally unsymmetric systems of linear equations arising in certain applications of the Galerkin/finite element approach to the iterative solution of nonlinear boundary value problems. Based on Gauss elimination, these methods have advantages over banded matrix methods in that core requirements and computation time can be considerably reduced. We present an explicitly vectorized frontal routine for in-core solution of the equation set with the CYBER 205 vector processor; the routine exploits the large central memory, high execution speed and pipelined functional units of this supercomputer. Nodal arrays of the original algorithm of Hood are replaced by long vectors of node labels to get the benefit of contiguity in memory; the CYBER 200 FORTRAN vector syntax is used to reduce the number of non-vectorizable loops; the elimination procedure is modified to take advantage of longer vectors and the associated large iteration counts. The algorithm is enhanced by efficient threshold pivoting and determinant evaluation for stability and bifurcation analysis. The assembly procedure is designed with the flexibility to accommodate extra equations and unknowns for continuation in parameters and eigenanalysis. A listing of the code is provided.
Nonlinear Output Feedback Designs

In this chapter, we address adaptive output feedback actuator failure compensation control for nonlinear systems with uncertain actuator failures. In Section 11.1, the actuator failure compensation control problem is formulated for for the class of output-feedback systems. An adaptive state observer for output feedback control is proposed in Section 11.2. Combined with the state observer, an adaptive backstepping controller is developed in Section 11.3, which ensures closed-loop signal boundedness and asymptotic output tracking despite the presence of the uncertain system parameters and actuator failure parameters. In Section 11.4, an extension to systems whose dynamics are state-dependent (beyond the class of output-feedback systems) is demonstrated by a second-order example based on either a reduced-order observer or a full-order observer. Such an observer-based adaptive actuator failure compensation design is illustrated in Section 11.4.4 by simulation results of an application to controlling the angle of attack of a nonlinear hypersonic aircraft model in the presence of elevator segment failures. The developed nonlinear output feedback designs can also be applied to linear systems, which may lead to improved system performance.
The Impact of Interictal Discharges on Performance

Our purpose is to review evidence relating to the concept that interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) impair brain performance. Sophisticated measures of motor and cognitive performance have clarified older observations, confirming that in both animals and humans, IEDs affect aspects of performance, IED morphology, frequency, anatomical distribution, and duration matter. However, we now know that it is difficult to draw a line between IEDs and seizures, not only by electrical criteria but even by metabolic and molecular measures. IEDs impair performance acutely and probably chronically. Thus, there are good theoretical reasons for suppressing them, but no consensus has been reached on how much effort this deserves. Many antiepileptic medications effective for control of clinical seizures have little effect on IEDs. Better methods of measuring outcomes may allow selection of individual patients for whom treatment aimed at IEDs is worthwhile.
Chapter 40 – Does Radiation Therapy Really Work for Prostate Cancer?

This chapter reviews the use of radiation therapy for clinically localized prostate cancer. Widespread screening with prostate specific antigen (PSA) has led to increased detection of prostate cancer at an early stage, when the tumor is confined to the prostate and, therefore, curable. Management options for localized prostate cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, or observation—also termed watchful waiting. Radiation therapy is an effective treatment option for men with early-stage prostate cancer; it is used for definitive therapy in about one-third of men with clinically localized disease. Technological advances in the delivery of radiation therapy, coupled with earlier diagnosis, have led to steadily improving outcomes with radiation over the past two decades. The goal of radiotherapy is the accurate delivery of a therapeutic dose of ionizing radiation to the tumor while minimizing the dose received by normal surrounding tissues. When men are stratified based upon their known risk factors, comparable cure rates are achieved with modern dose selection and treatment technique. As a result of improvements in outcomes, emphasis should be placed on morbidity and quality of life issues of comparable treatments as important end points in the future to guide patient treatment choices.
Impact of flavoured tobacco restriction policies on flavoured product availability in Massachusetts.

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of flavoured tobacco product restriction policies in reducing availability of flavoured products in Massachusetts communities. Methods Data were obtained from surveys of tobacco retailers conducted from July 2015 to March 2017. On a community level, flavoured product availability was defined as the per cent of retailers during a given 3-month quarter that sold flavoured cigars/cigarillos, electronic cigarettes and/or e-liquids. Communities that implemented the policy during the study period were grouped into wave 1 (n=18; 1481 retail surveys) and wave 2 (n=20; 483 retail surveys) by date of policy implementation; communities without a flavoured product restriction served as the control group (n=234; 4932 retail surveys). A difference-in-difference analysis was used to compare the change in flavoured product availability in wave 1 and wave 2 communities 3 months pre-policy and post-policy implementation to the change over the same time periods in the control group. Results From pre-policy to post-policy implementation period, communities in both waves experienced significant reductions in flavoured product availability (ranging from 27.2% to 50.9%), even after adjusting for community-level characteristics. In both waves 1 and 2, reductions in flavoured product availability were significantly greater compared with comparison communities during the same time frame, adjusting for community-level characteristics. Conclusions Compliance with flavoured product restriction policies is high among tobacco retailers throughout Massachusetts, regardless of community demographic and retail characteristics. Reduced availability of flavoured tobacco in the retail environment has the potential to reduce youth exposure, access and use of these products.
A Comparison of the Contractile Responses of Rodent and Human Pulmonary Vascular Segments to Eicosanoids

Eicosanoids such as thromboxanes (Txs) and leukotrienes (LTs) are powerful spas-mogens. The pulmonary hemodynamic actions of leukotrienes are complex. For example, in the isolated rat lung preparation, the perfusion pressure is increased by LTC4 in a dose-dependent manner, and this response is blocked by FPL-55712, a leukotriene receptor antagonist (Iacopino et al., 1983). However, in the closed-chest rat with an intact circulation, the intravenous administration of LTC4 produces a dose-dependent decrease in pulmonary artery pressure. We concluded that the direct action of LTC4 on the pulmonary vasculature in this preparation (Iacopino et al., 1984) is obscured by the concurrent decrease in cardiac output.
Cell Markers in Bladder Cancer

Perhaps the most encouraging progress in cancer immunology has been in the field of immunodiagnosis; mainly, development of specific and sensitive immunocytochemical techniques to measure and localize tumor markers in the sera and cancer cells of cancer patients. In this chapter, we will discuss the developments and utilization of tumor markers in bladder cancer with emphasis on more clinically established and useful markers[1-19]. Nonspecific serum markers such as lactic dehydragenase, polyamines and a number of oncofetoproteins are under study[14].