cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improper prescription instructions: A factor in patient compliance

Abstract Noncompliance with prescribed drug regimens represents a public health dilemma of major proportion with profound clinical implications. Various factors have been identified that influence the patient's decision to accept or reject the prescribed drug therapy. Certainly, the patient's failure to understand the nature of the illness and the importance of drug therapy have been shown to be important in the issue of noncompliance; however, new evidence indicates that inadequate and incomplete prescription instructions to the patient may be the single most important factor contributing to noncompliance in patients. In this study it was determined that incomplete, inadequate, and vague instructions for patient use occurred in substantial numbers of the 19,972 prescriptions analyzed. On the average, 7.7% of the prescriptions surveyed gave “as directed’ as the only instruction to the patients, while 14.7% of the prescriptions surveyed gave “PRN” (as needed) as all or part of the instructions. Vague directions clearly may serve to confuse the patient and motivate him not to comply with the prescribing physician's intended therapy.
Whistling in the Dark? [AP-S Turnstile]

Bell Labs scientists Amo Penzias and Robert Wilson received the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics for their "accidental" discovery in 1965 that the [1] electromagnetic noise picked up by their horn antenna was not caused by a “white dielectric substance” (pigeon droppings) within the antenna, but represented the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The cosmic microwave background was found to be diffuse, coming essentially uniformly from all directions, and had an equivalent temperature of around 2.7 K. Since it originated only 300,000 years after the Big Bang (the genesis moment around 14 billion years ago, when space and time began), it provides crucial experimental data about the early history of our universe.
Profiling Bladder Cancer Organ Site-Specific Metastasis Identifies LAMC2 as a Novel Biomarker of Hematogenous Dissemination

Little is known about which genes mediate metastasis in bladder cancer, which accounts for much of the mortality of this disease. We used human bladder cancer cell lines to develop models of two clinically common metastatic sites, lung and liver, and evaluated their gene expression with respect to human tumor tissues. Parental cells were injected into either the murine spleen to generate liver metastases or tail vein to generate lung metastases with sequential progeny derived by re-injection and comparisons made of their organ-specific nature by crossed-site injections. Both genomic and transcriptomic analyses of organ-selected cell lines found salient differences and shared core metastatic profiles, which were then screened against gene expression data from human tumors. The expression levels of laminin V gamma 2 (LAMC2) contained in the core metastatic signature were increased as a function of human tumor stage, and its genomic location was in an area of gain as measured by comparative genomic hybridization. Using immunohistochemistry in a human bladder cancer tissue microarray, LAMC2 expression levels were associated with tumor grade, but inversely with nodal status. In contrast, in node-negative patients, LAMC2 expression was associated with visceral metastatic recurrence. In summary, LAMC2 is a novel biomarker of bladder cancer metastasis that reflects the propensity of cells to metastasize via either lymphatic or hematogenous routes.
Automated Ice Inference and Monitoring on the Veterans’ Glass City Skyway Bridge

AbstractUnder certain weather conditions, the Veterans’ Glass City Skyway (VGCS) Bridge in Toledo, Ohio, accumulates ice on the stay sheaths in such a way that has led to large fragments falling into traffic lanes. To aid the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) in their response to this, an automatic inference and monitoring system was implemented. This system utilizes existing weather station measurement data to infer possible events, alerting officials and providing tools to further assess the situation. The development of the decision, the algorithm, and implementation process are presented. The system was implemented in January 2011, and it warned of and monitored an icing event that occurred February 20–24, 2011. Ice fell shortly after the system indicated conditions were met for icefall. ODOT personnel used the ice inference system to assist them in managing the response to the icing event.
A congener analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls accumulating in rat pups after perinatal exposure

Rat pups were exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from conception to weaning. Exposure occurred via feeding dams adulterated certified chow that was designed to contain 0, 3, 30, and 300 Μg/gm Aroclor® 1254. Tissue samples from rat pups and dams were analyzed for 67 different PCB congeners at birth and weaning to describe their accumulation during gestation and lactation. Bioaccumulation of PCB congeners was calculated as a function of their concentration in feed or milk. These data indicated that PCB congeners could be divided into three different groups. The “a” group was not avidly bioaccumulated. Congeners in the “b” group accumulated to widely different concentrations. This group contained primarily penta- and hexachlorinated biphenyls. The analysis of two families of pentachlorobiphenyls containing one ring with −2,3,4, or −2,4,5 chlorine substitutions indicated that molecular structure and not physico-chemical properties,e.g., gas Chromatographic retention time, determined bioaccumulation. The “c” group were all highly chlorinated congeners and bioaccumulated to nearly equal levels. Most congeners were concentrated in the milk when compared to the feed. When bioaccumulation data from pups at birth and weaning were compared, exposure was much greater during lactation than during gestation. The congener analysis showed that the same congeners were most avidly bioaccumulated during the periods of gestation and lactation, indicating that the increased accumulation during lactation was due to a higher effective dose.
Design and the Pedagogical Text (Excess Baggage)

The ambiguity of architecture as a discipline reflects its simultaneous inclusiveness. Giving definition to this fuzzy field while enhancing its productivity is the practical and problematic task of the teacher as it is the politics of its authorizing bodies. Architectural pedagogy is thus a continual retracing of the institutional terrain, an academic gerrymandering that resists the conventions—the bounding of knowledge and the sanctification of method—which serve the more normalized disciplines; rather, architecture is characteristically a mode of cultural production that situates and defines as it consumes and discharges the stuff of many geographies. The design studio is the essential, identifying device in this mapping function; theory, its logic and its engendering force; and the pedagogical text is its record and its effect.
Onboard system for synchronizing video and telemetry on a small UAV

Data acquisition with multiple sensors requires accurate registration in both time and space for effective data fusion. This paper presents a system that permits synchronization for GPS and video, but it can be expanded to include other sensors (i.e. infrared, SAR, etc). We begin with a discussion on the using a pulse-per-second signal for synchronization. We then describe the workings of the Global Positioning System. We compare dfferent autopilots, cameras, frame captures, processors, operating systems, and data storages that can be used for the system, and provide our hypothesis for device selection. We introduce the overall idea of video compression, brieify summarize the different methods, explain our choice of MPEG-2, describe the metadata format, compare the choices of encoders, and explain the MPEG transport stream. We present the benefits of using certain transmission frequencies and the legal restrictions, and give our frequency choices based on available transmitters and receivers. We finish with a summary of the entire system.
An efficient recursive time-varying Fourier transform by using a half-sine wave window

The paper describes a new approach to the recursive time-varying Fourier transform (TVFT) or short-time Fourier transform (STFT), which corresponds to a half-sine wave moving window. The new recursive procedure is more efficient than that of the third-order real-pole window and requires about 41% of the computation required by a recursive Hamming or Hanning window. The half-sine wave window is finite, absolutely symmetric, and has negligibly small sidelobes in the frequency domain. It is shown that this half-sine wave window is better for real-time processing than a Hamming or a Hanning window due to its better utilization of signal energy. It is also indicated that the new recursive procedure operates equally well for adaptive estimation of average-based features such as lattice filter coefficients. In this case, by using the recursive half-sine wave window, only one real-multiplication operation is needed in one step of updating. >
Modeling a syphilis outbreak through space and time using the Bayesian maximum entropy approach.

Purpose The aim of the study is to describe changes in the spatial distribution of syphilis before, during, and after an outbreak in Baltimore, MD, by using Bayesian maximum entropy (BME), a modern geostatistical technique for space–time analysis and mapping. Methods BME was used to conduct simple and composite space–time analyses of the density of syphilis infection based on primary, secondary and early latent syphilis cases reported to the Baltimore City Health Department between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 2002. Results Spatiotemporal covariance plots indicated that the distribution of the density of syphilis cases showed both spatial and temporal dependence. Temporally dependent disease maps suggested that syphilis increased within two geographic core areas of infection and spread outward. A new core area of infection was established to the northwest. As the outbreak waned, density diminished and receded in all core areas. Morbidity remained elevated in the two original central and new northwestern core areas after the outbreak. Conclusions Density of syphilis infection was a simple informative measure easily compared across years. The BME approach was useful for quantitatively and qualitatively describing the spatial development and spread of syphilis. Our results are specific to Baltimore; however, the BME approach is generalizable to other settings and diseases.
Timing is Everything: Elections and Trade Liberalization in the Postcommunist World

In the wake of the Soviet bloc’s collapse, various postcommunist countries rushed to gain greater access to foreign markets. Many of them have made substantial progress in liberalizing commerce, but the movement toward free trade has been by no means universal. One prominent view is that the establishment of democratic institutions has stimulated economic reform in thepostcommunist world. The authors conduct one of the first studies on this topic and find that democracies are indeed more likely to liberalize trade than nondemocracies. They also find that the electoral calendar has a potent influence on the timing of commercial reform in postcommunist democracies: Controlling for a range of factors, politicians are most likely to reduce trade barriers immediately after voters go to the polls. Trade liberalization is much less likely to occur at other points in a democracy’s electoral calendar, and elections have no effect on commercial reform in nondemocracies.
Effects of Work Loads Applied at Various Times in the Cardiac Cycle of the Isolated Dog Heart

Effects of work loads imposed at various times in the cardiac cycle were studied in isolated left ventricle preparations of dog hearts. In six preparations, resistance loads were applied briefly at times in ventricular systole; in six, volume loads were applied briefly at times in ventricular diastole; in six, experimental aortic regurgitation was produced. Simultaneous recorc1s of left ventricular and aortic pressures and electrocardiograms were used to cletermilie the subdivisions of the cardiac cycle and to measure the rates of isometric contraction and relaxation for evaluation of changes in ventricular contractility. The results of many observations indicated that the rates of isometric ventricular contraction and relaxation were not fixed by prior events, that contraction and relaxation could be altered independently, and that aortic regurgitation loaded the left ventricle at a time critical for its relaxation. Accommodation to aortic regurgitation included maintenance of contractility without diastolic left ventricular pressure rise; failure of accommodation was characterized by loss of contractility at high diastolic ventricular pressure.
A High Speed Trigger System for Total Deposited Energy Measurement in a Liquid Argon Calorimeter

A system to produce trigger signals measuring the total energy deposited in the liquid argon/lead shower counters of the SPEAR Mark II Detector at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center is described. The trigger signals are developed by summing, filtering, and discriminating the signals from several thousand preamplifiers connected to the liquid argon detector strips. The system requirement of trigger information 430 ns after a particle has entered the shower counter led to a special filter design in which a leading edge sampling technique was utilized. A filtered signal representing the total deposited energy is measured by a fast level discriminator that is strobed in synchronization with the e+e- beam crossings of the SPEAR storage ring. This sampling of the filtered waveform produces a digital output that is delivered to the trigger logic.
Investigation of haptic framework for, quantitative design analysis in a virtual, environment

The effect of improved cognition on algorithm performance and evaluation is an exciting area of research. Virtual reality is becoming increasingly popular as a tool for interacting with data and steering the optimization process, rather than simply displaying results. Constantly evolving haptic technology allows people to directly interact with digital objects and data as they do in the real world using their sense of touch., Haptics is revolutionizing the way engineers interact with computers. Hitherto, designers and artists have used haptics to intuitively sculpt models using digital clay and doctors have trained on haptics based virtual surgical simulators Most applications however merely seek to make up for the lack of sense of touch and its effects. The current work investigates the application of the haptics loop for decision support activities in core engineering areas like design optimization and shop floor layout. The simulated annealing algorithm with an adaptive cooling schedule is used to solve the quadratic assignment problem for facility layout The results obtained are interpreted and tested using a combined haptic and graphic environment. The value added due to haptics in virtual reality environments is an open problem. Human factor experiments for a decision-making environment were conducted to measure the value added due to inclusion of haptics. After a comprehensive series of tests, a decision is made with regards to use of haptics for engineering and scientific applications.
Characterization of angiogenesis and inflammation surrounding ePTFE implanted on the epicardium

The response of epicardial tissue to the implan- tation of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) was evaluated and compared with identical material implanted within subcutaneous and adipose tissues. These two tissue environments were selected for comparison with epicardial implants because they represent tissue often involved in de- vice implantation. Discs of ePTFE (6 mm) were implanted into three different tissue sites in Sprague-Dawley rats. At 5 weeks, polymers and surrounding tissues were harvested and processed for light microscopy. General histology and histochemistry data indicated all polymers to be well incor- porated with new tissue. Subcutaneous implants were cov- ered by a dense fibrous capsule (55-70 mm). Epicardial and adipose implants had no fibrous capsule and a significantly greater number of microvessels (arterioles, capillaries, and venules) within the surrounding tissues compared with sub- cutaneous implants. An increased level of inflammation was also observed around epicardial implants compared with the other implants. Additionally, the new vasculature sur- rounding epicardially implanted ePTFE revealed an altered microvessel density and vessel type distribution compared with normal (control) epicardium. These results suggest that epicardial tissue responds to implanted ePTFE with a robust inflammatory response that may support the formation of a new microvasculature that is uniquely different from the native epicardial microvasculature. © 2002 Wiley Periodi- cals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 61: 226-233, 2002
The Politics of Relocation: Gender, Nationality, and Value in a Mexican Maquiladora:

In this paper, I combine a Marxist critique of the labor theory of value with poststructuralist feminist theories of subjectivity to illustrate how the decision to transfer a manufacturing operatio...
Measuring individual differences in implicit cognition: The implicit association test.

An implicit association test (IAT) measures differential association of 2 target concepts with an attribute. The 2 concepts appear in a 2-choice task (e.g., flower vs. insect names), and the attribute in a 2nd task (e.g., pleasant vs. unpleasant words for an evaluation attribute). When instructions oblige highly associated categories (e.g., flower + pleasant) to share a response key, performance is faster than when less associated categories (e.g., insect + pleasant) share a key. This performance difference implicitly measures differential association of the 2 concepts with the attribute. In 3 experiments, the IAT was sensitive to (a) near-universal evaluative differences (e.g., flower vs. insect), (b) expected individual differences in evaluative associations (Japanese + pleasant vs. Korean + pleasant for Japanese vs. Korean subjects), and (c) consciously disavowed evaluative differences (Black + pleasant vs. White + pleasant for self-described unprejudiced White subjects).
Limits of validity for orbital-motion-limited theory for a small floating collector

The orbital-motion-limited (OML) theory has been widely used to calculate the ion response to a charged grain immersed in plasma. The theory assumes there are no potential barriers preventing plasma ions from reaching positive-energy points in phase space. However, Allen et al. [J. Plasma Phys.63, 299 (2000)] have recently shown that for any finite-size negatively charged dust grain in a Maxwellian plasma, there are always potential barriers sufficient to exclude some ions. We calculate the magnitude of the potential barriers, and determine which ions are subject to barriers. The OML theory is shown to become exact in the limit of small grain size, and to be very accurate in calculating ion current to the grain for typical conditions pertinent to dusty plasma. Thus OML theory is well justified in calculating the floating potential. However, we find that potential barriers can influence the shielding of the potential at r ∼ λD under some conditions, especially large grams, high plasma density, and small Ti/Te.
Remarks and Conclusion

For clarity, this book assumes that the input is designed to be periodic. Advantages of using full rank and periodic inputs in quantized identification problems have been extensively discussed in [62]. Note that such a choice is not a fundamental limitation, and aperiodic inputs can also be used. As a first attempt at using LDPs in complexity analysis, we will not explore this direction in detail here, but only highlight the main steps. To illustrate the basic ideas and computational processes for quantized identification under aperiodic inputs, we use the basic case of a binary sensor with threshold C and gain identification problems.
Private Military Companies, Opportunities, and Termination of Civil Wars in Africa:

The article analyzes the impact of private military companies (PMCs) on the duration of civil wars in Africa from 1990 to 2008. We develop an “opportunity structure” theory to argue that while PMCs...
Beyond PDF and ePub: toward an interactive textbook

This paper describes a new and unique vision for electronic textbooks. It incorporates a number of active components such as video, code editing and execution, and code visualization as a way to enhance the typical static electronic book format. In addition, the textbook is created with an open source authoring system that has been developed to allow the instructor to customize the content of the active and passive parts of the text. Initial results of a semester long trial are presented as well.
Neglected Infections of Poverty in the United States of America

In the United States, there is a largely hidden burden of diseases caused by a group of chronic and debilitating parasitic, bacterial, and congenital infections known as the neglected infections of poverty. Like their neglected tropical disease counterparts in developing countries, the neglected infections of poverty in the US disproportionately affect impoverished and under-represented minority populations. The major neglected infections include the helminth infections, toxocariasis, strongyloidiasis, ascariasis, and cysticercosis; the intestinal protozoan infection trichomoniasis; some zoonotic bacterial infections, including leptospirosis; the vector-borne infections Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, trench fever, and dengue fever; and the congenital infections cytomegalovirus (CMV), toxoplasmosis, and syphilis. These diseases occur predominantly in people of color living in the Mississippi Delta and elsewhere in the American South, in disadvantaged urban areas, and in the US–Mexico borderlands, as well as in certain immigrant populations and disadvantaged white populations living in Appalachia. Preliminary disease burden estimates of the neglected infections of poverty indicate that tens of thousands, or in some cases, hundreds of thousands of poor Americans harbor these chronic infections, which represent some of the greatest health disparities in the United States. Specific policy recommendations include active surveillance (including newborn screening) to ascertain accurate population-based estimates of disease burden; epidemiological studies to determine the extent of autochthonous transmission of Chagas disease and other infections; mass or targeted treatments; vector control; and research and development for new control tools including improved diagnostics and accelerated development of a vaccine to prevent congenital CMV infection and congenital toxoplasmosis.
RNA aptamers that specifically bind to a 16S ribosomal RNA decoding region construct.

RNA–RNA recognition is a critical process in controlling many key biological events, such as translation and ribozyme functions. The recognition process governing RNA–RNA interactions can involve complementary Watson–Crick (WC) base pair binding, or can involve binding through tertiary structural interaction. Hence, it is of interest to determine which of the RNA–RNA binding events might emerge through an in vitro selection process. The A-site of the 16S rRNA decoding region was chosen as the target, both because it possesses several different RNA structural motifs, and because it is the rRNA site where codon/anticodon recognition occurs requiring recognition of both mRNA and tRNA. It is shown here that a single family of RNA molecules can be readily selected from two different sizes of RNA library. The tightest binding aptamer to the A-site 16S rRNA construct, 109.2-3, has its consensus sequences confined to a stem–loop region, which contains three nucleotides complementary to three of the four nucleotides in the stem–loop region of the A-site 16S rRNA. Point mutations on each of the three nucleotides on the stem–loop of the aptamer abolish its binding capacity. These studies suggest that the RNA aptamer 109.2-3 interacts with the simple 27 nt A-site decoding region of 16S rRNA through their respective stem–loops. The most probable mode of interaction is through complementary WC base pairing, commonly referred to as a loop–loop ‘kissing’ motif. High affinity binding to the other structural motifs in the decoding region were not observed.
Effect of Chipping on Emergence of the Redbay Ambrosia Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and Recovery of the Laurel Wilt Pathogen From Infested Wood Chips

Significant mortality of redbay trees (Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng.) in the southeastern United States has been caused by Raffaelea lauricola, T.C. Harr., Fraedrich, & Aghayeva (Harrington et al. 2008), a fungal symbiont of the exotic redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus, Eichhoff (Fraedrich et al. 2008). This pathogen causes laurel wilt, which is an irreversible disease that can kill mature trees within a few weeks in summer. R. lauricola has been shown to be lethal to most native species of Lauraceae and cultivated avocado (Persea americana Mill.) in the southeastern United States. In this study, we examined the survival of X. glabratus and R. lauricola in wood chips made from infested trees by using a standard tree chipper over a 10-wk period. After 2 wk, 14 X. glabratus were recovered from wood chips, whereas 339 X. glabratus emerged from nonchipped bolts. R. lauricola was not found 2 d postchipping from wood chips, indicating that the pathogen is not likely to survive for long inside wood chips. In contrast, R. lauricola persisted in dead, standing redbay trees for 14 mo. With large volumes of wood, the potential for infested logs to be moved between states or across U.S. borders is significant. Results demonstrated that chipping wood from laurel wilt-killed trees can significantly reduce the number of X. glabratus and limit the persistence of R. lauricola, which is important for sanitation strategies aimed at limiting the spread of this disease.
4H-SiC PIN Recessed-Window Avalanche Photodiode With High Quantum Efficiency

We report a 4H-SiC PIN recessed-window avalanche photodiode with a peak responsitivity of 136 mA/W (external quantum efficiency = 60%) at lambda = 262 nm, corresponding to more than a 50% increase in external quantum efficiency compared to nonrecessed structures. The dark current was 90 pA at a photocurrent gain of 1000. Avalanche gains of over 106, k ~ 0.1, and a spatially uniform response were achieved.
New software-quality metrics methodology standard fills measurement need

The IEEE 1061, IEEE standard for a software-quality metrics methodology, which is the first IEEE-issued standard that deals with quality metrics, is discussed. The philosophy behind the standard, the scope of the standard, and the standard's intended audience are described. Several aspects of the standard, including the methodology of metrics and validity criteria, are reviewed. >
The Sources of Controversy in the New Restatement of Products Liability: Strict Liability Versus Products Liability

In June 1997, the American Law Institute adopted the Restatement (Third) of Torts: Products Liability. The restatement attempts to organize, clarify, and restate thirty years of case law decided under a single provision, section 402A of the Restatement (Second) of Torts. Section 402A was itself an attempt to consolidate in one all-encompassing provision numerous product liability concepts that had been developing during the first two-thirds of the Twentieth Century. Since section 402A's adoption in 1965, courts have decided thousands of product liability cases. Many involved issues not addressed in Section 402A, and others revealed developing conflicts with key concepts in section 402A. Thus, in recent years, Section 402A began to appear incomplete and inadequate, and a new Restatement of product liability seemed desirable. This article analyzes that restatement.
Natural Occurrence of Entomopathogens in Pacific Northwest Nursery Soils and Their Virulence to the Black Vine Weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract The black vine weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus (F.) is the primary insect pest of field and container-grown woody ornamentals in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). These studies were conducted to determine the natural occurrence of soil-borne entomopathogens in PNW nursery soils and determine their virulence to black vine weevil. Soil samples were collected July–September of 2002 from field-grown woody ornamental nursery stock in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Sample collection in each state took place in the major nursery production areas. A total of 280 samples was collected (Oregon, 170; Washington, 50; Idaho, 60). Entomopathogens were isolated using insect baiting (nematodes and fungi) as well as semiselective media (fungi). Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner was isolated through sodium acetate selection. Soil-borne entomopathogenic fungi occur widely throughout the major nursery production areas in the PNW. The entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin, Beauveria bassiana (Bals...
On the Structure of Measurement Noise in Eye-Tracking

Past research has discovered fractal structure in eye movement variability and interpreted this result as having theoretical ramifications. No research has, however, investigated how properties of the eye-tracking instrument might affect the structure of measurement variability. The current experiment employed fractal and multifractal methods to investigate whether an eye-tracker produced intrinsic random variation and how features of the data recording procedure affected the structure measurement variability. The results of this experiment revealed that the structure of variation from a fake eye was indeed random and uncorrelated in contrast to the fractal structure from a fixated, real human eye. Moreover, the results demonstrated that data-averaging generally changes the structure of variation, introducing spurious structure into eye movement variability.
Genetic predisposition to myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia in children and young adults

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a clonal blood disorder characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis, cytopenias, dysplasia and an increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). With the growing availability of clinical genetic testing, there is an increasing appreciation that a number of genetic predisposition syndromes may underlie apparent de novo presentations of MDS/AML, particularly in children and young adults. Recent findings of clonal hematopoiesis in acquired aplastic anemia add another facet to our understanding of the mechanisms of MDS/AML predisposition. As more predisposition syndromes are recognized, it is becoming increasingly important for hematologists and oncologists to have familiarity with the common as well as emerging syndromes, and to have a systematic approach to diagnosis and screening of at risk patient populations. Here, we provide a practical algorithm for approaching a patient with a suspected MDS/AML predisposition, and provide an in-depth review of the established and emerging familial MDS/AML syndromes caused by mutations in the ANKRD26, CEBPA, DDX41, ETV6, GATA2, RUNX1, SRP72 genes. Finally, we discuss recent data on the role of somatic mutations in malignant transformation in acquired aplastic anemia, and review the practical aspects of MDS/AML management in patients and families with predisposition syndromes.
Amifostine and chemotherapy-related thrombocytopenia

Thrombocytopenia is a manifestation of hematopoietic toxicity that, at present, can be treated only with platelet transfusions. Thrombocytopenia is a dose-limiting toxicity for carboplatin, mitomycin-C, and other agents, and becomes dose limiting when granulocyte colony-stimulating factor or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor are used with some chemotherapeutic regimens; thus, strategies to reduce thrombocytopenia are needed. While clinical trials have begun using hematopoietic growth factors that have shown promising preclinical effects on thrombocytopenia, alternative approaches to modifying therapy-related thrombocytopenia are also being developed. Amifostine is a pro-drug that is metabolized to a thiol, WR-1065, which functions to selectively protect normal tissues from the toxic effects of ionizing radiation, alkylating agents, platinating agents, and other cytotoxic compounds. Results from a randomized clinical trial have shown that amifostine reduces mitomycin-induced thrombocytopenia in patients with refractory colorectal cancer. The results of phase I studies of the combination of amifostine and carboplatin suggest that amifostine could modify the toxicity of the platinum compound. Two randomized clinical trials using amifostine and carboplatin have also been reported. In one, the median platelet nadir of all cycles was lower in the amifostine-treated patients; in the other, more profound thrombocytopenia was produced by a higher carboplatin dose, but platelet recovery was more rapid in the amifostine-treated patients. In both of these trials, survival of non-small cell lung cancer patients who received both amifostine and carboplatin was longer than in those treated with carboplatin alone, suggesting that amifostine does not inhibit the antitumor effects of carboplatin. Further studies of amifostine with carboplatin and combination chemotherapy regimens in which thrombocytopenia is dose limiting should be undertaken, as should clinical investigations of amifostine in conjunction with hematopoietic growth factors.
Winning Battles, Losing Wars, and the Synergy Thesis in Iraq

Stephen Biddle, Jeffrey Friedman, and Jacob Shapiro caution that “[t]he decline of violence in Iraq in 2007 does not mean that the war was necessarily a success”. Their implication, however, is that the war was not necessarily a failure either. Biddle et al. write that the 2007 drop in violence from 2006 was a “remarkable reversal”. They ask, “What caused this turnaround?” Their answer is that the United States devised a strategy that stopped the violence in Iraq with a “synergistic” combination of the U.S. troop surge and the U.S. subsidized Sunni Awakening that “stood up” the Sons of Iraq (SOI).We argue first that the Biddle et al. synergy thesis and the evidence the authors present in its support overestimate the SOI role in violence reduction. Secondly, we argue that they underestimate the significance of the decision by Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr to limit the Mahdi Army's criminality by declaring a unilateral cease-fire. Furthermore, al-Sadr’s political calculations of the increasing costs to his Sadrist movement of the Mahdi Army’s spiraling violence in 2007 may have motivated this unanticipated cease-fire. Thus, our third argument is that the cease-fire played a major role alongside the surge in reducing the violence and increasing al-Sadr’s political influence in the governance of Iraq.
Improvement in Mechanical and Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Carbon fibre/Epoxy Composites Using Carboxyl Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Investigations were carried out to optimize mechanical and thermal performances of carbon fibre/epoxy composites modified with functionalized carbon nanotubes. For fabricating carbon fibre/epoxy nanocomposites, 0.1-0.4 wt.% carboxyl-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-COOH) were incorporated in an epoxy system. Laminates were cured at a temperature of 65.55 °C. The effects of MWCNT on flexural, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS),tensile and thermo-mechanical properties of carbon fibre/epoxy composites were studied. The results obtained from flexural, ILSS, tensile and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) of carbon fibre/epoxy demonstrated a linearly increasing trend in properties up to 0.3 wt.% MWCNT loading. Results obtained from the thermal mechanical analysis showed a linearly decreasing trend in coefficient of thermal expansion up to 0.3 wt.% MWCNT loading. The properties were lower at 0.4 wt.%, due to agglomeration that may have resulted in poor wetting of the carbon fibres.
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM): Molecular Insights into mTOR Regulation Lead to Targeted Therapies

Abstract Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a multisystem disease occurring primarily in women that is characterized by lung destruction, renal tumors (angiomyolipomas), and lymphatic involvement. LAM is associated with proliferation of the neoplastic LAM cell, which has mutations/loss of function of the tumor suppressor genes, tuberous sclerosis complex TSC1 or TSC2. Because of the loss of TSC1/TSC2 function, LAM cells exhibit constitutively active mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin, with effects on cell proliferation, cell size, autophagy, and other critical biological processes. Rapamycin slows the progression of LAM disease, but appears not to cause LAM cell death. The combination of rapamycin and one (or more) other treatments are being tested for effects on LAM cell migration, invasiveness, and viability.
The Genus Sinella Brook (Collembola: Entomobryidae) in Nearctic Caves

The nine species known to occur in Nearctic caves are keyed and seven of these are described and illustrated. The other two are edaphic forms, rarely found in such situations. Except for S. cavernarum (Packard) ( = Entomobrya lucifuga Folsom), which ranges from Pennsylvania to eastern Missouri, each truly cave-dwelling species has a very limited known distribution within an overall area extending from western Virginia to the Mississippi River and from south-central Indiana to northern Alabama. New species are: S . alata , S . avita , S . barri , and S . krekeleri . S. cavernarum var. basidens Bonet is raised to specific status, and Parasinella Bonet is synonymized under Sinella Brook.
Scalable Synthesis of Fmoc-Protected GalNAc-Threonine Amino Acid and TN Antigen via Nickel Catalysis

The highly α-selective and scalable synthesis of the Fmoc-protected GalNAc-threonine amino acid and TN antigen in gram scale (0.5–1 g) is described. The challenging 1,2-cis-2-amino glycosidic bond is addressed through a coupling of threonine residues with C(2)-N-ortho-(trifluoromethyl)benzylidenamino trihaloacetimidate donors mediated by Ni(4-F-PhCN)4(OTf)2. The desired 1,2-cis-2-amino glycoside was obtained in 66% yield (3.77 g) with α-only selectivity and subsequently transformed into the Fmoc-protected GalNAc-threonine and TN antigen. This operationally simple procedure no longer requires utilization of the commonly used C(2)-azido donors and overcomes many of the limitations associated with the synthesis of 1,2-cis linkage.
Relation of Development and Aging; Pre- and Postnatal Differentiation of the Brain as Related to Aging

Considered from a social as well as a biological standpoint, one of the most unique features of man is his brain. It is a repository not only for his inherited characteristics but also for the storage of a lifetime of experiences. In considering the significance of early brain development for maturity and aging, it seems likely that the development of the brain in all mammals is probably one of the most significant features of growth from conception to maturity. In psychology, personality and learning theories have proposed that the early experiences acquired during early periods of development may have significant and lasting effects not only on adult behavior but throughout the life span. It has been reported that increased sensory stimulation and social contacts during the early postnatal years in man produced significant effects on intelligence, learning and personality throughout life (Birren, 1964). Animal studies of imprinting and early handling have also demonstrated that early experience acquired during “critical periods” of brain development have lasting effects on behavior throughout life (Levin and Denenberg, 1969).
Colonization of Central Venous Catheters

We studied etiologic factors important in colonization of 179 central venous catheters (CVCs) in patients randomized into group 1 (who received daily topical applications of povidone-iodine) or group 2 (who received only dry dressing changes). Colonization rates of CVC tips were similar between group 1 (18/84 or 21%) and group 2 (22/95 or 23%). Peripheral blood cultures grew Candida in eight hyperalimented patients (evenly divided between groups 1 and 2), S epidermidis in four other patients (also evenly divided), and gram-negative bacteria in three patients. Colonization rates for CVCs in place for 0 to seven days was 15.6% (17/109) and 76.7% (23/30) if used from eight to 30 days. Inflammatory signs at CVC sites were often absent when CVCs became colonized or produced bacteremia. Unimportant determinants of CVC colonization included skin securement of CVCs, antibiotic infusions through CVC lines, and masking and gowning of physicians before CVC placement. Daily applications of povidone-iodine did not reduce colonization of CVCs as compared to dry dressing changes.
Nonmedical Prescription Stimulant Use Among Girls 10-18 Years of Age: Associations With Other Risky Behavior.

Purpose Little is known about the risk factors for nonmedical use (NMU) of prescription stimulants among adolescent girls. We aimed to measure the association of nonmedical prescription stimulant use with empirically linked risk factors, including weight control behavior (WCB), gambling, and depressed mood, in pre-teen and teenaged girls.
Graft-Versus-Tumor Activity Against Renal Cell Carcinoma in a Mouse Model of HSCT.

Patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have demonstrated responses against several solid tumors including renal cell cancer (RCC) (Childs et al. NEJM 2000). Currently, there is no murine model available to study the role of graft-versus-tumor (GVT) activity in RCC rejection. Here we demonstrate GVT activity against the renal cell carcinoma line RENCA in a MHC class I/II disparate model of C57BL/6 into BALB/c. This line has been transduced with the luciferase gene (RENCA-TGL) that allows for bioluminescence imaging (BLI) of tumor burden. Lethally irradiated recipients of T-cell depleted marrow (TCD) recipients challenged with RENCA succumb rapidly to tumor death while addition of 0.3x10^6 donor CD8+ T cells significantly prolongs survival (median survival of 34 vs 72 days, P
Dual-pump vibrational CARS measurements of temperature and species concentrations in turbulent premixed flames with CO2 addition

Abstract A dual-pump vibrational coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (DPVCARS) system was applied for simultaneous temperature and species concentration measurements in jet flames on a newly developed piloted axisymmetric reactor assisted turbulent (PARAT) premixed flame burner. Turbulent lean premixed methane/air round jet flames with varying CO 2 dilution were stabilized using an annular flow of hydrogen at the flame base. Carbon dioxide was injected into the fuel stream to simulate effects of dry exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). The flames were operated at a nearly constant Reynolds number, Lewis number, and adiabatic flame temperature to minimize thermal and transport effects. Velocity boundary conditions at the burner exit were measured using particle image velocimetry. Simultaneous temperature and major species concentrations (O 2 and CO 2 ) were measured along the axial direction at the burner centerline and along the radial direction at representative axial locations above the burner. Progress variables calculated based on the temperatures were used to study the mean flame brush thickness and the turbulent burning velocity. Probability density functions (PDFs) of temperature at various locations are presented and discussed. The DPVCARS measurements provide an experimental database including temperature and turbulent burning velocity for combustion model evaluation and validation and demonstrated a strong potential for flame structure investigation with future improvement on spatial resolution and signal to noise ratio. The merits and limitations of vibrational CARS for diagnostics in turbulent premixed combustion are discussed. The results show that flames with CO 2 addition depart from the universal mean flame brush structure, while their RMS fluctuation values at an identical mean temperature collapse with the undiluted flame. The CO 2 addition increases the combustion intensity with a decrease in turbulent burning velocity when minimizing the thermal and transport effects.
Andrea del Sarto's Disputation on the Trinity and the "Sighs of Holy Desire"

Andrea del Sarto's "Disputation on the Trinity" (1517) engages with powerful traditions of spiritual learning that can be traced back to St. Augustine's theological writings. This paper asks how and in what ways Andrea's altarpiece might belong to such a rich intellectual history. The analysis connects Augustinian notions of desire and reform to the painting's iconography and to the artist's composition and treatment of color. This line of inquiry not only has exciting implications for the study of Renaissance altarpieces; it also lays the groundwork for a larger study of andrea del Sarto and of his contributions to the period's sense of spiritual reform, broadly conceived.
Macular Carotenoid Supplementation Improves Visual Performance, Sleep Quality, and Adverse Physical Symptoms in Those with High Screen Time Exposure

The dramatic rise in the use of smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers over the past decade has raised concerns about potentially deleterious health effects of increased “screen time” (ST) and associated short-wavelength (blue) light exposure. We determined baseline associations and effects of 6 months’ supplementation with the macular carotenoids (MC) lutein, zeaxanthin, and mesozeaxanthin on the blue-absorbing macular pigment (MP) and measures of sleep quality, visual performance, and physical indicators of excessive ST. Forty-eight healthy young adults with at least 6 h of daily near-field ST exposure participated in this placebo-controlled trial. Visual performance measures included contrast sensitivity, critical flicker fusion, disability glare, and photostress recovery. Physical indicators of excessive screen time and sleep quality were assessed via questionnaire. MP optical density (MPOD) was assessed via heterochromatic flicker photometry. At baseline, MPOD was correlated significantly with all visual performance measures (p < 0.05 for all). MC supplementation (24 mg daily) yielded significant improvement in MPOD, overall sleep quality, headache frequency, eye strain, eye fatigue, and all visual performance measures, versus placebo (p < 0.05 for all). Increased MPOD significantly improves visual performance and, in turn, improves several undesirable physical outcomes associated with excessive ST. The improvement in sleep quality was not directly related to increases in MPOD, and may be due to systemic reduction in oxidative stress and inflammation.