cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adriamycin-induced oxidative mitochondrial cardiotoxicity

The anticancer agent Adriamycin (ADR) has long been recognized to induce a dose-limiting cardiotoxicity. Numerous studies have attempted to characterize and elucidate the mechanism(s) behind its cardiotoxic effect. Despite a wealth of data covering a wide-range of effects mediated by the drug, the definitive mechanism remains a matter of debate. However, there is consensus that this toxicity is related to the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Induction of ROS in the heart by ADR occurs via redox cycling of the drug at complex I of the electron transport chain. Many studies support the theory that mitochondria are a primary target of ADR-induced oxidative stress, both acutely and long-term. This review focuses on the effects of ADR redox cycling on the mitochondrion, which support the hypothesis that these organelles are indeed a major factor in ADR cardiotoxicity. This review has been constructed with particular emphasis on studies utilizing cardiac models with clinically relevant doses or concentrations of ADR in the hope of advancing our understanding of the mechanisms of ADR toxicity. This compilation of current data may reveal valuable insights for the development of therapeutic strategies better tailored to minimizing the dose-limiting effect of ADR.
Acoustic role of the buttress and posterior incudal ligament in human temporal bones.

OBJECTIVES: In middle ear surgery using intact ear canal wall techniques, the buttress, which is the bony bridge at the medial end of the posterior-superior bony ear canal, is commonly retained during posterior tympanotomy. In some cases, the surgical exposure may be improved by resectioning the buttress, and this requires sectioning the posterior incudal ligament. To date, the acoustic effects of removing the buttress with sectioning of the attached ligament have not been studied.METHOD: Using a laser Doppler vibrometer system, 15 human cadaver temporal bones were measured with 80 dB sound pressure level at the tympanic membrane over the 0.1 to 10 kHz frequency range.RESULT: The resection of the buttress and sectioning the posterior incudal ligament had no effect on stapes footplate velocity.CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the posterior incudal ligament does not play a significant role in the acoustic function of the ossicles.
The effects of the Columbia shuttle disaster on the daily lives of older adults: Findings from the VA Normative Aging Study

During 2002–2003 the VA Normative Aging Study conducted an eight-day diary survey of stressors and well-being. A sub-sample of 19 men and 13 women (mean age = 71.78) completed daily questionnaires before and after the Columbia shuttle exploded on 1st February 2003, presenting a unique look into peoples’ daily lives before and after a tragic event. Results indicated no significant changes in negative affect or physical symptoms, but people reported significant decreases in both positive affect and memory failures on days following the shuttle explosion. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Classification via Information-Theoretic Fusion of Vector-Magnetic and Acoustic Sensor Data

We present a general approach for multi-modal sensor fusion based on nonparametric probability density estimation and maximization of a mutual information criterion. We apply this approach to fusion of vector-magnetic and acoustic data for classification of vehicles. Linear features are used, although the approach may be applied more generally with other sensor modalities, nonlinear features, and other classification targets. For the magnetic data, we present a parametric model with computationally efficient parameter estimation. Experimental results are provided illustrating the effectiveness of a classifier that discriminates between cars and sport utility vehicles.
Adsorption of heavy metal ions by immobilized phytic acid

Phytic acid (myoinositol hexaphosphate) or its calcium salt, phytate, is an important plant constituent. It accounts for up to 85% of total phosphorus in cereals and legumes. Phytic acid has 12 replaceable protons in the phytic molecule, rendering it the ability to complex with multivalent cations and positively charged proteins. Poly 4-vinyl pyridine (PVP) and other strong-based resins have the ability to adsorb phytic acid. PVP has the highest adsorption capacity of 0.51 phytic acid/resins. The PVP resin was used as the support material for the immobilization of phytic acid. The immobilized phytic acid can adsorb heavy metal ions, such as cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc ions, from aqueous solutions. Adsorption isotherms of the selected ions by immobilized phytic acid were conducted in packed-bed column at room temperature. Results from the adsorption tests showed 6.6 mg of Cd2+, 7 mg of Cu2+, 7.2 mg of Ni2+, 7.4 mg of Pb2+, and 7.7 mg of Zn2+ can be adsorbed by each gram of PVP-phytic acid complex. The use of immobilized phytic acid has the potential for removing metal ions from industrial or mining waste water.
Striking a balance.

I was recently consulted in the case of a child who was fully functional and attending school when headaches developed. An intracranial mass was identified. Surgery was performed and a partial resection was obtained of what proved to be a craniopharyngioma. Unfortunately, there was a massive intraoperative hemorrhage followed by 2 postoperative episodes of bacterial meningitis and extensive vasospasm. Now, 5 months postoperatively, magnetic resonance imaging shows extensive hypoxic brain injury, and the child is unresponsive and supported by a feeding tube and breathes through a tracheostomy. The tumor is regrowing. Is it technically possible to irradiate this craniopharyngioma? If so, technically how ought it be done, and with what dose and fractionation scheme? If there is no likelihood that radiation therapy will restore neurologic function, is it ethical to irradiate? The case calls for striking a balance between technical skills and humanistic professionalism. It illustrates one of the longstanding debates of higher education: the relative value of technical training versus a broad and liberal education. On the one hand, we hold forth as an ideal of higher education that learning is of value both for its own sake and to make us better people. On the other hand, higher education is generally expected to provide us with applicable skills that make us capable of earning a living. No one is made more directly capable of designing a bridge, starting an intravenous line, designing a radiation therapy field, or writing software code by virtue of studying Shakespeare’s sonnets, being guided through the history of Alexander the Great’s conquests, or learning
Topographic changes associated with coastal dune blowouts at island beach state park, New Jersey

Topographic changes in two blowouts located in Island Beach State Park, New Jersey, USA were monitored over the winter of 1981-1982. Elevation changes were measured with erosion pins, and sediment traps placed at comparable locations in each blowout monitored the amount of sand moved by the wind. Discrete wind events were identified from regional data, and morphological data for the intervals with the highest onshore and offshore wind speeds are examined in detail. Vegetation is the primary influence on the development of the two blowouts. Blowout A is characterized by eroding sidewalls, a stable base, and an accreting blowout rim. High rates of sediment transport occur through the blowout throat which results in accretion on the vegetated rim. This blowout is an active sediment transfer system. Vegetation causes a large amount of deposition in the throat of blowout B. As vegetation was buried over the winter, the area of deposition migrated inland. Sidewall erosion also occurred in blowout B. Little change was recorded on the blowout rim. Blowout B is a recovering system where sediment is delivered to the blowout floor from the beach by onshore winds and from the blowout rim by offshore winds where it is stabilized by vegetation. The development of foredune blowouts is governed largely by vegetation cover on the dune crest and by sidewall erosion during offshore and onshore winds. Blowout recovery depends on vegetation growth and sediment deposition in the throat, and on the role of the sidewalls as sources of sediment which is deposited elsewhere within the system. Foredune blowouts are dynamic systems in which positive feedbacks in sediment availability and vegetation growth lead to a cycle of development and closure.
EEG dimension in sons of alcoholics.

Recent advances in the field of nonlinear dynamics have provided new conceptual models, as well as novel analytical techniques applicable to studies in alcohol research. One measurement technique, which has been developed in an attempt to characterize nonlinear systems in physics and biology, is the estimation of attractor dimension. This dimension may be seen as a measure of the information required to describe the current behavior of a system. We have applied these techniques to the analysis of EEG collected from 17 men with alcoholic fathers and 19 men with no alcoholic relatives. The men with alcoholic fathers were found to have a lower EEG attractor dimension than their matched controls. This suggests that the EEG of young men with alcoholic fathers may be “more organized” or “less complex” than men with no alcoholic relatives. Although more studies will be needed to explore this hypothesis, these studies suggest that further development of nonlinear approaches to the analysis of brain systems are likely to generate new clinical measures, as well as new ways of viewing brain electrical function and alcoholism. Key Words: EEG, Power Spectral Analysis, Nonlinear Dynamics, Alcohol, Family History of Alcoholism.
Isolation and characterization of a transposon mutant of Shewanella putrefaciens MR-1 deficient in fumarate reductase

A transposon mutant, designated CMTn-3, of Shewanella putrefaciens MR-1 that was deficient in fumarate reduction was isolated and characterized. In contrast to the wild-type, CMTn-3 could not grow anaerobically with fumarate as the electron acceptor, and it lacked benzyl viologen-linked fumarate reductase activity. Consistent with this, CMTn-3 lacked a 65 kDa c-type cytochrome, which is the same size as the fumarate reductase enzyme. CMTn-3 retained the wild-type ability to use nitrate, iron(III), manganese(IV) and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) as terminal electron acceptors. The results indicate that the loss of the fumarate reductase enzyme does not affect other anaerobic electron transport systems in this bacterium.
Efficient optical fiber-to-waveguide coupling suitable for passive alignment

A technique has been developed for coupling multimode fiber to ridge waveguides on a substrate. It consists of D-fiber and polymer waveguides. Fabrication techniques for each are presented. Average insertion losses as low as 1.5 dB for coupling multimode optical fiber to 6.0-cm-long waveguides were measured. It is noted that this new coupling technique has great potential for passive alignment of optical fiber to ridge waveguides. >
Microscopic model for the study of fluctuations and the kinetics of conformational changes of polypeptides. I. Diglycine.

In this paper a microscopic model is developed which considers conformational changes in polypeptides. The model applied here to diglycine involves calculation of torques due to pairwise interatomic forces acting about the two single bonds (NC and CC′) of the peptide unit. Account is taken of Brownian motion and rotational frictional resistance in addition to a van der Waals 6–12 potential, a classical electrostatic potential and a torsional potential. The rates of the conformational transition from an initial α-helical position are computed. The mechanism of Conformational change is a random walk within the minimum well followed by a jump out of the minimum into another portion of the energy surface. The latter process occurs when a fluctuation carries the dipeptide into a high energy region of the potential surface. Correlation times for the process are computed. Estimates are made for the relaxation times for the process. A first passage-time treatment is developed and used to compute internal diffusion coefficients for the relaxation process.
State-of-the-art approach in selective curable tumors: germ cell tumors

This review covers the management of patients once they have been diagnosed with a germ cell tumor. We take note of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) guidelines [1, 2] and European Germ Cell Cancer Consensus Group report [3] and expand on controversial areas where more than one management option exists. Although we will only discuss testicular germ cell tumors, the same principles of management apply to extragonadal and ovarian germ cell tumors.
Injuries and Illnesses in the Preparticipation Evaluation Data of 1693 College Student-Athletes

Background:While the preparticipation evaluation (PPE) is widely used by medical practitioners, its overall effectiveness is unknown, in part because there are no standardized or centralized mechanisms to collect and analyze medical history information.Purpose:To report on the injuries and illnesses identified with the use of an electronic PPE (ePPE) completed by first-time National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 varsity sport participants (N = 1693; 797 women, 896 men) upon entry to a single institution between 2010 and 2013.Study Design:Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.Results:In total, 3126 discrete past injuries were reported (women, 1473 injuries; men, 1653 injuries). Time loss from sport participation averaged 31.4 days for each injury (women, 32.2 days; men, 30.7 days), and aggregate time loss from sport for all student-athletes before the ePPE was 256 years. Eleven percent of student-athletes had injuries that were unresolved and still symptomatic at the time of the ePPE. Th...
Advances in environmental and occupational disorders in 2016

In 2006, there continued to be significant contributions to the Journal in the area of environmental and occupational allergy. In addition to very strong clinical observations, there were a number of studies that examined the effect of environmental agents on cellular and molecular processes in allergy, and molecular approaches were also used in investigations of allergen structure and biology. The Journal also received a number of very strong epidemiologic studies examining several aspects of environmental and occupational allergy. Thus, this particular area of our specialty thrives as a result of clinical, mechanistic, epidemiologic, and translational observations. This article reviews a number of these papers presented in the Journal in 2006.
A Fault-Tolerant Interconnect Mechanism for NMR Nanoarchitectures

Redundancy techniques, such as N -tuple modular redundancy (NMR), has been widely used to correct faulty behavior of components and achieve high reliability. Almost all redundancy-based strategies rely on a majority voting. The voter, therefore, becomes a critical unit for the correct operation of any NMR system. In this paper, we propose a voterless fault-tolerant strategy to implement a robust NMR system design. We show that using a novel fault-tolerant communication mechanism, namely logic code division multiple access, we can transfer data with extremely low error rates among N modules and completely eliminate the need for a centralized voter unit. Such a highly reliable strategy is vital for future nanosystems in which high defect rate is expected. Experimental results are also reported to verify the concept, clarify the design procedure, and measure the system's reliability.
Role of a Conserved Membrane Glycine Residue in a Dicarboxylate Transporter from Sinorhizobium meliloti

Nitrogen-fixing rhizobial bacteroids import dicarboxylates by using the DctA transporter. G114 of DctA is highly conserved. A G114D mutant is inactive, but DctA with a small amino acid (G114A) or a helix disrupter (G114P) retains significant activity. G114 probably interacts with other membrane helices in stabilizing a substrate-binding pocket.
Elevated PDGFRB gene copy number gain is prognostic for improved survival outcomes in resected malignant pleural mesothelioma

Abstract PDGF/PDGFR pathway has been implicated in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) carcinogenesis, and evidence suggests autocrine mechanisms of proliferation. We sought to evaluate the incidence of PDGFRB gene copy number gain (CNG) by fluorescence in situ hybridization and PDGFR pathway protein expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and correlate it to patient clinical outcome. Eighty-eight archived tumor blocks from resected MPM with full clinical information were used to perform IHC biomarkers (PDGFRα, PDGFRβ, p-PDGFRβ) and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of PDGFRB gene CNG. Spearman rank correlation, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Kruskal-Wallis test, BLiP plots, and Kaplan-Meier method were used to analyze the biomarkers and correlation to clinical outcome. Several correlations between the IHC biomarkers were seen; however, none correlated to clinically relevant patient demographics or histology. In the CNG analysis, PDGFRB gene CNG in >10% of tumor cells had lower cytoplasmic p-PDGFRβ ( P =.029), while PDGFRB gene CNG in >40% of tumor cells had a higher cytoplasmic PDGFRβ ( P =.04). PDGFRB gene CNG status did not associate with patient demographics or tumor characteristics. PDGFR pathway IHC biomarkers did not associate with survival outcomes. However, patients with PDGFRB CNG >40% of tumor cells had improved relapse-free survival (HR 0.25 [95% CI 0.09-0.72], P =.0096) and improved overall survival (HR 0.32 [95% CI 0.11-0.89], P =.029). PDGFRB CNG >40% of MPM tumor cells is a potential prognostic biomarker for surgery and may identify a unique population of mesothelioma patients. Future validation of this biomarker in prospective trials is needed. From a retrospective review of archived tissue specimens from patients with resected malignant pleural mesothelioma tumors, we show that patients with PDGFRB CNG >40% of tumor cells had improved relapse-free survival (HR 0.25 [95% CI 0.09-0.72], P =.0096) and improved overall survival (HR 0.32 [95% CI 0.11-0.89], P =.029). PDGFRB CNG >40% of MPM tumor cells is a potential prognostic biomarker for surgery and may identify a unique population of mesothelioma patients.
Encouraging Thoughtful Teaching: Another View of the Pre-Observation Conference

The pre-observation conference should allow the teacher to think criti cally about the proposed lesson. The conference structure proposed here is designed to ensure that such reflec tion occurs.
Influence of Dairy Rations with Whole Cottonseed or Extruded Soybeans on Accuracy of Analyses for Milk Components

Abstract To determine whether dairy rations influence the accuracy of component analyses, fat, protein, lactose, and total solids were measured in milk produced by Holstein cows fed a basal ration or a ration containing either 7% extruded soybeans, 15% whole cottonseed, or 30% whole cottonseed for the first 15 wk postpartum. Samples from individual milkings were collected in the 14th and 15th wk from 12 or 13 cows in each group. Reference methods were Mojonnier for fat, Udy dye-binding for protein, polarimetry for lactose, and forced-air oven for total solids. The methods compared to reference methods were Milkotester and Babcock for fat and Infrared Milk Analyzer for fat, protein, lactose, and solids-not-fat. Fatty acid composition was determined by gas chromatography. For cows fed 30% whole cottonseed, Infrared Milk Analyzer fat measurements averaged .14% lower than by Mojonnier. For cows fed extruded soybeans or whole cottonseed, Milkotester fat measurements were higher than by Mojonnier, and Infrared Milk Analyzer protein measurements were higher than by Udy dye-binding. For cows fed whole cottonseed, Infrared Milk Analyzer solids-not-fat measurements were higher than by forced air oven. For cows fed extruded soybeans or whole cottonseed, differences between Babcock and Mojonnier fat measurements and between Infrared Milk Analyzer and polarimetric lactose measurements were not affected. For cows fed whole cottonseed, the mean molecular weight of the fatty aicds of milk fat was increased.
A new look at neighborhoods near National Priorities List sites

Abstract A geodemographic database can assess characteristics of communities by providing (1) annual demographic estimates for these small areas, and (2) statistically based models that integrated consumer behavior and lifestyle data. When applied to neighborhoods proximate to National Priorities List (NPL) sites, information from a geodemographic database can inform environmental health risk assessments and aid in targeting health education activities. This study utilized such a database with 1999 census block group population estimates and neighborhood descriptors in the USA. We examined patterns of neighborhood type based on NPL site classification by activity and waste type (e.g., manufacturing, mining). Overall, block groups described as “Military Quarters” are at highest risk of being located near an NPL site. Other, distinct, neighborhood differences are described.
Deploying Web-based visual exploration tools on the grid

Grid-based computing facilitates access to different resources. But management in a grid-based environment isn't centralized. To use grid resources effectively, researchers need a central access point to manage the resources, provide a visual means to explore the data, and record these explorations for further investigation and dissemination. This article describes such a system that's being developed jointly by the University of California, Davis, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The centralized system acts as a portal into grid-enabled visualization systems. Scientists using the portal can focus on the important task of extracting insights from their data through visualization instead of having to worry about process management. Because scientists at LBNL and their collaborators require access to the portal from around the world, the portal's interface is entirely Web-based. Authenticated users only need a standards-compliant Web browser to explore their data from anywhere in the world. The portal provides a Web-based interface not just for exploring but also for encapsulating visualization data. Encapsulating the process lets users reproduce the visualization results for validation or extend those results by continuing data exploration. We discuss the integration of our grid-enabled visualization server, the visualization Web application that performs the visualization session management, and the Web-based interface.
Trust As A Precursor Or Outcome Of Relational Norm Development: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Of US And Hungarian Managers

This study proposes and tests a model delineating relational norms and their relationship with the construct Trust and compares the results across two culture groups. The norms of Solidarity, Flexibility, and Mutuality are proposed as precursors to the formation of Trust. SEM results confirm two opposing models for U.S. and Hungarian respondents. Relational Norms have a strong positive relationship with formation of Trust for the Hungarian respondents, acting as a precursor of Trust. Whereas, the relationship between trust and the relational norms is weak for the U.S. respondents, and indicates that Trust is a precursor to the formation of Relational Norms.
Generic Multiversion STM

Multiversion software transactional memory STM allows a transaction to read old values of a recently updated object, after which the transaction may serialize before transactions that committed earlier in physical time. This ability to "commit in the past" is particularly appealing for long-running read-only transactions, which may otherwise starve in many STM systems, because short-running peers modify data out from under them before they have a chance to finish. Most previous approaches to multiversioning have been designed as an integral part of some larger STM system, and have assumed an object-oriented, garbage-collected language. We describe, instead, how multiversioning may be implemented on top of an almost arbitrary "word-based" STM system. To the best of our knowledge, ours is the first work for any kind of STM to combine bounded space consumption with guaranteed wait freedom for read-only transactions in the form presented here, it may require writers to be blocking. We make no assumptions about data or metadata layout, though we do require that the base system provide a hash function with certain ordering properties. We neither require nor interfere with automatic garbage collection. Privatization safety can be ensured--without compromising wait freedom for readers--either by forcing privatizing writers to wait for all extant readers or by requiring that programmers explicitly identify the data being privatized.
Thermoplastic Elastomers via Combined Crystallization and Vitrification from Homogeneous Melts

Block copolymers with crystalline, glassy, and rubbery blocks were synthesized by anionic polymerization of butadiene, styrene, and isoprene followed by chlorosilane coupling and hydrogenation. The performance of two pentablock copolymers, with the block sequence crystalline–glassy–rubbery–glassy–crystalline, as thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) was evaluated against triblock copolymers having either crystalline or glassy end blocks. Judicious choices of block lengths yielded homogeneous melts for both pentablocks; consequently, the low-shear-rate viscosities of the pentablocks were more than 2 orders of magnitude lower than that of the glassy–rubbery–glassy triblock, which remained microphase-separated in the melt. In the pentablocks, physical cross-linking was achieved by crystallization of the end blocks followed by vitrification of the adjacent glassy blocks, forming composite crystalline–glassy hard domains. All of the polymers studied exhibited desirable mechanical behavior for TPEs, including low You...
Wound healing: Enzymatically crosslinked scaffolds.

Microgel particle precursors bearing peptide substrates for human enzymes crosslink in wound sites to produce bioactive scaffolds in situ that rapidly recruit cells and promote dermal healing.
Electric dipole moment of the electron in left-right models

The electric dipole moment (EDM) of the electron is calculated in the SU(2) L × SU(2) R × U(1) B-L model. The value is shown to be less than 2 × 10 −26 e ·cm using only the standard limit of the mass of the right-handed gauge boson W 2 . In a one-parameter model due to Chang fitted to CP violation in K 0 decay, the value is 10 −29 e ·cm. Physical Higgs contributions to this effect are also examined.
About Binary and Ternary Alkaline Earth Metal Nitrides

Binary and ternary alkaline earth metal nitrides compounds have been synthesized and characterized by the means of X-ray structure analysis. By the reaction of the alkaline earth metals Be, Mg, and Ca with dry nitrogen, we obtained crystalline material of Be3N2 (1), Mg3N2 (2), and Ca3N2 (3), respectively. For these three compounds we could confirm the cubic anti bixbyite structure (Ia3 (#206); 1: a = 814.92(1) pm; 2: 997.26(6) pm and 3: a = 1147.86(2) pm). By reacting 1 : 2 : 1 mixtures of Ae (Ae = Ca, Sr) : Mg : NaN3 we synthesized the ternary nitrides CaMg2N2 (4) and SrMg2N2 (5). We confirmed the structural data obtained by Rietveld-analysis of X-ray powder diffraction data for 4 and found 5 to be isotypic (anti-C–M2O3 structure, trigonal, P 3ml (#164); 4: a = 354.77(5) pm, c = 609.60(12) pm; 4: a = 362.20(5), c = 635.90(13) pm). The indexing of the powder diffractogram of “Ca3Mg3N4” and refining the lattice parameters (hexagonal, a = 352.9(2) and c = 607.5(5) pm) suggest its identity with 4. The black “low-temperature phase of Ca3N2” has been synthesized and and the X-ray powder diffractogram has been recorded. The reactions of this phase are also described. The yellow “high-temperature phase of Ca3N2” was found to be Ca4N2(CN2).
Phase-space analysis of cavity-assisted photo-association of molecules

We study the photo-association of ultracold atoms into molecules using a cavity field. The semiclassical stationary solutions are found and compared with numerical quantum simulations. The results are analyzed using a reduced phase-space representation.
Representation of the Microstructural Dependence of the Anisotropic Elastic Constants of Textured Materials

This paper addresses the question of representing the dependence of the elastic coefficients in the anisotropic form of Hooke's law upon the microstructure of a material. The concern is with textured material symmetries, that is to say materials such as natural and man-made composites whose material symmetry is determined by microstructural organization. The approach is to relate the anisotropic elastic coefficients to local geometric or stereological measures of the microstructure. The predictions of micromechanical models and continuum mechanical models are compared and are found to be consistent with each other.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale With Online Graduate Students.

The Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale was examined using data from a convenience sample of 450 female and 65 male students enrolled in online, graduate-level introductory statistics courses. The mean age of the students was 33.1 (SD = 8.2), and 58.3% had completed six or fewer online courses. The majority of students were enrolled in education or counseling degree programs. Confirmatory factor analysis using unweighted least squares estimation was used to test three proposed models, and alpha coefficients were used to examine the internal consistency. The confirmatory factor analysis results supported the six-factor structure and indicated that proper models should include correlations among the six factors or two second-order factors (anxiety and attitude). Internal consistency estimates ranged from .82 to .95 and were consistent with values reported by previous researchers. The findings suggest that, when measuring statistics anxiety of online students using Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale, researchers and instructors can use scores from the individual subscales or generate two composite scores, anxiety and attitude, instead of a total score.
Communication BER test based on ADS software simulation platform

According to the situation that considerable and expensive hardware was needed to test bit error rate(BER) of satellite communication link at present,a new method for communication BER test was established.Assisted by Agilent's ADS software simulation platform,a complete satellite communication link was built up through hardware-in-the-loop simulation system connected with testing instrument seamlessly.Thus communication BER could be calculated through "Improved Importance Sampling Technique" of ADS software.Those results show the concept of this method ias clear,development cycle is short and equipment cost is reduced.
Limit theorems for persistent random walks in cookie environments

Excited random walks (ERW) or random walks in a cookie environment is a modification of the nearest neighbor simple random walk such that in several first visits to each site of the integer lattice, the walk’s jump kernel gives a preference to a certain direction and assigns equal probabilities to the remaining directions. If the current location of the random walk has been already visited more than a certain number of times, then the walk moves to one of its nearest neighbors with equal probabilities. The model was introduced by Benjamini and Wilson and extended by Martin Zerner. In the cookies jargon, upon first several visits to every site of the lattice, the walker consumes a cookie providing them a boost toward a distinguished direction in the next step. The excited random walk is a popular mainstream model of theoretical probability. An interesting application of this model to the motion of DNA molecular motors has been discovered by Antal and Krapivsky (Phys. Review E, 2007), see also the article of Mark Buchanan Attack of the cyberspider in Nature Physics, 2009. Many basic asymptotic properties of excited random walk have their counterparts for random walk in random environment (RWRE). The major difference between two processes is that while the random (cookie) environment is dynamic and rapidly changes with time the environments considered in the RWRE process are stationary both in space and in time. The similarity between the asymptotic behaviors of these two classes of random walks can be explained using the fact that certain functionals (for instance, exit times and exit probabilities) of the local time (or occupation time, also referred to as the number of previous visits to a current location) process converge after a proper rescaling to diffusion processes with timeindependent coefficients. Thus phenomenon, discovered by Kosygina and Mpountford, can be exploited for a heuristic explanation of the analogy between the role of the local drift of ERW
A Measure of the Value of Marketing in Packaged Goods

This article presents an econometric methodology for use with scannerpanel data based on the multinomial logit model to estimate theconsumer welfare changes that result from changes in marketingactivity. Two applications of the model are presented: the value toconsumers of the introduction of the first plastic ketchup bottle andthe value of various changes to the choice set for yogurt, including abrand replacement, the addition of a new brand and a line extension.Consumer welfare gains associated with the changes, while statisticallysignificant, are very small.
Using WWC sanctioned rigorous methods to develop comparison groups for evaluation.

Abstract Evaluation of program impact in the field of education has been a controversial topic over the years. Although randomized control trials have great advantages in causal inference, they often raise ethical and economic concerns in practice. As an alternative, quasi-experimental designs may provide valid evidence of influence if they are well-designed. In this article, we presented an evaluation case of a district-wide early learning improvement program. To strike a balance between practicability and academic rigor, we developed comparison groups from multiple perspectives, and used a series of tests consistent with WWC 3.0 standards to reach the most valid comparisons. Implications for evaluation practice were discussed.
Preparing for a Global Society: Lessons from Successful Education Systems across the World

The world is becoming an increasingly interconnected marketplace not only for goods and services but also for education and ideas.Â This paper focuses on U.S. studentsâ€™ preparation for a global society through an exploration of the literature regarding international academic achievement.Â It first explores the notion that U.S. academic achievement is not successful by international standards.Â Then, by analyzing testing data from the Program for International Student Assessment (P.I.S.A.) and the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (T.I.M.S.S.) it reveals a number of countries including Canada, Finland, Singapore and Japan that have produced high levels of achievement when compared to the U.S.Â Going beyond the tests, it then looks at how these countries have organized their educational systems to be successful and specifically examines their utilization of educational resources, attempts to achieve educational equity, and improve teacher quality. Â Cultural differences and the challenges of implementing successful international strategies in America are expressed.Â Based on the literature, it is apparent that there are multiple ways to achieve academic success in the educational world and that given this multiplicity of successes, our struggling education system has a variety of strategies it can employ to regain a position of international preeminence. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.17.1.5
TGF-ß Regulates Cathepsin Activation during Normal and Pathogenic Development

Summary Cysteine cathepsins play roles during development and disease beyond their function in lysosomal protein turnover. Here, we leverage a fluorescent activity-based probe (ABP), BMV109, to track cysteine cathepsins in normal and diseased zebrafish embryos. Using this probe in a model of mucolipidosis II, we show that loss of carbohydrate-dependent lysosomal sorting alters the activity of several cathepsin proteases. The data support a pathogenic mechanism where TGF-s signals enhance the proteolytic processing of pro-Ctsk by modulating the expression of chondroitin 4-sulfate (C4-S). In MLII, elevated C4-S corresponds with TGF-s-mediated increases in chst11 expression. Inhibiting chst11 impairs the proteolytic activation of Ctsk and alleviates the MLII phenotypes. These findings uncover a regulatory loop between TGF-s signaling and Ctsk activation that is altered in the context of lysosomal disease. This work highlights the power of ABPs to identify mechanisms underlying pathogenic development in living animals.
Plummer-Vinson Syndrome: Gastrointestinal Features

Plummer-Vinson syndrome consists of the triad of dysphagia, esophagitis, and iron deficiency anemia. The disease is more common in women than in men and often occurs in the menopausal period after age 50. The gastrointestinal symptoms associated with this disease are:
ARMS: An Assumption-Based Reasoning Tool in a Logic Programming Environment

Prolog is a programming language based on logic. Its ability to traverse a search space efficiently and automatically as well as its ability to do automated inference has proved very useful in constructing expert systems which involve search or reasoning. But there are a wide range of applications which need some additional functionalities like hypothetical reasoning, commonsense reasoning with incomplete knowledge, explanation capability and capabilities to assimilate new information into its knowledge base. This paper discusses ARMS, a system which has been implemented to extend Prolog and provide some of the above features. The meta-interpreter which embeds a model of assumption-based reasoning with backward and forward inferencing capability is discussed along with the interface to an assumption-based truth maintenance system. The syntax and semantics of the extended logic-programming language of ARMS are given. We show how the system is extended to reason with information residing in a changing database. ARMS has been implemented on the TI Explorer and runs as an extension of the TI-Prolog programming environment.
Amitriptyline overdose versus sudden infant death syndrome in a two-month-old white female.

Death as a result of amitriptyline overdose was diagnosed in a two-month-old white female who was referred as a suspected sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) case by the local coroner.
Abstract 5005: Aging promotes changes to peritoneal and omental collagen structure that contribute to increased ovarian cancer metastatic success

Ovarian cancer (OvCa) is the deadliest cancer of the female reproductive system, ranking fifth in overall cancer deaths among women. Unlike the majority of cancers, OvCa metastasizes via diffusion through the peritoneal cavity, resulting in multiple metastatic sites, including the omentum and peritoneum. These metastasizing OvCa cells induce rapid mesothelial cell retraction and readily adhere to the sub-mesothelial collagen of the extracellular matrix. Epidemiologic data identifies age as a significant risk factor in OvCa, as about half of diagnoses are in women over the age of 63. Despite this, age is understudied in the OvCa field. Using a C57Bl/6 mouse model of aging, young (Y) mice ranging from 3-6 months of age, and aged (A) mice ranging from 20-23 months of age, corresponding to women aged 20-30 years (Y) and 60-67 years (A) were used to study the role aging has on metastasis. Fluorescently tagged C57Bl/6 syngeneic ID8 p53-/- mouse OvCa surface epithelial cells were injected intraperitoneally in young and aged mice and disease progression was evaluated for 5.5 weeks. Organ-specific tumor burden was quantified with ImageJ, revealing increased tumor burden in aged mice compared to their young counterparts. These results were reproduced in the FVB mouse model using syngeneic PTENshRNA/KRASG12V modified FVB OvCa oviductal epithelial cells. Second Harmonic Generation Microscopy (SHG) was used to visualize collagen of the peritoneal and omental tissues from young and aged C57Bl/6 mice. Distinct structural differences were shown in omental collagen in the Y vs A cohorts and validated with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Additionally, Nanoindentation illustrated mechanical differences between young and aged peritoneal samples. In conclusion, aging induces changes in the structure and mechanical strength of peritoneal and omental collagen, which contribute to OvCa metastasis. Citation Format: Elizabeth Harper, Elizabeth Loughran, Annemarie Leonard, Tyvette Hilliard, Marwa Asem, Yueying Liu, Jing Yang, Yuliya Klymenko, Jeff Johnson, Emma Sheedy, Zonggao Shi, Matthew Leevy, Matthew Ravosa, M. Sharon Stack. Aging promotes changes to peritoneal and omental collagen structure that contribute to increased ovarian cancer metastatic success [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5005.
Respiratory Care Education: A Vital Role for Respiratory Therapists in Reducing Readmissions in COPD Patient Population

Background: Readmissions for COPD patients has become an issue for hospitals with the introduction of new Healthcare Law. In October of 2012 the 2010 Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111 148) required the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) and reduce payments to Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) hospitals for excess readmissions (Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Fact Sheet). COPD was included in this readmission oversight program effective 2015 and readmissions are calculated based on an averaged one rolling year. Methods: Houston Methodist Hospital initiated its COPD readmission program in stages. The first stage in 2015 began with data collection on COPD admissions by Respiratory Therapist. Lung Transplants, Lung Cancer, or Congestive Heart Failure exacerbations were excluded by physician review. The second stage was education of patients and family members on the disease process by Respiratory Therapy. In 2016, the third stage began with establishment of a hospital task force comprised of Physicians, Respiratory Therapist, Nurse Practitioners, Case Managers, Social Workers and project coordinators. A standardized care plan based on GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) standards was established and implemented. In 2017, a weekly case based review of all COPD associated admissions by the task force was initiated; and the Houston Methodist Research Institute developed and implemented a Readmission Predictor app using a neural network drawing from the electronic medical record. Using this prediction tool, resources (including pharmacy, social service, social support groups, outpatient care centers) were engaged and focused on COPD patients most likely to be readmitted . Results: In 2015 the readmission of COPD patients at Houston Methodist Medical Center was 17.8%; after initiation of this staged approach to COPD in- and out-patient management, COPD readmission fell to 15.1% (2016) and 14.7% (2017) Conclusions: Active involvement of Respiratory Therapists in identification, education, development and implementation of a care plan coupled with a multidisciplinary task force and a reliable proprietary prediction tool for readmission appears to have been effective in reducing COPD readmissions and meeting mandates for good patient care.
Coastal Ecology: Living Shorelines Reduce Coastal Erosion

Benefits derived from natural ecosystems are commonly mentioned as justification for protecting and restoring habitats, yet measuring these services can be challenging. New research quantitatively assessed an ecosystem service provided by coastal marshes and revealed that removal of smooth cordgrass significantly increased coastal erosion, clearly demonstrating that marshes protect shorelines.
Finite mixture of regression models for a stratified sample

ABSTRACTDespite the popularity and importance, there is limited work on modelling data which come from complex survey design using finite mixture models. In this work, we explored the use of finite...
Recurrence patterns after resection of retroperitoneal sarcomas: An eight-institution study from the US Sarcoma Collaborative.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Resection of primary retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS) has a high incidence of recurrence. This study aims to identify patterns of recurrence and its impact on overall survival. METHODS Adult patients with primary retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcomas who underwent resection in 2000-2016 at eight institutions of the US Sarcoma Collaborative were evaluated. RESULTS Four hundred and ninety-eight patients were analyzed, with 56.2% (280 of 498) having recurrences. There were 433 recurrences (1-8) in 280 patients with 126 (25.3%) being locoregional, 82 (16.5%) distant, and 72 (14.5%) both locoregional and distant. Multivariate analyses revealed the following: Patient age P = .0002), tumor grade (P = .02), local recurrence (P = .0003) and distant recurrence (P < .0001) were predictors of disease-specific survival. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rate for patients who recurred vs not was 89.6% (standard error [SE] 1.9) vs 93.5% (1.8), 66.0% (3.2) vs 88.4% (2.6), and 51.8% (3.6) vs 83.9% (3.3), respectively, P < .0001. Median survival was 5.3 years for the recurrence vs 11.3+ years for the no recurrence group (P < .0001). Median survival from the time of recurrence was 2.5 years. CONCLUSIONS Recurrence after resection of RPS occurs in more than half of patients independently of resection status or perioperative chemotherapy and is equally distributed between locoregional and distant sites. Recurrence is primarily related to tumor biology and is associated with a significant decrease in overall survival.
The Salience of Antisocial Personality Disorder for Predicting Substance Use and Violent Behavior: The Moderating Role of Deviant Peers:

Deviant peer association and antisocial personality disorder are risk factors for drug use and violent offending. However, there has yet to be research that focuses on how deviant peer association ...