cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical Pharmacology of Axitinib

Axitinib is a potent and selective second-generation inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1, 2, and 3 that is approved in the US and several other countries for treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma after failure of one prior systemic therapy. The recommended clinical starting dose of axitinib is 5 mg twice daily, taken with or without food. Dose increase (up to a maximum of 10 mg twice daily) or reduction is permitted based on individual tolerability. Axitinib pharmacokinetics are dose-proportional within 1–20 mg twice daily, which includes the clinical dose range. Axitinib has a short effective plasma half-life (range 2.5–6.1 h), and the plasma accumulation of axitinib is in agreement with what is expected based on the plasma half-life of the drug. Axitinib is absorbed relatively rapidly, reaching maximum observed plasma concentrations (C max) within 4 h of oral administration. The mean absolute bioavailability of axitinib is 58 %. Axitinib is highly (>99 %) bound to human plasma proteins with preferential binding to albumin and moderate binding to α1-acid glycoprotein. In patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, at the 5-mg twice-daily dose in the fed state, the geometric mean (% coefficient of variation) C max and area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) from time 0–24 h (AUC24) were 27.8 ng/mL (79 %) and 265 ng·h/mL (77 %), respectively. Axitinib is metabolized primarily in the liver by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4/5 and, to a lesser extent (<10 % each), by CYP1A2, CYP2C19, and uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1. The two major human plasma metabolites, M12 (sulfoxide product) and M7 (glucuronide product), are considered pharmacologically inactive. Axitinib is eliminated via hepatobiliary excretion with negligible urinary excretion. Although mild hepatic impairment does not affect axitinib plasma exposures compared with subjects with normal hepatic function, there was a 2-fold increase in AUC from time zero to infinity (AUC∞) following a single 5-mg dose in subjects with moderate hepatic impairment. In the presence of ketoconazole, a strong CYP3A4/5 inhibitor, axitinib C max and AUC∞ increased by 1.5- and 2-fold, respectively, whereas co-administration of rifampin, a strong CYP3A4/5 inducer, resulted in a 71 and 79 % decrease in the C max and AUC∞, respectively. Axitinib does not inhibit CYP3A4/5, CYP1A2, CYP2C8, CYP2A6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, or UGT1A1 at concentrations obtained with the clinical doses and is not expected to have major interactions with drugs that are metabolized by these enzymes. Axitinib is an inhibitor of the efflux transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in vitro, but is not expected to inhibit P-gp at therapeutic plasma concentrations. A two-compartment population pharmacokinetic model with first-order absorption and lag time was used to describe axitinib pharmacokinetics. No clinically relevant effects of age, sex, body weight, race, renal function, UGT1A1 genotype, or CYP2C19 inferred phenotype on the clearance of axitinib were identified.
John J. Dougherty on power and energy: How much power from what sources?

Electric utilities are faced with two major interrelated problems: How much additional power will be needed between now and the turn of the century? And how will it be generated? Nearly all other problems can be considered subsets of these two issues.
Adaptive quantization using piecewise companding and scaling for Gaussian mixture

Quantization is fundamental to analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and signal compression. In this paper, we propose an adaptive quantizer with piecewise companding and scaling for signals of Gaussian mixture model (GMM). Our adaptive quantizer operates under three modes, each of which corresponds to different types of GMM. Moreover, we propose a reconfigurable architecture to implement our adaptive quantizer in an ADC. We also use it to quantize images and design the tone mapping algorithm for high dynamic range (HDR) image compression. Our experimental results show that (1) the proposed quantizer is able to achieve performance close to the optimal quantizer (i.e., Lloyd-Max quantizer for GMM) in the sense of mean squared error (MSE), at much lower computational cost than it; (2) the proposed quantizer is able to achieve much better MSE performance than a uniform quantizer, at a cost similar to the uniform quantizer. The proposed adaptive quantizer holds great potential in the appilcations of the existing ADC and HDR image compression.
Life styles, job environment and health status: Some empirical findings for West Germany

Abstract The article investigates two issues: First, the link between health status, life styles and job environment and secondly, whether health life styles are influenced by socioeconomic factors. The theoretical framework used for the analysis is that of utility maximization where the consumption of medical and non medical goods as well as the health status enter as arguments. The model is empirically tested using a data sample of the West German population (BZGA 1984 sample). The study findings support the hypotheses: life style and work conditions are important factors to health status and that socioeconomic factors, especially education influence life style.
Translation among Manila's Book Publishers

Abstract: A survey conducted among Manila's publishers reveals an interesting translation scene. The bulk of translations available in Philippine bookstores is imported ready-made from the U.S. and Britain, and it seems that, with these, local publishers import an Anglo-Saxon indifference towards translation from foreign languages. Local projects are very few and nearly all of them are translations into Filipino from Philippine originals written in Spanish, English and other vernacular languages. Fortunately, some projects point the way towards a use of translation as a catalyst that can pull together the country's diverse genealogies and may help develop Filipino as a national language. Finally, difficulties in siting these domestic translations reveal an intriguing aspect of Manila's post-colonial condition.Resume: Une enquete aupres des editeurs de Manila revele que la majeure partie des traductions mises en vente aux Philippines sont directement importees des Etats-Unis et de la Grande-Bretagne; cette importation instille aussi l'indifference anglo-saxonne pour les traductions de langues etrangeres, au point d'expliquer la rarete des projets locaux, presque tous des traductions en philippin de textes endogenes ecrits en espagnol, en anglais ou en d'autres langues vernacu-laires. Quelques projets, cependant, temoignent du role de catalyseur que la traduction peut jouer en amarrant les diverses genealogies nationales, ou en contribuant a la promotion du philippin comme langue nationale. Enfin, la difficulte qui consiste a etablir une tradition de traductions a Manila est le signe de sa condition post-coloniale.
Subpoena of scientists' e-mails raises concerns

A recent court order that required the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) to hand over more than 3000 confidential e-mails to the energy company BP in May has led to concerns about the need to protect academic freedom, the deliberative scientific process, and intellectual property. Lawyers representing BP filed the subpoena in December 2011 to seek information from WHOI in relation to a lawsuit brought against BP by the U.S. government and others about damages from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. WHOI is not a party to the lawsuit.
Primary Cutaneous Paraganglioma (PCP) of the Scalp

We report the first case of PCP in a 12-year-old boy who presented with a growing, bleeding nodule on his scalp. On physical examination a 1.5 × 1.5 × 1.0-cm firm, red nodule on the right temporal scalp was observed. Histological examination revealed a dermal neoplasm composed of nests/lobules of uniform, polygonal cells separated by thin fibrous trabeculae. The cells had distinct cell borders, round nuclei with evenly dispersed chromatin and abundant fine, eosinophilic cytoplasm. No mitoses or necrosis were noted. The cells showed a strong positive immunoreaction for vimentin, NSE, chromogranin, synaptophysin, keratin AE3; and a negative immunoreaction for HMB45, melan-A, muscle markers, AE1, CK20 and EMA. S-100 protein stained sustentacular cells. Ultrastructural examination of the paraffin embedded tissue revealed electron dense neuroendocrine granules. A complete workup and skin examination for possible neoplasms elsewhere in the body was negative. Follow-up of the patient, 6 months and 18 months post-excision revealed no recurrence. In conclusion, we report the first case of PCP documented by histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings. The tumor described likely represents an aberrant migration of neural crest cells in their decent towards the branchial arches. It also highlights the complex interaction of the neural crest and branchial arches during embryogenesis.
Cellular Internalization of Staphylococcus aureus Coated with Protein A-Bound Anti-integrin Antibodies

Abstract Binding to β1 chain integrin receptors can result in bacterial extracellular location or bacterial internalization In cultured cells. Using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to coat bacteria in vitro, we have shown that receptor-ligand affinity as well as receptor density determines the fate of the bacterium. In this report, we describe techniques used to coat the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus with anti-integrin mAbs and their application to the study of integrin-mediated bacterial internalization. The affinity of the purified anti-integrin mAb is estimated by determination of the ED50 of the mAb by using cell monolayers, and the efficiency of mAb-promoted bacterial internalization is determined by a gentamicin survival assay. The efficiency of bacterial internalization promoted by various anti-β1 chain integrin mAbs reflects differential expression of β1 chain integrin receptors in various cell lines studied. Analysis of β1 chain integrin receptor expression in HEp-2 cells transfectants shows that the level of bacterial internalization is directly related to the integrin receptor density.
Factors associated with perceived control and the relationship to quality of life in patients with heart failure

Background and purpose:Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is as important as survival to patients with heart failure (HF). Perceptions of loss of control are common in HF and negatively affect HRQOL. Knowledge of modifiable factors associated with perceived control could guide the development of interventions to improve perceived control and thus HRQOL. Accordingly, this study examined factors related to perceived control and the relationship between perceived control and HRQOL.Methods:Patients (N=232, mean age 61±12, 67% male, 78% Caucasian) provided data on HRQOL (Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire), perceived control (Control Attitudes Scale-Revised), and factors possibly associated with perceived control (knowledge and barriers (Heart Failure Knowledge and Barriers to Adherence Scale), attitudes (Dietary Sodium Restriction Questionnaire), and social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support)). Patients also provided data on depressive symptoms, which were a covaria...
Bringing Information Literacy into the Social Sphere: A Case Study Using Social Software to Teach Information Literacy at WFU

This article presents an approach to teaching information literacy in an academic course from a socio-technical perspective. It includes an overview of the course framework, a review of course contents, and an analysis of student responses provided through pre- and post-course surveys. The premise of the course design was that students bring a set of technical and information skills to class that address specific but not generalized information literacy goals. By designing a course to engage students from this perspective, the instructors hoped to find a new method for approaching information literacy instruction.
Joint spatial-polarimetric whitening filter to improve SAR target detection performance for spatially distributed targets

A new SAR target detection technique is developed which we call the joint spatial-polarimetric whitening filter (SPWF) detector. This SPWF detector is an extension of Novak's polarimetric whitening filter (PWF) detector. The derivation of the new SPWF detector presented here is motivated by a new derivation of the PWF developed by Wang and Lee. The SPWF detector is shown to perform better than the PWF detector and single channel detectors using real millimeter-wave fully polarimetric 1 ft x 1 ft spatial resolution SAR data.
Secure reconfiguration of software-defined radio

Software-defined radio (SDR) implements a radio system in software that executes on a programmable processor. The components of SDR, such as the filters, amplifiers, and modulators, can be easily reconfigured to adapt to the operating environment and user preferences. However, the flexibility of radio reconfiguration brings along the serious security concern of malicious modification of software in the SDR system, leading to radio malfunction and interference with other users' communications. Both the SDR device and the network need to be protected from such malicious radio reconfiguration.In this article, a new architecture targeted at protecting SDR devices from malicious reconfiguration is proposed. The architecture is based on robust separation of the radio operation environment and user application environment, through the use of virtualization. A new radio middleware layer is designed to securely intercept all attempts to reconfigure the radio, and a security policy monitor checks the target configuration against security policies that represent the interests of various parties. Even if the operating system in the user application environment is compromised, the proposed architecture can ensure secure reconfiguration in the radio operation environment. We have prototyped the proposed secure SDR architecture using VMware and the GNU Radio toolkit and demonstrate that overheads incurred by the architecture are small and tolerable. Therefore, we believe that the proposed solution could be applied to address secure SDR reconfiguration in both general-purpose and embedded computing systems.
Triptans and CNS side-effects: pharmacokinetic and metabolic mechanisms

Triptans are the treatment of choice for acute migraine. While seemingly a homogenous group of drugs, results from a meta-analysis reveal significant differences in efficacy and tolerability among oral triptans. The incidence of drug-related central nervous system (CNS) side-effects with some triptans is as high as 15% and may be associated with functional impairment and reduced productivity. The occurrence of adverse events associated with triptans in general, and CNS side-effects in particular, may lead to a delay in initiating or even avoidance of an otherwise effective treatment. Potential explanations for differences among triptans in the incidence of CNS side-effects may relate to pharmacological and pharmacokinetic differences, including receptor binding, lipophilicity, and the presence of active metabolites. Of the triptans reviewed, at clinically relevant doses, almotriptan 12.5 mg, naratriptan 2.5 mg and sumatriptan 50 mg had the lowest incidence of CNS side-effects, while eletriptan 40 and 80 mg, rizatriptan 10 mg and zolmitriptan 2.5 and 5 mg had the highest incidence. The most likely explanations for the differences in CNS side-effects among triptans are the presence of active metabolites and high lipophilicity of the parent compound and active metabolites. Eletriptan, rizatriptan and zolmitriptan have active metabolites, while lipophilicity is lowest for almotriptan and sumatriptan. If CNS side-effects are a clinically relevant concern in the individual patient, use of a triptan with a low incidence of CNS side-effects may offer the potential for earlier initiation of treatment and more effective outcomes.
Tomographic Imaging of the Suns Interior

A new method is presented of determining the three-dimensional sound-speed structure and flow velocities in the solar convection zone by inversion of the acoustic travel-time data recently obtained by Duvall and coworkers. The initial inversion results reveal large-scale subsurface structures and flows related to the active regions, and are important for understanding the physics of solar activity and large-scale convection. The results provide evidence of a zonal structure below the surface in the low-latitude area of the magnetic activity. Strong converging downflows, up to 1.2 km/s, and a substantial excess of the sound speed are found beneath growing active regions. In a decaying active region, there is evidence for the lower than average sound speed and for upwelling of plasma.
Determination of modes I and II stress intensity factors for oblique single edge cracks subjected to tension

A semi-theoretical and experimental approach is employed herein to investigate plates with 90, 75, 60, 45 and 30° oblique single edge cracks subjected to tensile loading. A series of tension tests were performed and the effect of the variation of the length of the cracks on the stress intensity factors were studied. Experimental measurements show that the mode one and two stress intensity factors are related mainly to the size of the caustic (optical singularity measured on a screen at a distance Z0 from the screen), the length and the angle of the crack, and the width of the specimen. The calculated values of the semi-theoretical stress intensity factors were corroborated with the theoretical results; and then the method was further utilized to investigate more complicated oblique edge cracks subjected to tension. In particular, the stress intensity factors of plates with oblique 45° equal parallel edge cracks were studied by this method and the results were checked with the stress intensity factors of single oblique edge cracks.
Absorption spectra of the .̇OH and O.̇- radicals in aqueous solutions

Abstract The spectra of . OH and O . - radicals were determined in N2O saturated neutral and alkaline solutions. The . OH radical has an absorption maximum at 230 nm with ϵ = (665 ± 25) dm3 mol-1 cm-1 while the spectrum of the O . - radical shows a continuous increase in absorbance with decreasing wave length between 350 and 220 nm; no maximum was observed in this range.
Undermining critical consciousness unconsciously: Restoring hope in the multicultural education idea

The main goal of multicultural education is to transform the structural factors in the educational system in order to redress inequalities and inequities for historically underprivileged populations (Banks 1997). This article addresses theories and practices that frame multicultural education in teaching and learning contexts. How do teachers interpret the purpose of multicultural education? I suggest that educators are more likely to interpret multicultural education using the functionalist meta-theoretical framework (Burell and Morgan 1979) and the positivistic epistemology (Turner 2006). Ironically this kind of interpretation subverts the original goals of multicultural education as a transformative movement. The process of transforming curriculum and instruction in learning contexts encounters what I would call a “double jeopardy.” On one hand, curriculum processes run into political impediments that are often pervasive, complex, and invisible, whereas on the other hand they encounter a positivistic epistemology that reduces complex phenomena to simplistic, neutral, objective, and universal standards. I make a case for a radical humanist paradigm that privileges the investigation of social and political relations of power and places critical consciousness at the center of educational structures and pedagogy. I attempt to make critical consciousness visible and to show how it can be employed to change schooling opportunities and the lives of those who fall in the “Other” category of social theory.
Relationships between stage of lactation and pregnancy and blood composition in a herd of dairy cows and the influences of seasonal changes in management on these relationships

Blood samples, taken on 6 occasions during 1 year from 172 cows resident in a dairy herd, were analysed for packed cell volume, blood glucose, haemoglobin (Hb), serum albumin, urea N, total protein, Ca, inorganic phosphate, Mg, Na and K. The data were analysed statistically, firstly with respect to date of sampling, stage of pregnancy or lactation and the interaction between stage of pregnancy or lactation and date of sampling, and secondly with milk yield as an additional factor for the data for lactating cows.Concentrations of all constituents except inorganic phosphate and K varied significantly (P<0·001) with stage of lactation and/or pregnancy. The most significant changes in concentrations were confined to the periods up to 3 months either side of calving. The greatest changes in concentration during these periods occurred for Mg which rose during late pregnancy and for albumin which fell at or near calving. Albumin, urea and glucose were all, on average, lowest in concentration during the first month of lactation; globulin concentrations showed the reverse trend. Haemoglobin concentrations decreased during late pregnancy and early lactation and were lowest in the period 30–120 d post partum. Calcium concentrations decreased during late pregnancy and rose during early lactation. Sodium concentrations rose during late pregnancy. Interactions between dates of sampling and stages of lactation or pregnancy were significant (P<0·001) for all constituents, and most marked for glucose, urea, albumin, Hb, Ca and Na.Haemoglobin and K concentrations fell and Mg concentrations rose with increasing milk yield, but the proportions of the total variance accounted for by differences in milk yield were small in relation to those accounted for by stage of lactation. These findings are of significance in relation to the selection of animals for sampling in the Compton Metabolic Profile Test.
Shape design sensitivity analysis of thermoelasticity problems

Abstract Analytical expressions for shape design sensitivities of three-dimensional, linear thermoelasticity problems are derived, using the material derivative approach. The surface integrals in the sensitivity expressions are simplified by using the natural coordinates for numerical integration. Three different strategies for calculating the sensitivity of the structural responses are described and discussed. The sensitivities of the displacement and stress computed from all three strategies are computed and match the analytical solutions.
Algebras with Collapsing Monomials

A semigroup S is called collapsing if there exists a positive integer n such that for every subset of n elements in S , at least two distinct words of length n on these letters are equal in S . In particular, S is collapsing whenever it satisfies a law. Let [Uscr ]( A ) denote the group of units of a unitary associative algebra A over a field k of characteristic zero. If A is generated by its nilpotent elements, then the following conditions are equivalent: [Uscr ]( A ) is collapsing; [Uscr ]( A ) satisfies some semigroup law; [Uscr ]( A ) satisfies the Engel condition; [Uscr ]( A ) is nilpotent; A is nilpotent when considered as a Lie algebra.
Dynamic inventory models and stochastic programming

A wide class of single-product, dynamic inventory problems with convex cost functions and a finite horizon is investigated as a stochastic programming problem. When demands have finite discrete distribution functions, we show that the problem can be substantially reduced in size to a linear program with upper-bounded variables. Moreover, we show that the reduced problem has a network representation; thus network flow theory can be used for solving this class of problems. A consequence of this result is that, if we are dealing with an indivisible commodity, an integer solution of the dynamic inventory problem exists. This approach can be computationally attractive if the demands in different periods are correlated or if ordering cost is a function of demand.
Simplified method of reinforced sternal closure

A simplified method of reinforcement for closure of the precarious sternum is described. This method uses a longitudinal sternal wire on each side, which lies within the transverse wires when they are approximated. The longitudinal wires serve as impenetrable reinforcements for the sternal halves, resulting in tight, secure approximation and preventing the transverse wires from tearing through the bone. The technique has been found quick and extremely effective.
NEO fireball diversity: energetics-based entry modeling and analysis techniques

We have examined the behavior of a number of bolides in Earth's atmosphere from the standpoint of recent entry modeling techniques. The entry modeling has been carried out including a triggered progressive fragmentation model (TPFM) which maintains a maximum drag orientation for the fragments in either the collective or a non-collective wake limit during entry (ReVelle 2004). Specifically in this paper, we have proposed a new method of estimating the terminal bolide mass and have compared it against the corresponding single-body mass loss prediction. A new expression for the terminal mass is proposed that corrects the mass of the body for the changing mass to area ratio during the fragmentation process. As a result of this new work we have found two very interesting features that correspond very closely to those found from a direct analysis of the observational data. These include an instantaneous mass that closely resembles that directly observed and an ablation coefficient behavior that also strongly resembles meteor observations (such as those found recently by Ceplecha & ReVelle 2005). During fragmentation, the apparent ablation coefficient has now been shown to decrease dramatically approaching the intrinsic ablation coefficient proposed by Ceplecha & ReVelle (2005). In our modeling we have assumed a breakup into equal size fragments that are consistently and progressively multiples of two of the original unbroken leading piece. Had we assumed a multitude of many much smaller pieces that made up the totality of the original body, our predicted ablation coefficient would indeed have approached the very small intrinsic ablation parameter values predicted by Ceplecha and ReVelle. This is especially evident in the case of Sumava, but is also true in a number of other cases as well. The bolides whose properties have been modeled using our detailed entry code including a prediction of the panchromatic luminosity consist of the 1965 Revelstoke meteorite fall (Folinsbee 1967; Carr 1970; Shoemaker 1983), the 1974 Sumava fireball and the 1991 Benesov fireball as presented in Borovicka & Spurný (1996) and in Borovicka et al. (1998), the Tagish Lake meteorite fall of January 8, 2000 (Brown et al. 2002), the March 9, 2002 Park Forest meteorite fall (Brown et al. 2004), the June 6, 2002 Mediterranean (Crete) bolide as presented in Brown et al. (2002) and finally the September 4, 2004 Antarctic bolide respectively (Klekociuk et al. 2005). A self-consistent assessment of the detailed properties of each of the fireballs was made using all available information for each event. In the future, more reliable estimates of all of the necessary source parameters (including their overall degree of bulk porosity) will be made if all channels of information are reliably retrieved for bolide events (channels such as acoustic-gravity waves and specifically its infrasound emission, seismic waves, satellite optical and IR data, ground-based spectroscopy, ground-based photometry and radiometry, VLF radiation, meteorite fragment recovery, etc.).
Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analysis of bronchopulmonary neuroendocrine neoplasms. I. Carcinoids.

Twenty-five strictly defined bronchopulmonary carcinoids were studied by light microscopic immunohistochemistry by the peroxidase technique for NSE (neuronspecific enolase), serotonin, and a broad spectrum of neuropeptides. Eighteen cases were also studied by electron microscopy.Twenty-three of the twenty-five cases showed immunostaining for NSE; 24 cases displayed immuno-staining for at least two of the hormones tested for; the single case that failed to show hormonal immuno-reactivity was however positive for NSE and had granules by electron microscopy. Serotonin was the most frequently demonstrated hormone followed by bombesin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, gastrin, leuenkephalin, alphamelanocyte stimulating hormone, somatostatin, substance P, and calcitonin. In several cases, adjacent-step sections stained for different hormones strongly indicated immunoreactivity for more than one hormone in single neoplastic cells.By electron microscopy, all 18 cases studied showed generally abundant neurosecretory...
Performance Measures in Dialysis Facilities: What Is the Goal?

As the care of patients gets more focused and directed by predetermined standards of care, physicians must not lose sight of the primary focus of their treatment goal—maximizing the quality of life of each patient. Physicians must recognize the uniqueness of each individual’s experience and make every effort to understand the domains that are of concern to each patient. In addition, physicians must make sure that this focus is not obscured by the setting of arbitrary standards and targets that lend themselves to easy assessments and reporting by simple laboratory measures or computer-generated data. Finally, physicians must focus on modifying and tailoring treatment to maximize each patient’s health-related quality of life.
The Parasympathetic Innervation of the Inner Ear and the Problem of Cochlear Efferents: Enzyme and Autoradiographic Studies

It has been assumed for many years that the matter of the existence of olivocochlear and vestibular efferents terminating on hair cells in the end organs of the inner ear is non-controversial. Opposing concepts that the centrally originating efferent fibers of the cochlear and vestibular nerves are parasympathetic (Ross 1969; Eyries and Chouard, 1970), and that the efferent-type terminals on hair cells might be collateral branches of spiral and vestibular ganglion nerve fibers (Ross, 1973) attracted little notice. However, two recent anatomical observations have served to refocus attention on these ideas. These are 1) the finding of multipolar neurons with synapses on their dendrites in human spiral ganglia (Kimura et al., 1979; Ota and Kimura, 1980), which supports the concept of a parasympathetic innervation of the inner ear; and 2) the observation that reciprocal synapses occur on outer hair cells in the human organ of Corti (Nadol, 1980), which substanties the notion that both afferent and efferent-type terminals can originate from the same parent nerve fiber. Additionally, a combined histochemical-physiological study (Goldberg and Fernandez, 1980) has shown that vestibular efferents originate bilaterally in the brain stem, lateral to the facial genu, in the monkey.
Facets of Madeleine Vionnet's Cut: The Manipulation of Grain, Slashing, and Insets

The objective of this study was to increase the understanding of the relationship of garment cut to the fabric's shaping around the body, as developed by Madeleine Vionnet. Six Vionnet gowns were s...
Experiments With A Predictive Display And Shared Compliant Control For Time-delayed Teleoperation

An advanced force-reflecting telemanipulation system has been evolved with additional features of predictive displays and shared compliant control. Experiments per- formed with these two new features indicate that human telemanipulation task performance increases significantly with predictive displays and shared compliant control for time-delayed telemanipulation.
The derivation and the computation of kinematic boundary condition

The generation of waves by an advancing ship is studied using a moving grid approach. The kinematic boundary condition in the physical curvilinear coordinate system is derived by allowing the particle on the upper boundary to move along the generated curved coordinate lines of the flow field. Thus, the grid is moved along the hull surface. An approach based on the idea of the modified partial differential equation was proposed to discretize a hyperbolic partial differential equation. The computational results obtained using a standard finite analytic scheme were compared with the results obtained using a higher order finite analytic scheme. Convergent steady-state wave profiles for the Wigley hull were compared with experimental measurements.
MAGNESIUM SULFATE FOR RESPIRATORY DISTRESS.

Dr. Silverman9s succinct comments on new treatments (Pediatrics, 35:369) are well-bornout by the following case report. Case Report Baby girl X (UH No. 4033-P) was a 1,255 gm white female, approximately 28-week gestation, born to gray. II, 25-year-old mother whose first baby weighed 2 kg and died of hyaline membrane disease. Pregnancy was uneventful except that spontaneous labor occurred at 28 weeks with ruptured membranes and delivery under N2O and O2. Vistaril, 50 mg, intramuscularly, had been given 45 minutes before delivery.
Analysis of uptime efficiency of the SLC as measured by pulse accounting

The repetition frequency of a linear collider can deviate substantially from nominal design values as a result of lost pulses. Pulses are typically lost as a result of a veto imposed by the many machine protection systems (MPSs). A system has been installed at the Stanford Linear Collider (SLC) to use the existing beam position monitor hardware to count every beam pulse that passes each of the strategic locations. Also counted are the signals from various beam dumpers, as well as trigger signals generated by the MPS. Representative data of SLC running that have been used to determine how to improve running efficiency are shown. >
Ground‐water hydrology and Pleistocene geology of the Platte River Valley and adjacent areas in Nebraska

The present paper is a preliminary report on ground-water and general geology of the Platte River Valley and adjacent areas. The object of the investigation is to obtain Information on the configuration of the water-table, the direction of movement of underground-water, the distribution, slope, thicknesses, and character of water-bearing sands and gravels, and quantity of sub-surface water.
Do American born Japanese children still grow faster than native Japanese

Growth patterns of Japanese schoolchildren in Hawaii, composed of 2,954 boys and 3,213 girls aged between 11 and 17, were compared with those comparable groups of Japanese schoolchildren in Japan based on the data published by the Japanese Ministry of Education. Growth characteristics studied were height, weight, and relative weight index, weight/(height). The Hawaii-Japanese boys were taller at early ages but the difference disappeared by age 16. Native Japanese girls were shorter than Hawaii-Japanese until age 13, but they overtook the latter by age 14, exceeding them in height after age 15. A similar pattern was found in weights of girls but the Hawaii-Japanese boys remained consistently heavier by 5.0 to 9.0 kg than native Japanese. The relative weight measure indicated that the Hawaii boys were more "obese" than native Japanese boys for the growth period studied; whereas the same tendency was maintained until age 15 in girls. These observations indicate a marked degree of convergence of the patterns of physical growth of the two populations, whose differences were unmistakably in favor of American born children in earlier studies. It is concluded that the convergence is due largely to the improved environmental conditions in Japan in recent years.
Prime Mover and Energy Storage Considerations for a Hydrogen-Powered Series Hybrid Shuttle Bus

This paper describes simulation results obtained through modeling the operation of a 6.7 m long hydrogen-powered shuttle bus. The actual shuttle bus and its hydrogen refueling station constitute the first of its kind in the state of Texas. The simulations are used to initially verify the stated performance of the shuttle bus and to validate the modeling approach. The vehicle model is then modified to assess the predicted changes in performance, efficiency, and route following capability while conducting a parametric study involving fuel cell and internal combustion prime movers as well as chemical battery and flywheel energy storage systems. Simulation results show that a fuel cell-powered shuttle bus with a high power density, low mass energy storage system provides the highest vehicle range and lowest energy consumption.
Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Fixed Distance Chlorophyll-Quinone Donor-Acceptor Molecules

A series of fixed distance chlorophyll-quinone donor-acceptor molecules have been prepared. The donor consists of either methyl pyropheophorbide a or methyl pyrochlorophyllide a, while the acceptor is either benzoquinone or naphthoquinone. The acceptors are fused to a triptycene spacer group, which in turn is attached to the donors at their vinyl groups. Picosecond transient absorption measurements have been used to identify electron transfer from the lowest excited singlet state of the donor to the acceptor as the mechanism of fluorescence quenching in these molecules. The charge separation rate constants increase from 2 × 1010 s−1 to 4 × 1011 s−1 as the free energy of charge separation increases, while the radical pair recombination rate constants decrease from 1.2 × 1011 s−1 to 2 × 109 s−1 as the free energy of recombination increases. The resulting total reorganization energy λ = 0.9 eV.
Gender, Family Structure, and Adolescents’ Primary Confidants

Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (N = 4,190), this study examined adolescents’ reports of primary confidants. Results showed that nearly 30% of adolescents aged 16 – 18 nominated mothers as primary confidants, 25% nominated romantic partners, and 20% nominated friends. Nominating romantic partners or friends was related to increased risk-taking behaviors, supporting the attachment notion that shifting primary confidants to peers in adolescence may reflect premature autonomy from parents. Tendencies to prefer romantic partners over parents varied by gender and family structure, which were greater for those from single-father families and girls from mother-stepfather families, but less for those from single-mother families and boys from mother-stepfather families, compared with their counterparts from two-biological-parent families.
QoX-driven ETL design: reducing the cost of ETL consulting engagements

As business intelligence becomes increasingly essential for organizations and as it evolves from strategic to operational, the complexity of Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) processes grows. In consequence, ETL engagements have become very time consuming, labor intensive, and costly. At the same time, additional requirements besides functionality and performance need to be considered in the design of ETL processes. In particular, the design quality needs to be determined by an intricate combination of different metrics like reliability, maintenance, scalability, and others. Unfortunately, there are no methodologies, modeling languages or tools to support ETL design in a systematic, formal way for achieving these quality requirements. The current practice handles them with ad-hoc approaches only based on designers' experience. This results in either poor designs that do not meet the quality objectives or costly engagements that require several iterations to meet them. A fundamental shift that uses automation in the ETL design task is the only way to reduce the cost of these engagements while obtaining optimal designs. Towards this goal, we present a novel approach to ETL design that incorporates a suite of quality metrics, termed QoX, at all stages of the design process. We discuss the challenges and tradeoffs among QoX metrics and illustrate their impact on alternative designs.
Comparison of absolute serum creatinine changes versus Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes consensus definitions for characterizing stages of acute kidney injury

Background. The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) system for classification of acute kidney injury (AKI) severity utilizes a staging schema based on relative changes in serum creatinine (sCr) concentration and urine output. This study compares the inhospital mortality associated with KDIGO-defined AKI stages and AKI stages defined by absolute sCr increases (‘Delta-Creatinine’). Methods. The study included an analysis of hospital discharge and laboratory data from an urban academic medical center over a 1-year period. Including adult inpatients undergoing two or more sCr measurements, the study classified AKI stages using the KDIGO consensus standards as well as absolute increases in sCr (‘DeltaCreatinine’); Stage 0, sCr increase <0.3 mg/dL, Stage 1, sCr increase 0.3–0.69 mg/dL, Stage 2, sCr increase 0.7– 1.19 mg/dL and Stage 3, sCr increase ≥1.2 mg/dL or initiation of renal replacement therapy. The Delta-Creatinine cut-points were defined to optimize discrimination of in-patient mortality between AKI stages. The associations between KDIGO and Delta-Creatinine AKI stages and inhospital mortality were compared using the time-dependent hazard ratios (HRs) and the net reclassification improvement (NRI). Results. Of the 19 878 hospitalizations included in the analysis, the prevalence of AKI was 23.4% as defined by the KDIGO criteria. The Delta-Creatinine system discriminated the differences between adjacent AKI stages (i.e. 1 versus 0, 2 versus 1, 3 versus 3) earlier than the KDIGO system. The NRI between Delta-Creatinine and KDIGO for the prediction of mortality was 9.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) 6.2–13.2%]. Stratification by age, sex, race and history of chronic kidney disease (CKD) resulted in similar NRI values. Conclusion. The Delta-Creatinine system, based on the absolute increases in sCr, provides a promising alternative to the KDIGO system for characterizing the severity of AKI and its associations with in-patient mortality.
Modeling and simulation approaches to evaluate pharmacokinetic sampling contamination from central venous catheters in pediatric pharmacokinetic studies of actinomycin-D: a report from the children's oncology group.

Background The binding of drugs to catheters can be a source variation in dosing chemotherapeutics. Drug contamination from the dosing central venous line (CVL) can impact the reporting of pharmacokinetic (PK) results and analysis. Peripheral venipuncture avoids binding complications from the CVL but dissuades patients from enrolling. Our group has developed a catheter clearing procedure to minimize the extent of contamination so that dosing and sampling from the CVL can ensue, promoting patient willingness to participate in phase I pediatric oncology trials.
Effects of sevoflurane on the contractility of ferret ventricular myocardium

Isotonic and isometric variables of contractility and relaxation of isolated ferret right ventricular papillary muscles were measured before and during exposure to incremental concentrations of sevoflurane (0–4.9% vol/vol) (30°C) ( n = 9). In a second group of muscles ( n = 8), effects of sevoflurane were compared with those of low [Ca2+]o (0.45–2.25 mM in steps of 0.45 mM). Sevoflurane caused a reversible concentration-dependent decrease in contractility (ED50 of developed force 4.6 ± 0.9% vol/vol). When compared with twitches of equal amplitude in low extracellular Ca2+ concentration, sevoflurane accelerated both isometric and isotonic relaxation. The myocardial depressant effect of sevoflurane is less than that of isoflurane and results mainly from a decrease of intracellular Ca2+ availability. The abbreviated isometric relaxation likely reflects a decrease in Ca2+ sensitivity and the faster isotonic relaxation may reflect a mild stimulation of Ca2+ uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
A trilogy of trepidation: Diverse perspectives on police violence targeting African American males

ABSTRACT“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” are supposedly “certain inalienable rights” that the Declaration of Independence claims have been gifted to all human beings by their Creator, and for which the U.S. government was created to protect. The issue of violence and brutality against African American males along with the police shooting of unarmed African American males has become a reality of the denial of these rights for some in America. Recent police shooting incidents of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Ohio, in addition to the brutal murder by police of Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York, have sparked riots, looting, protests, “die-ins,” and national conversations. The subsequent civil unrest across the United States and abroad has attracted widespread public attention. In this article, three authors respond by providing a timely trilogy of uniquely diverse perspectives and viewpoints on these issues giving particular attention to (1) the view from ...
Measurement of damage threshold for metallic gratings under intense laser pulse irradiation

We have studied the damage characteristics of gold gratings irradiated with 40 fs laser pulses. The damage threshold for gold-on-glass gratings is twice that of holographic gratings and allows 10 Hz operation with PW pulses.
Optimal intervention for incentivizing the adoption of commercial electric vehicles

While electric vehicles (EVs) have great potential in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, successful EV adoption depends largely on the availability of public charging stations. The lack of charging stations poses an even more serious problem for the adoption of commercial EVs (e.g., trucks used for freight transportation), because the (commercial EV) fleet planner needs to build their own specialized charging stations, requiring additional investment in commercial EV purchase. This paper presents a first mathematical model and rigorous analysis for incentivizing the adoption of commercial EVs. We propose an intervention policy for the social planner (e.g., the government) to promote commercial EV adoption. The intervention policy includes a subsidy for EV purchase (i.e., expenditure) and a carbon tax for gas emissions (i.e., income). We propose provably fast algorithms for the social planner to find the optimal budget-balanced intervention policy. We analyze in detail the effect of the intervention policy on commercial EV adoption, and prove that the proposed intervention policy achieves higher commercial EV adoption rates.
Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Otitis Media

Environmental tobacco smoke (secondhand smoke) is a health hazard experienced by one half to two thirds of the nation's children younger than 5 years of age. Although the role of environmental tobacco smoke in the genesis of pulmonary disease in children has been increasingly recognized, somewhat less attention has been paid to the role of environmental tobacco smoke in the development of childhood otitis. This presentation will review current data regarding environmental tobacco smoke, with a particular emphasis on its effects on the ears and eustachian tube. Current American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, Inc. education efforts will also be discussed.
Model for Ultrashort Laser-pulse Induced Ionization Dynamics in Transparent Solids

A comprehensive model of ultrafast laser-induced plasma generation intended for coupling with pulse propagation simulations in transparent solids is introduced. It simultaneously accounts for the changing spectrum of a propagating ultrashort laser pulse while coupling to the evolution of the energy-resolved nonequilibrium free-carrier distribution. The presented results indicate that strong pulse chirps lead to ionization dynamics that are not captured by the standard monochromatic treatment of laser-induced plasma formation. These results have strong implications for ultrafast laser-solid applications that depend on ionization in a strong nonlinear focus.