cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emergency department evaluation and treatment of cervical spine injuries.

Most spinal cord injuries involve the cervical spine, highlighting the importance of recognition and proper management by emergency physicians. Initial cervical spine injury management should follow the ABCDE (airway, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure) procedure detailed by Advanced Trauma Life Support. NEXUS (National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study) criteria and Canadian C-spine Rule are clinical decision-making tools providing guidelines of when to obtain imaging. Computed tomography scans are the preferred initial imaging modality. Consider administering intravenous methylprednisolone after discussion with the neurosurgical consultant in patients who present with spinal cord injuries within 8 hours. Language: en
Increasing productivity in irrigated agriculture: agronomic constraints and hydrological realities.

Irrigation is widely criticised as a profligate and wasteful user of water, especially in watershort areas. Improvements to irrigation management are proposed as a way of increasing agricultural production and reducing the demand for water. The terminology for this debate is often flawed, failing to clarify the actual disposition of water used in irrigation into evaporation, transpiration, and return flows that may, depending on local conditions, be recoverable. Once the various flows are properly identified, the existing literature suggests that the scope for saving consumptive use of water through advanced irrigation technologies is often limited. Further, the interactions between evaporation and transpiration, and transpiration and crop yield are, once reasonable levels of agricultural practices are in place, largely linear—so that increases in yield are directly and linearly correlated with increases in the consumption of water. Opportunities to improve the performance of irrigation systems undoubtedly exist, but are increasingly difficult to achieve, and rarely of the magnitude suggested in popular debate.
Kinetics of virus adsorption to single cells using fluorescent membrane probes and multiparameter flow cytometry.

Different genetic stains of avian RNA tumor virus (ATV) were labeled with the fluorescent membrane probe R-18 (rhodamine conjugated to a hydrocarbon chain) and cellular receptors for virus infection were analyzed on a rapid, single-cell basis by a multiparameter cell sorter. Chicken cells genetically susceptible to various R-18 ATV were found to adsorb much more virus, as measured by increased fluorescent binding, than did genetically resistant chicken cells. Virus binding to receptor sites could be saturated with increased concentrations of labeled virus. This binding could be altered by removal of the polycation, polybrene, indicating the important influence of electrostatic forces. Correlated time measurements of virus binding to single cells were taken with these fluorescence measurements allowing for a minute-to-minute study of the kinetics of viral adsorption to resistant and susceptible cells. The ratio of fluorescence (proportional to the number of virions bound per cell) to light scatter (proportional to cell surface area) on a cell-to-cell basis was analyzed to examine the heterogeneity in fluorescent virion bound per unit cell surface area within a given cell type. With these calculations, it was found that a large amount, but not all, of observed fluorescence heterogeneity merely reflects differences in cell surface areas. However, there are significant differences in viral receptor site densities within this supposedly homogeneous population of cells. This study represents a successful application of fluorescent membrane probes and flow cytometry to the study of cellular responses to viral infection at the single-cell level. Sine large numbers of cells can be examined rapidly, small subpopulations of live virally susceptible or resistant cells can be cloned by multiparameter cell sorting.
Improved bed use with creation of a short-stay unit in a cardiac catheterization recovery room.

Abstract Objective To solve a capacity problem in a pediatric cardiovascular program, a 5- bed short-stay unit was created in the cardiac catheterization recovery room area within a 6-week timeframe. We describe the problem, solution, and early results in hospital performance and patient outcomes. Methods Data were reviewed for 183 patients who underwent various cardiac catheterization procedures and recovered overnight in the cardiac short-stay unit during the first 4 months of operation. The effect on bed use throughout the cardiac program and impact on the usual recovery room operations were assessed. Results The cardiovascular inpatient bed shortage was relieved with the creation of a 5-bed short-stay unit, and no cardiac procedures were canceled because of lack of beds during the study period. Conclusion There was no negative impact on clinical operations in the catheterization laboratory recovery room, and the short-stay unit was cost-effective. According to the rate of admission after recovery in the short-stay unit (5/183), patient selection was appropriate.
Efficient Real-Time Signal Processing With Digital Bandpass Filters

Digital processing of audio signals requires high speed and usually expensive hardware. A design approach using a processor with filtering multuplexing technique is described. This design was developed to achieve a high signal dynamic range of ten octave bands and to minimize hardware complexity.
Fluoxetine and Suicide Rates: Author's Reply

Suicide is a complex outcome which cannot be attributed to a single factor. While we explored an association between suicide and antidepressant prescriptions, we fully acknowledge, as Camargo and Bloch suggest [1], that our work does not fully explain the observed trends. However, in other settings, the same association between increased antidepressant prescriptions and decreases in suicide have been observed. Please refer to the following article, published after ours came out in PLoS Medicine: “Increased antidepressant use and fewer suicides in Jamtland county, Sweden, after a primary care educational programme on the treatment of depression” [2]. I look forward to reading Camargo and Bloch's new article on the association of socioeconomic factors and suicide rates.
Application of the finite element method to powdered metal compaction processes of multi-level flanged parts

Abstract A plasticity theory applicable to powdered metal compaction is summarized and its discretization for the finite element analysis is briefly described. The compaction processes of axisymmetric flanged components are simulated. For the analysis of compaction of two-level components, the investigations were performed for different compact geometries and various compacting methods. Highlights of the results for a given part geometry with two compaction methods are reported in terms of relative density distributions within the compact and pressure distributions along the dies and punches. The compaction process of three-level flanged components was also analyzed for two compacting methods. General conclusions from these simulation results are: (1) the compaction process is more effective with increased relative motions within the compact; and (2) the effect of various compaction schemes of combination of punch motions is not significant for the pressure distribution on punches and energy consumption in compaction processes. However, the variation of the punch forces in three-level component compaction, due to punch operating schemes, may be an important consideration in the critical design of compaction tooling system.
Uplink-downlink bidirectional training of multiuser MIMO filters and precoders

Joint optimization of linear and nonlinear precoders and receive filters is considered for both the uplink/downlink in a single cell. The users and base station have multiple antennas and channel state information is initially unknown and not explicitly estimated. In the nonlinear case, for the uplink we assume successive interference cancellation at the base station, and for the downlink we assume that the base station pre-compensates for the interference with Tomlinson-Harashima precoding (THP). We assume time-division duplex with channel reciprocity, and estimate the filters directly with bidirectional training: the uplink feedforward/feedback filters at the base station are estimated via uplink training and are used as interference pre-compensation filters for downlink training of the mobile receivers. The filters are updated using a sum least squares criterion. We prove convergence of related iterative schemes in which the filters are updated according to a minimum mean squared error (MMSE) criterion, subject to different power constraints. Numerical results show that nonlinear filters can provide substantial gains relative to linear filters when the forward-backward iterations are limited.
Naegleria‐Like Cysts In Cretaceous Amber From Central Kansas

. Fossil protist cysts are reported from the mid-Cretaceous amber of Ellsworth County, Kansas, which is rich in terrestrial microfossils but contains no known macrofossils. On the basis of their distinctive morphology, the cysts can be referred to the genus Naegleria (Schizopyrenida); they most closely resemble cysts of the living species Naegleria gruberi. This is the first known fossil record for this group of amoebas. the current phylogenetic position and paleoecological role of Naegleria are discussed in relation to this find; it provides direct confirmation of morphological stasis in this group, which had previously been inferred from rRNA sequence divergence data.,
Public transit and urban redevelopment: The effect of light rail transit on land use in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Abstract This study uses a unique data set derived from parcel data and aerial photographs to estimate the effect of the introduction of light rail transit (LRT) on land use in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We measure detailed changes in land use before and after construction of the METRO Blue Line and exploit heterogeneity in starting land use type and neighborhood characteristics to examine the differential effects of proximity to light rail across space. Results show that properties within ½ mile of operational LRT stations experience a small increase in the likelihood of land use change relative to when the LRT is under construction, but neither construction nor operation of the line appears to affect land use change relative to the time before construction. Within the corridor, proximity to LRT increases the likelihood of land use change on single-family and industrial properties, but appears to have no effect on vacant land, commercial properties, and multi-family properties.
Urinary tract infection and vesicoureteral reflux in children with mild antenatal hydronephrosis

Abstract Objective The postnatal management of mild antenatal hydronephrosis (ANH) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of UTI and VUR in children with mild ANH in order to determine the necessity of antibiotic prophylaxis (ABP) and VCUG. Method The data of 1511 patients with various grades of ANH who were referred to Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital between January 1998 and January 2010 were reviewed and 760 patients who had mild ANH were identified. The inclusion criteria were: 1) A confirmed report of ANH or actual prenatal ultrasound (US) images. 2) Postnatal evaluation and management conducted at the hospital. 3) Persistent mild hydronephrosis on the first US done between two weeks and three months of age. 4) No other US findings such as ureteral dilatation, duplication anomalies or bladder abnormalities. 5) At least one three-month follow up. Univariate statistical analysis was performed using a Student's t test. Results Of the 760 patients who were identified, 608 (80%) were males, and 225 (30%) had bilateral mild hydronephrosis. Of these, 475 patients (63%) underwent an initial screening VCUG. VUR was identified in 13 patients (1.7%) with grades varying from 1 to 5. At follow up, hydronephrosis resolved in 67% of the renal units and worsened in 3.3%. Among the 692 patients with available follow-up data, 23 (3.3%) had a documented UTI. Twelve of these children had an initial screening VCUG that was negative for VUR. Of these 12 patients, seven underwent a subsequent RNC with none having VUR; five of the 12 patients did not undergo a repeat evaluation for VUR (four had a UTI after the screening VCUG and one had an afebrile UTI). Eleven of the 23 children with mild ANH did not have an initial screening VCUG, and all underwent a subsequent VCUG/RNC. Only two children were then found to have VUR Grade 4–5. Conclusion The incidence of UTI and VUR in children with mild ANH is low. Consequently, routine VCUG screening for VUR and the use of long-term ABP is not necessary for all patients with asymptomatic mild AHN. Evaluation for VUR in children with mild ANH should be reserved for those who subsequently present with a UTI.
Efficient arithmetic implementations based on carry-save representations

This paper presents arithmetic implementations which use binary redundant numbers based on carry-save representations. It is well- known that constant-time addition, in which the execution delay is independent of operand length, is feasible only if the result is expressed in a redundant representation. Carry-save based formats are one type of a redundant representation which can lead to highly efficient implementations of arithmetic operations. In this paper, we discuss two specific carry-save formats that lead to particularly efficient realizations. We illustrate these formats, and the 'equal-weight grouping' (EWG) mechanism wherein bits having the same weight are grouped together during an arithmetic operation. This mechanism can reduce the area and delay complexity of an implementation. We present a detailed comparison of implementations based on these two carry-save formats including measurements from VLSI cell layouts. We then illustrate the application of these VLSI cells for multi-operand additions in fast parallel multipliers. Finally, we also indicate the relationship with previous results.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Distributed Sensing in Actuator Array Manipulation

Actuator arrays are planar distributed manipulation systems that use multiple two degree-of-freedom actuators to manipulate objects with three degrees of freedom (x, y, and θ). This paper describes methods of sensing the position and orientation of objects on an actuator array using only binary object sensors at each actuator. The object sensor information, when combined, forms a binary image of the object which may be processed to recover object pose. The methods’ effectiveness for rectangular objects is verified via simulation.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Amygdaloid central nucleus lesions and cholinergic blockade attenuate the response of the renal peripheral benzodiazepine receptor to stress

Abstract Previous research has demonstrated that the density of peripheral benzodiazepine receptors (PBR) in rat kidney rapidly drops following exposure to 80 min of stress. The present experiments examined the contribution of the central and autonomic nervous systems in mediating this effect. Ibotenic acid lesions of the amygdaloid central nucleus (ACe), but not the lateral and basolateral amygdala, diminished the magnitude of the reduction in renal PBR binding caused by stress. Pretreating rats with methyl-scopolamine also inhibited the response of the PBR to stress. Adrenergic blockade with nadolol was ineffective. In order to test whether the PBR was under direct or indirect neural control during stress, unilateral renal denervation was performed. The stress-induced reduction in PBR binding persisted in denervated kidneys revealing that any neural control over the PBR that might exist must be indirect. Together the results suggest that the CNS may be involved in regulating the PBR during stress through the activation of intermediate, possibly hormonal, factors. The involvement of the central nervous system in the modulation of the PBR indicates the relevance of the PBR to physiological adaptation to stress.
Synthesis of controllers for the Active Mass Driver system in the presence of uncertainty

The structured singular value (μ) synthesis technique is used to design controllers for the Active Mass Damper (AMD) Benchmark problem. The motivation for using μ synthesis is its ability to directly incorporate performance and robustness objectives into a multivariable control design framework. In addition to stated performance objectives, robustness of the controllers to high-frequency unmodelled dynamics (the neglected high-frequency modes of the evaluation model), modelling error in the actuator dynamics and variations in the first structural natural frequency and damping value are considered in the design. The resulting controller achieves similar performance levels on the nominal evaluation model and the evaluation model with significant variations in its first natural frequency and damping values.
Different Techniques Help To Increase Influenza Immunization

ISSUE: Transmission of Influenza from staff to patients and co-workers can create serious population health care problems. Vaccination is an important method of preventing influenza and its severe complications. Per CDC fewer than 40% of health care workers are immunized each year. PROJECT: Since 2002 our hospital rate of staff being immunized has been above the national average. Our Infection Control Committee chose to have 90% of staff immunized for 2005. Previous years education was the main resource to encourage staff to be immunized. Our group developed techniques to involve all departments to encourage each other to take the flu vaccine. The Infection Control Committee became the F.B.I (Flu Bug Immunized) team. We were also part of the S,W.A.T. (Shriners Wellness Awareness Taskforce) team. In October we dressed in our props for Halloween (props were black t-shirts with FBI on the front and SWAT on the back). We also gave each department the name of their organism and they were to design what it appeared like on a 5 × 7 card. We then placed the cards on our “FBI Most Wanted” bulletin board. When each staff member in their department had been given the flu vaccine; their organism was captured. With the delay of obtaining the vaccines our program was placed on hold. In late November we did receive our vaccines and continued with the program. Co-workers were encouraging each other to take the vaccine so they could be “captured.” Departments were in competition with each other to be “captured” first. RESULTS: We did reach our 90% goal. This included full time and per diem staff. LESSONS LEARNED: Education is very important but peer pressure by co-workers is an added benefit. Also we have decided to order our vaccine from different supplier in order to start our vaccines in October as planned.
Protein structure determination using long-distance constraints from double-quantum coherence ESR: study of T4 lysozyme.

We report the use of a novel pulsed ESR technique for distance measurement, based on the detection of double quantum coherence (DQC), which yields high quality dipolar spectra, to significantly extend the range of measurable distances in proteins using nitroxide spin-labels. Eight T4 lysozyme (T4L) mutants, doubly labeled with methanethiosulfonate spin-label (MTSSL), have been studied using DQC-ESR at 9 and 17 GHz. The distances span the range from 20 A for the 65/76 mutant to 47 A for the 61/135 mutant. The high quality of the dipolar spectra also allows the determination of the distance distributions, the width of which can be used to set upper and lower bounds in future computational strategy. It is also demonstrated that the shape of these distributions can reveal the presence of multiple conformations of the spin-label, an issue of critical relevance to the structural interpretation of the distances. The distances and distributions found in this study are readily rationalized in terms of the known cr...
Geographic variation in size, growth, and sexual dimorphism of Alaska brown bears, Ursus arctos

Abstract We modeled the growth in skull size of brown bears (Ursus arctos) using 11,651 individuals across 6 regions in Alaska with the von Bertalanffy function. The study areas varied greatly in habitat types and included coastal areas in south-central Alaska, interior regions, and the most northern reaches of the species' North American range. The top-ranking model supported region- and sex-specific growth curves. The large differences in parameter estimates of asymptotic size and the growth coefficient across regions were likely influenced by variation in habitat quality, especially the availability of salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), and these differences relate to other known life-history traits. Contrary to other studies of North American bears, we found a strong hyperallometric relationship in sexual size dimorphism (SSD) where SSD increased with asymptotic size. This relationship supports sexual selection as the driving mechanism of SSD in brown bears. However, the variable intensity of sexual selectio...
An improved technique for determining hardness and elastic modulus using load and displacement sensing indentation experiments

The indentation load-displacement behavior of six materials tested with a Berkovich indenter has been carefully documented to establish an improved method for determining hardness and elastic modulus from indentation load-displacement data. The materials included fused silica, soda–lime glass, and single crystals of aluminum, tungsten, quartz, and sapphire. It is shown that the load–displacement curves during unloading in these materials are not linear, even in the initial stages, thereby suggesting that the flat punch approximation used so often in the analysis of unloading data is not entirely adequate. An analysis technique is presented that accounts for the curvature in the unloading data and provides a physically justifiable procedure for determining the depth which should be used in conjunction with the indenter shape function to establish the contact area at peak load. The hardnesses and elastic moduli of the six materials are computed using the analysis procedure and compared with values determined by independent means to assess the accuracy of the method. The results show that with good technique, moduli can be measured to within 5%.
Radio searches for large-scale extraterrestrial organisms

A variety of means can be employed to search for extraterrestrial life. Large-scale extraterrestrials are reasonably expected to have developed intelligence (since intelligence is selectively advantageous) and technology (since technology also provides advantages). In the expectation/hope that more advanced extraterrestrials will be sending an announcement signal to help us make contact and share in our galactic heritage, more than 30 radio searches have been carried out over the last 40 years. Current searches are up to 4 orders of magnitude more sensitive and cover up to 108 more bandpass than the original searches. An overview of the rationale behind these searches and the current status of this work is provided.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Pumpless microfluidic platform for drug testing on human skin equivalents

Advances in bio-mimetic in vitro human skin models increase the efficiency of drug screening studies. In this study, we designed and developed a microfluidic platform that allows for long-term maintenance of full thickness human skin equivalents (HSE) which are comprised of both the epidermal and dermal compartments. The design is based on the physiologically relevant blood residence times in human skin tissue and allows for the establishment of an air–epidermal interface which is crucial for maturation and terminal differentiation of HSEs. The small scale of the design reduces the amount of culture medium and the number of cells required by 36 fold compared to conventional transwell cultures. Our HSE-on-a-chip platform has the capability to recirculate the medium at desired flow rates without the need for pump or external tube connections. We demonstrate that the platform can be used to maintain HSEs for three weeks with proliferating keratinocytes similar to conventional HSE cultures. Immunohistochemistry analyses show that the differentiation and localization of keratinocytes was successfully achieved, establishing all sub-layers of the epidermis after one week. Basal keratinocytes located at the epidermal–dermal interface remain in a proliferative state for three weeks. We use a transdermal transport model to show that the skin barrier function is maintained for three weeks. We also validate the capability of the HSE-on-a-chip platform to be used for drug testing purposes by examining the toxic effects of doxorubucin on skin cells and structure. Overall, the HSE-on-a-chip is a user-friendly and cost-effective in vitro platform for drug testing of candidate molecules for skin disorders.
Effects of modified human globin in normal human subjects.

Conclusions1. The effects of both slow and relatively rapid infusion of modified human globin in 6 human subjects without renal disease were studied. No untoward effects of the infusion were noted. 2. No significant increase in urine flow over control flows was noted. There was no change in the clearances of PAH during the globin infusion as compared with the control levels. There was a slight increase in the rate of excretion of sodium during the globin infusion as compared with control levels in 2 of the 6 patients. 3. No alteration in sedimentation rate and agglutinability of red blood cells was noted as a result of the infusion of globin.
Fuzzy interval control of mobile robots

Abstract A new fuzzy logic control (FLC) methodology called the fuzzy interval control (FIC) is discussed in this paper. The FIC implements an interval-valued FLC (or type 2 FLC) without the need to evaluate the interval-valued fuzzy sets. The structure of the FIC consists of a conventional FLC (or type 1 FLC) operating in the normalized universe of discourse; a set of parameters called the sensitivity indices which determine the intervals of the membership functions in the normalized universe; a set of input and output fuzzy gains which control the mapping of the normalized universe to the real axis; and a performance optimizer which dynamically adjusts the values of the sensitivity indices and input and output fuzzy gains in the run time. The invariant properties of the interval mapping preserve the stability of the underlying FLC in the FIC. The significance of FIC methodology is threefold. First, the FIC represents an adaptive FLC whose input-output relation is no longer deterministic. The adaptability of the controller allows the underlying FLC to be extremely simple and fast. This characteristic enables the FIC to be implemented on low-cost embedded microcontrollers for cost-sensitive industrial applications. Second, the FIC is designed for the applications in which limited or uncertain expert's experience is available. Finally, the FIC provides a practical implementation of a type 2 FLC to real applications. To validate the FIC methodology, an autonomous navigation system consisting of a fuzzy logic implemented navigator and an FIC autopilot are designed and implemented on Motorola 68HC11 8-bit microcontrollers. This system has successfully navigated a miniature robot in an unknown maze without touching the walls.
STUDIES OF ISOTOPE DISTRIBUTION IN TRITIATED PYRIMIDINES.

Abstract Consistent estimates of the amount of tritium bound at the C-5 position of uridine were obtained by studying the isotope exchange rate in 1 N H 2 SO 4 at 100 °C and by preparing various derivatives in which substituents replaced the tritium at C-5 (thymidine, 5-bromouridine, and a Mannich product). In a commercially tritiated uridine preparation, the tritium bound at C-5 represented approximately 97% of the total and showed an exchange half-life of 0.5 day in the hot acid. The remaining 3% of the tritium, bound at C-6, was retained through: (a) 2 weeks of acid treatment, (b) introduction of substituents at C-5, and (c) hydrolytic removal of the ribose moiety. Cytidine-H 3 exchanged its tritium with the hot acid slowly (50% in 6 days), but it could be converted to uridine for isotope distribution analysis. The C-5 position held 88–91% of the tritium in one cytidine preparation and approximately 98% in another. In a commercial uracil-H 3 preparation the tritium bound at C-5 (99% of the total) showed an exchange half-life of 0.1 day in the hot acid, while uracil-6-H 3 was acid-stable. Experiments with uracil-1,3-H 3 indicated that tritium bound to ring nitrogens exchanges rapidly with water, even at a pH near neutrality.
Purification and characterization of B-Protein from human serum

Abstract B-Protein, present in the serum of individuals with cancer, has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. The purification procedure consisted of chromatography on Sephacryl S-200, Affi-Gel Blue, Con A-Sepharose 4B, wheat germ lectin-Sepharose and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight of B-Protein is estimated to be 100 000 to 120 000. It is a glycoprotein which appears to be composed of two subunits, each with a molecular weight of approximately 52 000. Analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and analytical ultracentrifugation data indicate that purified B-Protein is homogenous. Isoelectric focusing studies also show the purified B-Protein to be homogenous in composition consisting of a single band of pI = 4.8. Amino acid analysis is consistent with this acidic isoelectric point. Other analyses that B-Protein contains 7% carbohydrate and 7% lipid in the form of triglycerides.
Evaluating team behaviors constructed with human-guided machine learning

Machine learning games such as NERO incorporate adaptive methods such as neuroevolution as an integral part of the gameplay by allowing the player to train teams of autonomous agents for effective behavior in challenging open-ended tasks. However, rigorously evaluating such human-guided machine learning methods and the resulting teams of agent policies can be challenging and is thus rarely done. This paper presents the results and analysis of a large scale online tournament between participants who evolved team agent behaviors and submitted them to be compared with others. An analysis of the teams submitted for the tournament indicates a complex, non-transitive fitness landscape, multiple successful strategies and training approaches, and performance above hand-constructed and random baselines. The tournament and analysis presented provide a practical way to study and improve human-guided machine learning methods and the resulting NPC team behaviors, potentially leading to better games and better game design tools in the future.
Student self-efficacy in introductory Project-Based Learning courses

The purpose of this study is to determine how introductory Project-Based Learning (PjBL) courses affect the self-efficacy of first-year engineering students. Grounded theory is used to analyze twelve interviews with first-year students about their experiences in two PjBL courses, Engineering Design and Physics Laboratory. Data indicate that students' self-efficacy within each course is correlated with the extent to which their course goal perceptions align with those intended by faculty. In Engineering Design, students' recognition of the faculty's intended course goals corresponds to higher levels of self-efficacy. Conversely, in Physics Laboratory, students' low self-efficacy is correlated with a large gap between their perceived and faculty intended course goals. Analysis further reveals that this difference in course goal perceptions may stem from the variations in the courses' contingent scaffolding. Finally, our findings suggest that students' self-efficacy may be further supported by dynamic course scaffolding that allows for an increase in students' autonomy throughout a course.
A phase II study of bortezomib plus prednisone for initial therapy of chronic graft-versus-host disease.

Abstract Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) induces significant morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Corticosteroids are standard initial therapy, despite limited efficacy and long-term toxicity. Based on our experience using bortezomib as effective acute GVHD prophylaxis, we hypothesized that proteasome-inhibition would complement the immunomodulatory effects of corticosteroids to improve outcomes in chronic GVHD (cGVHD). We undertook a single-arm phase II trial of bortezomib plus prednisone for initial therapy of cGVHD. Bortezomib was administered at 1.3 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 of each 35-day cycle for 3 cycles (15 weeks). Prednisone was dosed at .5 to 1 mg/kg/day, with a suggested taper after cycle 1. All 22 enrolled participants were evaluable for toxicity; 20 were evaluable for response. Bortezomib plus prednisone therapy was well tolerated, with 1 occurrence of grade 3 sensory peripheral neuropathy possibly related to bortezomib. The overall response rate at week 15 in evaluable participants was 80%, including 2 (10%) complete and 14 (70%) partial responses. The organ-specific complete response rate was 73% for skin, 53% for liver, 75% for gastrointestinal tract, and 33% for joint, muscle, or fascia involvement. The median prednisone dose decreased from 50 mg/day to 20 mg/day at week 15 (P
Sparse incremental learning for interactive robot control policy estimation

We are interested in transferring control policies for arbitrary tasks from a human to a robot. Using interactive demonstration via teleoperation as our transfer scenario, we cast learning as statistical regression over sensor-actuator data pairs. Our desire for interactive learning necessitates algorithms that are incremental and realtime. We examine locally weighted projection regression, a popular robotic learning algorithm, and sparse online Gaussian processes in this domain on one synthetic and several robot-generated data sets. We evaluate each algorithm in terms of function approximation, learned task performance, and scalability to large data sets.
ELVIS: Eigenvectors for Land Vehicle Image System

ELVIS (Eigenvectors for Land Vehicle Image System) is a road-following system designed to drive the CMU Navlabs. It is based on ALVINN, the neural network road-following system built by Dean Pomerleau at CMU. ELVIS is an attempt to more fully understand ALVINN and to determine whether it is possible to design a system that can rival ALVINN using the same input and output, but without using a neural network. Like ALVINN, ELVIS observes the road through a video camera and observes human steering response through encoders mounted on the steering column. After a few minutes of observing the human trainer, ELVIS can take control. ELVIS learns the eigenvectors of the image and steering training set via principal component analysis. These eigenvectors roughly correspond to the primary features of the image set and their correlations to steering. Road-following is then performed by projecting new images onto the previously calculated eigenspace. ELVIS architecture and experiments are discussed as well as implications for eigenvector-based systems and how they compare with neural network-based systems.
Genomic sequencing for psychiatric disorders: Promise and challenge

The integration of whole genome and whole exome sequencing (WGS/WES) into medicine introduces a new paradigm in genetic testing. The promise of sequencing will ultimately reshape psychiatry. In the meantime, this revolution will present challenges as researchers and clinicians interpret sequence data and make decisions about if, when, and how data should be offered. Individuals may request sequence data to better understand illness etiology, prognosis, and/or treatment response; to clarify their own disease risk; or out of curiosity. This commentary on the ethics of returning WGS/WES data describes the uniqueness of the data as a dynamic health resource; the importance of understanding participant motivations; determinations of personal utility; and potential effects of WGS/WES on self-concept and wellbeing. Clinicians and patients have navigated prior “revolutionary” genetic technologies while managing ethical challenges. Research into participant/patient perceptions, preferences and outcomes will realize areas of caution and prepare for integration into clinical care.
Age and apoE associations with complex pathologic features in Alzheimer's disease

Abstract The risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is influenced by both age and ApoE status. The present study addresses the associations of age and ApoE status on complex pathologic features in AD (n = 81) including coexistent cerebrovascular disease (CVD), argyrophilic grain disease (AGD), and Lewy body disease (LBD). The frequency of coexistent cerebrovascular disease increased with increasing age. Age and ApoE status were differentially associated with atherosclerosis, lacunar infarctions, and microvascular pathology. Coexistent Lewy body pathology was negatively associated with age, dropping off abruptly after age 90. The presence of an ApoE e4 allele was associated with an increased frequency of coexistent LBD. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated both dependent and independent effects of age and ApoE status on the presence of coexistent Lewy body pathology in AD. While the decreasing frequency of LBD in AD after age 90 could be partly accounted for by a lower probability of an ApoE e4 allele, the independent association with age suggests either 1) a survival effect, 2) decreased incidence with advancing age, or 3) both.
Vitamin D Therapy in Chronic Kidney Disease and End Stage Renal Disease

Vitamin D has garnered much research and debate about supplementation in recent years, not only as it pertains to patients with kidney disease but also to those in the general population. This review discusses observational and available clinical trial evidence about the effects of both calcitriol and vitamin D analogs (active) and ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol (nutritional) vitamin D in patients with CKD and ESRD.
High-efficiency 25Gb/s CMOS ring modulator with integrated thermal tuning

We report a 25Gb/s ring modulator with integrated thermal tuning fabricated in a 130nm CMOS process. With 2Vpp modulation, the optical eye shows >6dB extinction ratio. Modulation energy is estimated &#60;24fJ/bit from circuit modeling.
The Use of Potato Haploids to Put 2x Wild Species Germplasm into a Usable Form

An effective method of incorporating germplasm of wild 2x Solanum species into the cultivated potato is through hybridization with haploids of 4x S. tuberosum Group Tuberosum. This procedure provides for the introduction of desirable traits and genetic diversity from wild species into potato. Haploid and wild species genotypes can be evaluated for parental value based on the presence of good tuberization, desirable traits, fertility, and 2n gametes in their hybrid progeny. Haploid-wild species hybrids may be intercrossed and evaluated at the 2x level to take advantage of diploid genetic ratios. Selected 2x genotypes may then be brought to the 4x level through sexual polyploidization with 2n gametes.
Presence of the cagA gene in the majority of Helicobacter pylori strains is independent of whether the individual has duodenal ulcer or asymptomatic gastritis.

BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori infection presents as many different diseases, including asymptomatic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric cancer. Although the virulence factor(s) responsible for different H. pylori-related diseases have not been identified, several candidate genes are being investigated for such an association. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) frequently is used to assess the presence of genetic factors associated with pathogenesis of disease; the cagA gene and its product have been postulated to have a disease-specific relationship to peptic ulcer and gastric cancer because of differential expression in these diseases compared to histological gastritis alone. MATERIALS AND METHODS Genomic DNA was amplified by PCR, using synthetic oligonucleotide primers to the cagA gene to determine the prevalence of the cagA gene in 60 H. pylori isolates obtained from well-documented duodenal ulcer or asymptomatic gastritis patients (30 each). Results were confirmed by hybridization with a 1.4-Kb cagA probe. RESULTS The expected PCR product was obtained in 90% of isolates from duodenal ulcer patients, compared to 70% of isolates from individuals with asymptomatic gastritis. The PCR products were polymorphic in size, suggesting cagA gene sequence differences among isolates. Evaluation for the presence of the cagA gene by hybridization with a 1.4-Kb cagA probe showed a homologous product in 29 of 30 strains [96.7%; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 83-100%] from duodenal ulcer patients versus 25 of 30 strains (83.3%; 95% CI = 65-94%) obtained from individuals with asymptomatic gastritis (p = 0.19). CONCLUSIONS The high prevalence of the cagA gene in asymptomatic gastritis suggests that it will not prove to be a useful marker to distinguish more virulent or disease-specific H. pylori strains. The genetic heterogeneity among H. pylori strains makes PCR an unwise choice as the single method to determine prevalence of a putative virulence factor. In evaluation of the prevalence of a gene or genetic factor in a population of H. pylori, hybridization with extended probes might be important to ensure that the results are representative of the organism's genotype.
Spatial and temporal distribution of trunk-injected imidacloprid in apple tree canopies.

BACKGROUND Pesticide use in orchards creates drift-driven pesticide losses which contaminate the environment. Trunk injection of pesticides as a target-precise delivery system could greatly reduce pesticide losses. However, pesticide efficiency after trunk injection is associated with the underinvestigated spatial and temporal distribution of the pesticide within the tree crown. This study quantified the spatial and temporal distribution of trunk-injected imidacloprid within apple crowns after trunk injection using one, two, four or eight injection ports per tree. RESULTS The spatial uniformity of imidacloprid distribution in apple crowns significantly increased with more injection ports. Four ports allowed uniform spatial distribution of imidacloprid in the crown. Uniform and non-uniform spatial distributions were established early and lasted throughout the experiment. The temporal distribution of imidacloprid was significantly non-uniform. Upper and lower crown positions did not significantly differ in compound concentration. Crown concentration patterns indicated that imidacloprid transport in the trunk occurred through radial diffusion and vertical uptake with a spiral pattern. CONCLUSION By showing where and when a trunk-injected compound is distributed in the apple tree canopy, this study addresses a key knowledge gap in terms of explaining the efficiency of the compound in the crown. These findings allow the improvement of target-precise pesticide delivery for more sustainable tree-based agriculture. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
The diagnosis and treatment of stroke in a patient with cancer: nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE): a case report and review

Stroke in patients with cancer is different in terms of its etiology from stroke in the general population. Clinicians should be altered to the possibility of non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE), associated coagulopathy, and viable treatment options. We review the case of a 42-year-old woman with cerivcal carcinoma and no risk factors for stroke who suddenly developed difficulty with speech and right-sided sensory changes. Her complete work-up and course are addressed.
Late Quaternary sea-surface temperatures in the western Coral Sea: Implications for the growth of the Australian Great Barrier Reef

Recent chronostratigraphic evidence suggests that the central Australian Great Barrier Reef formed within the past 780 k.y. Periplatform sediments of the same age recovered from the western Coral Sea record a progressive decrease in the δ18O of planktonic foraminifera to the present. Several investigators have proposed that this trend represents an appreciable late Pleistocene warming (∼4 °C) of ocean surface temperatures, which they posit catalyzed the growth of the Great Barrier Reef. Contrary to this hypothesis, we demonstrate using alkenone paleothermometry (\batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(U_{37}^{k{^\prime}}\) \end{document}) on sediments from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 820 that sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) in the western Coral Sea changed by ∼1.5 °C or less during the past ∼800 k.y. If the central Great Barrier Reef rose in the late Quaternary, it was therefore not due to a warming of SSTs. We explore whether a major moisture balance change and/or diagenetic alteration of calcareous microfossils can explain the higher δ18O values observed at depth in the planktonic δ18O record at ODP Site 820. Our results suggest that diagenesis provides a large isotopic overprint.
Emission dispatch models and algorithms for the 1990s

This paper deals with scheduling of thermal generating units to meet the requirements of the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act with respect to SO/sub 2/ and NO/sub x/ emissions. Unit models for both startup and operation are presented. A set of dispatching algorithms is included along with a solution algorithm. Finally, a small test system is analyzed. The major contributions of this paper are the startup models and the constrained emission dispatch solution algorithm presented. >
Use of Methadone Take-Home Contingencies with Persistent Opiate and Cocaine Abusers

This study investigated conditions under which methadone patients with urinalysis evidence of persistent multiple drug abuse would respond to take-home incentive procedures. Study subjects submitted > or = 80% opiate and/or cocaine positive urines during a 5-week baseline period (M, W, F urine testing) while maintained on 60 mg methadone. Doses were raised to 80-100 mg methadone under blind conditions and subjects were randomly assigned to receive methadone take-home doses under one of three conditions: (a) earn a 1-day take-home privilege for each opiate and cocaine-free test delivered (daily contingent condition), (b) three negative test results required for the first take-home privilege, with each subsequent negative test earning one take-home dose; a positive test reset the contingency back to three again (weekly contingent condition), or (c) a control group that did not receive take-home privileges (no take-home control). Five of 21 subjects (24%) assigned to a contingent take-home intervention (2 from condition a, 3 from condition b) showed marked reductions in drug use and delivered 4 or more consecutive weeks of drug-free urines during a 16-week intervention. No subject in the control group met these criteria. Percent positive urines decreased by 14% and 18% from baseline in daily and weekly contingency groups, respectively, compared to a decline of 2% in the no take-home control group (planned contrast of means p < .07 and .05, respectively). Thus, the study demonstrated that take-home incentives can be effective for reducing during-treatment use of opiates and cocaine in methadone patients with a poor prognosis related to their persistent multiple drug use.
Resultate der Langzeitbehandlung mit Corticosteroiden bei blasenbildenden Dermatosen

Vor genau zehn Jahren sprach ich wahrend des zweiten Fortbildungskurses uber Fortschritte in der Diagnose und Behandlung des Pemphigus. Die zwei bedeutenden Fortschritte, die ich damals besprach, waren erstens, die Erkenntnis, das der Pemphigus ein charakteristisches, durch Acantholyse gekennzeichnetes histologisches Bild besitzt, und zweitens, die Einfuhrung des ACTH und des Cortisons in die Behandlung des Pemphigus, dessen Prognose dadurch wesentlich verbessert worden ist.