cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Equivalent biochemical control and improved prostate-specific antigen nadir after permanent prostate seed implant brachytherapy versus high-dose three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and high-dose conformal proton beam radiotherapy boost.

Purpose Permanent prostate implant brachytherapy (PPI), three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), and conformal proton beam radiotherapy (CPBRT) are used in the treatment of localized prostate cancer, although no head-to-head trials have compared these modalities. We studied the biochemical control (biochemical no evidence of disease [bNED]) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir achieved with contemporary PPI, and evaluated it against 3D-CRT and CPBRT. Patients and Methods A total of 249 patients were treated with PPI at the University of California, San Francisco, and the outcomes were compared with those from a 3D-CRT cohort and the published results of a high-dose CPBRT boost (CPBRTB) trial. For each comparison, subsets of the PPI cohort were selected with patient and disease criteria similar to those of the reference group. Results With a median follow-up of 5.3 years, the bNED rate at 5 and 7 years achieved with PPI was 92% and 86%, respectively, using the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) definition, and 93% using the PSA nadir plus 2 ng/mL definition. Using the ASTRO definition, a 5-year bNED rate of 78% was achieved for the 3D-CRT patients compared with 94% for a comparable PPI subset and 93% vs. 92%, respectively, using the PSA nadir plus 2 ng/mL definition. The median PSA nadir for patients treated with PPI and 3D-CRT was 0.10 and 0.40 ng/mL, respectively ( p Conclusion We have demonstrated excellent outcomes in low- to intermediate-risk patients treated with PPI, suggesting at least equivalent 5-year bNED rates and a greater proportion of men achieving lower PSA nadirs compared with 3D-CRT or CPBRTB.
Prototype design for a closed marine system employing quarternary water processing

A small 2, 271-1 (600-gallon) prototype recirculating marine water system was designed and evaluated (26 months). The system employed a quaternary (mechanical, algal, bacterial and chemical) series of processing units with the aim of achieving long-term seawater quality and constancy without water replacement. Total ammonia (0.05±0.005 ppm), un-ionized ammonia (0.0036±0.0003 ppm), nitrite (0.10±0.014 ppm), nitrate (24.6±2.0 ppm), phosphate (14.0±2.1 ppm), dissolved oxygen (6.5–7.2 mg/l) and pH (7.80 to 8.25) were maintained at acceptable levels for the entire period. The biomass load (1.82 kg/397 l) consisted of 4 nurse sharks which were fed ad-lib twice a week. Further, low levels of total bacteria (1.5×102 bacteria/ml) and coliforms [most probable number (MPN) index 17/dl] were present in the seawater. The system design is suggested for use in laboratory and mariculture installations.
Predictive vegetation mapping: geographic modelling of biospatial patterns in relation to environmental gradients:

Predictive vegetation mapping can be defined as predicting the geographic distribution of the vegetation composition across a landscape from mapped environmental variables. Comput erized predictive vegetation mapping is made possible by the availability of digital maps of topography and other environmental variables such as soils, geology and climate variables, and geographic information system software for manipulating these data. Especially important to predictive vegetation mapping are interpolated climatic variables related to physiological tolerances, and topographic variables, derived from digital elevation grids, related to site energy and moisture balance. Predictive vegetation mapping is founded in ecological niche theory and gradient analysis, and driven by the need to map vegetation patterns over large areas for resource conservation planning, and to predict the effects of environmental change on vegetation distributions. Predictive vegetation mapping has advanced over the past two decades espe...
Effects of acidification on minor and trace metal chemistry in little rock lake, wisconsin

Little Rock Lake is a low-alkalinity (25 μeq/L, pH 6.1) seepage lake in north-central Wisconsin. The two main basins of the lake were separated by a polyvinyl barrier in 1984, and acidification of the north basin with H2SO4 began in spring 1985; the south basin is being maintained as a reference. The effects of acidification on dissolved concentrations of Al, Fe, Mn, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn have been studied at three scales at Little Rock Lake: (A) laboratory-scale experiments with well-mixed sediments; (b) large (4- to 5-m dia) in situ enclosures maintained at pH 4.5 to 6.0; and (c) the lake itself. In general, qualitative agreement is good between the three approaches, but some differences have been observed, especially for Al and Fe. The most significant trace metal response observed in acidifying the north basin from pH 6.1 to 5.1 has been a large increase in dissolved Mn, apparently as a result of hindered oxidation of Mn2+ at lower pH. Dissolved Al and Fe also increased at pH 5.1 but not at 5.6. Water column levels of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn have not increased at pH 5.1 in the lake, but results of lab and enclosure studies suggest that increased concentrations of Cd and Zn will occur when the lake is acidified to pH 4.6. Sediment cores and surface sediments from both basins of the lake have been collected and analyzed for Al, Fe, Mn, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn. Similar concentrations of most metals were found in surface sediments from both basins of the lake. Near-surface sediments were enriched in Hg and Pb relative to deeper sediment layers; the enrichment is presumed to be caused by increased atmospheric inputs during the past century, not diagenetic activity. No consistent differences in the Hg content of zooplankton, periphyton and benthic invertebrates were found at pH 5.6 and 5.1 in the acidified basin compared with the pH 6.1 reference basin.
Home range and movement patterns of the Redlip Parrotfish ( Scarus rubroviolaceus ) in Hawaii

The activity and movement of the Redlip Parrotfish, Scarus rubroviolaceus, near Wawaloli reef, Hawaii (19°43′06″N, 156°03′11″W), was investigated with active and passive tracking techniques from April through November 2007. Site fidelity was determined and home range sizes were measured for 21 individuals. All individuals showed strong diurnal activity patterns and relatively stable home ranges. Terminal phase individuals had larger home range areas than initial phase fish, and home range size increased with depth. Occasional long forays from the home range were observed in many individuals. Forays often occurred in crepuscular hours and may represent migrations to/from nocturnal sheltering sites. Findings from this study underscore the importance of depth and nighttime shelter migrations as design considerations for effective marine protected areas (MPA) for large parrotfishes.
Dynamic social network models incorporating stochasticity and delays

Networks are typically studied via computational models, and often investigations are restricted to the static case. Here we extend the work in Banks, Karr, Nguyen and Samuels (2008), which demonstrated a simple dynamical system framework in which to study social network behavior, to include a discrete delay. This delay represents the time lag that is likely required for an agent to change his/her own characteristics (e.g., opinions, viewpoints or behavior) after interacting with an agent possessing different characteristics. Thus this modification adds significantly to the relevance of the model in many potential applications. We have shown that the delays can be incorporated into a stochastic differential equations (SDE) framework in an efficient and computationally tractable way. Through numerical studies, we see novel outcomes when stochasticity, delay, or both are considered, demonstrating the need to include these features should they be present in the network application.
On the structure of Hamiltonian cycles in Cayley graphs of finite quotients of the modular group

Abstract It is a fairly longstanding conjecture that if G is any finite group with ¦G¦s > 2 and if X is any set of generators of G then the Cayley graph Γ(G : X) should have a Hamiltonian cycle. We present experimental results found by computer calculation that support the conjecture. It turns out that in the case where G is a finite quotient of the modular group the Hamiltonian cycles possess remarkable structural properties.
Effect of allopurinol on urinary ammonia excretion in patients with gout.

Abstract Evidence has suggested that there is a reciprocal relationship between ammonia and uric acid excretion in man. A decrease in ammonia excretion has been described in gout. The administration of ammonium chloride has produced a decrement in uric acid excretion. Studies were conducted to determine if these observations were causally related. Nine patients with gout were studied under controlled conditions on a metabolic ward. Ammonia, titratable acid and uric acid excretion were measured following ammonium chloride administration before and after reduction of the renal urate load by allopurinol. Data were analyzed by multilinear regression and path analysis. The results indicate that ammonia excretion was independent of uric acid excretion.
Friends’ religiosity and first sex

Abstract Researchers have established that individual religiosity influences sexual behavior and that religious support can increase consistency between personal religiosity and behavior. Researchers are less certain, however, of the effect that religious friendship networks have on sexual behavior. In addition, the effects of network characteristics such as density and one’s position in a social network have not been established. This paper uses a network subsample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to examine the effect of friends’ religiosity on the probability of first sex. We find that friends’ religiosity has an independent influence on adolescent sexual behavior that is similar in magnitude to personal religiosity. We also find evidence that friends’ religiosity has the strongest influence on the sexual behavior of adolescents who are embedded in dense social networks, in which teens’ friends are also friends with one another. These results support the hypothesis that group influences depend on the degree of embeddedness within the network and highlight the importance of studying religion as a property of groups as well as individuals.
Large deviation problem for some parabolic itǒ equations

The large deviation problem of Wentzell-Freidlin type is considered for a class of semilinear parabolic equations perturbed by a small multiplicative noise. In a Hilbert space setting, it is proved that, under suitable conditions, the associated family of solution measures, depending on a small parameter, obeys the large deviation principle with respect to a certain rate function.
Some further clarification on Markov chain random fields and transiograms

The Markov chain random field MCRF theory and the transiogram spatial measure were proposed several years ago. Basic sequential simulation algorithms based on simple MCRF models such as the Markov chain sequential simulation algorithm and the Markov chain sequential co-simulation algorithm have been developed and used in a series of application studies. However, misunderstanding of these two ideas and the geostatistical approach built on them arose recently among some researchers in geostatistics. The purpose of this article is to further clarify some issues related to these two ideas, so as to avoid further misunderstanding. For those issues already clarified, trivial, or obviously irrelevant, we do not talk about them here.
Internal cooling in a semiconductor laser diode

A thermal model of a diode laser structure is developed which includes a bipolar thermoelectric term not included in previous models. It is shown that heterostructure band offsets can be chosen so that there are thermoelectric cooling sources near the active region; this method of cooling is internal to the device itself, as opposed to temperature stabilization schemes which employ an external cooler. A novel laser structure is proposed that is capable of internal cooling in the Ga/sub 1-x/In/sub x/As/sub y/Sb/sub 1-y/-GaSb material system with /spl lambda/ = 2.64 /spl mu/m.
Climate Variability and the Shape of Daily Precipitation: A Case Study of ENSO and the American West

AbstractCharacterizing the relationship between large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns and the shape of the daily precipitation distribution is fundamental to understanding how dynamical changes are manifest in the hydrological cycle, and it is also relevant to issues such as natural hazard mitigation and reservoir management. This relationship is pursued using ENSO variability and the American West as a case study. When considering the full range of wintertime precipitation and consistent with conventional wisdom, mean precipitation intensity is enhanced during El Nino relative to La Nina in the Southwest and vice versa in the Northwest. This change in mean is attributed to a shift in the distribution of daily precipitation toward more intense daily rainfall rates. In addition, fundamental changes in the shape of the precipitation distributions are observed, independent of shifts in the mean. Surprisingly, for intense precipitation, La Nina winters actually demonstrate a significant increase in int...
The Psycholinguistics of Basic Literacy.

We review major issues in research on reading, including theories of word reading, cross-writing system comparisons, comprehension, reading difficulties, learning how to read, and cognitive neuroscience studies of reading. Each of these topics has psycholinguistic components that reflect the language foundations of reading. These foundations lie in two facts: (1) a writing system connects to a linguistic system at one or more levels, meaning that word reading is partially a psycholinguistic process; and (2): reading comprehension shares processes (e.g., parsing) with general language comprehension. One trend of recent research is the development of models of word identification that rely on single rather than dual mechanisms and their extension to explain reading difficulties. Another is the conclusion that phonology plays a role in reading that cuts across writing systems. Reading comprehension research continues to reflect two different traditions, sentence parsing and text comprehension. Both show increasing influence of general cognitive explanations, as opposed to strictly linguistic explanations, for comprehension phenomena. Studies of brain activation bring converging evidence on reading processes and provide neuroanatomical correlates of reading problems. In one area, the acquisition and teaching of reading, advances come from increasing consolidation and practical use of previous research gains.
Assessment of cotton as an alternative host plant for the brown citrus aphid, Toxoptera citricida (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Abstract Seven populations of Toxoptera citricida (Kirkaldy) were sampled in central Florida sweet orange groves in 2001. All populations contained individuals that accepted cotton seedlings as a host in a no-choice situation; many of these matured and deposited nymphs that also developed and became reproductive on the same plant. Significant differences were noted among populations with respect to the proportion of nymphs accepting, maturing, and ultimately reproducing on cotton. Differences in aphid survival were largely a function of differences in host plant acceptance, rather than differential mortality on the plant. A significant proportion of the apterous adults maturing on cotton abandoned the plant without reproducing. Second and third instars transferred from laboratory colonies maintained on sweet orange were more accepting of cotton than were either first or fourth instars. Apterous adults accepted cotton at rates similar to second and third instars. Alate adults settled on cotton seedlings in...
What causes extended layering of ionic liquids on the mica surface

Extended layering of ionic liquids (ILs) on the mica surface has been reported by several groups previously and it is generally accepted that the electrostatic interaction at the IL/mica interface is critical to the observed extended layering. Here we report that, indeed, water adsorption on the mica surface is the key to the extended layering of ionic liquids. The atomic force microscopy (AFM), attenuated total reflectance-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and contact angle (CA) results show that ionic liquids form extended layering on a mica surface under ambient conditions when water is adsorbed on the mica surface under such conditions. However, when airborne hydrocarbon contaminants replace the water on the mica surface at the elevated temperatures, instead of layering, ionic liquids exhibit droplet structure, i.e., dewetting. Based on the experimental results, we propose that water enables ion exchange between K+ and the cations of ILs on the mica surface and thus triggers the ordered packing of cations/anions in ILs, resulting in extended layering.
Written emotional expression and religion: effects on PTSD symptoms.

Objective:Previous research has found an association between writing about traumatic events and well-being. This study examined the effects of taking a religious perspective during a trauma-writing...
Examination of psychosocial predictors of Virginia pharmacists' intention to utilize a prescription drug monitoring program using the theory of planned behavior.

Abstract Background Little is known about the main drivers of pharmacists' intention to utilize prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) when making care decisions and the actual contribution of these factors in explaining intention and behavior. Objectives This study examined what theory of planned behavior (TPB) model constructs (i.e., attitude, subjective norm [SN], perceived behavioral control [PBC]), past utilization behavior (PUB) and perceived moral obligation (PMO) were significant predictors of Virginia community pharmacists' intention to utilize a PDMP. Methods A cover letter with a link to a 28-item online survey was e-mailed to 600 members of the Virginia Pharmacists Association. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine the association between pharmacists' intention to utilize the PDMP database and attitude, SN, PBC, PUB and PMO. Results Ninety-seven usable responses were received, for a response rate of 16.2%. A majority of the respondents were Caucasian (96.4%), female (50.5%), working in independent community pharmacies (60.4%) with an average age of 49.5 ± 13.4 years. Overall, pharmacists intended to utilize a PDMP (mean = 5.3 ± 4.6; possible range: −9 to 9), had a positive attitude toward utilizing PDMP (mean = 6.3 ± 5.3; possible range: −12 to 12), perceived that others wanted them to utilize a PDMP (SN score = 3.7 ± 2.4; range: −6 to 6), and believed that they had control over utilization behavior (PBC score = 4.5 ± 4.0; range: −9 to 9). Attitude ( β = 0.723, P β = 0.230, P = 0.014) and PBC ( β = −0.215, P = 0.026) significantly predicted pharmacists' intent, accounting for 56.7% of the variance in intention to utilize the PDMP database ( P P Conclusions Members of the Virginia Pharmacists Association who responded to the survey showed a strong positive intent to utilize PDMP database. Pharmacists' attitudes, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and perceived moral obligation were significant predictors of intention but past utilization behavior was not. The TPB is a useful theoretical framework when predicting PDMP utilization behavior of community pharmacists, accounting for 56.7% of the variance in intention.
Nested case-control study of selected systemic autoimmune diseases in World Trade Center rescue/recovery workers.

Objective To test the a priori hypothesis that acute and chronic work exposures to the World Trade Center (WTC) site on or after September 11, 2001 were associated with risk of new-onset systemic autoimmune diseases. Methods A nested case–control study was performed in WTC rescue/recovery workers who had received a rheumatologist-confirmed systemic autoimmune disease diagnosis between September 12, 2001 and September 11, 2013 (n = 59), each of whom was individually matched to 4 randomly selected controls (n = 236) on the basis of year of hire (±1 year), sex, race, and work assignment (firefighter or emergency medical service). Acute exposure was defined according to the earliest time of arrival (morning of 9/11 versus later) at the WTC site, and chronic exposure was defined as duration (number of months) of WTC site–related work. Rheumatologists were blinded with regard to each subject's exposure status. The conditional odds ratios (CORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for incident autoimmune disease were derived from exact conditional logistic regression models. Results Rheumatoid arthritis was the most common autoimmune diagnosis (37% of subjects), followed by spondyloarthritis (22%), inflammatory myositis (14%), systemic lupus erythematosus (12%), systemic sclerosis (5%), Sjogren's syndrome (5%), antiphospholipid syndrome (3%), and granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's) (2%). The COR for incident autoimmune disease increased by 13% (COR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02–1.26) for each additional month worked at the WTC site. These odds were independent of the association between high acute exposure (working during the morning of 9/11) and disease outcome, which conveyed an elevated, but not statistically significant, risk (COR 1.85, 95% CI 0.86–3.89). Conclusion Prolonged work at the WTC site, independent of acute exposure, was an important predictor of post-9/11 systemic autoimmune diseases. The WTC Health Program should expand surveillance efforts for those with extended exposures, as early detection can facilitate early treatment, which has been shown to minimize organ damage and improve quality of life.
Thresholds in three-dimensional restricted Euler–Poisson equations

Abstract This work provides a description of the critical threshold phenomenon in multi-dimensional restricted Euler–Poisson (REP) equations, introduced in [H. Liu, E. Tadmor. Spectral dynamics of the velocity gradient field in restricted fluid flows, Comm. Math. Phys. 228 (2002) 435–466]. For three-dimensional REP equations, we identified both upper thresholds for the finite-time blow up of solutions and subthresholds for the global existence of solutions, with the thresholds depending on the relative size of the eigenvalues of the initial velocity gradient matrix and the initial density. For the attractive forcing case, these one-sided threshold conditions of the initial configurations are optimal, and the corresponding results also hold for arbitrary n dimensions ( n ≥ 3 ).
Synthesis and release of B-lymphocyte stimulator from myeloid cells

B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) is a recently identified novel member of the tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily shown to exist in a membrane-bound and soluble form. BLyS was found to be specifically expressed on cells of myeloid lineage and to selectively stimulate B-lymphocyte proliferation and immunoglobulin production. The expression of a cytokine involved in potentiation of humoral immune responses, such as BLyS, is expected to be strictly controlled. The goal of the present study was to examine regulation of BLyS levels in monocytic cells in response to cytokines and during their differentiation to macrophages and dendritic cells. The presence of BLyS on the cell surface and in the culture medium of both normal blood monocytes and on tumor cells of myelomonocytic origin was demonstrated. BLyS gene expression and levels of membrane-associated and soluble BLyS were found to be regulated by cytokines, in particular interferon (IFN)-γ and to a lesser extent interleukin-10 (IL-10). The expression of BLyS on monocyte membranes was retained following differentiation into macrophages, but detection on the surface of monocyte-derived dendritic cells required stimulation with IFN-γ. Both IFN-γ and IL-10 enhanced the release of soluble BLyS that was active in B-cell proliferation assays. Cells transfected with BLyS complementary DNA mutated in a predicted cleavage site failed to release BLyS into the culture medium, thereby suggesting that soluble BLyS was derived from the membrane form. These results provide further support for an important role for BLyS expressed in myeloid cells in B-cell expansion and antibody responses.
Stochastic frame buffers for rate distortion optimized loss resilient video communications

In this paper we propose an error control scheme for video communications over lossy channels. The proposed algorithm uses stochastic frame buffers (SFB) to determine the expected decoder error by using channel simulated frames during motion vector (MV) and reference frame search, macroblock (MB) mode decisions and residual selection. Unlike previous methods, our algorithm also focuses on optimizing the MV and prediction frame selection and residual selection over error prone channels. The algorithm minimizes a Lagrangian to achieve the optimal result for mode and MVs. If there is channel feedback, the system can utilize it to update the SFB. We perform experiments that compare our system with intra refreshes, an improved NEWPRED and optimal mode switching algorithms such as ROPE under various conditions such as existence of a feedback channel or not. We show that the proposed system outperforms others.
Pioglitazone versus Rosiglitazone: Effects on Lipids, Lipoproteins, and Apolipoproteins in Head-to-Head Randomized Clinical Studies

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) play an important role in regulating both glucose and lipid metabolism. Agonists for both PPAR𝛾 and PPAR𝛾 have been used to treat dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia, respectively. In addition to affecting glucose metabolism, PPAR𝛾 agonists also regulate lipid metabolism. In this review, we will focus on the randomized clinical trials that directly compared the lipid effects of the thiazolidinedione class of PPAR𝛾 agonists, pioglitazone and rosiglitazone, head-to-head either as monotherapy or in combination with other lipid-altering or glucose-lowering agents
Prostaglandins maintain renal vasodilation and hyperfiltration during chronic nitric oxide synthase blockade in conscious pregnant rats.

Rats demonstrate renal vasodilation and hyperfiltration in pregnancy. Because both NO and cGMP biosynthesis are increased in gravid rats and because acute administration of NO synthase inhibitors abrogates renal vasodilation and hyperfiltration, NO most likely mediates the renal circulatory changes of gestation. In the present study, we tested the effect of chronic inhibition of NO synthase on effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in chronically instrumented, conscious, gravid rats. Because gestation is a relatively long-term condition, we postulated that chronic withdrawal of NO would result in sustained inhibition of renal vasodilation and hyperfiltration. Contrary to our hypothesis, the renal circulatory changes of pregnancy were maintained during chronic blockade of NO synthase. That is, subcutaneous administration of 10 μg/min Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (NAME) for 48 hours did not significantly reduce GFR in either virgin or pregnant rats; thus, hyperfiltration...
Attitudes about electronic device use among self-reported distracted drivers in seven European countries, 2010

Background Distracted driving is a growing concern internationally. However, attitudes about distracted driving are poorly understood. Aims/Objectives/Purpose To examine attitudes about electronic device use and driving in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the UK. Methods Respondents to an online survey of adults aged 18–64 (N=9002) were asked about their distracted driving behaviours (eg, how often they talk on a mobile phone and text while driving) and their attitudes (eg, how strongly they felt about being able to reach others by mobile phone or text at any time). Results/Outcomes Compared to those who never talk on their mobile phone while driving, those who ‘regularly or fairly often’ talk on their mobile phone while driving (distracted drivers) more often agreed that they liked the idea of people being able to reach them at any time (65% vs 49%), liked the idea of being able to reach other people at any time (73% vs 57%), and found it very hard to ‘unplug’ or turn off their phone while driving (53% vs 30%) (p Significance/Contribution to the Field Understanding the attitudes of distracted drivers can help target communications messages and other interventions in these countries.
dFSK: distributed frequency shift keying modulation in dense sensor networks

We consider the problem of reachback communication in wireless sensor networks: multiple sensors are deployed on a field, and they collect local measurements of some random process which then need to be encoded and reproduced at a remote location. In this paper we present the design of a distributed modulation scheme for reachback, dubbed dFSK (for distributed frequency shift keying). In dFSK, all nodes in the network first agree on a common stream of bits to send. Then, nodes listen to a few transmissions by other nodes to form an estimate of when to schedule their own transmissions. The aggregate waveform that results from superimposing a large number of these weak transmissions has a pre-specified set of zero-crossings. It is through the location of these zeros that information is conveyed to the far receiver. This mode of operation is analogous to that of standard FSK, where it is through spectral properties of the transmitted symbol (and hence closely related to the rate of its zero-crossings) that information is conveyed to the far receiver.
Dynamic Bid Prices in Revenue Management

We formally derive the standard deterministic linear program (LP) for bid-price control by making an affine functional approximation to the optimal dynamic programming value function. This affine functional approximation gives rise to a new LP that yields tighter bounds than the standard LP. Whereas the standard LP computes static bid prices, our LP computes a time trajectory of bid prices. We show that there exist dynamic bid prices, optimal for the LP, that are individually monotone with respect to time. We provide a column generation procedure for solving the LP within a desired optimality tolerance, and present numerical results on computational and economic performance.
Factors associated with law enforcement-related use-of-force injury.

Abstract Objective Use-of-force (UOF) techniques are used by law enforcement to gain control of noncompliant subjects. The purpose of this study was to assess factors associated with subject and deputy injuries during law enforcement UOF. Methods This is a retrospective study of nonlethal UOF events from January to June 2009 by a single law enforcement agency serving a population of 3 million. A standard data collection tool, which included basic demographic data, the type of force used, subject response, and if there were any injuries to the subject or deputies involved, was used by deputies for each UOF event. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the specific subject and incident details. Univariate and multivariate analysis was used to identify factors potentially associated with subject and deputy injuries. Results There were 1174 UOF incidents recorded during the study period. A total of 282 incidents (24%) involved no physical force, 135 (11.5%) involved less lethal methods, 620 (52.8%) involved other physical restraint methods, and 137 (11.7%) involved both less lethal and other physical methods. Factors with the largest independent associations with subject injury were physical resistance by the subject (odds ratio [OR], 2.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49-4.74) and force used to prevent a violent felony (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.24-3.71). When the subject had a weapon (OR, 4.15; 95% CI, 1.53-11.23) and physical resistance by the subject (OR, 4.15; 95% CI, 1.24-13.94) had the largest associations with deputy injury. Conclusions This study identifies situational characteristics potentially associated with subject and deputy injuries during UOF events.
THE EFFECTS OF FUEL COMPOSITION ON FLAME STRUCTURE AND COMBUSTION DYNAMICS IN A LEAN PREMIXED COMBUSTOR

The stability characteristics of a laboratory-scale lean premixed combustor operating on natural gas - hydrogen fuel mixtures have been studied in a variable length combustor facility. The fuel and air were mixed upstream of the choked inlet to the combustor to eliminate equivalence ratio fluctuations and thereby ensure that the dominant instability driving mechanism was flame-vortex interaction. The inlet velocity, inlet temperature, equivalence ratio and percent hydrogen in the fuel were systematically varied, and at each operating condition the combustor pressure fluctuations were measured as a function of the combustor length. The results are presented in the form of two-dimensional stability maps, which are plots of the normalized rms pressure fluctuation versus the equivalence ratio and the combustor length, for a given inlet temperature, inlet velocity, and fuel mixture. In order to understand the effects of operating conditions and fuel composition on the observed stability characteristics, two-dimensional chemiluminescence images of the flame structure were recorded at all operating conditions and for all fuel mixtures under stable conditions. Changes in the stable flame structure, as characterized by the location of the flame’s “center of heat release”, were found to be consistent with the observed instability characteristics. The location of the flame’s “center of heat release” was found to lie along a single path for all operating conditions and fuel mixtures. It was also observed that there were regions of stable and unstable combustion as one moved along this path. Furthermore it was found that flames having the same “center of heat release” location, but different operating conditions and fuel composition, have very nearly the same flame shape. These results will be useful for developing phenomenological models for predicting unstable combustion.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Redesigning a large school-based clinical trial in response to changes in community practice.

Background Asthma exacerbations are seasonal with the greatest risk in elementary-age students occurring shortly after returning to school following summer break. Recent research suggests that this seasonality in children is primarily related to viral respiratory tract infections. Regular hand washing is the most effective method to prevent the spread of viral respiratory infections; unfortunately, achieving hand washing recommendations in schools is difficult. Therefore, we designed a study to evaluate the effect of hand sanitizer use in elementary schools on exacerbations among children with asthma. Purpose To describe the process of redesigning the trial in response to changes in the safety profile of the hand sanitizer as well as changes in hand hygiene practice in the schools. Methods The original trial was a randomized, longitudinal, subject-blinded, placebo-controlled, community-based crossover trial. The primary aim was to evaluate the incremental effectiveness of hand sanitizer use in addition to usual hand hygiene practices to decrease asthma exacerbations in elementary-age children. Three events occurred that required major modifications to the original study protocol: (1) safety concerns arose regarding the hand sanitizer’s active ingredient; (2) no substitute placebo hand sanitizer was available; and (3) community preferences changed regarding hand hygiene practices in the schools. Results The revised protocol is a randomized, longitudinal, community-based crossover trial. The primary aim is to evaluate the incremental effectiveness of a two-step hand hygiene process (hand hygiene education plus institutionally provided alcohol-based hand sanitizer) versus usual care to decrease asthma exacerbations. Enrollment was completed in May 2009 with 527 students from 30 schools. The intervention began in August 2009 and will continue through May 2011. Study results should be available at the end of 2011. Limitations The changed design does not allow us to directly measure the effectiveness of hand sanitizer use as a supplement to traditional hand washing practices. Conclusions The need to balance a rigorous study design with one that is acceptable to the community requires investigators to be actively involved with community collaborators and able to adapt study protocols to fit changing community practices.
Evaluating the Consequences of an Inland Waterway Port Closure With a Dynamic Multiregional Interdependence Model

As intermodal hubs connecting barge, train, and truck transportation modes, inland ports play an important role in U.S. and global commerce. Like coastal ports, inland ports face the risk of malevolent attacks, man-made accidents, and natural disasters. However, most port impact studies focus on the consequences of one of these disruptive events suddenly closing a coastal port. This paper examines the economic impact of suddenly closing an inland port by combining a simulation and a multiregional input-output model. The simulation models how companies may react if an inland waterway port suddenly closes, and the multiregional dynamic inoperability input-output model quantifies the interdependent effects of these decisions. We deploy this simulation and model on a case study involving an Oklahoma port on the Arkansas River. The case study indicates that, if a financial penalty is imposed on companies for delivering their commodities late, companies will move their products by train rather than wait for the port to reopen. These decisions save billions of dollars in production losses for the states that use the port. We discuss the implications of these results for policymakers concerned about limiting the consequences of port closures.
A Study of Some Acid-Fast Actinomycetes from Soil with Special Reference to Pathogenicity for Animals

Some of the actinomycetes, a small minority of the group, are acid-fast. The degree of acid-fastness, however, varies greatly from forms that are almost as acid-fast as tubercle bacilli to others that are only slightly more resistant to decolorization than ordinary bacteria. It is not uncommon, in cultures as well as in tissues, to see some elements that are distinctly acid-fast and others that are not, and filaments in which only portions are acid-fast. Some have referred to these lessened degrees of resistance to decolorization as semi-acid-fastness or partial acid-fastness. Acid-fastness in a filamentous organism was first described by Nocard1 in 1888, in Actinomyces farcinica, the cause of "farcin du boeuf," or bovine farcy. Later, in 1890, Eppinger2 found a similar organism, Act. asteroides, in a human infection. Since that time occasional reports of the finding of the same or similar organisms in human and animal infections have appeared. In 1921 Henrici and Gardner3 reviewed the papers that had appeared up to that time, and described another human infection with a species which they designated Act. gypsoides. Davis and Garcia,4 in 1923, studied an organism very similar to, if not identical with, that of Henrici and Gardner, which had been isolated from an abscess developing from the prick of a cactus thorn. In 1930, Sartory, Meyer, and Meyer5 isolated an organism which resembled Eppinger's Act. asteroides from a human bone infection. Bishop and Fenstermacher6 in 1933 isolated this species from the tissues of a cow that was suffering from a generalized infection. In 1925 Sanford and Voelker7 collected case reports of human actinomycosis in the United States. Of the 670 cases reviewed by them about 10 were due to acid-fast species. With a few exceptions, all cultures of acid-fast actinomycetes of which we have found a record, have originated in human or animal infections. These exceptions are:
Reduction of BVI noise using a leading edge air mass injection concept; a numerical study using large-eddy simulation

A novel technique regarding the reduction of helicopter blade-vortex interaction noise is proposed. The proposed technique is based on the idea of injecting air at the leading edge of the blade to alter the vortex characteristics (strength and core size). The numerical investigations are performed using the large-eddy simulation (LES) approach. The simulations were performed for a Reynolds number, Re = 1.3 x 10 6 , based on the NACA0012 airfoil chord and free-stream velocity. The present study shows that by injecting air at the leading edge of the blade, the influence of blade-vortex interaction on the aerodynamic coefficients and aeroacoustic noise is significantly reduced.
Teaching Historical Analysis through Creative Writing Assignments.

Incorporating creative writing exercises in history courses can heighten students' critical reading and analytical skills in an active learning model. We identify and define two types of possible assignments that use model texts as their locus: centripetal, which focuses on specific context and disciplinary terms, and centrifugal, which address paradigms in human experience. Imitative assignments that include emphasis on form or structure provide a clear framework for assessment. We provide models for both types of assignments in history survey courses, including our reflections on final analysis of the projects, means of assessing them, and qualitative evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach.
Alternate surface measurements for GMT primary mirror segments

The primary mirror for the 25-m Giant Magellan Telescope is made of seven circular segments, each of 8.4-m diameter. The lack of axisymmetry and the steep aspheric departure present significant technical challenges for the metrology. These segments will be measured interferometrically using a complex system of mirrors and holograms to give a null test with high spatial resolution. While analysis predicts this system will meet requirements, an additional set of measurements will be used to corroborate the principal interferometric measurement. The set of tests, including these alternate surface measurements, assures that all aspects of the mirror surface are measured completely and redundantly. The corroboration tests discussed in this paper are: x Direct surface profile using metrology system based on a laser tracker, measuring low order shape errors x Shear testing with full aperture interferometer, separating small scale errors in the null test from those in the mirror x Slope testing with scanning pentaprism, measuring low order shape errors and sampling small scale errors
Targeting platelet-derived soluble CD40 ligand: a new treatment strategy for HIV-associated neuroinflammation?

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) continues to be one of the most prevalent global health afflictions to date. The advent and introduction of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) has made a significant impact on the course of infection. However, as patients are living longer, many HIV-associated illnesses are becoming prevalent among the infected population, especially those associated with chronic inflammation. Consistently, HIV-associated neuroinflammation is believed to be a major catalyst in the development of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), which are estimated to persist in approximately 50% of infected individuals regardless of cART. This dramatically underscores the need to develop effective adjunctive therapies capable of controlling this aspect of the disease, which are currently lacking.
Prolonged Selection of pfmdr1 Polymorphisms After Treatment of Falciparum Malaria With Artemether-Lumefantrine in Uganda

We compared the prevalence of key pfmdr1 alleles between pretreatment Plasmodium falciparum parasite isolates and parasites that emerged after treatment of uncomplicated malaria in a longitudinal cohort of Ugandan children. The pfmdr1 86N, 184F, and 1246D alleles were selected after treatment with artemether-lumefantrine, but not after artesunate-amodiaquine or amodiaquine-sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. Remarkably, selection persisted in infections presenting up to about 60 days after treatment with artemether-lumefantrine. Thus, parasites selected for decreased drug sensitivity can appear long after predicted exposure to antimalarial drugs. Continued surveillance of the clinical efficacy and in vitro activity of new combination therapies is warranted.
Genome-wide gene-based analysis of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interaction with PTPN22 and HLA-DRB1

The genes PTPN22 and HLA-DRB1 have been found by a number of studies to confer an increased risk for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which indicates that both genes play an important role in RA etiology. It is believed that they not only have strong association with RA individually, but also interact with other related genes that have not been found to have predisposing RA mutations. In this paper, we conduct genome-wide searches for RA-associated gene-gene interactions that involve PTPN22 or HLA-DRB1 using the Genetic Analysis Workshop 16 Problem 1 data from the North American Rheumatoid Arthritis Consortium. MGC13017, HSPCAL3, MIA, PTPNS1L, and IGLVI-70, which showed association with RA in previous studies, have been confirmed in our analysis.
Remaking hospital space: the health care practices of injection drug users in New York City.

Abstract Background Medical care has long been depicted by social scientists as a field of social control, as well as a branch of Foucauldian disciplinary power. This report focuses attention on the hospital, a highly regulated place in the United States, and examines how injection drug users (IDUs) negotiate the medical social control and institutionalised disciplinary power they encounter in this place. Methods Twenty-eight qualitative interviews were conducted in New York City with low-income people who inject drugs on a regular basis. Interview questions focused on their health and drug use and interactions with health care providers. Results A variety of practices were employed to avoid, defy and subvert medical power. Study participants reported leaving the hospital when they felt ready rather than waiting to be discharged, actively seeking the type of care they wanted and ignoring medical advice. Conclusion The hospital is not a site of total control in the narratives of IDUs, but rather a space to seek a self-determined amount and type of care. These results can re-orient providers of health care services towards understanding the productivity of the relationship between IDUs and the hospital.
Nutritional care of the patient in office practice.

Nutritional care is increasingly an integral part of the total care of patients.1 Malnutrition—either undernutrition or overnutrition—is one of the most common and vexing problems a physician observes in practice. When a patient is hospitalized, chances are that the nutritional care will be good if the physician has the resources of an effective health team available and utihzes them. But the nutritional needs of a patient do not suddenly appear when he enters the hospital. Nor do they disappear when he is discharged. In many practices 75% to 90% of patient care takes place in the office, away from the hospital resources. Although there is a need for continuing nutritional care in the office, frequently the subject never comes up or efforts to meet this need fail dismally. Hewitt et al.2 maintain that less than one half of the patients continue for more than four weeks with weight reduction programs. Other studies3–5 in dicate that the success rate is even less.