cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rorschach Scores in Applied Clinical Practice: A Survey of Perceived Validity by Experienced Clinicians

We surveyed practicing clinicians who regularly used the Rorschach about the perceived clinical validity of specific Rorschach scores from many coding systems. The survey included quantitative feedback on the validity of specific variables as well as qualitative input in several areas, including the validity of specific variables, the potentially unique information that can be obtained from them, coding challenges associated with Comprehensive System (CS) codes, and recommendations for CS developments. Participants were recruited by applying a snowball sampling strategy. Based on responses from 246 experienced clinicians from 26 countries, composite judgments on rated variables were quite reliable (e.g., M α = .95 across 88 CS variables), despite limited agreement among any 2 judges. The aggregated judgments clearly differentiated among scores that were considered more and less clinically valid and the overall results aligned with recently obtained meta-analytic conclusions from the traditional validity literature (Mihura, Meyer, Dumitrascu, & Bombel, 2012). The judges also provided guidance concerning revisions and enhancements that would facilitate Rorschach-based assessment in the future. We discuss the implication of the quantitative and qualitative findings and provide suggestions for future directions based on the results.
INDUCED ROTATIONAL NYSTAGMUS IN NORMAL INFANTS.

The vestibular function in infants between 1 and 12 months of age was tested using a manual rotatory technique. Nystagmus during rotation (perrotatory) was present in all alert infants tested. Nystagmus after rotation, which was present in all infants between 1 and 5 months of age, occurred in only 2 of the 12 infants older than 6 months.
Enhanced Permeation Resistance in NBR/BIIR Composite Membranes

Abstract Permeation-resistance and mechanical-property measurements were carried out on NBR/BIIR membranes. It was found that, in addition to good tensile strength and ultimate elongation, the composites exhibited better permeation resistance against benzene and methylethyl ketone than the pure elastomers. An explanation based on synergetics is offered, namely the observed improvement may be due to interaction effects.
Fluid Administration, Brain Edema, and Cerebrospinal Fluid Lactate and Glucose Concentrations in Experimental Escherichia coli Meningitis

The effect of no fluids versus liberal fluid supplementation on brain edema and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lactate and glucose concentrations was compared in rabbits with experimental Escherichia coli meningitis. Fluid restriction for the duration of the experiment (19 h) led to a decrease in body weight by approximately 5%, while the high fluid regimen increased body weight by approximately 5%. Infected animals developed brain edema compared with controls, but the fluid regimen had no measurable effect on the degree of edema. In contrast, fluid-restricted animals had significantly higher CSF lactate and lower CSF glucose concentrations than fluid-supplemented animals (lactate, 13.5 +/- 3.5 vs. 10.1 +/- 3.3 mmol/L; glucose, 1.89 +/- 1.39 vs. 4.11 +/- 1.39 mmol/L). These results fail to support the hypothesis that administration of large amounts of fluid in this model of gram-negative bacterial meningitis aggravates brain edema.
Error Return Plots

Error-return plots show the rate of error (misunderstanding) against the rate of non-return (non-understanding) for Natural Language Processing systems. They are a useful visual tool for judging system performance when other measures such as recall/precision and detection-error tradeoff are less informative, specifically when a system is judged on the correctness of its responses, but may elect to not return a response.
A CAUTIONARY NOTE ON THE USE OF THE ALLOMETRIC FUNCTION TO ESTIMATE URBAN POPULATIONS

Use of the allometric function to estimate the number of inhabitants of urban areas, given knowledge of their land areas obtained through satellite photographs, rests as much on the stability of this function over time as on its goodness of fit to a cross section of cities at a single point in time. Using urban land and population data for four countries, the United States, Japan, Sweden, and Norway, this paper demonstrates that the function is not generally stable but rather has been subject to rapid upward shifts over the past 10 to 20 years.
The influence of music style and conductor race on perceptions of ensemble and conductor performance

The purpose of this study was to examine music style and conductor race on perceptions of ensemble and conductor performance. Results found that conductor race and music style significantly affected ratings of ensemble and conductor performance. Evaluators rated a white conductor group higher than a black conductor group conducting the same pre-recorded western art music excerpt. Likewise, the black conductor group was rated higher than the white conductor group when conducting the same pre-recorded spiritual music excerpt. Music style and conductor race were also significant factors in evaluations of conductors' body expressions. Higher eye contact, facial expression, and posture ratings were given to the white conductor group when conducting the western art excerpt, and the black conductor group was rated higher on the three body expressions when conducting the spiritual excerpt. Race of the evaluator was not a significant factor in evaluations of ensemble performance or conductor body expressions.
Effect of particle size on the water sorption properties of cereal fibers

Six particle size fractions were prepared by grinding and sieving stabilized hard red wheat bran, oat fiber, and corn bran. Water adsorption indices (WAI's) and effective diffusion coefficients (D eff ) were measured for all size fractions. WAI's of wheat bran decreased with particle size. WAI's of oat bran increased as particle size decreased and the WAI's of corn bran fractions did not vary as much as the other fibers. The D eff 's of wheat increased, of oat decreased, and of corn were about the same as the particle size decreased. The wheat D eff was less than that of corn which was less than that of oats. Monolayer moisture content and bulk moisture content at high A w were determined from moisture sorption isotherms measured on the smallest particles. There was no difference in the monolayer moistures but both corn and wheat brans adsorbed much more water at high A w than did the oat bran. Effect of particle size on water sorption and, by inference, some types of functionality cannot be generalized and must be determined for each type of fiber. L'addition de fibres alimentaires a des aliments transformes, pour developper des produits enrichis en fibres, est limitee par les caracteristiques de sorption de l'eau des fibres. Cette etude evalue la taille des particules qui correspond a la sorption d'eau minimale de 3 types de fibres alimentaires communes: sons de ble, d'avoine et de mais, stabilises. La taille des particules influence la sorption de l'eau pour le son de ble et d'avoine, pas pour le mais. L'adsorption d'eau de chaque type de fibre depend de la composition de la particule.
MobileASL: intelligibility of sign language video over mobile phones.

For Deaf people, access to the mobile telephone network in the United States is currently limited to text messaging, forcing communication in English as opposed to American Sign Language (ASL), the preferred language. Because ASL is a visual language, mobile video phones have the potential to give Deaf people access to real-time mobile communication in their preferred language. However, even today's best video compression techniques can not yield intelligible ASL at limited cell phone network bandwidths. Motivated by this constraint, we conducted one focus group and two user studies with members of the Deaf Community to determine the intelligibility effects of video compression techniques that exploit the visual nature of sign language. Inspired by eye tracking results that show high resolution foveal vision is maintained around the face, we studied region-of-interest encodings (where the face is encoded at higher quality) as well as reduced frame rates (where fewer, better quality, frames are displayed e...
MODVOLC: near-real-time thermal monitoring of global volcanism

MODVOLC is a non-interactive algorithm developed at the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) that uses low spatial resolution (1-km pixel-size) infrared satellite data acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to map the global distribution of volcanic thermal anomalies in near-real-time. MODVOLC scans the Level-1B MODIS data stream, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, for evidence of pixel and sub-pixel-sized high-temperature radiators. Once a hot spot has been identified its details (location, emitted spectral radiance, time, satellite observation geometry) are written to ASCII text files and transferred via FTP to HIGP, from where the results are disseminated via the internet http://modis.higp.hawaii.edu). In this paper, we review the underlying principles upon which the algorithm is based before presenting some of the results and data that have been obtained since its inception. We show how MODVOLC reliably detects thermal anomalies at a large number of persistently and sporadically active volcanoes that encompass the full range of common eruptive styles including Erebus (Antarctica), Colima (Mexico), Karymsky (Kamchatka), Popocatepetl (Mexico), Etna (Italy), and Nyiragongo (Democratic Republic of Congo), amongst others. We also present a few cautionary notes regarding the limitations of the algorithm and interpretation of the data it provides.
A clinical trial using syrup of ipecac and activated charcoal concurrently

A prospective study was conducted to determine if the emetic effects of syrup of ipecac are preserved when activated charcoal is administered prior to emesis. Ten overdose patients who fulfilled the entrance criteria for the study were administered 60 mL syrup of ipecac by a nasogastric tube followed immediately by 500 mL of tap water. Ten minutes after the ipecac was administered, an aqueous slurry of 50 g activated charcoal diluted to 500 mL was instilled down the nasogastric tube and the tube was removed. Emetic response and time to emesis were recorded. Thirty minutes after emesis subsided, a second dose of 50 g activated charcoal (with sorbitol) was administered orally. Emetic responses were noted in all ten patients. The patients averaged 3.7 emetic episodes. Emesis commenced in an average of 13.8 minutes from the start of ipecac administration and concluded in an average of 45.9 minutes. These results in patients are similar to those observed in a previously reported volunteer group similarly treated. This protocol allows early administration of activated charcoal while preserving the emetic properties of syrup of ipecac in the patients treated.
Stock Market Development and Long-Run Growth

Is there a strong empirical association between stock market development and long-term economic growth? Cross-country regressions suggest that there is a positive and robust association. Levine and Zervos empirically evaluate the relationship between stock market development and long-term growth. The data suggest that stock market development is positively associated with economic growth. Moreover, instrumental variables procedures indicate a strong connection between the predetermined component of stock market development and economic growth in the long run. While cross-country regressions imply a strong link between stock market development and economic growth, the results should be viewed as suggestive partial correlations that stimulate additional research rather than as conclusive findings. Much work remains to be done to shed light on the relationship between stock market development and economic growth. Careful case studies might help identify causal relationships and further research could be done on the time-series property of such relationships. Research should also be done to identify policies that facilitate the development of sound securities markets. This paper - a product of the Finance and Private Sector Development Division, Policy Research Department - is part of a larger effort in the department to study the relationship between financial systems and economic growth. The study was funded by the Bank's Research Support Budget under the research project Stock Market Development and Financial Intermediary Growth (RPO 679-53).
An implicit enumeration algorithm for arrival aircraft

A novel scheduling algorithm has been designed and coded to optimize arrival aircraft sequences and schedules. This algorithm, called the implicit enumeration (IE) scheduling algorithm, has been adopted as the foundation of the Traffic Management Advisor which is part of the Center/Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) Automation System (CTAS). Because of the dynamic nature of air traffic control, the IE scheduling algorithm has been developed to operate in a dynamic feedback environment. The algorithm structure which controls the scheduling feedback also provides the platform for other advances. The criteria to be optimized can be specified flexibly, and can be varied on-line. Another feature of the algorithm applies to the situation found at many high-density airports, where multiple runways are used for arrivals simultaneously. The approach taken in the algorithm allows the planning process to be expanded to include runway assignment. Initial results from using the IE algorithm for runway assignment indicate that significant performance enhancements are possible when both runway and sequence assignments are considered in the scheduling process. This algorithm was first used in early 1992 at the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center for the first stages of the field evaluation of CTAS by the FAA. >
Word Frequency as a Predictor of Students' Reading Vocabularies.

This paper reports the results of a study of word frequency as a predictor of students' reading vocabularies and the effects of grade, ability, and sex on word knowledge. Subjects, 432 seventh through twelfth grade students, received an 86 item vocabulary test on which each word represented a frequency block of 1,000 words (1st thousand most frequent, 2nd thousand most frequent . . . 86th thousand most frequent). Results indicated that correct responses tend to decline rapidly with less frequent words (regression slope = -.47) but that the relationship between fre- quency and word knowledge is not a strong one (r = .44). Results further indicated significant differences (p < .001) due to frequency, grade and ability but none due to sex. Implications for using frequency to control word difficulty and questions raised about vocabulary development are discussed. Word frequency is widely recognized as a useful predictor of word difficulty. The vocabulary employed in many beginning readers is chosen primarily on the basis of word frequency (Chali, 1967; Popp, 1975). Readability formulas, including those of Spache (1953), Dale-Chall (1948), and a number of other authors, employ some measure of word frequency as a principal factor (Klare, 1963,1974-75). Studies have shown that word frequency influences such matters as accuracy of perception (Gib- son, Pick, Osser, & Hammond, 1962), children's word identification ability (Pearson & Studt, 1975), speed in lexical decision tasks (Mason, 1976), and the ease of supply- ing words on cloze tests (Finn, 1977-78). And one study has shown that substituting a small number of high frequency words for low frequency words in a passage significantly and markedly improves comprehension of the passage (Marks, Doc- torow, & Wittrock, 1974). However, although word frequency is widely recognized and used as an in- dicator of word difficulty and although it is obvious that very frequent words are
Super-ASSET: a technique for measuring and correcting accelerator structure misalignments at the SLC

Transverse wakefield kicks from misaligned accelerating structures in the SLC linac contribute significantly to emittance growth. If these kicks could be measured directly, it would be possible to align and/or steer the beam to a kick-free trajectory. In the Accelerator Structure Test Facility at SLAC, ASSET, the kicks due to a drive bunch are measured with a witness bunch at varying bunch separations. In ASSET, the first bunch is discarded and only the second bunch is measured. Super-ASSET is an extension of this technique where both bunches are accelerated down the entire linac together and a "sum trajectory" of both bunches is measured with beam position monitors (BPMs). The trajectory of the second, kicked bunch can be calculated by subtracting the orbit of the first bunch, measured alone, from the sum trajectory. This paper discusses BPM response issues and the expected resolution of this technique together with alignment and steering strategies.
Structures of Triglycerides of Bovine Milk Serum. Short Chain Triglycerides

Abstract The structures of the triglycerides containing short chain fatty acids of bovine milk serum were determined by a combination of argentation-thin-layer and liquid-liquid partition chromatography. Some 168 different molecular species of triglycerides containing short chain acids were detected on the basis of a difference in degree of unsaturation or carbon number exclusive of positional isomers. All species present in amounts greater than the order of 0.01% were determined. The short chain fatty acids were widely distributed among the triglycerides, but significant amounts of triglycerides containing more than one short chain acid were detected. Although previous evidences for an interrelationship in the biosynthesis of triglycerides and lecithin were observed, comparison of the fatty acid and molecular species composition of the classes in milk serum in the present study did not reveal a direct relationship between the synthesis of these compounds.
Cross-polarization dynamics in polycrystalline samples

We observe non-monotonic development of the 13C magnetization in polycrystalline samples of glycine, sucrose, and adamantine during cross-polarization. We demonstrate, by fitting the time dependence, that the development quantitatively results from dipolar oscillations. To fit the data quantitatively requires one to assume two types of spin-diffusion behavior.
Network Completion and Survey Sampling

We study the problem of learning the topology of an undirected network by observing a random subsample. Specifically, the sample is chosen by randomly selecting a fixed number of vertices, and for each we are allowed to observe all edges it is incident with. We analyze a general formalization of learning from such samples, and derive confidence bounds on the number of differences between the true and learned topologies, as a function of the number of observed mistakes and the algorithm’s bias. In addition to this general analysis, we also analyze a variant of the problem under a stochastic block model assumption.
Genetic structure in a coastal dune spider (Geolycosa pikei) on Long Island, New York Barrier Islands

Abstract In this study, we analyse genetic structure among ten isolated populations of a sedentary burrowing wolf spider, Geolycosa pikei , collected from Long Island, New York barrier islands. Using allozyme electrophoresis to estimate gene frequencies at 12 loci, only four loci were polymorphic (i.e. Aat , Apk , Gpi , Idh-1 ), and populations showed little differentiation (mean F ST =0.020). Contrary to stepping-stone model predictions, the matrix of genetic distances among sites was not significantly associated with the physical distance matrix, which suggests that G. pikei on Long Island barriers does not adhere to a stepping-stone model. Geolycosa pikei may be better dispersers than previously estimated and/or the ephemeral quality of the inlets may not allow for the development of significant inter-populational genetic differences. In addition, geologic evidence suggests that these barriers became relatively stable only 8000 BP. Therefore, these habitats have been only recently colonized, which may result in low genetic variability and inter-populational differentiation possibly due to genetic drift from repeated and prolonged bottlenecks during recolonization (i.e. founder events).
Privacy and Security in Public Health: Maintaining the Delicate Balance between Personal Privacy and Population Safety

Amidst threats of pandemic avian influenza and bioterrorist attack, public health surveillance and preparedness have never been more important. Early detection of biological events, electronic reporting of laboratory test results, efficient exchange of case reports across jurisdictions, and timely alerting of health threats are critical components of effective health protection. Essential to public health surveillance and preparedness is the timely availability of information relating to individuals? healthcare behaviors and clinical conditions -- posing a threat to personal privacy. Public health is challenged to maintain an optimal balance between protecting the nation?s health and respecting the personal privacy of its citizens.
Parasympathetic effects on cardiac electrophysiology during exercise and recovery in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.

Depressed parasympathetic activity has been proposed to be associated with an increased risk of sudden death. Parasympathetic effects (PE) on cardiac electrophysiology during exercise and recovery have not been studied in patients with left ventricular dysfunction. We performed noninvasive electrophysiological studies (NI-EPS) and characterized the electrophysiological properties of the sinus node, atrioventricular (AV) node, and ventricle in subjects with depressed left ventricular ejection fraction and dual-chamber defibrillators. NI-EPS were performed during rest, exercise, and recovery at baseline and after parasympathetic blockade with atropine to assess PE (the difference between parameter values in the 2 conditions). Ten subjects (9 men: age, 60 ± 9 yr; and left ventricular ejection fraction, 29 ± 8%) completed the study. All NI-EPS parameters decreased during exercise and trended toward rest values during recovery. PE at rest, during exercise, and during recovery, respectively, were on sinus cycle length, 320 ± 71 (P = 0.0001), 105 ± 60 (P = 0.0003), and 155 ± 82 ms (P = 0.0002); on AV block cycle length, 137 ± 136 (P = 0.09), 37 ± 19 (P = 0.002), and 61 ± 39 ms (P = 0.006); on AV interval, 58 ± 32 (P = 0.035), 22 ± 13 (P = 0.002), and 36 ± 20 ms (P = 0.001); on ventricular effective refractory period, 15.8 ± 11.3 (P = 0.02), 4.7 ± 15.2 (P = 0.38), and 6.8 ± 15.5 ms (P = 0.20); and on QT interval, 13 ± 12 (P = 0.13), 3 ± 17 (P = 0.6), and 20 ± 23 (P = 0.04). In conclusion, we describe for the first time the changes in cardiac electrophysiology and PE during rest, exercise, and recovery in subjects with left ventricular dysfunction. PEs are preserved in these patients. Thus the role of autonomic changes in the pathophysiology of sudden death requires further exploration.
A new model of flow in a tangential counter‐rotating twin screw extruder

The flow of Newtonian fluids in a tangential counter-rotating twin screw extruder with matched and staggered screw flights is analyzed using hydrodynamic lubrication theory. The flow analysis network (FAN) method of Tadmor et al. as modified by Szydlowski et al. [Int. Polym. Proc., 1, 207 (1987)] has been applied to determine pressure fields and velocity fields. The results show lower pressure development and greater back flows for staggered flight as opposed to matched flight tangential counter-rotating twin screw extruders. The predictions agree well with experimental studies. Earlier theories of Kaplan and Tadmor, and Nichols overpredict the performance of matched flight twin screw machines.
Essential Role of Human Leukocyte Antigen-encoded Proteasome Subunits in NF-κB Activation and Prevention of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α-induced Apoptosis *

The multisubunit proteasome complex is the principal mediator of nonlysosomal protein degradation. The proteasome subunit varies minimally between cells with the exception of LMP2, LMP7, and LMP10 subunits in rodent and human cells. LMP2 and LMP7 subunits are encoded by the human lymphocyte antigen region, and they optimize proteolytic mediated antigen presentation. The proteasome is also important for the function of transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). It is required for NF-kappaB subunits p50 and p52 generation and catalyzes degradation of phosphorylated IkappaBalpha. These proteasome-mediated reactions have now been shown to be defective in T2 cells, a human lymphocyte cell line that lacks both LMP2 and LMP7. Although T2 cells contain normal expression of p100 and p105, the abundance of p50 and p52 was greatly reduced. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) induced normal phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha but failed to induce degradation of phosphorylated IkappaBalpha. Both DNA binding assays and luciferase assays revealed that TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB activation is defective in T2 cells. Unlike parental cells, T2 cells were susceptible to TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis. These data indicate human leukocyte antigen-linked proteasome subunits are essential for NF-kappaB activation and protection of cells from TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis.
Targeting of prostate cancer cells by a cytotoxic lentiviral vector containing a prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) promoter.

BACKGROUND The efficacy of prostate cancer gene therapy is limited by the inefficiency of prostate-specific promoters as compared to ubiquitous viral promoters. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the specificity and efficacy of a lentiviral vector driven by a PSCA promoter. METHODS Prostate cancer (LNCap, C42-B, and LAPC-4) and non-prostate cancer (HeLa, MB231, and MCF-7) cells were transduced with a lentiviral vector expressing either the luciferase or the HSV-TK suicide gene and driven by a short PSCA promoter. Specificity and efficacy were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS Luciferase expression was only detected in prostate cancer cells and was comparable to the universal CMV promoter. Luciferase expression in prostate cancer cells cultured with androgen was higher than that in cells cultured without androgen. In subsequent cytotoxicity experiments in which the luciferase marker gene was replaced with the HSV-TK gene, the lentiviral vector harboring the PSCA promoter induced cytotoxicity in prostate cancer cell lines while demonstrating a minimal effect on non-prostate cells. Cellular toxicity was correlated to increasing concentrations of the prodrug ganciclovir. Androgen had a positive effect on the cytotoxicity of this lentiviral construct. Intratumoral injection of prostate cancer xenografts with the lentiviral construct induced tumor growth inhibition versus saline controls. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that a lentiviral gene therapy vector driven by a short PSCA promoter can induce prostate-specific cellular toxicity in vivo and in vitro and may provide a strategy to selectively treat local and advanced metastatic prostate cancer. Prostate 69: 1422–1434, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Expression of multiple Na+/H+exchanger isoforms in rat parotid acinar and ductal cells

Several members of the Na+/H+exchanger gene family (NHE1, NHE2, NHE3, and NHE4) with unique functional properties have been cloned from rat epithelial tissues. The present study examined the molecu...
Within-plant distribution of twospotted spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) on impatiens: development of a presence-absence sampling plan.

The twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, is an important pest of impatiens, a floricultural crop of increasing economic importance in the United States. The large amount of foliage on individual impatiens plants, the small size of mites, and their ability to quickly build high populations make a reliable sampling method essential when developing a pest management program. In our study, we were particularly interested in using spider mite counts as a basis for releasing biological control agents. The within-plant distribution of mites was established in greenhouse experiments and these data were used to identify the sampling unit. Leaves were divided into three zones according to location on the plant: inner, intermediate, and other. On average, 40, 33, and 27% of the leaves belonged to the inner, intermediate, and other leaf zones, respectively. However, because 60% of the mites consistently were found on the intermediate leaves, intermediate leaves were chosen as the sampling unit. These results lead to the development of a presence–absence sampling method for T. urticae by using Taylor coefficients generic for this pest. The accuracy of this method was verified against an independent data set. By determining numerical or binomial sample sizes for consistently estimating twospotted spider mite populations, growers will now be able to determine the number of predatory mites that should be released to control twospotted spider mites on impatiens.
Additional Linear Modeling Topics

As we noted in Chap. 7, the range of applications and methods in linear modeling and regression is vast.
Characterizing Predictability of Precipitation Means and Extremes over the Conterminous United States, 1949–2010*

AbstractThe proper understanding of precipitation variability, seasonality, and predictability are important for effective environmental management. Precipitation and its associated extremes vary in magnitude and duration both spatially and temporally, making it one of the most challenging climate parameters to predict on the basis of global and regional climate models. Using information theory, an improved understanding of precipitation predictability in the conterminous United States over the period of 1949–2010 is sought based on a gridded monthly precipitation dataset. Predictability is defined as the recurrent likelihood of patterns described by the metrics of magnitude variability and seasonality. It is shown that monthly mean precipitation and duration-based dry and wet extremes are generally highly variable in the east compared to those in the west, while the reversed spatial pattern is observed for intensity-based wetness indices except along the Pacific Northwest coast. It is thus inferred that,...
A Round-Up on Cost-Effectiveness of Hypertension Therapy Based on the 2014 Guidelines

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the USA. Moreover, hypertension affects approximately 78 million people in the USA and is a major modifiable risk factor. Therefore, elevated blood pressure is listed as the primary contributory cause of death in 15 % of the 2.4 million deaths in 2009. Nonetheless, 44 % of the hypertensive population in the USA did not have it under control in 2014. Hypertension cost was averaged to be 40-50 billion dollars yearly including medications and services and currently rising. New hypertension guidelines recommend treating individuals between ages 35 and 74 with different stages of hypertension. Furthermore, individuals with existing co-morbidities such as chronic kidney disease and diabetes should have increased medication adherence and different blood pressure goal compared to those without co-morbidities. Studies utilizing quality-adjusted life-years (QUALYs) were conducted to asses the cost-effectiveness of treating previously untreated adults with hypertension. On average, treating adults between ages 35 to 74 years could prevent about 50,000 and 13,000 cardiovascular events and deaths, respectively. Overall, treating stage 1 and 2 hypertension adults including emphasis on medication adherence could be effective and cost saving. The purpose of this article is to review different methods and assess cost-effectiveness for hypertension therapy based on the 2014 guidelines.
ET-63TARGETING THE EGFR-STAT-NF-κB AXIS IN GLIOBLASTOMA

Amplification of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is observed in ∼50% of glioblastoma tumors. Half of EGFR-amplified tumors in-turn harbor the EGFRvIII mutant, a tumor-associated allele of EGFR which signals constitutively in the absence of ligand. We have previously shown that EGFR and EGFRvIII are co-expressed in rare cells in co-amplified glioblastoma, and that co-expression drives progression through activated STAT signaling. Others have shown that EGFRvIII-expressing cells signal though NF-κB to activate adjacent EGFR-expressing cells, and that GBM without amplified EGFR activates NF-κB through monoallelic inactivation of IκBα, a negative regulator. Thus, NF-κB is likely critical for gliomagenesis. We and others have shown that STAT3 is important for glioma, and that STAT3 and NF-κB can cooperate to promote progression. We propose that the axis linking EGFR, NF-κB, and STAT is a critical driver of stemness and aggression in glioblastoma, and that targeting this axis using available and emerging clinical agents will improve survival. We demonstrate that co-expression of EGFR and EGFRvIII activates NF-κB in addition to STAT signaling. Blockade of STAT3 activates both EGFR and NF-κB. Inhibition of NF-κB blocks STAT3 but activates EGFR, and cooperates with EGFR inhibitors to shut down EGFR-NF-κB-STAT signaling. Thus, the EGFR-STAT3-NF-κB axis represents a critical axis for GBM, with complex feedback regulation thwarting attempts to block any single node. We hypothesize that targeting this axis using combinatorial, translatable approaches will suppress EGFR-STAT-NF-κB signaling, leading to improved outcome in patients. We will present data testing combination therapies, prioritizing existing and emerging clinical agents, to determine effects on signaling and on malignant progression, in tumors expressing EGFR or co-expressing EGFR with EGFRvIII.
Testing of a Portion of Site 41WN104 in Advance of Proposed Improvements to Jackson Nature Park, Stockdale, Wilson County, Texas

On July 25, 2006 the Center for Archaeological Research at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted archaeological testing on portions of 41WN104 located in the Jackson Nature Park in Wilson County, Texas. The archaeological work, performed for the Office of the Wilson County Judge, was conducted on portions of 41WN104 that will be impacted by park improvements. The proposed improvements for the Jackson Nature Park will consist of the construction of a pavilion, a headquarters building and the addition of a septic tank. The three planned facilities will be connected with water and utilities lines. The construction of the two pads, the installation of the septic system, and the resulting utilities installations will result in subsurface impacts to the site. The testing was performed under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 4189 with Jennifer L. Thompson serving as the Principal Investigator and Antonia L. Figueroa serving as the Project Archaeologist. Six shovel tests and one backhoe trench were excavated during the archaeological investigations of the site. Shovel test excavations revealed a scatter of burned rock and lithic debitage. Intact soils are present in the area of the two proposed building pads, with minimal disturbance in the pavilion area associated with vegetation clearance. Cultural material is present to at least one meter below surface in the business headquarters area. Shovel testing along the proposed utility route revealed disturbance associated with improvements to an existing two-track road. Though the backhoe trench excavations failed to encounter features or in situ material, three pieces of debitage were recovered from screening and the soil seemed to be undisturbed. No features were identified during the investigations although two projectile points were encountered in shovel tests that appear to be Late Archaic and Late Prehistoric forms, respectively. While planned improvements to the Jackson Nature Park will impact portions of 41WN104, archaeological investigations in these areas failed to encounter intact features. Further work in these tested areas is not recommended. We recommend that the proposed improvements to the park proceed as planned. However, if construction plans change, including the route of the utilities, additional testing may be necessary. All artifacts collected during this project as well as all project associated documentation are curated at the Center for Archaeological Research according to Texas Historical Commission guidelines.
Research on microstructure and electrochemical properties of Al_xFeCoCrNiCu(x=0.25,0.5,1.0) high-entropy alloys

The microstructure of AlxFeCoCrNiCu(x=0.25,0.5,1) with different Al content have been studied.Their electrochemical properties are compared with 304 stainless steel and AlxFeCoCrNiCu high-entropy alloys.The results show that the structure of prepared high-entropy alloy is gradually changed from a single FCC phase to FCC phase and BCC phase with the addition of Al.With the addition of aluminum from x=0.25 to 1.0,the hardness of the alloys increase from 165 to 485 HV correspondingly.The polarization curves show that alloys has the better corrosion resistance than 304 stainless steel in 0.5mol/L H2SO4 solution and 1mol/L NaCl solution,and meanwhile Al0.5FeCoCrNiCu high-entropy alloy has the best comprehensive corrosion resistance.
Leukotrienes stimulate neutrophil adhesion to mesangial cells: modulation with lipoxins.

We have examined polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) adhesion to mesangial cells (MC) in vitro and have assessed the actions of lipoxygenase (LO) products in this process. On exposure to either leukotriene B4 (LTB4), or leukotriene D4 (LTD4), 111In-labeled PMNs adhere to monolayers of cultured MC. These actions were rapid in onset (less than 5 min) and dependent upon leukotriene concentration (10(-9) to 10(-6) M) and the presence of divalent cations. Adhesion was sustained (0-30 min), and neither LTB4 nor LTD4 was metabolized to inactive products during PMN-MC interaction, as determined by their recovery after reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. LTB4 was a PMN-directed stimulus, whereas LTD4 appeared to act on MC. A monoclonal antibody (TS 1/18) against the CD18 component of the PMN CD18/CD11 adhesion complex inhibited the LTB4-induced response, indicating involvement of this PMN glycoprotein in the adhesion process. In contrast, this antibody did not affect LTD4-induced adhesion, suggest...
Hedgehog Proteins Consume Steroidal CYP17A1 Antagonists: Potential Therapeutic Significance in Advanced Prostate Cancer

Abiraterone, a potent inhibitor of the human enzyme CYP17A1 (cytochrome P450c17), provides a last line of defense against ectopic androgenesis in advanced prostate cancer. Herein we report an unprecedented off-target interaction between abiraterone and oncogenic hedgehog proteins. Our experiments indicate that abiraterone and its structural congener, galeterone, can replace cholesterol as a substrate in a specialized biosynthetic event of hedgehog proteins, known as cholesterolysis. The off-target reaction generates covalent hedgehog-drug conjugates. Cell-based reporter assays indicate that these conjugates activate hedgehog signaling when present in the low nanomolar range. Because hedgehog signaling is implicated in prostate cancer progression, and abiraterone is administered to treat advanced stages of the disease, this off-target interaction may have therapeutic significance.
22. Dickinson’s I Heard a Fly Buzz when I Died

(1956). 22. Dickinson’s I Heard a Fly Buzz when I Died. The Explicator: Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 54-55.
Watsuji’s topology of the self

ABSTRACTThis essay critically develops Watsuji’s nondual ontology of the self through the lens of ‘topological’ thought. Through close description of the embeddedness of the self in, and its emergence from, an intersubjective space which, in turn, is rooted in a particular place, Watsuji shows that the self is constituted by its relational contact with others, on the one hand, and by its immersion in a wider geo-cultural environment, on the other. Yet Watsuji himself had difficulty in smoothly bringing together and integrating these themes. By showing how these domains work together to constitute the self, we bring into view the unity at the ground of Watsuji’s thought. Foremost among the difficulties in this account of the self is the question of how transcendence, the distance and difference that makes possible freedom and individuation, can be convincingly accounted for if the self is so completely identified with its insertion into social and natural structures. Beyond problems such as these, however,...
Correlation Between Critical Thinking Skills and National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses Success in Accelerated Bachelor Nursing Students

Abstract Critical thinking (CT) skills are expected of all nurses, yet a limited number of studies have explored the impact of CT on National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) pass rates. We examined 110 students in a first-degree accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program to explore whether CT is a first-attempt predictor of NCLEX-RN success. We found that there was a statistically significant relationship between CT scores and passing the NCLEX-RN.
A Unifying Order-Theoretic Framework for Superposition Coding: Polymatroidal Structure and Optimality in the Multiple-Access Channel With General Message Sets

Two different random coding techniques, both referred to as superposition coding in the literature, have been widely used to obtain inner bounds for the capacity regions of various communication networks. In one, auxiliary codewords are generated independently, and in the other, they are generated in a dependent manner. Using the multiple-access channel with general message sets as a case study, we place the two techniques under a common, order-theoretic framework. The key attribute of this framework is that it explicitly accounts for the acyclic direction and transitivity of the possible auxiliary codeword dependencies, leading to three significant discoveries. First, with respect to a fixed coding distribution, the set of rates achievable by superposition coding with dependent auxiliary codeword generation forms a polymatroid , thereby generalizing the same previously known result for superposition coding with independent auxiliary codewords. Second, we obtain a large class of superposition coding schemes by intermingling dependent and independent auxiliary codeword generation, and demonstrate that the constituent polyhedral achievable rate regions are also polymatroids in each case. The third discovery is that, in the multiple-access channel with general message sets, each associated superposition coding inner bound attains the capacity region. These results demonstrate a tradeoff between the complexity of dependencies in auxiliary codeword generation and that of the function that maps them into transmitted codewords.
A Two-Tilt Analysis of Electron Diffraction Patterns from Transition-Iron-Carbide Precipitates Formed During Tempering of 4340 Steel

Fine-scale transition-iron-carbide precipitates in a lath martensitic microstructure of 4340 steel tempered at 200 °C for 1 h were examined via imaging and electron diffraction techniques with a transmission electron microscope. Region-to-region variations were eliminated by analyzing a small volume of material (about 0.03 μm3) at two tilt conditions. Geometric analyses showed that measured interplanar spacings compared favorably with accepted values from both epsilon-carbide and eta-carbide phases (within 1%), whereas measured interplanar angles were within 1−2% of accepted values. Centered-dark-field imaging identified precisely which reflections were produced from a single group of small precipitates (each about 10 nm in diameter). Consistent indexing schemes are provided for epsilon- and eta-carbide, including the proper angular relationship between the two tilt conditions. An interzonal angle of 17.9o ± 0.1o was determined for both candidate phases. The orientation relationship between the observed transition-iron-carbide phase and martensite was determined, and confirmed previous results reported for both carbide phases. Diffracted intensities of several reflections were estimated and compared favorably with those calculated from structure factors derived from idealized crystal structures of both transition-iron-carbide phases. All results are shown to be near-equally consistent with a hexagonal epsilon-carbide phase and an orthorhombic eta-carbide phase.
Alternative separation and extraction: UREX+ processes for actinide and targeted fission product recovery

Abstract: The separations strategy for the UREX + type processes is based on an optimization approach for which key objectives for a closed or partially closed fuel cycle are pre-determined. The overall process is composed of a sequence of separation steps or modules linked to generate a desired set of outputs, whether products or intermediates. Processing options are shown for the case of LWR recycle, where incentives exist to separate and recycle the actinides, and separate and manage fission products. The UREX + approach was successfully tested for the recycle of LWR SNF for a number of different product and waste forms configurations and the results from these tests are given.
An Optimization Model for Advanced Biofuel Production Based on Bio-oil Gasification

Biomass can be converted to transportation fuels through gasification. However, commercialization of biomass gasification has been hampered by its high capital and operating costs, in addition to the difficulties of transporting bulky solid biomass over a long distance. A novel approach is to convert biomass to bio-oil at widely distributed small-scale fast pyrolysis plants, transport the bio-oil to a centralized location, gasify the bio-oil to syngas, and upgrade the syngas to transportation fuels. In this paper, a two-stage stochastic programming is formulated. The first-stage makes the capital investment decisions including the locations and capacities of the bio-facilities (fast pyrolysis and refining facility) while the second-stage determines the biomass and biofuels flows. This paper aims to find the optimal design of the supply chain for this certain path considering uncertainties in biomass yield, biofuel price and transportation costs.
Assessment of an approach to printed polymer lenses

Additive manufacturing is proving its relevancy across a wide spectrum of development, prototyping and manufacturing in the US. However, there is a desire to move the capability beyond modeling and structural components. The use of additive manufacturing techniques to fabricate low-cost optics and optical systems is highly desirable in a number of markets. But processes and techniques for successfully printing an optic are currently very new. This paper discusses early advances in printing optics suitable for commercial and military applications. Data from and analysis of early prototype lenses fabricated using one possible technique will be included and discussed. The potential for additive manufacturing of optics to open the design space for complex optics and reduce development time, lowering cost and speeding up time to market, will also be discussed.
The Decentralized Central Bank: A Review Essay on The Power and Independence of the Federal Reserve by Peter Conti-Brown

This essay discusses the structure and governance of the Federal Reserve System in light of the many changes in its activities over the past thirty years. Based on this analysis, it argues in favor of four specific reforms: clarification of Congressional expectations for the system; enhanced Federal Reserve Board of Governors transparency with respect to its oversight of the Reserve Banks; stripping monetary-policy votes from the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Boards of Directors of the Reserve Banks; and the initiation of a public conversation about redesigning the Federal Reserve as a unified public entity.