cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of IMRT in reducing penile doses in dose escalation for prostate cancer.

Abstract Purpose: In three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), penile tissues adjacent to the prostate are exposed to significant doses of radiation. This is likely to be a factor in development of posttreatment erectile dysfunction. In this study, we investigate whether intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) leads to lower radiation exposure to proximal penile tissues (PPT) when compared with 3D-CRT. Methods and materials: Ten randomly selected patients with clinically localized prostate cancer constituted the study group. Using identical structure sets, 3D-CRT and IMRT plans were designed for each patient. For IMRT, both tomographic (TOMO) and step-and-shoot (SS) techniques were used. Treatment plans were developed using 18 MV photons for 3D-CRT, 6 MV photons for TOMO, and 6 MV and 18 MV photons for SS plans. The PPT up to the beginning of the penile shaft (usually measuring 2–3 cm) was outlined by a team composed of a board-certified urologist and a radiation oncologist. The outlined PPT was subdivided into three segments (P1, P2, P3), and the radiation dose to each segment and to the entire structure was calculated. In addition, PPT was subdivided into corporal cavernosa (CC) and corpus spongiosum (bulb). The prostate dose was escalated from 73.8 Gy to 81 Gy to 90 Gy. Target D 95 (dose to 95% volume), critical structure D 5 (dose to 5% volume), and D mean (mean dose) were used in the comparison among treatment plans. Because 3D-CRT uses larger field margins than does IMRT, target and critical structure doses were recalculated in 3D-CRT plans employing field margins obtained from IMRT plans. Planning target volumes in original and modified 3D-CRT plans were the same. Results: Compared with 3D-CRT plans, the mean PPT doses were reduced by 40.2%, 43.6%, and 46.2%, respectively, at the three prescription dose levels in TOMO plans. The average D mean for CC was lower by 46.4%, 48.4%, and 51.4%, whereas the average bulb D mean was reduced by 44.2%, 44.9%, and 47.9%, respectively. There was also considerable sparing of P1, with a reduction in average D mean of 41.9%, 45.5%, and 48.5% compared with 3D-CRT. All differences between 3D-CRT and IMRT doses were statistically significant ( p 5 ) for penile structures. The percent dose reduction with IMRT plans improved as prostate dose was escalated. When compared with 3D-CRT plans with reduced fields, IMRT plans showed slightly smaller but still significant improvements in critical structure doses ( p Conclusions: IMRT allows for dose escalation in prostate cancer while keeping penile tissue doses significantly lower compared to conformal radiotherapy. This may result in improved potency rates over current results observed with 3D-CRT.
An Appraisal of the Life of Charles Thomas Jackson as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Charles Thomas Jackson claimed to have original ideas that led to the creation of guncotton, the electromagnetic telegraph, and the use of ether as an anesthetic. There was, though, a gap between when the idea was enunciated and when it became reality, with other individuals accomplishing the latter. An examination of Charles Jackson's life reveals a pattern of behavior that is compatible with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with an associated diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder. These diagnoses are explored in the context of Jackson's life to explain why he did not carry his initial thoughts to fruition.
A dynamically reconfigurable adaptive viterbi decoder

The use of error-correcting codes has proven to be an effective way to overcome data corruption in digital communication channels. Although widely-used, the most popular communications decoding algorithm, the Viterbi algorithm, requires an exponential increase in hardware complexity to achieve greater decode accuracy. In this paper, we describe the analysis and implementation of a reduced-complexity decode approach, the adaptive Viterbi algorithm (AVA). Our AVA design is implemented in reconfigurable hardware to take full advantage of algorithm parallelism and specialization. Run-time dynamic reconfiguration is used in response to changing channel noise conditions to achieve improved decoder performance. Implementation parameters for the decoder have been determined through simulation and the decoder has been implemented on a Xilinx XC4036-based PCI board. An overall decode performance improvement of 7.5X for AVA has been achieved versus algorithm implementation on a Celeron-processor based system. The use of dynamic reconfiguration leads to a 20% performance improvement over a static implementation with no loss of decode accuracy.
Magnetic recording demonstration over 100 Gbit/In/sup 2/

Areal density growth has enabled hard disk drives to continually fulfill the demands from new enterprise, desktop, and consumer applications. The demonstration of 100 Gb/in/sup 2/ is another milestone that was achieved recently and is described in this paper. The recording demonstration employed fully integrated magnetic recording heads and thermally stable multilayer antiferromagnetically coupled (AFC) media through a commercially available channel chip. At a track density of 149 ktpi and linear density of 680 kbpi, the achieved off-track capability with 5% track squeeze was 10% of the track pitch, while maintaining a raw bit-error rate (BER) of 10/sup -4/ or better. This yielded an areal density of 101 Gb/in/sup 2/ with measured on-track raw BER of 5/spl times/10/sup -5/.
Innovative laser heating methodology study for crack growth retardation in aircraft structures

Abstract Aging aircraft, both in military and commercial sectors, present a risk of air safety to the crew and passengers. The air safety risk associated with older aircraft is structural degradation often in the form of fatigue. Neglecting the extent of fatigue crack growth can result in detrimental effects to the aircraft and, in turn, to the people on board. This paper discussed the evaluation on a unique method for reducing the growth rate of fatigue cracks in aluminum alloy sheet materials commonly used in aircraft fuselage. This is accomplished by a laser heating technique using a CO 2 laser which results in thermally inducing a sufficiently high tensile residual stress at a region in front of the crack without altering the microstructure or the strength of the material. The methodology associated with this technique was evaluated in two steps: parametric study of key processing variables using finite element method and experimental testing of fatigue samples for crack growth. 2024-T3 aluminum alloy sheet was chosen for the study. Results to date indicate that the laser heating process has great potential as a means to retard fatigue crack growth in aluminum sheet, and thus can improve the life of aircraft skin structures.
Transorbital superior ophthalmic vein sacrifice to preserve vision in ocular hypertension from aseptic cavernous sinus thrombosis

Aseptic cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST) is rare and may clinically masquerade as a carotid cavernous fistula. Conventional management includes oral anticoagulation, but cases of ocular hypertension affecting vision may require more aggressive intervention. We report a case of a woman with spontaneous bilaterally occluded cavernous sinuses with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), which resolved immediately following unilateral superior ophthalmic vein (SOV) sacrifice. She was subsequently placed on oral anticoagulants. By 4 months postoperatively her IOP was normalized and her vision had improved. Repeat angiography demonstrated stable venous filling, with some mild improvement of flow through the cavernous sinus. Coil-mediated sacrifice of the SOV might be an effective means to relieve ocular hypertension and preserve vision in the setting of aseptic CST.
THE UNIFORM BOUNDEDNESS PRINCIPLE FOR ARBITRARY LOCALLY CONVEX SPACES

We establish uniform boundedness principle for pointwise bounded families of continuous linear operators between locally convex spaces which require no assumptions such as barrelledness on the domain space of the operators. We give applications of the result to separately continuous bilinear operators between locally convex spaces.
The Gradual Loss of Mood Distinctions in Los Angeles Spanish.

This article focuses on a change affecting Spanish in contact with English in the United States: namely, simplification and loss of Subjunctive (Sub) mood morphology. Conversational data from 17 Mexican-American bilinguals living in the eastern section of Los Angeles are analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The speakers represent three different immigrant groups, according to length of family stay in the United States. The variation between Indicative (Ind) and Sub usage attested in the Spanish-speaking world results from the continuing modifications which have affected the distribution of Ind and Sub forms through the diachronic development of Spanish: previously obligatory contexts for the use of Sub are now categorically Ind or allow both Sub and Ind to different degrees across social and geographic parameters. In the Spanish of Los Angeles, the internal tendencies toward a reduction of the obligatory use of the Sub are strengthened, as may be expected in a situation of language contact in which obligatory contexts for the use of a form are more resistant to change than those that allow a selection between two or more forms with closely related meanings.
Development and Validation of the Collaborative Parent Involvement Scale for Youths with Type 1 Diabetes

To develop and test a youth-report measure of collaborative parent involvement in type 1 diabetes management.
Parent ratings of infant temperament: Lessons from twin studies

Abstract Twin research can provide important information regarding the validity of parent-rated temperament. As a follow-up to Rothbart and Hwang (2002) and Seifer (2002) , the present paper reviews research from twin studies which suggests that parent rating measures of temperament are prone to contrast effects. The significance of such rater biases for non-twin research is discussed.
Openness and Restraint: Structure, Discourse, and Contention in Saudi Twitter

In this study, we map and analyze the structure and content of the Saudi Twittersphere and identify the communities that coalesce around different political, religious, social, and cultural topics and viewpoints. This study of the Saudi Twittersphere offers a detailed view of public sentiment and provides insights into the overall structure, discourse, and communities of the network. We look into how users take advantage of the fact that Twitter is an unfiltered media platform to advance their political and social causes. We also examine three case studies centered on issues that received extensive attention on Twitter at the national level during the course of this study.Twitter opens up public space for Saudi citizens to engage in political and social discourse in a country that heavily restricts political speech, civic engagement, and media freedom. This space is technically accessible for public participation, but is shaped by legal measures regulating objectionable content and fear of confrontation with state policies and social norms. These nontechnical factors that constrain users seem to be behind two online behaviors that we observe on Saudi Twitter: users opt to self-censor their online activities to avoid problematic speech, and many of those who take controversial political stands choose to do so using pseudonyms. Within these constraints, the discourse and communities on Twitter reveal intellectual diversity and social divisions. We are able to see who is most interested in what issues and which topics are debated.
PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AMONG DROSOPHILA LONGICORNIS, DROSOPHILA PROPACHUCA AND DROSOPHILA PACHUCA, A TRIAD OF SIBLING SPECIES

Drosophila longicornis, D. propachuca and D. pachuca comprise a triad of sibling species. They are morphologically indistinguishable, sympatric forms that, under laboratory conditions, are capable of exchanging genes through the production of fertile F(1) females. However, we have no evidence for introgressive hybridization in nature. The chromosomal constitution of our strains indicates that the ancestral species had the Primitive E gene sequence, and therefore differed from the standard repleta sequence by being Xabc; 2abcg; 3abc. This Primitive E sequence is found in both D. propachuca and D. longicornis. Each of these two species has its own unique rearrangements. D. pachuca is a derived species, which evolved from propachuca. It is cytologically more advanced and has, as its most primitive gene arrangement, one of the more advanced arrangements found in propachuca.
How We Judge the Judges

How does the importance of personal character, the ethical quality of the individual, compare as between a secular judge - say a United States federal judge or a state court judge - and a religious authority such as a leading traditional rabbi? To put the question a little more narrowly, how much does a person’s moral character count, both in theory and practice, in attaining and keeping such a position?An American judge and a traditional rabbi are not strictly comparable, of course. But if there is a secular authority to which a rabbi is most comparable, especially a rabbi whose rulings are influential among Orthodox Jews, it is probably the judge.Such a rabbi is invariably expected to be a morally exemplary person, even to be a kind of living ideal, whereas what is typically expected of a secular judge is much more limited. The reason is partly that a rabbi is a religious leader as well as a legal authority, and as in any religion, expected to set a good example. But beyond that, there are differences in the nature and institutions of Jewish and secular law which go far towards explaining why moral character seems to be more important for rabbinic authorities - whether or not they always meet the lofty standards - than for the judiciary of a secular, liberal state.One important difference is that the scope of law in a secular, liberal society is limited: broadly along lines set out in Mill’s On Liberty. The Torah, by contrast - like Islamic law - governs all, or almost all, aspects of life. Given the breadth of a rabbi’s authority in their lives, it is only reasonable that his followers should take a deep interest in his character.A second difference is that the power of an American judge is hedged in by an elaborate institutional framework of constraints, whereas there are fewer constraints, at least fewer formal checks and balances, on rabbinic authority.The religious preoccupation with personal character has implications for any possible new directions in the Orthodox world. The trend in Orthodox Judaism in recent decades has been towards ever greater rigour in religious observance and antipathy to innovation in the interpretation of Jewish law. Personal character is apt to be especially important for any rabbi who would challenge the prevailing trend. To rule “leniently” or innovatively, especially on issues felt to be of defining religious importance, a rabbinic leader would surely need strong Jewish scholarship but also strong personal authority, at least if such rulings are to hope for acceptance in today’s Orthodox world.
For Corporate Taxes: Lower Rates, Raise Revenues

This article presents a plan to streamline corporate taxes that would raise revenue while ensuring fairness and lowering statutory rates.
Effects of Dietary Protein and Season on Fertility of Turkey Semen Stored 18 Hours at 5 C.

Abstract The effects of two levels of dietary protein fed from 18 to 45 weeks of age on the fertility of unstored semen and semen stored 18 hr at 5 C were determined. The effects of conducting the test in the fall-winter and spring-summer seasons were compared. Fertility of unstored semen was not affected by dietary protein or season. Fertility of stored semen from males producing in the fall-winter and fed a 8% protein diet was lower than males fed a 15% protein diet. Fertility of stored semen from males producing in the spring-summer was not influenced by dietary protein.
Isolation from Fresh Human Serum of a Fraction which Inhibits Certain Serological Reactions.

SummaryFrom human serum (syphilitic and non-syphilitic) a fraction comprising from 0.6 to 1% of the total serum proteins, and containing an inhibitor for certain serological reactions such as the Kline and Kahn tests, has been isolated by means of chemical fractionation with phosphate buffers. This inhibitory substance as it occurs in serum, may be reversibly inactivated by hypertonic solutions of electrolytes, and irreversibly by heat.
A geological perspective on the degradation and conservation of western Atlantic coral reefs

Continuing coral-reef degradation in the western Atlantic is resulting in loss of ecological and geologic functions of reefs. With the goal of assisting resource managers and stewards of reefs in setting and measuring progress toward realistic goals for coral-reef conservation and restoration, we examined reef degradation in this region from a geological perspective. The importance of ecosystem services provided by coral reefs-as breakwaters that dissipate wave energy and protect shorelines and as providers of habitat for innumerable species-cannot be overstated. However, the few coral species responsible for reef building in the western Atlantic during the last approximately 1.5 million years are not thriving in the 21st century. These species are highly sensitive to abrupt temperature extremes, prone to disease infection, and have low sexual reproductive potential. Their vulnerability and the low functional redundancy of branching corals have led to the low resilience of western Atlantic reef ecosystems. The decrease in live coral cover over the last 50 years highlights the need for study of relict (senescent) reefs, which, from the perspective of coastline protection and habitat structure, may be just as important to conserve as the living coral veneer. Research is needed to characterize the geological processes of bioerosion, reef cementation, and sediment transport as they relate to modern-day changes in reef elevation. For example, although parrotfish remove nuisance macroalgae, possibly promoting coral recruitment, they will not save Atlantic reefs from geological degradation. In fact, these fish are quickly nibbling away significant quantities of Holocene reef framework. The question of how different biota covering dead reefs affect framework resistance to biological and physical erosion needs to be addressed. Monitoring and managing reefs with respect to physical resilience, in addition to ecological resilience, could optimize the expenditure of resources in conserving Atlantic reefs and the services they provide.
A Systemic-Functional Analysis of English Language Learners' Writing

This article presents a systemic-functional linguistic analysis of two writingsamples of the University of California Analytical Writing Placement(AWP) Examination written by English language learners (ELLs). Theanalysis shows the linguistic features utilized in the two writing samples,one that received a passing score and one that received a failing score. Thearticle describes some of the grammatical resources which are functionalfor expository writing, which are divided under three main categories:textual, interpersonal, and ideational resources. Following this briefdescription is the analysis of both essays in terms of these resources..The confi guration of grammatical features used in the essays make up thedetached style of essay 1 and the more personal style of essay 2. Thesegrammatical features include the textual resources of thematic choicesand development, clause-combining strategies (connectors), and lexicalcohesion; interpersonal resources of interpersonal metaphors of modality;and ideational resources of nominalization and abstractions as ideationalmetaphors. . Implications for educational practice and recommendationsfor educators based on the analysis are provided.
Additive manufacturing of materials: Opportunities and challenges

Additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing) is considered a disruptive technology for producing components with topologically optimized complex geometries as well as functionalities that are not achievable by traditional methods. The realization of the full potential of 3D printing is stifled by a lack of computational design tools, generic material feedstocks, techniques for monitoring thermomechanical processes under in situ conditions, and especially methods for minimizing anisotropic static and dynamic properties brought about by microstructural heterogeneity. This article discusses the role of interdisciplinary research involving robotics and automation, process control, multiscale characterization of microstructure and properties, and high-performance computational tools to address each of these challenges. Emerging pathways to scale up additive manufacturing of structural materials to large sizes (>1 m) and higher productivities (5–20 kg/h) while maintaining mechanical performance and geometrical flexibility are also discussed.
Three Ingredients for Improved Global Aftershock Forecasts: Tectonic Region, Time‐Dependent Catalog Incompleteness, and Intersequence Variability

Following a large earthquake, seismic hazard can be orders of magnitude higher than the long‐term average as a result of aftershock triggering. Because of this heightened hazard, emergency managers and the public demand rapid, authoritative, and reliable aftershock forecasts. In the past, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) aftershock forecasts following large global earthquakes have been released on an ad hoc basis with inconsistent methods, and in some cases aftershock parameters adapted from California. To remedy this, the USGS is currently developing an automated aftershock product based on the Reasenberg and Jones (1989) method that will generate more accurate forecasts. To better capture spatial variations in aftershock productivity and decay, we estimate regional aftershock parameters for sequences within the Garcia et al. (2012) tectonic regions. We find that regional variations for mean aftershock productivity reach almost a factor of 10. We also develop a method to account for the time‐dependent magnitude of completeness following large events in the catalog. In addition to estimating average sequence parameters within regions, we develop an inverse method to estimate the intersequence parameter variability. This allows for a more complete quantification of the forecast uncertainties and Bayesian updating of the forecast as sequence‐specific information becomes available. Online Material: Omori parameter confidence limits, alternative Omori fits taking into account b ‐value variation, larger tectonic regions, and a longer temporal fitting window, and synthetic test results.
Epidemiology and Genetic Risk Factors of Drug Hepatotoxicity

Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) from prescription medications and herbal and dietary supplements has an annual incidence rate of approximately 20 cases per 100,000 per year. However, the risk of DILI varies greatly according to the drug. In the United States and Europe, antimicrobials are the commonest implicated agents, with amoxicillin/clavulanate the most common, whereas in Asian countries, herbal and dietary supplements predominate. Genetic analysis of DILI is currently limited, but multiple polymorphisms of human leukocyte antigen genes and genes involved in drug metabolism and transport have been identified as risk factors for DILI.
What do we know about fashion advertising? A review of the literature and suggested research directions

This paper’s aim is to provide a comprehensive review of the literature on fashion advertising. Toward this end, the paper describes major theoretical perspectives that have been used in fashion ad...
Exercise and trainability: contexts and consequences.

Systematic and regular changes in physical activity - known as exercise training - evoke a host of short and long term physiological adaptations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Abstract 133: Perceived Barriers And Facilitators Of Adoption Of Radial PCI Among Participants In A Pilot Training Program

Background: Trial and registry studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of routine use of radial-access PCI (rPCI). However, while rPCI has been widely adopted in other countries, in the US it accounts for fewer than 2% of PCIs. Although a number of papers have conjectured reasons, virtually no research has been conducted to understand why adoption and implementation is so limited or what might be done to improve it. Aims: Our specific aim was to identify barriers and facilitators to adoption of radial PCI among catheterization (cath) lab personnel participating in a pilot training program for rPCI. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with cardiac cath teams at 3 pilot training program sites. We analyzed interviews inductively, using the constant comparative method for the purpose of surfacing possible barriers and facilitators. Results: We interviewed 8 participants: 2 interventionalists, 4 cath nurses, and 2 radiology technicians. We identified 8 overall themes (Figure 1). Facilitators related to the advantages for patients, staff and the facility in terms of releasing patients sooner, and making patients more comfortable. Barriers related to concerns about safety and long term outcomes of rPCI, and the technical difficulty and lack of training support and standard policies and procedures. Discussion: By conducting interviews among participants in a pilot training program, we largely precluded lack of motivation and interest as barriers. However, even in this group, concerns emerged about lack of long term research on complications for patients, and radiation exposure for the cath team. These data were collected among participants in a VA rPCI pilot training program, and may not be representative of other cardiac catheterization laboratory staff. Nor do our findings speak to the prevalence or relative importance of these factors. Future research will develop and field a structured survey to assess these barriers and facilitators in the population of VA interventionalists.
Impaired Value Learning for Faces in Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Objective One of the common findings in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is limited selective attention toward social objects, such as faces. Evidence from both human and nonhuman primate studies suggests that selection of objects for processing is guided by the appraisal of object values. We hypothesized that impairments in selective attention in ASD may reflect a disruption of a system supporting learning about object values in the social domain. Method We examined value learning in social (faces) and nonsocial (fractals) domains in preschoolers with ASD (n = 25) and typically developing (TD) controls (n = 28), using a novel value learning task implemented on a gaze-contingent eye-tracking platform consisting of value learning and a selective attention choice test. Results Children with ASD performed more poorly than TD controls on the social value learning task, but both groups performed similarly on the nonsocial task. Within-group comparisons indicated that value learning in TD children was enhanced on the social compared to the nonsocial task, but no such enhancement was seen in children with ASD. Performance in the social and nonsocial conditions was correlated in the ASD but not in the TD group. Conclusion The study provides support for a domain-specific impairment in value learning for faces in ASD, and suggests that, in ASD, value learning in social and nonsocial domains may rely on a shared mechanism. These findings have implications both for models of selective social attention deficits in autism and for identification of novel treatment targets.
Palate shape and articulatory range

Using the Wisconsin X-ray microbeam corpus, this paper explores the relationship between palate shape in the saggital plane and articulatory variation. The corpus has been updated with tags (Praat Textgrids) marking the acoustic onsets and offsets of words and phones. In addition, the sound files have been translated to WAV format, and the articulatory data saved as plain text files. The shape of the palate for each of 57 speakers of American English was measured in terms of the total 2D area of the palate vault above the occlusal plane. Articulatory variability was measured in terms of the interquartile ranges of the x and y locations of 7 pellets attached to the tongue (4 pellets), lips (upper and lower), and jaw. Although there is a significant correlation between palate area and the range of motion of some articulators (particularly on the body of the tongue, but surprisingly to this author, not the motion of the jaw), the study also finds that there is a great deal of variation among speakers. Articu...
Image-guided radiotherapy reduces the risk of under-dosing high-risk prostate cancer extra-capsular disease and improves biochemical control

To determine if reduced dose delivery uncertainty is associated with daily image-guidance (IG) and Prostate Specific Antigen Relapse Free Survival (PRFS) in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) of high-risk prostate cancer (PCa). Planning data for consecutive PCa patients treated with IMRT (n = 67) and IG-IMRT (n = 35) was retrieved. Using computer simulations of setup errors, we estimated the patient-specific uncertainty in accumulated treatment dose distributions for the prostate and for posterolateral aspects of the gland that are at highest risk for extra-capsular disease. Multivariate Cox regression for PRFS considering Gleason score, T-stage, pre-treatment PSA, number of elevated clinical risk factors (T2c+, GS7+ and PSA10+), nomogram-predicted risk of extra-capsular disease (ECD), and dose metrics was performed. For IMRT vs. IG-IMRT, plan dosimetry values were similar, but simulations revealed uncertainty in delivered dose external to the prostate was significantly different, due to positioning uncertainties. A patient-specific interaction term of the risk of ECD and risk of low dose to the ECD (p = 0.005), and the number of elevated clinical risk factors (p = 0.008), correlate with reduced PRFS. Improvements in PSA outcomes for high-risk PCa using IG-IMRT vs. IMRT without IG may be due to improved dosimetry for ECD.
Return to Work After Acute Myocardial Infarction: The Importance of Patients' Preferences.

See Article by Warraich et al The longstanding disease-centered outlook on patient care, where physicians make the majority of treatment decisions, is increasingly being challenged by patient-centered healthcare, defined by the Institute of Medicine as “care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values.”1 Providing such care requires a shift that recognizes that the success of treatments is dependent on patients not only adhering to treatments, but actively engaging in their own self-care.2 Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a common cardiac condition and a classic example of how patient-centered care can be readily applied to optimize outcomes. AMI is a life-changing event that is often accompanied by a complex set of emotional reactions, including fear, anxiety, isolation, and depression, that pose barriers to successful recovery and functioning—including the ability to resume employment. In the last decade, advancements in prevention and treatment strategies for AMI have led to significant improvements in clinical outcomes such as mortality.3 Although clinical outcomes are obviously crucial, patients report that patient-centered outcomes, like the ability to return to work post-AMI, are vital to their recovery too. Because 95% of patients with AMI survive the initial hospitalization and are discharged home,4 it is crucial to understand this transitional period in patients’ lives. Incorporating patients’ preferences, needs, values, and goals into treatment should include addressing patient preferences about employment. There is emerging qualitative research illustrating the importance of work in the lives of patients who have experienced an AMI as a motivating factor in recovery and day to day self-care. For example, reflections5 from a 58-year-old employed female explained “…work is important to me both mentally and physically. I wanted to get back to work after my heart …
Western Gender Transformations from the Eighteenth Century to the Early Twentieth Century: Combining the Domestic and Public Spheres

This chapter contributes to the increasing globalization of research in historical archaeology by advancing our understanding of the great diversity, global scope, and long temporal development of domestic reform movements that arguably created some of the largest ideological and cultural transformations in Western patriarchy, from the second half of the eighteenth century to the first half of the twentieth century. Domestic reform movements grew through national and international organizations and networks connecting reformers in Europe, America, and Australasia (Coleman 1987). Previous studies have usually focused on either America or England, a century or less, and one or a few social reform movements. The large temporal and geographic scope of the overview provided in this short chapter requires generalizations, but they have been made by carefully combing several sources.
Micromechanical Simulation of the Permanent Deformation Properties of Asphalt Concrete Mixtures

This paper presents simulation results of Asphalt Concrete (AC) Flow Number (FN) properties. It utilizes the Discrete Element Method (DEM) technique to simulate the microstructure of three ACs captured using X-ray Computed Tomography (CT). These three mix designs (coarse-graded, gap-graded, and fine-graded) prepared with hard limestone aggregate and a PG 76-22 modified binder were included in the study. Advanced digital image processing techniques were utilized to process the X-ray CT images and to suitably input their microstructure into the DEM model. The viscoelastic rheological properties of the asphalt mastics were defined by fitting Burger model parameters on frequency sweep test data conducted at 60 °C. The DEM simulation, in two-dimensions, involved modeling the unconfined FN tests under a repeated stress of 690 kPa. The simulation loading was applied for 0.1 second followed by a 0.9 seconds rest period until 10,000 load cycles or 5 % accumulated strain was reached. The 2D DEM simulation results appear to capture the significant differences in FN properties between these three AC mixtures and hence can be used to compare their rutting susceptibility.
Cell Surface Co-signaling Molecules in the Control of Innate and Adaptive Cancer Immunity

Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy have focused on manipulating co-signaling pathways to direct or fine-tune antitumor immune responses. This is based on the findings that co-signaling pathways are pivotal in positive and negative regulation of innate and adaptive immunity to antigens. Importantly, cancer cells as well as cells in cancer microenvironments often aberrantly express co-signaling molecules to evade tumor immunity. We will focus our discussion on two co-signaling pathways including CD137/CD137L and B7-H1/PD-1. The data from animal models and clinical trials indicate that monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins targeting these co-signaling molecules are able to stimulate antitumor immune responses or ablate immune suppression. Co-signaling molecules thus add a new modality for mechanism-based design of combined immunotherapy in the future.
Treatment of hospitalized patients with acute pelvic inflammatory disease: Comparison of cefotetan plus doxycycline and cefoxitin plus doxycycline

Acute pelvic inflammatory disease remains the major medical and economic consequence of sexually transmitted diseases among young women. The polymicrobial origins of pelvic inflammatory disease have been well documented and the major organisms recovered from the upper genital tract in patients with pelvic inflammatory disease include Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae , and mixed anaerobic and aerobic bacteria. This study was undertaken to compare the efficacy and safety of cefotetan plus doxycycline with that of cefoxitin plus doxycycline in the treatment of hospitalized patients with acute pelvic inflammatory disease. A total of 68 hospitalized patients with acute pelvic inflammatory disease were entered and randomized into two treatment groups: cefotetan (n=32) and cefoxitin (n=36). There were six tuboovarian abscesses in each group. C. trachomatis was recovered from 7 (10%) and N. gonorrhoeae from 48 (71%) of the patients. Anaerobic and aerobic bacteria were recovered from the upper genital tract in 53 (78%) of the patients. Cefotetan plus doxycycline and cefoxitin plus doxycycline demonstrated high rates of initial clinical response in the treatment of acute pelvic inflammatory disease. Clinical cure was noted in 30 (94%) of the cefotetan plus doxycycline group and 33 (92%) of the cefoxitin plus doxycycline group. Four failures were sonographically diagnosed tuboovarian abscesses that responded to clindamycin plus gentamicin therapy. The fifth failure was an uncomplicated case that did not respond to cefoxitin and doxycycline and required additional therapy. At 1week and 3weeks, respectively, the posttreatment cultures demonstrated eradication, in all instances, of N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis . These regimens also were very effective in eradicating anaerobic and aerobic pathogens from the endometrial cavity. Both regimens were well tolerated by the patients, and few adverse drug affects were noted.
Pathophysiology of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Conscious Dogs

Experimental models of acute myocardial infarction (1–5) have usually involved anesthesia in the open- and closed-chest dog, and had several limitations, including: (1) hemodynamics could be monitored continuously only for a limited time, under anesthesia and usually thoracotomy; (2) animal mortality was very high and early; and (3) ventricular arrhythmias occurred early with potassium egress from the damaged myocardium. To avoid these limitations, several investigators devised models of acute myocardial infarction in un- anesthetized animals (6–8). In the model devised by Khouri et al (6), coronary insufficiency was induced by gradually reducing circumflex coronary flow to zero over several days. However, the gradual reduction in flow permitted the coronary vascular bed, including collaterals, and the myocardium to make compensatory changes, so that when occlusion was complete, minimal infarction frequently results (6, 9). Hood, et al (7) used a similar unanesthetized dog model and gradually occluded the anterior descending coronary artery. Since their study produced a higher frequency of large infarcts, the rate of occlusion was probably faster. Another disadvantage of this preparation was the lack of coronary blood flow monitoring, so that the precise onset of occlusion was not known.
Impact of math self-efficacy, math anxiety, and growth mindset on math and science career interest for middle school students: the gender moderating effect

This study tested a proposed model consisting of mathematics anxiety, mathematics self-efficacy, and implicit theories of intelligence in predicting mathematics and science career interest in middle school students, while controlling for student math level. One hundred fifty-two seventh-grade students in a middle school in the USA participated in the study. Results revealed both similarities and differences on the relation among the intended variables by gender. The path analyses showed that, for boys, mathematics self-efficacy mediated the relation between implicit theories of intelligence and mathematics and science career interest. In addition, student mathematics level exerted a direct impact on mathematics anxiety, growth mindset, and career interest for boys. For girls, mathematics anxiety exerted a direct impact on their career interest. Implications of the results are discussed.
Models of Systems

When thinking about systems, models, and understanding everything, it is good to begin with the famous parable of six blind men standing around an elephant. They are asked to identify the object before them which they cannot see. One man, feeling the elephant’s leg, thinks he is touching a tree trunk. Another, grasping the elephant’s trunk, thinks he is holding a snake. A third, standing near the moving ear, thinks it is a large, feathered fan. And so it goes for the other men touching the tusk, the side, and the tail of the elephant. Each man gave a different description of the same object, but none was correct.
Military Enterprise Wireless Communications Architecture Power Analysis

Technological advances in software-defined radios (SDRs), high-speed serial buses, and high-performance computing promise a significant power reduction if adopted for deployed military wireless communications applications. This paper presents a simple mathematical power consumption model to simulate and quantify the power requirements for two communications architectures in an expeditionary command, control, communications, and computers environment. Analysis and comparison suggest that an enterprise architecture of SDRs operating under ordinary loads could result in a system-wide power reduction of 11% when compared to the currently employed architecture under the same conditions. Depending on usage profiles and equipment mix, the lower and upper bounds for system-wide power reduction by adopting an enterprise architecture were 6% and 31%, respectively.
Structured Prediction Theory Based on Factor Graph Complexity

We present a general theoretical analysis of structured prediction with a series of new results. We give new data-dependent margin guarantees for structured prediction for a very wide family of loss functions and a general family of hypotheses, with an arbitrary factor graph decomposition. These are the tightest margin bounds known for both standard multi-class and general structured prediction problems. Our guarantees are expressed in terms of a data-dependent complexity measure, \emph{factor graph complexity}, which we show can be estimated from data and bounded in terms of familiar quantities for several commonly used hypothesis sets, and a sparsity measure for features and graphs. Our proof techniques include generalizations of Talagrand's contraction lemma that can be of independent interest. We further extend our theory by leveraging the principle of Voted Risk Minimization (VRM) and show that learning is possible even with complex factor graphs. We present new learning bounds for this advanced setting, which we use to devise two new algorithms, \emph{Voted Conditional Random Field} (VCRF) and \emph{Voted Structured Boosting} (StructBoost). These algorithms can make use of complex features and factor graphs and yet benefit from favorable learning guarantees. We also report the results of experiments with VCRF on several datasets to validate our theory.
Physical Activity and Trajectories of Cognitive Change in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Rancho Bernardo Study.

Background Although physical activity has been associated with better cognitive function and reduced dementia risk, its association with cognitive decline in normal aging remains uncertain. Objective To determine whether physical activity in youth and older age are associated with age-related cognitive change. Methods Over a period of 27 years, 2,027 community-dwelling adults (mean age 73.5; 60% women) of the Rancho Bernardo Study of Healthy Aging completed up to seven cognitive assessments, including tests of global cognitive function, executive function, verbal fluency, and episodic memory. At each visit, participants reported concurrent physical activity. At baseline (1988- 1992), participants additionally reported physical activity as a teenager and at age 30. For each age period, participants were classified as regularly active (3+ times/week) or inactive. Results Associations between concurrent physical activity and better cognitive function were stronger with advancing age on all tests, even after accounting for education, health, and lifestyle factors, as well as survival differences (ps 0.40). Individuals who were physically active at age 30 and older age maintained the highest global cognitive function with advancing age (p = 0.002). Conclusion Regular physical activity is associated with better cognitive function with advancing age. Physical activity in young adulthood may contribute to cognitive reserve, which together with physical activity in later years, may act to preserve cognitive function with age.
The Effects of Duration and Level on Spectral Modulation Perception.

Purpose Spectral modulation detection is an increasingly common assay of suprathreshold auditory perception and has been correlated with speech perception performance. Here, the potential effects o...
THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN Ia ANTIGENS AND Fc RECEPTORS ON MURINE B LYMPHOCYTES IS PROBABLY LIGAND-INDUCED

Capping of B lymphocyte Fc receptors did not lead to changes in the distribution of Ia antigens determined by genes in the I region or the sub-regions I-A or I-C, I-E as analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence and visual microscopy, or in the amount of these antigens which could be quantitatively detected by indirect immunofluorescence and flow microfluorometry. Quantitation of fluorescent-labelled Ia antigens after binding of Ig complexes to B cell Fc receptors under non-capping conditions revealed partial (6–10%) inhibition of detection of I region antigens but no inhibition of I-A or I-C, I-E sub-region antigens. Thus, Ia antigens and Fc receptors do not appear to be identical and the majority do not appear to lie in close proximity to Fc receptors in the native state. These findings are consistent with the possibility that the specific inhibition of B cell Fc receptors by anti-Ia antibodies [a nd Fab and F(ab') 2 fragments thereof ] is due to a ligand-induced alteration of Ia antigens which results in interaction of the latter with Fc receptors. Such Ia antigen-Fc receptor interactions may play a role in B lymphocyte activation.
3 – Pepsin A

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the structural chemistry and the biological aspects of pepsin A. Pepsin is the principal acid protease of the stomach. It is generally recognized as the first enzyme to be discovered. Pepsin is an endopeptidase with a broad specificity. The pH optima for some protein substrates, such as cattle hemoglobin, are near pH 2 and are attributable to acid denaturation and solubility of substrates. A pepsin assay is most commonly carried out at pH near 2 using cattle hemoglobin as a substrate. After digestion, the resulting peptide fragments soluble in trichloroacetic acid are quantified, most conveniently by A280. Hemoglobin substrate can be radiolabeled to assay pepsin at the femtomolar level. For clinical samples, kits for radioimmunoassay of serum pepsinogen A are commercially available. For kinetic measurements, synthetic peptide substrates have been developed. Pepsin is inhibited by pepstatin, a transition-state analog inhibitor. DAN and l,2-epoxy-3-(p-nitrophenoxy)propane irreversibly inactivate pepsin by covalent esterification. The amino acid sequence of pig pepsin, determined by chemical methods and by cDNA structure, contains a single chain of 326 residues (34.6 kDa). Pig pepsin has 42 acidic residues and only 4 basic residues.