cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Metastasis and Circulating Tumor Cells

A hallmark of aggressive hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) is the ability to metastasize. Metastatic lesions are difficult to manage in clinical practice as the extent of disease typically precludes curative resection and resistance to systemic treatments is common [1, 2]. Metastasis is a multistage process in which cancer cells (1) delaminate from the primary site and locally invade the host stroma (initiation), (2) enter into blood and/or lymphatic vasculature (intravasation), (3) survive and exit the circulation into distant sites (extravasation), and (4) colonize the new microenvironment and proliferate to form a macroscopic secondary tumor (colonization) [3, 4]. This simplified model provides a framework for a sequence of biological properties that must be acquired during cancer dissemination. Different malignancies, however, demonstrate unique regulatory events in this process largely governed by the complex microenvironment in which the metastatic cells originate and that of the distant location(s) where the metastasis is established [5]. Given the anatomic and physiologic complexity of the liver, the HCC microenvironment is one of the most difficult to reproduce experimentally and, consequently, understand in its totality. In the context of this chapter, HCC metastasis is discussed, with an emphasis on the role of the hepatic microenvironment and the role of circulating cancer cells in the metastatic process.
Necdum orbem medium: Night in the Aeneid

The appearances of the goddess Night in Virgil’s Aeneid can be profitably studied as a cipher to appreciating better certain key elements of the poet’s epic presentation of Troy’s fall and the rise of the future Rome. Detailed consideration of every epiphany of the goddess in the poem offers insight into Virgil’s rationale for how he presents the ultimate resolution of the conflict in Latium and the quelling of Juno’s rage against the Trojans.
The spillover of race and racial attitudes into public opinion about climate change

The relationship between racial attitudes and public opinion about climate change is examined. Public opinion data from Pew and American National Election Studies surveys are used to show that raci...
Spousal Interaction and Breast Cancer Screening Among Korean Americans

Breast cancer screening rates for Korean Americans (KA) are low, leading to higher morbidity and mortality of the screening interventions tested, almost none account for family interactions and communication between KA couples. The purpose of this study was to explore communication patterns between KA wives and husbands about breast cancer screening after attending an educational program on breast health. Couples were enrolled in a community RCT to increase mammography among KA women. A random 10% of couples audio-recorded their interactions at home regarding the education they received during the RCT. The transcribed and translated data were analyzed for communication content and patterns. Husbands typically took the lead in directing the conversation and the strategies for engaging their wives with screening. Some long-held cultural beliefs were discussed as were strategies for how husbands could help wives with remembering and completing regular mammography. This analysis of focused spousal discussions provides a unique picture of the interaction between KA husbands and wives around breast cancer screening. These data could inform further investigation of family-based interventions and spousal interaction to understand how to leverage spousal support to encourage KA women’s completion of mammography.
Refereed article: Intrusion detection: Its role and validation

This paper specifies the proper role of intrusion detection in overall computer security. The probabilistic foundations of intrusion detection are developed and practical intrusion detection is characterized as an estimation problem. Two intrusion detection approaches-a frequentist approach and Wisdom & Sense^T^M (W&S)-are briefly introduced. Two ways of testing intrusion detection approaches are discussed, and W&S and the frequentist approach are compared using one of these. For the limited tests undertaken, W&S is shown to perform favorably compared to the frequentist approach.
Gentamycin Accelerates Calcium-Oxalate-Monohydrate (COM) Nucleation

The classical nucleation theory states: $$ J = A exp \left\{ { - 16\pi s^3 v^2 /3k^3 T^3 (m ln RS)^2 } \right\} $$ (I) with J, the nucleation rate; A, the maximum possible rate of nucleation; RS, the relative supersaturation; s, the liquid-solid interfacial energy; and other terms, system parameters (1). Taking the logarithm, it becomes: $$ 1n J = 1n A + B/1n^2 RS $$ with B defined by equation (I). It is conventional to consider J to be proportional to the nucleation lag time. Thus, by measuring lag times at various initial RS, it is possible to evaluate A and B and explore nucleation processes.
Pattern Languages and Institutional Facts: Functions and Coherences in the Law

I explore the notion of Pattern Languages, originally developed by architect Christopher Alexander and embraced in Object-Oriented computer programming, as a model of coherence for use in conjunction with an understanding of law informed by John Searle’s theory of institutional facts. Under Searle’s theory, the law can be understood both as an institution itself governed by foundational documents and practices, and as a method for creating new institutions through the codification of the assignment of functions, usually of the form “X counts as Y in circumstances C.” Pattern Languages, which are schematic templates for problem-solving, can then be developed within a legal system as a coherence constraint on the assignment of functions such that codified legal solutions do not conflict with other legal solutions to related or distinct problems. If it is possible to reduce legal enactments to such a schema, the likely result will be a greater ease of the representation of legal rules by computer systems, while the pattern language encourages progress toward an ideal of coherence.
DTμ Physics and Its Application

A high-intensity neutron source that is highly correlated spatially and with time and will be used for neutron scattering experiments can be obtained by dt m catalyzed fusion by enhancing the formation rate of dtμ molecules using a high-intensity pulsed laser to dtμ gas. This paper considers the use of dtμ fusion for fast ignition of inertial confinement fusion, and the possibility of ensuring energy balance in energy production. dt fusion can be quickly ignited by depositing dtμ fusion energy into a smaller space than is done in other methods, such as Z-pinch or heavy-ion fusion. Space propulsion can be obtained with a light fuel mass rather than by a fission repulsion system using the muons produced by annihilation of the anti-protons stored in liquid superfluid of condensed He. Using an extremely highly compressed target can create a source of high luminosity muons for muon–muon collider- and neutrino-oscillation experiments. This approach can eliminate the need for a super-conducting solenoidal for capturing the beam of pions and muons generated in a large target, and then these pions and muons can be manipulated by a laser beam instead of by employing RF manipulation.
Dual Scheduling Algorithm in a Generalized Switch: Asymptotic Optimality and Throughput Optimality

In this article, we consider the dual scheduling algorithm for a generalized switch. For a saturated system, we prove the asymptotic optimality of the dual scheduling algorithm and thus establish its fairness properties. For a system with exogenous arrivals, we propose a modified dual scheduling algorithm, which is throughput-optimal while providing some weighted fairness among the users at the level of flows.
HOW SOON IS SOON ENOUGH

ABSTRACT The standard criterion for establishing grades of structural concrete is the crushing strength measured in an arbitrary manner on a standardised specimen stored in a stipulated fashion for approximately a month after making. In some parts of the world the specimen is a cube and in other parts of the world the specimen is a cylinder. There have been extensive debates as to which shape is to be preferred. More recently there have been debates as to how the strength at 28 days can be predicted from procedures performed at early ages, especially 24 hours, on the grounds that a month isn't soon enough. The intent of this paper is to suggest that the only time that it really is ‘soon enough’ to know that the grade of any concrete batch is correct is before the concrete is discharged from the concrete mixer into the forms. It is suggested, therefore, that effort would preferably be expended upon insuring that the materials used are those intended and the proportions in which they are used are those that were intended. If such is the case, the grade of concrete will be proper at all ages and testing at any age is merely confirmation.
Laparoscopic Colectomy for Malignancy: Advantages and Limitations

The introduction of the laparoscope to the field of colon and rectal surgery has brought long-lasting changes to this specialty. Many studies to date have espoused the feasibility of this new technology for benign diseases. This article focuses on those principles necessary for an appropriate cancer operation, in addition to the many controversies surrounding the use of the laparoscope for colon and rectal surgery.
AO as Creator of Wealth

It is only natural that one associates the term ‘wealth’ with financial wealth. That the AO, through its innovations and its industrial partners, created substantial financial wealth is, however, only one aspect of its wealth creation. After all, the purpose of the AO was never the creation of wealth per se; it was to improve the lives of patients suffering a bone trauma. Because wealth creation was not the AO’s primary objective, it is appropriate to consider the AO Foundation as an enterprise growing out of a social entrepreneurial effort. As a result, it is important to look at the different forms of wealth generated by the AO—financial, institutional, investor, as well as social.
On the economic and social benefits of direct selling

Abstract The labor market has long included individuals seeking nonemployee, alternative work arrangements. Now, alternative work arrangements such as freelancing, independent contracting, and temporary contracts have entered the lexicon through the following terminology: the gig economy, the sharing economy, the YouEconomy, agile workforce, and contingent workers. There are currently an estimated 18.6 million independent contractors engaged in direct selling. This article reports the first attempt to empirically investigate and document both the economic and social impacts of direct selling in the U.S. Our findings suggest that direct selling has a consequential impact on the U.S. economy and that the direct selling experience fosters a variety of skills that benefit professional activities as well as the personal lives of millions of independent workers.
Multipoint Variable Cycle Engine Design Using Gradient-based Optimization

Supersonic aircraft are challenging to optimally design due to the widely varying constraints and flight conditions they experience. Additionally, a large number of disciplinary subsystems must be considered due to highly complex design requirements. One subsystem that has a major effect on overall performance is the engine. In this work, we construct a supersonic mixed-flow variable cycle engine and perform multipoint gradient-based optimization using this model. We see that the operational variables allow the optimizer to tailor performance at each individual flight condition, leading to better overall performance. To simulate airframe integration constraints, we run successive optimizations with increasingly restrictive inlet areas and see decreases in engine performance. This work is part of a larger effort to incorporate engine design into aero-thermal-mission optimization of a supersonic aircraft.
When continuous outcomes are measured using different scales: guide for meta-analysis and interpretation

It is common to measure continuous outcomes using different scales (eg, quality of life, severity of anxiety or depression), therefore these outcomes need to be standardized before pooling in a meta-analysis. Common methods of standardization include using the standardized mean difference, the odds ratio derived from continuous data, the minimally important difference, and the ratio of means. Other ways of making data more meaningful to end users include transforming standardized effects back to original scales and transforming odds ratios to absolute effects using an assumed baseline risk. For these methods to be valid, the scales or instruments being combined across studies need to have assessed the same or a similar construct
The Neighborhood and Beyond

The research shows that neighborhoods are indeed communities of limited liability. People are attached to their own neighborhood and they also have commitments in the wider community. However, different groups of people are attached to their neighborhoods in different ways and for diverse reasons.
Regional and hemispheric susceptibility of the temporal lobe to FTLD-TDP-43-C pathology

Post-mortem studies show that focal anterior temporal lobe (ATL) neurodegeneration is most often caused by frontotemporal lobar degeneration TDP-43 type C pathology. Clinically, patients are inconsistently described with the terms semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA), semantic dementia (SD), or right temporal variant frontotemporal dementia (FTD) depending on whether the predominant symptoms affect language, semantic knowledge for object or people, or socio-emotional behaviors. The neuroimaging hallmark of these syndromes is ATL atrophy, with various degrees of lateralization. Cases presenting with initial right-sided atrophy are considered to be rarer than left-sided ones, yet estimation of their prevalence is hampered by the paucity of studies on well-characterized, pathology-proven cohorts. Moreover, it is not clear whether left and right variants show a similar distribution of atrophy within the ATL cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Here we study the largest cohort to-date of pathology-proven TDP-43-C cases diagnosed during life as svPPA, SD or right temporal variant FTD. We analyzed clinical, cognitive, and neuroimaging data from 30 cases, a subset of which was followed longitudinally. Guided by recent structural and functional parcellation studies, we constructed four bilateral ATL regions of interest (ROIs). The computation of an atrophy lateralization index allowed the comparison of atrophy patterns between the two hemispheres. This led to an automatic, imaging-based classification of the cases as left-predominant or right-predominant. We then compared the two groups in terms of regional atrophy patterns within the ATL ROIs (cross-sectionally) and atrophy progression (longitudinally). Results showed that 40% of pathology proven cases diagnosed with a temporal variant presented with right-lateralized atrophy. Moreover, the findings of our ATL ROI analysis indicated that, irrespective of atrophy lateralization, atrophy distribution within both ATLs follows a gradient from medial to lateral regions. Finally, in both left and right cases, atrophy appeared to progress to the contralateral ATL, and from the anterior temporal pole to posterior temporal and orbitofrontal regions. Our results indicate that both left and right predominant ATL atrophy is common in TDP-43-C pathology. Moreover, the distribution of damage within the ATL, as well as its temporal extension, are the same regardless of where the atrophy started. As pharmacological interventions become available, the ability to predict the underlying pathology and to track longitudinal changes becomes crucial and, regardless of differences in clinical phenotype, left and right temporal variants of FTD caused by TDP-43-C should be viewed as the same disease. Establishing consistent clinical criteria for focal right temporal degeneration is thus necessary to improve diagnostic accuracy in PPA and FTD.
The Building Blocks of My Faith

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph. "From the time I was an infant, my family has been immersed in the Catholic Church and its faith. Our Church, St. Mary’s, always left me in awe with the sun shining through the stained glass windows and the larger than life statues of religious pioneers smiling down upon me. I was baptized, confirmed, and attended Sunday school at St. Mary’s and I believe that this strongly molded me into the person I am today. By also attending a Catholic school for eleven years, I feel as though this helped build a strong relationship with my Church and my family because they were always involved. My family was the biggest influence on me, and my mother and grand-mother especially guided me in my faith." This parent and child is available in Verbum: http://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/verbum/vol13/iss2/14
Ash pretreatment of pine and biosolids produces biochars with enhanced capacity for organic micropollutant removal from surface water, wastewater, and stormwater

An ash pretreatment process was developed and evaluated for improving sorption of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) for pine and biosolids based biochars. Pine and biosolids pellets were soaked in a dissolved ash solution and pyrolized at 800 °C. The sorption performance of untreated pine biochar, pine ash pretreated biochar, untreated biosolids biochar, biosolids ash pretreated biochar, base pretreated pine biochar, and commercial powdered activated carbon (PAC) was compared in deionized water, lake water, wastewater, and stormwater for 2,4-D and SMX removal. Dose response curves were developed at 3 hour and 7 day contact times in continuously mixed batch tests. Ash pretreatment of pine yielded over an order of magnitude increase in 2,4-D and SMX sorption compared to untreated pine biochar, making it competitive with PAC. Base pretreatment was the dominant improvement process of ash pretreatment, and the improvement from ash pretreatment was linked to the precursor feedstock inherent ash content. Adsorbent performance was strongly correlated with non-micropore (>2 nm) surface area. Background organic matter character significantly impacted sorbent performance. Ash pretreatment of biochar increased organic micropollutant sorption and is applicable in low-cost water treatment scenarios, such as stormwater and wastewater treatment, as well as in low- and middle-income countries.
Place Names and Meaningful Infixing: For Frank Nuessel, with gratitude and respect

Infixing and interposing are relatively new derivational processes in English, first attested in the early twentieth century. For most of the last century, the insert in items like absofuckinglutel...
Brainstem auditory pathway function at four months of corrected postnatal age in preterm infants born below 30 week gestation.

Abstract Objective Functional status of the brainstem auditory pathway was examined at four months of corrected postnatal age in infants born below 30 week gestation to assess the effect of very or extremely preterm birth on postnatal development of the pathway. Methods Thirty-four preterm infants born at 24–29 week gestation (GA24-29w) were studied at four months of corrected postnatal age. Normal controls were 38 postnatal age-matched term infants. Maximum length sequence brainstem auditory evoked response (MLS BAER) were recorded and analysed with 60 dB nHL clicks. Results Compared with term control group, GA24-29w group manifested higher BAER threshold (p Conclusions At four months of corrected postnatal age, infants born below 30 week gestation manifested elevated BAER threshold, increased wave latencies, and reduced amplitude. They also manifested a small decrease in I-III interval but a small increase in III-V interval at high rates. Very or extremely preterm birth exerts a mild or moderate effect on postnatal development of the brainstem auditory pathway.
Comparison of the control of monogynous and polygynous forms of the red imported fire ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with a chlorpyrifos mound drench.

Single (monogynous) and multiple (polygynous) queen mounds of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, were treated according to label directions with individual mound drenches containi...
A Multistep Approach to Address Clinican Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior Around Opioid Prescribing.

Introduction The Wisconsin Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) was implemented in 2013 to reduce the misuse, abuse, and diversion of controlled substance prescriptions. Objective To evaluate provider knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding the Wisconsin PDMP before and after study interventions. Methods An initial survey of clinicians, a focus group, pre- and posttests for an educational session, and a 3-month follow-up survey were utilized. Results Initial survey participants described PDMP use. Focus group themes included system, hospital, clinician, and patient factors. Educational session pre- and posttests showed an increase in provider knowledge. Follow-up surveys demonstrated practice change among providers. Conclusion This study can be useful for health care organizations, state PDMPs, and prevention organizations in tailoring messaging to clinicians around safe prescribing and PDMP use.
TRAINEE RESEARCH RELATED TO THE OPIOID-RELATED ACTIVITIES DATABASE ABSTRACTSEngaging in Epidemics: Characterizing the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s Database of Opioid-Related ActivitiesPatterns and Predictors of Pharmacy School Engagement in Addressing the Opioid Crisis: Implementing an Activity to Identify and Communicate about At-Risk Opioid Behaviors in a Community Pharmacy

Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of an opioid objective structured learning experience (OSLE) focused on identifying and communicating about at-risk opioid behaviors in a community practice setting. Methods. A literature search included a review of the AACP Opioid-Related Activities Database that identified and evaluated educational activities, such as the RESPOND program (Oregon State University), that focused on communication surrounding opioids. A lack of activities emphasizing how to convey concerns about at-risk behaviors and refuse to fill opioid prescriptions in the AACP database was noted. With permission, aspects of the RESPOND program were utilized to develop a new opioid activity that included a didactic lecture and OSLE. The OSLE included two cases where students refused to fill an opioid prescription and counseled a patient demonstrating at-risk opioid behaviors on an opioid prescription. Student communication was evaluated by rubrics that were created and adapted from other activities included in the AACP database. A voluntary and anonymous survey that utilized a Likert scale (strongly agree to strongly disagree) evaluated student confidence in their skills and satisfaction with the activity before and after the OSLE. Results. One hundred forty-four and one hundred nine students completed the pre- and post- surveys, respectively. After the OSLE, student confidence in their ability to assess at-risk opioid behaviors, counsel a patient demonstrating at-risk behaviors, refuse to fill an opioid prescription, and respond to a patient’s nonverbal responses improved by 67%, 37%, 49%, 46%, respectively. A majority of students (81%) felt that practicing these skills in an OSLE was beneficial. Conclusion. Incorporating an opioid OSLE allowed students to practice engaging in difficult conversations with patients demonstrating at-risk opioid behaviors and improved student’s self-reported confidence. A majority of students agreed the OSLE was beneficial.
Hematological cancer patient-caregiver dyadic communication: A longitudinal examination of cancer communication concordance.

Objective Informal caregivers play a fundamental role in care and decision making with hematological cancer patients. Concordant patient-caregiver communication is a critical antecedent to high quality decision making. Little is known about patterns of dyadic communication throughout the cancer treatment continuum. The objective of this study was to assess patterns of cancer communication concordance regarding treatment and care among hematological cancer patients undergoing active treatment and their informal caregivers and test whether patterns were associated with participant characteristics. Methods A case series of hematological cancer patient-caregiver dyads (n = 171) were recruited from oncology clinics in Virginia and Pennsylvania and followed for 2 years. Latent Class Growth Models (LCGM) were used to analyze longitudinal data captured using Cancer Communication Assessment Tool for Patients and Families (CCAT-PF) and the association with participant characteristics. Results White patient-caregiver dyads demonstrated decreased communication concordance and African American dyads demonstrated increased communication concordance over time. Lower communication concordance was found among dyads with lower levels of education and income, and cancers diagnosed at more advanced stages; these relationships were stable over time. Modeling identified the presence of three distinct communication groups (Stable Concordant (57.4%), Fluctuating Medium Concordant (37.8%), High Discordant (5.4%)) that differed by baseline level of communication concordance, patterns of concordance over time, race, income and the dyad relationship. Conclusions Patient-caregiver cancer communication concordance was not static overtime. Results suggest the presence of a new dyadic cancer communication typology that could help preemptively identify dyads at risk for communication difficulties that impede treatment decision making.
Do Depression and Binge Drinking Explain the Increased Risk of Sexual Violence Among Sexual Minority Middle and High School Girls

Sexual violence (SV) occurs at rates higher among sexual minority youth than heterosexual youth, but the mechanisms explaining this higher risk are understudied. We examined if binge drinking and d...
CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF RALOXIFENE HYDROCHLORIDE LOADED NANOSTRUCTURED LIPID CARRIERS USING HOT-MELT EXTRUSION TECHNOLOGY.

Abstract The aim of this study was to utilize a continuous process for the production of orally administered raloxifene hydrochloride (RX-HCl) loaded nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) formulations for extended drug release using hot-melt extrusion (HME) technology coupled with probe sonication, and also to evaluate the in vitro characteristics of the prepared NLCs. Preparation of the NLCs using HME technology involved two main steps, first formation of a pre-emulsion after extrusion and then size reduction of the pre-emulsion using probe sonication to obtain the NLCs. A screw speed of 100 rpm and a barrel temperature of 85 °C, were used in the extrusion process. NLCs prepared by HME technology showed a lower particle size compared to those prepared by the conventional probe sonication method. The prepared NLCs had high entrapment efficiency values (>90%). In vitro drug release was evaluated using dialysis bag diffusion technique and USP apparatus I. Overall, the RX-HCl loaded NLCs had a higher rate of drug release than the pure drug. The release profile for the F4-3 NLC formulations and pure drug at the beginning and end of the stability study were comparable. The particle size of the prepared NLCs remained stable over the storage period and all PDI and zeta potential values were ≤ 0.5 and in the range of −15 to −30 mV, respectively, indicating good physical stability of the formulations. In summary, HME technology and probe sonication were successfully used to prepare RX-HCl loaded NLC formulations with shorter processing times as compared to the conventional probe sonication method, which makes this technique a uniquely more industry-friendly method.
Romantic alternative monitoring increases ahead of infidelity and break-up:

Monitoring alternative partners may be associated with engaging in behaviors that undermine relationship fidelity and/or stability. For example, paying attention to romantic alternatives has been s...
COVID-19: Uncovering mental health disparities

This article is an introduction to a special issue regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic The current author of the introduction was particularly interested in empirical studies focused on mental health disparities, trauma, and resilience in the wake of COVID-19 The special call is the first in a collection of some of the most important research to be generated since the pandemic started with the main aim of investigating the impacts associated with COVID-19 The special issue includes fourteen articles detailing empirical and theoretical approaches seeking to gain a better understanding of how COVID-19 impacts our overall well-being, with a special focus on uncovering mental health disparities (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
Avoiding adverse autonomous agent actions

Few today would dispute that the age of autonomous machines is nearly upon us (cf., Kurzweil, 2005; Moravec, 1988), if it is not already. While it is doubtful that one can identify any fully autono...
Preparation and processing of ZnS powders with spherical submicron particles

8 INTRODUCTION 9 EXPERIMENTAL 11 Materials 11 Precipitation 11 Characterization 12 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 13 Determination of Critical Supersaturation 13 Effect of Sulfide Ion Generation Rate on Particle Size Distribution 18 Mechanism of Particle Formation and Growth 26 CONCLUSIONS 40 REFERENCES CITED 41 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 42 SECTION II. MORPHOLOGY OF ZnS PARTICLES PRODUCED FROM VARIOUS ZINC SALTS BY HONOGENEOUS PRECIPITATION 43 ABSTRACT 44 INTRODUCTION 4544 INTRODUCTION 45
Dengue virus pirates human platelets

In this issue of Blood , Simon and colleagues provide the first proof that dengue virus (DENV) raids platelets and steals their translational machinery to replicate and produce infectious virus. 1
Lowell Had Been Misspelled "Lovel"

The evening of June 6, 1971, the Mermaid Theatre in London. Robert Lowell was to read from his poetry. He read only from Notebook (1970), and seven poems in all?four loving poems for his daughter, Harriet, a poem for Robert Frost, a poem ostensibly about a go-go dancer but really about "western marri age," and a bad but revealing poem about an older, rejected woman poet who accused Lowell of having no human concern for unestablished writers. But before reading his own poems, Lowell read poems of other important moderns: Randall Jarrell, Allen T?te, Elizabeth Bishop, Ezra Pound. They were his own poems as well. He also talked before, and in between, his readings. The things which occupied him were various, but what never varied was the passionate care expended in talking about them. He talked about Wallace Stevens' last poems and about their particular music as it is shaped by that poet's sense of aging and mortality. He talked about Frost as perhaps the only sane man in a mad, tragic family. By the time that audience questions were over, Lowell had rejected a request to read beyond the two hours he had already been read ing and talking. And he had to endure, under the guise of a question, abuse from a young man about how unwitty, unimportant, and overrated a poet he was. By that time, Lowell's anecdote, told earlier in the evening, about his daughter and the poems of Notebook?"Daddy, they're all footmarks"?took on an even more complicated context than Lowell must have intended in telling it in the first place. I begin with the personal and the anecdotal. Not because Lowell himself so often relies upon these as major strategies in his poems from Life Studies (1959) and the books which follow, but because that evening at the Mermaid brought together for me some of the major problems and pleasures that attended Lowell and his poetry then, and that attend him, perhaps even more, now. The difficulties of the public and private art and life. The unending need for, and demanding weight of a tradition and homage to poets alive and dead. The awareness of the poet aging, and so "moved into position to die." The reputa tion which a poet may gain or suffer or have change, once or more in a lifetime. The need for love and fame, and the nagging doubt not only of whether they will arrive but whether they can be joined. The question whether love and marriage ever were meant to go together at all. The problems of writing the long poem. Explicitly, and by dolphin-like implication, these were the matters which surfaced that evening. To these and to some related matters, I wish to turn in the course of this essay.
Improving caches in consolidated environments

Memory (cache, DRAM, and disk) is in charge of providing data and instructions to a computer's processor. In order to maximize performance, the speeds of the memory and the processor should be equal. However, using memory that always match the speed of the processor is prohibitively expensive. Computer hardware designers have managed to drastically lower the cost of the system with the use of memory caches by sacrificing some performance. A cache is a small piece of fast memory that stores popular data so it can be accessed faster. Modern computers have evolved into a hierarchy of caches, where a memory level is the cache for a larger and slower memory level immediately below it. Thus, by using caches, manufacturers are able to store terabytes of data at the cost of cheapest memory while achieving speeds close to the speed of the fastest one. The most important decision about managing a cache is what data to store in it. Failing to make good decisions can lead to performance overheads and over-provisioning. Surprisingly, caches choose data to store based on policies that have not changed in principle for decades. However, computing paradigms have changed radically leading to two noticeably different trends. First, caches are now consolidated across hundreds to even thousands of processes. And second, caching is being employed at new levels of the storage hierarchy due to the availability of high-performance flash-based persistent media. This brings four problems. First, as the workloads sharing a cache increase, it is more likely that they contain duplicated data. Second, consolidation creates contention for caches, and if not managed carefully, it translates to wasted space and sub-optimal performance. Third, as contented caches are shared by more workloads, administrators need to carefully estimate specific per-workload requirements across the entire memory hierarchy in order to meet per-workload performance goals. And finally, current cache write policies are unable to simultaneously provide performance and consistency guarantees for the new levels of the storage hierarchy. We addressed these problems by modeling their impact and by proposing solutions for each of them. First, we measured and modeled the amount of duplication at the buffer cache level and contention in real production systems. Second, we created a unified model of workload cache usage under contention to be used by administrators for provisioning, or by process schedulers to decide what processes to run together. Third, we proposed methods for removing cache duplication and to eliminate wasted space because of contention for space. And finally, we proposed a technique to improve the consistency guarantees of write-back caches while preserving their performance benefits.
Lipophosphonoglycan of the Plasma Membrane of Acanthamoeba castellanii FATTY ACID COMPOSITION

Abstract Approximately 14% of the mass of lipophosphonoglycan of the amoeba plasma membrane consists of three classes of long chain fatty acids: (a) normal, saturated and unsaturated and branched, saturated fatty acids C-16 to C-28, 4.5%; (b) normal and branched, saturated 2-hydroxy fatty acids C-22 to C-28, 8.4%; and (c) a group tentatively identified as normal and branched, saturated 2-hydroxy-3-methyl fatty acids, 0.9%. The branched fatty acids in the first two groups are tentatively identified as the anteiso series. Radioactive palmitic acid is incorporated by growing cells into the first two groups of fatty acids.
Excitatory transmission at thalamo-striatal synapses mediates susceptibility to social stress

Postsynaptic remodeling of glutamatergic synapses on ventral striatum (vSTR) medium spiny neurons (MSNs) is critical for shaping stress responses. However, it is unclear which presynaptic inputs are involved. Susceptible mice exhibited increased synaptic strength at intralaminar thalamus (ILT), but not prefrontal cortex (PFC), inputs to vSTR MSNs following chronic social stress. Modulation of ILT-vSTR versus PFC-vSTR neuronal activity differentially regulated dendritic spine plasticity and social avoidance.
The development and persistence of alternative ecosystem states in a large, shallow lake

SUMMARY 1. Palaeolimnological data were used to investigate drivers of the community of primary producers in Lake Mattamuskeet, North Carolina, U.S.A. This is a large, shallow lake with two basins currently dominated by phytoplankton and macrophytes. The two basins were divided in 1940 by the building of a roadway across the lake, which also corresponded with the divergence in their ecosystem state. 2. Photosynthetic pigments, organic matter and nutrients (P, N, C, S) were analysed in sediment cores from each basin to reconstruct the primary producer community over the past c. 100 years. We sought to answer two questions. First, what changes to the ecosystem resulting from the building of the roadway caused the development of different primary producer communities in the two basins? Second, why have the alternative ecosystem states persisted despite a variety of human perturbations since 1940? 3. K-means cluster analysis and principal component analysis were applied to identify three sediment types based on photosynthetic pigment data: sediments indicating low productivity (low pigment concentrations), sediments associated with macrophytes (chlorophyll a and b) and with phytoplankton (alloxanthin and aphanizophyll). In addition, other palaeolimnological proxies measured, such as loss on ignition, total phosphorus, total organic carbon ⁄ total nitrogen and other nutrients, were different in post1940 sediments within the two basins. 4. These differences suggest characteristics, such as nutrient cycling, water depth and other physical changes resulting from roadway construction, combined to establish and maintain the differing communities of primary producers in the two basins. Furthermore, Fe ⁄ S dynamics and waterfowl herbivory probably contributed to the development of the two ecosystem states.
The application of Dempster-Shafer theory demonstrated with justification provided by legal evidence

In forecasting and decision making, people can and often do represent a degree of belief in some proposition. At least two separate constructs capture such degrees of belief: likelihoods capturing evidential balance and support capturing evidential weight. This paper explores the weight or justification that evidence affords propositions, with subjects communicating using a belief function in hypothetical legal situations, where justification is a relevant goal. Subjects evaluated the impact of sets of 1--3 pieces of evidence, varying in complexity, within a hypothetical legal situation. The study demonstrates the potential usefulness of this evidential weight measure as an alternative or complement to the more-studied probability measure. Subjects' responses indicated that weight and likelihood were distinguished; that subjects' evidential weight tended toward single elements in a targeted fashion; and, that there were identifiable individual differences in reactions to conflicting evidence. Specifically, most subjects reacted to conflicting evidence that supported disjoint sets of suspects with continued support in the implicated sets, although an identifiable minority reacted by pulling back their support, expressing indecisiveness. Such individuals would likely require a greater amount of evidence than the others to counteract this tendency in support. Thus, the study identifies the value of understanding evidential weight as distinct from likelihood, informs our understanding of the psychology of individuals' judgments of evidential weight, and furthers the application and meaningfulness of belief functions as a communication language.
THE METALLICITY HISTORY OF DISK GALAXIES

We present results of our investigation into the metallicity history of disk galaxies between redshifts 0<z<3. Theory predicts that metallicity changes less rapidly than star formation rate as a function of redshift, but until now, there has been no observational foundation for the metallicity history of star-forming galaxies. Our local comparison samples include the Nearby Field Galaxy Survey (NFGS) and an objectively selected sample of galaxy pairs. We find that the central metallicities in close pairs are affected by gas flows triggered by an interaction. We compare the metallicity properties of our local field galaxies with a large sample of galaxies from the GOODS Field North and the Lyman Break Galaxies. In our preliminary analysis, we observe metallicity evolution of 0.15 dex per unit redshift.
A Latent Class Analysis of DSM-IV Alcohol Use Disorder Criteria and Binge Drinking in Undergraduates

Background: Adolescent and adult samples have shown that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) abuse and dependence criteria lie on a continuum of alcohol problem severity, but information on criteria functioning in college students is lacking. Prior factor analyses in a college sample (Beseler et al., 2010) indicated that a 2-factor solution fit the data better than a single-factor solution after a binge drinking criterion was included. The second dimension may indicate a clustering of criteria related to excessive alcohol use in this college sample. Methods: The present study was an analysis of data from an anonymous, online survey of undergraduates (N = 361) that included items pertaining to the DSM-IV alcohol use disorder (AUD) diagnostic criteria and binge drinking. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to determine whether the criteria best fit a categorical model, with and without a binge drinking criterion. Results: In an LCA including the AUD criteria only, a 3-class solution was the best fit. Binge drinking worsened the fit of the models. The largest class (class 1, n = 217) primarily endorsed tolerance (18.4%); none were alcohol dependent. The middle class (class 2, n = 114) endorsed primarily tolerance (81.6%) and drinking more than intended (74.6%); 34.2% met criteria for dependence. The smallest class (class 3, n = 30) endorsed all criteria with high probabilities (30 to 100%); all met criteria for dependence. Alcohol consumption patterns did not differ significantly between classes 2 and 3. Class 3 was characterized by higher levels on several variables thought to predict risk of alcohol-related problems (e.g., enhancement motives for drinking, impulsivity, and aggression). Conclusions: Two classes of heavy-drinking college students were identified, one of which appeared to be at higher risk than the other. The highest risk group may be less likely to "mature out" of high-risk drinking after college. Language: en
Antiproliferative activity of 2-[N,N-bis-2-chloroethyl}-amino]-4-[2-sulfonato-ethylthio]-tetrahydro-2H-1,3,2-oxazaphosphorine-2-oxide cyclohexamine (ASIA Z 7557, INN mafosfamide) against human and murine tumor cells in vitro

The ability of ASTA Z 7557 to inhibit colony formation in vitro by 6 human tumor cell lines and 3 methylcholanthrene-induced murine fibrosarcomas was compared to that of cyclophosphamide, 4-hydroperoxy-cyclophosphamide, BCNU, cisplatin, mitomycin C, doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouracil, as a function of dose, and duration of exposure. All drugs except cyclophosphamide were active in a dose and time dependent manner against all cell lines. ASTA Z 7557 and 4-hydroperoxy-cyclophosphamide at equimolar concentrations had similar antiproliferative activities. The stabilities of ASTA Z 7557 and 4-hydroperoxy-cyclophosphamide as measured by cytotoxic activity remaining after incubation at various times at 37° in complete tissue culture medium containing 10% fetal calf serum were identical. At initial concentrations of 20 μM, cytotoxic activity of both compounds began to decline after two hours of incubation and all activity was lost after 24 hours of incubation. In vitro, ASTA Z 7557 produced, at least, additive cytotoxic activity with cisplatin, the combination of cisplatin plus doxorubicin, and human lymphoblastoid interferon.
Current Practices of Preoperative Bowel Preparation Among North American Colorectal Surgeons

In North America, the rate of infections following colorectal surgery decreased after the introduction of oral antibiotic bowel preparation against colonic microflora. Eight hundred eight board-certified colorectal surgeons were surveyed for their current bowel preparation practices before elective procedures. The 471 responders (58%) all use mechanical preparation: oral polyethylene glycol solution (70.9% of the respondents), oral sodium phosphate solution with or without bisacodyl (28.4%), and "traditional" methods of dietary restriction, cathartics, and enemas (28.4%). Most surgeons (86.5%) add oral and parenteral antibiotics to the regimen; 11.5% add only parenteral antibiotics, 1.1% add only oral antibiotics, and 0.9% add no antibiotics. Generally (77.8% of cases), oral neomycin and erythromycin or metronidazole are combined with a perioperative parenteral antibiotic. Most individuals start the preparation as outpatients the day before surgery, and the parenteral drugs are added to the regimen 1-2 hours before the procedure. The use of outpatient bowel preparation is increasing; however, patient selection is critical, and education is needed to reduce the rate of complications.
Hydrodynamics of vegetated channels

This paper highlights some recent trends in vegetation hydrodynamics, focusing on conditions within channels and spanning spatial scales from individual blades, to canopies or vegetation patches, to the channel reach. At the blade scale, the boundary layer formed on the plant surface plays a role in controlling nutrient uptake. Flow resistance and light availability are also influenced by the reconfiguration of flexible blades. At the canopy scale, there are two flow regimes. For sparse canopies, the flow resembles a rough boundary layer. For dense canopies, the flow resembles a mixing layer. At the reach scale, flow resistance is more closely connected to the patch-scale vegetation distribution, described by the blockage factor, than to the geometry of individual plants. The impact of vegetation distribution on sediment movement is discussed, with attention being paid to methods for estimating bed stress within regions of vegetation. The key research challenges of the hydrodynamics of vegetated channels ...