cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF POVERTY IN FAYOUM GOVERNORATE

The aim of this research is to identify the personal and socialcharacteristics of poor rural households in the study area and to construct aquantitative measure of the level of poverty of rural households. It hasindications of stability, honesty and ability to discriminate, identify the factorsthat influence the components of the poverty scale in the study area andidentify the most important variables affecting poverty and importanceRelative to each of them in the study area, and identify the most importantproblems faced by poor rural households in the study area and proposals tosolve them from the point of view of the respondents. The study was conducted in Fayoum Governorate and Tamiya Centerwas selected as it is the poorest and most backward center. The village waschosen from Tamiya center random manner. The selected sample size was 160rural households, 10% of the total size of 1582 rural households. But collectedfrom the head of the household only within each household. The study datawere collected by a personal interview questionnaire from July to the end ofAugust, and were based on repetitive tables, percentages, tests of honesty,consistency and ability to discriminate, Poverty scale The most importantresults wereThe results showed that about 43.8% of all poor rural households havelow economic level, 64.4% have low level of education, 51.3% have lowlevels of health, and 57.5% have a total poverty level. The most importantvariables affecting both the economic, educational and health levels of poorrural households were: average per capita income and level of ambition. Thestudy concluded with discussing the most important results and highlightingtheir theoretical and practical implications.
Histopathologic features of nasal glial heterotopia (nasal glioma).

Nasal glioneuronal heterotopia (NGH) is an uncommon developmental abnormality of the nasal cavity or paranasal soft tissue. Few detailed histologic studies of NGH exist, and molecular analyses have not been performed to date. We describe six cases of pediatric NGH and two representative encephaloceles encountered in our practice over the past 20 years. Two clinically distinct patient groups were noted, those with 1) intranasal nasal cavity mass (n = 3), or 2) extranasal cutaneous mass on the nose (n = 3, 1 on nasal apex, 2 on nasal bridge). Intranasal cases presented within the first week of life, whereas the extranasal NGH presented at ages of 4, 7, and 8 months. Resection was curative in 5/6 cases, with a single case showing local recurrence. Histologic examination showed a predominantly glial cell composition, with nests of GFAP-immunoreactive neuropil containing large, often multinucleated astrocytes. Neurons, although difficult to identify on H&E-stains, were readily observed in all cases by NeuN-immunostain. At least focal leptomeninges were noted in 2/3 intranasal and 1/3 extranasal NGHs on routine histology, SSTR2A immunohistochemistry further confirmed leptomeninges/ arachnoid cells in 4/6 cases. 1 of 4 NGH (extranasal) cases showed copy number variations in chromosome 16, 17 and 19, which were also present in 1/2 encephalocele cases. The full significance of these alterations remains unknown. We find evidence of histologic overlap between NGH and encephalocele, and, for the first time, report molecular alterations shared between the two entities, suggesting that these conditions may represent spectrum of the same histopathologic entity.
The Gothic Screen: Space, Sculpture, and Community in the Cathedrals of France and Germany, ca.1200–1400

At the heart of Gothic cathedrals, the threshold between nave and sanctuary was marked by the choir screen, a partitioning structure of special complexity, grandeur, and beauty. At once a canopy for altars, a stage for performance, a pedestal for crucifixes and reliquaries, and a ground for spectacular arrays of narrative and iconic sculptures, the choir screen profoundly shaped the spaces of liturgy and social interaction for the diverse communities, both clerical and lay, who shared the church interior. For the first time, this book draws together the most important examples - some fully extant, others known through fragments and graphic sources - from thirteenth- and fourteenth-century France and Germany. Through analyses of both their architectural and sculptural components, Jacqueline E. Jung reveals how these furnishings, far from being barricades or hindrances, were vital vehicles of communication and shapers of a community centered on Christian rituals and stories.
Qualitative Methodology, Hypothesis Testing and the Needs Assessment

The qualitative methodologist argues that data have meaning only when they are verified experientially. In order for this type of verification to take place, program evaluators must utilize a "responsible" methodology when conducting research. In this paper a definition of responsible methodology is advanced, while the proper operationalization of this type of methodology is illustrated. In particular, it is shown how key needs assessment strategies can be used in a responsible manner, so as to capture the experiential significance of data. Qualitative Methodoloys An
The Importance of Being Ernest: A Tribute to Dichter

ABSTRACT This article is a tribute to Ernest Dichter, whose introduction of motivation research (MR) left a legacy of ideas that shaped advertising practice and study in the twentieth century. His pioneering contributions included turning attention to the consumer, adapting psychoanalytic concepts to research, and using therapy techniques to analyze marketplace behavior.
Should I Stay or Should I Go

It wasn’t until Maria met Mrs. Mendoza that she even considered going to college. Mrs. Mendoza was the Vice Principal of Patrick Henry High School. Maria first met her when she was called in to her office on suspicion of “vandalizing” the girls’ bathroom, along with her friends Rosalia and Piper. Seated along the blue vinyl bench crammed into the small entryway between Mrs. Mendoza’s office and the copy machine, the three girls took turns looking sullen, defiant, and terrified.
Solid‐Particle Erosion of Thin Films Deposited on Ceramics

Solid-particle erosion of an environmental barrier coating on silicon nitride substrates and a diamond thin film on silicon have been studied for impact angles of 20 and 90°, using 100 and 240 grit alumina and silicon carbide abrasives at 50 and 100 m/s. Weight-loss measurements are combined with scanning electron microscopy to determine that the predominant loss is determined by a brittle fracture mechanism.
Trees outside forests: agro-, community, and urban forestry.

Planted forests are often considered to consist of tree plantings at a scale large enough to satisfy such objectives as commercial production of timber and fiber, protection of watersheds, and preservation of natural habitats. However, trees are planted also at greatly reduced scales in agroforestry systems or as community woodlots to provide a mixture of products and services to resident households, local communities, and regional cultures.
Rock permeability in high-temperature geothermal systems

Economic development of high-temperature geothermal systems for electrical power generation requires the production, through wells, of large volumes of steam or hot water. However, one of the principal cost factors in drilling a geothermal well stems from the loss of drilling fluid from the well bore to the formation. Both fluid production and fluid loss result from permeable zones in the rock. Fluid-loss zones in the upper parts of wells are caused by both inter-granular and fracture permeability. Reservoirs for high-temperature fluid production are formed by fracture systems where, typically, fractures result from faulting. Faults are generally modeled as consisting of core and damaged zones. The core is the area where most of the strain is accommodated. It is separated from the protolith, or undeformed rock, by a damaged zone that includes joints, which have little or no offset, as well as faults with lesser offset than the core. In nongeothermal zones, the core is often of lower permeability than the damage zone due to the accumulation of crushed rock. However, within the geothermal system, the core appears to have the highest permeability. Brittle rocks are preferred lithologies as the hosts of geothermal reservoirs, whereas rocks that behave in a ductile manner form system boundaries or barriers to fluid flow within the reservoir. Evidence suggests that the bottoms of geothermal systems are formed by the transition from brittle to ductile behavior that is a function of rock type, temperature and strain rate. A model is presented here that describes the changing permeability in different zones of a geothermal system.
Numerical calculation of electromagnetic eigenfields and dispersion relation for slow-wave device simulation

Summary form only given. Slow-wave structures support microwave amplification via electromagnetic coupling with an injected electron beam. Critical in the design of such devices is the dependence of the dispersion relation on the geometry of the guiding structure. The dispersion relation provides phase and group velocities, and the fields provide the impedance as seen by the beam. To this end, a computer model is developed which first numerically solves a wave equation in finite difference form subject to boundary conditions periodic in z and conducting elsewhere. The direction of wave propagation is along the z-axis. The solution produces a sequence of eigenfrequencies and eigenfields beginning with cut-off. Fourier decomposition of each eigenfield along selected mesh lines coincident with the location of the electron beam is then performed to establish a correspondence between eigenfrequency and wave number. From this data the dispersion relation for the slow-wave structure can then be formed. An example showing the first two TM passbands and E/sub z/ fields for a slotted waveguide in xz coordinates is demonstrated. We plan to incorporate plasma loading with space-time dependent dielectric constant.
Studies on Alfalfa mosaic virus. III. Reversible dissociation and reconstitution studies.

Abstract The reversible dissociation of the larger components of alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) was best effected by degrading the virus in salt at pH 5 followed by back dialysis to lower ionic strength at pH 7. The degradation by salt appeared to occur in two stages. In the first stage, the particles appeared to open out with the protein subunits remaining attached to the nucleic acid; in the second, the protein separated from the nucleic acid which precipitated. Successful reversible dissociation of the larger AMV components occurred only if the degradation had not proceeded to the second stage. Conditions for the partial reconstitution of the larger AMV components were determined, and reconstituted preparations of AMV protein and nucleic acid which retained some of the original infectivity were obtained. Heterologous reconstitution using AMV protein and broad bean mottle virus or turnip yellow mosaic virus RNA, poly A, or sodium dextran sulphate gave a range of components, some bacilliform with structure similar to that of AMV, but most spherical or near spherical. When yeast RNA was used, only three components which had spherical or near spherical particles were obtained, each of which contained about 9.2% RNA. It was considered that the yeast RNA reconstitution products and the slower components of other reconstitutions did not differ structurally from top z , top c , and top a AMV components.
Burnout in transplant nurses

Context-Burnout is a response to chronic strain within the workplace and is common across nursing professions. Little has been published about burnout in organ transplant nurses. Objective-To report the prevalence of the 3 main components of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment) in organ transplant nurses and to examine factors that contribute to the development of burnout in transplant nurses. Design-Cross-sectional survey of transplant nurses (recruited via listservs) on professional and personal demographics, decisional authority, psychological job demands, supervisor and coworker support, frequency and comfort with difficult patient interactions, and burnout. Participants-369 transplant nurses. Results-About half reported high levels of emotional exhaustion, 15.7% reported high levels of depersonalization, and 51.8% reported low levels of personal accomplishment. Working more hours per week, lower decisional authority, greater psychological job demands, lower perceived supervisor support, and greater frequency and discomfort with difficult patient interactions were significant predictors of emotional exhaustion. Greater frequency and discomfort with difficult patient interactions were significant predictors of depersonalization. Younger age, lower decisional authority, and greater discomfort with difficult patient interactions were predictors of low personal accomplishment. Conclusions-The study provides strong evidence of the presence of burnout in transplant nurses and opportunities for focused and potentially very effective interventions aimed at reducing burnout.
Planning for V&V of the Mars Science Laboratory rover software

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover mission is planning to make use of advanced software technologies in order to support fulfillment of its ambitious science objectives. The mission plans to adopt the mission data system (MDS) as the mission software architecture, and plans to make significant use of on-board autonomous capabilities (e.g., path planning, obstacle avoidance) for the rover software. The use of advanced software technologies embedded in advance mission software architecture represents a turning point in software for space missions. While prior flight experiments (notably the deep space one remote agent experiment) have successfully demonstrated aspects of autonomy enabled by advanced software technologies, and MDS has been tested in ground experiments (e.g., on-earth tests on rover hardware), MSL is the first science mission to rely on this combination. The success of the MSL mission is predicated upon our ability to adequately verify and validate the advanced software technologies, the MDS architectural elements, and the integrated system as a whole. Because MSL is proposing a shift from traditional approaches to flight software, approaches to verification and validation (V&V) require scrutiny to determine whether traditional methods are adequate, and where they need adjustment and/or augmentation to handle the new challenges. This work presents a study of the V&V needs and opportunities associated with MSL's novel approach to mission software, and provides an assessment of V&V techniques, both current and emerging, vis-a-vis their adequacy and suitability for V&V of the MSL rover software.
Ammonia production by the freshwater bivalve Elliptio buckleyi (LEA): Intact and monovalve preparations

Abstract 1. 1. The production of ammonia, urea and ninhydrin-positive material was measured for clams with valves wedged open and with one valve removed (monovalve). 2. 2. Accumulation of ammonia in the surrounding medium was linear with time in both intact and monovalve preparations. Ammonia production by intact animals was 0.194 μmol/g body wt/hr and by clams with one valve removed it was 0.136 μmol/g body wt/hr. 3. 3. Urea was not detected and the production of ninhydrin-positive material was negligible.
Meniscal Allografts: Biomechanical Consequences of Different Methods of Fixation

Complete removal of the meniscus (meniscectomy) often leads to early-onset of osteoarthritis due to changes in contact mechanics1,2. To counteract these changes, the removed meniscus is often replaced with an allograft. Many variables can affect the surgical outcome of meniscal transplantation (bone geometry, graft size, fixation technique, level of activity, limb alignment, etc.)3,4,5. Among them, the method of fixation is the most readily controlled. Two commonly used techniques are: (i) trans-osseous suture fixation via bone plugs, where bone plugs are machined at the anterior and posterior horns of the graft and implanted into appropriately sized tibial bone tunnels, and (ii) suture fixation at the meniscal horns, where the sutures are drawn through tibial bone tunnels and tied over a bone-bridge. But the mechanical consequences of these fixation techniques, specifically, how they affect knee mechanics are unclear.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
A POSSIBLE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MATERNAL RADIATION AND MONGOLISM

Replies to questionnaires sent to the parents of 53 mongoloid children, inquiring about any radiation they had received before the child had been born, suggested a strong association between mongolism and radiation of the mother. The mothers were divided into 3 groups: those who had no abdominal x rays before conceiving the child; those with less than 4 exposures (usually 1 or 2); and those with 4 or more. Fluoroscopic examinations of the abdomen were included in the last group. The data are highly heterogeneous between the last category and the first two. Thus the frequency of heavy irradiation differed significantly in the 3 groups. Furthermore, when the mongoloid families were compared with the control group the difference was highly significant. The frequency of multiple abdominal irradiation was more than 7 times greater in the mongoloid compared with cleft-lip (control) families. It was concluded that the data show a ciose association between the incidence of mongolism and maternal abdominal irradiation. Familial cases of mongoloidism were excluded. (P.C.H.)
Poising of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and its release from the sigma 38 C-terminal tail for osmY transcription.

Bacteria must adapt their transcription to overcome the osmotic stress associated with the gastrointestinal tract of their host. This requires the σ38 (rpoS) form of RNA polymerase. Here, chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments show that activation is associated with a poise-and-release mechanism in vivo. A C-terminal tail unique among σ factors is shown to be required for in vivo recruitment of RNA polymerase to the promoter region prior to osmotic shock. C-terminal domain tail-dependent transcription in vivo can be mimicked by using the intracellular signaling molecule potassium glutamate in vitro. Following signaling, the barrier to elongation into the gene body is overcome and RNA polymerase is released to produce osmY mRNA.
Who Should Study a Foreign Language? The Myth of Elitism

Sometimes in the history of foreign language teaching, diverse influences beyond the profession's immediate control have shaped the nature and scope of the discipline, including the United States position in world affairs and expenditure of government funds. However, in this paper, a myth is explored that has tended to limit enrollments in foreign language classes and that is within our power to alter: the popular image of foreign language study as being primarily for the academically talented, high I.Q., college-bound student. It is generally assumed that the long-held connection between foreign languages and the nineteenth century curriculum theory of mental discipline has affected the type of students encouraged to take a foreign language. However, a study of historical documents shows that quite contrary to this commonly held belief, mental discipline as a motive for language study and elitism do not go hand-in-hand. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the origins of the elitist myth and to suggest how contemporary versions of a mental discipline case can support an open-door rather than an elitist policy toward the study of a foreign language. Strategies are offered to counter an excessive emphasis on the “basics,” a current trend which could undermine the building of a cognitive case for foreign languages in the general curriculum.
An integrated experimental environment for distributed systems and networks

Three experimental environments traditionally support network and distributed systems research: network emulators, network simulators, and live networks. The continued use of multiple approaches highlights both the value and inadequacy of each. Netbed, a descendant of Emulab, provides an experimentation facility that integrates these approaches, allowing researchers to configure and access networks composed of emulated, simulated, and wide-area nodes and links. Netbed's primary goals are ease of use, control, and realism, achieved through consistent use of virtualization and abstraction.By providing operating system-like services, such as resource allocation and scheduling, and by virtualizing heterogeneous resources, Netbed acts as a virtual machine for network experimentation. This paper presents Netbed's overall design and implementation and demonstrates its ability to improve experimental automation and efficiency. These, in turn, lead to new methods of experimentation, including automated parameter-space studies within emulation and straightforward comparisons of simulated, emulated, and wide-area scenarios.
An integrator for time-dependent systems with oscillatory behavior

Many useful integrators are polynomial-based, providing high accuracy for polynomials but not necessarily for oscillatory functions. This paper describes a new integrator that provides accuracy for all these types of functions. It includes many polynomial-based formulas as a special case. Specifically, the method applies to the large class of functions which are Fourier transforms of distributions of band-limited support. Based on a Nyquist-type condition involving the highest frequency contained in the signal, both explicit and implicit methods are developed and combined in a predictor-corrector approach that provides better accuracy and allows larger stability regions.
Texture segregation in chromatic element-arrangement patterns.

An element-arrangement pattern is composed of two types of elements arranged differently in different regions of a pattern. Rapid texture segregation depends on spontaneously discriminating the difference in the arrangement of the elements. Five experiments investigated the perceived segregation of patterns composed of two types of squares arranged in vertical stripes in the top and bottom regions and in a checkerboard arrangement in the middle region. The squares were either equal in luminance and different in hue or equal in hue and different in luminance. The rated similarities of the two hues in a pattern failed to predict perceived segregation. For a given background luminance, the perceived segregation was predicted by the square-root of the sum of the squares of the differences in the outputs of the L - M + S and L + M - S opponent channels, where L, M, and S were the cone contrasts of the long-, medium-, and short-wavelength receptors. The perceived similarity of the two hues in a pattern was not affected by the background luminance but was a function of cone excitations instead. For patterns differing in hue and equal in luminance, perceived segregation was an inverse function of the background luminance. A white background decreased the perceived segregation, but a black background did not. The effect of background luminance was not on the discrimination of the individual hues. The two hues making up a texture pattern were clearly distinguishable on a white background. A white background interfered with the discrimination of the vertical and diagonal columns of squares that distinguished the texture regions. For patterns differing in luminance and equal in hue, black and white backgrounds decreased the perceived segregation. The results indicate that adapting to an achromatic luminance distant from the luminance of the squares increased the Weber threshold for discriminating luminance differences, but did not increase the Weber threshold for discriminating hue differences. The experiments also revealed that luminance was the primary factor affecting perceived segregation and that perceived brightness is secondary. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that perceived segregation in element-arrangemcnt patterns is primarily a function of the differences in the outputs of relatively early filtering mechanisms that encode pattern differences prior to the specification of the element shapes and their properties.
Optical thickness of atmospheric dust over Tadzhikistan

Abstract The aerosol dust optical thickness during a dust experiment in Tadzhikistan is derived from satellite measurements of reflected sunlight. The method estimates the surface reflectance on days with low optical thickness for the same ground area where dust occurs. In order to avoid changes in the surface bidirectional reflectance between the dusty and clear days, nearly identical geometry between the solar and view directions is obtained eight days before a dust storm. Lookup tables are utilized to obtain the surface reflectance on the clear day, and another set of lookup are tables is used to assign an optical depth to the dust. The optical depth lookup tables utilize Mie scattering for a representative size distribution and index of refraction for the dust aerosol. The observed similarity of size distributions and indices of refraction for dust aerosols at many locations over the earth justify this method. A map of the dust optical thickness is given.
Beyond Tourist Gazes and Performances U.S. Consumption of Land and Labor in Puerto Rican and Mexican Destinations

Theoretical debates about the relationship between tourism and Latin American development are often based upon the distinction between tourism's performative and its visual aspects. Though gazes and performances are important, they occur in the context of a usurpation of land and labor that lead to the displacement and exploitation of the residents of tourist destinations. Examination of U.S. consumption of tourist destinations and hospitality labor in Puerto Rico and Mexico reveals that tourism exacerbates inequalities between tourists and service providers, calling into question its long-term sustainability.
Polls and Pounds: Public Opinion and Exchange Rate Behavior in Britain

This article examines the relationship between government popularity and exchange rate movements in Britain since 1987. It argues that: (1) unexpected drops in the government’s public support lead to currency depreciations and increased exchange rate volatility, and (2) unanticipated depreciations hurt the government’s public support. It estimates separate models of the exchange rate and government voting intention iteratively and recursively. At each iteration, measures of exchange rate and public opinion shocks are generated. These generated variables are employed in the next iteration of estimates, including measures of political shocks in the model of exchange rate behavior and measures of exchange rate movements in the model of voting intention. This enables, therefore, the measurement of both the political costs of currency depreciation and the exchange rate consequences of political competition. With growing levels of international trade and capital mobility, policy-makers and political scientists frequently assert a relationship between the international economy and domestic political outcomes. Some political economists emphasize how currency markets affect politics, arguing that the size and volatility of currency markets alters underlying social and political cleavages (Frieden 1991), constrains policy options (Garrett 1995; Goodman and Pauly 1993; Strange 1996), affects electoral outcomes (Bernhard 2001), and contributes to the erosion of the nation-state (Andrews 1994). A second set of political economists views the causal arrow in the other direction, contending that politics shapes currency market behavior. These studies reveal considerable
Putting Evidence Into Practice: The Process for Evidence-Based Research

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Putting Evidence Into Practice (PEP®) resources provide easily accessible evidence-based resources on 20 cancer-related topics. Using a team-based approach, the ONS PEP teams search for relevant literature, create comprehensive summaries of empirically tested intervention research, and rank each intervention according to its effectiveness. PEP resources are available to nurses and other clinicians caring for people with cancer and their caregivers online and through multiple print sources. The purpose of this article is to explain the PEP process.
Age and Extent of Surgery Affect Attention in Women Treated for Breast Cancer

Women treated for breast cancer have shown attentional fatigue manifested as a decreased capacity to concentrate or direct attention in daily life activities. This study was conducted to determine if age and extent of surgery increase the risk of early development of attentional fatigue in 74 women newly diagnosed with Stage I or II breast cancer. Measures of capacity to direct attention (CDA) were obtained at two time points, about 12 days before, and 15 days after, breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy. ANOVA showed significant age and age by time interaction effects (p < .05). Women aged 65-79 showed a significant mean decline (p < .05) in CDA over time regardless of extent of surgery. Women aged 46-64, who underwent mastectomy, showed a mean loss in CDA, whereas those having breast-conserving surgery showed a significant mean gain (p < .05). Women aged 25-45 showed no significant mean change in CDA over time. Older age and more extensive surgery increase the likelihood of loss of attention due, in part, to greater risk of attentional fatigue.
Numerical Modeling of Liquid Drop Spreading Behavior on Inclined Surfaces

A numerical study was conducted on the spreading behavior of liquid drops on flat solid surfaces. The model predicts the shape of liquid-vapor interface under static equilibrium using an unstructured surface grid composed of triangular elements. Incremental movement of base contour, i.e. solid-liquid-vapor contact line, is also captured such that the constrained boundary conditions, i.e. advancing and receding contact angles, can be satisfied. The numerical model is applied to a common experiment that studies the behavior of liquid drops on inclined surfaces, where the shape of the drops change in response to an alteration of total volume or gravitational direction. On a heterogeneous surface that has contact angle hysteresis, the shape of the base contour on the solid surface is not determined uniquely but rather dependent upon history. This study demonstrates such dependence by comparing the spreading of a liquid drop on a solid surface with different quasi-equilibrium paths.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Abstract 5591: A phase I study of bavituximab and sorafenib in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Background: HCC is the fastest growing cause of cancer-related deaths in the US, with the majority of patients presenting with advanced stage disease. Despite sorafenib being the only systemic therapy with proven efficacy in advanced HCC, the median survival for these patients is still less than one year. Sorafenib, in pre-clinical HCC models, upregulates phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure on tumor vascular endothelium. The phosphatidylserine (PS)-targeting antibody, bavituximab, given in combination with sorafenib has greater efficacy in pre-clinical HCC models than either therapy alone. Bavituximab acts by directing immune cells to destroy the PS-expressing tumor vasculature, and by reactivating tumor immunity.The aim of our study was to evaluate the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of bavituximab in combination with 400 mg bid of sorafenib in patients with advanced HCC. Methods: In this single institution, phase I study ([NCT01264705][1]), sorafenib-naive adult patients with measurable, advanced HCC, ECOG PS ≤ 2, and Child-Pugh (CP) class A cirrhosis received escalating doses of bavituximab weekly (0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 mg/kg) and sorafenib 400 mg bid for 28 days. Results: Median age of patients was 61(range 43-76) years and seven patients were male. Five patients had CP A5 and 4 patients had CP A6 cirrhosis. The majority of patients had underlying HCV (7/9), one patient had HBV and one patient had NASH. Five patients (4 TACE, 1 resection) received prior treatment. Four patients had metastatic disease at initiation of treatment. No dose limiting toxicities were seen at any dose level. No grade 3/4 treatment-related events in the first 28 days were noted. Common toxicities at all grades were related to sorafenib and included hand-foot syndrome (33% grade I, 22% grade II), fatigue (33% grade I) and anorexia (22% grade I). Conclusions: Bavituximab and sorafenib can be given safely in patients with advanced HCC at 3.0 mg/kg weekly and 400 mg bid, respectively. Hand-foot syndrome, fatigue and anorexia were the most common adverse events and are consistent with known adverse events with sorafenib therapy. These doses are currently being evaluated in an ongoing phase II study in this population. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5591. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5591 [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=CLINTRIALGOV&access_num=NCT01264705&atom=%2Fcanres%2F72%2F8_Supplement%2F5591.atom
ASYMPTOTIC PROPERTIES OF THE ROBUSTIFIED JACKKNIFED ESTIMATOR

This article describes several properties of Wainer and Wright's (1980) jackknifed ability estimator. These properties are as follows: the first order asymptotic behavior of the standard jackknife, including consistency properties; the first order asymptotic behavior of the general M-type robustified jackknife including consistency properties and formulas for the standard error; and a small sample distribution-free formula for the standard error of the standard jackknife.
Is gastroschisis truly a sporadic defect?: familial cases of gastroschisis in Utah, 1997 to 2008.

BACKGROUND: Gastroschisis remains an epidemiologic and pathogenetic dilemma, with genetics not thought to play a significant role in its etiology. The purpose of this study was to determine which gastroschisis cases in the Utah Birth Defect Network (UBDN) were related and the excess familial risk among multigenerational families. METHODS: Gastroschisis cases born from 1997 through 2008 were identified from the statewide population-based UBDN and linked with the Utah Population Database (UPDB) to access multigenerational pedigrees. We analyzed these pedigrees using the familial standardized incidence ratio (FSIR). RESULTS: Of the 284 UBDN gastroschisis cases, one in 40 (n = 7; 2.5%) were reported to have another affected family member. Among these seven cases, three had affected sib pairs and four reported either a distant cousin, paternal uncle, maternal half-uncle, or paternal cousin with gastroschisis. UBDN-UPDB–linked cases resulted in many multigenerational pedigrees with the same affected descendents through marriage. We selected 30 pedigrees for repeated analysis based on two parameters: highest FSIRs with a p ≤ 0.01 and ≥2 cases. In these 30 pedigrees, FSIRs ranged from 3.7 to 93.5 (p < 0.009), each with two to eight distantly related cases (n = 64 distinct cases, representing 23% of the 284). CONCLUSIONS: We found a statistically significant excess risk for gastroschisis because of familial factors. Similar to many other birth defects, gastroschisis may fit a multifactorial model of inheritance. The UBDN-UPDB linkage provides a robust approach to investigating genetic factors. Genetic susceptibility should be further investigated because it may have a greater role in the etiology of gastroschisis than currently appreciated. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Competing output-sensitive frame algorithms

Two output-sensitive procedures for identifying the extreme points (the ''frame'') of the convex hull of a finite point set have appeared in the literature: one by Dula and Helgason (1996) [10] and the other by Ottmann et al. (2001) [27]. The two procedures are in dual spaces and differ enough to motivate the question as to how they compare in a fair competition. We derive an improved dualized version of the procedure in Ottmann et al. (2001) [27] and compare it to the one in Dula and Helgason (1996) [10] using a well-structured, large-scale, problem suite.
Cost-Effectiveness of Aprepitant for the Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting Associated with Highly Emetogenic Chemotherapy

Abstract Objectives Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a significant problem for cancer patients. Aprepitant, a novel NK-1 receptor antagonist, is approved for use with 5-HT3 antagonists and corticosteroids to prevent CINV associated with highly emetogenic chemotherapy. Nevertheless, the cost-effectiveness of standard aprepitant use has not been established. Methods We developed a Markov model to compare three strategies for CINV: conventional treatment with a 5-HT3 antagonist and a corticosteroid, conventional treatment plus aprepitant, and conventional treatment with aprepitant added after the onset of CINV. Data from published clinical trials provided probabilities and utilities for the model. Data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Federal Supply Scale provided costs for medical resources and medications utilized. Resource use data were based on a randomized clinical trial and routine clinical practice. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for each aprepitant strategy was calculated in US$ per healthy day equivalent (HDE) and converted to dollars per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). Univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analyses addressed uncertainty in model parameters. Results Adding aprepitant after CINV occurred cost $264 per HDE ($96,333/QALY). The three-drug strategy cost $267/HDE with a 95% confidence range of $248-$305/HDE ($97,429/QALY; $90,396–$111,239/QALY). In univariate analyses, the most influential factors on the ICER were: the cost of aprepitant, the likelihood of delayed CINV without aprepitant, the likelihood of acute CINV with/without aprepitant, and the increase in HDE from avoiding CINV. Conclusion Aprepitant provides modest incremental benefits compared with conventional management of CINV. Routine aprepitant use appears most cost-effective when the likelihood of delayed CINV or the cost of rescue medications is high.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, optical absorption and thermoluminescence studies in CaSO4: Tm

Abstract XPS studies of the core and molecular orbital electronic levels of CaSO4: Tm have shown that the material is in its proper chemical state (sulfate) and that it is quite resistant to radiation damage. However, at very high doses of X-ray irradiation, in the MGy range, the phosphor shows brown discoloration associated with partial decomposition of the sulfate into sulfite, thiosulfate and smaller amounts, of sulfide. This process of chemical reduction involving the breakup of oxygen atoms from the sulfate ion causes a band tailing at the valence band towards lower binding energy. Similar effects, but to a smaller extent are caused if the phosphor is sintered at about 1000°C. The sintered phosphor shows increased optical absorption in the UV at about 225 nm and it responds to UV light by yielding thermoluminescence. A thermoluminescence peak at approximately 300°C can be generated by UV light alone in the sintered material.
Integrated 1550 nm photoreceiver with built-in amplification and feedback mechanisms

Sensitivity, dynamic range and detection efficiency are among the key figures of merit for 1550 nm wavelength detectors that find applications in communications, sensing, and imaging. Some fundamental material and device limits have added tremendous difficulties for a single device to achieve high sensitivity and dynamic range without significant trade-offs. We present a concept that can potentially overcome this performance bottleneck. Preliminary results have shown a sensitivity of 10 photons (six photons from the quantum limit) and a large dynamic range (in the sense that output increases monotonically with input). The concept opens up a new avenue for detecting single photons in non-Geiger-mode with near 100% detection efficiency.
Myosin II isoform co-assembly and differential regulation in mammalian systems

Non-muscle myosin 2 (NM2) is a major force-producing, actin-based motor in mammalian non-muscle cells, where it plays important roles in a broad range of fundamental biological processes, including cytokinesis, cell migration, and epithelial barrier function. This breadth of function at the tissue and cellular levels suggests extensive diversity and differential regulation of NM2 bipolar filaments, the major, if not sole, functional form of NM2s in vivo. Previous in vitro, cellular and animal studies indicate that some of this diversity is supported by the existence of multiple NM2 isoforms. Moreover, two recent studies have shown that these isoforms can co-assemble to form heterotypic filaments, further expanding functional diversity. In addition to isoform co-assembly, cells may differentially regulate NM2 function via isoform-specific expression, RLC phosphorylation, MHC phosphorylation or regulation via binding partners. Here, we provide a brief summary of NM2 filament assembly, summarize the recent findings regarding NM2 isoform co-assembly, consider the mechanisms cells might utilize to differentially regulate NM2 isoforms, and review the data available to support these mechanisms.
Evaluation and Treatment of Post Mid-Urethral Sling Incontinence and Voiding Dysfunction

Over the last decade, mid-urethral sling surgery has become the standard of care for the treatment of stress incontinence. As with the anti-incontinence procedures that came before it, there are failures in the form of both voiding dysfunction and recurrent or persistent incontinence. This article reviews the current literature regarding the evaluation and treatment of mid-urethral sling failures.
HIP BONE DENSITY PREDICTS BREAST CANCER RISK INDEPENDENTLY OF GAIL SCORE-RESULTS FROM THE WOMEN’S HEALTH INITIATIVE

BACKGROUND. The Gail model has been commonly used to estimate a woman's risk of breast cancer within a certain time period. High bone mineral density (BMD) is also a significant risk factor for breast cancer, but it appears to play no role in the Gail model. The objective of the current study was to investigate whether hip BMD predicts postmenopausal breast cancer risk independently of the Gail score. METHODS. In this prospective study, 9941 postmenopausal women who had a baseline hip BMD and Gail score from the Women's Health Initiative were included in the analysis. Their average age was 63.0 ± 7.4 years at baseline. RESULTS. After an average of 8.43 years of follow-up, 327 incident breast cancer cases were reported and adjudicated. In a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, the hazards ratios (95% confidence interval [95% CI]) for incident breast cancer were 1.35 (95% CI, 1.05-1.73) for high Gail score (≥1.67%) and 1.25 (95% CI, 1.11-1.40) for each unit of increase in the total hip BMD T-score. Restricting the analysis to women with both BMD and a Gail score above the median, a sharp increase in incident breast cancer for women with the highest BMD and Gail scores was found (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS. The contribution of BMD to the prediction of incident postmenopausal breast cancer across the entire population was found to be independent of the Gail score. However, among women with both high BMD and a high Gail score, there appears to be an interaction between these 2 factors. These findings suggest that BMD and Gail score may be used together to better quantify the risk of breast cancer. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Photoconjugation of 3-azido-5-nitrobenzyl-[18F]fluoride to an oligonucleotide aptamer

Photoconjugation techniques are well established in biochemistry and molecular biology applications. We report here the first application of photoconjugation to label an oligonucleotide with positron emitting fluorine-18. ANBF, 3-azido-5-nitrobenzyl fluoride, was tagged with fluorine-18 in 30–50% yield from the corresponding tosylate. The HPLC purified [18F]ANBF was photochemically conjugated to a hexylamine modified 15-base, single stranded, DNA aptamer with up to 20% radiolabeling efficiency, based on starting [18F]ANBF. Separation by gel exclusion chromatography and HPLC analysis of the DNA fractions indicated that the benzyl fluoride was covalently bound to the aptamer. The total reaction time from the start of radiosynthesis was 135 min. Based on these results, the feasibility to photolabel oligonucleotide molecules with fluorine-18 labeled arylazides for PET applications has been established. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Elliptic flow from a transversally thermalized fireball

The agreement of elliptic flow data at RHIC at central rapidity with the hydrodynamic model has led to the conclusion of very rapid thermalization. This conclusion is based on the intuitive argument that hydrodynamics, which assumes instantaneous local thermalization, produces the largest possible elliptic flow values and that the data seem to saturate this limit. We here investigate the question whether incompletely thermalized viscous systems may actually produce more elliptic flow than ideal hydrodynamics. Motivated by the extremely fast primordial longitudinal expansion of the reaction zone, we investigate a toy model that exhibits thermalization only in the transverse directions but undergoes collisionless free-streaming expansion in the longitudinal direction. For collisions at RHIC energies, elliptic flow results from the model are compared with those from hydrodynamics. With the final particle yield and ${k}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ distribution fixed, the transversally thermalized model is shown not to be able to produce the measured amount of elliptic flow. This investigation provides further support for very rapid local kinetic equilibration at RHIC. It also yields interesting novel results for the elliptic flow of massless particles such as direct photons.
Post-deposition high temperature processing of silicon nitride

Abstract Hydrogen, which is normally incorporated in silicon nitride in the form of Si-H and N-H bonds, is lost by trap-limited diffusion during high temperature post-deposition processing. Hydrogen loss occurs from films prepared by both atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition and low pressure chemical vapor deposition, and such loss appears to be unimpeded by polycrystalline silicon gate layers. We have found that partial reloading of hydrogen-depleted films to reform N-H and Si-H bonds can be achieved by annealing in H2 gas at 900°C. It is inferred, therefore, that silicon nitride does not reconstruct when hydrogen is lost during high temperature processing. Changes in the equilibrium positive charge parallel changes in the hydrogen concentration in silicon nitride, consistent with a previously reported parallel behavior between positive charge and Si-H bonds.