cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL LAMINAR JET IN PARALLEL STREAMING FLOW.

Abstract : Solutions to the problem of a two-dimensional, laminar jet of incompressible fluid issuing into a uniform stream in the direction of the main flow are considered. Two coordinate-type expansions are developed. A direct expansion, when suitably transformed, predicts approximately the velocity along the plane of symmetry of the jet for all values of the abscissa, with a maximum error of 7.6% far downstream from the origin. This error is established by comparison with a second, asymptotic expansion valid only at large values of the abscissa. The two expansions are subsequently joined, permitting an approximate determination of a constant which multiplies a third order in the asymptotic series and which initially remained unknown even after satisfying all boundary conditions imposed on these series. The decay of velocity excess along the plane of symmetry of the jet is accelerated by the presence of the external stream. (Author)
Is Visceral Adiposity the “Enemy Within”?

Recently, data from diverse areas of investigation have come together to implicate chronic low-level inflammation as an important pathogenetic factor in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). As recently summarized by Ross,1 studies in cell biology, animal models, clinical research, and epidemiology have been remarkably consistent in validating the early work of Virchow2 and others, suggesting that atherosclerotic lesions are essentially an inflammatory response. In clinical research and epidemiology, 2 inflammation blood markers in particular, fibrinogen and C-reactive protein (CRP), have been used. Many studies have confirmed that these markers predict future cardiovascular events independently of more traditional cardiovascular risk factors, such as plasma lipid levels.3 4 5 Because of this, several investigators have suggested that CRP might prove useful in clinical practice,6 7 whereas others have favored fibrinogen.8 9 Although there are important details to work out before either of these markers enters the clinical domain, this interest provides a clear and compelling imperative for understanding how inflammation integrates into both normal physiology and atherothrombotic pathophysiology. Focusing on CRP, population-based research efforts have revealed that in general, women have slightly higher values than men, blacks have higher values than whites, and those with clinical CVD have higher values than those without10 11 12 13 (M. Cushman, et al, manuscript in preparation). In those without clinical CVD, metabolic variables consistently correlated with CRP include body mass index (BMI), glucose tolerance status/diabetes status, and level of coagulation activation. In addition, depending on the population being studied, other correlates of CRP may include smoking status, plasma lipids (especially HDL cholesterol), hypertension, evidence of chronic infection, and measures of subclinical atherosclerotic disease, such as ankle-brachial blood pressure index (ABI). Whether or not some variables have been identified as significant correlates appears to depend, at least in part, on the …
Embedding of complete binary trees into meshes with row-column routing

This paper considers the problem of embedding complete binary trees into meshes using the row-column routing and obtained the following results: a complete binary tree with 2/sup p/-1 nodes can be embedded (1) with link congestion one into a /sup 9///sub 8//spl radic/(2/sup p/)/spl times//sup 9///sub 8//spl radic/(2/sup p/) mesh when p is even and a /spl radic/(/sup 9///sub 8/2/sup p/)/spl times//spl radic/(/sup 9///sub 8/2/sup p/) mesh when p is odd, and (2) with link congestion two into a /spl radic/(2/sup p/)/spl times//spl radic/(2/sup p/) mesh when p is even, and a /spl radic/(2/sup p-1/)/spl times//spl radic/(2/sup p-1/) mesh when p is odd.
Transmission Electron Microscopy Imaging of Structural Transformation Dynamics in a Single Nanocrystal

Over the last decade, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has advanced remarkably. With the development of aberration-corrected optics, improved recording systems, high brightness guns, and so on, imaging with single-atom sensitivity across the periodic table has become a reality. Atomic resolution imaging with rapid acquisition and with greater signal collection efficiency opens many opportunities in the study of dynamic processes of materials.
The length of the uterine cervix and its significance

Sonographic measurement of 150 pregnant and nonpregnant uteri indicate that the uterine cervix is about 2.5 cm in length in the nongravid and is seldom or never more than 6 cm in length during pregnancy. This information is used to better identify the level of the internal cervical os, especially in evaluating early placenta previa. If careful sonography is used to identify the lowest attachment of the placenta and the cervical tip, placenta previa could be excluded when the placenta is more than 6 cm from the cervical tip. This seems reliable in clinical practice and reduces the unreasonably high level of early placenta previa predictions and the attendant anxiety of mother and obstetrician.
Too close for comfort: effect of trap spacing distance and pattern on statistical inference of behavioral choice tests in the field

Behavioral choice tests provide a powerful and commonly used technique for evaluating the biological activity of chemical signals. Despite the widespread application of this approach, relatively few studies have evaluated a key assumption, that is, relative independence among treatments. Previous work has demonstrated that both the number of choices and their physical arrangement can affect theresultsofchoicetestswithleaf-feedinginsectsinlaboratoryassays.Here,weconsideranotherspatial component, the distance between treatments, in a field assay, using a bark beetle as our model. We usedthreegeometriesoftrap arrangements, two spacing levels, and both ‘lowactivity’lures anda ‘high activity’ lure in our behavioral assays. We found that proximity to an attractive treatment generatedunexpectedlyhightrap catches at relativelynon-attractive treatments, eveninthepresenceofa uniform treatment effect and relatively constant insect population size. Increases in traps baited with ‘low activity’ lures proximate to a highly attractive treatment ranged from 4 to 7· the catch observed inconfigurationswith trapsspaced widerapart.Moreover, evenintheabsence of‘highactivity’lures, a lure catching less than one insect per day on average could obscure the effect of a control trap at proximate spacing. In our example, a spacing distance of 15 m appears to provide independence among traps used to sample the bark beetle Ips pini (Say) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), but 3 m does not. Our broader intent is to provide a useful approach to the design and evaluation of behavioralchoiceexperiments inthefield.
Cyclophosphamide, Methotrexate, and 5-Fluorouracil (CMF)-Induced Ocular Toxicity

Ocular toxicity is a common, but poorly understood, sequela from CMF chemotherapy. We investigated this toxicity in patients receiving CMF therapy. Detailed interviews in 210 patients revealed that new, unpleasant ocular symptoms developed in 42% of patients receiving CMF, in 39% of subjects receiving other regimens containing 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and only in 18% of subjects receiving a variety of chemotherapy regimens not containing 5-FU. CMF-associated ocular symptoms usually consisted of mild to marked tearing, ocular pruritus, and/or burning. These toxicities usually began 11-17 days after starting a cycle of CMF and lasted for 10-15 days. 5-FU was detected in the tears of 12 tested patients within several minutes after intravenous 5-FU (peak concentrations as high as 60 micrograms/ml). 5-FU tear concentrations did not correlate with the presence or absence of ocular toxicity. There is no established antidote for this toxicity although some patients have reported subjective benefit from cryotherapy, applied around the period of 5-FU injections, or cromolyn sodium eye drops.
Role of the USF1 transcription factor in diabetic kidney disease.

The predominant transcription factors regulating key genes in diabetic kidney disease have not been established. The transcription factor upstream stimulatory factor 1 (USF1) is an important regulator of glucose-mediated transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 expression in mesangial cells; however, its role in the development of diabetic kidney disease has not been evaluated. In the present study, wild-type (WT; USF1 +/+), heterozygous (USF1 +/−), and homozygous (USF1 −/−) knockout mice were intercrossed with Akita mice (Ins2/Akita) to induce type 1 diabetes. Mice were studied up to 36 wk of age. The degree of hyperglycemia and kidney hypertrophy were similar in all groups of diabetic mice; however, the USF1 −/− diabetic mice had significantly less albuminuria and mesangial matrix expansion than the WT diabetic mice. TGF-β1 and renin gene expression and protein were substantially increased in the WT diabetic mice but not in USF1 −/− diabetic mice. The underlying pathway by which USF1 is regulated by high glucose was investigated in mesangial cell culture. High glucose inhibited AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity and increased USF1 nuclear translocation. Activation of AMPK with AICAR stimulated AMPK activity and reduced nuclear accumulation of USF1. We thus conclude that USF1 is a critical transcription factor regulating diabetic kidney disease and plays a critical role in albuminuria, mesangial matrix accumulation, and TGF-β1 and renin stimulation in diabetic kidney disease. AMPK activity may play a key role in high glucose-induced regulation of USF1.
Mathematics as "Gate-Keeper" (?): Three Theoretical Perspectives that Aim Toward Empowering All Children With a Key to the Gate

In this article, the author’s intent is to begin a conversation centered on the question: How might mathematics educators ensure that gatekeeping mathematics becomes an inclusive instrument for empowerment rather than an exclusive instrument for stratification? In the first part of the discussion, the author provides a historical perspective of the concept of “gatekeeper” in mathematics education. After substantiating mathematics as a gatekeeper, the author proceeds to provide a definition of empowering mathematics within a Freirian frame, and describes three theoretical perspectives of mathematics education that aim toward empowering all children with a key to the gate: the situated perspective, the culturally relevant perspective, and the critical perspective. Last, within a Foucauldian frame, the author concludes the article by asking the reader to think differently.
Predictors of Medication Adherence in High Risk Youth of Color Living with HIV

Objective To test predictors of medication adherence in high-risk racial or ethnic minority youth living with HIV (YLH) using a conceptual model of social cognitive predictors including a continuous measure of motivational readiness. Methods Youth were participants in a multi-site clinical trial examining the efficacy of a motivational intervention. Racial-minority YLH (primarily African American) who were prescribed antiretroviral medication were included (N ¼104). Data were collected using computer-assisted personal interviewing method via an Internet-based application and questionnaires. Results Using path analysis with bootstrapping, most youth reported suboptimal adherence, which predicted higher viral load. Higher motivational readiness predicted optimal adherence, and higher social support predicted readiness. Decisional balance was indirectly related to adherence. Conclusions The model provided a plausible framework for understanding adherence in this population. Culturally competent interventions focused on readiness and social support may be helpful for improving adherence in YLH.
Placement for Immunity of Transient Faults in Cell-Based Design of Nanometer Circuits

The rate of soft errors have been significantly increasing due to the aggressive scaling trends in the nanometer regime. Several circuit optimization techniques have been proposed in literature for preventing such transient faults, however, to the best of our knowledge, the reduction of soft error rate at the layout level has not been attempted in logic circuits. In this work, we show that transient glitches due to cosmic strikes can be sufficiently reduced by intelligently modifying the placement stage in cell based designs to selectively assign larger wirelengths to certain critical nets. Towards this, we propose a computationally efficient placement algorithm based on quadratic programming that significantly reduces the soft error rates of logic circuits. The algorithm tries to assign higher wirelengths for nets with low glitch masking probabilities for higher reduction in soft error rates (SER), while maintaining low delay and area penalty for the overall circuit. Experimental results on the ISCAS'85 benchmark circuits indicate that such a placement algorithm can significantly improve the soft error immunity in logic circuits without much delay and area overheads.
A fast QR/Frequency-domain RLS adaptive filter

There has been considerable recent interest in QR factorization for recursive solution to the least-squares adaptive-filtering problem, mainly because of the good numerical properties of QR factorizations. Early work by Gentleman and Kung (1981) and McWhirter (1983) has produced triangular systolic arrays of N2/2 processors that solve the Recursive Least Squares (RLS) adaptive-filtering problem (where N is the size of the adaptive filter). Here, we introduce a more computationally efficient solution to the QR RLS problem that requires only O(N) computations per time update, when the input has the usual shift-invariant property. Thus, computation and implementation requirements are reduced by an order of magnitude. The new algorithms are based on a structure that is neither a transversal filter nor a lattice, but can be best characterized by a functionally equivalent set of parameters that represent the time-varying "least-squares frequency transforms" of the input sequences. Numerical stability can be insured by implementing computations as 2 × 2 orthogonal (Givens) rotations.
Evaluation of digital photography for quantifying Cryptococcus fagisuga (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae) density on American beech trees.

ABSTRACT Beech scale (Cryptococcus fagisuga Lindinger) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae) is an invasive forest insect established in the eastern United States and Canada. It predisposes American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrhart) trees to infection by Neonectria spp. Fungi causing beech bark disease. White wax secreted by the diminutive scales obscures individual insects, making it difficult to accurately quantify beech scale density. Our goals were to 1) evaluate the relationship between the area of wax and number of beech scales on bark samples, 2) determine whether digital photos of bark could accurately quantify beech scale density, and 3) compare efficiency and utility of a qualitative visual estimate and using the quantitative digital photo technique to assess beech scale populations. We visually estimated beech scale abundance and photographed designated areas on the trunk of 427 trees in 40 sites across Michigan. Photos were analyzed using a binary threshold technique to quantify the area of beech scale wa...
Selective Predation by Three Esocids: The Role of Prey Behavior and Morphology

Abstract We documented differential vulnerability of fathead minnows Pimephales promelas, gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum, and bluegills Lepomis macrochirus to predation by muskellunge Esox masquinongy, northern pike E. lucius, and tiger muskellunge E. masquinongy × E. lucius in a 700-L tank. Individual esocids (150–225 mm in total length) were combined with singlespecies groups (N = 15) of optimal-sized prey (25–30% of predator length for bluegills, 37–43% for fathead minnows, and 30–36% for gizzard shad). Capture ability did not differ among esocids; however, mean captures per strike were higher for fathead minnow (0.67) and gizzard shad (0.78) than for bluegill (0A4). Morphology and antipredatory behavior, unique to each prey species, contributed to this differential vulnerability. In the field, we introduced equal numbers and similar sizes of these esocids into two systems, one with centrarchid prey and one with both centrarchid and gizzard shad prey. As predicted from laboratory work, esocids ate fe...
Cognitive bias and the poetics of surprise

The 'curse of knowledge' is a pervasive cognitive bias that makes it very difficult for us accurately to imagine, once we know something, what it is like not to know it. This article analyzes examp...
Low cost single-phase semi-Z-source inverter

This paper presents several single-phase non-isolated semi-Z-source inverters for small distributed power generator in grid-connected applications with low cost and doubly grounded features. These semi-Z-source inverters employ the Z-source/quasi-Z-source network and only two active switches to achieve the same output voltage as the traditional voltage-fed full-bridge inverter. The two active switches of the semi-Z-source inverter are controlled complementarily. Different from the traditional single-phase Z-source/quasi-Z-source inverter, shoot-through zero state is not applicable for the semi-Z-source inverter. The input dc source and the output ac voltage of the semi-Z-source inverter share the same ground, thus leading to less leakage ground current advantages over other non-doubly grounded inverters, such as voltage fed full-bridge inverter. This is a preferred feature for non-isolated grid-connected inverters especially in photovoltaic application. A revised non-linear sinusoid pulse width modulation method for semi-Z-source inverter is also proposed. By using this method, desired duty cycle can be generated to output the sinusoidal voltage. Other dc-dc converters with similar voltage gain curve, which can also be used as a single-phase inverter are also discussed and summarized. A single-phase semi-Z-source inverter prototype is built, experimental results are provided to verify and demonstrate the special features of the proposed circuit.
A key distribution scheme for double authentication in link state routing protocol

The double authentication (DA) scheme presented in D. Huang et al., (2003) is designed to provide security against impersonation attack to link state routing protocol at a lower computational cost as compared to the existing schemes, such as, digital signature scheme S. Murphy et al. (1997). In this paper, we present a key distribution scheme that can be used for generating and distributing keys to provide DA. This scheme leads to a storage complexity for each router that varies linearly with the number of routers in the network in the worst case (fully connected network with n nodes). Moreover, for router with four or less average number of links, the storage complexity falls below log/sub 2/n. This scheme also increases the security robustness of DA as the subverted routers can collude only if they are neighbors.
Risk Factors for Attention and Behavioral Issues in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease

Background. Children with sickle cell disease have an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, and specific learning disabilities. Little research has been done to characterize the sickle cell disease–related characteristics associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in the sickle cell disease population. Methods. This study was a retrospective chart review involving the outpatient records of 2 medical centers, Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins Hospital. Participants in the study included 59 children with sickle cell disease with a documented neurodevelopmental diagnosis, specifically attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, attention issues, behavioral issues, executive dysfunction, specific learning disabilities in math, reading, and reading comprehension, intellectual disabilities, developmental delay, fine motor disorders, language disorders, or autism spectrum disorders. Results. Children with sickle cell di...
Navigation, Access, and Control Using Structured Information

Document representations are gradually moving from format orientation to a more structural orientation, where their internal structure is made available to the machine for more effective processing. This is very much like the move of databases toward more explicit, unambiguous, standardized forms. The data found in documents is quite different from traditional, tabular database records, however, and requires new models. SGML has been at the center of this move because of some very simple characteristics, such as allowing authors to create the particular labels needed for their specific applications. These characteristics led to its use by the Text Encoding Initiative and for Encoded Archival Description. Finding aids pose some uniquely challenging problems for encoding, now addressed by EAD in a way that should make such information far more accessible for the future.
Elastic Scattering of Deuterons by He 3

Differential cross sections for the elastic scattering of deuterons by ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ have been measured at laboratory energies of 1.02, 1.50, 2.00, 2.50, 3.00, and 3.25 Mev for nine center-of-mass angles ranging from 45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 125\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. At each deuteron energy the cross section passes through a minimum in the vicinity of 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, with the minimum shifting to slightly higher angles as the bombarding energy increases. The cross section decreases with increasing energy for each angle investigated. At 3.25 Mev the cross section passes through a minimum of 16 millibarns at 100\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and rises to approximately 80 millibarns at 45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and 125\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. A comparison of the results for the scattering of deuterons by ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ and by the mirror nucleus ${\mathrm{H}}^{3}$ shows the cross sections to be approximately the same except at the lowest energies and forward angles.
Obesity and Cancer: Concepts and Challenges

The rates of overweight and obesity are increasing worldwide in both developed and developing countries. Obesity is a major public health problem as it is associated with many diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, and some types of cancer. Breast cancer is a malignancy in which both the risk of development and the prognosis are negatively impacted by the obese state. The precise mechanisms pathophysiologically linking obesity and cancer are still under investigation. The biological basis for these associations includes both systemic and local tissue effects and white adipose tissue inflammation appears to be a critical component. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms linking obesity, inflammation and cancer may provide an opportunity for the development of strategies to attenuate the negative impact of obesity.
Profiles of Performance, Performance Evaluations, and Personnel Decisions

A laboratory experiment was conducted on profiles of performance: high, average, or low; stable or variable; ascending or descending. Level of performance was found to be the most important determi...
Lipid Management Guidelines from the Departments of Veteran Affairs and Defense: A Critique

In December 2014, the US Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense (VA/DoD) published an independent clinical practice guideline for the management of dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease risk, adding to the myriad of recently published guidelines on this topic. The VA/DoD guidelines differ from major US guidelines published by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association in 2013 in the following ways: recommending moderate-intensity statins for the majority of patients with statin indications regardless of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk; advocating for limited on-treatment lipid monitoring; and deemphasizing ancillary data, such as coronary artery calcium testing, to improve atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk estimation. In the context of manifold treatment recommendations from numerous guideline committees, the VA/DoD recommendations may generate further confusion and mixed messages among healthcare providers about the optimal treatment of dyslipidemia. In this review, we critically appraise the VA/DoD recommendations with a focus on the evidence base for each area where the VA/DoD guidelines differ from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines. We also call for harmonization of lipid treatment guidelines to ensure high-quality and consistent care for patients with, and at risk for, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Sources and implications of whole-brain fMRI signals in humans.

Whole-brain fMRI signals are a subject of intense interest: variance in the global fMRI signal (the spatial mean of all signals in the brain) indexes subject arousal, and psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia and autism have been characterized by differences in the global fMRI signal. Further, vigorous debates exist on whether global signals ought to be removed from fMRI data. However, surprisingly little research has focused on the empirical properties of whole-brain fMRI signals. Here we map the spatial and temporal properties of the global signal, individually, in 1000+ fMRI scans. Variance in the global fMRI signal is strongly linked to head motion, to hardware artifacts, and to respiratory patterns and their attendant physiologic changes. Many techniques used to prepare fMRI data for analysis fail to remove these uninteresting kinds of global signal fluctuations. Thus, many studies include, at the time of analysis, prominent global effects of yawns, breathing changes, and head motion, among other signals. Such artifacts will mimic dynamic neural activity and will spuriously alter signal covariance throughout the brain. Methods capable of isolating and removing global artifactual variance while preserving putative “neural” variance are needed; this paper adopts no position on the topic of global signal regression.
Sociocultural tensions and wicked problems in sustainable agriculture education

Future practitioners of sustainable agriculture and agroecology must have the capacity to address the wicked problems in the food system to make progress toward sustainability. Undergraduate sustainable agriculture students from a variety of backgrounds may struggle with the question, is the challenging and complex work of addressing wicked problems of agroecology for me? Our case study investigated sociocultural tensions associated with identity encountered when wicked problems teaching units were integrated into the Advanced Practices of Sustainable Agriculture course at a large, Midwestern Land Grant University. The research and course employed a four-part framework that focused on (1) attending to individual needs and identities, (2) facilitating practice-based and community-based learning, (3) engaging in problems situated in regional contexts, and (4) supporting awareness of local and global political and ecological issues. Researchers used a community of practice theoretical lens, and focused on the sociocultural tensions that may have impacted individual and community identity formation. Two wicked problems teaching units are described by drawing upon documentation and audio recordings from planning meetings, course sessions, student and instructor interviews, and course artifacts. Vignettes were constructed to situate four interrelated types of sociocultural tensions encountered by instructors and students. These tensions reflected forces at the individual, community, local, and global levels which interact to influence learners’ capacity to become full participants in sustainable agriculture. The study fills a gap related to affective dimensions of learning like identity in agroecology education. Dilemmas and implications related to identity, pedagogy, and epistemology are discussed.
Multinational corporations and the social contract

The constitutions of many nations have been explicitly or implicitly founded upon principles of the social contract derived from Thomas Hobbes. The Hobbesian egoism at the base of the contract fairly accurately represents the structure of market enterprise. A contractarian analysis may, then, allow for justified or rationally acceptable universal standards to which businesses should conform. This paper proposes general rational restrictions upon multi-national enterprises, and includes a critique of unjustified restrictions recently proposed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). I propose restrictions that may be tighter than the OECD and international law currently demand, because reason requires that the activities of enterprises accord with standards of environmental and governmental sustainability in addition to consortium, national law and international law agreements. I argue that it is justifiable that indictments may be presented by a citizen or a government against the local arm of a multinational enterprise in response to violations committed by an arm within a different country.
Analysis of spontaneous calcium signals to infer functional connectivity within a novel “living electrode” neural construct

Micro-Tissue Engineered Neural Networks (uTENNs) are novel, living, neural constructs, designed to be implanted into the central nervous system (CNS) to treat neurological disease and injury. Each uTENN is a implantable self-assembly of seeded neurons in three dimensional, micro-column hydrogel scaffolds. uTENNs can be a new strategy to facilitate nervous system repair. With an externalized pole positioned under optoelectronic arrays at the cortical surface, the uTENN functions as a “living electrode” with its neurons forming synapses in the surrounding host brain to modulate activity.
A Versatile Approach for Teaching Autonomous Robot Control to Multi-Disciplinary Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Learning autonomous vehicle programming can be very challenging for students, especially when combined with robotic vehicle design and construction. This paper presents a methodology successfully used over the past six years to teach autonomy using a versatile platform built upon a commercially available product. A number of courses have been taught using the methodology at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Students’ ability to successfully learn and produce a solution to an autonomous robot control challenge has shown to be very effective.
Report of safety of pulse dosing of lapatinib with temozolomide and radiation therapy for newly-diagnosed glioblastoma in a pilot phase II study.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are commonly observed in Glioblastoma (GBM) and have long posed as a target for new therapies. Trials involving erlotinib have shown mixed results, likely owing to a mechanism of the mutation that may instead favor other EGFR inhibitors, such as lapatinib. We aimed to determine whether or not pulse high-dose lapatinib was a safe and tolerable regimen in addition to standard therapy. We recruited adult patients with newly-diagnosed GBM who had Karnofsky Performance Status ≥60, normal baseline hematological, hepatic, and renal function tests, and no prior history of radiation or treatment with EGFR inhibitor. Lapatinib was administered at 2500 mg twice daily for two consecutive days per week on a weekly basis throughout concomitant and adjuvant standard therapy. The primary endpoints were tolerability and safety. 12 patients were enrolled in this study over 2 years. Of the non-hematological adverse events, there were 2 grade 3 events, fatigue and post-radiation cystic brain necrosis. The most common adverse events in general were fatigue, rashes, and diarrhea. Of the hematological adverse events, there were 13 grade 3 events, all of which were due to lymphopenia and affected 6 of 12 patients. Pulse high-dose lapatinib in addition to standard therapy for newly-diagnosed GBM is a tolerable and safe regimen, but higher rates of lymphopenia should be noted. However, further investigations will be required to evaluate the efficacy of this combination for the treatments of GBM. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01591577.
Magnetic and structural properties of sintered bulk pucks and aerosol deposited films of Ti-doped barium hexaferrite for microwave absorption applications

We report structural, compositional, and magnetic properties for a commercially available doped barium hexaferrite material produced by Temex Ceramics. The material is designed to absorb electromagnetic radiation near the upper edge of the Ku frequency band ( ∼18 GHz) and may serve as an important component to microwave circuitry. To aid in the development of such circuits that may utilize this or similar materials, we present results of the material properties of the raw starting powder, sintered pucks, and in the form of a film deposited by aerosol deposition. We find that the structural and magnetic properties are consistent with the parent compound, barium hexaferrite. Samples sintered at 1250 °C show some degree of preferred magnetic and structural orientation. Chemical analysis indicates that a titanium dopant has been added and that the material demonstrates broad absorption above 13 GHz that improves with sintering temperature. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the properties of this c...
Transsphenoidal Surgery for Prolactinomas

Dopamine agonist therapy is considered first-line treatment for the great majority of prolactinomas. Although highly effective in normalizing serum prolactin levels and reducing tumor size, in clinical practice, a significant proportion of patients may ultimately choose transsphenoidal surgery. Indications include dopamine agonist resistance, intolerance as a result of side effects or adverse reactions, severe apoplexy, cerebrospinal fluid leak, and patient preference. In all cases, the goal is cure: in terms of both tumor resection and restoration of endocrine function. Patient selection is paramount to achieving this goal. Patients with localized tumor without extension outside the sella or into neighboring structures have been shown to have greater rates of normoprolactinemia following surgical extirpation. Moreover, those that are treated at dedicated pituitary centers by surgeons that specialize in pituitary surgery also enjoy greater rates of remission following operative treatment. Closer consideration of the surgical prolactinoma population as a heterogeneous patient set with individual tumor and patient characteristics that may prognosticate who will respond best to transsphenoidal surgery will aid patient counseling and surgical decision making in the future.
Customized dynamic pricing of airline fare products

Firms practice dynamic pricing when they charge different customers different prices for the same products, as a function of an observable state of nature. In the airline industry, dynamic pricing has historically been limited by the capabilities of distribution systems, which require filing a finite set of fare products with fixed prices. However, advancements in airline distribution technology will soon allow the generation of “customized offers,” which could include a dynamically generated price. In this paper, we propose a heuristic for customized dynamic pricing of airfares when the observable state of nature includes an observation of passenger characteristics. We first introduce a general model for decoupling the customized offer generation problem from the well-studied airline revenue management problem. After generating a baseline assortment of fare products and observing the characteristics of a passenger’s request, an airline can choose to customize that passenger’s offer by dynamically incrementing or discounting the prices that would ordinarily be offered. The methodology could be applied with existing airline revenue management methods, and would be compatible with IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC). For implementation, we propose a straightforward heuristic approach based on simple estimates of passenger willingness-to-pay distributions. The heuristics are simulated in the Passenger Origin–Destination Simulator, a complex airline revenue management simulation environment that takes into account passenger choice and competition. The results show that the heuristics can lead to revenue gains of up to 3–4% when practiced by one airline. Furthermore, the heuristics remain revenue positive in competitive environments.
The Equity Implications of Paying for Performance in Higher Education

Over the past decade, 21 states have adopted performance-based funding (PBF) models tying state funding to measureable outputs. In this study, we ask whether minority-serving institutions (MSIs) experience changes in state funding levels after the introduction of PBF. On average, we find that MSIs in PBF-states lose significant funding per student compared with MSIs in non-PBF states and non-MSIs in the same PBF state. These findings signal that MSIs are, on average, negatively affected by PBF models and could ostensibly alter the missions of these institutions.
Mud Hut Learning.

As a nurse educator for the past 30-plus years, I am comfortable teaching in most classroom or clinical environments. In fact, I view teaching as one of my spiritual gifts. Romans 12:6-7 (NIV) states: “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach.” Through this gift of teaching, I have been positioned to assist nursing students, fellow educators, and staff with biblical truth and words of encouragement. Recently, on a medical mission trip to Uganda, I was called to teach in an unusual and unfamiliar environment—a mud hut! God stretched me, a seasoned educator, and showed me that the gift of teaching has application anytime and anywhere.
Incremental yield of dysplasia detection in Barrett's esophagus using volumetric laser endomicroscopy with and without laser marking compared with a standardized random biopsy protocol.

Background and Aims Volumetric laser endomicroscopy (VLE) is a new wide-field advanced imaging technology for Barrett's esophagus (BE). No data exist on incremental yield of dysplasia detection. Our aim is to report the incremental yield of dysplasia detection in BE using VLE. Methods This is a retrospective study from a prospectively maintained database from 2011 to 2017 comparing the dysplasia yield of 4 different surveillance strategies in an academic BE tertiary care referral center. The groups were (1) random biopsies (RB), (2) Seattle protocol random biopsies (SP), (3) VLE without laser marking (VLE), and (4) VLE with laser marking (VLEL). Results A total of 448 consecutive patients (79 RB, 95 SP, 168 VLE, and 106 VLEL) met the inclusion criteria. After adjusting for visible lesions, the total dysplasia yield was 5.7%, 19.6%, 24.8%, and 33.7%, respectively. When compared with just the SP group, the VLEL group had statistically higher rates of overall dysplasia yield (19.6% vs 33.7%, P = .03; odds ratio, 2.1, P = .03). Both the VLEL and VLE groups had statistically significant differences in neoplasia (high-grade dysplasia and intramucosal cancer) detection compared with the SP group (14% vs 1%, P = .001 and 11% vs 1%, P = .003). Conclusion A surveillance strategy involving VLEL led to a statistically significant higher yield of dysplasia and neoplasia detection compared with a standard random biopsy protocol. These results support the use of VLEL for surveillance in BE in academic centers.
Mesoscopic modeling of the uniaxial compression and recovery of vertically aligned carbon nanotube forests

Abstract Vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) arrays or “forests” represent a promising class of mechanically strong and resilient lightweight materials, capable of supporting large reversible deformation and absorbing mechanical energy. The mechanical response of VACNT forests to uniaxial compression is defined by various factors, including the material microstructure, its density, height, rate of deformation, and the nature of interaction between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the compressing indenter. In this paper, we use a coarse-grained mesoscopic model to simulate the uniaxial compression of VACNT samples with different densities and microstructures (bundle size distribution and degree of nanotube alignment) to obtain a clear microscopic picture of the structural changes in networks of interconnected CNT bundles undergoing mechanical deformation. The key factors responsible for the coordinated buckling of CNTs, reversible and irreversible modes of deformation in VACNT arrays undergoing uniaxial compression, as well as hysteresis behavior in VACNT arrays subjected to five loading–unloading cycles are investigated in the simulations. The simulation results reveal the important role of the collective buckling of CNTs across bundle cross-sections as well as a complex deformation behavior of VACNT arrays defined by an interplay of different modes of bundle deformation. The loading rate and the CNT attachment to the indenter are found to have a strong effect on the deformation mechanisms and the overall mechanical behavior of VACNT forests. A good agreement with experimental data from in situ mechanical tests is observed for the general trends and magnitudes of loss coefficients predicted in the simulations. The forest morphology can strongly alter the mechanical behavior of VACNT arrays with nominally the same general characteristics, such as CNT radius, length, and material density, thus suggesting the opportunity for substantial enhancement of the mechanical properties through the microstructure modification.
News media consumption and attitudes about police: in search of theoretical orientation and advancement

Examinations of the relationship between attitudes about police and news media have regularly been undertaken since the Rodney King incident in 1991. Although cultivation theory, which argues great...
Thomson Beta-Testing WebPlus Optimized Internet Search Engine

In this NewsBreak, the author shares his recent searching experiences using Westlaw WebPlus Legal and Thomson-Scientific WebPlus, both in the beta stage. The Thomson Corporation is expanding the beta testing of its WebPlus Internet search engine. Initially released in very limited markets in August, WebPlus is now available to users of Thomson-West’s Westlaw and Thomson-Scientific’s Web of Science information services. Thomson expects to roll out WebPlus among all its product lines, Health, Financial, Science, and Legal, with “walk-up” editions available free on the Web through Thomson products like Findlaw.com. The goal of WebPlus, according to Barbara McGivern, Vice President of Product Management for Thomson Web, is a search product that provides results that are optimized for each particular user group.
Cell column chromatography: a new research tool to quantify cerebral cell volume changes following chemically-induced anoxia/re-oxygenation.

Objective The roles of individual types of cerebral cells in contributing to brain edema are undefined. The objective of this study was to determine the role of cerebral cell-column chromatography in quantifying cell volumes of individual cerebral cell lines, under chemically-induced anoxia/re-oxygenation (A/R).
Making Structured Data Searchable via Natural Language Generation

Relational Databases are used to store structured data, which is typically accessed using report builders based on SQL queries. To search, forms need to be understood and filled out, which demands a high cognitive load. Due to the success of Web search engines, users have become acquainted with the easier mechanism of natural language search for accessing unstructured data. However, such keyword-based search methods are not easily applicable to structured data, especially where structured records contain non-textual content such as numbers. We present a method to make structured data, including numeric data, searchable with a Web search engine-like keyword search access mechanism. Our method is based on the creation of surrogate text documents using Natural Language Generation NLG methods that can then be retrieved by off-the-shelf search methods. We demonstrate that this method is effective by applying it to two real-life sized databases, a proprietary database comprising corporate Environmental, Social and Governancei¾?ESG data and a public-domain environmental pollution database, respectively, in a federated scenario. Our evaluation includes speed and index size investigations, and indicates effectiveness P@1=84%, P@5=92% and practicality of the method.
The Evaluation of Stabilization Energies (Empirical Resonance Energies) for Benzene, Porphine and [18] Annulene from Thermochemical Data, and from AB Initio Calculations

The methodology involved in evaluating an empirical resonance energy for an aromatic molecule from thermochemical data is discussed with respect to benzene3 nitrogen heterocycles and especially porphine — emphasizing that it is not a unique property of the aromatic molecule per se but a reaction energy. ΔHO f data currently available suggest that the cyclic polyene, [18] annulene, is a poor model for porphine, and that the N-sub-stitutions and additional bridging structural elements in porphine result in a much enhanced resonance energy relative to the polyene.
Homegrown foreigners: how Christian nationalism and nativist attitudes impact Muslim civil liberties

Building from the literature on racialization of Muslims, we argue that there are two unique dimensions to anti-Muslim attitudes: Christian nationalism and nativism. Christian nationalism subscribe...
Recurrence and survival analysis of robotic versus traditional laparoscopic staging of endometrial cancer in a Medicare population.

e16544 Background: Uterine cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the United States. Prospective evidence exists which supports the use of traditional laparoscopic staging in the manag...
Thermal and hydrothermal stability of pure and silica-doped mesoporous aluminas

Abstract Thermal and hydrothermal stabilities of solvent deficient derived pure alumina (PA) as well as silica-doped aluminas (SDA) with three different dopant concentrations (5, 15, 27% by weight) have been investigated for changes in phase and pore structure after calcination at high temperatures under air and steam/air atmospheres. For all aluminas, heat treatment results in decreased surface area and increased pore diameter. Starting at 700 °C, metastable to stable phase transformation occurs, causing a substantial change in the pore structure of all aluminas. By 1100 (PA), 1200 (15 SDA) and 1200 °C (27 SDA), the transition to α-Al2O3 was complete, respectively. No α-Al2O3 is observed for 5 wt % silica doped alumina (5SDA) under thermal calcination. Calcination in steam and air, instead of in air only, results in enlarged pore size and depressed temperature of alpha phase transformation for all aluminas. Results show that the silica dopant modifies the pores of the alumina, stabilizes the oxygen lattice of γ-Al2O3, and retards α-Al2O3 formation. This study of the thermal and hydrothermal stability not only suggests the applicability of 5SDA for catalytic reactions occurring at high temperature in the presence of steam, but also contributes to a better understanding of the structural features responsible for the improved thermal stability of these aluminas.