cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of the gallium scan in Hodgkin's disease

The reports of 240 gallium scans on 165 patients with Hodgkin's disease were reviewed to compare results with higher doses with those in earlier studies that employed lower doses. Tracer concentrations in specific sites were correlated with radiologic and pathologic reports and with the clinical courses of the patients studied. There were no significant differences in overall results between newer and older gallium scanning techniques. For untreated patients, the overall sensitivity was only 64%, but the overall specificity was 98%. For untreated patients and for patients with relapsing disease, the presence of gallium concentration in a specific site was highly predictive of active Hodgkin's disease at that site. However, for routine follow-up of treated patients, 95% of unsuspected relapses were missed by the scan, indicating the limited usefulness of negative scan results in this setting. For patients with residual abnormalities after therapy, demonstrated by other radiographic means, increased uptake of gallium in abdominal or peripheral lymph nodes also indicated active disease, although lack of uptake was reliable only in the mediastinum. Based on these results, it appears that the higher doses used in this study have not substantially improved the role of gallium scanning in this disease. Although it is potentially useful in providing confirmatory data at diagnosis or in patients with new or residual objective abnormalities after treatment, routine use of gallium scanning in Hodgkin's disease is not recommended.
Case Report Arthroscopic Removal of Bullet Fragments From the Subtalar Joint

A case of arthroscopic removal of a bullet fragment from the subtalar joint and the calcaneus is presented. The bullet fragments impinged on the fibula, limiting eversion and causing pain. The fragments were removed both arthroscopically and through open incision. The patient noted complete relief of pain and improved range of motion within 1 week, and complete recovery soon thereafter.
Theories of creep in ceramics

Abstract Mathematical models that have been proposed for creep in ceramics are described. Emphasis is on models involving grain boundary motion (sliding or flow). In Lifshitz models the crystalline grains elongate with strain; the elongation results from diffusion, slip, or solution and precipitation. In Rachinger models the grains do not elongate during creep. The sliding strain can be accommodated by viscous flow of a glassy phase at the grain boundaries, or if there is no boundary glass by diffusion or slip in superplastic models. Sliding of a glass-free boundary can result in cavitation, cracking, or formation of boundary dislocations or triple point folds. Most models of ceramic creep at high temperatures predict a steady state (stage II) creep rate that depends on the applied stress, grain size, and temperature. A general equation for the creep rate as a function of these factors, as well as the elastic modulus and a diffusion coefficient, is used to compare models. The models give different exponen...
Long-term results of catheter-directed thrombolysis to treat infrainguinal bypass graft occlusion: the urokinase era.

Abstract Purpose: This study was undertaken to review the long-term results of catheter-directed thrombolysis in treatment of infrainguinal bypass graft occlusion. Methods: From January 1987 to December 1998, 67 patients with 69 acutely occluded infrainguinal arterial bypass grafts (48 vein grafts, 21 prosthetic grafts) underwent treatment with catheter-directed thrombolysis with urokinase. Long-term results were assessed with Kaplan-Meier life-table analysis, and factors predictive of success were determined with multivariate analysis. Results: Thrombolysis was aborted in 7 patients (10%) because of major complications or technical failure and was unsuccessful in restoring graft patency (≤90% lysis) in 13 patients (19%). Successful lysis was achieved in 49 patients (71%). A causative lesion was identified and treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) or limited operative revision in 33 patients. Diffuse vein graft intimal hyperplasia or poor runoff was identified in the remaining 9 patients, who were offered no further intervention. Cumulative patency at 60 months was 65% ± 8% for successfully lysed vein grafts; however, only 3 of 16 successfully lysed prosthetic grafts were patent at 9 months. Although univariate analysis identified several factors associated with successful long-term vein graft function, only white race was significant at multivariate regression analysis. Conclusions: Coupled with identification and aggressive treatment of underlying causative lesions, catheter-directed thrombolysis can salvage many thrombosed vein grafts, with expectation of long-term patency similar to that with repeat bypass grafting. Poor short-term results of thrombolysis of occluded prosthetic grafts support repeat operation with a completely new bypass graft as a more appropriate option. (J Vasc Surg 2003;37:1009-16.)
Is parathormone a cardiac toxin in uremia

In uremia, parathormone (PTH) has been associated with inadequate left ventricular hypertrophy, cardiomyopathy, and mitral anular calcification (MAC). We related levels of serum PTH, calcium, phosphate, magnesium, calcium-phosphate product, and systolic blood pressure to average left ventricular wall thickness, left ventricular mass index, ejection fraction, and presence and extent of MAC by echocardiography in 44 patients before and after renal transplantation. Pre-transplant, 18 patients (41%) had MAC; these and the 26 others had similar values for serum PTH, calcium-phosphate product, systolic blood pressure, age, and years of hemodialysis. The patients with PTH levels greater than 1000 mcl eq/ml had higher systolic blood pressures pre-transplant (157±21 vs 147±17 mm Hg, p<0.05), but not post-transplant as PTH levels normalized. Post-transplant, there were significant decreases in left ventricular mass index (140±35 to 103±25 g/m2) and average diastolic left ventricular wall thickness (1.4±0.2 to 1.2±0.2 cm, both p<0.05); however, ejection fraction and extent of MAC did not change. Left ventricular mass index, average diastolic left ventricular wall thickness, and ejection fraction did not correlate with serum PTH or electrolyte levels before or after renal transplantation. MAC is present in more than one third of uremic pts and does not resolve after renal transplantation. Although PTH does not correlate with left ventricular hypertrophy, cardiac function, or MAC before or after transplantation, elevated levels pre-transplant are associated with a slightly greater degree of hypertension. Thus PTH may be a mild vasoactive pressor in some patients with end-stage renal failure.
Pattern formation in reversible cellular automata

The authors analyse the dynamics of pattern formation in two examples of reversible cellular automata which have been argued to belong to the critical dynamics universality class of the kinetic Ising model. The results obtained suggest that their dynamical evolution is different from the analogous kinetic Ising model.
Dysfunction of large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels in vascular: risks developed in fetal origins.

Dysfunction of large-conductance Ca 2+ -activated K + channels in vascular: risks developed in fetal origins
Marfan syndrome: from molecular pathogenesis to clinical treatment.

Marfan syndrome is a connective tissue disorder with ocular, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular manifestations that are caused by mutations in fibrillin-1, the major constituent of extracellular microfibrils. Mouse models of Marfan syndrome have revealed that fibrillin-1 mutations perturb local TGFβ signaling, in addition to impairing tissue integrity. This discovery has led to the identification of a new syndrome with overlapping Marfan syndrome-like manifestations that is caused by mutations in TGFβ receptor types I and II. It has also prompted the idea that TGFβ antagonism will be a productive treatment strategy in Marfan syndrome and perhaps in other related disorders. More generally, these studies have established that Marfan syndrome is part of a group of developmental disorders with broad and complex effects on morphogenesis, homeostasis and organ function.
Phenomenological modelling of viscoplasticity

Description de la theorie de la viscoplasticite basee sur l'exces de contraintes. Avec le chargement a vitesse de deformation constante, la theorie admet les solutions asymptotiques relatives a l'ecoulement plastique pur dans l'experimentation. Proprosition de nouvelle mesure de la sensibilite de vitesse de deformation ne dependant pas du niveau de contrainte. Interpretation des essais de relaxations du point de vue phenomenologique
Importance of multi-P450 inhibition in drug-drug interactions: evaluation of incidence, inhibition magnitude and prediction from in vitro data

Drugs that are mainly cleared by a single enzyme are considered more sensitive to drug-drug interactions (DDIs) than drugs cleared by multiple pathways. However, whether this is true when a drug cleared by multiple pathways is coadministered with an inhibitor of multiple P450 enzymes (multi-P450 inhibition) is not known. Mathematically, simultaneous equipotent inhibition of two elimination pathways that each contribute half of the drug clearance is equal to equipotent inhibition of a single pathway that clears the drug. However, simultaneous strong or moderate inhibition of two pathways by a single inhibitor is perceived as an unlikely scenario. The aim of this study was (i) to identify P450 inhibitors currently in clinical use that can inhibit more than one clearance pathway of an object drug in vivo and (ii) to evaluate the magnitude and predictability of DDIs caused by these multi-P450 inhibitors. Multi-P450 inhibitors were identified using the Metabolism and Transport Drug Interaction Database. A total of 38 multi-P450 inhibitors, defined as inhibitors that increased the AUC or decreased the clearance of probes of two or more P450s, were identified. Seventeen (45%) multi-P450 inhibitors were strong inhibitors of at least one P450, and an additional 12 (32%) were moderate inhibitors of one or more P450s. Only one inhibitor (fluvoxamine) was a strong inhibitor of more than one enzyme. Fifteen of the multi-P450 inhibitors also inhibit drug transporters in vivo, but such data are lacking on many of the inhibitors. Inhibition of multiple P450 enzymes by a single inhibitor resulted in significant (>2-fold) clinical DDIs with drugs that are cleared by multiple pathways such as imipramine and diazepam, while strong P450 inhibitors resulted in only weak DDIs with these object drugs. The magnitude of the DDIs between multi-P450 inhibitors and diazepam, imipramine, and omeprazole could be predicted using in vitro data with similar accuracy as probe substrate studies with the same inhibitors. The results of this study suggest that inhibition of multiple clearance pathways in vivo is clinically relevant, and the risk of DDIs with object drugs may be best evaluated in studies using multi-P450 inhibitors.
Earthen Spirituality or Cultural Genocide?: Radical Environmentalism's Appropriation of Native American Spirituality

The appropriation by non-Indians of Native American religious practices has become a highly contentious phenomenon. The present analysis focuses on the controversy as it has unfolded within the ‘Deep Ecology’ or ‘Radical Environmental’ Movement in North America. Taking as its central case study Earth First!, the radical vanguard of this movement, it describes the diverse forms such borrowing takes, the plural American indian and non-indian views shaping the ensuing controversy, and the threats this controversy poses to a nascent and fragile Indigenous-Environmentalist alliance. Concluding reflections address the ethics of appropriation with the aim of reducing the tensions attending these phenomena.
Positioning of emergency facilities in an obstructed traffic grid

We developed algorithms to determine the optimal location of emergency service centers in a given city. We give consideration both to the peculiarities of a particular town, Rio Rancho, and to the procedure by which problems of this nature can be solved in general. The streets of Rio Rancho are laid out in a uniform grid, except for two obstacles through which there are no streets. We are given data for the demand for emergency service at each block in the grid. We developed algorithms to find the transit times between any two points on the grid for Rio Rancho. To do this, we calculated a distance on a grid with no obstacles, then adjusted for the particular obstructions. We first assumed that demand was concentrated at the center of each block and that stations were located at street intersections. Under these assumptions, the problem is amenable to an exhaustive trial of all possibilities. We then made the more sophisticated assumption that the distribution of demand is continuous, and that the emergency facilities could be located anywhere on the streets. We prove two results which greatly reduce this problem: (1) it is necessary that the location of such emergency station be at an intersection; and (2) it is an equivalent problem to consider the demand to be located discretely at the center of each block, rather than being continuously distributed over the block. Due to these results, it is possible to run an exhaustive case study in this case as well. Statistical distributions were calculated to provide a means of comparison of the optimal result with the average result. We studied the stability of the solution with respect to the demand distribution and obstacle configuration and found it to be very stable in the first case, and reasonably stable in the latter. Finally, we discuss how similar problems would be approached, and in particular, how an approximation scheme could be implemented if the large number of possibilities prohibits an exhaustive analysis.
A learning-based approach for engineering feature-oriented self-adaptive software systems

Self-adaptive software systems are capable of adjusting their behavior at runtime to achieve certain functional or quality of service goals. Often a representation that reflects the internal structure of the managed system is used to reason about its characteristics and make the appropriate adaptation decisions. However, in practice, self-adaptive software systems are often complex, dynamic, and the structure of managed system may not be completely known at design time. In addition, runtime conditions can radically change the internal structure in ways that were not accounted for during their design. As a result, unanticipated changes at runtime that violate the assumptions made about the internal structure of the system could make the adaptation decisions inefficient and inaccurate. In this dissertation, we present an approach for engineering self-adaptive software systems that brings about two innovations: (1) a feature-oriented approach for representing engineers’ knowledge of adaptation choices that are deemed practical, and (2) an online learning-based approach of assessing and reasoning about adaptation decisions that does not require an explicit representation of the internal structure of the managed software system. Engineers’ knowledge, represented in feature-models, adds structure to online learning, which in turn makes online learning feasible. We present an empirical evaluation of a proof-of-concept implementation of the framework using a real world self-adaptive software system. Results demonstrate the framework’s ability to accurately learn the changing dynamics of the system, while achieving efficient analysis and adaptation.
Quantitative X‐Ray Diffraction Determination of α‐Lactose Monohydrate and β‐Lactose in Chocolate

UNLABELLED Lactose is a constituent of milk chocolate. During processing and cooling, lactose may precipitate as alpha-lactose monohydrate and beta-lactose. The presence of alpha-lactose monohydrate has a deleterious effect on the quality of milk chocolate. A quantitative X-ray diffraction method for determination of alpha-lactose monohydrate and beta-lactose in chocolate is described. The alpha-lactose monohydrate signal at 19.9 degrees 2theta with Cu-Kalpha X-rays is a cubic function of concentration. The beta-lactose signal at 20.9 degrees 2theta is a linear function of concentration. alpha-Lactose monohydrate is detectible at about 0.1 weight% and can be quantified at >0.5 weight%. beta-Lactose is detectible at about 1 weight% and can be quantified at >3 weight%. About 10 min is required to prepare and run a sample. PRACTICAL APPLICATION The crystalline form of lactose affects the quality of chocolate. A rapid method for quantifying crystalline forms of lactose in chocolate is described. The method can be used for quality control and for improving chocolate quality.
Identification of candidate genes in rice for resistance to sheath blight disease by whole genome sequencing

Recent advances in whole genome sequencing (WGS) have allowed identification of genes for disease susceptibility in humans. The objective of our research was to exploit whole genome sequences of 13 rice (Oryza sativa L.) inbred lines to identify non-synonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) and candidate genes for resistance to sheath blight, a disease of worldwide significance. WGS by the Illumina GA IIx platform produced an average 5× coverage with ~700 K variants detected per line when compared to the Nipponbare reference genome. Two filtering strategies were developed to identify nsSNPs between two groups of known resistant and susceptible lines. A total of 333 nsSNPs detected in the resistant lines were absent in the susceptible group. Selected variants associated with resistance were found in 11 of 12 chromosomes. More than 200 genes with selected nsSNPs were assigned to 42 categories based on gene family/gene ontology. Several candidate genes belonged to families reported in previous studies, and three new regions with novel candidates were also identified. A subset of 24 nsSNPs detected in 23 genes was selected for further study. Individual alleles of the 24 nsSNPs were evaluated by PCR whose presence or absence corresponded to known resistant or susceptible phenotypes of nine additional lines. Sanger sequencing confirmed presence of 12 selected nsSNPs in two lines. “Resistant” nsSNP alleles were detected in two accessions of O. nivara that suggests sources for resistance occur in additional Oryza sp. Results from this study provide a foundation for future basic research and marker-assisted breeding of rice for sheath blight resistance.
A robust small-molecule microarray platform for screening cell lysates

Herein we report the expanded functional group compatibility of small-molecule microarrays to include immobilization of primary alcohols, secondary alcohols, phenols, carboxylic acids, hydroxamic acids, thiols, and amines on a single slide surface. Small-molecule "diversity microarrays" containing nearly 10,000 known bioactive small molecules, natural products, and small molecules originating from several diversity-oriented syntheses were produced by using an isocyanate-mediated covalent capture strategy. Selected printed bioactive compounds were detected with antibodies against compounds of interest. The new surface of the diversity microarrays is highly compatible with approaches involving cellular lysates. This feature has enabled a robust, optimized screening methodology using cellular lysates, allowing the detection of specific interactions with a broad range of binding affinity by using epitope-tagged or chimeric fluorescent proteins without prior purification. We believe that this expanded research capability has considerable promise in biology and medicine.
Incorporating Finite Element in Mechanical Engineering Technology Program via Three Existing Courses and by Introducing a Senior Level Elective in the Curriculum

Finite Element Analysis has become a powerful tool for Industry, specially, in the Design and Development sector. In response to that, Mechanical Engineering Programs followed by Mechanical Engineering Technology programs all across the country are incorporating Finite Element Analysis as a part of their curricula. This paper describes the distribution of Finite Element Analysis amongst the junior and senior level courses in Mechanical Engineering Technology curriculum at Georgia Southern University. The links between these classes with sophomore classes are established. A stand alone senior level elective course that covers more in depth of Finite Element theory is also developed.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Assessment of preload and fluid responsiveness in intensive care unit. How good are we

Early recognition and treatment of acute circulatory failure and tissue hypoperfusion are paramount for improving the odds of survival in critically ill patients. Fluid volume resuscitation is the mainstay intervention in redistributive and hypovolemic shock. Correct identification of a patient who would benefit from fluid administration allows optimization of hemodynamics and avoids ineffective or even deleterious volume expansion that may result in worsening of gas exchange and pulmonary edema in fluid unresponsive patients, in whom inotropic and/or vasopressor support should preferentially be used. The use of dynamic changes in central venous pressure, pulse pressure, and echocardiography for assessment of inferior vena cava diameter variations during respiration allows prediction of fluid volume responsiveness in hemodynamically unstable patients. The use of these bedside approaches and passive leg raising maneuver, which is a reversible and quick fluid volume challenge, allows timely formulation of treatment strategy in patients with shock.
Functional disorders of defecation: Evaluation and treatment

Functional disorders of defecation are common and often overlap with slow-transit constipation. They are comprised of functional obstructive conditions such as dyssynergic defecation, as well as structural obstructive conditions such as rectal prolapse, excessive perineal descent, and rectocele. Evaluation includes detailed history and rectal and pelvic exam together with physiologic tests such as anorectal manometry, balloon expulsion test, defecography, and MRI. Treatment involves several medical, behavioral, and surgical approaches. Recently, randomized controlled trials have shown that biofeedback therapy is an effective treatment for dyssynergic defecation. Stapled transanal rectal resection appears to be a promising technique for treating defecation disorders associated with rectocele, excessive perineal descent, and mucosal intussusception, but controlled trials are lacking.
Effect of atrazine on ovarian function in the rat

The effect of the chlorotriazine herbicide, atrazine, on ovarian function was studied in Long-Evans hooded (LE-hooded) and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Atrazine was administered by gavage for 21 d to females displaying regular 4-d estrous cycles. In both strains, 75 mg/kg/d disrupted the 4-d ovarian cycle; however, no distinct alteration (i.e., irregular cycles but not persistent estrus or diestrus) was apparent at this dose. At 150 mg/kg/d, atrazine induced repetitive pseudopregnancies in females of both strains. The highest dose tested (300 mg/kg/d) also induced repetitive pseudopregnancies in the SD females, while the ovaries of the LE-hooded female appeared regressed and the smear cytology was indicative of the anestrous condition. Although a NOAEL was not established, the doses employed in this experiment were in excess of those used in chronic feeding studies in which an early onset of mammary gland tumors was noted. These data demonstrate that atrazine can disrupt ovarian function and bring about major changes in the endocrine profile of the female.
Staphylococcal botryomycosis and hyperimmunoglobulin E (Job's) syndrome in an infant

Botryomycosis and hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome (HIES) or Job's syndrome are both uncommon. Botryomycosis is a bacterial infection that within suppurative foci histologically features eosinophilic granules usually composed of colonies of Staphylococcus aureus. 1, 2 The clinical presentation can be nodules, cystic abscesses, or draining ulcers and sinuses that sometimes resemble mycetorna. 1Botryomycosis has been reported in association with various immunodeficiency states.3, 4 HIES is a type of immunodeficiency characterized by a markedly elevated serum IgE level (>2000 IV/ml), eosinophilia, and eczema. Cutaneous and sinopulmonary infections begin in early life and are commonly caused by S. aureus Candida a/bicans , and Haemophilus injiuenzae.5,6 Buescher et a1.6 have recently described the concurrence of botryomycosis and HIES. Previous reports suggest that the coexistence of the two disorders may be more frequent than previously appreciated. 1, 6 We report a second case of simultaneous botryomycosis and HIES.
Inhibitory Effects of (S)- and (R)-6-Hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic Acids on Tyrosinase Activity

The inhibition of (R)-, (S)-, and (±)-6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acids (HTCCA) on mushroom tyrosinase was evaluated. All HTCCAs inhibited the tyrosinase activity. The ID50 values were 1.88, 1.84, and 1.88 for the (R)-, (S)-, and (±)-HTCCAs, respectively. The inhibition kinetics analyzed by Hanes−Woolf plots indicated that both (R)- and (S)-HTCCAs are competitive inhibitors of the tyrosinase, with Ki values of 0.83 and 0.61 mM, respectively. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was also tested for its direct inhibitory activity against the tyrosinase and its potential influence on the tyrosinase inhibitory effects of (R)- and (S)-HTCCAs. DMSO, a widely used solvent for tyrosinase inhibitors, was found to dose-dependently inhibit the tyrosinase activity. Addition of DMSO in a tyrosinase digest containing either (R)- or (S)-HTCCA further dose-dependently reduced the tyrosinase activity. These data indicated a potential to use a HTCCA as a tyrosinase inhibitor in food, cosmetic, and medicinal prod...
A quadratic field which is Euclidean but not norm-Euclidean

The classification of rings of algebraic integers which are Euclidean (not necessarily for the norm function) is a major unsolved problem. Assuming the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis, Weinberger [7] showed in 1973 that for algebraic number fields containing infinitely many units the ring of integersR is a Euclidean domain if and only if it is a principal ideal domain. Since there are principal ideal domains which are not norm-Euclidean, there should exist examples of rings of algebraic integers which are Euclidean but not norm-Euclidean. In this paper, we give the first example for quadratic fields, the ring of integers of $$\mathbb{Q}\left( {\sqrt {69} } \right)$$ .
A fully informed model-based checkpointing protocol for preventing useless checkpoints

Checkpointing and rollback recovery are widely used techniques for handling failures in distributed systems. When processes involved in a distributed computation are allowed to take checkpoints independently without any coordination with each other, some or all of the checkpoints taken may not be part of any consistent global checkpoint, and hence, are useless for recovery. Communication-induced checkpointing algorithms allow processes to take checkpoints independently and also ensure that each checkpoint taken is part of a consistent global checkpoint by forcing processes to take some additional checkpoints. It is well known that it is impossible to design an optimal communication-induced checkpointing algorithm i.e. a checkpointing algorithm that takes minimum number of forced checkpoints. So, researchers have designed communication-induced checkpointing algorithms that reduce forced checkpoints using different heuristics. In this paper, we present a communication-induced checkpointing algorithm which takes less number of forced checkpoints when compared to some of the existing checkpointing algorithms in its class.
Examining an Illusion: The Role of Deceptive Behaviors In Organizations

Viewing organizations as political environments, the paper examines the nature and function of deceptive behaviors in organizations. Key concepts presented are the personal and work-related power acquisition behaviors of individuals and the differential exhibition of these behaviors within highand low-slack organizational systems. Within the framework of deceptive behaviors as a function of the form of power acquisition behaviors and nature of the organization, the underlying basis of deceptive behaviors, the benefits of deception to organizational members, and the benefits of deception to the organization are discussed.
Hydroxychloroquine improves insulin sensitivity in obese non-diabetic individuals

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a common disease modifying therapy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Prior research suggests that HCQ may reduce the risk of diabetes mellitus in patients with RA. To investigate the mechanism of this effect, we examined the effect of HCQ on insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity, and pancreatic β-cell secretion of insulin in non-diabetic, obese subjects. We recruited 13 obese, non-diabetic subjects without systemic inflammatory conditions for an open-label longitudinal study of HCQ 6.5 mg per kilogram per day for six weeks. Subjects underwent an oral glucose tolerance test at three time points: 0 weeks (pre-treatment with HCQ), 6 weeks (at the end of the HCQ treatment), and 12 weeks (6 weeks post HCQ-treatment). The Matsuda Insulin Sensitivity Index (ISI), HOMA-IR, and HOMA-B were compared across time-points. The mean age of the cohort was 49 years, 77% females and median body mass index was 36.1 kg/m2. After 6 weeks of HCQ therapy, ISI increased from a median (interquartile range) of 4.5 (2.3-7.8) to 8.9 (3.7-11.4) with a p-value of 0.040, and HOMA-IR decreased from a median of 2.1 (1.6-5.4) to 1.8 (1.02-2.1) with a p-value of 0.09. All these variables returned toward baseline at week 12. HCQ use for 6 weeks in non diabetic obese subjects was associated with a significant increase in ISI and trends toward reduced insulin resistance and insulin secretion. These data suggest that HCQ, a common medication used to treat RA, possesses beneficial effects upon insulin sensitization. Further study of the insulin sensitizing effects of HCQ in patients with RA is warranted.
Role of the newer p53 family proteins in malignancy

The most recently identified members of the p53 family, p63 and p73, share certain structural and functional similarities with p53. Both p63 and p73 can bind to canonical p53-DNA-binding sites, transactivate the promoters of known p53 target genes and induce apoptosis. Despite these similarities there are many important differences. In contrast to p53, p63 and p73 give rise to multiple distinct protein isoforms that have different functional properties. Upstream signaling pathways involved in the activation of p63 and p73 differ from those involved in p53 activation. Only a subset of the DNA damaging agents that induce p53 can induce p73. Cellular and viral oncoproteins can discriminate between p53 and the newer family members. In addition, the levels of p63 and p73 are affected by certain states of cellular differentiation. Finally, it is becoming clear that the newest members of the p53 family are not classical tumor suppressor genes. In contrast to the high prevalence of p53 mutations in human cancers, p63 and p73 mutations are rare. Indeed, levels of p73 increase during malignant progression. In addition, unlike p53-/- mice, mice lacking p63 and p73 do not develop tumors, but instead have significant developmental abnormalities. Mutations in p63 have also been detected in humans with the ectodermal dysplastic syndrome EEC. Further studies are required to determine whether qualitative or quantitative differences in the expression of p63 and p73 isoforms are important in the development of human cancers.
Blind information-theoretic multiuser detection algorithms for DS-CDMA and WCDMA downlink systems

Code division multiple access (CDMA) is based on the spread-spectrum technology and is a dominant air interface for 2.5G, 3G, and future wireless networks. For the CDMA downlink, the transmitted CDMA signals from the base station (BS) propagate through a noisy multipath fading communication channel before arriving at the receiver of the user equipment/mobile station (UE/MS). Classical CDMA single-user detection (SUD) algorithms implemented in the UE/MS receiver do not provide the required performance for modern high data-rate applications. In contrast, multi-user detection (MUD) approaches require a lot of a priori information not available to the UE/MS. In this paper, three promising adaptive Riemannian contra-variant (or natural) gradient based user detection approaches, capable of handling the highly dynamic wireless environments, are proposed. The first approach, blind multiuser detection (BMUD), is the process of simultaneously estimating multiple symbol sequences associated with all the users in the downlink of a CDMA communication system using only the received wireless data and without any knowledge of the user spreading codes. This approach is applicable to CDMA systems with relatively short spreading codes but becomes impractical for systems using long spreading codes. We also propose two other adaptive approaches, namely, RAKE-blind source recovery (RAKE-BSR) and RAKE-principal component analysis (RAKE-PCA) that fuse an adaptive stage into a standard RAKE receiver. This adaptation results in robust user detection algorithms with performance exceeding the linear minimum mean squared error (LMMSE) detectors for both Direct Sequence CDMA (DS-CDMA) and wide-band CDMA (WCDMA) systems under conditions of congestion, imprecise channel estimation and unmodeled multiple access interference (MAI).
Comparison of a Reading Fluency Intervention With and Without Passage Repetition on Reading Achievement

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of a repeated reading and question generation intervention entitled Re-read-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend (RAAC) with a modified RAAC intervention without the repeated reading component. The sample included 30 students in Grades 3 through 5. The students received services in reading within a three-tiered response to intervention framework or in special education. Students were randomly assigned to the nonrepetitive condition or the control repeated reading condition and participated in 50 intervention sessions over a 4-month period. Regardless of condition, all students made gains in oral reading fluency on independent passages. The modified RAAC program without passage repetition appeared to be as effective if not more so at increasing reading fluency when compared to the RAAC program with passage repetition.
A simulation study of hardwood rootstock populations in young loblolly pine plantations

A computer program to simulate spatial distribution of hardwood rootstock populations is presented. Nineteen 3 to 6 yearold loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations in Alabama and Georgia were measured to provide information for the simulator. Spatial pattern, expressed as Pielou's nonrandomness index (PNI), ranged from 0.47 to 2.45. Scatterplots illustrated no relationship between pattern, species relative density, site preparation, or stand age. Newnham's point pattern generator was modified to reduce execution time. Equations to predict program inputs as a function of PNI and desired number of points were developed for uniform, random, and randomly clumped populations. Total rootstock height distribution was fitted using a two-parameter, left- and right-truncated Weibull function. Crown area was determined conditionally by total rootstock height. The simulator may be used to generate populations for evaluating different sampling methods for hardwood rootstock attributes or in individual tree growth and yield models.
Zero-dimensional proximities and zero-dimensional compactifications

Abstract We introduce zero-dimensional proximities and show that the poset 〈 Z ( X ) , ⩽ 〉 of inequivalent zero-dimensional compactifications of a zero-dimensional Hausdorff space X is isomorphic to the poset 〈 Π ( X ) , ⩽ 〉 of zero-dimensional proximities on X that induce the topology on X. This solves a problem posed by Leo Esakia. We also show that 〈 Π ( X ) , ⩽ 〉 is isomorphic to the poset 〈 B ( X ) , ⊆ 〉 of Boolean bases of X, and derive Dwinger's theorem that 〈 Z ( X ) , ⩽ 〉 is isomorphic to 〈 B ( X ) , ⊆ 〉 as a corollary. As another corollary, we obtain that for a regular extremally disconnected space X, the Stone–Cech compactification of X is a unique up to equivalence extremally disconnected compactification of X.
Innovative Management of Severe Hand Dermatitis

The successful treatment of hand dermatitis (HD) depends less on the selection of the proper topical steroid or a particular systemic agent than on addressing any underlying cause or perpetuating factor. Thus, innovative treatment is based on comprehensively addressing the patient's problem. Aggressive approaches may be required for the most severe forms of HD.
Adolescents at Risk: The Case for Meningococcal Vaccine

Abstract The clinical course of meningococcal disease represents a diagnostic challenge because early symptoms are often nonspecific and overlap with those of other common infections before rapidly progressing to a life-threatening condition. Clinicians need to prioritize vaccination of preadolescent, adolescent, and other patients who are at risk of meningococcal disease, using a quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine at the soonest opportunity.
Taphonomy of Cambrian phosphatic small shelly fossils

Small shelly fossils are preserved as apatite steinkerns in the Cambrian Series 2–3 Thorntonia Limestone, Australia. Petrological observations indicate that phosphorus delivered to Thorntonia sediment was remobilized before precipitating in microenvironments defined by the matrix-filled interiors of small, mostly conical skeletons. A previous geochemical study concluded that both organic matter and iron oxides sourced phosphorus to Thorntonia sediments, and that anoxia governed phosphorus remobilization within the sediment column. This contribution asks: What factors allowed for the selective preservation of skeleton interiors, and what biases result from this preservation? We find that small shells physically trapped phosphorus-laden pore waters, creating local conditions where kinetic barriers to apatite precipitation could be overcome. Only a subset of Thorntonia Limestone skeletons is preserved by apatite, showing evidence of selectivity with respect to shell size, shape, and orientation. Both the biological and physical factors that govern phosphorus remineralization and precipitation have changed through time, accounting for the opening and closing of the Ediacaran-Cambrian phosphatization taphonomic window. The opening of this window may have required a global increase in phosphate delivery to the oceans.
Cheap out-of-order execution using delayed issue

Out-of-order issue mechanisms increase performance by dynamically rescheduling instructions that cannot be statically reordered by the compiler. Such mechanisms are effective but expensive in terms of both complexity and silicon area. It is therefore desirable to find cost-effective alternatives which can provide similar performance gains. In this paper we present delayed issue, a novel technique which allows instructions to be executed out-of-order without the hardware complexity of dynamic out-of-order issue. Instructions are inserted into per-functional unit delay queues using delays specified by the compiler. Instructions within a queue are issued in order; out of order execution results from different instructions being inserted into the queues at various delays. In addition to improving performance, delayed issue reduces code bloat when loops are pipelined.
Optimality of zero-forcing beamforming with multiuser diversity

In MIMO downlink channels, the capacity is achieved by dirty paper coding (DPQ). However, DPC is difficult to implement in practical systems. This work investigates if, for a large number of users, simpler schemes can achieve the same performance. Specifically, we show that a zero-forcing beamforming (ZFBF) strategy, while generally suboptimal, can achieve the same asymptotic sum-rate capacity as that of DPC, as the number of users goes to infinity. In proving this asymptotic result, we propose an algorithm for determining which users should be active in ZFBF transmission. These users are semi-orthogonal to one another, and when fairness among users is required, can be grouped for simultaneous transmissions to enhance the throughput of fair schedulers. We provide numerical results to confirm the optimality of ZFBF and to compare its performance with that of various MIMO downlink strategies.
A comparison of several acoustic representations for speech recognition with degraded and undegraded speech

Several acoustic representations have been compared in speaker-dependent and independent connected and isolated-word recognition tests with undegraded speech and with speech degraded by adding white noise and by applying a 6-dB/octave spectral tilt. The representations comprised the output of an auditory model, cepstrum coefficients derived from an FFT-based mel-scale filter bank with various weighting schemes applied to the coefficients, cepstrum coefficients augmented with measures of their rates of change with time, and sets of linear discriminant functions derived from the filter-bank output and called IMELDA. The model outperformed the cepstrum representations except in noise-free connected-word tests, where it had a high insertion rate. The best cepstrum weighting scheme was derived from within-class variances. Its behavior may explain the empirical adjustments found necessary with other schemes. IMELDA outperformed all other representations in all conditions and is computationally simple. >
High-accuracy absorbing boundary condition

A new, adaptive approach for generating absorbing boundary conditions (ABC's) for electromagnetic scattering is proposed. The main advantage of this method is that it converges to the exact solution of open electromagnetic field problems in a few iterations. Combined with the finite element method it produces a sparse and symmetric coefficient matrices. It therefore provides a very efficient method for solving scattering problems. >
Pol II CTD Code Light.

In this issue of Molecular Cell, Schuller et al. (2016) and Suh et al. (2016) describe genetic and mass spectrometry methodologies for mapping phosphorylation sites on the tandem repeats of the RNA polymerase II CTD. The results suggest that the CTD Code may be simpler than expected.
Towards a New Approach to Vision: Applications to Robots and Humans

A description of a novel and very speculative approach to new research directions for human vision with application to robotic vision is described. The goal of the approach is to propose a plausible, implementable, spatial perception model for human vision and apply this model to a stereo robot vision system. The model is based on computer algorithms variously called “Multidimensional Scaling”, well known in psychology and sociology but relatively unknown in engineering. These algorithms can reconstruct a spatially accurate model to a high level of metric precision of a “configuration of points” from low quality, error prone non-metric data about the configuration. ALSCAL – a general purpose computer package adaptable for this purpose is being presently evaluated. This is a departure from typical engineering approaches which are directed toward gathering a low volume of highly precise referenced data about the positions of selected points in the visual scene and substitutes instead an approach of gatherin...
Multifractal analysis of crack patterns in reinforced concrete shear walls

Conventionally, the assessment of reinforced concrete shear walls relies on manual visual assessment which is time-consuming and depends heavily on the skills of the inspectors. The development of ...
High Thermal Stability Electrooptic Chromophores and new Integrated Optical Polymer Devices

A new class of high thermal stability fused-ring guest chromophores intended for incorporation into highly stable host polyimides has been successfully developed. Thermal stabilities far in excess of 300°C have been achieved for both the pure guest and the guest-host polyimide systems. The microscopic second order nonlinear optical properties of the guest chromophores have been characterized both theoretically and experimentally. The achievement of the new high temperature EO chromorphores and polyimide formulations have directly resulted in the discovery of new EO device designs and architectures.
The Allure of Rhetoric and the Truancy of Poetry

This paper offers suggestions for new directions in PA Theory?four allures of rhetorical analysis. First, it points toward New Rhetoric and rhetoric as more than the twirl on the top of the chocolate cake. Second, it suggests a five-step quick-and-dirty technique for getting into rhetorical analysis to help PA thinking. Third, it recommends greater ownership of our individual signatures. Fourth, it suggests changes in our group signature. It suggests that PA theory should include at its center a playful study of the symbolic, especially of mutuality as it relates to people aiming toward patterns of cooperative public action.
Analysis of variability in high throughput screening data: applications to melanoma cell lines and drug responses

// Kuan-Fu Ding 1, 2 , Darren Finlay 4 , Hongwei Yin 3 , William P.D. Hendricks 3 , Chris Sereduk 3 , Jeffrey Kiefer 3 , Aleksandar Sekulic 3 , Patricia M. LoRusso 5 , Kristiina Vuori 4 , Jeffrey M. Trent 3 , Nicholas J. Schork 1, 2, 3 1 J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA 2 University of California, San Diego, CA, USA 3 The Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA 4 Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA 5 Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA Correspondence to: Nicholas J. Schork, email: nschork@jcvi.org Keywords: melanoma, high-throughput screening, drug screens, computational modeling, variability Received: July 14, 2016 Accepted: January 27, 2017 Published: February 15, 2017 ABSTRACT High-throughput screening (HTS) strategies and protocols have undergone significant development in the last decade. It is now possible to screen hundreds of thousands of compounds, each exploring multiple biological phenotypes and parameters, against various cell lines or model systems in a single setting. However, given the vast amount of data such studies generate, the fact that they use multiple reagents, and are often technician-intensive, questions have been raised about the variability, reliability and reproducibility of HTS results. Assessments of the impact of the multiple factors in HTS studies could arguably lead to more compelling insights into the robustness of the results of a particular screen, as well as the overall quality of the study. We leveraged classical, yet highly flexible, analysis of variance (ANOVA)-based linear models to explore how different factors contribute to the variation observed in a screening study of four different melanoma cell lines and 120 drugs over nine dosages studied in two independent academic laboratories. We find that factors such as plate effects, appropriate dosing ranges, and to a lesser extent, the laboratory performing the screen, are significant predictors of variation in drug responses across the cell lines. Further, we show that when sources of variation are quantified and controlled for, they contextualize claims of inconsistencies and reveal the overall quality of the HTS studies performed at each participating laboratory. In the context of the broader screening study, we show that our analysis can also elucidate the robust effects of drugs, even those within specific cell lines.