cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fabrication of Powder-based Ceramic Micro-burners☆

Abstract Miniaturization of chemical system has attracted tremendous interests in chemistry and biology due to many advantages such as enhancement in heat/mass transfer rates, reduction in expensive reagents and hazardous wastes, and facilitation of massive parallelization in reaction/catalyst screening and optimization Fabrication of microchemical systems (μCSs) has matured around materials such as silicon, glass and polymers, which are not particularly suitable for harsh environment such as high pressure, high temperature, and corrosive reactants. The main objective of this paper is to introduce a new ceramic-based fabrication framework for such harsh environment. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of the new technique by constructing a micro-burner, which can be used as on-chip heater or sensor. The proposed technique overcomes one major roadblock in fabrication of ceramic-based μCSs. The unreliable joining and assembling of simple ceramic components are eliminated by utilizing a fugitive phase machined into an intricate shape of an internal combustion chamber and channels. The main fabrication strategy is to use the advantage of powder, offering the fluidity to flow into a complex cavity or around the solid phase as well as the rigidity to remove the undesirable sections. The paper demonstrates the unique method of fabricating a micro-burner that can sustain an oxy-hydrogen flame for an extensive period and under cyclic operations.
Distinguishing Stratospheric Sudden Warmings from ENSO as Key Drivers of Wintertime Climate Variability over the North Atlantic and Eurasia

AbstractStratospheric conditions are increasingly being recognized as an important driver of North Atlantic and Eurasian climate variability. Mindful that the observational record is relatively short, and that internal climate variability can be large, the authors here analyze a new 10-member ensemble of integrations of a stratosphere-resolving, atmospheric general circulation model, forced with the observed evolution of sea surface temperature (SST) during 1952–2003. Previous studies are confirmed, showing that El Nino conditions enhance the frequency of occurrence of stratospheric sudden warmings (SSWs), whereas La Nina conditions do not appear to affect it. However, large differences are noted among ensemble members, suggesting caution when interpreting the relatively short observational record. More importantly, it is emphasized that the majority of SSWs are not caused by anomalous tropical Pacific SSTs. Comparing composites of winters with and without SSWs in each ENSO phase separately, it is demonst...
High mass X-ray binaries: Beacons in a stormy universe

The discovery of gravity waves from the mergers of black hole binaries has focused the astronomical community on the high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) as the potential progenitors of close pairs of compact stars. This symposium gathered experts in observational and theoretical work for a very timely review of our understanding of the processes that drive the X-ray luminosity of the diverse kinds of binaries and what evolutionary stages are revealed in the observed cases. Here I offer a condensed summary of some of the results about massive star properties, the observational categories of HMXBs, their accretion processes, their numbers in the Milky Way and other galaxies, and how they may be related to the compact binaries that merge in a burst of gravity waves.
Hospital resource intensity and cirrhosis mortality in United States.

AIM To determine whether hospital characteristics predict cirrhosis mortality and how much variation in mortality is attributable to hospital differences. METHODS We used data from the 2005-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample and the American Hospital Association Annual survey to identify hospitalizations for decompensated cirrhosis and corresponding facility characteristics. We created hospital-specific risk and reliability-adjusted odds ratios for cirrhosis mortality, and evaluated patient and facility differences based on hospital performance quintiles. We used hierarchical regression models to determine the effect of these factors on mortality. RESULTS Seventy-two thousand seven hundred and thirty-three cirrhosis admissions were evaluated in 805 hospitals. Hospital mean cirrhosis annual case volume was 90.4 (range 25-828). Overall hospital cirrhosis mortality rate was 8.00%. Hospital-adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for mortality ranged from 0.48 to 1.89. Patient characteristics varied significantly by hospital aOR for mortality. Length of stay averaged 6.0 ± 1.6 days, and varied significantly by hospital performance (P < 0.001). Facility level predictors of risk-adjusted mortality were higher Medicaid case-mix (OR = 1.00, P = 0.029) and LPN staffing (OR = 1.02, P = 0.015). Higher cirrhosis volume (OR = 0.99, P = 0.025) and liver transplant program status (OR = 0.83, P = 0.026) were significantly associated with survival. After adjusting for patient differences, era, and clustering effects, 15.3% of variation between hospitals was attributable to differences in facility characteristics. CONCLUSION Hospital characteristics account for a significant proportion of variation in cirrhosis mortality. These findings have several implications for patients, providers, and health care delivery in liver disease care and inpatient health care design.
High rugosity cities: The geographic, economic and regulatory pathology of America’s most non-concentric urban areas

Abstract The guiding theory in urban development largely views non-concentric urban form as undesirable and even pathologic for poor land-use planning, with negative consequences for peri-urban farmland. As a result, the dominant planning discourse calls for concentric urban areas, thereby minimizing the urban interface. Yet, the urban interface is known to be important to housing markets, particularly where farmland amenities are valued. This research argues that increased rugosity, or greater urban interface exposure, is vital to both urban and agricultural markets. Findings from 30 case study counties and spatial multivariate analysis demonstrate that an increased urban interface is associated with large populations, high rates of population growth, high demand in the housing market, and significant historic peri-urban farm holdings involved in direct-marketing. High rugosity urban areas are associated with the sustained vigor of both urban and agricultural land-uses.
Behavioural medicine and gastrointestinal disorders: the promise of positive psychology

Psychosocial risk factors linked to brain-gut dysregulation are prevalent across the spectrum of gastrointestinal disorders and are associated with poor patient outcomes. Robust and reproducible data in the areas of behavioural intervention science and the brain-gut axis have led to major advances in patient care, including the routine use of brain-gut psychotherapies to manage digestive symptoms and optimize coping. The logical next step for the emerging field of psychogastroenterology is to develop a scientific framework that enables the identification of those individual characteristics and coping styles that buffer patients against the negative psychological effects of chronic gastrointestinal disorders. A shift towards a strength-based, positive psychological science of gastrointestinal disorders could facilitate the integration of early, effective psychological care into gastroenterology practice. In this Perspective, I discuss the potential role of three human strengths with relevance to gastrointestinal health - resilience, optimism and self-regulation - and how these three constructs can be cultivated through existing or emerging brain-gut psychotherapies.
From Language to Location Using Multiple Instance Neural Networks

Language patterns pertaining to a geographic region has various uses including cultural exploration, disaster response and targeted advertising. In this paper, we propose a method for geographically locating short text data within a multiple instance learning framework augmented by neural networks. Our representation learning approach tackles minimally pre-processed social media discourse and discovers high level language features that are used for classification. The proposed method scales and adapts to datasets relating to 15 cities in the United States. Empirical evaluation demonstrates that our approach outperforms state of the art in multiple instance learning while providing a framework that alleviates the need for subjective feature engineering based approaches.
Hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy: an unusual presentation.

Objectives Hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy (HPOA) is a syndrome characterized by the triad of periostitis, digital clubbing and painful arthropathy of the large joints, especially involving the lower limbs. HPOA without clubbing of the digits is considered an incomplete form of HPOA and has been rarely reported. We are presenting here a case of HPOA without clubbing in a patient with lung cancer. Methods A 52-year-old female active smoker presented with a complaint of multiple joint pains with associated morning stiffness, swelling and weight loss for 3 months. On examination, the patient had tenderness to palpation over the anterior shin, but no obvious clubbing was noted. X-rays of the lower extremities revealed periosteal thickening compatible with HPOA. Results A bone scan showed increased uptake along the periosteum and cortex of the long bones. In view of her smoking history and weight loss, a chest X-ray was done that revealed an upper lung mass. A diagnosis of lung carcinoma was made on biopsy. Conclusion Our case demonstrates that the unusual finding of HPOA in the absence of clubbing is a rare entity and can often be missed. Once diagnosed, a prompt search of other associated conditions should be conducted.
Racial/Ethnic Patterns of AIDS in the United States

For many reasons it is important to consider differences and similarities in the racial/ ethnic (r/e) patterns of AIDS cases in the United States (U.S.). Although most AIDS cases in the U.S. have occurred in white homosexual men, the per capita risk of AIDS is generally higher in Blacks and Hispanics. Understanding AIDS case rates and growth rates in r/e subgroups of a risk group can lead to more focused educational or prevention programs. Moreover, cross-checking r/e distributions between related risk groups and between regions provides a simple measure of the confidence which can be placed in the data. Time trends in r/e AIDS cases are analyzed in Chapter 10.
Dynamically quantized spaces for focusing the Hough Transform

A dynamic data structure is suggested for representing the accumulator array used with a Hough Transform. The structure, called a Dynamically Quantlsd Space, allocates resources where they are most needed to best discriminate the peak in the parameter space. The effect is to focus the Hough Transform. Such attention control is especially needed when the parameter space has a large number of dimensions.
Action-Oriented Mass Communication

Ideas about the effects of the mass media in the United States have changed during the history of communication research and three stages have been identified (Roberts and Maccoby, 1985; Flora, Maibach, and Maccoby 1989). Initially, mass media messages were considered almost omnipotent in altering behavior (Katz and Lazarsfeld, 1955). Later, the mass media were considered virtually incapable of producing independent effects (Klapper, 1960). The earlier excessive claims of large effects spurred overzealous public communication campaigns, which failed to meet expectations (Bauer, 1964; Hyman and Sheatsley, 1947;Lazarsfeld and Merton, 1948). As theories about communication and behavior have merged in the analysis of phenomena such as the diffusion of innovation (Rogers, 1983; Bandura, 1986), the most recent trend is toward the belief that mass media messages have little direct effect and that their greatest influence is indirect and largely dependent on interpersonal influences and environmental circumstances. Even small direct effects, such as shifts of a few percentage points in consumer preferences, are of great commercial value and similar changes in health-related behaviors may have enormous absolute significance in a population of millions (Puska et al., 1985b). Contemporary research and accompanying developments in theory have shown that when campaigns combine community-based interpersonal communication with mass media messages the effects can be substantial (McAlister, Ramirez, Galavotti, and Gallion, 1989; Ramirez and McAlister, 1988; Flora, Maccoby and Farquhar, 1989; Bracht, 1990; Rice and Paisley, 1981). An agreed-upon effect of mass communication is “agenda-setting” (McCombs and Shaw, 1972; McCombs, 1981)
“Cantonment”—De Witt’s Solution

In the first week of June, 1669, Pomponne at last made his formal entry into The Hague. It was for him a week of ceremony no less distasteful because it was necessary and inescapable.
Spiral (T of Renal Perfusion Abnormalities

Contrast-enhanced spiral CT is an ideal method for the evaluation of renal perfusion. The ability to visualize the kidney during multiple phases of contrast enhancement facilitates the diagnosis of abnormalities of major arterial inflow, segmental perfusion and global excretion. This chapter will focus on the spiral CT technique and interpretation of disorders of renal perfusion. Specific emphasis will be directed at understanding of the temporal progression of renal contrast enhancement as an aid to the evaluation of renovascular and parenchymal perfusion disorders.
Prospective characterization of circulating tumor cells using a nanotechnology-based capture system in oligometastatic patients undergoing definitive radiation therapy.

11533Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can provide prognostic information in select patients with advanced cancers. We have developed a sensitive and specific CTC capture system (Oncosenso...
Integration of optimal operational dispatch and controller determined dynamics for microgrid survivability

Abstract The reliability and resilience of the electrical power grids are essential to industry, economy and society. Microgrids that are able to island from the bulk electrical grid are one technology that may vastly improve electrical power service to customer loads. To achieve these improvements, an islanded microgrid should be able to operate through the loss of one of its generators without shedding electrical load. The loss of one generator will typically result in significant additional loads, including transient overloads, being placed on the remaining generators. There is also the possibility of additional generator tripping during these processes (i.e. cascading failures), which would likely result in the collapse of the microgrid. The novelty of our work consists in incorporating dynamic models of generator controllers into a microgrid optimal dispatch formulation with the ultimate goal to avoid operational failures and ensure the “survivability” of all-inverter microgrids to generator loss and transient overloads. The integration of generator and controller dynamics into the optimal dispatch formulation significantly increases the computational complexity. As we develop algorithms to restore speed of the optimization, our method can be readily implemented into a new operational strategy capable of an unprecedented level of reliability against generator contingencies. In addition, we quantitatively illustrate the effect of the survivability constraints on the microgrid operating costs and how the related trade-off between capital and operating costs should be taken into account at the design stage. The methods developed here also apply to the dispatch of off-grid microgrids.
Capturing the forgotten war: carceral spaces and colonial legacies in Cold War Korea

Abstract In this paper, I offer a detailed examination of the spaces and practices of detainment used by the United States military and its proxies between 1945 and the armistice that produced a so-called ‘end’ of the Korean War in 1953. Avoiding the reductive trappings of the Cold War binary, which positions this ‘long peace’ as a byproduct of two territorial powers struggling for geopolitical control, my chief objective is to explore how the use of carceral infrastructures on the peninsula demonstrates the abundant connections between the brutal imperialism of the Japanese regime, the US military government which ostensibly sought to liberate people from colonial oppression, and the violent police action meant to contain the ‘expansive tendencies’ of the Communists. I first position this paper relative to geographic scholarship on prisons, focusing on the important links between carceral spaces and state border-making practices. Next, I place the border-making capacities of carceral spaces into conversation with the complexities of empire by briefly describing the Korean prison assemblage under Japanese colonial rule. I then argue that key aspects of the Cold War carceral infrastructure overseen by the US in the wake of World War II are protractions of the often-ruthless violence of Japan's colonial prison system. In the paper's final two sections I outline the prison systems of the U.S military occupation of southern Korea and the subsequent landscape of detention during the Korean War. Though frequently overlooked, I demonstrate here that spaces of military detainment are important contact zones where the racial and the imperial collide, offering historical geographers a suite of crucial sites through which to push back against the Cold War's simplified binary rhetoric.
Mentoring in Online Clinical Laboratory Science Courses

Online education, though proven to be as effective as traditional classroom instruction, can be a challenge, especially in a field that requires hands on experience, as does Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS). Contrary to most research, a CLS course in Introductory Hematology and Hemostasis taught at a public university in the western United States demonstrated slightly lower overall grades when taught online. Considering that CLS online students at this institution are required to achieve lab competency with the assistance of a field mentor or preceptor (as opposed to the simulated laboratory approach used on campus), it became beneficial to obtain feedback from CLS mentors who work with online students in various clinical sites. Mentor feedback was obtained by the administration of an online survey exploring three areas of mentorship: interpersonal, organizational, and cognitive. Data collected demonstrated mentors9 concerns with the interpersonal and cognitive aspects of their role. Mentors expressed the need for more communication with the department and university instructors regarding access to course objectives, schedules, and laboratory activity ideas in order to better assist students. Mentors exhibited a very positive response to the suggestion of an online resource for CLS mentors, suggesting the inclusion of an online forum or blog to communicate with instructors as well as other mentors in CLS. This study may help other institutions of higher education seeking ways to improve CLS online programs. Understanding the mentor/mentee relationship and exploring mentors9 perceptions of support suggested ways to offer assistance to clinical sites, hopefully leading to more meaningful clinical rotations for CLS online students. ABBREVIATIONS:CLS-Clinical Laboratory Science, IHE-Institutions of Higher Education
Advances in female hormonal contraception: current alternatives to oral regimens.

Despite the wide variety of reversible contraceptives, unintended pregnancy rates in developed nations are still considered markedly elevated by most epidemiologists and clinicians. Indeed, the US has one of the highest unintended pregnancy rates among the industrialized nations of the world. Although many factors appear to influence this problem, what may play an important role in this apparent paradox is the process by which a woman obtains contraception. Although most nonbarrier methods have similar efficacy, the ability to use that method consistently and correctly will determine whether it provides maximal contraception. Oral contraceptives are the most popular method in the US; accordingly, the process by which US women obtain their contraception may not take into account the desire of many women to use nondaily methods. The recent introduction of nondaily methods in the US and elsewhere has provided more choice so that a successful contraceptive decision can be made in the first instance rather than after an adverse clinical outcome or unintended pregnancy with a method not as well suited to that woman’s lifestyle. These new methods are not characterized by improved safety or efficacy; rather, they have novel components or delivery systems that may provide important options to women who may not be able to or willing to use existing methods of contraception. The transdermal patch, vaginal ring, and monthly injectable are combination estrogen/progestogen methods characterized by novel delivery systems and compliance regimens. The single rod implant is a facile and well accepted method that has not yet been approved for use in the US but has been an increasingly popular choice elsewhere. The levonorgestrel intrauterine system has been used in Europe for over 10 years and has recently been introduced in the US. This intrauterine contraceptive provides high efficacy and reliability, and may have considerable noncontraceptive benefit with regard to the nonsurgical treatment of uterine bleeding problems and endometrial protection for menopausal hormone therapy. The increasing popularity of these methods can be considered a testament to the desire of women to consider nondaily contraceptives as first-line, mainstream options. It is hoped that increasing use of these methods will lead to a considerable decrease in the rate of unintended pregnancy.
Insufflation Effects on the Abdominal Wall Dimensions and Incisional-Ventral Hernia Orifice Size

Abstract The possibility that ventral hernia orifice size may increase with insufflation at the time of laparoscopic ventral hernia repair has a number of consequences, including mesh size used and trocar placement. We measured ventral hernia orifice defects intraoperatively at 8 mm Hg and 15 mm Hg for comparison. We also took measurements of the external abdominal wall at various points to determine the relationship between insufflation and the abdominal wall externally. Of 39 patients measured, we found a mean increase of 3.7 mm in the hernia defect transversely and 2.9 mm vertically. The external measurements showed correlation with insufflation pressure, as expected. The transverse measurements across the mid-abdomen showed a mean increase of 5 mm from 0 to 8 mm Hg insufflation and a full additional centimeter when insufflation was increased from 8 to 15 mm Hg. We were able to detect and quantify an increase in hernia defect size with insufflation, but the increase is so small it is unlikely to be clinically significant in the management of surgical patients.
Architecture and Correctional Services: A Facilities Approach to Treatment:

Facilities are important aspects of rehabilitative treatment. To fully understand the impact of a facility on the effectiveness of treatment, the direct perspectives of service providers are critic...
Sexually transmissible infection testing among pregnant women in the US, 2011-15.

Introduction Sexually transmissible infections (STIs) are increasing in the US. Pregnant women and infants are susceptible to serious STI-related sequelae; however, some STIs can be cured during pregnancy with appropriate, timely screening. Methods: We used data from the 2011–15 National Survey of Family Growth to examine STI testing (in the past 12 months) among women who were pregnant in the past 12 months (n = 1155). In bivariate and multivariable analyses, we examined associations between demographics, health care access and two outcome variables, namely receipt of a chlamydia test and receipt of other STI tests. Results: Among women who were pregnant in the past 12 months, 48% reported receiving a chlamydia test and 54% reported that they received an STI test other than chlamydia in the past 12 months. In adjusted analyses, non-Hispanic Black women were more likely to receive a chlamydia test (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.82; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.86–4.26) and other STI tests (aOR 2.43; 95% CI 1.58–3.74) than non-Hispanic White women. Women living in a metropolitan statistical area but not the principal city were less likely to report chlamydia (aOR 0.62; 95% CI 0.44–0.86) and other STI (aOR 0.57; 95% CI 0.40–0.81) testing than women living in a principal city. Women born outside the US were significantly less likely to have received a chlamydia test (aOR 0.35; 95% CI 0.19–0.64) or other STI test (aOR 0.34; 95% CI 0.20–0.58), whereas those who had received prenatal care were more likely to receive a chlamydia test (aOR 2.10; 95% CI 1.35–3.28) or another STI test (aOR 2.32; 95% CI 1.54–3.49). Conclusions: The findings suggest that interventions are needed to increase adherence to recommended STI screenings during pregnancy.
Determination of Condensate Material Properties from Droplet Deformation.

I derive theoretical results that relate the effective spring constant, χ, of protein droplets to their material properties. χ, defined as the ratio between a uniaxial applied force and the extent ...
CoNICE: Consensus in Intermittently-Connected Environments by Exploiting Naming with Application to Emergency Response

In many scenarios, information must be disseminated over intermittently-connected environments when network infrastructure becomes unavailable. Example scenarios include disasters in which first responders need to send updates about their critical tasks. If such updates pertain to a shared data set (e.g., pins on a map), their consistent dissemination is important. We can achieve this through causal ordering and consensus. Popular consensus algorithms, such as Paxos and Raft, are most suited for connected environments with reliable links. While some work has been done on designing consensus algorithms for intermittently-connected environments, such as the One-Third Rule (OTR) algorithm, there is need to improve their efficiency and timely completion. We propose CoNICE, a framework to ensure consistent dissemination of updates among users in intermittently-connected, infrastructure-less environments. It achieves efficiency by exploiting hierarchical namespaces for faster convergence, and lower communication overhead. CoNICE provides three levels of consistency to users' views, namely replication, causality and agreement. It uses epidemic propagation to provide adequate replication ratios, and optimizes and extends Vector Clocks to provide causality. To ensure agreement, CoNICE extends basic OTR to support long-term fragmentation and critical decision invalidation scenarios. We integrate the multilevel consistency schema of CoNICE, with a naming schema that follows a topic hierarchy-based dissemination framework, to improve functionality and performance. Performing city-scale simulation experiments, we demonstrate that CoNICE is effective in achieving its consistency goals, and is efficient and scalable in the time for convergence and utilized network resources.
Factors Influencing Noncompletion of Radiation Therapy Among Men With Localized Prostate Cancer.

Purpose Treatment noncompletion may occur with radiation therapy (RT), especially with protracted treatment courses such as RT for prostate cancer, and may affect the efficacy of RT. For men with localized prostate cancer managed with primary RT, we evaluated associations between rates of treatment noncompletion and RT fractionation schedules. Methods and Materials The National Cancer Database identified men diagnosed from 2004 to 2014 treated with primary RT. Patients receiving 180 cGy/fraction or 200 cGy/fraction were defined as having completed radiation therapy if they received ≥41 fractions of 180 cGy/fraction or ≥37 fractions of 200 cGy/fraction. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) was defined as 5 to 8 fractions of 600 to 800 cGy/fraction. Odds ratios compared rates of treatment noncompletion, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. A propensity-adjusted multivariable Cox regression assessed the association between treatment completion and overall survival. Results Of 157,657 patients, 95.7% (n = 150,847) received conventional fractionation and 4.3% (n = 6810) received SBRT. Rates of noncompletion were 12.5% (n = 18,803) among patients who received conventional fractionation and 1.9% (n = 131) among patients who received SBRT (odds ratio [OR] versus conventional, 0.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.18-0.26; P The rate of noncompletion among 25,727 African American patients was 12.8%, compared with 11.8% among 126,199 white patients (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.09-1.19; P Conclusions SBRT was associated with lower rates of RT noncompletion among men with localized prostate cancer. African American race was associated with greater rates of treatment noncompletion, although the disparity may be decreased among men receiving SBRT.
Cyclin F drives proliferation through SCF-dependent degradation of the retinoblastoma-like tumor suppressor p130/RBL2.

Cell cycle gene expression programs fuel proliferation and are universally dysregulated in cancer. The retinoblastoma (RB)-family of proteins, RB1, RBL1/p107 and RBL2/p130, coordinately repress cell cycle gene expression, inhibiting proliferation and suppressing tumorigenesis. Phosphorylation of RB-family proteins by cyclin dependent kinases is firmly established. Like phosphorylation, ubiquitination is essential to cell cycle control, and numerous proliferative regulators, tumor suppressors, and oncoproteins are ubiquitinated. However, little is known about the role of ubiquitin signaling in controlling RB-family proteins. A systems genetics analysis of CRISPR/Cas9 screens suggested the potential regulation of the RB-network by cyclin F, a substrate recognition receptor for the SCF family of E3 ligases. We demonstrate that RBL2/p130 is a direct substrate of SCFcyclin F. We map a cyclin F regulatory site to a flexible linker in the p130 pocket domain, and show that this site mediates binding, stability, and ubiquitination. Expression of a mutant version of p130, which cannot be ubiquitinated, severely impaired proliferative capacity and cell cycle progression. Consistently, we observed reduced expression of cell cycle gene transcripts, as well a reduced abundance of cell cycle proteins, analyzed by quantitative, iterative immunofluorescent imaging. These data suggest a key role for SCFcyclin F in the CDK-RB network and raise the possibility that aberrant p130 degradation could dysregulate the cell cycle in human cancers.
Peripheral Neuropathy: Common Side Effect.

For peripheral neuropathy, standards of care are based on established evidence-based practice. Peripheral neuropathy is disease or dysfunction of one or more peripheral nerves (i.e., motor, sensory, or autonomic), resulting in numbness or weakness. Peripheral neuropathy occurs outside of the brain and spinal cord and is caused by cancer, treatment, or both. Chemotherapeutic agents that can cause peripheral neuropathy include epothilones, platinum analogs, taxanes, and vinca alkaloids, as well as immunomodulating drugs and proteasome inhibitors.
The United Nations e-Government Readiness Index: a work in progress

The e-Government Index (2001) and the e-Government Readiness Index (eGRI) devised in 2003 by the United Nations (UN) brought standardization to efforts to rank countries according to their e-government efforts. Rankings was designed to portray emerging patterns of country performance around the world and envisioned as a resource "to shape further consolidation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) programs which contribute to a more participatory public policy model of development for all." The digital government research community, Countries, and other interested parties are looking to the resulting rankings as a relative indicator or e-Government implementation. The Index has been the most useful in understanding the process of creating 'socio-economic opportunities' for all with access, information, and knowledge as preliminary stages. Given the potential impact of these rankings on investment and development decision making both within the home country and in other organizations, as well as a reference point for research, it is critical to understand the indicator system itself. This poster contributes to understanding of the issues by providing an overview of the evolution of the Index as well as a summary of the concerns about the index.
Marginal protein deficiency in pregnant rats. II. Impaired behavior during pregnancy.

Pregnant and nonpregnant female rats were fed diets con taining either 25% casein (adequate) or 7.5% casein (low protein). The diets were fed in different combinations over two periods during preg nancy, namely days 4-12 and days 13-21. During these two periods, groups were given sequences of either adequate-adequate, adequate-low, low- adequate or low-low protein diets. Behavioral observations were made both in the breeding cage of each rat and in an open area (field) on days 15 and 20 of pregnancy. Pregnancy by itself caused a number of behavioral changes including reduced general activity, increased grooming and in creased time sleeping. The protein level of the diet at the time of testing was found to affect behavior but not the protein level of the diet fed previously. In the breeding cage, low dietary protein reduced ventromedial grooming in pregnant rats, a behavior related to mammary development in preparation for lactating. In the open field, rearing on the hind legs was decreased among pregnant animals on the low-protein diet, a finding which may be associated with loss of muscle substance. Both of these behavioral changes have implications for the ability of the female to subsequently raise her offspring as well as to interact with her environment during pregnancy. J. Nutr. 110: 1298-1302, 1980.
Gravitational interactions between galaxies

Recent theoretical studies of the consequences of fierce tidal interactions between galaxies are reviewed and compared.
A 13 W current mode class D high efficiency 1 GHz power amplifier

13 watt Current Mode Class-D (CMCD) with 60% efficiency is presented. This amplifier is the highest power switch mode microwave power amplifier reported to date. The CMCD architecture is an improvement over the Voltage Mode Class-D in that the parasitic reactance in the active device can be absorbed into the tank circuit resulting in a zero voltage switching condition.
Benchmarking Query Execution Robustness

Benchmarks that focus on running queries on a well-tuned database system ignore a long-standing problem: adverse runtime conditions can cause database system performance to vary widely and unexpectedly. When the query execution engine does not exhibit resilience to these adverse conditions, addressing the resultant performance problems can contribute significantly to the total cost of ownership for a database system in over-provisioning, lost efficiency, and increased human administrative costs. For example, focused human effort may be needed to manually invoke workload management actions or fine-tune the optimization of specific queries. We believe a benchmark is needed to measure query execution robustness, that is, how adverse or unexpected conditions impact the performance of a database system. We offer a preliminary analysis of barriers to query execution robustness and propose some metrics for quantifying the impact of those barriers. We present and analyze results from preliminary tests on four real database systems and discuss how these results could be used to increase the robustness of query processing in each case. Finally, we outline how our efforts could be expanded into a benchmark to quantify query execution robustness.
Lactide polymerization by well-defined calcium coordination complexes: comparisons with related magnesium and zinc chemistry.

Amide and alkoxide coordination complexes of calcium supported by β-diiminato and bulky trispyrazolylborate complexes are reported together with their activity in lactide ring-opening polymerization; some are amongst the most active systems discovered to date.
Functional sequences in human alphaB crystallin.

Abstract Background Human alphaB crystallin (HspB5) contains the alpha crystallin core domain, a series of antiparallel beta-strands organized into the characteristic beta sandwich of small heat shock proteins (sHsps). The full 3-dimensional structure for alpha crystallin has not been determined and the mechanism for the biological activity remains elusive because sHsps participate in multiple interactions with a broad range of target proteins that favor self-assembly of polydisperse fibrils and complexes. We selected human alphaB crystallin to study interactive sequences because it is involved in many human condensation, amyloid, and aggregation diseases and it is very sensitive to the destabilization of unfolding proteins. Sophisticated methods are being used to analyze and complete the structure of alphaB crystallin with the expectation of understanding sHsp function. This review considers the identification of interactive sites on the surface of the alphaB crystallin, which may be the key to understanding the multifunctional activity of human alphaB crystallin. Scope of review This review summarizes the research on the identification of the bioactive interactive sequences responsible for the function of human alphaB crystallin, an sHsp with chaperone-like activity. Major conclusions The multifunctional activity of human alphaB crystallin results from the interactive peptide sequences exposed on the surface of the molecule. The multiple, non-covalent, interactive sequences can account for the selectivity and sensitivity of alphaB crystallin to the initiation of protein unfolding. General significance Human alphaB crystallin may be an important part of an endogenous protective mechanism in aging cells and tissues. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Crystallin Biochemistry in Health and Disease.
Characterization of the Tacaribe group of arboviruses. I. Propagation and plaque assay of Tacaribe virus in a line of African green monkey kidney cells (Vero).

SummaryAn African green monkey kidney cell line (Vero) has been found to support growth of Tacaribe virus. Cytopathic effects (CPE) were pronounced and appeared within 7 days after inoculation with 10-5 dilution of the virus. They were reproducible in 10 serial subcultures. Tacaribe virus also produced distinct plaques with sharp boundaries in monolayer cultures of Vero cells under agar overlay. A linear relationship was observed between plaque counts and virus concentration. The development of CPE and plaques was specifically inhibited by Tacaribe virus immune rabbit serum, but not by Junin or Machupo virus antiserum. Virus assays obtained by titration endpoints of CPE or by plaque counts in tissue culture were comparable to those obtained by titration in suckling mice. When the cultures were infected with <0.001 PFU/cell, virus yields reached their peaks within 7 days.
Overweight status of adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome: body mass index as mediator of quality of life.

Purpose.—Adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have significant disruption in health-related quality of life (HRQL) compared to their healthy peers, but it is unclear which aspects of the disorder have the greatest impact on these quality-of-life changes. Studies of adult women have indicated that weight status has a significant impact on subjective symptomatology; however, a similar effect of weight status on HRQL in adolescents with PCOS has not been established. This study evaluated the effect of body mass index (BMI) on quality-of-life disturbances in adolescent girls with PCOS. Methods.—Data were derived from the Adolescent PCOS Quality of Life Study, a cross-sectional study of healthy (n = 186) and PCOS-affected adolescent girls (n = 97). The study was conducted at an urban, hospital-based adolescent medicine clinical practice. Medical staff obtained anthropomorphic measurements. Participants in both groups completed the Child Health Questionnaire–Version CF-87 as a measure of HRQL. BMI was tested as a mediator of HRQL using bivariate analyses and multivariate linear regression models. Results.—The average BMI was 31.7 kg/m2 (standard deviation [SD] = 8.4) for adolescents with PCOS and 23.5 kg/m2 (SD = 4.2) for healthy adolescents. BMI was associated with PCOS status and HRQL. Girls with PCOS scored lower on the general health perceptions scale, physical functioning scale, family activities scale, and the general behavior scale and higher on the change in health in the last year subscale. When BMI was added to the multivariate linear regression models, coefficients were reduced on average by 3 points and became nonsignificant, indicating that the HRQL differences are mediated by the higher BMI. Conclusion.—This study demonstrates that BMI is a primary mediator in the relationship between PCOS and the HRQL reductions experienced by girls with the disorder. Clinical interventions that effectively address weight issues in adolescents with PCOS may improve overall HRQL and other obesity-related clinical outcomes.
Immunologic and Antineoplastic Effects of Endotoxin: Role of Membranes and Mediation by Cyclic Adenosine-3′,5′-Monophosphate

The fascination and difficulty of dealing with the biological effects of bacterial endotoxins (LPS) are largely due to the multitude of events that can be triggered in animals exposed to LPS; such a variety of possible effects of LPS reflects the unusually large number of target cells and cellular sites that can be affected directly or indirectly by these practically ubiquitous molecules. In our attempts to dissect and to understand these complex events, we can be aided significantly by developments in related areas that furnish clues about some aspects of LPS activity without elucidating all of the known parameters.
NHS Direct: here and now

In December 1997, the UK government committed itself to creating “a new 24 hour telephone advice line staffed by nurses.”1 The first three call centres were operational three months later and 16 pilot sites, covering 60% of England, will have been established by the end of 1999. NHS Direct will be available throughout England by 2001.2 A fully networked system will then emerge, taking calls from an estimated 20% of the population each year. Wales will have its first call centre operational in April 2000 and Scotland will follow with its first pilot sites the same year. Currently, 95% of calls are about symptoms but it is not the function of the telephone consultation to reach a diagnosis. The intention is to recommend further care or referral through a system of triage that reflects the nature and potential urgency of the clinical problem. Typically, 45–50% of all calls are about children and the highest level of use is from mothers of young children. Nurses answering the calls are supported by computer software that can guide questioning, help to weigh information for significance, and suggest optimal disposition according to local circumstances, including self care at home. There is integral access to corresponding advice and information databases, and electronic links should enable communication with primary care services, hospital accident and emergency (A&E) departments, the ambulance service, and other agencies. Calls solely for information are expected to increase with time. NHS Direct is evolving rapidly with detailed development work going on behind the scenes, including efforts to form alliances with general practitioner cooperatives and other services. It is being strongly promoted as an integral part of the “New NHS”. £280 million (US$450 million) has been committed to it and to complementary projects over the next three years, on top of the …
Cost-Effectiveness of Radiofrequency Ablation for Supraventricular Tachycardia

Radiofrequency ablation substantially improves quality of life and reduces costs when it is used to treat highly symptomatic patients with supraventricular tachycardia. Although the benefit of radi...
Clamp: automated joinpoint clustering and pointcut mining in aspect-oriented refactoring

Software refactoring consists of a set of techniques to reorganize code while preserving the external behavior. Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP) provides new modularization of software systems by encapsulating crosscutting concerns. Based on these two techniques, Aspect-Oriented (AO) refactoring restructures crosscutting elements in code. AO refactoring includes two steps: aspect mining (identification of aspect candidates in code) and aspect refactoring (semantic-preserving transformation to migrate the aspect-candidate code to AO code). Aspect refactoring clusters the join points for the aspect candidates and encapsulates each cluster with an effective pointcut definition. With the increase in size of the code and crosscutting concerns, it is tedious to manually identify aspects and their corresponding join points, cluster the join points, and infer a pointcut expression. This paper proposes an automated framework that clusters join point candidates and infers a pointcut expression for each cluster.
Association of dehydromonocrotaline with rat red blood cells.

The association of radiolabeled monocrotaline pyrrole (DHM) with red blood cell (RBCs) ghosts, globins, and heme was examined to determine their role in the transport and stabilization of this hepatic produced putative toxic metabolite of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid monocrotaline (MCT). Rats were administered 5 mg of DHM/kg, iv, and RBCs and plasma were harvested at 4 and 24 h. Extensive washing of the RBCs with isotonic phosphate buffer did not decrease the amount of radioactivity associated with the cells. The level of DHM equivalents recovered in the RBCs did not decrease between 4 and 24 h, while the plasma levels, which were 29- and 75-fold lower, respectively, decreased from 5.0 to 2.2 nmol of DHM equiv/g of plasma. Globin chains were found to contain 383 and 453 pmol of DHM equiv/mg of protein, respectively. Rats receiving 10 mg of DHM/kg, iv, with RBCs collected at 2 h, had approximately double the level of radioactivity associated with their RBCs in addition to 2 times the amount of adducts on the...
Note on equilibria without ordered preferences in topological vector spaces

Abstract This note contains an equilibrium existence result with a commodity space which can be any topological vector space. Agents' preferences need not be ordered.
Comment on "Formulas for Venting or Charging Gas from a Single Volume"

Brief discussions of previous investigations in the aerospace sciences and technical comments on papers published in the AIAA Journal are presented in this special department. Entries must be restricted to a maximum of 1000 words, or the equivalent of one Journal page including formulas and figures. A Discussion mil be published as quickly as possible after receipt of the manuscript. Neither the AIAA nor its editors are responsible for the opinions expressed by the correspondents. Authors will be invited to reply promptly.