cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Head and neck cancer.

Cisplatin has been an important addition to the treatment of head and neck cancer. It is the only drug to have been proven to cause a survival benefit when compared with supportive care alone in the palliative management of advanced head and neck cancer (Morton et al. 1985). It has interesting radiation-sensitizing properties in some systems and it is part of the most active drug combination in head and neck cancer when combined with 5-ftuorouracil infusion. In comparison with the newer analogs of carboplatin and iproplatin, cisplatin has the highest tumor cell uptake of the platinates when given parenterally (Hecquet.et al. 1987).
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services U Visa Certification Support involving Local, Municipal, and State Law Enforcement - Certification Denial with Law Enforcement

Abstract The U Visa is an immigration visa designed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to encourage undocumented immigrant victims of criminal acts occurring within the United States to report to the police, to participate in criminal investigations as witnesses, and to obtain a legal immigration status through a work authorization card and pathway to permanent residency due to their cooperation with law enforcement. The public purpose of the U Visa policy is to create and enhance the trust between law enforcement officers and the undocumented immigrant community. The current reality is that there is a severe lack of reporting of violent crimes when undocumented immigrants are victimized, and also the persistent growth of criminal activity has been noted within high growth areas of immigrant communities. One of the critical steps to preparing a U Visa application to submit for USCIS consideration is a document called the certification form, which is filled out by a local law enforcement agency that has information regarding the helpfulness of the immigrant victim with regards to the investigation of the criminal act or case. This project explores some of the barriers that law enforcement agencies have put into place, whether it is through systemic policies that limit the amount of cases that they actually deem eligible for certification, denials based on unjustified grounds built from agency level discretion, or an outright refusal to develop the capacity of their agency to handle such certification requests.
Estrogen and C-reactive protein: does an alternate route lead to a more attractive destination?

Estrogen and C-reactive protein: does an alternate route lead to a more attractive destination? -
Endowed Chairs in Marketing: Responsibilities and Benefits

A survey of AACSB accredited and non-accredited schools identified the benefits and responsibilities of the endowed chairholders. Overall only the benefits showed some hierarchical structure (e.g., provided to chairholders in a hierarchical fashion). With few exceptions, institutional characteristics and size of the endowments were unrelated to the chairs* responsibilities and benefits.
Nonlinear Impulses in Particulate Materials

Impulse propagation in granular (particular) materials due to the loading under impact or contact explosion is of practical interest for many applications. For example, granular bed from iron shot is used for the damping of contact explosions during technological operations in explosive chambers. It effectively prevents the chamber wall from the high-amplitude shock wave. The propagation and reflection of nonlinear waves with large amplitudes in sand or soil is important for the detection of foreign objects. The nature of waves in these materials is also of general interest because they represent the collective dynamic response strongly effected by mesostructure. At the same time, these materials pose some fundamental questions which demand reconsideration of the basic foundation of wave dynamics including shock-wave propagation and shock dynamics particularly.
Function-Based Biologically Inspired Design

A “big picture” approach to a systematic, function-based (drawing from a Pahl and Beitz approach) biologically inspired design is presented in this chapter. The approach supports two different starting, or perhaps motivating, points: a customer need motivated product design and a biological system motivated product opportunity. Both approaches rely on a designer’s ability to create a functional model that either captures customer needs or represents the biological system of interest. This methodology relies directly on the designer’s ability to make connections between dissimilar domain information. Following presentation of the methodology are two validation approaches. One examines current biologically inspired products either in production or presented in the literature to demonstrate that the systematic design methodology for biologically inspired design can reproduce the existing design. The second validation exercise investigates three needs–based design problems that lead to plausible biologically inspired solutions.
Credibility Assessments and the REAL ID Act's Amendments to Immigration Law

Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of foreign nationals have sought asylum protection in the United States. In 2005, Congress enacted the REAL ID Act, which for the first time codified in the immigration statute the factors immigration judges may consider in an assessment of credibility. The law has been almost universally attacked as everything from unnecessary to indicative of xenophobia. Because the REAL ID Act only applies to asylum applications filed after May 11, 2005, decisions applying the new credibility standards are only now beginning to emerge in the federal appellate courts. At the same time, a growing percentage of the cases adjudicated in the federal appellate courts concern immigration matters - thirty-five to forty percent in the Second and Ninth Circuits alone. This article seeks to fill a void in the literature by challenging the conventional wisdom expressed by critics of the law (as well as critics of credibility assessments at the agency level generally). I will separate the legal analysis from the emotionally fraught policy considerations inherent in any discussion of immigration issues, recognizing the latter exists but focusing on the former. I argue that a law that enables immigration judges to consider any factor relevant to an assessment of veracity is necessary in the face of exclusionary rules previously applied categorically by many reviewing courts of appeals. Such exclusionary rules, I contend, are incompatible with the basic principles that should guide an assessment of credibility. To this end, this article will argue for a return to the fundamental - yet often ignored or overlooked - link between inference and an assessment of credibility, and the basic tenants that should guide judicial review of administrative findings of fact. A policy debate on the state of the current immigration system is certainly in order. That debate, however, should not impact the legal principles guiding review of credibility assessments.
Betatron x-ray radiation in the self-modulated wakefield acceleration regime (Conference Presentation)

Betatron x-ray radiation, driven by electrons from laser-wakefield acceleration, has unique properties to probe high energy density (HED) plasmas and warm dense matter. Betatron radiation is produced when relativistic electrons oscillate in the plasma wake of a laser pulse. Its properties are similar to those of synchrotron radiation, with a 1000 fold shorter pulse. This presentation will focus on the experimental challenges and results related to the development of betatron radiation in the self modulated regime of laser wakefield acceleration. We observed multi keV Betatron x-rays from a self-modulated laser wakefield accelerator. The experiment was performed at the Jupiter Laser Facility, LLNL, by focusing the Titan short pulse beam (4-150 J, 1 ps) onto the edge of a Helium gas jet at electronic densities around 1019 cm-3. For the first time on this laser system, we used a long focal length optic, which produced a laser normalized potential a0 in the range 1-3. Under these conditions, electrons are accelerated by the plasma wave created in the wake of the light pulse. As a result, intense Raman satellites, which measured shifts depend on the electron plasma density, were observed on the laser spectrum transmitted through the target. Electrons with energies up to 200 MeV, as well as Betatron x-rays with critical energies around 20 keV, were measured. OSIRIS 2D PIC simulations confirm that the electrons gain energy both from the plasma wave and from their interaction with the laser field.
African-American Males in Chicago: Pathways From Early Childhood Intervention to Reduced Violence.

Abstract Purpose Extreme youth violence is a salient public health crisis in Chicago, particularly among African-American males. This article examines mechanisms through which a preschool intervention program, the Child-Parent Center program, in inner-city Chicago may divert high-risk males from pathways leading to violent criminal behavior. Methods We conducted a path analysis from early environmental factors to socioemotional competencies through parent involvement and achievement to violent arrest in emerging adulthood. African-American male participants (N = 677) were followed from age 3 to age 27. Results Child-Parent Center program attendance initiates a pathway to increased third grade academic achievement and parent involvement, which positively impacts socioemotional competencies and acting out behaviors in adolescence. High parent involvement and low acting out behaviors had direct effects on violent crime in emerging adulthood. Conclusions High parent involvement in school, fostered by early childhood intervention, promotes adaptive behaviors in adolescence and reduces arrest for violent crime in emerging adulthood.
Value Drivers in Business Course Design: A Student Stakeholder Perspective.

As one of the important stakeholders in the academic process, students and their preferences should be considered when the instructor selects the various course design features. Although students are not the only stakeholders in the academic process, their receptiveness to classroom instruction is clearly a central focus of that process. This paper examines a large sample of business student data on their preferences with respect to fourteen controllable course design features. The preferences are examined in light of their relative ranked importance and relative intensity. Additionally, the data is examined in light of potential differences in student preferences relative to various demographics. The paper summarizes the ranked contributions of different course design features from a student perspective. These findings should assist instructors in designing course parameters to meet student considerations without compromising an instructor’s personal choice and academic freedom.
Evaluation of a Methodologic Approach to Define an Inception Cohort of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Using Administrative Data.

OBJECTIVE Identifying incident rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is desirable in order to create inception cohorts. We evaluated an approach to identify incident RA in health plan claims data. METHODS Both Medicare and commercial claims data were linked to Corrona, a US RA registry. We evaluated the accuracy of year of RA onset in the registry (gold standard) versus different claims algorithms, varying International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes for RA/arthritis, duration of health plan enrollment preceding diagnosis (minimum of 1 versus 2 years), and use of RA medications. Results were reported as positive predictive values (PPVs) of the claims-based algorithm for incident RA. RESULTS Depending on the algorithm tested and whether patients were enrolled in Medicare or the commercial health plan, the PPVs for incident RA ranged from 68-81%. A 2-year clean period free of all RA-related diagnoses and medications was somewhat more optimal although, by comparison, a 1-year clean period yielded similar PPVs and retained approximately 90% more RA patients for analysis. CONCLUSION Claims-based algorithms can accurately identify incident RA.
Undocumented Migrants, Rights Literacy, and ESOL Classrooms: A Community-University Partnership to Enhance Psychopolitical Learning

This article presents the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Know Your Rights Tool Kit, a popular education resource developed collaboratively by action researchers, ESOL instructors, and undocumented migrant adults. The tool kit draws on migrant learners’ commitments to learning English while facilitating their developing knowledge of human and legal rights literacy information. The article situates resources engaged in ESOL classrooms within a psychopolitical educational framework (Prilleltensky, 2008) and discusses the tool kit’s contributions towards bolstering these resources. It concludes with next steps for the tool kit, focusing upon its potential to foster action and advocacy within migrant communities.
Review: The Structure of Design: An Engineer's Extraordinary Life in Architecture, by Leslie Earl Robertson

Leslie Earl Robertson The Structure of Design: An Engineer's Extraordinary Life in Architecture New York: Monacelli Press, 2017, 336 pp., 313 color and 23 b/w illus. $60, ISBN 9781580934299 The Structure of Design is a compelling and unique contribution to the discussion of an underrepresented topic: the relationship between architecture and structural engineering. It presents the truly remarkable life and career of its author, Leslie Earl Robertson, a dynamic and pathbreaking structural engineer. The book is, as Robertson states, a product of himself—it is both by him and about him. This autobiographical effort not only documents Robertson's past projects and innovations, as well as the architectural relationships that defined his professional career, but it also allows him to recall remarkably personal experiences and directly share his views with the next generation of architects and engineers. His stories—organized both chronologically and by architectural partnership—oscillate between in-depth discussions of specific buildings and technical achievements and more casual anecdotes and recollections of personal relationships. Robertson provides vital insight into an important period of architectural and structural history but leaves a sense that there is still much more of the story to be told. Robertson's professional work supports the claim that he was among the most impactful structural engineers of the last half of the twentieth century. He was instrumental in introducing the digital production of construction documents (on punch cards) and played an important role in the beginnings of computer optimization in structural design. He also pioneered the use of steel-and-concrete composite columns, the use of boundary-layer wind tunnel testing and engineering, and a variety of other specific technological leaps in structural engineering. These technologies emerged not through isolated invention, however, but through individual projects that Robertson worked on in collaboration with architects and firms such …
Ethics of a Social Marketing Campaign: An Integrative Assessment Model

The social marketing campaign is a value-laden communicative process aiming to change individual behavior and public policy. Due to its normative nature and implications, this process has to be ass...
Assessing attribute redundancy in the application of productivity-susceptibility analysis to data-limited fisheries

Productivity-susceptibility analysis (PSA) is a widely used data-limited method to assess the relative vulnerability of species impacted by fisheries. Despite its widespread use, few authors have evaluated the impacts of attribute weightings and correlation of productivity attributes that may bias species' vulnerability scores. We evaluated the PSA methodology and performed sensitivity analyses to determine the impacts of correlation among productivity attributes used in the PSA, given that several of these attributes are strongly correlated. A PSA for species caught in the eastern Pacific Ocean tuna purse-seine fishery was used as an example to assess potential bias introduced by attribute weightings and correlation of productivity attributes on species' vulnerability scores. Redundancy was observed among three pairs of attributes. We demonstrated that manipulation of attribute weightings and removal of correlated attributes did not appreciably change any species' overall vulnerability status. Our results suggest that after removal of redundant attributes, PSAs can be conducted more rapidly with fewer data inputs than previous implementations, while retaining comparable vulnerability scores.
Revisiting the Role of Augmentative and Alternative Communication in Aphasia Rehabilitation

Purpose The purpose of this article is to revisit the role of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in poststroke aphasia rehabilitation. The authors' intent is to provide a viewpoint that expands the use of AAC in poststroke aphasia rehabilitation. Specifically, we seek to clarify the role of AAC in restorative and participation approaches to aphasia rehabilitation while also considering the role of AAC in a comprehensive treatment plan. The authors support their viewpoint with citations from both the historic and contemporary literature on aphasia rehabilitation. Conclusions A thought-provoking viewpoint on the role of AAC in poststroke aphasia rehabilitation is proposed. More specifically, the versatility of AAC strategies is reviewed, with an emphasis on how AAC can be used to empower people with aphasia to fully participate and engage in life activities with increased independence. Moreover, we argue that AAC can be viewed as a dual-purpose tool that can simultaneously serve to drive intersystemic reorganization resulting in some improved language performance-and perhaps restoration of language function-while offering a communication alternative during inevitable anomic events.
Synthetic cannabinoid induced ocular self-injury

Synthetic cannabinoids are a relatively new and increasingly popular recreational drug. While used for their hallucinogenic properties similar to natural cannabis, they have a greater and more serious side effect profile, including potentially severe neuropsychiatric toxicity. We report the cases of two patients with untreated schizophrenia who presented after ocular self-injury while intoxicated on K2. Both patients hallucinated that a bug was behind their eye, and in their attempts at removing the bug, damaged the periocular soft tissue. To our knowledge these are the first reports of ocular self-injury from synthetic cannabinoid intoxication.
Practice Transformation Support and Patient Engagement to Improve Cardiovascular Care: From EvidenceNOW Southwest (ENSW).

Purpose: To improve cardiovascular care through supporting primary care practices9 adoption of evidence-based guidelines. Study Design: A cluster randomized trial compared two approaches: (1) standard practice support (practice facilitation, practice assessment with feedback, health information technology assistance, and collaborative learning sessions) and (2) standard support plus patient engagement support. Methods: Primary outcomes were cardiovascular clinical quality measures (CQMs) collected at baseline, 9 months, and 15 months. Implementation of the first 6 “Building Blocks of High-Performing Primary Care” was assessed by practice facilitators at baseline and 3, 6, and 9 months. CQMs from practices not involved in the study served as an external comparison. Results: A total of 211 practices completed baseline surveys. There were no differences by study arm (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]) for aspirin use (1.03 [0.99, 1.06]), blood pressure (0.98 [0.95, 1.01]), cholesterol (0.96 [0.92, 1.00]), and smoking (1.01 [0.96, 1.07]); however, there were significant improvements over time in aspirin use (1.04 [1.01, 1.07]), cholesterol (1.05 [1.03, 1.08]), and smoking (1.03 [1.01, 1.06]), but not blood pressure (1.01 [0.998, 1.03]). Improvement in enrolled practices was greater than external comparison practices across all 4 measures (all P Conclusions: Practice transformation support can assist practices with improving quality of care. Patient engagement in practice transformation can further enhance practices9 implementation of aspects of new models of care.
APOE genotype influences P3b amplitude and response to smoking abstinence in young adults.

There is strong evidence that nicotine can enhance cognitive functions and growing evidence that this effect may be larger in young healthy APOE e4 carriers. However, the moderating effects of the APOE e4 allele on cognitive impairments caused by nicotine deprivation in chronic smokers have not yet been studied with brain indices. We sought to determine whether young female carriers of the APOE e4 allele, relative to noncarriers, would exhibit larger abstinence-induced decreases in P3b amplitude during a two-stimulus auditory oddball task. We compared parietal P3bs in female chronic smokers with either APOE e3/e3 (n = 54) or e3/e4 (n = 20) genotype under nicotine-sated conditions and after 12–17-h nicotine deprivation. Nicotine deprivation significantly reduced P3b amplitudes in APOE e4 carriers, but not in APOE-e3/e3 individuals, such that the difference seen prior to nicotine deprivation was eliminated. The results suggest that subjects with the APOE e4 allele are more sensitive to nicotine, which could influence smoking patterns, the risk for nicotine dependence, and the cognitive effects of nicotine use in these individuals.
Evaluation of Metformin Hydrochloride Floating Drug Delivery System: In vitro Study and In vivo Prediction

Aim: This research work was aimed to evaluate Metformin hydrochloride (MH) floating dosage form by In vitro evaluation/In vivo prediction and to evaluate it’s predictability through it’s application during the R&D using Insilico technique in WINONLIN Software. MH was examined as a model drug, which is a biguanide and is an hypoglycemic agent administered orally. The study was aimed to determine the the systemic concentrations of MH using In-vivo prediction. Study Design: Fabrication and assessment of Metformin hydrochloride floating drug delivery system: In Vitro evaluation /In Vivo prediction. Biorelevant media was selected for dissolution profile of 12 units of dosage form. Software assisted program used for data feeding and results output. Methodology: The absorption window for MH is the upper portion of the small gut in which the GI absorption is complete after 6 h. Hence gastroretentive formulation was developed and validity of dissolution study was extended by In vivo pharmacokinetic prediction using WinNonlin Software. A mechanistic oral absorption model was built in Phoenix WinNonlin® software. In the presented work, significant yet crucial, gastrointestinal (GI) variables are considered for biopredictive dissolution testing to account for a valuable input for physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) platform programs. While simulations are performed and mechanistic insights are gained from such simulations from the WinNonlin program. Results: These floating tablets were observed for In vitro release and studied for In vivo pharmacokinetic prediction. From the obtained values, a meaningful In vivo prediction was done. interestingly from the results attained floating tablets showed sustained drug release and extended drug absorbed in 24h. Fascinatingly, from the data it was proved that drug formulation resides for desired time. The absorption of MH from the developed CR tablet was 1.4 fold higher than its marketed tablet and it had higher AUC0–t values than the marketed product which indicates superior bioavailability of test product compared to marketed tablet with similar dose in Invivo pharmacokinetic prediction. The mean value of biological half-life (t1/2) and Tmax of MH from test formulation is two times more, Test product has shown higher MRT, showing that the drug is maintained longer in the body in comparison to marketed product indicates controlled absorption. Conclusion: Here we concluded that, a comparative prediction pharmacokinetic evaluation of the fabricated controlled release tablets and the marketed formulation indicates that the fabricated controlled release tablets are well absorbed and the degree of absorption is greater than that of the marketed ER formulation with larger gastric residence time.
Social cognitive variables and physical activity during chemotherapy for breast cancer: An intensive longitudinal examination

OBJECTIVE Although physical activity is associated with better health outcomes in breast cancer survivors (BCS), activity often declines during cancer treatment. Social cognitive theory (SCT) constructs have been associated with physical activity in post-treatment BCS, but little is known about the relation between these constructs and physical activity during chemotherapy. METHODS BCS (n = 67; Mage = 48.6 [SD = 10.3]) undergoing chemotherapy wore accelerometers and completed prompts in the morning and at night assessing same-day and next-day exercise self-efficacy, physical and psychological outcome expectations, and goal-setting for 10 consecutive days (3 days pre-, day of, and 6 days post-chemotherapy dose) at three time points (beginning, middle, and end of chemotherapy). Separate mixed models assessed between- and within-person associations of each of the SCT constructs associations with same- and next-day moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and light physical activity (LPA), independently. RESULTS Within-person differences in all SCT variables were statistically significantly related to same-day MVPA (p's < 0.001) and LPA (p's < 0.001). Every one-point increase in SCT construct related to an increase in MVPA ranging from (a) 3.70 (self-efficacy) to 8.02 (physical outcome expectations) minute increase in MVPA and (b) 12.72 (self-efficacy) to 20.38 (physical outcome expectations) increase in LPA that day. No same-day between-person effects nor any next-day effects were significant. CONCLUSION MVPA and LPA were related to same-day within-person differences in SCT variables. Interventions targeted at increasing or mitigating chemotherapy-related declines in daily within-person changes in SCT constructs could help to increase physical activity among BCS during chemotherapy.
Optimizing Strongly Interacting Fermionic Hamiltonians.

The fundamental problem in much of physics and quantum chemistry is to optimize a low-degree polynomial in certain anticommuting variables. Being a quantum mechanical problem, in many cases we do not know an efficient classical witness to the optimum, or even to an approximation of the optimum. One prominent exception is when the optimum is described by a so-called "Gaussian state", also called a free fermion state. In this work we are interested in the complexity of this optimization problem when no good Gaussian state exists. Our primary testbed is the Sachdev--Ye--Kitaev (SYK) model of random degree-$q$ polynomials, a model of great current interest in condensed matter physics and string theory, and one which has remarkable properties from a computational complexity standpoint. Among other results, we give an efficient classical certification algorithm for upper-bounding the largest eigenvalue in the $q=4$ SYK model, and an efficient quantum certification algorithm for lower-bounding this largest eigenvalue; both algorithms achieve constant-factor approximations with high probability.
The Cellular Architecture of the Stratum Corneum

The potential of keratinizing mammalian epithelia to form spatially organized units of structure is demonstrated in complex structures such as hair follicles [8] and tongue papillae [3, 10]. A simpler series of ordered structural units is present in the epidermis of a wide range of species [4,12,13, 24]. These units of structure are formed by alignment of the flattened cells of the superficial strata of the epidermis and are clearly seen in thin frozen sections of the epidermis after expansion with buffered alkaline solutions (Fig. la). After such treatment, the 10–20 layers of cells in the stratum corneum are demonstrated to form columns in which, for the greater part of their width, cells contact only the cells immediately above and below. Laterally there is a slight overlap between the cells of adjacent columns and each cell interdigitates with its neighbors to form a regular, step-like pattern. The regions of lateral interdigitation usually maintain a vertical alignment through the full thickness of the stratum corneum.
Harvesting Arterial Grafts: Barebones or More.

characteristics of the IMA and the radial artery (RA) and investigated the histologic consequences associated with 2 different conduit-harvesting techniques. Their findings could potentially have important clinical implications. Observational studies suggest that bilateral IMA grafting is associated with improvement in long-term survival, 2-4 but the main concern with this technique is an increased risk of deep sternal wound infection. 5,6 A plausible explanation for the increased risk is the compromise of the sternal blood supply associated with pedicled bilateral IMA; this risk could be mitigated by skeletonization. 7-9 Anatomical studies have shown that dividing IMA branches close to their origin helps preserve the collateral parietal branches and enhances residual blood supply to the sternum after harvest. 10 This is more consistently achieved with skeletonization than with harvesting conventional pedicled grafts. The latter approach incorporates a generous rim of muscle and endothoracic fascia and sacrifices vascular collaterals. Additionally, the liberal use of electrocautery when harvesting conventional pedicled grafts increases collateral tissue damage. Other reported benefits of skeletonization include a potentially longer conduit and ease of constructing sequential and composite grafts. Such benefits make it a popular choice for surgeons interested in total arterial revascularization. However, there are barriers to the widespread adoption of skeletonization. It is technically more demanding and more time consuming than harvesting pedicled grafts is. Furthermore, the risk of arterial injury is potentially increased because the vessel is handled directly, and the margin for error is small in the absence of a myofascial tissue buffer.
Should a Psychiatric Evaluation Be Included in Every Pre-surgical Work-up?

This chapter aims to address the question of whether a presurgical psychiatric evaluation is warranted in all surgical candidates, to analyze the reasons behind the failure to incorporate it in the presurgical protocols, followed in most epilepsy centers, and to provide the evidence in support for its use in all patients. This chapter focuses on the risk of postsurgical psychiatric complications; epilepsy surgery improves presurgical psychiatric comorbidities. In addition, the relatively high psychiatric comorbidity in surgical candidates, and its negative impact on postsurgical seizure outcome and an increased risk of postsurgical psychiatric complications require a careful presurgical psychiatric evaluation in every surgical candidate. Such evaluation can help avert unnecessary postsurgical psychiatric problems and a better adjustment of the patient and family to a seizure-free life, and is important in the process of counseling patients on the postsurgical psychiatric risks.
Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation in Down's Syndrome

The claim that large, nonspecific doses of vitamins and minerals improve the performance of mentally retarded children has recently reappeared in both the scientific literature and the public media. This hypothesis was examined in a double-blind, case-control study involving 20 home-reared children with Down9s syndrome between 5 and 13 years of age. Children were randomly assigned by matched pairs to either a vitamin/mineral group or placebo group for an 8-month study period. No significant group differences or suggestive trends were found in any tested area of development or behavior, including intelligence (IQ), school achievement, speech and language, and neuromotor function. No group differences in appearance, growth, or health were seen. No support was found for the orthomolecular hypothesis in school-aged children with Down9s syndrome.
The Participant-Observer in Community-Based Learning as Community Bard

During the past three years our Civic Nexus research group (http://cscl.ist.psu.edu) has been involved in a collection of community learning projects with groups in Centre County, Pennsylvania, a rural area of about 1,000 square miles with a population of 140,000, including the fairly cosmopolitan college town of State College (population 75,000) and the main campus of the Pennsylvania State University. The focus of the project is to investigate, develop, and assess sustainable strategies to help these groups better control their own information technology.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of probiotics for the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

Objective Probiotics have proven beneficial in a number of immune-mediated and allergic diseases. Several human studies have evaluated the efficacy of probiotics in allergic rhinitis, however, evidence for their use has yet to be firmly established. The current systematic review seeks to synthesize the results of available randomized trials.
Generation and bleaching of intrinsic color centers in photo-thermo-refractive glass matrix

Photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) glass is a photosensitive multicomponent silicate glass that imparts refractive index change after exposure to ionizing radiation and thermal treatment. The origin of this photosensitivity is explained by thermal precipitation of sodium fluoride crystals controlled by atomic silver nucleation centers. These centers are produced by photo-reduction of silver ions resulted from photoionization (photo-oxidizing) of cerium ions. This feature of PTR glass is successfully used for high efficiency phase hologram recording. However, the mechanism of electric charge exchange (transfer) between these ions is not known and the role of intrinsic electron and hole centers was not studied. To elucidate this problem, pure PTR glass matrix with no dopants was prepared and the subsequent absorption spectra of color centers were studied after excitation of the intrinsic absorption edge of glass matrix. Color centers were bleached by thermal treatment and by optical excitation of induced absorption bands. The analysis of the structure of absorption spectra at different stages of coloration and bleaching led to the deconvolution of complex spectra to Gaussian components. Based on this analysis and comparison with simple silicate glasses, induced absorption bands were assigned to different intrinsic electron and hole centers. Interconversion of different centers is also studied.
Topical anaesthesia before suturing children's minor lacerations: a critical review.

Abstract This paper will critically review all the research carried out over the past 18 years concerning the use of topical anaesthetics for anaesthetizing wounds prior to closure. The review follows guidelines set out by Polit and Hungler (1995) and Avis (1994) for critiquing research studies, and concentrates on the literature search, research objectives and design, data collection methods, sampling and data analysis.
Faux-boolean algebras, classical probability, and determinism

It is possible to define, for any quantum system, an algebra of ‘definite-valued events’—those events that are definitely occurrent or non-occurrent. It is shown that two different sets of constraints on the algebra of definite-valued events are each equivalent to the definition of that set as a certain ‘pseudo-Boolean’ algebra.
Efficient CVD Growth of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Surfaces Using Carbon Monoxide Precursor

Single Walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were grown directly on flat substrates using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method with carbon monoxide and hydrogen mixture as feeding gas. Comparing with other CVD methods, this new approach yields higher efficiency and more reproducible results in obtaining high quality SWNTs separated as individual nanotubes on substrates. Such samples can be used to fabricate nanodevices directly with no further purification or dispersion. Important factors that affect the nanotube growth and possible mechanisms are also discussed.
Rhodamine based turn-ON dual sensor for Fe3+ and Cu2+

Abstract A new rhodamine-based dual sensor selectively detects Cu 2+ and Fe 3+ . Complexation with Fe 3+ triggers the formation of a highly fluorescent ring-open form, while Cu 2+ forms a nonfluorescent complex detectable by its UV–vis spectrum. Both Cu 2+ and Fe 3+ give an immediate color change and the sensing mechanism is reversible, as indicated by disappearance of the color with the addition of excess EDTA.
MARQUESAN SPIDERS OF THE GENUS TETRAGNATHA (ARANEAE, TETRAGNATHIDAE)

This study revises the status of knowledge of the spider fauna of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. In particular, the genus Tetragnatha was noticeable for its poor representation in the Marquesas Islands by comparison with the large radiation in the yet more remote Polynesian archipelago of the Hawaiian Islands. Expeditions were conducted to determine whether Tetragnatha was indeed poorly represented in the Marquesas Islands, as the literature would suggest. In addition, specimens were studied from historical collections from this archipelago. The results indicate that the islands do indeed have a number of endemic Tetragnatha, and the genus does appear to have undergone adaptive radiation, although not nearly on the same scale as in the Hawaiian Islands. Results indicate that: (1) in addition to T. marquesiana Berland there are four new species, described here, each of which are endemic to the islands. Tetragnatha marquesiana is widespread in the northern islands, including Nuku Hiva. There are two additional species on Nuku Hiva: T. punua and T. oomua. Two new species are described from the southern islands of Hiva Oa (T. kapua) and Tahuata (T. tahuata). Tetragnatha kapua from Hiva Oa appears to be related to T. marquesiana. (2) Tetragnatha macilenta L. Koch does not occur on these islands. Reports of its widespread distribution through the Pacific can only be substantiated as far as the Society Islands. (3) Tetragnatha nitens (Audouin), which may not be indigenous, occurs in disturbed areas at high ele- vations in Nuku Hiva. In total, there are six species of Tetragnatha in the Marquesas Islands.
N-terminal residues in murine P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 required for binding to murine P-selectin

P-selectin binds to the N-terminal region of human P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1). For optimal binding, this region requires sulfation on 3 tyrosines and specific core-2 O-glycosylation on a threonine. P-selectin is also thought to bind to the N terminus of murine PSGL-1, although it has a very different amino acid sequence than human PSGL-1. Murine PSGL-1 has potential sites for sulfation at Tyr13 and Tyr15 and for O-glycosylation at Thr14 and Thr17. We expressed murine PSGL-1 or constructs with substitutions of these residues in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells that coexpressed the glycosyltransferases required for binding to P-selectin. The cells were assayed for binding to fluid-phase P-selectin and for tethering and rolling on P-selectin under flow. In both assays, substitution of Tyr13 or Thr17 markedly diminished, but did not eliminate, binding to P-selectin. In contrast, substitution of Tyr15 or Thr14 did not affect binding. Substitution of all 4 residues eliminated binding. Treatment of cells with chlorate, an inhibitor of sulfation, markedly reduced binding of wild-type PSGL-1 to P-selectin but did not further decrease binding of PSGL-1 with substitutions of both tyrosines. These data suggest that sulfation of Tyr13 and O-glycosylation of Thr17 are necessary for murine PSGL-1 to bind optimally to P-selectin. Because it uses only one tyrosine, murine PSGL-1 may rely more on other peptide components and O-glycosylation to bind to P-selectin than does human PSGL-1.
Performance analysis of a closed-loop climate control system using underground air tunnel

A passive summer cooling technique that utilizes the underground soil temperature has application in climate control of residential as well as agricultural buildings. The soil temperature stays fairly constant at a depth of eight feet or more. Earlier studies have shown the usefulness of this technique for an open-loop system. However, the previous analyses in the literature did not evaluate the usefulness and limitations of this method for closed-loop air conditioning. In this study an analysis of the coefficient of performance (COP) of a closed-loop system, based on the above technique, in combination with a conventional air conditioner, has been done. In this system, the cooling needed to neutralize the heat gain of the conditioned space is provided by the air cooled in an underground air pipe in combination with an air conditioner. The underground air tunnel is used for hot parts of days and is off for cooler parts of days and nights. The analysis has been done by a computer model solution, using central finite difference method.
Progression of lens opacities in cataract patients after one year

We used the Lens Opacities Classification System II to clinically grade the lenses of 57 patients with age-related cataracts in at least one eye. Progression or regression in each lens region was defined as a one or more step change in the Lens Opacities Classification System II grading noted at 1 year and maintained at the 1 1/2 to 2 year visit (the validation visit). A validated change in a lens region in one eye of a patient was considered a change in that region for that patient. Person-specific rates of cataract progression at 1 year were 42% for nuclear, 32% for cortical and 10% for posterior subcapsular opacities. Corresponding regression rates were 5%, 4%, and 2% for nuclear, cortical and posterior subcapsular opacities, respectively. Progression rates were significantly greater than the regression rates only for nuclear and cortical opacities (p < 0.0005). These findings show the applicability of the clinical Lens Opacities Classification System II method in documenting and monitoring lens changes over time. The usefulness of person-specific analysis was also shown.
Comparable Worth: Individual, Interpersonal, and Structural Considerations

This paper discusses additional topics in the comparable worth controversy, organized into four broad areas corresponding to the structure of the journal issue. (1) To balance the historical, legal, and economic perspectives presented in Section 1, information is supplied on the views of workers themselves and of organized labor, and reasons are presented for expanding theory and practice to cover racial and ethnic minorities. (2) Concerning social psychological aspects of pay equity, ideas are presented on how equity theory itself may be extended, some relationships between actual and psychological equity, social comparison and other motives for seeking redress, relationships between comparable worth and procedural and distributive justice, and the social context in which judgments of fairness are made. (3) In relation to job evaluation, we address five additional concerns: reliability, agreement with a criterion, content validity, convergence of methods, and the meaning of job worth. (4) Concerning the implementation and implications of comparable worth, cross-national and intranational comparisons are drawn, and three important strategies in the U.S. are described.
Urological anomalies detected on antenatal ultrasound: A 9 year review

One hundred and forty-eight patients (107 male, 41 female), in whom a urological anomaly was detected on antenatal ultrasound examination, are reviewed. Postnatal imaging was done primarily by ultrasonography (US) which was often repeated. Depending upon the ultrasound findings, the patients had a renal nuclide scan (RNS) and/or micturating cysto-urethrogram (MCU), but intravenous urogram (IVU) was not usually considered necessary. A range of urological anomalies was encountered, but renal anomalies were most common. Over half the cases had anomalies which did not require surgery, with non-obstructive pelvicalyceal dilatation being frequent. Almost half the operated cases had features which should have allowed a clinical diagnosis without the knowledge of the antenatal findings. A fifth of the cases were occult in that they would not have been diagnosed early in life but for the antenatal detection. The majority had congenital pelviureteric junction obstruction and results of early reconstructive surgery were satisfactory.
Impossibility results with resoluteness

Abstract There does not exist a resolute Social Choice Rule that satisfies universal domain, neutrality anonymity and Pareto (or responsiveness) if the number of individuals is not relatively prime to six.
Pin1: a proline isomerase that makes you wheeze?

The accumulation of eosinophils in lung tissue, an invariant feature of allergic asthma, requires autocrine production of the cytokine GM-CSF. New data suggest protein isomerization mediated by the enzyme Pin1 is key to the stability of GM-CSF mRNA and eosinophil survival.
Coronary arteriography in estrogen-treated postmenopausal women

Four cross-sectional studies that used coronary arteriography to determine the extent of coronary atherosclerosis have provided some of the most convincing evidence that estrogen replacement reduces cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women. One study of outcome in women undergoing coronary arteriography at baseline has found that the greatest improvement in total mortality occurred in women with significant coronary stenosis. Angiographic studies have also confirmed the importance of high-density lipoprotein in mediating the effect of estrogen and the beneficial effect of estrogen on endothelial function.
Doppler Tomography of Accretion Regions in Algols

The technique of Doppler Tomography has been used to image the accretion regions in five short-period Algols. There is clear evidence of gas flows along the predicted free-fall path of the gas stream as well as asymmetric disk-like structures around the mass gainer. Another source of Hα emission is associated with the cool magnetically active star.
Nutritional study of three strains of Naegleria gruberi.

SYNOPSIS Naegleria gruberi strains cloned from amebas isolated from a Vero cell culture (“TS”), a sewer drainage ditch (“PD”), and an established laboratory line (“S”) were morphologically identical except for differences in size and flagellate transforming ability. Cultivation on a Trypticase-yeast extract-glucose medium (“TYG”) fortified with autoclaved E. coli resulted in increased cell size of 2 strains. Differences also were noted in growth rates and optimal growth temperatures. The autoclaved E. coli in TYG medium was replaceable with serum only for strains TS and PD. A basal salts medium + autoclaved E. coli supported growth of all 3 strains, but the basal salts medium + serum would not support growth of any of the strains.