cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Complications Associated With Dose-adjusted EPOCH-rituximab Therapy for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Abstract Introduction Certain aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes are increasingly being treated with infusional DA-EPOCH-R (dose-adjusted etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and rituximab), which requires a central venous catheter. This study aims to identify the rates and predictors of line-associated complications (LACs) associated with DA-EPOCH-R therapy in NHL. Patients and Methods We retrospectively identified all patients treated with DA-EPOCH-R at our institution between March 2011 and July 2016. We also identified a concurrent cohort of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with R-CHOP (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone). Results Forty-three patients received DA-EPOCH-R during the study period; 17 (39.5%; 95% confidence interval, 0.25-0.56) patients experienced at least 1 LAC (including venous thromboembolism, chemotherapy extravasation, and line-associated infection). Forty-four patients received R-CHOP during the study period; 8 (18.2%; 95% confidence interval, 0.08-0.32) patients experienced at least 1 complication. Compared with the R-CHOP cohort, patients treated with DA-EPOCH-R experienced a significantly higher rate of these complications (P = .03). In the DA-EPOCH-R cohort, grade 3 toxicity was seen in 41% (7/17). In univariate analysis, body mass index ≥ 35 kg/m2 and using a peripherally inserted central catheter line were significantly associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (P = .04 and P = .02, respectively). Conclusions Forty percent of patients receiving DA-EPOCH-R therapy developed LACs, almost one-half of whom experienced grade 3 toxicities. The complication rate was significantly greater in patients undergoing therapy with DA-EPOCH-R compared with those undergoing R-CHOP therapy. Clinicians need to balance these risks when selecting therapy. Future studies are needed to evaluate prophylactic anticoagulation strategies in this population.
Impact of age and comorbidity on treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) recurrence (AFT-03).

10037Background: Older adults with NSCLC with no comorbidities are at risk of under treatment after initial diagnosis while those with severe comorbidities are at risk of over treatment. However, n...
Exploration and Consideration of the Medical Alliance Modes.

Background The distribution of medical resources in China has long been in an unbalanced state. Since 2009, the government has initiated the planning and construction of a sound grass-roots medical and health service system, increased investment in grass-roots medical and health institutions, but it has not received the expected results. In order to solve the problem, the medical consortium-with a full-featured, hierarchical and resource-sharing structure has been proposed. Methods Overall, 1000 Electronic questionnaires about cognitive status of residents on medical alliance were randomly distributed in 50 community health service centers in 10 cities including Xuzhou, Nanjing, Hefei, Jinan, Zhengzhou, Changsha, Wuhan, Xi'an, Nanchang and Chengdu, China. Results 94.84% of the respondents responded they had heard about the construction of medical alliance, but they did not know the specific content. When asked about the preferred medical institution after illness, 93.50% participants preferred third-tier general hospital or specialist hospital. 62.58% of the respondents believe that the establishment of the medical alliance has not yet played a role and they are concerned that it cannot be effectively implemented. 62.27% of respondents were attracted by the convenience of medical alliance, 20.72% of respondents thought that they could easily get to famous doctors when they were in need, and 5.46% of respondents thought that there was no advantage in medical alliance. Conclusion The establishment of the medical alliance is an effective means to promote the optimal allocation of medical and health resources. Government should perform its functions, and medical institutions and the whole society should all participate.
Trust and the Built Environment in New York City’s Public Housing:

Public housing has been an important site for empirical research on concentrated poverty, social isolation, and social organization. Scholars have demonstrated that public housing was disproportion...
Linguistic Expressions of Depressogenic Schemata

Examinations of the words we use in our daily lives have shown that certain linguistic patterns may be indicators of underlying depressogenic schemata. The Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) and multidimensional scaling (MDS) have been used as methods of computerized text analysis to yield insight into how people’s language use may be reflective of maladaptive psychological processes, including self-focused attention, rumination, and absolutist thinking, which are all associated with the depressogenic schemata. These findings demonstrate the significance of analyzing people’s language use in the mental health profession. Research in this interdisciplinary field of natural language processing, applied linguistics, and mental health not only corroborates psychological theories regarding depression but further yields implications for prevention, diagnosis, and outcome predictions of mental health depression and anxiety.
Attentional set and the gradient of visual spatial attention.

Abstract There are a number of factors that may influence the shape and scope of the gradient of visual attention. This study examined the role of attentional set in determining the scope and presence of suppression in the gradient of visual selective attention observed in the P1 event related potential waveform. Twenty-two participants were asked to attend to a specific location and respond to a target stimulus. However, thirty percent of the time, the stimulus could also appear at one of 7 other locations (three ipsilateral to the attended location and four contralateral). Attentional set was varied by changes in the instructions to avoid confounds created by changing the stimuli. In half of the study participants were asked to respond only to stimuli that appeared at the designated location. In the other half of the study participants were asked to attend to the designated location but respond to all stimuli. Results demonstrate a significant main effect of attentional set, with greater processing when participants were asked to respond to all stimuli as compared to when they were only asked to respond to stimuli at the designated location. Additionally a significant interaction between visual field and location shows greater differences in processing (i.e. an attentional effect) at locations closer to the designated location. Findings are discussed in relation to the scope and gradient of attention.
Nitrate Reducing and Denitrifying Bacteria in Oil/Brine Contaminated Soils

Soil microorganisms are a fundamental part of biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen. Denitrification is an important component of nitrogen cycling, in which some microorganisms (e.g. denitrifying bacteria) use nitrate or nitrite as alternative electron acceptors. In fact, several studies have focused on various aspects of nitrogen cycling. Philippot et al. (2009) linked the distribution of the fraction of bacteria with the genetic capacity to reduce N2O to N2 to areas with low potential N2O emissions in a pasture. In addition, it was shown that a map of denitrification activity across a whole farm was reflected by maps displaying the community size and structure of a specific fraction of the denitrifyers at the site (Enwall et al., 2010). Since denitrification releases mineralized nitrogen in the soil ecosystem to the atmosphere, the balance between denitrification and N-fixation can determine the biologically available nitrogen for soils. Denitrification could be affected by soil ecosystem contaminants such as crude oil and brine as they may alter the abundance and species composition of denitrifying bacteria in predictable ways. For example, I³-Proteobacteria are known to increase in crude-oil contaminated sites and in fact, a wide diversity of I³-Proteobacteria including Pseudomonas and Vibrio species were shown to degrade hydrocarbons under nitrate reducing (NR) conditions (Rockne et al., 2000). Other studies showed that strains for several genera of I³-Proteobacteria have the ability to denitrify. In fact, it was shown that nitrate and nitrite reduction rates were increasingly inhibited at increasing NaCl concentrations when comparing treatment of fishery wastewaters. Bacterial diversity in brine-contaminated sites is expected to be less because of selection for salt-tolerant genera such as Bacillus and Pseudomonas.
Religion and Politics in Africa: An Assessment of Kwame Nkrumah’s Legacy for Ghana

This chapter retrieves and assesses the role of religion in Kwame Nkrumah’s political career and the possibilities and challenges for contemporary Ghana. It discusses his major philosophical treatise, Consciencism, and points out its relevance in understanding the historical and religious forces that have shaped and continue to shape Ghanaian life and thought.
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Masquerading as Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a hematologic disorder that results in widespread clotting due to a deficiency of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13) protease. This leads to excessive von Willebrand factor (VWF) protein-platelet multimers. Due to platelet consumption, platelet levels fall, resulting in thrombocytopenia. We examined a case of a 31-year-old female with no significant medical history who presented with expressive aphasia and paresthesias and was sent to the Emergency Department for a stroke workup. Imaging was negative for ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke; however, a complete blood count (CBC) was consistent with anemia and thrombocytopenia, resulting in a high suspicion for TTP. She was admitted to the intensive care unit and given fresh frozen plasma and packed red blood cells. Plasma exchange therapy was initiated, and her aphasia and paresthesias began to improve. The ADAMTS13 level returned at less than 5%, which prompted the initiation of rituximab therapy. During her 36-day hospital stay, she continued to receive daily steroids and plasma exchange and a total of four courses of rituximab. Her platelets steadily climbed, and she was discharged with instructions to follow up with outpatient hematology. TTP is a thrombotic microangiopathy that results in microscopic blood clots anywhere in the body, including the cerebral arteries. This results in the neurologic abnormalities that are often seen in TTP. Because TTP is a rare disease, treatment modalities are still scarce but include steroids, plasma exchange therapy, and rituximab. Novel therapies are on their way, one being caplacizumab, a monoclonal antibody that inhibits VWF from interaction with glycoprotein 1b. A concern highlighted by this case is the exclusion criteria for the administration of tissue plasminogen activator (TPA). As this patient presented with stroke symptoms and a negative head CT, TPA would have been administered had a CBC not returned showing evidence of TTP. This highlights the importance of strict adherence to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines that include ensuring that the platelet count is >100,000 prior to the initiation of TPA.
Culpably Creating the Conditions of Justified Acts: Another Look

In this short article I examine whether and how one’s minor culpability in giving rise to an instance of otherwise justified defense affects the defense and affects the act giving rise to it.
Defibrillation: A Historical Overview

No medical therapy has had such a dramatic affect as the advent of defibrillation of the heart capable of resuscitation of a dying or an almost dead human being. However, the story of defibrillation has been complex and fascinating, a story that has evolved over nearly three centuries. In this chapter, the author discusses the history of the use of electricity and defibrillation in the twentieth century: in the Soviet Union where defibrillation was far advanced scientifically during the Cold War, but unknown in the West, and its development in the USA and Europe and its ultimate universal appeal.
Multiple Cold Tolerance Trait Phenotyping Reveals Shared Quantitative Trait Loci in Oryza sativa.

Developing chilling tolerant accessions of domesticated Asian rice is a potential source of significant crop improvement. The uniquely chilling sensitive nature of the tropically originating Oryza sativa make it the most important cereal crop that can gain significantly from improved tolerance to low temperatures. However, mechanisms underlying this complex trait are not fully understood. Oryza sativa has two subspecies with different levels of chilling tolerance, JAPONICA and INDICA, providing an ideal tool to investigate mechanistic differences in the chilling stress tolerance responses within this important crop species. The Rice Diversity Panel 1 (RDP1) was used to investigate a core set of Oryza sativa accessions. The tools available for this panel allowed for a comprehensive analysis of two chilling tolerance traits at multiple temperatures across a 354-cultivar subset of the RDP1. Chilling tolerance trait values were distributed as mostly subpopulation specific clusters of Tolerant, Intermediate, and Sensitive accessions. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) mapping approaches using all 354 accessions yielded a total of 245 quantitative trait loci (QTL), containing 178 unique QTL covering 25% of the rice genome, while 40 QTL were identified by multiple traits. QTL mappings using subsets of rice accession clusters yielded another 255 QTL, for a total of 500 QTL. The genes within these multiple trait QTL were analyzed for Gene Ontology (GO) term and potential pathway enrichments. Terms related to “carbohydrate biosynthesis”, “carbohydrate transmembrane transport”, “small molecule protein modification”, and “plasma membrane” were enriched from this list. Filtering was done to identify more likely candidate pathways involved in conferring chilling tolerance, resulting in enrichment of terms related to “Golgi apparatus”, “stress response”, “transmembrane transport”, and “signal transduction”. Taken together, these GO term clusters revealed a likely involvement of Golgi-mediated subcellular and extracellular vesicle and intracellular carbohydrate transport as a general cold stress tolerance response mechanism to achieve cell and metabolic homeostasis under chilling stress.
#Fail: Social Media, Firm Distress, and Going Concern Opinions

Audit firms and regulators have both commented extensively on the potential for new sources of data to transform the audit process. We examine whether information on social media could aid auditors’ going concern deliberations and find that more negative social media sentiment, measured using message bearishness and probability of failure derived from a machine-learning algorithm, corresponds to a higher likelihood of firm failure. However, we find minimal evidence that audit opinions incorporate this public information. Additional tests suggest social media sentiment relates positively to the likelihood of several future firm events that often precipitate failure. We also provide evidence that naive consideration of social media sentiment reduces Type II errors at a faster rate than the commensurate increase in Type I errors. Our evidence should be informative to regulators and audit firms, both of whom are currently evaluating how the proliferation of data can be useful to auditors.
Opioid Requirements in Laparoscopic Colectomies: Do Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocols Make a Difference?:

BackgroundWith the growing opioid epidemic and recent focus on the quantity of opioids prescribed at discharge after surgery, enhanced recovery pathways provide another tool to counteract this epid...
Patient-Perceived Versus Actual Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Associated Willingness to Consider and Use Prevention Therapy.

Background: Cardiovascular prevention guidelines use estimated 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk based on the pooled cohort equations to guide treatment decisions and engage...
Can the Government Ban Organ Sale? Recent Court Challenges and Future of U.S. Law on Selling Human Organs and Other Tissue

This Article uses the case of Flynn v. Holder -- a 2011 decision by the United States Court of appeals for the Ninth Circuit that upheld the National Organ Transplantation Act of 1984 (NOTA) against a constitutional challenge, but interpreted the statute to exclude “peripheral blood stem cells” from its ban on the sale of organs -- as a vantage point from which to evaluate the U.S. law governing the buying and selling of body parts. First I place the case in context by providing a brief history of the regulation of organ transplantation in the United States. I then highlight some of the existing loopholes in the current statutory regime. After reviewing the main arguments in Flynn and the court’s holding, I discuss the implications of the case for the organ and tissue donation markets and future challenges to NOTA.
Estimating the levels and trends of family planning indicators in 436 sub-national areas across 26 countries in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract Background Scaling up access to safe, effective, and voluntary family planning (FP) services to achieve universal access for women and families will require increased commitment by countries and international organizations. On the way toward universal access, quantitative family planning goals have also been established by the United Nations through the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Here, we present a model-based framework that can help monitor progress toward these goals at the sub-national and demographic subgroup scale. Methods We utilize 90 demographic health surveys for 26 countries that contain associated geographic position system data. We extract survey cluster level data to fit multiple small area estimation models that estimate FP indicators by administrative unit one and two regions as well as different demographic subgroups. Findings We find significant variation of modern contraceptive prevalence rates (mCPR), unmet need, and demand satisfied by country, sub-national region, and demographic subgroup. Our model-based estimates show that on average for 436 administrative unit one regions, mCPR has increased at a rate of 0.75% per year and unmet need has decreased by 0.26% per year. There are also striking differences of FP indicators by demographic subgroup; for example, unmet need can be up to 40% different based on age and parity. Interpretation We have developed a framework to help monitor progress, provide insights about the inequitable progress by region and demographic groups, and account for the sparsity of available data. These results and framework can help policy-makers better allocate and target interventions to help achieve family planning goals. Funding This publication is based on models and data analysis performed by the Institute for Disease Modeling at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Satellite-detected ammonia changes in the United States: Natural or anthropogenic impacts

Abstract Ammonia (NH3) is the most abundant alkaline component and can react with atmospheric acidic species to form aerosols that can lead to numerous environmental and health issues. Increasing atmospheric NH3 over agricultural regions in the US has been documented. However, spatiotemporal changes of NH3 concentrations over the entire US are still not thoroughly understood, and the factors that drive these changes remain unknown. Herein, we applied the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) monthly NH3 dataset to explore spatiotemporal changes in atmospheric NH3 and the empirical relationships with synthetic N fertilizer application, livestock manure production, and climate factors across the entire US at both regional and pixel levels from 2002 to 2016. We found that, in addition to the US Midwest, the Mid-South and Western regions also experienced striking increases in NH3 concentrations. NH3 released from livestock manure during warmer winters contributed to increased annual NH3 concentrations in the Western US. The influence of temperature on temporal evolution of NH3 concentrations was associated with synthetic N fertilizer use in the Northern Great Plains. With a strong positive impact of temperature on NH3 concentrations in the US Midwest, this region could possibly become an atmospheric NH3 hotspot in the context of future warming. Our study provides an essential scientific basis for US policy makers in developing mitigation strategies for agricultural NH3 emissions under future climate change scenarios.
Isolation of Competing Morphological Patterns during Microfluidic Electrodeposition: Experimental Confirmation of Theory

Abstract Small disturbances at an interface can lead to well-defined patterns in many systems. However, nonlinear interactions obscure the dominant wavelength in the instability pattern of diffusion-limited systems, which has limited the study of these systems. The design of a microfluidic cell that mitigates nonlinear effects is presented, enabling enhanced diffusional effects and quasi-1D electrodeposition of patterns on the cathode. These microfluidic cells, operating at small overpotentials, were able to isolate morphological patterns during electrodeposition. An automated image analysis routine is developed to convert the instability pattern into a height profile and objectively extract the wavelengths composing the pattern. Although multiple wavelengths, including harmonics, were observed in the pattern, a custom, directed filter was applied across the spectrum to identify noise and select the dominant wavelength from the pattern. The dominant wavelength of nearly all experiments were within 5% of the theoretical wavelength and two-thirds were within 1%.
A stochastic framework for hybrid system identification with application to neurophysiological systems

This paper adapts the Gibbs sampling method to the problem of hybrid system identification. We define a Generalized Linear Hiddenl Markov Model (GLHMM) that combines switching dynamics from Hidden Markov Models, with a Generalized Linear Model (GLM) to govern the continuous dynamics. This class of models, which includes conventional ARX models as a special case, is particularly well suited to this identification approach. Our use of GLMs is also driven by potential applications of this approach to the field of neural prosthetics, where neural Poisson-GLMs can model neural firing behavior. The paper gives a concrete algorithm for identification, and an example motivated by neuroprosthetic considerations.
2,2î-Bipyridine Catalyzed Bleaching of Cotton Fibers with Peracetic Acid Part II: Bleaching Mechanism

Peracetic acid can be catalyzed to bleach cotton fibers at temperatures as low as 30°C by incorporating 2,2i-bipyridine in the bleach solution. Treatment of the fibers with HCl prior to bleaching reduces bleaching effectiveness by removing trace transition metal ions from the fibers. Sorption of individual ions (Cr⁺³ Mn⁺², Fe⁺², Fe⁺³ Co⁺², Ni⁺², Cu⁺², and Zn⁺²) by HCl treated cotton fibers prior to bleaching indicates that the ferrous ion produces the greatest catalytic effect, and it is only effective when the metal ion is in the fiber as opposed to in solution. Ferrous ions in the fibers sorb 2,2i-bipyridine from solution to form the tris-2,2i-bipyridine ferrous ion complex that is associated with the fibers, and it is the trischelate associated with the fibers that catalyzes bleaching. The effects of pH, temperature, and concentrations of 2,2i-bipyridine, sodium lauryl sulfate, and transition metal ions (in the fibers and in solution) on bleaching effectiveness and peracetic acid decomposition have been studied, and a bleaching mechanism is proposed.
Abstract 2595: Efficacy of cetuximab and mutant selective EGFR inhibitor WZ4002 in EGFR T790M and non-T790M models of erlotinib resistant non-small cell lung cancer

Background: EGFR kinase inhibitors, including erlotinib, are effective treatments for patients with EGFR mutant lung cancer. However, resistance inevitably develops, most commonly (60%) mediated by an EGFR secondary mutation EGFR T790M. Mutant selective EGFR inhibitors (WZ4002, AZD9291, CO-1686) are effective in preclinical models and clinically (AZD9291 & CO-1686) in EGFR T790M patients (response rates (RR) > 50%) but are less effective in patients with non-T790M mediated drug resistance (AZD9291 RR ∼10%). Combination of afatinib and cetuximab is effective in both T790M (32% RR) and non-T790M (25% RR) mediated resistance but is associated with significant toxicity. We evaluated whether cetuximab could add to the efficacy of a mutant selective EGFR inhibitor and whether the combination was also effective in a model of non-T790M mediated resistance. Methods: Mice harboring xenografts from PC9GR (EGFR Del 19/T790M), H1975 (EGFR L858R/T790M), HCC827GR (EGFR Del 19/MET amplification) cells or genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMS) expressing EGFR L858R/T790M were treated with vehicle, WZ4002 alone, cetuximab alone or the combination. We compared the efficacy of the treatments and evaluated for tumor cures (defined as tumor disappearance and lack of regrowth following 6 weeks of drug withdrawal). In addition, we evaluated the impact of the treatments on EGFR signaling and apoptosis. Results: In the EGFR T790M xenograft models (PC9GR and H1975), the combination of WZ4002 and cetuximab was more effective than either single agent. Only the combination led to tumor cures (5/15 in PC9GR and 3/18 in H1975) while none were observed with the single agents. In the HCC827GR xenografts, the combination of WZ4002/cetuximab was more effective than the single agents but did not lead to any cures. Evaluation of the tumors from treated mice revealed that the efficacy of the combination correlates with effective degradation of EGFR and MET (in HCC827GR). In the L858R/T790M GEMMs, the combination led to significantly greater tumor shrinkage compared to single agents. Evaluation of treated tumors revealed enhanced apoptosis in the combination treated mice. Conclusions: The addition of cetuximab enhances the efficacy of the mutant selective EGFR inhibitor WZ4002 in vivo by increasing the single agent efficacy in both EGFR T790M and non-T790M models. Clinical trials of mutant selective EGFR inhibitors and cetuximab are warranted. Citation Format: Erin M. Tricker, Chunxiao Xu, Kwok-Kin Wong, Pasi A. Janne. Efficacy of cetuximab and mutant selective EGFR inhibitor WZ4002 in EGFR T790M and non-T790M models of erlotinib resistant non-small cell lung cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2595. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2595
Efficient parsing strategies for syntactic analysis of closed captions

We present an efficient multi-level chart parser that was designed for syntactic analysis of closed captions (subtitles) in a real-time Machine Translation (MT) system. In order to achieve high parsing speed, we divided an existing English grammar into multiple levels. The parser proceeds in stages. At each stage, rules corresponding to only one level are used. A constituent pruning step is added between levels to insure that constituents not likely to be part of the final parse are removed. This results in a significant parse time and ambiguity reduction. Since the domain is unrestricted, out-of-coverage sentences are to be expected and the parser might not produce a single analysis spanning the whole input. Despite the incomplete parsing strategy and the radical pruning, the initial evaluation results show that the loss of parsing accuracy is acceptable. The parsing time favorable compares with a Tomita parser and a chart parser parsing time when run on the same grammar and lexicon.
Non-Gaussian mixture models for detection and estimation in heavy-tailed noise

Scale mixtures of the Gaussian have been used to approximate the PDF of symmetric alpha stable processes. Such mixtures, however, cannot easily capture the heavy-tails. We propose to use Cauchy-Gaussian mixtures which are natural in this setting. Variations of standard EM algorithms can be used to estimate the parameters of the noise PDFs under various scenarios (noise-only data, weak-signal assumption, partially known-signal case). The fitted mixture models can be used for detection and estimation. In the multivariate case, we present several results on Gaussian mixture approximations of sub-Gaussian PDFs, including robust estimation of the underlying correlation matrix.
Substance Abuse and Co-occurring Psychiatric Disorders in Older Adults: A Clinical Case and Review of the Relevant Literature

Substance misuse is predicted to become an increasing problem in the older adult population. Individuals with psychiatric symptoms are at increased risk for a co-occurring substance use disorder, further complicating accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. The abuse of substances, including alcohol and prescribed or illicit drugs, can have deleterious effects on an individual's emotional, physical and cognitive well-being. These effects may be exacerbated by age and, therefore, potential substance misuse should be screened for as rigorously in older patients as in younger adults. Despite research into patterns and consequences of alcohol and prescription drug misuse in older populations, there are limited data on the use of other illicit substances. Most treatment protocols have been developed in younger populations, but basic premises have been extrapolated and revised to suit older adults.
Recent Results from the VLBA

The VLBA construction phase is now over and in the spring of 1993 it is hoped that full VLBA observing can begin. However the VLBA antennas have been operational for some time and several astronomy programs have been run on them. Below we shall present some of these latest results.
Social Justice and Multiculturalism: Persistent Tensions in the History of US Social Welfare and Social Work

Social justice has been a central normative component of U.S. social welfare and social work for over a century, although the meaning and implications of the term have often been ambiguous. A major source of this ambiguity lies in the conflict between universalist views of social justice and those which focus on achieving justice for specific groups. This conflict has been masked by several long-standing assumptions about the relationship between social justice and multiculturalism – assumptions which have been challenged by recent developments. The assumption that the pursuit of social justice requires the creation of a more egalitarian society has been challenged by the new political-economic realities of globalization. The assumption that the maintenance of individual rights complements the pursuit of social equality has been challenged by racially-based attacks on social welfare benefits and civil rights. Most significantly, the assumption that a socially just society is one in which different groups share a compatible vision of social justice has been challenged by the realities of multiculturalism. This paper explores the evolution of four themes regarding the relationship between social justice and multiculturalism during the past century and discusses their implications for the contemporary demographic and cultural context of the U.S. These themes are: the relationship of cultural diversity to the nation’s values and goals; the contradiction between coerced cultural assimilation and coerced physical and social segregation; the relationship between individual and group identity and rights; and the linkage between “Americanization” and the equal application of justice.
Ultra-broadband Raman amplification with spatially diverse pumps

Summary form only given. Distributed Raman amplification (DRA) with multi-wavelength pumping can provide flat gain over very large bandwidths 80-100 nm. However, the noise figure of such ultra-broadband amplifiers increases strongly for shorter-wavelength signal channels lying close to the pumps. In this paper we show that the noise figure spectrum can be flattened by optimizing the pump distribution along the fiber, while the gain spectrum is flattened by optimizing the pump spectral distribution. We describe the backward pumped DRA by a standard model including stimulated and spontaneous (Stokes and anti-Stokes) Raman scattering among all (pump and signal) waves.
Paradigm Clashes Among Basic Writing Teachers: Sources of Conflict and a Call for Change.

Ann Del Principe is a full-time English Instructor at Kingsborough Community College, CUNY. She teaches developmental writing and reading as well as courses in composition and literature, and is completing her Ph.D. in English Education at New York University. Her dissertation is a study of how secondary-school English teachers’ perceptions of their students’ social class influence their teaching decisions.
A study of the green TiO band in the sunspot spectrum

The equivalent widths of the TiO lines in the α system have been measured on a high dispersion (11 mm/A) spectrogram of large sunspot. The lines were so weak that the measurement was made by methods giving maximum and minimum equivalent widths, depending on the adopted continuum. The rotational temperature obtained in this way was about 3000 °K. The result is unaffected by stray light because there are no TiO lines in the undisturbed spectrum. The calculation of equivalent widths using several sunspot models (all of which can satisfy the observed data) shows that the logarithmic optical depth at the effective layer of molecular line formation is about -1.6.
Replacement Substituent Constants for Simple Heterocycles

Abstract 13 C nmr absorptions are reported for the β-vinylic carbon atoms in 15 series of ethylenes bearing heterocyclic substituents. The data are used to establish the best single-parameter substituent constants, σ 13 , for the various heterocycles as replacements for para -substituted benzenes. Also reported are replacement dual substituent constants, including σ I and the various σ R scales needed in the Taft DSP treatment and those for F and R used in the Swain-Lupton treatment. Values of σ 13 , F, R, σ I , and σ R o, respectively, for the various heterocycles as replacements for para -substituted benzenes are as follows: 2-furyl, −1.01, 0.99, −2.51, 0.65, −0.60; 2-pyrryl. −2.53, 0.52, −5.09, −0.16, −0.62; 2-thienyl, −0.79, 2.49, −3.60, 1.82, −1.08; 3-thienyl, −0.40, 1.04, −1.57, 0.59, −0.39; 2-pyridyl, 0.88, 2.09, −0.24, 1.65, −0.45; 3-pyridyl, 0.60, 0.57, 0.63, 0.35, 0.04; and 4-pyridyl, 1.18, 1.22, 1.09, 0.92. −0.01. The DSP-NLR method of analysis is explored using electron demand parameters. ϵ as determined for the vinylic side chains in para -substituted styrenes.
miR-501-3p mediates the activity-dependent regulation of the expression of AMPA receptor subunit GluA1.

The number of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs) in synapses determines synaptic strength. AMPAR expression can be regulated locally in dendrites by synaptic activity. The mechanisms of activity-dependent local regulation of AMPAR expression, however, remain unclear. Here, we tested whether microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor (NMDAR)–dependent AMPAR expression. We used the 3′ untranslated region of Gria1, which encodes the AMPA receptor subunit GluA1, to pull down miRNAs binding to it and analyzed these miRNAs using next-generation deep sequencing. Among the identified miRNAs, miR-501-3p is also a computationally predicted Gria1-targeting miRNA. We confirmed that miR-501-3p targets Gria1 and regulates its expression under physiological conditions. The expression of miR-501-3p and GluA1, moreover, is inversely correlated during postnatal brain development. miR-501-3p expression is up-regulated locally in dendrites through the NMDAR subunit GluN2A, and this regulation is required for NMDA-induced suppression of GluA1 expression and long-lasting remodeling of dendritic spines. These findings elucidate a miRNA-mediated mechanism for activity-dependent, local regulation of AMPAR expression in dendrites.
Seed germination regulation and field seed bank carryover in shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia: Chenopodiaceae)

In laboratory germination studies with 15 collections ofAtriplex confertifolia, a dominant shrub of North American salt deserts, we found that seeds were dormant and largely unresponsive to chilling at dispersal but became chilling-responsive through dry after-ripening. Collections from warm desert habitats were more chilling-responsive and after-ripened more rapidly than those from cold desert habitats. In a field seed bank experiment, germination did not take place until the second spring, and 30% of the seeds remained viable and ungerminated after five springs. Cold desert collections showed highest seed bank carryover. Spring germination and seed bank carryover across years are important aspects of shadscale life history.
Model of long-range transmission of gamma oscillation

Dynamic oscillations of local extracellular field potentials between 30 to 100 Hz have been associated with sensory perception, motor task planning, selective attention and working memory in cortical regions of the mammalian brain (Wang, 2003; Whittington et al., 1995). They have also been observed in the hippocampus. However, the degree of correlation with these tasks, as well as their cellular and network mechanisms is still the subject of study and debate. This is especially true with regard to rhythms observed in the hippocampus, which have been difficult to directly correlate with behavior (Wang, 2003). A minimal mathematical model was developed for a preliminary study of long-range neural transmission of gamma oscillation from the CA3 to the entorhinal cortex via the CA1 region of the hippocampus, a subset within a larger complex set of pathways. A module was created for each local population of neurons with common intrinsic properties and connectivity to simplify the connection process and make the model more flexible. Three modules were created using MATLAB Simulinkreg and tested to confirm that they transmit gamma through the system. The model also revealed that a portion of the signal from CA1 to the entorhinal cortex may be lost in transmission under certain conditions
Oxidative Stress Stimulates Apoptosis and Activates NF-κB in Osteoblastic Cells via a PKCβ/p66shc Signaling Cascade: Counter Regulation by Estrogens or Androgens

Aging or acute loss of estrogens or androgens increases the levels of reactive oxygen species, activates nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and promotes the phosphorylation of p66shc, a redox enzyme that amplifies mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation and stimulates apoptosis. We report that in mesenchymal progenitor and osteoblastic cell models, H2O2 activated a protein kinase C (PKC)β/p66shc/NF-κB signaling cascade and that p66shc was an essential mediator of the stimulating effects of H2O2 on the apoptosis of osteoblastic cells as well as their ability to activate NF-κB. 17β-Estradiol (E2) or the nonaromatizable androgen dihydrotestosterone abrogated the effects of H2O2 on p66shc and NF-κB activation by attenuating the phosphorylation of the redox-sensitive cytoplasmic kinase PKCβ. Additionally, both E2 and dihydrotestosterone prevented H2O2-induced apoptosis by a mechanism that involved attenuation of p66shc resulting from decreased phosphorylation of PKCβ. Consistent with a kinase-mediated mechani...
On negative shadow factor prices in the presence of factor market distortions

Abstract It has been believed that dynamic stability of factor markets rules out negative shadow factor prices in a two-factor, two-commodity model of production in the presence of factor market distortions. This paper derives exact conditions to have negative shadow factor prices, and proves that negative shadow factor prices are consistent with stability of factor markets.
A model for the triple-helical structure of (Pro-Hyp-Gly)10 involving a cis peptide bond and inter-chain hydrogen-bonding to the hydroxyl group of hydroxyproline

Abstract A model for the triple-helical conformation of (Pro-Hyp-Gly)10 has been developed which can account for the recent observation that hydroxyproline contributes to the stability of the triple helix in aqueous solution. Previous structures proposed for (Pro-Gly-Pro)n and collagen were modified to allow the formation of a new inter-chain hydrogen bond between the hydroxyl group of hydroxyproline and the carbonyl group of glycine in an adjacent chain. To create this hydrogen bond, the new model postulates a cis peptide bond between glycine and proline.
VARIATION IN THE CAUDAL COLOR SPOT OF THE CRAYFISH ORCONECTES VIRILIS (HAGEN) (DECAPODA, CAMBARIDAE)

Individuals of Orconectes virilis have an aggregation of yellow, red, and blue chromatophores on the ventral side of the sixth abdominal segment. Variation in the dispersion of the pigment in chromatophores alters the appearance of the color spot. Field samples indicated that diel variation (red primarily during the day, blue at night) was the most important environmental variable, while habitat and molt state had barely measureable effects. There were no differences between the sexes in the frequencies of colors visible.
A structural-based microscopic theory on high-temperature cuprate superconductors

Abstract Based entirely on the cuprate structure, a microscopic theory for high-temperature superconductivity is proposed. This theory produces quantitative fits to the normal phase properties such as Hall effect, resistivity, thermoelectric power, etc. It also reveals the existence of a pseudo-gap structure that has nodes along the diagonals of the basal plane. In the superconducting phase, an inverse parabolic dependences of T c on hole density is a natural consequence. The optimum T c value derived from the corresponding intrinsic hole density obtained from electronic structure agrees with the value obtained experimentally. This theory can also explain the observation of a strong spin fluctuation near T c in the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) and the absence of such in the Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 (BiSCCO) system.
Light-evoked and kainic-acid-induced disc shedding by rod photoreceptors: Differential sensitivity to extracellular calcium

In order to study the light and Ca2+ dependence of disc shedding by rod photoreceptors, we have used eyecups prepared from adult Rana pipiens frogs that had been kept in constant light for 4 days. Disc shedding was initiated by a treatment involving 1 hour of darkness followed by exposure to light or by treatment with kainic acid. Maximal L-evoked disc shedding occurred quickly (within 30-60 minutes) after light onset and could be triggered by brief (15 minutes) exposure to light. L-evoked disc shedding was completely blocked by omission of Ca2+ from culture medium or by treatment with 3mM Co2+ or 12 mM Mg2+ in the presence of Ca2+ (2 mM). The response was also blocked by the organic Ca2+ antagonist nifedipine. Experiments designed to distinguish between Ca2+ dependence of the dark- or light-dependent processes necessary for shedding suggest that voltage-sensitive channels mediate a Ca2+-dependent process involved in light-triggering. Kainic acid caused a dose-dependent stimulation of disc shedding under lighting conditions (continuous culture in light or darkness) that did not normally result in a significant response in the absence of the drug. Disc shedding induced by kainic acid was similar in time course and magnitude to that induced by light. However, kainic-acid-induced disc shedding was not inhibited by medium Ca2+ reduction or by the presence of Co2+. The latter observation suggests that kainic acid activates disc shedding directly, by-passing the Ca2+-dependent process involved in the L-evoked response. The Ca2+-dependent process may involve release of an effector of disc shedding that is mimicked by kainic acid.
A reinterpretation of conjugate folds in the central Sierra Nevada, California

Conjugate folds and cleavages in the central Sierra Nevada, California, are developed in isolated domains along, or near, ductile shear zones. The conjugate folds form by rotation of older (Jurassic-Cretaceous) fabrics and removal of material along microlithon boundaries and apparently postdate all significant metamorphic events; the conjugate structures in this region are, thus, Cretaceous or Tertiary. Maximum shortening directions associated with these folds are in most cases northwest-southeast, parallel to the present strike of the Sierra Nevada. Conjugate folds near Briceburg, California, are unusual in that they are found over a relatively large region, are associated with a well-developed crenulation cleavage, and were formed due to west-southwest-east-northeast shortening. Shortening in microlithons of as much as 34% is associated with the crenulation cleavage and formed by buckling, but with a small component of flattening, of an older fabric. Removal of material and shear along microlithon boundaries caused an unknown amount of additional shortening. Models based on gravity relaxation, elastic recovery, and folding of fabrics in shear zones do not fully explain the orientation and style of conjugate structures in the study area. Instead, the conjugate structures reflect Cretaceous or Tertiary deformation possibly associated with movement along brittle faults. In addition, shortening directions calculated from incremental strains associated with the conjugate folds near Briceburg are in direct conflict with shortening directions based on geometries of experimentally produced conjugate structures, indicating that different mechanisms may operate during formation of experimentally and naturally formed conjugate folds.
Initial stages of iridium-semiconductor compound formation: A field-ion-microscope study of interface atomic structures.

The early stages of formation of thin layers of IrSi and IrGe on Ir surfaces have been studied. Distinctive stages of growth have been observed. In the earliest stage on Ir(001), atomically resolved images show a structure resembling the c(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2) of the substrate, which we believe to have the (011) Ir-layer structure of the IrSi and IrGe crystals. In the second stage, the (2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1) image structure on Ir(011) is identified to be the Ir layer of the IrSi(001) fundamental plane.