cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social stigma and disclosure of diagnosis among women with breast cancer in Azerbaijan

Objective The current practice in medical and surgical care of women with breast cancer in Azerbaijan is to hold back disclosure of cancer diagnosis unless the patient actively asserts full disclosure. This study aimed to serve as a pilot, to appraise the level of anxiety and depression in women diagnosed with breast cancer and explore ways to develop approaches to further elucidating the important issue of cancer information disclosure. Methods The subjects in the study were women recruited consecutively with confirmed oncological diagnosis of breast cancer ( n = 23; mean age = 50 (SD ± 11; range 27–73 years) and who were scheduled for mastectomy. All the subjects consented to be directly interviewed. The interview comprised of a socio-demographic questionnaire and inquiry regarding the subjects’ understanding of the nature of their breast condition. All the subjects were also administered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in Azerbaijani. The patients who knew their diagnosis of cancer were ascertained subsequently from the record ( n = 11 [42.3%]). Results There was a significant correlation between anxiety scores ( P = 0.006) and anxiety/depression scores combined ( P = 0.009) with the level of subjects’ awareness regarding diagnosis of cancer; the correlation was not significant for depression scores alone ( P = 0.068). Conclusions The findings are consistent with studies from culturally similar regions and reflect the need for improvement on disclosure, patient participation, and family support in treatment of women with breast cancer.
Dose-ranging comparative evaluation of cetirizine in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Background Cetirizine, an H1-receptor antagonist, has been studied for the relief of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis, one of the most common allergic disorders in the United States. Unlike newer antihistamines that can have interactions with other medications, including some macrolide antibiotics and some antifungal agents, cetirizine has not been associated with adverse events consequent to interaction with drugs that depend on hepatic enzymes for their metabolism. Objective The efficacy of cetirizine was compared with that of previous pharmacologic therapy in patients with allergic rhinitis. Patients were allowed to dose-titrate to achieve the optimal therapeutic response. Method This was a dose-ranging, open-label, multicenter, 2-week clinical trial of 296 patients with allergic rhinitis. All patients were initially treated with 5 mg of cetirizine and allowed to dose-titrate up to 20 mg/d, depending on symptom severity. Results Symptom severity scores decreased sharply within the first 24 hours of cetirizine therapy and continued to improve. Symptoms showing the greatest immediate improvement were rhinorrhea, itching nose, sneezing, itching eyes, and watery eyes, with nasal congestion and postnasal drip improving more slowly. By study completion, 13.4% of patients remained on the initial cetirizine dose of 5 mg/d, 31.1% increased dosage to 10 mg/d, and 41.6% increased their dose to 15 or 20 mg/d. According to physician global evaluations, 82% of patients showed improvement on cetirizine, while 75% of patients indicated that cetirizine was better than or equal to previous single-agent therapy, including those who had previously used terfenadine (75%), astemizole (80%), or other antihistamines (73%), and by 58% on previous therapy with antihistamine-decongestant combination drugs. Side effects were minimal and no different from those observed in other studies of cetirizine. Conclusion Dose titration of cetirizine may allow for greater efficacy and quality of life, especially for patients with refractory symptoms of allergic rhinitis in whom therapy with single-dose antihistamines has failed.
Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery Who Decline Transfusion and Received Erythropoietin Compared to Patients Who Did Not: A Matched Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND:Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, such as erythropoietin (EPO), can be used to treat preoperative anemia. Some studies suggest an increased risk of mortality and thrombotic events, and use in cardiovascular surgery remains off-label. This study compares outcomes in cardiac surgery patien
Intelligent Agents for the Library

ABSTRACTThe rise in popularity of devices such as Alexa and Google Home has brought more attention to artificial intelligence and its capabilities. Intelligent agents, a form of artificial intelligence, started as having the ability to run commands and have since evolved into much more complex devices with sophisticated software that offers a wide range of uses and integration with other services. Understanding what intelligent agents are, and their uses, is important for libraries in order to keep up with the ever-changing technology landscape.
Satire or Fake News: Social Media Consumers' Socio-Demographics Decide

Ever since the surprising results from the 2016 U.S. presidential race, the subject of Fake News in our worldwide media consumption has grown steadily. On a smaller scale, mainstream media have taken a closer look at the relatively narrow genre of satirical news content. Ed Koltonski of Kent State, defines satirical news as designed specifically to entertain the reader, usually with irony or wit, to critique society or a social figure and invoke change or reform. Using field experiment, survey and focus group methods we sought to determine if media consumers' ability to differentiate between satirical news and fake news is tied to socio-demographic factors. We found that age, education, sex, and political affiliation predict understanding of "fake news" and satire. Furthermore, the ability to identify different types of misinformation when presented with screen shots from social media posts appears to be related to these variables. Focus group comments were also analyzed to gain a richer perspective on how participants interpreted the SMS screen shots. Using our primary research, we seek to determine if there is a correlation between social media consumers understanding of the difference between satirical news versus fake news and their varying socio-demographic factors
Low-rank total variation for image super-resolution.

Most natural images can be approximated using their low-rank components. This fact has been successfully exploited in recent advancements of matrix completion algorithms for image recovery. However, a major limitation of low-rank matrix completion algorithms is that they cannot recover the case where a whole row or column is missing. The missing row or column will be simply filled as an arbitrary combination of other rows or columns with known values. This precludes the application of matrix completion to problems such as super-resolution (SR) where missing values in many rows and columns need to be recovered in the process of up-sampling a low-resolution image. Moreover, low-rank regularization considers information globally from the whole image and does not take proper consideration of local spatial consistency. Accordingly, we propose in this paper a solution to the SR problem via simultaneous (global) low-rank and (local) total variation (TV) regularization. We solve the respective cost function using the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). Experiments on MR images of adults and pediatric subjects demonstrate that the proposed method enhances the details of the recovered high-resolution images, and outperforms the nearest-neighbor interpolation, cubic interpolation, non-local means, and TV-based up-sampling.
Biological Assays for the Molecular Coding of Acquired Information

There have been three main experimental approaches to the problem of molecular mechanisms in the processing of acquired information. The first approach, initiated by Hyden (1959), is the attempt to demonstrate, by means of chemical and physical methods, that acquisition and fixation of information are accompanied by chemical changes in the brain (see reviews by Booth, 1967, 1970). The second approach has shown that interference with the synthesis of RNA and protein can impair the fixation of acquired information (as reviewed by Cohen, 1970). The results of the two methods converge toward the conclusion that information processing is associated with an increased turnover of RNA and proteins in the brain and that this increase is an essential condition of the fixation of information. Some of the results suggest also the possibility of qualitative RNA and protein changes but the precise nature of these changes would be practically impossible to specify with the techniques available at present. However, recent attempts by immunological methods (Jankovic et al., 1968) and by DNA-RNA hybridization techniques (Machlus and Gaito, 1969) may offer promising leads. Up to now, the only evidence for actual molecular coding of information in the nervous system has been produced by the third approach, which is the object of this chapter. This method consists of detecting the chemical correlates of information processing by biological assay rather than by chemical or physical means or physical means.
In an effort to reduce accidental plagiarism by computer science students

Plagiarism is nothing new to academia; however, two forces are driving Computer Science majors to accidently plagiarize on written papers. The first force is the Internet and the electronic information it provides. Because of the ease of access and the simplicity to copy/paste, many students are not always going through the regiment of analyzing, synthesizing paraphrasing, and assessing the quality and accuracy of information they copy. The second force can often be a combination of the amount of code reuse computer science instructors allow and, Computer Science instructor's not always explaining plagiarism; especially as it relates to non- Computer Science courses. As a result, it has been found within the research of this paper that Computer Science majors have a higher incidence of plagiarism as compared to other disciplines. To that end, the intent of this paper is to reinforce to Computer Science educators the importance of including a brief lecture on plagiarism at the start of each course.
Sampled Closed-Loop Control in Multi-Controller Multi-Objective Control Systems

In this paper, we consider control systems that are controlled by multiple controllers each having its own objective function. The Nash and leader-follower Stackelberg options for designing the controls are considered. These control options are heavily used as decision options in non-zero sum differential game theory. In order to reap many of the benefits of feedback, the resulting designs are best implemented as closed-loop controls. However, closed-loop controls require continuous measurements of the system's state vector, which may be expensive or even impossible in many cases. As an alternative, in this paper we consider a sampled closed-loop implementation. Such an implementation requires measurements of the state vector only at pre-specified instants of time, and hence is much more practical and cost effective when compared to the continuous closed-loop implementation. We derive the necessary conditions for the general linear quadratic problem and develop the solutions for the Nash and Stackelberg controls in detail for the scalar case. An example of a control system with two controllers and state measurements available at integer multiples of 10% of the total interval of control is presented to illustrate the results.
Evidence Fusion for Malicious Bot Detection in IoT

Billions of devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) are inter-connected over the internet and communicate with each other or end users. IoT devices communicate through messaging bots. These bots are important in IoT systems to automate and better manage the work flows. IoT devices are usually spread across many applications and are able to capture or generate substantial influx of big data. The integration of IoT with cloud computing to handle and manage big data, requires considerable security measures in order to prevent cyber attackers from adversarial use of such large amount of data. An attacker can simply utilize the messaging bots to perform malicious activities on a number of devices and thus bots pose serious cybersecurity hazards for IoT devices. Hence, it is important to detect the presence of malicious bots in the network. In this paper we propose an evidence theory-based approach for malicious bot detection. Evidence Theory, a.k.a. Dempster Shafer Theory (DST) is a probabilistic reasoning tool and has the unique ability to handle uncertainty, i.e. in the absence of evidence. It can be applied efficiently to identify a bot, especially when the bots have dynamic or polymorphic behavior. The key characteristic of DST is that the detection system may not need any prior information about the malicious signatures and profiles. In this work, we propose to analyze the network flow characteristics to extract key evidence for bot traces. We then quantify these pieces of evidence using apriori algorithm and apply DST to detect the presence of the bots.
DEA Models for Two-Stage Network Processes

While the definition of a DMU is generic and DMUs can be in various forms such as hospitals, products, universities, cities, courts, business firms, and others, DMUs can have a two-stage structure in many cases. For example, banks use labor and assets to generate deposits which are in turn used to generate load incomes. Seiford and Zhu (Management Science, 45(9), 1270–1288, 1999) use a two-stage process to measure the profitability and marketability of US commercial banks . In their study, profitability is measured using labor and assets as inputs, and the outputs are profits and revenue. In the second stage for marketability , the profits and revenue are then used as inputs, while market value , returns and earnings per share are used as outputs. Chilingerian and Sherman (Handbook on Data Envelopment Analysis, Chapter 17, 2004) describe another two-stage process in measuring physician care. Their first stage is a manager-controlled process with inputs including registered nurses, medical supplies, and capital and fixed costs. These inputs generate the outputs or intermediate measures (inputs to the second stage), including patient days, quality of treatment, drug dispensed, among others. The outputs of the second (physician controlled) stage include research grants, quality of patients, and quantity of individuals trained, by specialty.
Understanding Teacher Reflectivity in Contemporary Times: A (Re)Review of the Literature

ABSTRACTThe Association of Teacher Educators Reflectivity Commission was established in 2004. This literature review updates the Commission’s work by examining 24 empirical research articles publis...
The absence of Nosema bombi in bumblebees (Bombus spp.) on farms in Michigan.

The fungal pathogen Nosema bombi impacts bumblebee fitness and is a factor in population declines throughout North America. Pesticides are also thought to contribute to declines, because they harm the innate immune system of insects, making them more susceptible to disease. A total of 232 bumblebees were collected at nine different farms across Michigan (U.S.A.), including farms that used pesticides and those that did not, in summer 2017. The bees were identified and tested for Nosema bombi. All bees were found to be free from N. bombi infection, suggesting this microsporidian may not yet have a biologically important impact on bumblebee populations in Michigan.
Prospective Randomized Comparison of Standard Hand Pump Infuser Irrigation vs an Automated Irrigation Pump During Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy and Ureteroscopy: Assessment of Operating Room Efficiency and Surgeon Satisfaction.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to determine if use of an automated irrigation pump (AIP) during ureteroscopy (URS) and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) affects circulating nurse l...
Accurate Multiobjective Design in a Space of Millions of Transition Metal Complexes with Neural-Network-Driven Efficient Global Optimization.

The accelerated discovery of materials for real world applications requires the achievement of multiple design objectives. The multidimensional nature of the search necessitates exploration of mult...
From mostly vegetarian to fully vegetarian: Meat avoidance and the expression of social identity

Abstract The dichotomous divide between vegetarians and omnivores seems clear: Omnivores eat meat, whereas vegetarians do not. Yet classifying people dichotomously as vegetarian or omnivorous overlooks a distinct group of people who limit their meat intake but still include some meat in their diets: a group of “mostly vegetarian” dieters called flexitarians (a term combining the words, “flexible” and “vegetarian”). Despite the estimated prevalence of flexitarianism in the United States hovering at approximately 20% to 30% of the population, we have little knowledge about how flexitarians construe their food choices. Through a preregistered study (N = 718), we identified psychological differences between flexitarians and full vegetarians as well as predictors of flexitarians’ openness to going fully vegetarian. Across all tests, social identity aspects of meat avoidance emerged as significant factors, over and above what motivations participants reported for avoiding meat. Findings suggest that social identity phenomena offer insights into how meat-avoiders construe not only their current, but also their prospective, food choices.
Increased selectivity in area-selective ALD by combining nucleation enhancement and SAM-based inhibition

An area-selective atomic layer deposition (AS-ALD) process is developed that achieves increased selectivity by combining two strategies: i) selective enhancement using a small molecule activator and ii) self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-based inhibition. Specifically, we show that Pt can be selectively deposited on SiO2 over Co. In this process, Co, which serves as the non-growth surface, is protected by an octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA) SAM, while the subsequent nucleation and growth of Pt on SiO2 is enhanced using a trimethylaluminum (AlMe3) pretreatment. This combination of enhancement and inhibition yields 3–6 times higher Pt coverage on the growth surface (SiO2) while maintaining selectivity of at least 0.98 after 100 Pt ALD cycles. Pt is used here as a model system, but this process can be extended for AS-ALD of other materials.
A neu(ronal) player joins the T regulatory game.

The enteric nervous system is surfacing as a key regulator of intestinal immunity and a liaison of host-commensal interactions. In this issue, Yan et al. identify neuronal interleukin-6 as a potent modulator of regulatory T (Treg) cells in the intestine. This neuroimmune dialog is further refined by commensal microbiota, which impact the enteric nervous system and consequently the intestinal Treg cell pool.
Lumpy Social Goods in Energy Decarbonization: Why We Need More Than Just Markets for the Clean Energy Transition

In order to avoid the worst consequences of global climate change, the United States must achieve daunting targets for decarbonizing its electric power sector on a very short time scale. Policy experts largely agree that achieving these goals will require massive investment in new infrastructure to facilitate the deep integration of renewable fuels into the electric grid, including a new national high-voltage electric transmission network and grid-scale electricity storage, such as batteries. However, spurring investment in these needed infrastructures has proven to be challenging despite numerous attempts by regulators and policymakers to clear a path for market-driven investment. Unchecked, this problem threatens to artificially limit complementary investments necessary for the clean energy transition. In this paper, I lay out a theoretical framework that can explain the tepid development in certain necessary infrastructures for the energy transition. I argue that clean energy infrastructure is a part of a classically lumpy social good. Lumpy goods are those that exhibit strong non-linearities and discontinuities in their production function such that they realize their value only contingently, upon the assembly of multiple necessary components. In this case, the complementary components to be assembled are high levels of renewable generation, on the one hand, and transmission and storage infrastructures necessary to integrate them into the smooth operation of the grid, on the other. The lack of sufficiently concrete coordination of these complementary projects drives investors into an unproductive Assurance Game, despite efforts by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to grease the gears for transmission planning. This theory not only helps clarify the root causes of past policy failures, but also points the way to the kinds of policies that can help overcome these dynamics and accelerate investment. It also helps to illuminate a general weakness in energy markets’ ability to respond to the climate crisis that may necessitate compensatory changes to foundational policies.
What's in a Name - The New York Times on Partial-Birth Abortion

The roots of this Essay extend back to December 4, 1998, when an article appeared in the New York Times under the following headline: Inquiry Criticizes A.M.A. Backing of Abortion Procedure Ban. (1) The procedure discussed in the article was already widely known as “partial-birth abortion.” The question that came immediately to my mind was this: What is it about this form of abortion that, in its headline, the New York Times dare not speak its name? What follows is an effort to answer that question by examining it in the wider context of journalism as both craft and ethic.
A New Geometric Analysis of the Pazzi Chapel Pazzi Chapel (Florence) in Santa Croce, Florence

The Pazzi Chapel has long been the subject of speculation concerning its builder or builders, the limitations of its construction within the Santa Croce complex, and, most importantly, the geometric systems that are or are not present in the building. Correct analysis is a difficult task, although it may appear to be easy, given the proportioning that is seen and the number of theories that abound on the subject from the annals of art and architectural history. The Pazzi Chapel is based on the square and its three major divisions: rational whole numbers and fractional parts; square roots and irrationals; the special case of the irrational, the golden section ‘family’. The builder also used the square’s relationship to the circle and to the equilateral triangle. These three elements exist as the one unifying force in the architecture of the chapel. The artistry was in the integration of these three geometric systems.
The role of contraception in the development of postmolar gestational trophoblastic tumor

From January 1974 to June 1988, 299 evaluable patients were referred to the John I. Brewer Trophoblastic Disease Center of Northwestern University Cancer Center for treatment and/or follow-up of a hydatidiform mole (N = 162) or postmolar gestational trophoblastic tumor (N = 137). The type of contraception and other prognostic factors before and after evacuation were correlated with the development of gestational trophoblastic tumor using both univariate and multivariate analysis. There was no relationship between pre-hydatidiform mole contraception and the development of gestational trophoblastic tumor. Oral contraceptives (OCs) were used by 139 patients (46%), barrier methods by 141 patients (47%), intrauterine devices (IUDs) by two patients (1%), and no contraception by 17 patients (6%). The risk of developing gestational trophoblastic tumor was compared between patients using versus not using: OCs--33 versus 57% (P less than .001), barrier methods--53 versus 40% (P = .30), IUD--100 versus 46% (P = .21), and any contraceptive method--43 versus 88% (P less than .001). The dose of estrogens could be determined in 75 patients taking OCs; 14 of 49 (29%) of the patients taking less than 50 micrograms versus nine of 26 (35%) taking 50 micrograms or more developed gestational trophoblastic tumor (P = .78). Stepwise logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the type of contraceptive used was the most important prognostic factor in gestational trophoblastic tumor development (P less than .0001), followed by the occurrence of theca-lutein cysts (P less than .0001), Asian maternal race (P = .02), lesser time from the last menstrual period (P = .005), and greater maternal age (P = .04).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Hematopoietic cell transplantation for tolerance induction

A major focus of the entire transplant community has been to delineate anti-rejection strategies which, alone or via multifaceted approaches, result in the development of donor specific tolerance, thus obviating the need for chronic, generalized immunosuppression of the recipient. Many approaches which have proven successful in rodent models of solid organ or cellular transplantation have not translated well to large animals or humans. This may be due, in part, to a need for multifaceted immunointerventions when transplanting cells or organs between members of outbred, large animal populations.
The handbook of formulas and tables for signal processing

Signal processing is a broad and timeless area. The term "signal" includes audio, video, speech, image, communication, geophysical, sonar, radar, medical, and more. Signal processing applies to the theory and application of filtering, coding, transmitting, estimating, detecting, analyzing, recognizing, synthesizing, recording, and reproducing signals. Handbook of Formulas and Tables for Signal Processing a must-have reference for all engineering professionals involved in signal and image processing. Collecting the most useful formulas and tables - such as integral tables, formulas of algebra, formulas of trigonometry - the text includes:Material for the deterministic and statistical signal processing areasExamples explaining the use of the given formulaNumerous definitionsMany figures that have been added to special chaptersHandbook of Formulas and Tables for Signal Processing brings together - in one textbook - all the equations necessary for signal and image processing for professionals transforming anything from a physical to a manipulated form, creating a new standard for any person starting a future in the broad, extensive area of research.
Stochastic Finite Elements: A Spectral Approach

Representation of stochastic processes stochastic finite element method - response representation stochastic finite element method - response statistics numerical examples.
Pentadentate ligands—III: Nickel(II) complexes of the linear schift base ligands derived from substituted salicylaldehydes and bis(2,2′-aminoethyl)sulfide

Abstract Nickel(II) complexes of linear potentially pentadentate Schiff base ligands derived from variously substituted salicylaldehydes and bis(2,2′-aminoethyl)sulfide have been prepared. The pale green materials have been characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectra, i.r. visible-u.v. spectra and magnetic susceptibility measurements. In the solid state the complexes have visible spectra characteristic of low spin 5-coordinate nickel(II) complexes and possess magnetic moments ca. 1·1 B.M. The anomalous magnetism is explained in terms of either a singlet-triplet spin state equilibrium or the coexistence of both high and low spin 5-coordinate complexes in the solid state. The complexes when dissolved in pyridine are pseudo-octahedral high spin nickel(II) species. Monopyridine adducts have been isolated for several of the complexes and they exhibit properties similar to the complexes dissolved in pyridine.
A Framework for the Analysis of Phantom Data in Multicenter Diffusion Tensor Imaging Studies

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is commonly used for studies of the human brain due to its inherent sensitivity to the microstructural architecture of white matter. In order to increase sampling diversity, it is often desirable to perform multicenter studies. However, it is likely that the variability of acquired data will be greater in multicenter studies than in single-center studies due to the added confound of differences between sites. Therefore, careful characterization of the contributions to variance in a multicenter study is extremely important for meaningful pooling of data from multiple sites. We propose a two-step analysis framework for first identifying outlier datasets, followed by a parametric variance analysis for identification of interand intra-site contributions to total variance. This framework is then applied to phantom data from the NIH MRI study of Normal Brain Development (PedsMRI). Our results suggest that initial outlier identification is extremely important for accurate assessment of inter- and intra-site variability, as well as for early identification of problems with data acquisition. We recommend the use of the presented framework at frequent intervals during the data acquisition phase of multicenter DTI studies, which will allow investigators to identify and solve problems as they occur.
Complications of peripheral nerve catheter removal at home: case series of five ambulatory interscalene blocks

Purpose The placement of continuous peripheral nerve catheters on an ambulatory basis is increasing and is routine at our institution. There are few reports of complications associated with peripheral nerve catheter removal in the literature. Described herein is a case series of five patients where complications related to catheter withdrawal were observed.
HELPING PROFESSIONALS IN BUSINESS BEHAVE ETHICALLY: WHY BUSINESS CANNOT ABDICATE ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PROFESSION

This paper compares the findings of studies of seven groups of professionals in various key segments of the fields of accounting and insurance conducted during 1990 through 1994 in an effort to determine the extent to which they tend to rely on various factors in their business and professional environments for help in behaving ethically in the course of their work. Commonalities among the findings for these rather diverse groups are highlighted and their possible implications for business and the professions are discussed.
Co-evolving Faults to Improve the Fault Tolerance of Sorting Networks

Fault tolerance is an important objective for circuit design, so it is natural to apply genetic programming techniques that are already being used for circuit design to enhance fault tolerance. We present preliminary evidence that co-evolving faults with circuits enhances the masking of faults in evolved circuits. Our test systems are sorting networks, since these are simple enough to analyze. We show that the overall impact of faults in an evolved sorting network can be reduced proportionally to the strength of co-evolutionary pressure.
Computer simulation of a neural prism

A network of voltage-controlled oscillator neuron (VCON) models is formed by a gradient of negative feedbacks, similar to a gradient of inhibitory connections in a neural system. A network of this kind is called a prism. Computer simulation notation to describe all the variables in the network is introduced. Computer simulation of the network shows that a smooth gradient of output frequencies results from monochromatic stimulation. >
Practical lineage tracing in data warehouses

We consider the view data lineage problem in a warehousing environment: for a given data item in a materialized warehouse view, we want to identify the set of source data items that produced the view item. We formalize the problem and we present a lineage tracing algorithm for relational views with aggregation. Based on our tracing algorithm, we propose a number of schemes for storing auxiliary views that enable consistent and efficient lineage tracing in a multi-source data warehouse. We report on a performance study of the various schemes, identifying which schemes perform best in which settings. Based on our results, we have implemented a lineage tracing package in the WHIPS data warehousing system prototype at Stanford. With this package, users can select view tuples of interest, then efficiently "drill through" to examine the exact source tuples that produced the view tuples of interest.
Deletion of the distal Tnfsf11 RL-D2 enhancer that contributes to PTH-mediated RANKL expression in osteoblast lineage cells results in a high bone mass phenotype in mice

Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like cytokine that is necessary for osteoclast formation and survival. Elevated RANKL synthesis is associated with both increased osteoclast number and bone resorption. Earlier studies identified an enhancer 76 kb upstream of the Tnfsf11 transcriptional start site (TSS) termed RL-D5 or the distal control region (DCR) that modulates RANKL expression in response to PTH, 1,25(OH)2D3,, and an array of cytokines. Mice lacking RL-D5 exhibit high bone mass associated with decreased RANKL expression in bone, spleen, and thymus. In addition to RL-D5, genome-wide studies have identified 9 additional Tnfsf11 enhancers residing upstream of the gene's TSS, which provide RANKL cell type-specificity and responsiveness to local and systemic factors. ChIP-chip analyses has revealed inducible vitamin D receptor (VDR) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) binding at an enhancer termed RL-D2 23 kb upstream of the Tnfsf11 TSS in osteoblastic ST2 cells. Herein, we use ChIP-seq analyses to confirm this finding and then delete this enhancer from the mouse genome to determine its physiological role in vivo. RL-D2(-/-) primary stromal cells showed decreased RANKL-induction by both forskolin and 1,25(OH)2D3 ex vivo. Consistent with this, the parathyroid hormone (PTH) induction of RANKL expression was significantly blunted in RL-D2(-/-) mice in vivo. In contrast, lack of RL-D2 had no effect on 1,25(OH)2D3 induction of RANKL in vivo. Similar to the results found in RL-D5(-/-) mice, lack of RL-D2 led to decreased skeletal RANKL expression, resulting in decreased osteoclast numbers and a progressive increase in bone mineral density. Lack of RL-D2 increased cancellous bone mass in femur and spine but did not alter femoral cortical bone thickness. These results highlight the role of distal enhancers in the regulation of RANKL expression by PTH and perhaps 1,25(OH)2D3 and suggest that the RL-D2 and RL-D5 enhancers contribute in either an additive or synergistic manner to regulate bone remodeling.
Direct detection and kinetic analysis of covalent intermediate formation in the 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate synthase catalyzed reaction.

Chorismate-utilizing enzymes catalyze diverse reactions, providing critical physiological functions unique to plants, bacteria, fungi, and some parasites. Their absence in animals makes them excellent targets for antimicrobials and herbicides. 4-Amino-4-deoxychorismate synthase (ADCS) catalyzes the first step in folate biosynthsis and shares a common core mechanism with isochorismate synthase (IS) and anthranilate synthase (AS), in which nucleophile addition at C2 initiates these reactions. Evidence was presented previously [He, Z., Stigers Lavoie, K. D., Bartlett, P. A., and Toney, M. D. (2004) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126, 2378−2385] that K274 is the nucleophile in ADCS, implying formation of a covalent intermediate. Herein, we report the direct detection of this covalent intermediate formed in ADCS-catalyzed reactions by ESI-MS. Difference spectra show the covalent intermediate has an absorption maximum at 310 nm. This was used to study the pre-steady-state kinetics of covalent intermediate formation under va...
Effective Professional Development and Change in Practice: Barriers Science Teachers Encounter and Implications for Reform

This study focused on two middle schools in the central US who participated in collaborative, sustained, whole-school professional development in implementing inquiry as part of National Science Education Standards, or standards-based instructional practices. Participants were involved in their second year of the professional development experience. The research question explored was, “What barriers do science teachers encounter when implementing standards-based instruction while participating in effective professional development experiences?” Qualitative data collected in the form of teacher interviews and classroom observations were utilized and were analyzed using a barrier to reform rubric. Findings indicate that even with effective professional development, science teachers still encounter technical, political, and cultural barriers to implementation. More support is required for professional development efforts to be successful, such as resources and time, as well as administrative buy-in and support. Findings also revealed that even the best intended professional development efforts do not reveal and address existing beliefs for all teachers. Implications for future science education reform stakeholders are discussed.
Urinary Steroid Metabolites in Children. I. Individual 17-Ketosteroids in Children with Normal Sexual Development

The excretion of individual 17-ketosteroids was determined in 34 normal children between 3 and 16 yr of age without treatment and in 15 after 2 to 6 days of stimulation with Zinc-ACTH.1 Mild procedures were used to hydrolyze the sulfate and glucuronide conjugates. Separation of the steroids was effected either by gradient elution from an alumina column or by thin layer chromatography. No dehydroepiandrosterone-epiandrosterone2 could be detected in the urine of any child under the age of 8 yr whether or not the child was subjected to ACTH stimulation. It was noted in the urines of most children between 9 and 13, and in all those between 14 and 16 yr, but was not increased by ACTH stimulation. Androsterone and etiocholanolone increased gradually with age between 3 and 13 yr. After 13 yr of age marked increases were noted. ACTH administration did not consistently increase urinary levels of androsterone and etiocholanolone. The major 11-oxygenated steroid excreted by all children was 11-ketoetiocholanolone. I...
High resolution infrared spectrum of HCNO: Analysis of the bands at 3300 cm−1☆

The analysis of the ν1 absorption band in the infrared spectrum of HCNO was reported in a previous publication. The numerous “hot” bands appearing in the spectrum have since been analyzed and assigned. The band centers of the assigned absorption bands are 1. (1000011)c,d←(00000l1)c,d 3308.0046 ± 9 cm−1 2. (1000100)c,d←(0001100)c,d 3332.9354 ± 19 cm−1 3. 1000020←(0000020 3394.3700 ± 28 cm−1 4. 1000022←(0000022 3284.4554 ± 13 cm−1 The errors are standard deviations quoted in the last significant figures. The l-type doubling constant q could be obtained for the ν4 and ν5 “hot” bands, and an estimate of the energy level difference Δ2 between the levels 0000022 and 0000020 was obtained, |Δ2| > 50 cm−1. The molecular constants obtained are in good agreement with the results of microwave and millimeterwave measurements.
Laparoscopy–assisted versus balloon enteroscopy–assisted ERCP in bariatric post–Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients

Background Data on balloon enteroscopy–assisted ERCP (BEA-ERCP) versus laparoscopy-assisted ERCP (LA-ERCP) in post–Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) patients are lacking. Objectives To compare BEA-ERCP with LA-ERCP in post-RYGB patients and to identify factors that predict therapeutic success with BEA–ERCP. Design Retrospective chart review. Setting A single North American tertiary referral center. Patients The review included 56 bariatric post-RYGB patients who underwent ERCP. Interventions BEA-ERCP or LA-ERCP. Main Outcome Measurements Cannulation rate, therapeutic success, hospital stay, complications, procedure duration, endoscopist time, and cost. Results A total of 32 patients underwent BEA-ERCP, and 24 underwent LA-ERCP. LA-ERCP was superior to BEA-ERCP in papilla identification (100% vs 72%, P = .005), cannulation rate (100% vs 59%, P P P P = .006) for BEA-ERCP. There was no difference in postprocedure hospital stay ( P = .127) or complication rate ( P = .392) between the 2 groups. In the BEA-ERCP group, in patients having a Roux limb + biliopancreatic (from ligament of Treitz to jejunojejunal anastomosis), a limb length less than 150 cm was associated with therapeutic success. Starting with BEA-ERCP and continuing with LA-ERCP after a failed BEA-ERCP saved $1015 compared with starting with LA-ERCP. Limitations Single center, retrospective study. Conclusions In centers with expertise in deep enteroscopy and ERCP, post-RYGB patients with a Roux + ligament of Treitz to jejunojejunal anastomosis limb length less than 150 cm should first be offered deep enteroscopy-assisted ERCP. In patients with Roux + ligament of Treitz to jejunojejunal anastomosis (LTJJ) limb length 150 cm or longer, LA-ERCP should be the preferred approach because of the lack of need for a second procedure, equivalent morbidity and hospital stay, decreased endoscopist time, and decreased cost.
Muon capture rates on 16O leading to bound states of 16N

Abstract The partial muon capture rates on 16 O leading to all four particle-stable states in 16 N have been measured. The results obtained are compared to previous measurements and are also used to extract a value for the induced pseudoscalar coupling constant in muon capture.
Comparative analysis of human DNA variations by fluorescence-based sequencing of PCR products

Automated, direct cycle sequencing of purified double-stranded PCR products using Taq polymerase and fluorescently labeled dideoxynucleotide terminators provides a robust and highly reproducible method for identifying DNA sequence variations in sequence-tagged sites. We describe a simple and sensitive strategy that reliably detects the presence of DNA variations when sequencing traces from several different individuals are compared. We also demonstrate the use of this strategy to estimate allele frequencies of single nucleotide substitutions in a population. Taken together, this approach provides an automated method for conducting rapid population studies of candidate gene regions that are in linkage or association with a specific disease and for comparative evolutionary analysis of selected regions of the human genome.
Therapeutic Aspects of the Clinical Encounter

The modern era in medicine has brought a turning away from a quality of doctor/patient interactions that had persisted over centuries. When there were few efficacious remedies, doctors relied upon the healing power of the doctor/patient relationship. Hippocrates observed, “The patient, though conscious that his condition is perilous, may recover his health simply through his contentment with the goodness of the physician” (In DiMatteo and DiNicola, 1982). More recently, Balint reaffirmed the importance of doctor/patient interaction, asserting that by far the most frequently used drug in medical practice is the doctor him- or herself (Balint, 1972).
Kinetics of the reaction of vinyl radicals with acetylene

The reactions C 2 H 3 +C 2 H 2 →products (1) and C 2 H 3 +C 2 D 2 →products (1′) have been studied using laser photolysis photoionization mass spectrometry. Rate constants were determined in time-resolved experiments as a function of temperature (630–980 K (reaction 1) and 801–900 K (reaction 1′)). Rate constants of reactions 1 and 1′ are independent of the bath gas density within the experimental ranges, He=(3–12)×10 16 atom cm −3 (reaction 1) and (12–48)×10 16 atom cm −3 (reaction 1′). C 4 H 4 was detected as a primary product of reaction 1 and C 4 H 3 D as a primary product of reaction 1′. The rate constants of reaction 1 represent the reaction channel in which the H atom and C 4 H 4 are formed. Within the above temperature range, the experimental rate constants of reaction 1 can be described by the Arrhenius expression k 1 =3.20×10 −12 exp (−3025 K/ T ) cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 . Data on reaction 1 available in the literature were analyzed and compared with the results of the current study. By comparing the results of the current study with those of Fahr and Stein (1988) it was possible to determine the rate constant of the reaction C 2 H 3 +C 2 H 3 →C 4 H 4 +2H (H 2 ) (3) used as a reference reaction by these authors: k 3 =1.3×10 −11 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 at T =1023–1273 K and pressures of 1–10 mTorr.
SilverII in aqueous perchlorate solutions

Abstract Spectrophotometric and kinetic studies show that silverII is complexed by perchlorate in aqueous solutions and that such silverII species obey Beer's law when decomposition kinetics are taken into account.
Damping of Axial Instabilities by Small-Scale Nozzles Under Cold-Flow Conditions

The damping of axial instabilities by a variety of small-scale solid rocket nozzles has been determined experimentally under cold-flow conditions using the modified impedance tube technique. The dependence of the damping upon the cavity depth and the secondary flow rate issuing from the cavity of a submerged nozzle, the geometry of the convergent section of a single-ported nozzle, and the number of nozzles present in a multipleported nozzle cluster has been determined. Measured data indicate that in the case of the submerged nozzle the cavity depth surrounding the nozzle has a significant effect upon the nozzle admittance while the secondary flow rate issuing from the cavity has negligible effect on the admittance. Tests conducted with conical, equal-radii-ofcurvature and linear-velocity-profile nozzles showed that conical nozzles provide the most damping. Tests with multiple-ported nozzles indicated that quadruple-ported nozzles provide less damping for axial instabilities than single and dual-ported nozzles whose damping capabilities are approximately the same.
A framework for empirical galaxy phenomenology: the scatter in galaxy ages and stellar metallicities

We develop a theoretical framework that extracts a deeper understanding of galaxy formation from empirically-derived relations among galaxy properties by extending the main-sequence integration method for computing galaxy star formation histories. We properly account for scatter in the stellar mass-star formation rate relation and the evolving fraction of passive systems and find that the latter effect is almost solely responsible for the age distributions among $z\sim0$ galaxies with stellar masses above $\sim 10^{10}\,{\rm M_{\odot}}$. However, while we qualitatively agree with the observed median stellar metallicity as a function of stellar mass, we attribute our inability to reproduce the distribution in detail largely to a combination of imperfect gas-phase metallicity and $\alpha$/Fe ratio calibrations. Our formalism will benefit from new observational constraints and, in turn, improve interpretations of future data by providing self-consistent star formation histories for population synthesis modeling.
Internet Shopping Orientation Segments: An Exploration of Differences in Consumer Behavior

The purpose of this study was to identify the orientations that consumers have toward Internet shopping. This study used factor analysis to reduce a set of 25 orientation statements into a smaller set of factors and cluster analysis to group respondents with similar consumer behavior. Results revealed 5 different orientations of Internet shoppers. The shopping segments were named the confident convenience-oriented comparison (3C's), store preferred, highly involved, apathetic, and apprehensive. Differences were found among the shopping segments in the frequency of visits to Internet shopping sites and the frequency of products purchased at the sites.