cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 174: Clinical Redesign Project to Improve Troponin Utilization at a University affiliated Community Hospital

Background: Cardiac troponin (CTn) is central to the diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes (ACS), however, in patients with low pre-test probability, the specificity of a positive CTn assay diminishes significantly. Overutilization of CTn assay is a rather prevalent problem and doctors often order further expensive testing for non-specific elevation in CTn. Methods: A clinical redesign team, formed in October 2015, defined four appropriate indications for ordering CTn assays, namely, chest pain, new EKG changes, cardiac arrest and angina equivalents such as shortness of breath and fatigue. We started by administering anonymous questionnaires, pertaining to CTn ordering practices, to different groups of healthcare providers at our hospital. Upon obtaining results of the questionnaire we executed a multifaceted intervention, including educational seminars and insertion of prompts in the electronic medical record system. We divided our study period into pre- and post-intervention periods of 1-year duration each and included a 17-week post-intervention interim analysis. We used Pearson’s correlation to test the null hypothesis that the pre- and post-intervention CTn assay volumes were not correlated and we used ANOVA to compare mean CTn assay volumes in the 38-week pre- and 17-week post-intervention period. Result: Overall: there was a 4% increase in ED patient volume and a 14% decrease in the total cTn order volume. Average cTn assays per ED patient decreased by 19%, from 0.26 to 0.21. The proportion of appropriate cTn assays increased post-intervention (45 vs 40% p=0.03). Interim analysis revealed a statistically significant decrease in weekly cTn order volume (r=0.903, p=0.0001). Percentage of cTn assays associated with a discharge diagnosis of ACS increased from 5.1% to 5.8% post-intervention (p= 0.001). Conclusion: cTn utilization can be effectively addressed by an organized multifaceted step-wise approach. Inappropriate utilization of cTn assays comes with associated cost implications due to the cost of the assay (nearly $50,000 cost savings in a year alone). It is quintessential to understand cTn ordering attitudes among different groups of healthcare providers. Our study also highlights the relevance of pre-test probability of ACS in any given patient before ordering cTn.
Involvement of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Gingiva of Patients with AIDS

The acquired immune deficiency syndrome, “AIDS”, is characterized by a reduction in the number and function of helper-inducer T cells, leading to severe immune suppression and allowing numerous opportunistic infections and neoplasms. Since the first reported case in July, 1982 (1), AIDS has achieved pandemic proportions, causing major health and socio-economic problems in several parts of the world. So far, AIDS remains an incurable disease which is fatal usually within three years.
Inward Rectifying Conductances in Inhibitory Neurons of Turtle Visual Cortex

Inhibitory neurons of turtle visual cortex demonstrate an inward rectification at hyperpolarized membrane potentials. The current was analyzed by a new method for estimating kinetic parameters from intracellular current-clamp experiments. We modeled the sag conductance as \( g\left( {v,t} \right) = \bar g_{\max ^{n^x } } \) and found that it has two components: a larger, rapidly-activating conductance, and a smaller, slower conductance. The estimated kinetic parameters are sufficient to completely specify the conductances in a compartmental model of the inhibitory neurons.
Leukoplakia of the urinary tract: a review.

AbstractWe herein describe 44 new cases of leukoplakia of the renal pelvis, bladder and urethra. Leukoplakia is uncommon. It occurs twice as often in the bladder as in the pelvis and ureter and it is associated with and perhaps caused by chronic infection. Carcinoma is present in 10 to 20 per cent of the cases at diagnosis. We believe that leukoplakia is not simple squamous metaplasia but a step further down the line—a process that evolved through squamous metaplasia and perhaps could result in cancer. We think leukoplakia is potentially pre-malignant and it should be treated as a low grade and low stage tumor since no satisfactory treatment exists.
A Method to Aggregate Turbine and Network Impedances for Wind Farm System Resonance Analysis

New sequence impedance models that account for additional harmonics caused by nonlinearity of PLL and dc bus voltage control have been developed for grid connected converters to improve their accuracy in predicting system resonance. This paper extends the method to wind farms with large number of turbines and develops aggregated farm sequence impedance models to account for the nonlinearity in individual turbine models as well as coupling among different turbines. The developed models are validated by detailed circuit simulation and demonstrated by system case studies.
Caesarean delivery, childhood asthma, and effect modification by sex: An observational study and meta-analysis.

Background Numerous studies indicate caesarean delivery is associated with childhood asthma. Sex-specific associations were reported in four of these studies, and in all four studies, the estimated association between caesarean delivery and asthma was of greater magnitude among girls, although most report a lack of evidence of multiplicative interaction. Methods We assessed potential effect modification by sex, on the additive and multiplicative scales, of the association between caesarean delivery and asthma by ages 2 through 6 in up to 17 075 racially diverse children from a retrospective birth cohort, the Kaiser Air Pollution and Pediatric Asthma (KAPPA) Study. We also conducted a random-effects meta-analysis, combining our sex-stratified results (using the odds ratio for compatibility with previous studies) with previously published results. Results Adjusted risk differences for caesarean delivery and asthma in the KAPPA cohort were higher among girls than boys at every follow-up age. By age 5, caesarean delivery was associated with an absolute 3.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.4%, 7.3%) higher asthma risk among girls and a 1.9% (95% CI -1.7, 5.4) higher risk among boys. The summary odds ratio from the meta-analysis for caesarean delivery and asthma among girls was 1.26 (95% CI 1.14, 1.39) and 1.08 (95% CI 0.98, 1.20) among boys (P = 0.036). Conclusions Higher, but imprecise, estimates for females across five studies should motivate investigators to estimate sex-specific associations for caesarean delivery and asthma and to explore biological mechanisms or sex-dependent biases that could explain this possible heterogeneity.
Resilient Optical Networks 1

Networking resilience is the ability to provide and maintain an acceptable level of service, albeit potentially degraded from nominal, in the face of faults and challenges to normal, including adversarial attacks. This paper explores the concept of resilient optical networks and scopes the important issues to be addressed in a sensible architecture. The solution includes monitoring and probing to determine the states of potentially unreliable network substrates, assessment of resilient network operating regimes, isolation of compromised assets, deployment of mitigation measures that may require communication over unreliable substrates and suggestions for resilient architecture design and improvement. The architecture construct evolves around a robust control plane that uses cognitive techniques to assess network states and automatically reacts to the on-set of impairments and attacks involving all the network layers from the Physical Layer to the Application Layer.
Proton Therapy in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 85% of new lung cancer cases and has 5-year survival rates ranging from 92% in early-stage disease to as low as 13% in locally advanced cases. Radiation therapy is a key component in the treatment repertoire for NSCLC, where it is currently used alone or in combinations with chemotherapy and surgery. Despite the broad use of modern photon radiation techniques, as many as 25% of patients experience isolated locoregional recurrences, and toxicity has been proven to be a limiting factor in many cases. Proton beam therapy (PBT) has emerged as a potential solution to improve upon clinical outcomes in both early-stage and locally advanced disease. The proton beam allows for a sharp dose build-up and drop-off, which is particularly important in lung cancer where nearby structures include the heart, spinal cord, esophagus, and uninvolved lung. There are now numerous studies showing dosimetric advantages of PBT in early and locally advanced NSCLC, particularly in the heart and lung doses. Randomized data comparing clinical outcomes between proton and photon radiation are limited to a small number of studies. Despite early results suggesting improvements or at least comparable outcomes with PBT, the most recent randomized comparisons have failed to show significant differences in toxicity and local control between photon and proton therapy. As newer PBT techniques (e.g., intensity-modulated proton therapy) are increasingly utilized, more dramatic improvements in tumor control and toxicity may be demonstrated. It is also important to recognize that there may be certain subpopulations in which the benefits of proton therapy are greater, such as central early-stage tumors, previously irradiated tumors, and locally advanced tumors, while others may best be treated with traditional photon techniques. As immunotherapy becomes more prevalent in the treatment of NSCLC, improving local control and limiting the toxicity contributed by radiation will be increasingly important. The unique dosimetric advantages of PBT may allow for tumor dose escalation while maintaining normal tissue doses to improve local control, or treating the tumor to the standard dose while decreasing normal tissue doses to improve toxicity. Finally, given the high costs of proton therapy, where low insurance approval rates have limited trial enrollment, it will be important to determine the overall cost-benefit ratio.
Speed Control for Doubly Fed Induction Motors With and Without Current Feedback

This paper presents a method to control the speed of doubly fed induction motors. The motivation lies in the possible use of such motors for hybrid electric propulsion. The stator of the motor is assumed to be supplied by three-phase voltages with frequency and magnitude that may vary. The rotor is supplied by a bidirectional converter. Two versions of the algorithm are presented. The first version does not rely on inner current loops, but instead commands directly the voltages applied to the rotor. These voltages are computed using an open-loop controller for torque and for stator reactive power, which is augmented to follow a speed reference profile. The second version uses stator and rotor current measurements to ensure tracking and limiting of the rotor currents. All the parameters of the control systems can be computed based on estimates of the machine parameters together with a desired time constant of the speed response. The alignment of an incremental encoder is integrated in the initialization of the algorithm. Practical implementation and testing are performed easily and rapidly. Experiments performed on a small-scale laboratory testbed show very good tracking performance of a speed profile in tests involving one motor, as well as two motors on a single three-phase supply. Improved current limiting is observed with the version incorporating current feedback.
The Relationship between body mass index (BMI) and sedentary behavior is mediated by negative peer interaction in boys.

To determine if self-reported negative social interaction mediates the relationship between sedentary behavior and body mass index (BMI) percentile in boys. Twelve overweight/obese (<85th BMI percentile) and 14 non-overweight (<85th BMI percentile) boys (10.5 ± 1.5 years old) completed surveys assessing overt peer victimization and relational victimization. Children were individually given access to a gymnasium with physical activity equipment and sedentary alternatives for 30 minutes. Children could play with the equipment in any pattern they wished and the amount of time allocated to sedentary activities (sitting time) was recorded. Overt and relational victimization were moderately and positively associated with BMI percentile (r ≥ 0.40, p ≤ 0.04) and sitting time (r ≥ 0.40, p ≤ 0.05) and sitting time was positively associated with BMI percentile (r = 0.4, p = 0.05). After controlling for overt and relational victimization the correlation between sitting time and BMI percentile was non-significant (r ≤ 0.28, p ≥ 0.18). The positive relationship between BMI percentile and sedentary behavior was mediated by measures of negative social interaction.
Chapter 6 – In vitro ADME and In vivo Pharmacokinetics

While target potency and selectivity are important attributes to consider as candidate compounds are evaluated, there are other important properties that must be evaluated before a candidate compound can move into the realm of in vivo efficacy testing. The pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of the candidate must also be suitable for the desired physiological response. In vitro absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicology screening systems can provide an opportunity to predict performance in an in vivo setting. Compounds that meet the program's criteria for advancement can then be tested in an in vivo setting to determine their clearance, volume of distribution, half-life, bioavailability, and related PK parameters. This information can be used to facilitate the design of improved analogs and to set the dosing levels for animal efficacy studies. In the absence of suitable PK properties, a lead compound cannot progress beyond the in vitro stage of discovery.
Microtia-Associated Syndromes

External ear development occurs from derivations of the first (mandibular) and second (hyoid) pharyngeal arches, with the first pharyngeal cleft responsible for the external auditory meatus. At approximately 5 weeks of age, each arch develops three elevations that form into the six hillocks of His that create very specific auricular structures. From the mandibular arch, the three hillocks form the tragus, helix, and cymba concha, while the three hillocks from the hyoid arch form the concha, antihelix, and antitragus. The ear is attached to the skull by anterior and posterior extrinsic as well as intrinsic ligaments, external (auricularis anterior, superior, and posterior) and internal (helicis major and minor, tragicus, antitragicus, and the transverse and oblique) muscles, skin, and the external auditory canal cartilage. The ear lies in a horizontal posterior position relative to the mandible and only achieves its rotated and elevated position during mandibular and facial growth. The ear itself is composed of neural crest cells, which are a specialized cell type responsible for much of facial development and migrate a large distance to make their cognate structures [1–4].
Rebuilding Soil Ecosystems for Improved Productivity in Biosolarized Soils

Disinfecting soil can reduce or eliminate crop loss from soilborne pathogens, parasitic nematodes, and weed competition. Biosolarization combines biotoxic products from organic matter decomposition and heat from solarization. While biosolarization offers an organic option for soil pest control and avoids human and environmental health risks associated with chemical fumigants, it still has broad negative impacts on microbial communities. Quickly reestablishing these communities can be key in preventing resurgence in disease pressure and in maximizing nutrient use efficiency. The objective of this study was to determine the ability of fertilization source, N fertilization rate, and/or inoculate to rebuild an active soil ecosystem in biosolarized soils by measuring nematode community structure, microbial biomass, and C and N mineralization in soil as well as kale yield and quality. The study was conducted using potted kale grown in biosolarized soils. Treatments were bare soil, receiving no fertilization, and soils receiving two different rates of organic, composted broiler litter or mineral fertilizer. Half of the pots in each treatment received a locally sourced microbial inoculant (LEM). Among the nonfertilized treatments, the soils that received applications of LEM mineralized more nitrogen and produced higher yields. Soils that received the highest rate of compost immobilized the greatest proportion of nitrogen applied, were the most cold-tolerant, and produced the largest yields. None of the kale that received heavy mineral fertilization without LEM inoculation survived a hard freeze; however, the ones that received LEM applications were able to partially recover. We also found that kale grown with lower rates of N (50 kg·ha−1), applied as compost plus LEM, had the greatest magnesium leaf content and were more economically efficient while producing an equally abundant and nutritious food.
Public Policy on Conditioning California’s Forests and Wildlands for Fire

Wildland fires are a serious problem affecting almost every continent. Means of preventing fires or reducing the risk of fire and cyclical fire regimes are a current focus of research. Public entities are negatively impacted by growing costs of fire prevention and fighting. Loss of human and other animal life is increasing while development and recreation in wildlands is making fire risk higher. Prescribed burns and mechanical removal techniques have been promoted by a number of forest scientists and public policy entities. Here we address these means and argue they are not producing the proposed risk reductions and are not cost effective. How the public debate on prevention and fighting fire is as important as ideas concerning human factors that promote wildfire. We discuss how these ideas and factors related to scientific evidence.
Office-Based Percutaneous Fasciotomy for Dupuytren Contracture

Percutaneous fasciotomy is a safe, simple, and inexpensive treatment for mild to moderate Dupuytren contracture. The decrease in extension deficit in the metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints after release correlates with improvement in patient-reported outcomes. Complications are rare and primarily include skin tears, which occur in approximately 4% of patients. Most patients are satisfied with the outcomes of the procedure at 1 year.
The Presence of Patellar Apprehension in Higher Degrees of Flexion Identifies Patients with Patella Alta and or Severe Trochlear Dysplasia

Objectives:Recurrent patellar instability is frequently treated surgically with reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL). Patients with significant patella alta, trochlear dyspla...
A PRIS network survey study of faculty physicians’ background and experiences with family-centered rounding

Introduction: The benefits of the Family-Centered Rounding (FCR) model are well established and the attending physician's role in FCR has been demonstrated to be important in its implementation. Th...
Hydrophobic dewetting in gating and regulation of transmembrane protein ion channels

Water is at the heart of almost all biological phenomena, without which no life that we know of would have been possible. It is a misleadingly complex liquid that exists in near coexistence with the vapor phase under ambient conditions. Confinement within a hydrophobic cavity can tip this balance enough to drive a cooperative dewetting transition. For a nanometer-scale pore, the dewetting transition leads to a stable dry state that is physically open but impermeable to ions. This phenomenon is often referred to as hydrophobic gating. Numerous transmembrane protein ion channels have now been observed to utilize hydrophobic gating in their activation and regulation. Here, we review recent theoretical, simulation, and experimental studies that together have started to establish the principles of hydrophobic gating and discuss how channels of various sizes, topologies, and biological functions can utilize these principles to control the thermodynamic properties of water within their interior pores for gating and regulation. Exciting opportunities remain in multiple areas, particularly on direct experimental detection of hydrophobic dewetting in biological channels and on understanding how the cell may control the hydrophobic gating in regulation of ion channels.
Eaton Corporation: Portfolio Transformation and The Cost of Capital

Eaton Corporation, a diversified industrial conglomerate, had been changing its strategic focus and re-configuring its portfolio of businesses for the past 15 years. Through more than 70 acquisitions and 50 divestitures, Eaton had narrowed its strategic focus considerably and was now pursuing a strategy based on “intelligent power” (i.e., using digitally enabled products, data, and software to increase efficiency and reliability of its products and services). In January 2020, Eaton got an offer from Danfoss, a diversified Danish multinational, to buy its hydraulics business for $3.3 billion. Eaton CEO Craig Arnold must decide if it makes sense strategically to sell this business and if $3.3 billion is a fair price for the business. This short case shows how firms use discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis to make important strategic decisions. Rather than analyzing the free cash flows in detail, this case focuses on the cost of capital. Designed in this way, it helps students understand the intuition behind and the mechanics for calculating a firm’s weighted average cost of capital (WACC) using the capital asset pricing model (CAPM). An Appendix explains the intuition and derives the WACC formula; case data allows students to calculate the WACC and provides an opportunity to discuss the various assumptions. The case also explains the theoretical differences between a corporate and a divisional cost of capital, and vividly illustrates the potential for serious valuation errors if the incorrect WACC is used. Finally, and equally importantly, this case highlights one of the most successful black executives in corporate America (Craig Arnold) who would be the fifth black CEO to head a Fortune 500 company in 2019 if Eaton were domiciled in the U.S. (Eaton relocated to Ireland in 2012). Although this case was designed to emphasize the discount rate specifically, it can be used across two classes to teach DCF valuation more generally. On the first day, the instructor can teach the definition and calculation of FCFs (and terminal values); on the second day, the instructor can discuss the WACC and the resulting NPV.
A Novel Intensification Strategy for Wet Media Milling of Drug Suspensions: Bead Mixtures

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of various mixtures of crosslinked polystyrene (CPS) and yttrium-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) beads (CPS:YSZ=0:1–1:0 v:v) on the breakage kinetics and energy consumption during the wet stirred media milling (WSMM) of fenofibrate (FNB, BCS II drug). Twenty WSMM experiments were conducted with various mixtures at different stirrer speeds (3000, 4000 rpm) and bead loadings (0.35, 0.50) with a suspension of 10% FNB, 7.5% HPC-L, 0.05% SDS. Laser diffraction, viscometry, XRPD, and PLM imaging were used for characterization. A new modified microhydrodynamic model considering bead packing was used to interpret the roles of different beads. The results showed YSZ beads provided faster breakage, which was supported by the microhydrodynamic results. On the other hand, CPS beads required lower stirrer power. When both cycle time and specific energy consumption were considered for process optimality, YSZ–CPS bead mixtures performed better than YSZ or CPS alone and the optimal bead mixture was found to depend on the stirrer speed and the bead loading.
Oligomeric proanthocyanidins inhibit endogenous enzymatic activity of deciduous carious dentin

Abstract Purpose Dentin endogenous proteases are involved in the progression of dental caries. This study investigated the proteolytic activity of endogenous enzymes of carious and sound dentin of primary teeth and the potential selective inhibitory effect of plant-derived proanthocyanidins (PACs). Methods Carious and sound dentin from forty extracted primary teeth were collected and cryo-pulverized into a fine powder. Two PAC mixtures were prepared from grape seeds (Vitis vinifera, Vv), an oligomer enriched and polymer depleted extract (Vve) as well as a further refined mixture containing primarily trimeric and tetrameric PACs (Vv3+4). Fluorescein conjugate-gelatin was used as cleavage substrate. The inhibition of endogenous protease activity was determined by the fluorescence emission intensity of cleaved gelatin at 535 nm over a 24-hour period. Results Deciduous carious dentin exhibited higher gelatinolytic activity (~7 fold higher) than sound dentin (p Conclusions Endogenous enzymes are highly active in carious dentin, contributing for host-driven degradation along with the breakdown by cariogenic bacteria. The protease inhibitory effect of both the refined Vv3+4 preparation and its Vve precursor appears to be promising as an effective strategy to impair caries progression in primary teeth.
An Assessment of Terrorism-Related Investing Strategies

Do terrorism-related investing strategies generate abnormal returns or risks? Employing two strategies for U.S. stocks over the past decade, the author finds that this is not the case. The first strategy evaluates a subportfolio of S&P 500 stocks which is constructed based on a terrorism-related risk score that measures a company9s degree of operations in countries with a high incidence of terrorism-related activity. The second strategy evaluates a “terror-free” portfolio of S&P 500 stocks that are screened based on the presence of a company9s operations in countries deemed state sponsors of terrorism by the U.S. Department of State. The author finds that the terrorism-related risk exposure portfolio would have earned, on average, an economically small and statistically insignificant 16 bps premium per month with a tracking error of 2.8% per month and the terror-free portfolio would have earned an even smaller –1.6 bps premium per month with a tracking error of 25 bps per month. Return attribution analysis using a multifactor model uncovers interesting differences in systematic exposures to market risks and factors related to size, market-to-book ratios, and momentum.
ℓp(ℤd)-Improving properties and sparse bounds for discrete spherical maximal averages

We exhibit a range of lP(ℤD)-improving properties for the discrete spherical maximal average in every dimension d ≥ 5. These improving properties are then used to establish sparse bounds, which extend the discrete maximal theorem of Magyar, Stein, and Wainger to weighted spaces. In particular, the sparse bounds imply that in every dimension d ≥ 5 the discrete spherical maximal average is a bounded map from l2(w) into l2(w) provided $${w^{{d \over {d - 4}}}}$$ belongs to the Muckenhoupt class A2.
A conceptual framework for non-military investigators to understand the joint Roles of medical care in the setting of future large scale combat operations.

As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan end, the US military has begun to transition to the multi-domain operations concept with preparation for large scale combat operations against a near-peer adversary. In large scale combat operations, the deployed trauma system will likely see challenges not experienced during the Global War on Terrorism. The development of science and technology will be critical to close existing capability gaps and optimize casualty survival. This review comprises a framework of deployed trauma care to provide non-military investigators a general understanding of our deployed trauma care system.Trauma care begins at the Role 1 which encompasses all care from the point of injury and the battalion aid station, through transport to the Role 2 or forward staged mobile surgical team such as a Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment. Role 1 point of injury care approximates the care delivered by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel. The Battalion Aid Station approximates the care available at a freestanding emergency center with significant differences in training level of the providers, number of beds, and diagnostic capabilities. Role 2 medical care is part of an area support medical company with surgical capabilities. The Role 2 represents the first role of care which provides damage control surgery. This capability approximates a small community hospital with the primary difference being limited patient holding capacity and reduced diagnostic equipment. The Role 3 field hospital is the largest military treatment facility in the deployed setting. The Role 3 approximates a civilian level 2 trauma center with smaller holding capabilities and diagnostic abilities limited to that of a computed tomography (CT) scanner and less.
Analysis of Impurities in Illicit Methamphetamine Exhibits. III: Determination of Methamphetamine and Methylamine Adulterant by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

For this third paper in a series reporting the results of analyses of illicit methamphetamine preparations [1,2], exhibits of dl-methamphetamine hydrochloride (I) appearing as off-white blocks or hygroscopic powder were examined and found to contain substantial quantities of methylamine hydrochloride (II). Some of the powder exhibits contained, as diluents, mannitol (III), dextrose (IV), or a combination of one of these with magnesium sulfate. Examination for other impurities indicated only traces, at most, of unidentifiable compounds.
Characterization of Small Molecule Gβγ Inhibitors in the Context of Inflammation

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with widespread inflammation. A significant contributor to SLE is the excessive recruitment and activation of immune cells to inflamed si...
Development of Normal Ocular Alignment

Ocular alignment was examined in a large population of normal infants to determine the prevalence of various motility findings at ages ranging from birth to 10 months. Exodeviations were frequently seen up to the age of 6 months. Esodeviations were occasionally seen in infants who did not go on to develop congenital esotropia, but not after 2 months of age. It is unclear whether precursors of pathologic strabismus, such as congenital esotropia, can be distinguished from these transient ocular deviations seen in normal infants. However, any strabismus persisting after the ages listed above should be considered abnormal and receive ophthalmologic evaluation.
An Introduction to Analysis

Contents: The rudiments of set theory.- Number systems.- Linear analysis.- Cardinal numbers.- Ordinal numbers.- Metric spaces.- Continuity and limits.- Completeness and compactness.- General topology.- Bibliography.- Index.
Further Results for the Queue GI/G/1

The main topics of this chapter are the remaining workload and the queue length, defined as follows. At any time t ≥0 the remaining workload W(t) is the amount of work that the server has to do to serve all the customers present in the system at that time. The queue length Q(t) is the number of customers present, waiting, or being served at time t. The analysis of the processes {W (t), t ≥ 0} and {Q(t), t ≥ 0} calls for techniques different from those used in Chapter 1.
Time-Complexity of Multilayered DNA Strand Displacement Circuits

Recently we have shown how molecular logic circuits with many components arranged in multiple layers can be built using DNA strand displacement reactions. The potential applications of this and similar technologies inspire the study of the computation time of multilayered molecular circuits. Using mass action kinetics to model DNA strand displacement-based circuits, we discuss how computation time scales with the number of layers. We show that depending on circuit architecture, the time-complexity does not necessarily scale linearly with the depth as is assumed in the usual study of circuit complexity. We compare circuits with catalytic and non-catalytic components, showing that catalysis fundamentally alters asymptotic time-complexity. Our results rely on simple asymptotic arguments that should be applicable to a wide class of chemical circuits. These results may help to improve circuit performance and may be useful for the construction of faster, larger and more reliable molecular circuitry.
A Critic Unfettered: The Legacy of Ernest Feder

Ernest Ludwig Feder was among the most prolific, creative and boldest of rural economists in the decades after the Second World War. Yet much of the work for which he would become most well known — on land reform, dependency and peasant agriculture, particularly in Latin America — was a comparatively late development, starting when he was almost fifty, more than two-thirds of the way through a full and varied life that never conformed to conventional academic criteria and that came to a premature end when he was just seventy-one. In the years since, the relevance of his work has grown, although the number of younger scholars who actually read his books and papers has declined.
Purification and characterization of hydroxypyruvate reductase from the facultative methylotroph Methylobacterium extorquens AM1.

Hydroxypyruvate reductase was purified to homogeneity from the facultative methylotroph Methylobacterium extorquens AM1. It has a molecular mass of about 71 kDa, and it consists of two identical subunits with a molecular mass of about 37 kDa. This enzyme uses both NADH (K_m = 0.04 mM) and NADPH (K_m = 0.06 mM) as cofactors, uses hydroxypyruvate (K_m = 0.1 mM) and glyoxylate (K_m = 1.5 mM) as the only substrates for the forward reaction, and carries out the reverse reaction with glycerate (K_m = 2.6 mM) only. It was not possible to detect the conversion of glycolate to glyoxylate, a proposed role for this enzyme. Kinetics and inhibitory studies of the enzyme from M. extorquens AM1 suggest that hydroxypyruvate reductase is not a site for regulation of the serine cycle at the level of enzyme activity.
Ensuring Academic Integrity through Community and Campus Outreach

According to a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center, “Most college presidents (55%) say that plagiarism in students’ papers has increased over the past 10 years.” Academic librarians at Magale Library of Centenary College are addressing Pew’s documented increase in plagiarism by engaging local high schools, campus faculty and other local librarians. Magale Library recently organized collaborative efforts with other area academic and public librarians to allow for the collective sharing of ideas and to create a forum for discussion regarding how to improve information literacy on our campuses, further engage faculty and offer suggestions for classroom interventions that will increase student skills and success. Magale also initiated dialogue with Caddo Parish School Librarians by offering to provide supplemental instruction to college-bound high school students on academic expectations, specifically the issues of original writing and avoiding plagiarism. In addition, the librarians at Magale are currently developing seminars for campus faculty and local high school librarians and instructors which will cover ways to identify plagiarism, how to develop plagiarism-proof assignments and how to address instances of academic dishonesty.
A Double Cantilever Beam Test for Characterizing Mode I Delamination of Composite Materials

The double cantilever beam test is examined as a candidate for measuring in terlaminar fracture resistance as related to normal stress induced delamina tion. A number of approaches to data reduction schemes used in conjunction with this test method for determining critical strain energy release rate are discussed. Experimental data on unidirectional tape and bidirectional cloth graphite fiber reinforced polymeric matrix composites are compared to assess the potential of the double cantilever beam test as a materials screening tool. Matrix materials of varying inherent toughness were chosen for comparative purposes. Center notch data for 90-degree unidirectional graphite-epoxy composites were also obtained as a basis for test method comparison.
Heuristic Collision-Free Path Planning for an Autonomous Platform

In this paper, a heuristic and learning, algorithmic scheme for collision-free navigation is presented. This scheme determines an optimum collision-free navigation path of an autonomous platform by using a ‘trial and error’ process, past navigation knowledge and current information extracted from the generated surrounding environment.
Valacyclovir and acyclovir pharmacokinetics in immunocompromised children.

Background Valacyclovir, an orally administered pro-drug of acyclovir, is utilized in the therapy of herpes simplex and herpes zoster infections. Little data regarding the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability are available for pediatric patients. This report describes acyclovir pharmacokinetics following valacyclovir administration in immunocompromised pediatric patients, compares pharmacokinetic parameters following oral valacyclovir and IV acyclovir, and provides a limited assessment of efficacy in the setting of active herpes zoster infection. Procedure A total of 37 immunocompromised children were enrolled on one of two studies. Pharmacokinetic data are available for 32 patients following valacyclovir (15 mg/kg) administration, 11 of whom also had pharmacokinetic sampling following IV acyclovir administration. Three patients received valacyclovir as treatment for herpes zoster infections. Results Mean (+/-SD) C(max) values for acyclovir following oral valacyclovir were 18.8 +/- 7 microM with a total exposure of 4,106 +/- 1,519 microM min. The mean bioavailability of acyclovir from valacyclovir was 64%. Grade 1 nausea and emesis, which occurred in five patients was the only valacyclovir-related toxicity. Two of the three patients treated for herpes zoster had complete scabbing of lesions by day 9. Conclusion Valacyclovir (15 mg/kg) was well tolerated in pediatric patients and demonstrated excellent bioavailability. Consideration should be given to the use of oral valacyclovir for the treatment of herpes zoster in clinically stable pediatric oncology patients.
CD4 T cells: fates, functions, and faults

In 1986, Mosmann and Coffman identified 2 subsets of activated CD4 T cells, Th1 and Th2 cells, which differed from each other in their pattern of cytokine production and their functions. Our understanding of the importance of the distinct differentiated forms of CD4 T cells and of the mechanisms through which they achieve their differentiated state has greatly expanded over the past 2 decades. Today at least 4 distinct CD4 T-cell subsets have been shown to exist, Th1, Th2, Th17, and iTreg cells. Here we summarize much of what is known about the 4 subsets, including the history of their discovery, their unique cytokine products and related functions, their distinctive expression of cell surface receptors and their characteristic transcription factors, the regulation of their fate determination, and the consequences of their abnormal activation.
Determination of dipicolinic acid by high-pressure liquid chromatography.

Abstract A method for the analysis of dipicolinic acid by high-pressure liquid chromatography on a weak anion exchanger in the presence of an EDTA buffer is described. The method requires only simple sample processing, is rapid, and provides a linear response to dipicolinate concentration over a range of 0.02 to 10 μg. The dipicolinate content of less than 1 μg of bacterial spores can be measured and the presence of nonsporulatd bacterial cells causes no interference.
“Perceptual centers” in speech production and perception

Morton, Marcus, and Frankish (1976) report that listeners hear acoustically isochronous digit sequences as anisochronous. Moreover, given a chance to adjust intervals in the sequences until they are perceptually isochronous, the listeners introduce systematic deviations from isochrony. The present series of studies investigates these phenomena further. They indicate that when asked toproduce isochronous sequences, talkers generate precisely the acoustic anisochronies that listeners require in order tohear a sequence as isochronous. The acoustic anisochronies that talkers produce are expected if talkers initiate the articulation of successive items in the sequence at temporally equidistant intervals. Items whose initial consonants differ in respect to manner class will have acoustic consequences (other than silence) at different lags with respect to their articulatory onsets thereby generating the observed acoustic anisochronies. The findings suggest that listeners judge isochrony based on acoustic information aboutarticulatory timing rather than on some articulation-free acoustic basis.
Cytogenetic aberrations and DNA ploidy in soft tissue sarcoma: A southwest oncology group study

Abstract We performed cytogenetic analysis and determined DNA content by flow cytometry (FCM) on freshly disaggregated tumor biopsies from 45 patients with soft tissue sarcomas (STG). Cytogenetically aberrant clones characterized 30 (67%) tumors, with the remaining 15 yielding normal karyotypes with or without nonclonal aberrations. No tumors with multiple unrelated clones were observed. Among the 30 tumors with clonally abnormal karyotypes, 21 (70%) had near-diploid stemlines, six were near-triploid and three were near-tetraploid. Ten of the clonally aberrant tumors contained nonramdom chromosomal translocations characteristic of histologic subtypes. Overrepresentation of chromosomes 7 and 8 were common numerical aberrations. Structural aberrations most often involved chromosomes 1, 7, 9, 12, and 14. Clustering of breaks in 9p resulting in partial loss of the short arm was frequent. Unstable aberrations including rings, dicentrics, large markers, small numbers of double minutes, and telomeric associations were seen in nine tumors. With FCM, 27 (60%) tumors had aneuploid DNA content and 18 (40%) were DNA diploid. Of those 18 DNA diploid tumors, 11 showed clonal karyotypic aberrations. In addition, apparent discrepancies between the results of the cytogenetics and FCM with respect to ploidy pattern were seen in 13 samples; 11 had DNA content in the peritriploid to peritetraploid range but the corresponding karyotype was normal or near-diploid. When the findings of the cytogenetics and DNA content analyses were combined, an abnormal cell population by one or both methods was detected in 38 (84%) tumors. The concurrent application of standard cytogenetics and DNA ploidy by FCM provide complementary information confirming a high incidence of genetic alterations in STS.
αB-crystallin inhibits glucose-induced apoptosis in vascular endothelial cells

Recent studies implicate hyperglycemia as a cause of vascular complications in diabetes. Our study confirmed that high concentration of glucose (30 mM) induces apoptosis in cultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. After 5 days of culture TUNEL positive cells in high concentration of glucose were nearly 63% higher when compared to normal concentration of glucose (5 mM). Transfection of pcDNA3-rat αB-crystallin into these cells inhibited high glucose-induced apoptosis by ∼36%, such an effect was not observed when cells were transfected with an empty vector. αB-crystallin transfection inhibited by about 35% of high glucose induced activation of caspase-3. High concentration of glucose enhanced formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in these cells but this was significantly (p < 0.001) curtailed by transfection of αB-crystallin. Results of our study indicate that αB-crystallin effectively inhibits both ROS formation and apoptosis in cultured vascular endothelial cells and provide a basis for future therapeutic interventions in diabetic vascular complications.
Network support for multimedia: a discussion of the Tenet approach

Abstract Multimedia communication can be supported in an integrated-services network in the general framework of realtime communication. The Tenet Group has devised an approach that provides some initial solutions to the realtime communication problem. This paper attempts to identify the principles behind these solutions. We also describe a suite of protocols, and their implementations in several environments, that embody these principles, and work in progress that will lead towards more complete solutions.
Limb bone morphology, bone strength, and cursoriality in lagomorphs.

The primary aim of this study is to broadly evaluate the relationship between cursoriality (i.e. anatomical and physiological specialization for running) and limb bone morphology in lagomorphs. Relative to most previous studies of cursoriality, our focus on a size-restricted, taxonomically narrow group of mammals permits us to evaluate the degree to which ‘cursorial specialization’ affects locomotor anatomy independently of broader allometric and phylogenetic trends that might obscure such a relationship. We collected linear morphometrics and μCT data on 737 limb bones covering three lagomorph species that differ in degree of cursoriality: pikas (Ochotona princeps, non-cursorial), jackrabbits (Lepus californicus, highly cursorial), and rabbits (Sylvilagus bachmani, level of cursoriality intermediate between pikas and jackrabbits). We evaluated two hypotheses: cursoriality should be associated with (i) lower limb joint mechanical advantage (i.e. high ‘displacement advantage’, permitting more cursorial species to cycle their limbs more quickly) and (ii) longer, more gracile limb bones, particularly at the distal segments (as a means of decreasing rotational inertia). As predicted, highly cursorial jackrabbits are typically marked by the lowest mechanical advantage and the longest distal segments, non-cursorial pikas display the highest mechanical advantage and the shortest distal segments, and rabbits generally display intermediate values for these variables. Variation in long bone robusticity followed a proximodistal gradient. Whereas proximal limb bone robusticity declined with cursoriality, distal limb bone robusticity generally remained constant across the three species. The association between long, structurally gracile limb bones and decreased maximal bending strength suggests that the more cursorial lagomorphs compromise proximal limb bone integrity to improve locomotor economy. In contrast, the integrity of distal limb bones is maintained with increasing cursoriality, suggesting that the safety factor takes priority over locomotor economy in those regions of the postcranial skeleton that experience higher loading during locomotion. Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that cursoriality is associated with a common suite of morphological adaptations across a range of body sizes and radiations.