cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical experience with linezolid in infants and children

The worldwide spread of multidrug-resistant organisms has required the development of new antimicrobials. Linezolid, the first oxazolidinone, has a broad spectrum of activity against Gram-positive bacteria, including resistant strains. Although approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2002, the clinical experience with linezolid in the paediatric population is still limited, also given the fact that in most European countries the paediatric use of linezolid is off-label. In this paper we summarize the actual evidence on both licensed and off-label clinical uses of linezolid in children, including efficacy, safety and tolerability issues. Taking into account the potential bias in comparing heterogeneous clinical trials and reports, the available literature data suggest that linezolid is a safe and effective agent for the treatment of serious Gram-positive bacterial infections in neonates and children. At present, linezolid is reserved for those children who are intolerant to or fail conventional agents. A linezolid-containing regimen can be a valuable option for treating multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in children as well as disseminated non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections. Given the rare occurrence of serious side effects, careful monitoring of haematological parameters, possible drug interactions and neurological manifestations is recommended in linezolid-treated children, especially in case of prolonged treatments. Appropriate linezolid dosage and hospital infection control measures are essential to avoid the spread of linezolid resistance. Further studies are needed to establish novel paediatric indications for linezolid use and to assess the tolerability of long-term treatments.
A replicon trans-packaging system reveals the requirement of nonstructural proteins for the assembly of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) virion

A selective trans-packaging system was developed to produce and isolate bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) pseudo-particles with complementing reporter replicons and their packaging proteins expressed in trans with recombinant vaccinia virus. The encapsidation of replicon rNS3-5B was dependent not only on the in trans expression of structural proteins C, E(rns), E1 and E2, but also the nonstructural proteins, p7 and contiguous precursor NS2-3-4A. Nonstructural p7, NS4B, NS5A or NS5B could be expressed in cis and in trans with precursor NS2-3-4A without significantly affecting virion assembly efficiency. NS2-3-4A was identified as an in trans functional precursor in virion assembly. BVDV genomes with mutant NS5B, which did not undergo active replication, were packaged 5-fold less efficiently than the intact genomes demonstrating the importance of replication in virion packaging. These results suggest that genome replication and assembly are closely associated, consistent with a model in which these two steps are coupled for maximum efficiency.
Human immune responses to lymphatic filariasis in Papua New Guinea.

Abstract The following review highlights our current knowledge about the host immune response to lymphatic filariasis. Our understanding of how the host immune response influences the risk of developing disease has changed dramatically over the past decade. Previously the spectrum of disease associated with lymphatic filariasis was largely attributed to the nature of the host immune response. Now we appreciate that the duration and intensity of infection and possibly the direct influence of parasite-derived molecules also determine the risk of disease. The review highlights recent studies examining the influence of transmission intensity on the host immune response, and how this might be mediated by defects in antigen-presenting cell function, and also the role of basophils and mast cells.
Intense Low-Emittance-Electron-Gun Development at Phermex

Experimental measurements and theoretical calculations have been performed and compared for the PHERMEX standard electron gun. Slight changes in the gun configuration have produced significant changes in beam intensity and quality. It is hoped that the present gun configuration can be extended to even higher perveances (without significant loss of beam quality) through a joint theoretical and experimental effort.
Mechanoelectric Feedback in a Model of the Passively Inflated Left Ventricle

Mechanoelectric feedback has been described in isolated cells and intact ventricular myocardium, but the me- chanical stimulus that governs mechanosensitive channel activ- ity in intact tissue is unknown. To study the interaction of myocardial mechanics and electrophysiology in multiple di- mensions, we used a finite element model of the rabbit ven- tricles to simulate electrical propagation through passively loaded myocardium. Electrical propagation was simulated using the collocation-Galerkin finite element method. A stretch- dependent current was added in parallel to the ionic currents in the Beeler-Reuter ventricular action potential model. We in- vestigated different mechanical coupling parameters to simulate stretch-dependent conductance modulated by either fiber strain, cross-fiber strain, or a combination of the two. In response to pressure loading, the conductance model governed by fiber strain alone reproduced the epicardial decrease in action poten- tial amplitude as observed in experimental preparations of the passively loaded rabbit heart. The model governed by only cross-fiber strain reproduced the transmural gradient in action potential amplitude as observed in working canine heart experi- ments, but failed to predict a sufficient decrease in amplitude at the epicardium. Only the model governed by both fiber and cross-fiber strain reproduced the epicardial and transmural changes in action potential amplitude similar to experimental observations. In addition, dispersion of action potential duration nearly doubled with the same model. These results suggest that changes in action potential characteristics may be due not only to length changes along the long axis direction of the myofiber, but also due to deformation in the plane transverse to the fiber axis. The model provides a framework for investigating how cellular biophysics affect the function of the intact ventricles. © 2001 Biomedical Engineering Society. @DOI: 10.1114/1.1366670#
A Review of: “An Existentialist Curriculum of Action: Creating a Language of Freedom and Possibility”

With the current emphasis on standardization in the nations' public schools, the pressures placed on teachers and schools through the accountability mechanism of No Child Left Behind, and post-9/11...
Individual Learning and Organizational Routine: Emerging Connections

The intent of this review essay is to draw attention to a striking convergence of work on learning being done-separately until now-by students of organizational learning and by psychologists interested in memory and in skilled performance. Issues being raised in the study of organizational learning are nicely complemented by current developments in psychology. They provide both confirmation of what organization theorists have intuited about individuals and a more differentiated understanding of skill-learning and memory that should enrich organizational theorizing and observation. The plan of the essay is to sketch an interesting example of recent work on both the organizational and psychological sides, then to discuss their points of contact. In Information and Organizations, Arthur L. Stinchcombe has made a large-scale effort to extract and reframe central organization theory assertions of major figures such as Schumpeter, Chandler, and Simon. He synthesizes them with insights derived from his own observations of manufacturing, oil extraction, construction, and, university administration to obtain a distinctive new perspective on organizations. The result is a very stimulating argument that the variety of organizational forms we see about us are the product of a fundamental organizational dynamic: the seeking and processing of information about the organization's key uncertainties. In effect, organizational structure is viewed as a design for organizational learning, for acquiring information about the state of the world and for improving what the organization can do. The foundation of organizational capabilities, in Stinchcombe's view, are the skills of its individual members. These he compares to small computer programs: "the parts of an individual's skill which are completely routinized are the parts that he or she does not have to think about once a routine is switched on in the worker's mind, it goes on the end without further consultation of the higher faculties" (p. 63). The view is somewhat similar to that of Nelson and Winter (1982). Information about uncertainties ("the news" as Stinchcombe often calls it) serves two purposes with respect to the repertoire of skills: in building/modifying its contents, the routines themselves, and in switching activation among those routines potentially relevant to the current context. Building and modifying the repertoire are fundamental activities because they embody learning in routines, thus constituting a major form of organizational memory. The steady refinement of that repertoire generates much of the performance improvement we see in learning curve research (as in the article in this issue by Argote and Epple). The rate of such improvement can be dramatic, which causes Stinchcombe to remark that "at the beginning of a production run there is not much one can do that is as inefficient as buying the same activities today that one bought yesterday" (p. 372/133).
Tumor Necrosis Factor α Regulates Collagenolytic Activity in Preovulatory Ovine Follicles: Relationship to Cytokine Secretion by the Oocyte-Cumulus Cell Complex

The pleiotropic cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha has been implicated in the mechanism of ovulation. Experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that TNF-alpha secreted from the oocyte-cumulus cell complex stimulates follicular collagenase production and thereby contributes to ovarian wall degradation and ovulatory rupture. Proestrous ewes were treated with GnRH to synchronize the onset of the gonadotropin surge; ovulation occurs approximately 24 h later. There was an increase in TNF-alpha (immunoassay) in antral fluid of preovulatory follicles at 18 h after GnRH, which was related to tissue collagenolytic bioactivity (radiolabeled type I substrate digestion by enzymatic extract) and collagen (hydroxyproline) depletion. Intrafollicular injection of TNF-alpha antibodies at 12 h after GnRH negated the rise in follicular collagenolytic bioactivity (and is known to block ovulation in the sheep). Moreover, collagenase production was enhanced when follicular tissues (0 h GnRH) were incubated (6 h) with recombinant TNF-alpha; this effect was abolished by the transcriptional inhibitor actinomycin D. Secretion of TNF-alpha by oocyte-cumulus cell complexes isolated from preovulatory follicles simulated the in vivo circumstance. Immunostaining indicated that TNF-alpha was confined mainly to the oocyte before GnRH administration, accumulated in cumulus cells during the mid-to-late preovulatory period, and was expended with the imminent approach of ovulation. To our knowledge, this is the first report specifying that up-regulation of collagenase expression is a target mode of TNF-alpha action in preovulatory follicles. The oocyte-cumulus cell complex is an apparent source of soluble TNF-alpha.
Suitability for Digital Logic and Scaling of Atomistic Magnetic QCA

Electronic logic circuits represented by silicon CMOS transistors scaled for the past 40 years to reach nanoscale device sizes. Currently the search is on for alternative, "beyond CMOS", logic devices, which might have certain advantages compared to electronic logic and will enable further scaling of logic circuits. Spintronics (spin-based logic) is one such possibility. However, schemes for spintronic devices are often proposed and pursued without the analysis of their suitability for digital logic. Here we analyze one type of spintronic devices, magnetic quantum cellular automata (MQCA), verify that it satisfies necessary requirements, and determine its scaling trends.
Dosimetry and calibration of low-energy brachytherapy sources: implications for dose prescription

The goals of this talk are to: (1) review the source strength specification quantities and NIST standards employed for Pd-103 and I-125 interstitial brachytherapy sources; (2) review the role played by Monte Carlo simulation in the clinical dosimetry of these sources; and (3) describe clinical implementation of dosimetry and source strength standards, with emphasis on selection of prescribed dose and published AAPM guidance.
Deaminase-independent inhibition of HIV-1 reverse transcription by APOBEC3G

APOBEC3G (A3G), a host protein that inhibits HIV-1 reverse transcription and replication in the absence of Vif, displays cytidine deaminase and single-stranded (ss) nucleic acid binding activities. HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC) also binds nucleic acids and has a unique property, nucleic acid chaperone activity, which is crucial for efficient reverse transcription. Here we report the interplay between A3G, NC and reverse transcriptase (RT) and the effect of highly purified A3G on individual reactions that occur during reverse transcription. We find that A3G did not affect the kinetics of NC-mediated annealing reactions, nor did it inhibit RNase H cleavage. In sharp contrast, A3G significantly inhibited all RT-catalyzed DNA elongation reactions with or without NC. In the case of (-) strong-stop DNA synthesis, the inhibition was independent of A3G's catalytic activity. Fluorescence anisotropy and single molecule DNA stretching analyses indicated that NC has a higher nucleic acid binding affinity than A3G, but more importantly, displays faster association/disassociation kinetics. RT binds to ssDNA with a much lower affinity than either NC or A3G. These data support a novel mechanism for deaminase-independent inhibition of reverse transcription that is determined by critical differences in the nucleic acid binding properties of A3G, NC and RT.
Infiltration Rate of a Sandy Loam Soil: Effects of Traffic, Tillage, and Plant Roots

Settling and trafficking of a soil after tillage causes rapid changes in the soil physical condition until a new equilibrium is reached. In the soil studied, a Wasco (coarse-loamy, mixed, nonacid, thermic Typic Torriorthent) sandy loam, soil compaction reduces infiltration rates, which under grower conditions could result in inadequate infiltration of irrigation water to supply crop requirements. Our objective was to evaluate important management practices as they relate to changes in the infiltration rate of a sandy loam soil. Factors evaluated were traffic, tillage between crops, and the formation of channels by roots of perennial crops. Tillage between crops increased the infiltration rate during the first part of the season in trafficked soils but decreased or had no effect on nontrafficked soil. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) increased the infiltration rate fourfold during a 2-yr period in a heavily compacted soil. An increase in bulk density from 1.6 to 1.8 Mg m-3 decreased infiltration rate 54% in the field. Hydraulic conductivity of undisturbed cores was at least seven times larger than that measured in columns of disturbed soil (same bulk density). This difference is believed to be the result of natural channels in the undisturbed soil that are destroyed when the soil is disturbed. Under controlled traffic, when surface seal is not a problem, tillage will not be necessary to obtain adequate infiltration rates except in the wheel paths.
The role of pharmacological steroid therapy in preservation of renal function in severely injured patients requiring massive transfusion.

Glucocorticoids (GC) attenuate the post-insult inflammatory response and have been observed to confer end-organ protection following a variety of ischemic insults. We aim to assess this benefit on renal perfusion and function in injured patients requiring massive transfusion. The effect of pharmacologic methylprednisolone (MP) therapy was studied in 118 patients (pts), of whom 60, by random, received 1 g MP intraoperatively and 15 mg/kg for an additional 3 days. Postoperative measurements were made of effective renal plasma flow (ERPF), glomerular filtration by inulin (CIn), creatinine clearance (CCr) and clearances of osmoles (CCosm), sodium (CNa), and free water ( $${\text{C}}_{{{\text{H}}_{ 2} {\text{O}}}}$$ ). Continuous variables were compared between the two groups using the student’s t test. Enrolled pts on average received 13.5 units of PRBCs with no differences in the resuscitation regimen. There were no statistically significant differences in the postoperative renal function as measured by ERPF (p = 0.57), CIn (p = 0.84), CCr (p = 0.99), CNa (p = 0.07), COsm (p = 0.95), and $${\text{C}}_{{{\text{H}}_{ 2} {\text{O}}}}$$ (p = 0.33). The incidence of renal compromise, as determined by an inulin clearance of <25 mL/min or serum creatinine greater than 3.0 mg/dL, was also similar. Three patients in the MP treatment group had renal compromise compared to one in the control group. In the absence of larger studies, this study demonstrates that GC likely have no role in preserving renal function in severely injured patients.
Approximation Algorithm for Process Mapping on Network Processor Architectures

The high performance requirements of networking applications has led to the advent of programmable network processor (NP) architectures that incorporate symmetric multiprocessing, and block multi-threading. The paper presents an automated system-level design technique for process mapping on such architectures with an objective of maximizing the worst case throughput of the application. As this mapping must be done in the presence of resource (processors and code size) constraints, this is an NP-complete problem (Ausiello et al., 1999). We present a polynomial time approximation algorithm guaranteed to generate solutions with throughput at least 1/2 that of optimal solutions. The proposed algorithm was utilized to map realistic applications on the Intel IXP2400 (NP) architecture, and produced solutions within 78% of optimal.
Chiral recognition of the angiotensin II (AT1) receptor by a highly potent phenoxyproline octanoamide

Abstract The synthesis and in vitro biological evaluation of a novel series of diastereomeric phenoxyproline octanoamides ( 3–h ) as angiotensin II (AT 1 ) receptor antagonists are reported.
Hierarchical Distributed Representations for Statistical Language Modeling

Statistical language models estimate the probability of a word occurring in a given context. The most common language models rely on a discrete enumeration of predictive contexts (e.g., n-grams) and consequently fail to capture and exploit statistical regularities across these contexts. In this paper, we show how to learn hierarchical, distributed representations of word contexts that maximize the predictive value of a statistical language model. The representations are initialized by unsupervised algorithms for linear and nonlinear dimensionality reduction [14], then fed as input into a hierarchical mixture of experts, where each expert is a multinomial distribution over predicted words [12]. While the distributed representations in our model are inspired by the neural probabilistic language model of Bengio et al. [2, 3], our particular architecture enables us to work with significantly larger vocabularies and training corpora. For example, on a large-scale bigram modeling task involving a sixty thousand word vocabulary and a training corpus of three million sentences, we demonstrate consistent improvement over class-based bigram models [10, 13]. We also discuss extensions of our approach to longer multiword contexts.
Mental Health Services Use by Children Investigated by Child Welfare Agencies

OBJECTIVE: To examine the rates and predictors of mental health services use for a nationally representative cohort of youths who had been investigated for alleged maltreatment. METHODS: Data came from caregiver and caseworker baseline and 18-month interviews in the second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being. These interviews took place from March 2008 to September 2008 and September 2010 to March 2011. Data on family and child characteristics and service use were gathered and examined by using weighted univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Children had numerous challenges: 61.8% had a previous report of maltreatment, 46.3% had poor socialization skills, and 23.9% had a mental health problem measured by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). At baseline, 33.3% received some mental health service and this varied by age, with younger children receiving fewer services. This percentage decreased to 30.9% at the 18-month follow-up, although the youngest children had increases in services use. For younger children, race/ethnicity, out-of-home placement, chronic physical health problems, low adaptive behaviors, and CBCL scores in the clinical range were related to use. For children ≥11, out-of-home placement, high CBCL scores, and family risk factors predicted services use at 18 months. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health services utilization increases as young children come into contact with schools and medical providers or have more intensive involvement with child welfare. Minority children receive fewer services adjusting for need. Over the 18-month follow-up, there was a decrease in service use that may be a result of the tremendous financial challenges taking place in the United States.
Rapid In-Office and In-Vivo Desensitization of an Injection Phobia Utilizing Hypnosis

Abstract This case illustrates the rapid systematic desensitization of a fear of injections following two in-office treatment sessions and seven daily in-vivo exposures to the phobic situation over a three week period. The reoccurrence of the phobic response in selected situations, and the generalization effects of counter conditioning upon unrelated classes of fears is discussed.
The Role of Semantic Complexity in Treatment of Naming Deficits: Training Semantic Categories in Fluent Aphasia by Controlling Exemplar Typicality.

The effect of typicality of category exemplars on naming was investigated using a single subject experimental design across participants and behaviors in 4 patients with fluent aphasia. Participants received a semantic feature treatment to improve naming of either typical or atypical items within semantic categories, while generalization was tested to untrained items of the category. The order of typicality and category trained was counterbalanced across participants. Results indicated that patients trained on naming of atypical exemplars demonstrated generalization to naming of intermediate and typical items. However, patients trained on typical items demonstrated no generalized naming effect to intermediate or atypical examples. Furthermore, analysis of errors indicated an evolution of errors throughout training, from those with no apparent relationship to the target to primarily semantic and phonemic paraphasias. Performance on standardized language tests also showed changes as a function of treatment. Theoretical and clinical implications regarding the impact of considering semantic complexity on rehabilitation of naming deficits in aphasia are discussed.
Towards analysis and control of vibration driven robotic mechanism

This paper presents in-process research and details vibration analysis of a single actuator that can be used for robotic navigation and locomotion. The key steps to potential success of this works are (1) static and dynamic vibration analysis of generalized shapes for robots, (2) studies on solid mechanics based vibration propagation into the structure of the robot, (3) development of active control schemes of vibration isolation for the robot's navigation and locomotion purposes, and (4) analysis, simulation and design of passive leg mechanism for vibration driven robotic systems. Here, the author introduces state-of-the-art vibration driven robotic systems in the field, basic equations for a simple off-centered rotation mechanism, model and simulation/test bed for vibration excitement, and introduction of active vibration control to one of control schemes for effective vibration isolation as preliminary work.
Lacking vitamin D receptor leads to intestinal dysbiosis

The microbiome modulates numerous aspects of human physiology and is critical in development of diseases. Vitamin D and its receptor VDR are associated with various diseases. We hypothesize that VD...
Do Two or More Multicomponent Instruments Measure the Same Construct? Testing Construct Congruence Using Latent Variable Modeling

A latent variable modeling procedure is discussed that can be used to test if two or more homogeneous multicomponent instruments with distinct components are measuring the same underlying construct. The method is widely applicable in scale construction and development research and can also be of special interest in construct validation studies. The approach can be readily utilized in empirical settings with observed measure nonnormality and/or incomplete data sets. The procedure is based on testing model nesting restrictions, and it can be similarly employed to examine the collapsibility of latent variables evaluated by multidimensional measuring instruments. The outlined method is illustrated with two data examples.
Oscillating-grid experiments in water and superfluid helium.

Passing a fluid through a grid is a well-known mechanism used to study the properties of turbulence. Oscillating a horizontal grid vertically in a tank has also been used extensively and is considered to be a source of almost homogenous isotropic turbulence. When the oscillating grid is turned on a turbulent flow is induced. A front translates into the experimental tank, behind which the flow is highly turbulent. Long predicted that the growth of such a front would grow diffusively as the square root of time (i.e., d ∼ sqrt[t]) and Dickinson and Long presented experimental evidence for the diffusive result at a low mesh Reynolds number of 555. This paper revisits these experiments and attempts a set of two models for the advancing front in both square and round tanks. We do not observe significant differences between runs in square and round tanks. The experiments in water reach mesh Reynolds numbers of order 30000. Using some data from superfluid helium experiments we are able to explore mesh Reynolds numbers to about 43000. We find the power law for the advancing front decreases weakly with the mesh Reynolds number. Using a very long tank we find that the turbulent front stops completely at a certain depth and attempt a simple explanation for that behavior. We study the propagation of the turbulent front into tubes of different diameters inserted into the main tank. We show that these tubes exclude wavelengths much larger than the tube diameter. We explore the variation of the position of the steady-state boundary H on tube diameter D and find that H = cD with c ∼ 2. We suggest this may be explained by saturation of the energy-containing length scale l(e). We also report on the effect of plugging up just one hole of the grid. Finally, we recall some earlier oscillating grid experiments in superfluid (4)He in the light of the present results.
Recovery of Circulating T-Follicular Helper Cells after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

myeloma remains an incurable malignancy. Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) though sought as a potential curative strategy, has not translated to improved overall survival (OS) owing to a high incidence of transplant related mortality. The objective of this study was to assess if monocyte and lymphocyte count recovery at day 100 had any prognostic value in this population. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent AHCT for multiple myeloma between 2002 and 2013 at a single institution. The primary endpoint of the study was day 100 peripheral blood absolute lymphocyte (ALC) and monocyte count (AMC) post-AHCT on overall survival (OS). Other patient, disease and transplant related factors were also evaluated. An ALC >1⁄4 500/mL and AMC >1⁄4300/mL were used as cut-offs based on published data. OS was defined from the time of transplantation to last followup or death due to any cause. OS estimates were determined using the Kaplan-Meier estimator. Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis. Results: 78 patients underwent AHCT for MM at our institution. Patient, disease and transplant characteristics are reported in Table 1. Eight patients were excluded from the survival and multivariate analysis owing to death prior to day 100 or because of missing day 100 counts. On multivariate analysis, only day 100 AMC 1⁄4500/mL at day 100, while significant on univariate analysis, was not significant on multivariate analysis. Figure 1 shows the Kaplan-Meier survival figure for the cohort that achieved an AMC >1⁄4300 (blue) versus 1⁄4300/mL was associated with improved survival.
Myositis Ossificans: An Unusual Presentation in the Foot:

Myositis ossificans is a non-neoplastic lesion characterized by heterotopic ossification of soft tissue. At varying stages of maturity, it shares similar histologic characteristics with sarcomatous lesions or maturing bone. Misdiagnosis can result in unnecessary radical treatment. This lesion has only rarely been reported in the foot.8–10,13,22 We present the case of a patient with plantar forefoot myositis ossificans.
GOJETT: A Supersonic Unmanned Aerial Flight System

The University of Colorado at Boulder has been researching improvements to small turbojet engines designed for unmanned aerial system for the past three years. The GOJETT (Graduate Organization Jet Engine Technology Team) team continued this work, focusing on designing a supersonic (Mach 1.4) unmanned aerial system to be used as a flight test bed for research such as sonic boom minimization, storm penetration, thrust vectoring, control algorithms, and other system level tests. The current goal, with the addition of an afterburner, a variable area nozzle, and fluidic injection thrust vectoring system, the team seeks to build the world's fastest 50kg UAS in accordance with Federation Aeronautique Internationale guidelines. The current aircraft and propulsion system design details are presented. The vehicle has been through preliminary design review and wind tunnel testing at the US Air Force Academy. Along with ongoing propulsion system test, the team is preparing for integrated vehicle and thrust-vectoring system tests.
Effectiveness of once-daily high-dose ACTH for infantile spasms

There is insufficient evidence to recommend a specific protocol for treatment of infantile spasms (IS) and a lack of standardization among, and even within, institutions. Twice-daily dosing (for the first two weeks) of high-dose natural ACTH for IS is used by many centers and recommended by the National Infantile Spasms Consortium (NISC). Conversely, it is our practice to use once-daily dosing of high-dose natural ACTH for IS. In order to determine the effectiveness of our center's practice, we retrospectively reviewed 57 cases over the past four years at Boston Children's Hospital (BCH). We found that 70% of infants were spasm-free at 14days from ACTH initiation and 54% continued to be spasm-free at 3-month follow-up. Electroencephalogram showed resolution of hypsarrhythmia (when present on the pretreatment EEG) in all responders. Additionally, once-daily dosing of ACTH was well tolerated. We performed a meta-analysis to compare our results against the reports of published literature using twice-daily high-dose ACTH for treatment of IS. The meta-analysis revealed that our results were comparable to previously published outcomes using twice-daily ACTH administration for IS treatment. Our experience shows that once-daily dosing of ACTH is effective for treatment of IS. If larger prospective trials can confirm our findings, it would obviate the need for additional painful injections, simplify the schedule, and support a universal standardized protocol.
SPECTROSCOPY OF SINGLE SLIGHTLY-RELATIVISTIC PARTICLES IN MAGNETIC FIELD

The classical theory of cyclotron resonance of a single electron (or any other charged particle) suggests giant broadening of resonant cyclotron line due to a hysteresis based on relativistic mass-effect proposed in [1] and observed recently in [2]. The quantum theory of the same phenomenon developed here predicts a multiple-line spectrum of a driven cyclotron resonance with equidistantly-spaced lines which is due to relativistic shift of Landau levels. The spacing ΔΩsp between-lines is determined as ΔΩsp/Ωo = ħΩo/moc2, where Ωo=eHo/moc is the unperturbed cyclotron frequency of electron. The linewidth ΔΩR of each of these lines is strictly of radiation nature, with the relative linewidth Γ = ΔΩR/Ωo = (2/3)reko, where re = e2/moc2 = 2.8×10−13cm is the classical radius of electron, and ko = Ωo/c. In the case of a single electron at λo(= 2π/ko) = 2mm, Γ ≈ 0.7×10−11.
Establishing a Formation of Small Satellites in a Lunar Flower Constellation

The success of previous lunar science missions can be expanded upon by using a constellation of satellites to increase the lunar surface coverage. A constellation could also serve as a communications or GPS network for a lunar human base. Small-sats, deployed from a single mothercraft, are proposed to achieve a lunar constellation. The establishment of a single- and multi-petal constellation is investigated where the mothercraft does the primary deployment maneuvers. The constellation lifetime and closed-loop maintenance are addressed once higher order lunar gravity fields and Earth/solar perturbations are included.
Grasping Fatherhood in Abortion & Adoption

Biology makes a mother, but it does not make a father. While a mother is a legal parent by reason of her biological relationship with her child, a father is not a legal parent unless he takes affirmative steps to grasp fatherhood. Being married to the mother at the time of conception or at the time of birth is one of those affirmative steps. But if he is not married to the mother, he must do far more before he will be legally recognized as a father. Biology is often presented as a sufficient reason for this dichotomy – it is easy to identify the mother of each child. But aside from the biological, there are historical, social and political reasons for recognizing mothers as legal parents while disregarding legal parenthood for nonmarital fathers. This article seeks to unpack the distinctions drawn between biological mothers and biological fathers in decisions about abortion and adoption placement. Both decisions are given to the sole discretion of the mother under current law, while such unilateral decision-making seems to make sense only in the context of abortion. Once a child is born, and a decision is being made about whether to parent the child or to place the child for adoption, there is less justification for excluding the biological father. This article explores notions of fatherhood and how fatherhood has changed in society to show how the legal standards have lagged behind those societal changes. The article proposes how courts should address birth fathers’ rights in adoption to provide greater protection for those rights.
Study of transductive learning and unsupervised feature construction methods for biological sequence classification

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies have led to fast and inexpensive production of large amounts of biological sequence data, including nucleotide sequences and derived protein sequences. These fast-increasing volumes of data pose challenges to computational methods for annotation. Machine learning approaches, primarily supervised algorithms, have been widely used to assist with classification tasks in bioinformatics. However, supervised algorithms rely on large amounts of labeled data in order to produce quality predictors. Oftentimes, labeled data is difficult and expensive to acquire in sufficiently large quantities. When only limited amounts of labeled data but considerably larger amounts of unlabeled data are available for a specific annotation problem, semi-supervised learning approaches represent a cost-effective alternative. In this work, we focus on a special case of semi-supervised learning, namely transductive learning, in which the algorithm has access during the training phase to the instances that need to be labeled. Transduction is particularly suitable for biological sequence classification, where the goal is generally to label a given set of unlabeled instances. However, a challenge that needs to be addressed in this context consists of identification of compact sets of informative features. Given the lack of labeled data, standard supervised feature selection methods may result in unreliable features. Therefore, we study recently proposed unsupervised feature construction approaches together with transductive learning. Experimental results on two classification problems, namely cassette exon identification and protein localization, show that the unsupervised features result in better performance than the supervised features.
Behind Their Books: Faculty, Social Values, and the Symbol of the Book in American Film, 1930–1950

From the 1930s, professors feature as characters in a large amount of US movies. This chapter analyzes the portrayal of faculty in 63 films from 1930 to 1950 and discusses the prominence of the symbol of the book as part of their representation. The way books are treated and referred to in relation to the professorial role portrays academics as unvalued, distrusted, and less than human.
Estimate of radiation release from MIT reactor with un-finned LEU core during Maximum Hypothetical Accident

Abstract The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor (MITR-II) is a research reactor in Cambridge, Massachusetts designed primarily for experiments using neutron beam and in-core irradiation facilities. At 6 MW, it delivers neutron flux and energy spectrum comparable to light water reactor (LWR) power reactors in a compact core using highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel. In the framework of non-proliferation policy, the international community aims to minimize the use of HEU in civilian facilities. Within this context, research and test reactors have started a program to convert HEU fuel to low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. A new type of LEU fuel based on a high density alloy of uranium and molybdenum (U-10Mo) is expected to allow the conversion of U.S. domestic high performance reactors like MITR. The current study focuses on the impacts of MITR Maximum Hypothetical Accident (MHA), which is also the Design Basis Accident (DBA), with LEU fuel. The MHA for the MITR is postulated to be a coolant flow blockage in the fuel element that contains the hottest fuel plate. It is assumed that the entire active portion of five fuel plates melts. The analysis shows that, within a 2-h period and by considering all the possible radiation sources and dose pathways, the overall off-site dose is 302.1 mrem (1 rem = 0.01 Sv) Total Effective Dose Equivalent (TEDE) at 8 m exclusion area boundary (EAB) and a higher dose of 392.8 mrem TEDE is found at 21 m EAB. In all cases the dose remains below the 500 mrem total TEDE limit goal based on NUREG-1537 guidelines.
The Effects of Dietary Factors on Blood Pressure

Evidence supports that multiple dietary factors affect blood pressure (BP). Dietary changes that effectively lower BP are weight loss, reduced sodium intake, increased potassium intake, moderation of alcohol intake, and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension-style and vegetarian dietary patterns. In view of the increasing levels of BP in children and adults and the continuing epidemic of BP-related cardiovascular and renal diseases, efforts to reduce BP in both nonhypertensive and hypertensive individuals are warranted. The challenge to health care providers, researchers, government officials, and the general public is developing and implementing clinical and public health strategies that lead to sustained dietary changes.
The Prevalence of Anosmia and Associated Factors Among U.S. Black and White Older Adults

Background Olfactory impairment is common among older adults; however, data are largely limited to whites. Methods We conducted pooled analyses of two community-based studies: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (ARIC, 1,398 blacks and 4,665 whites), and the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study (Health ABC, 958 blacks and 1,536 whites) to determine the prevalence of anosmia and associated factors for black and white older adults in the United States. Results The overall prevalence of anosmia was 22.3% among blacks and 10.4% among whites. Blacks had a markedly higher odds of anosmia compared to whites in age and sex adjusted analyses (odds ratio [OR] 2.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.59-3.38). In both blacks and whites, higher anosmia prevalence was associated with older age and male sex. The highest prevalence was found in black men 85 years or older (58.3%), and the lowest in white women aged 65-69 years (2.4%). Higher education level, lower cognitive score, ApoE e4, daytime sleepiness, poorer general health status, lower body mass index, and Parkinson disease were associated with higher prevalence of anosmia in one or both races. However, the racial difference in anosmia remained statistically significant after adjusting for these factors (fully adjusted OR = 1.76, 95%CI: 1.50-2.07). Results were comparable between the two cohorts. Discussion Anosmia is common in older adults, particularly among blacks. Further studies are needed to identify risk factors for anosmia and to investigate racial disparities in this sensory deficit.
Natriuretic peptides improve the developmental competence of in vitro cultured porcine oocytes

Natriuretic peptides (NPs), brain and C type NPs (BNP and CNP), were involved in the maintenance of porcine oocyte meiotic arrest. The present study investigated the effects of NPs on developmental competence of immature porcine oocytes with follicles of different sizes. Follicular fluid NP levels were examined by radioimmunoassay. The developmental competence of porcine oocytes was evaluated by cleavage and blastocyst developmental rates after in vitro fertilization (IVF) or parthenogenetic activation (PA) of cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs), which were recovered from follicle with different sizes. NP levels were examined and classified according to the cleavage potential after IVF with COCs released from these follicles. The BNP and CNP concentrations were increased with follicular size in follicular fluid and sustained at the set ranges of 3.0 – 6.0 mm follicles compared to 6.1 – 8.0 mm follicles. The oocytes developed from 3.0 to 6.0 mm follicles demonstrated increased embryo cleavage and blastocyst ratios after IVF, with an increased follicle size (P < 0.05). Moreover, BNP and CNP significantly promoted the blastocyst developmental rates of 3.0 – 6.0 mm follicles, but could not improve the developmental competence of oocytes from 6.1 to 8.0 mm follicles due to low NP levels. The COCs from 3.0 to 4.0 mm follicles were pre-incubated in 100 ng/ml of BNP and CNP media for 20 h before regular in vitro maturation, which demonstrated 2 to 3 folds higher developmental competencies in both PA and IVF groups compared to respective controls (P < 0.01). The effects of BNP and CNP supplementation in the pre-maturation culture media (PMC) on porcine developmental competence from COCs in follicles of different sizes were different and improved the developmental competence of porcine oocytes from small antral follicle in vitro.
Individualism that Excites and Solidifies Diverse Teams

The current research examines the interplay of individualism- collectivism and team composition in team cohesion. I predict that individualism generates greater cohesion in diverse teams than does ...
Smoking Cessation Benefit Utilization: Comparing Methodologies for Measurement using New York State's Medicaid Data.

Introduction Pharmacotherapy and counseling for tobacco cessation are evidence-based methods that increase successful smoking cessation attempts. Medicaid programs are required to provide coverage for smoking cessation services. Monitoring utilization is desirable for program evaluation and quality improvement. Various methodologies have been used to study utilization. Many factors can influence results, perhaps none more than how smokers are identified. This study evaluated the utilization of smoking cessation services using various methods to estimate the number of smokers within New York State's (NYS's) Medicaid program in 2015. Methods Estimates of utilization were generated based on Medicaid claims and encounters and four sources of smoking prevalence: two population surveys, one Medicaid enrollee survey, and diagnosis codes. We compared the percentage of (estimated) smokers utilizing cessation services, and the average number of services used, across fee-for-service and managed care populations, and by cessation service category. Results Statewide, smoking prevalence estimates ranged from 10.9% to 31.5%. Diagnosis codes identified less than 45% of smokers estimated by surveys. A similar number of cessation counseling (199106) and pharmacotherapy services (197728) were used, yet more members utilized counseling (126839) than pharmacotherapy (91433). The estimated percentage of smokers who used smoking cessation services ranged from 15.1% to 43.4%, and the estimated average number of cessation services used ranged from 0.31 to 0.90 per smoker. Conclusion Smoking prevalence estimates obtained through surveys greatly exceed prevalence observed in diagnosis codes in NYS's Medicaid data. Use of diagnosis codes in the analysis of smoking cessation benefit utilization may result in overestimates. Implications Selection of a smoking prevalence data source for similar analyses should ultimately be based on completeness of the data and applicability to the population of interest. Evaluation of smoking cessation benefit utilization and the effectiveness of tobacco control campaigns aimed to increase utilization requires a well-defined methodology which ensures reliable baseline data. Comparing utilization estimates across populations or state lines can be misleading, as differences in how estimations were generated can greatly bias observed results.
Attitudinism, the Compatibility Question, and Ballung Concepts

Ted Honderich offers “Attitudinism” as an alternative to the traditional categories of compatibilism and incompatibilism regarding free will and determinism. In earlier work, I argued that Attitudinism should, despite Honderich’s claims, be understood as a species of compatibilism. In the present chapter, I suggest a way of resisting my earlier argument. I begin by giving an overview of Attitudinism and summarize my earlier criticism. I then explore Honderich’s claim that we have multiple ideas of the nature of free will and connect Attitudinism with some recent work in the philosophy of social science regarding the nature and use of concepts.