cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acute Kidney Injury and Electrolyte Abnormalities After Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell (CAR-T) Therapy for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Rationale & Objective Cytokine release syndrome is a well-known complication of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy and can lead to multiorgan dysfunction. However, the nephrotoxicity of CAR-T therapy is unknown. We aimed to characterize the occurrence, cause, and outcomes of acute kidney injury (AKI), along with the occurrence of electrolyte abnormalities, among adults with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma receiving CAR-T therapy. Study Design Case series. Setting & Participants We reviewed the course of 78 adults receiving CAR-T therapy with axicabtagene ciloleucel or tisagenlecleucel at 2 major cancer centers between October 2017 and February 2019. Baseline demographics, comorbid conditions, medications, and laboratory values were obtained from electronic health records. AKI was defined using KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) criteria. The cause, clinical course, and outcome of AKI events and electrolyte abnormalities in the first 30 days after CAR-T infusion were characterized using data contained in electronic health records. Results Among 78 patients receiving CAR-T therapy, cytokine release syndrome occurred in 85%, of whom 62% were treated with tocilizumab. AKI occurred in 15 patients (19%): 8 had decreased kidney perfusion, 6 developed acute tubular necrosis, and 1 patient had urinary obstruction related to disease progression. Those with acute tubular necrosis and obstruction had the longest lengths of stay and highest 60-day mortality. Electrolyte abnormalities were common; hypophosphatemia, hypokalemia, and hyponatremia occurred in 75%, 56%, and 51% of patients, respectively. Limitations Small sample size; AKI adjudicated by retrospective chart review; lack of biopsy data. Conclusions In this case series of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma receiving CAR-T therapy, AKI and electrolyte abnormalities occurred commonly in the context of cytokine release syndrome.
Treatment protocol and effectiveness of cosmeceuticals in aesthetic practice

Pharmaceuticals are essentially drug products containing active ingredients that prevent, mitigate, treat disease and/or affect the anatomy or physiological functions of the body. Cosmeceuticals is...
Light in the midst of chaos: COVID-19 and female political representation

The promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women are global policy priorities across countries and development institutions. Research on gender and politics shows that exceptional environments can activate stereotypes of women as honest, trustworthy, and competent lawmakers in public health and, in doing so, can generate increased public support for female political candidates. We argue that the 2019-2020 Coronavirus Pandemic has the potential to produce this outcome, as recent public opinion polls highlight widespread discontent with male-led governments' responses to the pandemic and elevated concerns surrounding public health. Recent positive media reports of female world leaders' responses to the pandemic provide further reason to suspect a forthcoming increase in political support for female candidates. We posit that such an outcome may prove essential not only for enhancing development and improving long-standing gender inequities but also for alleviating the pandemic's disproportionately allocated hardships.
How Collective Action Problems Suppress Participation in Nonprofit Trade Associations

In seeking to understand how nonprofits participate in policymaking at the state level, scholars of the third sector tend to overlook or assume a barrier to this activity: collective action problem...
Trajectory Prediction using Generative Adversarial Network in Multi-Class Scenarios.

Predicting traffic agents' trajectories is an important task for auto-piloting. Most previous work on trajectory prediction only considers a single class of road agents. We use a sequence-to-sequence model to predict future paths from observed paths and we incorporate class information into the model by concatenating extracted label representations with traditional location inputs. We experiment with both LSTM and transformer encoders and we use generative adversarial network as introduced in Social GAN to learn the multi-modal behavior of traffic agents. We train our model on Stanford Drone dataset which includes 6 classes of road agents and evaluate the impact of different model components on the prediction performance in multi-class scenes.
A new adaptive observer

Abstract : An adaptive observer is defined as one which estimates the state variables and parameters of an unknown stable linear time-invarient plant from its input-output data. At the present time, there are two distinct approaches to the design of adaptive observers for a plant whose input output behavior can be represented by an n-th order differential equation. In the first approach, the observer is of the same order as the plant and is referred to as a minimal (order) observer. Using the second approach, a non-minimal observer of order (2n-1) is obtained. Minimal observers are considerably more difficult to synthesize than non-minimal observers and require the generation of additional signals for the stabilization of the adaptive loop. However, they have the advantage of yielding simultaneously both parameter and state estimates of the plant. Non-minimal observers are considerably simpler in structure both the n state variables of the plant have to be estimated from the available (2n-1) state variables of the observer. In this brief paper, a new observer is proposed which appears to combine the advantages of the two types of observers described above, With this observer, the parameter estimates of the plant are directly obtained with a structure which is no more complex than that of a non-minimal observer which is widely used at the present time. The parameter estimates are simultaneously used to determine directly the state estimates of the plant. Under certain conditions, the new observer has a faster rate of convergence than the observers known at present, which makes it particularly attractive for use in the control problem.
Attitude-Behavior Congruity, Mindfulness, and Self-Focused Attention: A Behavior-Analytic Reconstruction

Social psychologists have responded to research reporting low agreement between attitude measures and related behavior with attempts to explain the incongruities and enhance agreement. This article examines attitude-behavior incongruity from a behavior-analytic point of view. Traditional and behavior-analytic views of attitudes and behaviors are compared. In the behavior-analytic view, answering an attitude scale should be considered as behavior displayed by a person under rather unusual social conditions, not as a reflection of an enduring personal disposition. Reasons why questionnaire-answering behavior will not resemble behavior in other functionally different social conditions are reviewed. Special attention is extended to two representative lines of attitude-behavior research: mindfulness and self-focused attention. Discriminative stimuli in both areas of study have produced more predictable agreement between questionnaire-answering behavior and behavior in other settings.
20 – Soft and Biological Structures

This chapter discusses basic concepts of soft and biological structures and explores the interaction forces between amphiphilic molecules within aggregates. The chapter explains how these interaction forces naturally lead to molecular packing considerations in determining natural formation of the structures. The chapter discusses the properties of amphiphilic structures. These structures can be hard and solid-like, but they are more often soft or fluid-like, with molecules in constant thermal motion within each aggregate. These thermal motions include twisting, turning, diffusing, and bobbing in and out of the surface. Unlike colloidal particles, soft amphiphilic structures have no definite size or shape, but only a distribution about some mean value. The chapter starts by introducing equilibrium considerations of fluid amphiphilic structures. It explains the concepts of optimal headgroup area, spherical micelles, bilayers, vesicles, biological membranes, and membrane lipids. The chapter explains the concept of “equilibrium structures” with reference to the Gibbs phase rule. The chapter also presents a discussion on curvature energies and elasticities of monolayers and bilayers. The chapter concludes with explaining the basic concepts of membrane proteins and membrane structure.
Organoboranes : XIV. Reaction of organoboranes with mercuric acetate. A convenient preparation of dialkylmercurials via hydroboration-mercuration

Abstract Organoboranes derived from terminal olefins react with mercuric acetate in tetrahydrofuran (THF) giving rise to dialkylmercury compounds. The first two alkyl groups react rapidly at room temperature while the third is more sluggish. Organoboranes derived from internal olefins are unreactive to various mercury(II) salts under these conditions. Dicyclohexylalkylboranes give rise to quantitative yields of dialkylmercurials when reacted with mercuric acetate. Alkylmercuric acetates are converted in high yields to dialkylmercury compounds when treated with zinc dust at room temperature in the presence of Lewis acid catalysts.
The 2014 Top Picks in Computer Architecture

This introduction to the special issue presents the 2014 top picks in computer architecture, along with 12 "honorable mention" papers.
K+ versus Λ flow in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Abstract We study K + and Λ flow in heavy-ion collisions at beam energies of about 2 A GeV. We present our results in both the “traditional” (i.e., in terms of the average transverse momentum in the reaction plane) as well as “modern” (i.e., in terms of coefficients of the Fourier analysis of azimuthal distributions) methods of flow analysis. We find significant differences between the K + and the Λ flow: while the Λ flow is basically similar to that of nucleons, the K + flow almost disappears. This difference is attributed chiefly to their different mean field potentials in dense matter. The comparisons with the experimental data, as well as theoretical results from independent calculations, indicate clearly the pivotal roles of both K + and Λ medium effects. We emphasize that similar experimental data from independent collaborations are essential for the eventual verification of these medium effects.
Phycobiliprotein methylation: Effect of the γ-N-methylasparagine residue on energy transfer in phycocyanin and the phycobilisome

Abstract The phycobiliproteins contain a conserved unique modified residue, γ- N -methylasparagine at β-72. This study examines the consequences of this methylation for the structure and function of phycocyanin and of phycobilisomes. An assay for the protein asparagine methylase activity was developed using [ methyl - 3 H] S -adenosylmethionine and apophycocyanin purified from Escherichia coli containing the genes for the α and β subunits of phycocyanin from Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 as substrates. This assay permitted the partial purification, from Synechococcus sp. PCC 6301, of the activity that methylates phycocyanin and allophycocyanin completely at residue β-72. Using the methylase assay, two independent nitrosoguanidine-induced mutants of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 were isolated that do not exhibit detectable phycobiliprotein methylase activity. These mutants, designated pcm 1 and pcm 2, produce phycocyanin and allophycocyanin unmethylated at β-72. The phycobiliproteins in these mutants are assembled into phycobilisomes and can be methylated in vitro by the partially purified methylase from Synechococcus sp. PCC 6301. The mutants produce phycobiliproteins in amounts comparable to those of wild-type and the mutant and wild-type phycocyanins are equivalent with respect to thermal stability profiles. Monomeric phycocyanins purified from these strains show small spectral shifts that correlate with the level of methylation. Phycobilisomes from the mutant strains exhibit defects in energy transfer, both in vivo and in vitro , that are also correlated with difficiencies in methylation. Unmethylated or undermethylated phycobilisomes show greater emission from phycocyanin and allophycocyanin and lower fluorescence emission quantum yields than do fully methylated particles. The results support the conclusion that the site-specific methylation of phycobiliproteins contributes significantly to the efficiency of directional energy transfer in the phycobilisome.
Isolated iron-molybdenum cofactor of nitrogenase exists in multiple forms in its oxidized and semi-reduced states.

Abstract Electrochemical and EPR spectroscopic experiments demonstrate that the isolated iron-molybdenum cofactor from the molybdenum-iron protein of nitrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii exists in multiple forms in both its oxidized and semi-reduced states. The particular forms found in either oxidation state appear to be a function of the acid/base status of the solvent, N-methylformamide. In "alkaline" N-methylformamide, a single, detectable form of iron-molybdenum cofactor is observed for both oxidized and semi-reduced states. The semi-reduced form, termed R(s-r), is the one previously recognized with an S = 3/2 EPR spectrum with apparent g values of 4.6, 3.4, 2.0. Its oxidized counterpart, termed B(ox), is characterized electrochemically by a differential pulse voltammetric reduction peak at -0.37 V versus the normal hydrogen electrode. In "acidic" solvent, two distinct, previously unrecognized redox pairs of iron-molybdenum cofactor forms exist. The two semi-reduced forms, N(s-r) and W(s-r), are characterized by EPR spectra with g = 4.5, 3.6, 2.0 and g = 4.9, 3.1, 1.9, respectively. Their oxidized counterparts, A(ox) and C(ox), have differential pulse voltammetric reduction peaks at -0.32 and -0.43 V versus the normal hydrogen electrode, respectively. Manipulations of either the isolation protocol or the sample conditions affects both the type and distribution of forms present. Each form likely corresponds to a biologically significant state of the cofactor cluster within the protein.
On the elucidation of the pH dependence of the oxidation-reduction potential of cytochrome c at alkaline pH.

Abstract Rate constants were measured for the reversible oxidation-reduction reaction between ferricytochrome c and ferrohexacyanide. [see PDF for equation] Kinetic measurements in the pH range 7.0 to 9.4 were made by the temperature jump technique, and comparative values of Keq were determined by a spectrophotometric titration method based on absorption difference at 550 mµ between ferri- and ferrocytochrome c. Also, stopped flow experiments at 550 mµ were performed at pH 9.5. In all of these experiments, excess sodium ferrocyanide (8 x 10-3 m) was mixed with varying concentrations (5 x 10-6 to 1.6 x 10-4 m) of ferricytochrome c at a constant ionic strength of 0.2. The quotient k(ox)k/(red) is essentially pH-independent in the pH region investigated; k(red) was found to be 2.4 x 104 m-1 sec-1, and k(ox), 0.87 x 107 m-1 sec-1. In the pH region investigated, the over-all equilibrium constant for the reaction, Keq, increased by a factor of 4 with increasing pH. The stopped flow experiments indicated that a slow process with a half-time of several seconds is responsible for the difference between k(ox)/k(red) and Keq values at alkaline pH values. The experiments indicate that pH has no effect on the electron transfer process itself. The pH dependence of the oxidation-reduction potential of cytochrome c at alkaline pH is evidently due to the effect of pH on a slow isomerization of ferricytochrome c, with increasing pH decreasing the concentration of cytochrome c which participates in the electron transfer process.
Content and Process in the Experience of Self

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the experience of self by the person at particular reflective moments, on the ways the content and process of the phenomenal sense of self are affected by situational and dispositional variables. Content issues concern when one's myriad aspects are salient (available) in thought and when one asks oneself who one is; process issues concern the person's modes of thinking about this self content. The chapter discusses the content and process, by the nouns and verbs, respectively that occur in free self-descriptions. Some of the ways in which methods differ from the usual reactive approach to study the self is described in the chapter. The present research program employs tedious content analyses of open-ended responses for the rich content and process information they yield, justifying the greater effort. The chapter explains the way the salience of these physical characteristics in spontaneous self-descriptions is affected, not only by their distinctiveness but also by other factors such as gender and age.
Evidence-Based Practice: The Psychology of EBP Implementation

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an approach used in numerous professions that focuses attention on evidence quality in decision making and action. We review research on EBP implementation, identifying critical underlying psychological factors facilitating and impeding its use. In describing EBP and the forms of evidence it employs, we highlight the challenges individuals face in appraising evidence quality, particularly that of their personal experience. We next describe critical EBP competencies and the challenges underlying their acquisition: foundational competencies of critical thinking and domain knowledge, and functional competencies such as question formulation, evidence search and appraisal, and outcome evaluation. We then review research on EBP implementation across diverse fields from medicine to management and organize findings around three key contributors to EBP: practitioner ability, motivation, and opportunity to practice (AMO). Throughout, important links between psychology and EBP are highlighted, along with the contributions psychological research can make to further EBP development and implementation.
Regulation of One-Carbon Biosynthesis and Utilization in Escherichia coli

The regulation of several enzymes involved in one-carbon metabolism was studied in a mutant of Escherichia coli K-12 defective in S-adenosylmethionine synthetase. The mutant that was reported to have a low endogenous concentration of S-adenosylmethionine had elevated levels of N-5, 10-methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase and serine transhydroxymethylase, but the level of N-5, 10-methylene tetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase was not altered. These results suggest that S-adenosylmethionine plays a role in the regulation of one-carbon production and utilization. An enzyme system that cleaved glycine to one-carbon units was demonstrated. The enzymes responsible for the cleavage of glycine were induced by exogenous glycine but were independent of S-adenosylmethionine or purine levels in the cell.
Significance of surface water in the terrestrial water budget: A case study in the Prairie Coteau using GRACE, GLDAS, Landsat, and groundwater well data

[1] The terrestrial water budgets of the Prairie Coteau (PC; 38,000 km2) and Northern Glaciated Plains (NGP; 66,000 km2) regions of South Dakota, USA were characterized using a combination of in situ observations of groundwater and surface water, remote sensing estimates of terrestrial water storage changes from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and surface water changes from Landsat, and modeled changes in soil moisture, snow water equivalent, and total canopy water storage. In response to increased wetness in 2010 and 2011 over the region, prevalent surface water bodies accounted for a significant fraction of the terrestrial water budget of the PC, whereas the NGP, an area with sparse surface water, exhibited a greater increase in groundwater storage concomitant with enhanced seasonal variability. Over the study period from 2003 to 2011, GRACE-based estimates of terrestrial water storage agreed well with combined groundwater, soil moisture, snow water equivalent, and total canopy water storage over the NGP, as surface water is not a significant component in this area. However, closure was improved over the PC if surface water changes were included in the water budget.
Glial changes in the progress of a chemical lesion. An electron microscopic study.

The response of non-neuronal cells in the brain to monosodium glutamate (MSG) was studied in the neonatal mouse brain. Neurons rapidly degenerate in this chemically-induced lesion, and the glia reflect and respond to their early pyknosis and death. Astrocytic glia exhibit the most profound responses in the form of degenerative nuclear and cytoplasmic changes within 15 to 20 minutes after ingestion of MSG. After 6 to 12 hours, a large glial cell population, containing neuronal and synaptic debris, can be seen. Recovery of severely damaged astrocytes is unlikely. Further, evidence of multiplication of uninjured cells to supply this observed repopulation was found. Microglia start to engulf debris at 6 to 12 hours and continue this process through at least 48 hours. From 3 to 48 hours, a third cell type, tentatively identified as a Gitter cell, is prominently involved in phagocytosis of neuronal elements. Nuclei of these cells enlarge and their perikarya become vastly expanded in a fashion typical of Gitter cells. These cells appear to represent the transformed microglia. Phagocytosis following a chemical lesion induced by glutamic acid, a neurotransmitter substance, is exceedingly rapid in comparison to that elicited by other types of lesions. Further, endogenous glial cells cope with the cellular debris; no participation in this process by hematogenous cells was observed.
Thermodynamic formulation of finite linear viscoelasticity for anisotropic media

The theory of irreversible thermodynamics of continuous media with fading memory is used to formulate general constitutive equations of finite linear viscoelasticity. Specific forms for transversely isotropic and orthotropic media based on both the mechanical and thermodynamic theories are found.
Laser measurements of long distances

The extension of radio frequency techniques to the optical region of the spectrum has made possible many types of measurements which were not feasible before. One area in which important scientific contributions can be expected during the next few years is the use of lasers to measure long distances with high accuracy. Three types of distance measurements which have been discussed in the literature and which are now being investigated actively are: 1) interferometric measurements over distances of up to hundreds of meters through evacuated or sealed-off tubes, 2) measurements with modulated laser beams over distances of perhaps one to fifty kilometers with corrections made for the atmospheric index of refraction along the path, and 3) range measurements to artificial satellites and to the moon using laser radar. Some of the possible geophysical and geodetic applications of such measurements will also be discussed.
Work Function of Cadmium

The contact difference of potential Cd-Ba is measured by the electron beam and Kelvin methods. These measurements agree within the limits of reproducibility of either method alone and yield a work function value of 4.08\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02 ev for the work function of cadmium films deposited on tantalum. The barium surfaces, formed by redistillation following fractional distillation, show their characteristic constancy and reproducibility to \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01 ev. Cadmium retains some gas after exhaustive multiple distillation. Measurements taken immediately after deposition of a Cd film and during its aging show (1) that freshly deposited Cd films are generally contaminated with gas which distills with the metal; (2) that the adsorbed gas is removed progressively by getter clean-up with an attendant rise in work function totalling 0.10 ev in extreme cases, and (3) that the work function thus established is constant and reproducible to 0.03 ev or better. Comparison of these measurements with our earlier work on zinc leads to the conclusion that a cadmium surface in equilibrium with the residual gas of a well-gettered tube contains so little adsorbed gas that its final work function can probably be accepted as characteristic of the clean metal.
Collaborative VLA, SOHO and RHESSI observations of evolving sources of energy release in the corona above active regions

Abstract Very Large Array (VLA) observations at 20 and 91 cm wavelength are compared with data from the SOHO (EIT and MDI) and RHESSI solar missions to investigate the evolution of decimetric Type I noise storms and Type III bursts and related magnetic activity in the photosphere and corona. The combined data sets provide clues about the mechanisms that initiate and sustain the decimetric bursts and about interactions between thermal and nonthermal plasmas at different locations in the solar atmosphere. On one day, frequent, low-level hard X-ray flaring observed by RHESSI appears to have had no clear affect on the evolution of two closely-spaced Type I noise storm sources lying above the target active region. EIT images however, indicate nearly continuous restructuring of the underlying EUV loops which, through accompanying low-level magnetic reconnection, might give rise to nonthermal particles and plasma turbulence that sustain the long-lasting Type I burst emission. On another day, the onset of an impulsive hard X-ray burst and subsequent decimetric burst emission followed the gradual displacement and coalescence of a small patch of magnetic magnetic polarity with a pre-existing area of mixed magnetic polarity. The time delay of the impulsive 20 and 91 cm bursts by up to 20 min suggests that these events were unlikely to represent the main sites of flare electron acceleration, but instead are related to the rearrangement of the coronal magnetic field after the main flare at lower altitude. Although the X-ray flare is associated with the decimetric burst, the brightness and structure of a long-lasting Type I noise storm from the same region was not affected by the flare. This suggests that the reconfiguration of the coronal magnetic fields and the subsequent energy release that gave rise to the impulsive burst emission did not significantly perturb that part of the corona where the noise storm emission was located.
The emission spectrum of 13C16O2 near 4.5 μm

Abstract The emission spectrum of 13 C 16 O 2 near 4.5 μm, the ν 3 transition region, was measured in high resolution. The sequence 00 v 3 → 00( v 3 − 1) was measured to v 3 = 9, 01 1 v 3 → 01 1 ( v 3 − 1) to v 3 = 6, and 02 2 v 3 → 00 2 ( v 3 − 1) to v 3 = 3. Several bands involving Fermi resonant Σ state were also observed. The data were analyzed and spectroscopic constants were determined for all bands identified.
A Comprehensive Screen for Chicken Proteins that Interact with Proteins Unique to Virulent Strains of Marek's Disease Virus

Genetic resistance to Marek's disease (MD) has been proposed as a method to augment current vaccinal control of MD. Although it is possible to identify QTL and candidate genes that are associated with MD resistance, it is necessary to integrate functional screens with linkage analysis to confirm the identity of true MD resistance genes. To help achieve this objective, a comprehensive 2-hybrid screen was conducted using genes unique to virulent Marek's disease virus (MDV) strains. Potential MDV-host protein interactions were tested by an in vitro binding assay to confirm the initial two-hybrid results. As a result, 7 new MDV-chicken protein interactions were identified and included the chicken proteins MHC class II beta (BLB) and invariant (Ii) chain (CD74), growth-related translationally controlled tumor protein (TPT1), complement component Clq-binding protein (C1QBP), retinoblastoma-binding protein 4 (RBBP4), and alpha-enolase (ENO1). Mapping of the encoding chicken genes suggests that BLB, the gene for MHC class II beta chain, is a positional candidate gene. In addition, the known functions of the chicken proteins suggest mechanisms that MDV might use to evade the chicken immune system and alter host gene regulation. Taken together, our results indicate that integrated genomic methods provide a powerful strategy to gain insights on complex biological processes and yield a manageable number of genes and pathways for further characterization.
Photosynthesis in intact leaves of C3 plants: Physics, physiology and rate limitations

The instantaneous rate of photosynthetic CO2 assimilation in C3 plants has generally been studied in model systems such as isolated chloroplasts and algae. From these studies and from theoretical analyses of gas exchange behavior it is now possible to study the biochemistry of photosynthesis in intact leaves using a combination of methods, most of which are nondestructive. The limitations to the rate of photosynthesis can be divided among three general classes: (1) the supply or utilization of CO2, (2) the supply or utilization of light, and (3) the supply or utilization of phosphate. The first limitation is most readily studied by determining how the CO2 assimilation rate varies with the partial pressure of CO2 inside the leaf. The second limitation can be studied by determining the quantum requirement of photosynthesis. The third limitation is most easily detected as a loss of O2 sensitivity of photosynthesis. Measurement of fluorescence from intact leaves can give additional information about the various limitations. These methods are all non-destructive and so can be observed repeatedly as the environment of a leaf is changed. In addition, leaves can be quick-frozen and metabolite concentrations then measured to give more information about the limitations to intact leaf photosynthesis rates. In this review the physics and biochemistry of photosynthesis in intact C3 leaves, and the interface between physiology and photosynthesis—triose phosphate utilization—are discussed.
A note on neuronal firing and input variability

The Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process with a constant forcing function has often been used as a model for the subthreshold membrane potential of a neuron. The mean, variance and coefficient of variation of the first passage time to a constant threshold are examined for this model in the limit of small synaptic noise and low thresholds. A comparison is made between the asymptotic results of Wan & Tuckwell, who used perturbation analysis, and several computationally simpler approximation methods. A generalization of Stein's method gives an overestimate of the mean interval while an approximation by a Wiener process with linear drift gives an underestimate of the mean interval. These bounds are simple to calculate and can be used as a prelude to a more detailed perturbation analysis.
Pediatric Hypertensive Emergencies

Hypertensive emergency is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate evaluation and treatment. In children, severe hypertension can be caused by a variety of different underlying conditions. It usually presents with neurological involvement; however, signs and symptoms of injury to the kidneys, myocardium and eyes can also be present. Hospitalization for intravenous treatment with antihypertensive(s) and close monitoring in an intensive care setting are required for these patients. Few studies in children with hypertensive emergency have been done in the last several years. The findings and observations of these studies are discussed in this review.
Some fundamental issues of damage mechanics

The present paper focuses on the discussion of a set of rational criteria for the selection of the damage parameter. The paper considers scalar, second-, fourth-, and six-order tensor representations of damage and evaluates the accuracy with which they approximate exact, micromechanical solutions. Considerations of geometrical, stiffness and failure criteria favor the selection of effective stiffness as being the most appropriate choice for the damage parameter.
Penicillin Treatment in Congenital Syphilis. Report of five cases

SUMMARY A report is given of five cases of congenital syphilis treated with penicillin. Satisfactory results were seen in three cases (no. 1–3). Death occurred in one case (no. 4) during treatment. In one case (no. 5), finally, enough time has not elapsed for proper conclusion.
An exact evaluation of nuclear spin-lattice relaxation for a two-site jump model

Abstract The nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate induced by a two-site jump with an arbitrary correlation time in an arbitrary Zeeman field has been evaluated for noninteracting spins. The exact expression is obtained by analytically solving the stochastic Liouville equation with proper symmetry considerations. Our solution leads to the correct limit behaviors for both weak-collision and strong-collision regimes, as studied using power-series expansions. We have found that the perturbative relaxation theory gives an accurate prediction for the relaxation rate as long as the magnetization decay can be well fitted by a single exponential and the decay time is much greater than the reciprocal of the local field. In practice, these conditions can be used to judge the validity of the perturbative theory with a given set of experimental data. In addition, the general features of the transition region between the weak- and strong-collision limits are investigated by numerical calculations, and a map of the transition region is given. The effects of different initial conditions and of including dipolar interactions are discussed qualitatively.
The 1997 Pan American Climate Studies Tropical Eastern Pacific Process Study. Part I: ITCZ Region

Abstract The Pan American Climate Studies Tropical Eastern Pacific Process Study (TEPPS) obtained a comprehensive set of observations of the structure of clouds and precipitating storms over the eastern tropical Pacific from 28 July to 6 September 1997. The TEPPS data can address a wide range of problems involving tropical oceanic clouds and precipitation. The main goal of the project was to understand why passive microwave satellite algorithms indicate an E—W gradient in the precipitation pattern in the tropical Pacific with heavier rainfall in the east while infrared satellite algorithms indicate heavier rainfall in the west. Satellite—derived precipitation estimates are based on characteristics of the vertical structure of precipitating clouds: in the case of infrared methods, cloud—top temperature, and in the case of microwave methods, the vertically integrated ice scattering and/or water absorption determined by the vertical profile of hydrometeors. The premise of the expedition was that by obtaining...
CATIONIC GROUP 4 METAL ALKYL COMPOUNDS CONTAINING ARYLOXIDE LIGATION : SYNTHESIS, STRUCTURE, REACTIVITY AND POLYMERIZATION STUDIES

Abstract A series of bis(alkyl) derivatives of titanium and zirconium [(ArO)2MR2] (M=Ti, Zr; R=Me, CH2Ph; ArO=various 2,6-di-substituted phenoxides) has been synthesized and their reactivity towards the Lewis acid [B(C6F5)3] examined. The benzyl compounds generate stable zwitterionic species such as [M(OC6HPh2-2,6-R2-3,5)2(CH2Ph)][η6-C6H5CH2B(C6F5)3] (M=Ti, R=H, 12; Me, 13: M=Zr, R=Me, 15). Structural studies of 12 and 15 show the boron anion π-bound to the metal center through the original benzyl phenyl ring. In contrast, treatment of the benzyl compound [Zr(OC6H3But2-2,6)2(CH2Ph)2] with [B(C6F5)3] leads to the cyclometallated compound [Zr(OC6H3But-CMe2CH2)(OC6H3But2-2,6)][η6-C6H5CH2B(C6F5)3] 16 which was structurally characterized. In contrast to this behavior the bis(methyl) species react with [B(C6F5)3] to produce unstable methyl cationic intermediates which decompose to a mixture of [Ti(OAr)2(CH3)(C6F5)] and [CH3B(C6F5)2]. The titanium zwitterionic benzyl compounds will react with alkynes and α-olefins to produce mono-insertion products such as [Ti(OC6H3Ph2-2,6)2{C(CH3)C(Ph)CH2(η6-C6H5)}][PhCH2B(C6F5)3] 24. In these compounds 1,2-insertion of olefins occurs followed by chelation of the original benzyl group to the metal center. Spectroscopic studies show the boron anion is non-coordinated to the metal center. Despite their thermal instability, the methyl cations can be generated in situ in the presence of olefins to produce polymers (ethene and propene) and oligomers (1-hexene). Studies show that the molecular weight of the polymers or oligomers increases systematically with the bulk of the aryloxide ligand. Spectroscopic studies of the polypropylene indicate 1,2-insertion is occurring with β-hydrogen abstraction to produce vinylidene end groups as the termination step.
Mechanisms of photoaging and chronological skin aging

Human skin, like all other organs, undergoes chronological aging. In addition, unlike other organs, skin is in direct contact with the environment and therefore undergoes aging as a consequence of environmental damage. The primary environmental factor that causes human skin aging is UV irradiation from the sun. This sun-induced skin aging (photoaging), like chronological aging, is a cumulative process. However, unlike chronological aging, which depends on the passage of time per se, photoaging depends primarily on the degree of sun exposure and skin pigment. Individuals who have outdoor lifestyles, live in sunny climates, and are lightly pigmented will experience the greatest degree of photoaging. During the last decade, substantial progress has been made in understanding cellular and molecular mechanisms that bring about chronological aging and photoaging. This emerging information reveals that chronological aging and photoaging share fundamental molecular pathways. These new insights regarding convergence of the molecular basis of chronological aging and photoaging provide exciting new opportunities for the development of new anti-aging therapies. This article reviews our current understanding and presents new data about the molecular pathways that mediate skin damage by UV irradiation and by the passage of time.
The Correlates of Nursing Staff Turnover in Home and Hospice Agencies 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey

Using data from the 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey, this study provides an update of nursing staff turnover at U.S. home health and hospice agencies and explores correlates of nursing staff turnover. Results show that the three-month turnover rates of registered nurses (RNs), licensed practice nurses (LPNs), home health aides (HHAs), and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in 2007 were 10.2%, 14.3%, 12.5%, and 12.9%, respectively. A higher nurse staffing level reduced the odds of RN and HHA turnover; the availability of communication aids reduced the odds of LPN turnover. Moreover, among benefit programs, the provision of partial insurance for family reduced the odds of HHA turnover; dental or vision health insurance reduced the odds of RN turnover; mileage reimbursement or agency car reduced the odds of LPN turnover. The provision of a 401k plan and a paid-time-off program increased the odds of RN turnover. The study results suggest that high staffing levels and benefit programs (e.g., health...
Investigations into Alpha-Helix to Beta-Sheet Phase Transitions

Statistical mechanical methods have been widely applied to the studies of problems in protein folding and protein aggregation. One of the best examples is the helix-coil transition, initiated 50 years ago by Zimm and Bragg, followed by Lifson, Roig and others. Their approach based on partition functions, transfer matrices, phase transitions, and other statistical methods has initiated a field, which is still active today. Due to close collaborations between theoretical and experimental researchers, the field of helix-coil transitions is considered to be one of the best developed ones. However, the same cannot be said about transitions involving sheet structures, such as sheet-coil or sheet-helix-coil transitions. The difficulties lie in the long-range nature of the residue interactions involved and the richness of sheet structures. To take steps toward solving these problems, we use a long-range multi-state model for the studies of conformation changes of proteins involving sheet, helix, and coil structures. The range of interactions is defined by the sequence distance of 2 residues in contacts and L is the longest of such distances. To date, we have investigated patterns of anti-parallel sheets with L=odd number, up to L=13 for which the partition function can be reduced into products of independent, nearest-neighbor chains. We show that the partition function can be put into an analytic, numerically exact form, based on which various thermodynamic quantities, such as the heat capacity, can be calculated.
McNaughton games and extracting strategies for concurrent programs

Nerode et al. [ 131 showed that a correct concurrent program can be viewed as a winning strategy in a suitably defined two player game played between the Programmer and the Computer in which the program specification is defined by the rules of the game together with the winning condition. This gives rise to the question as to whether there are useful algorithms to extract (provably) winning strategies in these games, which then yield (provably correct) concurrent programs. Now these games can be described in Rabin’s S2S, the monadic second-order theory of two successors. Decision procedures for the latter show that such algorithms exist. But past available decision methods were too cumbersome to use, even in simple cases. Successively simpler game-based decision procedures for S2S were provided by [5,19,20]. In 1993, based on these papers, McNaughton [8] introduced a class of two player infinite games which are played on a finite graph and have an especially lucid decision procedure for extraction of winning strategies. The games considered in [ 131 can be viewed as a slight variant of Bi.ichi-Landweber games [2]. We give clean algorithms for the equivalence of McNaughton games and Bi.ichi-Landweber games. This allows the McNaughton algorithm to be used to extract (provably) winning strategies, and therefore (verifiably correct) concurrent programs via the Nerode-Yakbnis-Yakhnis paradigm.
Developments in the Classification and Treatment of the Juvenile Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies

This review updates recent trends in the classification of the juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (JIIM) and the emerging standard of treatment of the most common form of JIIM, juvenile dermatomyositis. The JIIM are rare, heterogeneous autoimmune diseases that share chronic muscle inflammation and weakness. A growing spectrum of clinicopathologic groups and serologic phenotypes defined by the presence of myositis autoantibodies are now recognized, each with differing demographics, clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and prognoses. Although daily oral corticosteroids remain the backbone of treatment, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs are almost always used adjunctively and biologic therapies may benefit patients with recalcitrant disease.
Robustness of Free Prostate Specific Antigen Measurements to Reduce Unnecessary Biopsies in the 2.6 to 4.0 ng./ml. Range

ABSTRACTPurpose: Prostate specific antigen (PSA) cutoffs lower than 4.0 ng./ml. are being evaluated more frequently but lower PSA cutoffs increase the number of prostatic biopsies. PSA exists in several forms free and complexed to proteins. Percent free PSA is lower in men with prostate cancer. Accordingly, free PSA and complexed PSA have been used to distinguish between cancer and benign disease in the diagnostic gray zone of 4 to 10 ng./ml. to eliminate unnecessary biopsies. There are limited data on the robustness of free PSA measurements in the 2.6 to 4.0 ng./ml. total PSA range.Materials and Methods: We evaluated percent free PSA measurements to discriminate between cancer and benign conditions in 965 consecutive volunteers in a prostate cancer screening study who underwent prostatic biopsy for a PSA of 2.6 to 4.0 ng./ml. and had benign digital rectal examination.Results: Overall 25% of men had cancer detected. A 25% free PSA cutoff detected 85% of cancers and avoided 19% of negative (cancer-free) bi...
Survey on Smart Grid

Creation of a Smart Grid provides utilities and their customers a significant improvement in power reliability and services. To date, Smart Grid has attracted various researchers from different perspectives. This paper presents a review of Smart Grid technologies and its characteristics. An extensive literature review is introduced. One can see variety of problems and challenges in the field of Smart Grid. Hence, this paper can provide a help to find a new research point in this field.
Automatic segmentation of granular objects in images

Blob or granular object recognition is an image processing task with a rich application background, ranging from cell/nuclei segmentation in biology to nanoparticle recognition in physics. In this study, we establish a new and comprehensive framework for granular object recognition. Local density clustering and connected component analysis constitute the first stage. To separate overlapping objects, we further propose a modified watershed approach called the gradient-barrier watershed, which better incorporates intensity gradient information into the geometrical watershed framework. We also revise the marker-finding procedure to incorporate a clustering step on all the markers initially found, potentially grouping multiple markers within the same object. The gradient-barrier watershed is then conducted based on those markers, and the intensity gradient in the image directly guides the water flow during the flooding process. We also propose an important scheme for edge detection and fore/background separation called the intensity moment approach. Experimental results for a wide variety of objects in different disciplines - including cell/nuclei images, biological colony images, and nanoparticle images - demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework. Propose a general framework for granular object recognition and segmentation.Apply the scheme to a wide variety of applications.Propose a modified watershed approach called gradient-barrier watershed.Incorporate a clustering step in the marker finding procedure.Propose a scheme for edge detection and fore/background separation called intensity moment approach.
Methodology for Optimizing First Order Markov Chains of Spectrally Decomposed Terrain Profiles

Terrain profiles are the main excitation to the chassis and the resulting loads drive vehicle designs. This motivates the need for accurate models to characterize specific terrains, enabling the generation of synthetic terrain profiles for accelerated testing and simulation. Studies of models such as power spectral density (PSD) have shown that accurately modeling spatially long and short wavelengths simultaneously is difficult. In order to better model short wavelength content separately, a spectral decomposition method is developed, where a first order Markov Chain is used to model the high-passed terrain profile. The problem is formulated as a constrained optimization problem; that is, given the constraint region where the Markov property holds, find the best model among the set of spectrally decomposed profiles. The optimization methodology consists of the comparison of statistical properties of measured and synthesized profiles. This process is demonstrated on paved and non-paved profiles taken at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) and on public roads in Danville, Virginia with longitudinal resolution of 0.025 m. The results yield significant insights to further modeling terrain profiles using Markov Chains.Copyright © 2012 by ASME