cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving HIV post-exposure prophylaxis rates after pediatric acute sexual assault

The purpose of our study was to increase the rate of children with appropriate HIV-PEP regimens among those diagnosed with sexual assault in The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Emergency Department (ED). The outcome measure was the percent of patients receiving correct HIV-PEP. We retrospectively reviewed 97 charts over 31 months to define the baseline rate of children receiving appropriate HIV-PEP regimens (pre QI-implementation period: 2/2012-8/2014). Among children in which HIV-PEP was indicated following sexual assault, 40% received the recommended 28-day course. Root cause analysis indicated prescribing errors accounted for 87% of patients not receiving appropriate HIV-PEP. Process drivers included standardizing care coordination follow-up calls to elicit specific information about HIV-PEP, ED educational initiatives targeted at HIV-PEP prescribing, revision of the clinical pathway to specify indicated duration of HIV-PEP, and revision of the order set to auto-populate the number of days for the HIV-PEP prescription. During the QI-implementation period (9/2014-4/2015), the rate of appropriate HIV-PEP increased to 64% (median 60%) and the average number of days between incorrect HIV-PEP regimens was 24.5. Post QI-implementation (5/2015-3/2016), the rate of appropriate HIV-PEP increased to 84% (median 100%) and the average number of days between incorrect HIV-PEP regimens increased to 78.4. A multifaceted quality improvement process improved the rate of receipt of appropriate HIV-PEP regimens for pediatric victims of sexual assault. Decision support tools are instrumental in sustaining ideal care delivery, but require ongoing evaluation and improvement in order to remain optimally effective.
Cytochrome b5 Reductase 3 Modulates Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Redox State and cGMP Signaling

Rationale: Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) heme iron, in its oxidized state (Fe 3+ ), is desensitized to NO and limits cGMP production needed for downstream activation of protein kinase G–dependent signaling and blood vessel dilation. Objective: Although reactive oxygen species are known to oxidize the sGC heme iron, the basic mechanism(s) governing sGC heme iron recycling to its NO-sensitive, reduced state remain poorly understood. Methods and Results: Oxidant challenge studies show that vascular smooth muscle cells have an intrinsic ability to reduce oxidized sGC heme iron and form protein–protein complexes between cytochrome b5 reductase 3, also known as methemoglobin reductase, and oxidized sGC. Genetic knockdown and pharmacological inhibition in vascular smooth muscle cells reveal that cytochrome b5 reductase 3 expression and activity is critical for NO-stimulated cGMP production and vasodilation. Mechanistically, we show that cytochrome b5 reductase 3 directly reduces oxidized sGC required for NO sensitization as assessed by biochemical, cellular, and ex vivo assays. Conclusions: Together, these findings identify new insights into NO–sGC–cGMP signaling and reveal cytochrome b5 reductase 3 as the first identified physiological sGC heme iron reductase in vascular smooth muscle cells, serving as a critical regulator of cGMP production and protein kinase G–dependent signaling.
Better than Membranes at the Origin of Life

Organelles without membranes are found in all types of cells and typically contain RNA and protein. RNA and protein are the constituents of ribosomes, one of the most ancient cellular structures. It is reasonable to propose that organelles without membranes preceded protocells and other membrane-bound structures at the origins of life. Such membraneless organelles would be well sheltered in the spaces between mica sheets, which have many advantages as a site for the origins of life.
Primary Prevention with Statins: Strategies to Support Shared Decision-Making

This paper proposes several strategies for health systems, primary care clinicians, cardiologists, and other members of the healthcare team to better engage individuals in decisions around primary preventive statin therapy. The 2013 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines for cholesterol management provide an opportunity to better engage patients in decisions about primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, including the initiation of statin therapy. In the shared decision making process, clinicians and patients work together to determine what is best for the patient, taking into account the scientific evidence informing guideline recommendations, the clinician’s knowledge and experience, the known burdens of taking a daily lifelong medication, and the patient’s preferences, values and goals. Several challenges exist to adopting shared decision making as a patient-centered model of care.
On the Nature of the Smectic-C Phase

Temperature dependence of the smectic layer thickness of the Sm-C phase of HOAB has been measured by high resolution x-ray diffraction. Layer undulations appear to be an intrinsic property of the Sm-C phase. The positional-order correlation length parallel to the smectic plane is found to be larger in the Sm-C than in the Sm-A phase. These results successfully explain several experimental observations found in the literature.
Optimal Power Management Based on Q-Learning and Neuro-Dynamic Programming for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Energy optimization for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) is a challenging problem due to the system complexity and many physical and operational constraints in PHEVs. In this paper, we present a Q-learning-based in-vehicle learning system that is free of physical models and can robustly converge to an optimal energy control solution. The proposed machine learning algorithms combine neuro-dynamic programming (NDP) with future trip information to effectively estimate the expected future energy cost (expected cost-to-go) for a given vehicle state and control actions. The convergences of these learning algorithms were demonstrated on both fixed and randomly selected drive cycles. Based on the characteristics of these learning algorithms, we propose a two-stage deployment solution for PHEV power management applications. Furthermore, we introduce a new initialization strategy, which combines the optimal learning with a properly selected penalty function. This initialization scheme can reduce the learning convergence time by 70%, which is a significant improvement for in-vehicle implementation efficiency. Finally, we develop a neural network (NN) for predicting battery state-of-charge (SoC), rendering the proposed power management controller completely free of physical models.
Test Selection for Women with Suspected Stable Ischemic Heart Disease.

Abstract Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the leading cause of death and disability among women in the United States. Identifying IHD in women presenting with stable symptoms and stratifying their r...
Surgery Monitoring on the HELP System

Physiologic data from patients undergoing open-heart surgery at LDS Hospital are captured automatically by the HELP system from monitoring devices in the surgical suites (see Hemodynamic Monitoring, Chapter 21). Surgical milestones and clinical data (e.g., medications orders, times of key surgical events, urine output measurements, transfusions, etc.) are entered into the HELP system by computer technicians assigned to the thoracic surgical suites. The monitoring data and the other clinical data are combined to form a computerized surgical record.
Sodium Bentonite in Swine Diets

Summary Sodium bentonite replaced corn in cornsoybean meal starter, grower and finisher diets at 0, 2 and 3% levels. Dietary bentonite increased rate and efficiency of gain in the starter period but not in the growing and finishing periods. Neither feed intake nor carcass measurements were significantly affected by dietary sodium bentonite level. In a five replicate, 2 x 2 factorial study of sodium bentonite (0 vs 2.5%) and lincomycin (0 vs 44 ppm) in starter diets, lincomycin improved rate and efficiency of gain. Sodium bentonite did not influence rate of gain but tended to improve feed efficiency. The efficiency effects of the two appeared to be additive. Dry matter, acid detergent fiber, energy, nitrogen and mineral balances were conducted on starter, grower and finisher diets with the three levels of bentonite of trial 1. Dry matter digestibility was not significantly affected by dietary bentonite with the exception of a slight depression in meal-fed starter pigs. Acid detergent fiber digestibility was depressed by dietary sodium bentonite. Nitrogen digestibility of starter diets was de
A Differentiable Temporary Equilibrium Theory

In two recent papers G. Debreu [6] and S. Smale [18] gave illuminating discussions of the application of differential topology to the area of general Walrasian equilibrium analysis. In particular, Smale pointed out a weakness of the Walrasian theory, also commonly referred to as the “Arrow-Debreu Theory.” This weakness refers to the “reliance of the theory on long range optimization” where “economic agents make one life-long decision, optimizing some value.” Moreover, “with future dating of commodities, time has almost an artificial role.” Another weakness of the Arrow-Debreu theory is that monetary phenomena cannot adequately be studied in that model and hence, a micro-foundation for monetary theory is not available in that framework. These weaknesses can be eliminated by allowing sequential decision making according to the agents expectations of future circumstances. This paper discusses the extension of Arrow-Debreu theory to this sequential setting within a differentiable framework applying tools of differential topology.
Dopamine D1 and D3 receptor modulators restore morphine analgesia and prevent opioid preference in a model of neuropathic pain.

A secondary consequence of spinal cord injury (SCI) is debilitating chronic neuropathic pain, which is commonly morphine resistant and inadequately managed by current treatment options. Consequently, new pain management therapies are desperately needed. We previously reported that dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) dysfunction was associated with opioid resistance and increases in D1 receptor (D1R) protein expression in the spinal cord. Here, we demonstrate that in a model of SCI neuropathic pain, adjuvant therapy with a D3R agonist (pramipexole) or D1R antagonist (SCH 39166) can restore the analgesic effects of morphine and reduce reward potential. Prior to surgery thermal and mechanical thresholds were tested in three groups of female rats (naive, sham, SCI). After surgery, testing was repeated under the following drug conditions: 1) saline, 2) morphine, 3) pramipexole, 4) SCH 39166, 5) morphine + pramipexole, and 6) morphine + SCH 39166. Reward potential of morphine and both combinations was assessed using conditioned place preference. Following SCI, morphine + pramipexole and morphine + SCH 39166 significantly increased both thermal and mechanical thresholds. Morphine alone induced conditioned place preference, but when combined with either the D3R agonist or D1R antagonist preference was not induced. The data suggest that adjunct therapy with receptor-specific dopamine modulators can restore morphine analgesia and decrease reward potential and thus, represents a new target for pain management therapy after SCI.
Implementation of the Whole Child Assessment to Screen for Adverse Childhood Experiences

Pediatricians are encouraged to screen for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The current study developed and implemented a tool to screen for Child-ACEs at a pediatric resident clinic in San Bernardino, California. Development of the tool, named the Whole Child Assessment (WCA), was based on an iterative process that incorporated triangulation of references, patient data, and physician feedback. Implementation of the WCA occurred over the course of 6 improvement cycles that involved obtaining and responding to stakeholder feedback, streamlining paperwork and workflow, and providing physician education. Over the course of our study, we reviewed 1100 charts from well-child visits. We demonstrated that use of the WCA increased identification of multiple Child-ACEs compared with no screening and that reports of multiple Child-ACEs increased with age. These results suggest that use of the WCA provides an acceptable and feasible way to screen for Child-ACEs during routine pediatric practice.
CHAPTER 1 – Graph Theoretic Foundations

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the graph theoretic foundations, which include intersection, interval graphs, and circular-arc graphs. The intersection graph of the family of nonempty set (F) is obtained by representing each set in F by a vertex and connecting two vertices by an edge if and only iftheir corresponding sets intersect. When F is allowed to be an arbitrary family of sets, the class of graphs obtained as intersection graphs is simply all undirected graphs. The problem of characterizing the intersection graphs of families of sets having some specific topological or other pattern is often very interesting and frequently has applications to the real world. The intersection graph of a family of intervals on a linearly ordered set (like the real line) is called an interval graph. If these intervals are required to have unit length, then one can have a unit interval graph; a proper interval graph is constructed from a family of intervals on a line such that no interval properly contains another. It has been shown that the classes of unit interval graphs and proper interval graphs coincide. One can obtain a circular-arc graphs obtain by allowing arcs to slip over and include the point of connection. There are a number of interesting applications of circular-arc graphs, including computer storage allocation and the phasing of traffic lights.
Collective effects in the sedimentation of particles in a viscoelastic fluid

The sedimentation of a suspension of rigid spherical particles in a polymeric fluid is studied with experiments and numerical simulations. It is shown that settling in a viscoelastic Boger fluid is time-dependent and inhomogeneous; both experiments and simulations exhibit the formation of particle-rich, fast-settling regions and particle-depleted regions with back flow (shown). When a cross shear flow is imposed, the mean particle settling rate is drastically reduced, suggesting that both fluid elasticity and the particle volume fraction of the suspension have important effects.
A retrospective cluster analysis of COVID-19 cases by county

The COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. has exhibited distinct waves, the first beginning in March 2020, the second beginning in early June, and additional waves currently emerging. Paradoxically, almost no county has exhibited this multi-wave pattern. We aim to answer three research questions: (1) How many distinct clusters of counties exhibit similar COVID-19 patterns in the time-series of daily confirmed cases?; (2) What is the geographic distribution of the counties within each cluster? and (3) Are county-level demographic, socioeconomic and political variables associated with the COVID-19 case patterns? We analyzed data from counties in the U.S. from March 1 to October 24, 2020. Time series clustering identified clusters in the daily confirmed cases of COVID-19. An explanatory model was used to identify demographic, socioeconomic and political variables associated the cluster patterns. Four patterns were identified from the timing of the outbreaks including counties experiencing a spring, an early summer, a late summer, and a fall outbreak. Several county-level demographic, socioeconomic, and political variables showed significant associations with the identified clusters. The timing of the outbreak is related both to the geographic location within the U.S. and several variables including age, poverty distribution, and political association. These results show that the reported pattern of cases in the U.S. is observed through aggregation of the COVID-19 cases, suggesting that local trends may be more informative. The timing of the outbreak varies by county, and is associated with important demographic, socioeconomic and geographic factors.
Right Temporal Degeneration and Conceptual Loss of Emotions: Semantic-variant Frontotemporal Dementia? (2217)

Objective: Describe the early symptoms and propose a unifying nomenclature and criteria for right-predominant temporal lobe degeneration. Background: To date, the clinical profile of right-predominant temporal lobe neurodegeneration remains elusive. We performed an in-depth analysis of 19 patients with right temporal variant and an autopsy diagnosis of frontemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD)[FTLD-TDP type-C (n=13); FTLD-TDP type-A due to progranulin mutation (n=2); Pick’s disease(n=4)]. Design/Methods: We evaluated the clinical and behavioral profile of an autopsy confirmed series of patients given any of the following diagnoses during life: Right-temporal semantic-variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA), right-temporal behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), or right semantic dementia (SD). Voxel-based morphometry was used to assess gray matter atrophy. Results: The most common first, second and third symptoms were loss of empathy (68%, n=13/19), loss of person, object and language-related knowledge (63%, n=12/19) and compulsive behavior (42%, n=8), respectively. Neuropsychological testing revealed impairment in executive and memory domains (Trails and CVLT −3.7 and −2.9 SD below the mean (btm), respectively). Semantic and verbal fluencies were −3SD and −2SD btm, respectively). Naming on BNT was (−12SD btm), comprehension on PPVT was (−12SD btm), non-verbal semantics on Pyramid and Palm Trees-Pictures was (−22SD btm), famous faces naming and familiarity were (−3.8SD and −3.4SD btm, respectively). Affect matching on CATS was (−3.8SD btm). Visuospatial systems were spared; Benson figure copy (−1SD), VOSP (0.2SD) btm. Impaired emotional and cognitive empathy on IRI-EC and PT (−2.4SD and −2.8SD btm, respectively), decreased warmth on IAS at (−17SD btm), and difficulty understanding complex emotions and social cues on TASIT-EE, SI-M for Sincere and Sarcastic were (−0.7SD, −0.1 and −9 SD btm, respectively). Early in the disease course, patients did not fulfill the current diagnostic criteria for either bvFTD or svPPA but showed a combination of features spanning both and had loss of person-specific knowledge. Conclusions: Right temporal lobe degeneration presents with distinct early clinical and neuroimaging findings and has high clinical-pathological predictive specificity. A unified nomenclature and diagnostic criteria could help with early diagnosis. Disclosure: Dr. Younes has nothing to disclose. Dr. Montembeault has nothing to disclose. Dr. Borghesani has nothing to disclose. Dr. Welch has nothing to disclose. Dr. Spina has nothing to disclose. Dr. Grinberg has nothing to disclose. Dr. Seeley has nothing to disclose. Dr. Miller has nothing to disclose. Dr. Miller has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gorno Tempini has nothing to disclose.
From the Cecum to the Sigmoid: Twisted Colon in the Pediatric Population.

Colonic volvulus (CV) is the third leading cause of colonic obstruction in adults. In infants and children, this is exceedingly rare, with only sporadic cases reported so far. We present two cases of CV to highlight the differences in etiology, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of this condition. The first patient is a 12-year-old boy with no previous surgeries who presented with four days of abdominal pain. Imaging showed a sigmoid volvulus that was decompressed endoscopically, and he was discharged. He had a contrast enema showing an abnormal rectosigmoid ratio. At the time of the rectal biopsy four weeks later, he was found to have a recurrence, at which point definitive operative treatment was pursued. The second patient is a 17-year-old boy who presented with five days of abdominal pain and CT findings concerning for ischemic volvulus. This prompted emergent operative intervention, where a cecal volvulus was discovered as the result of a congenital band. The band was divided without complication. Pediatric CV is a rare condition that might be severe in some cases. High suspicion, prompt diagnosis, and treatment are essential to prevent early and long-term morbidity.
Medical Problems of Llamas

Numerous medical problems have been identified in the llama. Many of these problems are unique to the llama, whereas others are observed in multiple species. This article will serve as a supplement to the previous llama edition of the Veterinary Clinics. Topics covered include problems of recumbent llamas, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and renal systems.
Pheromonal Signals Access the Medial Extended Amygdala: One Node in a Proposed Social Behavior Network

Publisher Summary This chapter reveals that pheromones are the language of social communication among vertebrates, particularly mammals. When broadcast from an animal's body or deposited as a transitory signpost of the animal's passage, pheromones can convey not only sex and reproductive status, but also individual identity and thereby familial relationship and social status in the community. Thus, these signaling molecules serve to attract or separate individuals, and, when individuals interact, to elicit affiliative, agonistic, or defensive behaviors. In addition, pheromones initiate neuroendocrine responses in the receiver, whether male or female, that can have profound effects on the physiological status of the animal, particularly on reproductive status. By the early1970s, it was recognized that odors from conspecifics could alter the onset of puberty in females, ovarian cyclicity, and sexual behavior in males and females; and could affect the success of pregnancy in several vertebrate species.
Influence of Pulmonary Hypertension on Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Awaiting Lung Transplantation

Background The influence of varying levels of pulmonary hypertension (PH) on survival in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is not well defined. Methods The United Network for Organ Sharing database was queried from 2005 to 2013 to identify first-time lung transplant candidates listed for lung transplantation who were tracked from waitlist entry date until death or censoring to determine the influence of PH on patients with advanced lung disease. Using data for right heart catheterization measurements, mild PH was defined as mean pulmonary artery pressure of 25 mm Hg or more, and severe as 35 mm Hg or more. Results Of 6,657 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients, 6,651 were used for univariate analysis, 6,126 for Kaplan-Meier survival function, 6,013 for multivariate Cox models, and 5,186 (mild PH) and 2,014 (severe PH) for propensity score matching, respectively. Univariate Cox proportional hazards analysis found significant differences in survival for mild PH (hazard ratio [HR] 1.689, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.434 to 1.988, p p p p p = 0.001) and severe PH (HR 2.103, 95% CI: 1.436 to 3.078, p Conclusions The manifestation of PH, even with mild severity, is associated with significantly increased risk for death among patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis awaiting lung transplantation, so referral should be considered early in the disease course.
The MAPK inhibitor, MKP3, is an estrogen receptor α coactivator associated with tamoxifen resistance

4364 Tamoxifen (Tam) is the most frequently prescribed antiestrogen for the prevention and treatment of ER positive breast cancers, but while Tam is initially useful in many breast cancer patients, tamoxifen resistance (TR) eventually will develop. It has been shown recently that enhanced growth factor signaling is associated with TR, but the mechanisms are still undefined. To examine acquired resistance, we performed a microarray expression profiling study to identify genes associated with clinical TR with two groups of tumors: Tam Sensitive (TS, n=4) were primary tumors from patients who were treated with Tam and had not experienced a recurrence, and TR tumors (n=5) were metastatic breast tumors from patients who were treated with Tam and whose metastatic lesions recurred while on treatment. We found that the major cellular inhibitor of MAPK, MAPK Phosphatase 3 (MKP3, also called DUSP6), was significantly overexpressed in the TR group of tumors. Since we observed that there were two “LXXLL” motifs, called NR boxes, in MKP3 with similarity to nuclear receptor interaction domains, we hypothesized that MKP3 could interact with ER, and function as an ERα coactivator protein. Through transient transactivation assay, we demonstrated that MKP3 could potentiate ligand-induced ERα activity in ERα-positive breast cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. We also found that MKP3 expression enhances ligand-dependent transcriptional activity of other nuclear receptors, such as androgen receptor, progesterone receptor, and retinoic acid receptor, but not a TATA-box driven promoter, demonstrating specificity for nuclear receptors. We next engineered MCF-7 cells to stably overexpress MKP3 to study its effects on estrogen-induced growth and tamoxifen response. MKP3 overexpression led to significantly increased growth in soft agar in the presence of tamoxifen which could be inhibited by the pure steroidal antiestrogen fulvestrant. A preliminary experiment demonstrated that MKP3 overexpression did not affect estrogen-stimulated xenograft growth compared with vector-control tumors. However, in the Tam-treated groups, the MKP3 expressing xenografted tumors continued to grow (p=0.047), suggesting that MKP3 overexpression might confer TR in ERα-positive breast cancer cells. In estrogen-treated MKP3 transfectants, MAPK was inhibited. But we observed increased phospho-ERK1/2 levels, and phosphorylation at S118 ERα in tamoxifen-treated MKP3-overexpressing cells, suggesting that the interaction of ERα and MKP3 might represent a novel mechanism independent of its effects on MAPK. Alternatively, MKP3 overexpression overexpression may lead to a paradoxical activation of MAPK in tamoxifen-treated tumors. In summary, our data suggest that MKP3 is a new ERα coactivator which may be involved in the evolution of clinical resistance.
The Biosynthesis of Pseudouridine in Ribonucleic Acids of Escherichia coli

The utilization of pseudouridine-2-14C by a uracil-requiring mutant of Escherichia coli is described. Cells were grown in the presence of labeled pseudouridine (Ψ uridine) and suboptimal amounts of uracil. During one doubling time a small amount of Ψ uridine was taken up, and radioactivity appeared in DNA and RNA. Small amounts of pseudouridine and its mono-, di-, and triphosphates were isolated from the metabolic pool. The high specific activities of these compounds indicated that little dilution of fed Ψ uridine had occurred in the pool. In RNA, label appeared mainly in the pyrimidines, with Ψ uridine being the most highly labeled. Appearance of label in uridylic and cytidylic acids is considered to result from a limited ability of the organism to degrade Ψ uridine. The specific activities of Ψ uridine isolated from the various RNA fractions and from the common tetranucleotide T-Ψ-C-G of tRNA were 0.2 to 2% that of ΨTP of the metabolic pool. An inverse relationship was observed among the RNA fractions between the content of Ψ uridine and its specific activity. Thus, the specific activity of Ψ uridine in 16 S rRNA > 23 S RNA > tRNA > T-Ψ-C-G. We conclude that Ψ uridine is not incorporated as such into positions in RNA where it normally occurs, but that non-specific incorporation can occur.
Hacia una nueva ética médica

Mediante una serie de vinetas autobiograficas y la reflexion personal a partir de las tradiciones medica y filosofico politica, se critica la ensenanza de la etica medica y otras eticas aplicadas en las universidades norteamericanas. Rechazando tanto el paternalismo como el autonomismo, el autor proporciona un esbozo de su filosofia de la medicina y de su encaje entre diversos modelos juridicos y cientificos, dentro de un contexto social de deshumanizacion de la relacion asistencial. Los temas tratados son, ademas de la relacion medico-paciente y la responsabilidad etica que surge en esa relacion, el papel de las humanidades en la formacion de los profesionales sanitarios, el auge y los problemas de la autonomia del paciente como principio rector de esa relacion, y la necesidad de articular la conciencia de los profesionales sanitarios y su identidad etica en torno a una construccion relacional efectuada con deliberacion y cuidado. Para obtener la confianza del paciente, los profesionales sanitarios tienen que escuchar, responder y asumir la experiencia subjetiva del paciente como propia, convirtiendose en sus defensores; solo asi ese encuentro asimetrico entre el yo del profesional y su Otro, el paciente, traera consigo la confianza necesaria para llevar a buen puerto la relacion asistencial.
When Are Capitalization Exceptions Justified

Normative capitalization would suspend deductions for every expenditure to the extent that it procures a benefit lasting beyond the taxable year in which the cost is incurred. A number of arguments have been advanced for departing from normative capitalization, including (1) that an inability to set rational depreciation schedules renders capitalization more distortive than expensing, (2) that capitalization and expensing lead to nearly identical results given certain steady-state investment patterns, and (3) that indirect costs should be expensed because it is too difficult to identify and allocate them among capital expenditures. This article examines these and other arguments and concludes that exceptions to normative capitalization can be justified only in limited instances, but that none of the arguments considered justify departing from normative capitalization to the extent commonly accepted.
A study of hypnotic drugs in patients with chronic diseases; comparative efficacy of placebo; methyprylon (noludar) meprobmate (miltown, equanil) pentobarbial; phenobarbital; secobarbital.

Abstract 1. 1. A controlled clinical comparison has been made of placebo, pentobarbital, secobarbital, phenobarbital, methyprylon (Noludar), and meprobamate (Miltown Equanil), in 46 chronically ill patients. 2. 2. The effects of two dose levels of each drug on induction and duration of sleep, and over-all performance, as described by the patients, have been described and analyzed. 3. 3. Methyprylon (Noludar) and meprobamate (Miltown Equanil) have hypnotic properties, the former resembling pentobarbital and secobarbital, and the latter resembling phenobarbital, in performance. 4. 4. The most satisfactory therapeutic results were achieved with 0.2 Gm. of secobarbital and of pentobarbital; these drugs are recommended as standards against which new drugs should be compared. 5. 5. Unpleasant side effects were infrequent with all medications. 6. 6. Chronically ill patients with insomnia provide a useful population for the evaluation of hypnotic drugs.
Acoustic emission monitoring of early corrosion in prestressed concrete piles

SUMMARY Prestressed concrete (PC) piles in marine environments are vulnerable to corrosion damage especially at their tidal zone because of the concurrent exposure of steel reinforcement to moisture, chlorides, and oxygen. Early detection of corrosion in prestressed strands is desirable to enable the effective planning and prioritizing of maintenance operations. This paper reports on experiments aimed at testing the hypothesis that acoustic emission (AE) monitoring is suitable to recognize and classify early corrosion damage in PC piles exposed to saltwater. In fact, AE is sensitive to the formation and growth of microcracks in both steel and concrete, which may develop upon depassivation of reinforcement and buildup of corrosion by-products. In addition, the influence of AE signals produced through flexural cracks in the concrete is of less concern for PC piles as such cracks are seldom produced under service loads. Five specimens representative of full-scale portions of PC piles were designed to accelerate corrosion and subjected for 1 year to wet/dry cycles in saltwater simulating tidal action. The specimens were monitored continuously with AE sensors. Benchmark electrochemical measurements were routinely performed to understand when depassivation of the steel strands occurred. Visual evidence of early corrosion was collected from strands removed from two decommissioned specimens. It is shown that AE intensity analysis is more effective than AE signal strength and cumulative signal strength analysis in recognizing corrosion damage. Intensity analysis-based criteria for the assessment of early corrosion damage are proposed, complementing previously developed criteria for more severe corrosion damage in steel strands. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Received 22 May 2014; Revised 15 September 2014; Accepted 2 November 2014
International Relations' Scientific Imagination: A Pluralist's Manifesto

The Conduct of Inquiry in International Relations: Philosophy of Science and Its Implications for the Study of World Politics. By Patrick Thaddeus Jackson. New York: Routledge, 2010. 268 pp., $42.95 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0-415-77627-1). Patrick Jackson has written the most important methodological book in political science since King, Keohane, and Verba's Designing Social Inquiry (1994). It is fueled by palpable frustration with the current terms of methodological debate in International Relations (IR), in particular a view of “science” that sees it as “vague and general sensibility” (p. 3), typically defined as the search for law-like generalizations through formalist or quantitative methods, played as a trump card from positions of authority, rather than a clearly specified philosophical account of the form of scientific inquiry used in a given instance and a rigorous argument in its favor. Conduct of Inquiry consequently defines a broader view of science, draws out its implications for current debates like that between quantitative and qualitative approaches, and defends methodological pluralism against those that would seek methodological hegemony in its stead. Although a contribution to the philosophy of IR, the book is neither esoteric nor estranged from the concerns of the practicing scholar. Clearly written and presented, it both contributes to existing debates while reorienting them in fresh and exciting directions. It is a major achievement, one that merits the widest possible audience among scholars and students of social science in general and IR in particular. Conduct of Inquiry presents a new vocabulary for scholars to use in order to get a handle on the complex …
ELECTROMAGNETIC DECAY OF GIANT RESONANCES

Coincidence experiments were done to investigate the photon and neutron emission from the giant resonance regions of /sup 208/Pb and /sup 90/Zr using the ORNL Spin Spectrometer, a 72-segment NaI detector system. We have determined the total gamma-decay probability, the ground-state gamma branching ratio, and the branching ratios to a number of low-lying states as a function of excitation energy in /sup 208/Pb to approx.15 MeV. Similar data were also obtained on /sup 90/Zr. The total yield of ground-state E2 gamma radiation in /sup 208/Pb and the comparative absence of such radiation in /sup 90/Zr can only be understood if decay of compound (damped) states is considered. Other observations in /sup 208/Pb include the absence of a significant branch from the giant quadrupole resonance (GQR) to the 3/sup -/ state at 2.6 MeV, a strong branch to a 3/sup -/ state at 4.97 MeV from the same region, and transitions to various 1/sup -/ states between 5 to 7 MeV from the E* approx. 14 MeV region (EO resonance).
Nonparametric discrete survival function estimation with uncertain endpoints using an internal validation subsample

When a true survival endpoint cannot be assessed for some subjects, an alternative endpoint that measures the true endpoint with error may be collected, which often occurs when obtaining the true endpoint is too invasive or costly. We develop an estimated likelihood function for the situation where we have both uncertain endpoints for all participants and true endpoints for only a subset of participants. We propose a nonparametric maximum estimated likelihood estimator of the discrete survival function of time to the true endpoint. We show that the proposed estimator is consistent and asymptotically normal. We demonstrate through extensive simulations that the proposed estimator has little bias compared to the naive Kaplan-Meier survival function estimator, which uses only uncertain endpoints, and more efficient with moderate missingness compared to the complete-case Kaplan-Meier survival function estimator, which uses only available true endpoints. Finally, we apply the proposed method to a dataset for estimating the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.
Antithrombin III depression and thrombin generation acceleration in women taking oral contraceptives

Abstract The blood clotting systems of 21 women were studied prior to and modified by steroid contraceptives. The oral contraceptives induced a depression of antithrombin III activity and an acceleration of thrombin generation within the first cycle of therapy. These changes are similar to those observed in patients with chronic thromboembolic disease. It is suggested that of all the clotting changes induced by the oral contraceptives the loss of antithrombin III activity may be the one that is the most clinically significant.
Cutting Edge: Induction of B7-H4 on APCs through IL-10: Novel Suppressive Mode for Regulatory T Cells

Multiple modes of suppressive mechanisms including IL-10 are thought to be implicated in CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cell-mediated suppression. However, the cellular source, role, and molecular mechanism of IL-10 in Treg cell biology remain controversial. We now studied the interaction between Treg cells and APCs. We demonstrate that Treg cells, but not conventional T cells, trigger high levels of IL-10 production by APCs, stimulate APC B7-H4 expression, and render APCs immunosuppressive. Initial blockade of B7-H4 reduces the suppressive activity mediated by Treg cell-conditioned APCs. Further, APC-derived, rather than Treg cell-derived, IL-10 is responsible for APC B7-H4 induction. Therefore, Treg cells convey suppressive activity to APCs by stimulating B7-H4 expression through IL-10. Altogether, our data provide a novel cellular and molecular mechanism for Treg cell-mediated immunosuppression at the level of APCs, and suggest a plausible mechanism for the suppressive effect of IL-10 in Treg cell-mediated suppression.
Role of TGF-β Signaling in Generation of CD39 + CD73 + Myeloid Cells in Tumors

There is growing evidence that generation of adenosine from ATP, which is mediated by the CD39/CD73 enzyme pair, predetermines immunosuppressive and proangiogenic properties of myeloid cells. We have previously shown that the deletion of the TGF-β type II receptor gene (Tgfbr2) expression in myeloid cells is associated with decreased tumor growth, suggesting protumorigenic effect of TGF-β signaling. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that TGF-β drives differentiation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells into protumorigenic terminally differentiated myeloid mononuclear cells (TDMMCs) characterized by high levels of cell-surface CD39/CD73 expression. We found that TDMMCs represent a major cell subpopulation expressing high levels of both CD39 and CD73 in the tumor microenvironment. In tumors isolated from mice with spontaneous tumor formation of mammary gland and conditional deletion of the type II TGF-β receptor in mammary epithelium, an increased level of TGF-β protein was associated with further increase in number of CD39(+)CD73(+) TDMMCs compared with MMTV-PyMT/TGFβRII(WT) control tumors with intact TGF-β signaling. Using genetic and pharmacological approaches, we demonstrated that the TGF-β signaling mediates maturation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells into TDMMCs with high levels of cell surface CD39/CD73 expression and adenosine-generating capacity. Disruption of TGF-β signaling in myeloid cells resulted in decreased accumulation of TDMMCs, expressing CD39 and CD73, and was accompanied by increased infiltration of T lymphocytes, reduced density of blood vessels, and diminished progression of both Lewis lung carcinoma and spontaneous mammary carcinomas. We propose that TGF-β signaling can directly induce the generation of CD39(+)CD73(+) TDMMCs, thus contributing to the immunosuppressive, proangiogenic, and tumor-promoting effects of this pleiotropic effector in the tumor microenvironment.
How can robots look like human beings

Summary form only given. There is a long history of people attempting to replicate human beings with machines that appear humanoid. The history of the idea of using robots which replicate human form is briefly outlined, and then the question of why one would want to replicate human forms is discussed from functional, psychological and social points of view. Although there is no reason a robot needs to look like a biological life form, there have always been aspects of robotics research which have followed the idea of simulating nature not only in function but also in appearance. In design there is a school of thought which maintains that in good design the form of an object is dictated by its function, this is known as "form follows function". This paper looks at the question of what advantages and disadvantages the human form has for robots.
Insulin mediates the stimulation of pyruvate kinase by a dual mechanism

A radioimmunoassay specific for liver pyruvate kinase was used to determine the mechanism(s) involved in the insulin stimulation of this enzyme activity in chronically diabetic rats. Rats, made diabetic with alloxan, were fed on a high-carbohydrate (50%-sucrose) fat-free diet and treated with insulin for 12, 36 or 60 h. Livers were removed at the various times, a piece was kept for determination of glycogen, and the remainder was homogenized. The 100000 g supernatant was prepared and used for determination of pyruvate kinase activity and quantity. Glycogen increased to a maximum of approx. 7% by 12 h after insulin treatment, and was maintained at this elevated value for 60 h. Liver pyruvate kinase activity, which is depressed in diabetes, did not respond to insulin until 36 h of treatment, with a more substantial increase occurring by 60 h. Radioimmunoassay data indicated that the increase in activity was concomitant with a substantial increase in the quantity of the enzyme and a moderate increase in its specific activity. These results demonstrate that a dual mechanism, i.e. an increase in both the quantity and specific activity of the enzyme, regulates the insulin-mediated stimulation of liver pyruvate kinase in the diabetic rat.
Balancing Thread-Level and Task-Level Parallelism for Data-Intensive Workloads on Clusters and Clouds

The runtime configuration of parallel and distributed applications remains a mysterious art. To tune an application on a particular system, the end-user must choose the number of machines, the number of cores per task, the data partitioning strategy, and so on, all of which result in a combinatorial explosion of choices. While one might try to exhaustively evaluate all choices in search of the optimal, the end user's goal is simply to run the application once with reasonable performance by avoiding terrible configurations. To address this problem, we present a hybrid technique based on regression models for tuning data intensive bioinformatics applications: the sequential computational kernel is characterized empirically and then incorporated into an ab initio model of the distributed system. We demonstrate this technique on the commonly-used applications BWA, Bowtie2, and BLASR and validate the accuracy of our proposed models on clouds and clusters.
An Examination of Perceived Barriers to Mentoring in Public Accounting

While both mentoring and peer relationships exist among some auditors in public accounting, little is known about these relationships. The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence on perceived barriers to mentoring and peer relationships in public accounting. Analysis of responses indicated three interpretable factors representing barriers to forming mentoring relationships. First, participants without a mentor perceived greater barriers from access to mentors and from willingness of the mentor. Gender differences were significant in all three factors. Partners perceived barriers from access to mentors to be lower than those perceived by the other ranks. Finally, willingness of the mentor was perceived to be a greater barrier by local firm participants than by intermediate or Big 5 firm participants.
Analysis of factors which influence the application, operation, and design of shunt-capacitor equipments switched in large banks

THE application of shunt capacitors to distribution circuits has been well treated in the technical press. These papers have in general dealt with conditions obtaining when relatively small banks of capacitors are connected to the circuit 24 hours of the day. The increase in knowledge of the benefits afforded by capacitors through experience and analysis, coupled with the price reductions effected through advances in design and manufacture, has logically stimulated their use in fields where switching during the day, as governed by load and voltage conditions, is advantageous, desirable, and economically sound. These types of applications impose different duties upon the capacitors as well as upon the disconnecting equipments and associated devices, and the question naturally arises in the engineers' mind as to their effect upon the design and operation of the equipment. This paper offers a discussion and an analysis of the more pertinent of these problems. The conclusions drawn pertain in general to installations of 6,900 volts and below. The higher-voltage equipments may require additional considerations.
Transformation Theory and Social Action: A Response to Collard and Law:

Collard and Law challenged the validity of my writings about perspective transformation on the grounds that I have underemphasized the importance of collective social action as a goal. Transformati...
The PC/video connection

The personal computer (PC) is an integral part of our life. Television (TV) and PCs have a common origin in electronic technology. With respect to pictures and sound, TVs are an analog technology; PCs are digital. The analog video signal can be converted to digital information for storage in the computer memory or displayed on the computer monitor. An example of advancing technology is the video conferencing industry (remote conferencing). It is becoming an alternative to expensive and time-consuming air travel. The video and audio are transmitted using complex equipment, and expensive and relatively scarce high bandwidth satellite channels. Combined, video and computing can take technology even further, for instance into the operating room. Video can be used with a computer for teleconferencing the surgery. This would be especially beneficial in the area such as laparoscopy. A video used with the computer provides two distinct advantages. The ability to interact with a remote viewer (e.g. teleconferencing an operation), and the improved instructional value. We consider the state-of-the-art technology that video and computing can create and use. To do this, each aspect of each technology is reviewed.