cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A minimax framework for classification with applications to images and high dimensional data

This paper introduces a minimax framework for multiclass classification, which is applicable to general data including, in particular, imagery and other types of high-dimensional data. The framework consists of estimating a representation model that minimizes the fitting errors under a class of distortions of interest to an application, and deriving subsequently categorical information based on the estimated model. A variety of commonly used regression models, including lasso, elastic net and ridge regression, can be regarded as special cases that correspond to specific classes of distortions. Optimal decision rules are derived for this classification framework. By using kernel techniques the framework can account for nonlinearity in the input space. To demonstrate the power of the framework we consider a class of signal-dependent distortions and build a new family of classifiers as new special cases. This family of new methods-minimax classification with generalized multiplicative distortions-often outperforms the state-of-the-art classification methods such as the support vector machine in accuracy. Extensive experimental results on images, gene expressions and other types of data verify the effectiveness of the proposed framework.
On a non-smooth version of Newton's method based on Hölderian assumptions

In this study we are concerned with the problem of approximating a locally unique solution of an operator equation in Banach space using Newton's method. The differentiability of the operator involved is not assumed, and we use Holderian assumptions. We provide a semilocal convergence analysis based on a suitable point-based approximation. Our approach is justified by numerical examples where our results apply, whereas earlier ones cannot be applied in this way.
Low noise electronics in practical applications

Abstract The parameters essential to achieving low electronic noise are well established, but in practical applications many details are often ignored. A common challenge is to optimally use an existing IC in measurements for which it was not specifically designed, e.g. radiation damage tests where not just individual noise contributions, but also pulse shaping characteristics are affected. The relevant parameters must be evaluated to determine whether the change in signal-to-noise ratio originates in the detector, the electronics, or both. Another critical parameter in multi-electrode position sensing detectors is the input impedance, which sets the cross-talk between adjacent electrodes. Published data often do not include the required information, but to some extent the key electronics parameters necessary to derive changes in detector characteristics can be measured in situ . The paper discusses examples with differing requirements, such as detectors subject to radiation damage, long-strip position-sensitive systems, and—as an extreme example—ultra low-noise cryogenic bolometer arrays.
GOLPH3 Links the Golgi, DNA Damage, and Cancer

GOLPH3 is the first example of an oncogene that functions in secretory trafficking at the Golgi. The discovery of GOLPH3's roles in both cancer and Golgi trafficking raises questions about how GOLPH3 and the Golgi contribute to cancer. Our recent investigation of the regulation of GOLPH3 revealed a surprising response by the Golgi upon DNA damage that is mediated by DNA-PK and GOLPH3. These results provide new insight into the DNA damage response with important implications for understanding the cellular response to standard cancer therapeutic agents.
Change detection and landscape metrics for inferring anthropogenic processes in the greater EFMO area

Abstract Remote sensing offers an important means of detecting and analyzing temporal changes occurring in our landscape. This research used remote sensing to quantify land use/land cover changes, and landscape metrics to track ecological impacts of such changes at the Effigy Mounds National Monument (EFMO), Iowa, USA. Aerial photography spanning a period of six decades, IKONOS pan-sharpened (1×1 m) data, and input from the US National Park Service were used to develop land cover classification maps for the 1940s, 1960s, and 1990s. A post-classification algorithm was applied to derive land cover changes, and landscape metrics were used to analyze specific habitat classes. Overall changes in natural vegetation between 1940s and 1990s at EFMO showed interchangeable shifts whereby the canopies of some areas of deciduous forests and bottomland woodlands thinned out, whereas others transited from croplands in the 1940s to full growth forest in the 1990s. Similar patterns were observed for cropland and pasture, where the total area of cropland declined while that of pasture increased, albeit with a decline in the number of patches. Land cover changes around EFMO reflect the impacts of management decisions made in response to shifts in agricultural and economic policy while, within EFMO, the areas of “natural” vegetation are well maintained and devoid of any significant human activity.
Supervised regularized canonical correlation analysis: Integrating histologic and proteomic data for predicting biochemical failures

Multimodal data, especially imaging and non-imaging data, is being routinely acquired in the context of disease diagnostics; however computational challenges have limited the ability to quantitatively integrate imaging and non-imaging data channels with different dimensionalities for making diagnostic and prognostic predictions. The objective of this work is to create a common subspace to simultaneously accommodate both the imaging and non-imaging data, called a metaspace. This metaspace can be used to build a meta-classifier that produces better classification results than a classifier that is based on a single modality alone. In this paper, we present a novel Supervised Regularized Canonical Correlation Analysis (SRCCA) algorithm that (1) enables the quantitative integration of data from multiple modalities using a feature selection scheme, (2) is regularized, and (3) is computationally cheap. We leverage this SRCCA framework towards the fusion of proteomic and histologic image signatures for identifying prostate cancer patients at risk for biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy. For a cohort of 19 prostate cancer patients, SRCCA was able to yield a lower fused dimensional metaspace comprising both the histological and proteomic attributes. In conjunction with SRCCA, a random forest classifier was able to identify patients at risk for biochemical failure with a maximum accuracy of 93%. The classifier performance in the SRCCA space was statistically significantly higher compared to the fused data representations obtained either with Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) or Regularized CCA.
FLOOD PULSE DYNAMICS OF AN UNREGULATED RIVER FLOODPLAIN IN THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. COASTAL PLAIN

Annual flooding in low-gradient rivers is recognized as an important subsidy between the river and its broad adjoining floodplains. Unfortunately, relatively few low- gradient rivers are unregulated and retain their natural "flood pulse" behavior in most developed regions of the world. Furthermore, attempts to quantify flood inundation dy- namics of any river floodplain are scarce. We used aerial photography to delineate the degree of floodplain inundation and GIS to quantify flooded areas on the forested floodplain of a 6.3-km reach of the Ogeechee River, an unregulated sixth-order river in the southeastern USA. A regression was used to quantify the relationship between discharge and percentage floodplain inundation. Using 58 years of daily discharge data obtained from a U.S. Geo- logical Survey gaging station, we converted daily discharge into daily percentage inundation and produced an inundation-duration curve, which describes the percentage of time that a particular inundation level is exceeded. This showed, for example, that >50% of the flood- plain was inundated 15% of the time (54 d/yr) and that 100% was inundated 3.6% of the time (13 d/yr) for the average year. At 50% inundation, system width exceeded channel width by 19 times. In a relatively wet year, we showed that 50-100% of the floodplain was inundated for several months during the winter-spring. Even in a relatively dry year, >20% of the floodplain (seven times the river width) was inundated for several months. The long- term pattern over a period of 58 years (1938-1995) showed considerable fluctuation in inundation and recession occurring throughout most years, with the highest peaks found during winter and spring. The floodplain failed to reach 50% inundation in only four of 58 years. However, in six years, >50% of the floodplain was inundated for at least 30% of the time (i.e., four months of the year). Floods of 50% inundation typically had a duration of at least 30 d. Thus, although inundation may fluctuate considerably within a year, much of the floodplain can be inundated for a relatively long duration. Description of such long- term patterns is essential for understanding natural hydrodynamics of unregulated rivers, particularly as attempts are made to restore previously altered systems. The flood pulse for this forested floodplain river is less predictable and floods are of shorter duration than the large tropical rivers for which the flood pulse concept was originally conceived. Unlike tropical rivers where seasonal patterns of flooding are driven by precipitation, flooding in the Ogeechee River is primarily controlled by seasonal differences in evapotranspiration. Description of inundation dynamics is critical to understanding how plants and animals adapt to a habitat that shifts from dry to lentic to lotic, and in quantifying production of aquatic organisms and ecosystem processes.
Estimating birth and death rates from cell labeling data

The objective of this article is to provide a statistical method for estimating both birth and death rates from labeling data. Current practice of estimating cell division (birth) rate α by the formula LI(t) = 1 − exp(−2αt) suggests that the use of labeling index (LI) as a cell proliferation indicator may incur loss of valuable information inherited in the data that are used to calculate the index. Information about cell death has become increasingly important for understanding a disease processes, and for developing a biologically based dose-response model for environmental health risk assessments. Simple stochastic and deterministic models are proposed for estimating both birth and death rates simultaneously from labeling data.
A guided-ion beam study of the collisions and reactions of I+ and I2+ with I2

Growing interest in developing and testing iodine Hall effect thrusters requires measurements of the cross sections of reactions that generate low energy plasma following discharge. Limited experimental and theoretical work necessitates a decisive experiment to elucidate the charge exchange and collision-induced dissociation channels. To this end, we have used guided-ion beam techniques to measure cross sections for both I+ + I2 and I2++I2 collisions. We present total collision cross sections as well as collision-induced dissociation cross sections for center-of-mass collision energies ranging from 0.5 to 200 eV for molecular iodine cations. Similarly, we present total collision cross section and charge-exchange cross sections for atomic iodine cations for center-of-mass collision energies ranging from 0.67 to 167 eV. Time-of-flight measurements of the collision products allow determination of velocity distributions, which show evidence of complex formation of I3+ from the I+ + I2 reaction at collision en...
Fast vortex methods for predicting wind-induced pressures on buildings

The random vortex method is a Lagrangian particle-based numerical simulation scheme especially appropriate for fluid flows characterized by high Reynolds numbers and complex geometries. When coupled with a fast solver for computing vortex interactions, it becomes ideally suited for wind engineering simulations. Fast vortex methods have several advantages over grid-based methods because they do not suffer from numerical diffusion, are simpler to implement particularly as the geometry becomes more complex, and are likely to exploit the architecture of distributed-memory computers more effectively. In this paper, initial results are presented for a fast vortex two-dimensional simulation of the atmospheric boundary layer wind flow around a bluff body under open terrain conditions. The results compare favorably with full-scale measurements for the well known instrumented Texas Tech Building.
Standardless semiquantitative analysis of metals using single-shot laser ablation inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

A method has been developed that allows the accurate, standardless measurement of the elemental composition of metal samples from single laser ablation (LA) pulses. This technique provides a fast, low-sample-consumption means for the characterization of samples having a range of matrixes. The method directly compares adjusted elemental signals with the total mass spectrometric signal to produce relative percent composition information. Three mathematical techniques were used to determine the accuracy and precision of single-shot LA measurement. Comparison of the techniques showed that a linear regression calculation, which plots individual elemental signals as a function of the summed signal for all elements in the sample on a point-by-point basis during a laser ablation transient proved superior. The simultaneous extraction capability of time-of-flight mass spectrometry permits the sampling of all analytes from any temporal position within the transient laser ablation pulse, thereby reducing quantitation...
The NSF national computing centers: Past, present, and future

Abstract Several years ago, the National Science Foundation, a United States Government agency, began a program to provide for US researchers access to the world's most advanced computers. Five national computing centers have been established, and are serving over 6000 researchers from all parts of the country. Regular hardware and software improvements will keep these centers at the cutting edge of computer technology. Along with the national centers, NSF is building a national academic research network, called NSFNET, which will soon connect scientists and engineers at over 200 institutions.
On the asymptotic solution of the Graetz-Nusselt problem for short x 0 and large x ∞ with partial usage of finite differences

The principal goal of this article is to present two asymptotic solutions for the classical Graetz-Nusselt problem. The method of lines (MOL) has been adopted for solving the governing partial differential energy equation in two independent variables in an asymptotic manner. Two temperature subfields are determined semianalytically: one for small x (x 0) and the other for large x (x ∞). Later, the two asymptotic mean Nusselt number subdistributions, NuX0(x) and NuX∞(x), blend themselves into a generalized correlation equation for the mean Nusselt number distribution Nu(x) covering the entire x-domain. The simplicity of the MOL procedure, combined with the high quality asymptotic mean Nusselt number subdistributions, provides an alternative methodology for solving the Graetz-Nusselt problem without using higher level mathematics. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2004.
APPROACHES TO OTOLARYNGIC ALLERGY EMERGENCIES

That emergencies are very rare in an office relies on in vivo quantification of patient sensitivities, either primarily as in serial end point titration for testing or with confirmatory skin end points placed after the in vitro test battery. However, skin testing 2,8,22,41 and injection immunotherapy have caused allergic reactions, ranging from mild local reactions to systemic anaphylactic deaths. 19,21,32,33,40,43 Even if only one emergency occurs in the lifetime of your practice, you must be prepared to rapidly identify and treat this potentially life-threatening event. Individualized immunotherapy based on each patient's particular sensitivities is the choice of the otolaryngologist with a surgical mindset because: •It is objective •It is quantitative •It is reproducible •For the above reasons, it is a very safe technique •Symptom relieving levels are reached rapidly Therefore, an emergency in your office will be due to human error: 42 •Not following the principles of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA) taught in the basic allergy course. •Testing from the wrong dilution. •Treating from wrong treatment bottle. •Drawing up the wrong dose. •Change in the patient's health status or medications. This chapter discusses the physiology of anaphylaxis, procedures to reduce the risk, the differential of anaphylaxis, the medications and equipment essential to treating an emergency, and a stepwise protocol for early identification and prompt treatment of the allergy emergency. The references will guide the left-brained practitioner to more extensive theory, history, and scientific background.
Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase as an in vitro and in vivo reporter enzyme and stable transfection marker in the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii.

Abstract We have developed several protocols for the use of β-galactosidase (βGal) from Escherichia coli as a reporter enzyme in transfection studies of Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) and as a readily screenable marker for stable transformation. Three Tg expression vectors with different promoters driving lacZ were constructed and shown in transient transfections to differ in their relative expression levels. Using a fluorescent βGal substrate, it was possible to detect enzymatic activity with as little as 50 ng of transfected lacZ-containing plasmid DNA. When stably transformed intracellular parasites were cultivated in microtiter plates in the presence of the color substrate, chlorophenol red-β-D-galactopyranoside (CPRG), the signal from as few as 400 Tg could be readily detected by eye. Using serial dilutions of transfected parasite cultures in the presence of CPRG, we were able to clone stably expressing βGal-positive Tg without the need for another selectable marker. Such lacZ transgenics could also be visualized histochemically in the tissue of infected mice. Thus, the application of βGal to studies on Tg provides not only a much needed second reporter for transient transfection, it also comprises a safe and sensitive marker for the generation and analysis of stably transfected parasites
The wave form of luminescence emitted by noctiluca.

The wave shape, intensity, and time course of the flash were examined with the aid of electronic operations in order to characterize the luminescence response and examine the in vivo dynamics of the light reaction. The most prominent single component of the flash shape is its exponential decay, beginning several milliseconds after the intensity maximum, with a mean rate constant at 23°C of -0.088 msec-1. Earlier components of the flash curve are more complex, exhibiting no pure exponentials with time. As predicted from previous observations, the time course of the flash triggered by a propagated action potential, and therefore influenced by the conduction time of the triggering potential, is measurably slower than that of the synchronously triggered flash. The time course of emission from individual specimens is otherwise quite stable, undergoing only limited slowing with short-interval fatigue or specimen deterioration in spite of marked changes in the amplitude of the wave form. Relative stability of amplitude is obtained when flashes are elicited at regular intervals greater than 10 sec. On the basis of an analogue computer simulation (Appendix) the dynamics of the luminescence wave shape were found to be compatible with a short sequence of first order processes acting on an initial brief transient.
Early Social, Imitation, Play, and Language Abilities of Young Non-Autistic Siblings of Children with Autism

Studies are needed to better understand the broad autism phenotype in young siblings of children with autism. Cognitive, adaptive, social, imitation, play, and language abilities were examined in 42 non-autistic siblings and 20 toddlers with no family history of autism, ages 18-27 months. Siblings, as a group, were below average in expressive language and composite IQ, had lower mean receptive language, adaptive behavior, and social communication skills, and used fewer words, distal gestures, and responsive social smiles than comparison children. Additionally, parents reported social impairments in siblings by 13 months of age. These results suggest that the development of young non-autistic siblings is affected at an early age and, thus, should be closely monitored, with appropriate interventions implemented as needed.
Lamport clocks: verifying a directory cache-coherence protocol

Modern shared-memory multiprocessors use complex memory system implementations that include a variety of non-trivial and interacting optimizations. More time is spent in verifying the correctness of such implementations than in designing the system. In particular, large-scale Distributed Shared Memory (DSM) systems usually rely on a directory cache-coherence protocol to provide the illusion of a sequentially consistent shar ed address space. Verifying that such a distributed protocol satisfies sequential consistency is a difficult task. Current formal protocol verification techniques [18] complement simulation, but ar e some what nonintuitive to system designers and verifiers, and they do not scale well to practical systems. In this paper, we examine a new reasoning technique that is precise and (we find) intuitive. Our technique is based on Lamport’ s logical clocks, which were originally used in distributed systems. We make modest extensions to Lamport’ s logical clocking scheme to assign timestamps to r elevant protocol events to construct a total ordering of such events. Such total orderings can be used to verify that the requirements of a particular memory consistency model have been satisfied. We apply Lamport clocks to prove that a non-trivial directory protocol implements sequential consistency. T o do this, we describe an SGI Origin 2000-like protocol [12] in detail, provide a timestamping scheme that totally orders all protocol events, and then prove sequential consistency (i.e., a load always returns the value of the “last” stor e to the same address in timestamp order).
Determination and quantification of the kokumi peptide, γ-glutamyl-valyl-glycine, in commercial soy sauces

Recent studies have demonstrated that kokumi substances, such as glutathione, are perceived through the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), and screening by CaSR assay and sensory evaluation has shown that γ-glutamyl-valyl-glycine (γ-Glu-Val-Gly) is a potent kokumi peptide. In this study, the contents of γ-Glu-Val-Gly in six commercial brands of dark-coloured soy sauces, two brands of light-coloured soy sauce, and one brand of white soy sauce, were investigated by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), followed by derivatization with 6-aminoquinoyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl-carbamate (AQC). The analyses indicated that γ-Glu-Val-Gly was present in all investigated soy sauces at concentrations ranging from 0.15 to 0.61mg/dl, demonstrating that it is widely distributed in soy sauces.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNFα)-Induced ICAM-1 Surface Expression in Airway Epithelial Cells in vitro: Possible Signal Transduction Mechanismsa

Within the past several years research on the interaction of cytokines and adhesion molecules with airway epithelium in diseases has allowed us to develop a better understanding of the disease process. The cytokine, TNF alpha and the adhesion molecule ICAM-1 are important mediators in the pathogenesis of airway diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and adult respiratory distress syndrome. Effects of TNF alpha on ICAM-1 surface expression was investigated in both primary cultures of normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells and immortalized human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B. TNF alpha (0.015-150 ng/mL) significantly enhanced ICAM-1 surface expression (measured by flow cytometry) in a dose and time-dependent manner, with peak expression seen at 24 hours. This response was negated by heat inactivation of the TNF alpha prior to incubation. TNF alpha-induced ICAM-1 expression also was inhibited by pre- and coincubation of TNF alpha with 3 micrograms/mL soluble TNF-R1 or by the PKC inhibitor, Calphostin C (0.1 and 0.5 microM). The ROI scavengers, dimethylthiourea (4 mM), and dimethyl sulfoxide (0.001%), enhanced TNF alpha-induced ICAM-1 expression. Collectively, these results indicate that TNF alpha-induced ICAM-1 surface expression is a specific receptor-mediated response (TNF-R1), which is mediated by mechanisms dependent on PKC and intracellular reactive oxygen species.
Test for predation effects of single versus multiple species of generalist predators: Spiders and their insect prey

The prediction that single spider species (as exemplary generalist predators) limit associated prey populations to the same extent that species assemblages do was tested in a well controlled and replicated old field experiment involving the following treatments: (1) the natural spider assemblage (2) a numerically prominent web building spider, (3) a numerically prominent wandering spider, (4) a biomass prominent web-builder, and (5) a biomass prominent wandering spider. Pest insect numbers were significantly higher in spider removal controls than in any spider treament over the four month period of the study, both in terms of total numbers and per spider effects. The individual spider species, in general, showed reduced prey limitation effects relative to that of the spider assemblage, though the magnitudes of these differences were small when compared to those exhibited between the various treatments and the spider removal control. When insect numbers were partitioned according to taxa, no treatment was found to have limited the predaceous insects nor the phytophagous hemipterans. All treatments, however, showed significant limiting effects on the phytophagous homopterans, coleopterans, and dipterans in the old field system, and other taxa were significantly reduced in at least one treatment in addition to the spider assemblage as a whole.
Simulating small unit military operations with agent-based models of complex adaptive systems

This tutorial introduces concepts for modeling small unit combat as complex adaptive systems (CAS). It begins with a "human-centric" view of the individual combatant and small unit operations, which incorporates the concept of the individual as an integrated weapon system, the Warrior System. It addresses representation of situation awareness/situation understanding (SA/SU), and "soft" factors -- morale, leadership, training, nationality/ethnicity, through agent-based modeling (ABM). ABM supports exploration of SA/SU by allowing each agent an idiosyncratic, perception-based view of the environment, rather than the simulation "god's eye" view of ground truth. Using ABM further supports the view of small unit operations as CAS - dynamically interacting open systems, characterized by "emergence", with non-linear and chaotic behaviors. A critical problem for Warrior Systems analysis is the lack of engineering models of complex integrated systems. ABM/CAS addresses this lack by "growing" or "evolving" engineering models of systems whose complexity resists traditional reductionist approaches.
Effect of nicotine on lung S-adenosylmethionine and development of Pneumocystis pneumonia.

Because S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) is required by Pneumocystis carinii in vitro, Pneumocystis infection depletes plasma AdoMet of rats and humans, nicotine reduces AdoMet of guinea pig lungs, and smoking correlates with reduced episodes of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in AIDS patients, we tested the effect of nicotine treatment on PCP using a rat model. Intraperitoneal infusion of 400 μg of R-(+) nicotine kg-1 h-1 intraperitoneal for 21 days caused a 15-fold reduction in lung AdoMet although neither plasma nor liver were changed. Infusion of 4 and 400 μg kg-1 h-1 into immunosuppressed rats, beginning when rats were inoculated with P. carinii, caused 85 and 99.88% reductions, respectively, in P. carinii cysts at sacrifice 21 days later; P. carinii nuclei were reduced by 91.2 and >99.99%, respectively. This effect was reversed by concomitant administration of AdoMet with nicotine. Treatment with AdoMet alone increased infection intensity. We conclude that AdoMet is a critical and limiting nutrient for Pneumocystis thus can serve as a therapeutic target for PCP. Regarding the mechanism, nicotine treatment caused no change in rat lung activity of AdoMet synthesizing methionine ATP transferase activity nor was there any evidence of increased AdoMet utilization for methylation reactions. Except of a doubling of putrescine, nicotine treatment also did not change lung polyamine content. However, key polyamine anabolic and catabolic enzymes were upregulated, and there were corresponding changes in polyamine metabolic intermediates. We conclude that chronic nicotine treatment increases lung polyamine catabolic/anabolic cycling and/or excretion leading to increased AdoMet-consuming polyamine biosynthesis and depletion of lung AdoMet.
Superselective transcatheter embolization to halt an arterial esophageal hemorrhage: is the use of N-butyl cyanoacrylate the best choice?

,whom reported on the effectiveness of selective emboliza-tion using N-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) in patients withacute arterial esophageal bleeding. We have severalcomments: over the last decade, transcatheter arterialembolization (TAE) has gained widespread acceptance as afirst-line treatment for endoscopic therapy-resistant, acutenonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (1, 2). The rateof efficacy for this approach in the initial hemostasis ofsuch a condition has been reported to range from 52% to97% (1-3). Coils have emerged as the currently preferredembolic agent for treating upper gastrointestinalhemorrhage. However, higher rates of recurrent bleedinghave been reported with coil embolization, especially inpatients with coagulopathy (3). We recently reported ourresults of nearly 10 years of arterial embolizationtreatment for cases of refractory massive bleeding from theupper gastrointestinal tract (3). Our report includes 60patients, which makes it one of the largest case-seriesstudies of this sort in the existing literature. Using coilsalone to occlude the feeding artery, as well as the presenceof a coagulation disorder defined as having an interna-tional normalized ratio greater than 1.5, partial thrombo-plastin time longer than 45 seconds, or a platelet count lessthan 80,000/mm
Predicting the severity of cocaine-associated rhabdomyolysis

Study objectives: The syndrome of rhabdomyolysis associated with cocaine use has been recently described, but the incidence, severity, risk factors, and complications are unknown. This study sought to describe the spectrum of the syndrome and identify clinical features of patients at risk. Design: Retrospective case series with analysis of common clinical features. Setting: Medical emergency department of an urban teaching hospital serving an indigent population. Types of participants: ED patients with acute cocaine intoxication and a serum creatine kinase (all MM) of more than 500 U/L (8.3 ukat/L) who were admitted for in-hospital management. Measurements and main results: Twenty-nine patients, representing 5% of cocaine-related patient visits, were identified over 20 months. Patients were divided into three groups: mild, characterized by anxiety, tachycardia, diaphoresis, dyspnea, or chest pain; moderate, characterized by delirium, agitation, fever, leukocytosis, or an elevated serum creatinine; and severe, characterized by seizure, coma, hypotension, arrhythmia, or cardiac arrest. There was a significant association between the rating system for level of intoxication and the severity of rhabdomyolysis and its complications ( P Conclusion: This classification system may be useful for the management of patients with acute cocaine intoxication, predicting those patients in whom aggressive therapy should be initiated in the ED to minimize the complications of rhabdomyolysis.
Perspectives of patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices who received advisory warnings.

Abstract Objective To learn the perspectives of patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) who received device-related advisories. Background CIEDs are placed under advisory because of potential malfunctions. Methods Qualitative methods were used. Focus groups were conducted of 10 patients who had CIEDs under advisory. Audio recordings of the focus group discussions were transcribed and analyzed for content in accordance with qualitative analysis methods, specifically thematic analysis. Results Major themes were identified: patients' attitudes toward their devices under advisory, education about advisories, emotional responses to advisories, impact on loved ones, and what affected patients would say to the chief executive officers of CIED manufacturers. Although the patients felt “fortunate and blessed” to have their devices, they reported a range of emotional responses to the advisories (from no concern to “outrage”). Patients preferred to learn about advisories from their physicians, not from news media. Loved ones had as many, if not more, advisory-related concerns than the patients. Patients had recommendations for chief executive officers of CIED manufacturers regarding advisories, including providing timely and comprehensible information and emotional support, taking responsibility, and collaborating with health care providers. Patients wanted to know what prompted the advisory and what will be done to fix the problem. Conclusions The experiences and perspectives of patients with CIEDs under advisory not only encompass their emotional responses to advisories, but also their views on how the advisory notification process can be improved. These findings should be informative to CIED manufacturers and clinicians.
Timing of Intra-Arterial Neural Stem Cell Transplantation After Hypoxia–Ischemia Influences Cell Engraftment, Survival, and Differentiation

Background and Purpose—Intra-arterial neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation shows promise as a minimally invasive therapeutic option for stroke. We assessed the effect of timing of transplantation on cell engraftment, survival, and differentiation. Methods—Mouse NSCs transduced with a green fluorescent protein and renilla luciferase reporter gene were transplanted into animals 6 and 24 hours and 3, 7, and 14 days after hypoxia–ischemia (HI). Bioluminescent imaging was used to assess cell survival at 6 hours and 4 and 7 days after transplantation. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess NSC survival and phenotypic differentiation 1 month after transplantation. NSC receptor expression and brain gene expression were evaluated using real-time reverse transcription–quantitative polymerase chain reaction to elucidate mechanisms of cell migration. Boyden chamber assays were used to assess cell migratory potential in vitro. Results—NSC transplantation 3 days after HI resulted in significantly higher cell engraft...
Response to Letter Regarding Article, “Is Aspiration Thrombectomy Beneficial in Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention? Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials”

We appreciate the comments of Dr Nunez-Gil et al1 about our meta-analysis.2 We agree that aspiration thrombectomy might be beneficial in certain cases; however, the routine use of this therapy can no longer be recommended. The second comment was about the discordance between clinical practice and published trials. Although this is an accurate statement, the lack of survival benefit observed with aspiration thrombectomy has been documented in large registries.3,4 Finally, this study was not the first to document a potential increase …
Immigration and Mothering Case Studies from Two Generations of Korean Immigrant Women

Despite the increase of middle-class people among Asian immigrants to the United States over the past three decades,research has paid little attention to these women. Focusing on women’s paid employment, prior research also tends to overlook the significance of mothering to the analysis of gender relations in immigrant families. By bringing together the literatures on gender and immigration and on mothering in families of color,this article examines how immigration and gender ideology,mediated by a family’s economic situation and the employment prospects for educated women of color,shape the organization of mothering and how each pattern of mothering affects the power dynamics underlying the gender division of labor in immigrant families. Three distinct arrangements of mothering emerge from in-depth interviews with middle-class Korean immigrant women collected from suburbs in New York State: (1) shared mothering based on transnational,transgenerational,and nuclear family networks; (2) isolated and privati...
The IBM engineering verification engine

In this review article, we describe IBM's Engineering Verification Engine, EVE, a special-purpose, highly-parallel programmable machine for the simulation of computer logic and currently being used at several locations within IBM. EVE, which is based on the architecture of the Yorktown Simulation Engine, can simulate two million gates at a speed of more than two billion gate evaluations per second, far beyond the capabilities of existing software simulators. In this paper, we give an overview of the EVE architecture, hardware and software, and describe some current applications.
Experimental Tests of Middle Palaeolithic Spear Points Using a Calibrated Crossbow

Abstract Controlled experiments using a calibrated crossbow to thrust stone-tipped spears into animal carcasses reveal a relationship between Levallois point morphology and their performance as spear points. A comparative study of morphometric variation of Levallois points from Levantine Mousterian contexts supports the hypothesis that the demand for stone spear points was an important factor in Levallois point production.
Undamped surface waves in the scattering of /sup 16/O + /sup 28/Si at E/sub c. m. / = 35 MeV

The elastic scattering of $^{16}\mathrm{O}$ + $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$ at ${E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}=35$ MeV has been measured in the angular range $20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}l~{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}l~180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$. The data exhibit a strongly oscillatory behavior in the region $60\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}l{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}l~180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ and a pronounced backward rise up to $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{Ruth}}}(180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{})\ensuremath{\approx}1.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. The structure at backward angles is of the form of a Legendre polynomial ${|{P}_{l=26}(cos\ensuremath{\theta})|}^{2}$, indicating the existence of a partial-wave (orbiting) resonance.
Associative Processing Is Inherent in Scene Perception.

How are complex visual entities such as scenes represented in the human brain? More concretely, along what visual and semantic dimensions are scenes encoded in memory? One hypothesis is that global spatial properties provide a basis for categorizing the neural response patterns arising from scenes. In contrast, non-spatial properties, such as single objects, also account for variance in neural responses. The list of critical scene dimensions has continued to grow—sometimes in a contradictory manner—coming to encompass properties such as geometric layout, big/small, crowded/sparse, and three-dimensionality. We demonstrate that these dimensions may be better understood within the more general framework of associative properties. That is, across both the perceptual and semantic domains, features of scene representations are related to one another through learned associations. Critically, the components of such associations are consistent with the dimensions that are typically invoked to account for scene understanding and its neural bases. Using fMRI, we show that non-scene stimuli displaying novel associations across identities or locations recruit putatively scene-selective regions of the human brain (the parahippocampal/lingual region, the retrosplenial complex, and the transverse occipital sulcus/occipital place area). Moreover, we find that the voxel-wise neural patterns arising from these associations are significantly correlated with the neural patterns arising from everyday scenes providing critical evidence whether the same encoding principals underlie both types of processing. These neuroimaging results provide evidence for the hypothesis that the neural representation of scenes is better understood within the broader theoretical framework of associative processing. In addition, the results demonstrate a division of labor that arises across scene-selective regions when processing associations and scenes providing better understanding of the functional roles of each region within the cortical network that mediates scene processing.
Stealth gene therapy.

In this issue of Blood , Martino et al[1][1] report on a novel adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, which overcomes one of the last remaining impediments for liver gene therapy, the anticapsid immune response. Just over 7 years ago, the first successful gene therapy for hemophilia appeared to be at
What Is Cystic Fibrosis? The Relationship Between Nutrition and Outcomes in Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-shortening inherited disease in the USA, affecting approximately 30,000 children and adults. This autosomal recessive disorder is caused by mutations in the gene encoding the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) (Riordan et al., Science 245:1066–1073, 1989). CFTR is an ion channel that is present in multiple organs throughout the body. Mutations in this gene are divided into five major categories. Class I, II, and III mutations generally result in more severe pulmonary disease and pancreatic insufficiency; CF patients with these mutations generally have symptomatic disease in infancy or childhood. Class IV and V mutations typically result in milder disease, which is often diagnosed later in life (O’Sullivan and Freedman, Lancet 373:1891–1904, 2009). Neonatal screening catches most patients in the USA with diagnosis confirmed by sweat or genetic testing. Diagnosis in the neonatal period leads to opportunities to optimize nutrition earlier in life.
Russian Culture in War and Revolution, 1914–1922, Book 1: Popular Culture, the Arts, and Institutions/Russian Culture in War and Revolution, 1914–1922, Book 2: Political Culture, Identities, Mentalities, and Memory

This journal's readers no doubt are familiar with the massive undertaking that is the multi-volume, multi-platform project Russia's Great War and Revolution, 1914–1922. The project's ambitious scop...
Pubovaginal Sling for Treatment of Female Stress Urinary Incontinence Complicated by Urethral Diverticulum

AbstractTo evaluate the practicality of combining urethral diverticulectomy with a procedure for stress urinary incontinence, the records of 14 patients who underwent urethrodiverticulectomy during a 3-year period were reviewed. Noteworthy was that 10 patients (71%) had urinary incontinence as the chief complaint, while 8 (57%) had symptoms of stress urinary incontinence and underwent fluoroscopic urodynamic testing and the others had post-void dribbling. Of the latter 8 patients 7 (50%) demonstrated type II or type III stress urinary incontinence and 1 had a normal study. The 7 women then underwent transvaginal diverticulectomy with a concomitant pubovaginal sling. Of the diverticula 4 (57%) were true diverticula and 3 (43%) appeared to be pseudodiverticula or traction diverticula related to a previous urethral suspension.At 3 to 21 months (mean 17) all patients were cured of stress urinary incontinence. One patient exhibited detrusor instability postoperatively, which was ultimately treated with an Ingl...
Faculty as bridges to co-curricular engagement and community for first-generation international students

The proportion of first-generation international students at US institutions ranges from one-tenth to one-half of the total international student body. First-generation status is an underexplored, and potentially significant, demographic factor in international students’ adaptation to college. Researchers used structural equation modelling (SEM) to examine how faculty interaction out-of-class, engagement with cultural variation in-class, and students’ interest in cross-cultural interaction relates to sense of community and co-curricular engagement among first-generation (n = 508) and non-first-generation (n = 955) international students’, respectively. The primary contribution of this study is providing evidence for the importance of interactions with professors out-of-class and engagement with cultural variation in-class on international students’ sense of community and co-curricular engagement, especially first generation students. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Analysis of Si-SiO2 Interfacial-Energy Hierarchy via Mixed-Phase Solidification of Si Films on SiO2

We have experimentally investigated the anisotropy of Si-SiO2 interfacial energy by leveraging the mixed-phase solidification (MPS) method. By examining the microstructure evolution resulting from partial-melting-and-solidification cycles, and interpreting the changes in the surface-orientation distribution of the grains in terms of the thermodynamic model, we have identified the orientation-dependent hierarchical order of Si-SiO2 interfacial energies, σ{hkl}, as: σ{100} < σ{310} < σ{113} < σ{112} < σ{221} < σ{210}∼σ{331} < σ{111}, σ{110}.
Recognition and diagnosis of atypical depression

The term atypical depression dates to the first wave of reports describing differential response to monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). In contrast to more TCA-responsive depressions, patients with so-called atypical symptoms (e.g., hypersomnia, interpersonal sensitivity, leaden paralysis, increased appetite and/or weight, and phobic anxiety) were observed to be more responsive to MAOIs. After several decades of controversy and debate, the phrase "with atypical features" was added as an episode specifier in the DSM-IV in 1994. The 1-year prevalence of the defined atypical depression subtype is approximately 1% to 4%; around 15% to 29% of patients with major depressive disorder have atypical depression. Hardly "atypical" in contemporary contexts, atypical depression also is common in dysthymic bipolar II disorders and is notable for its early age at onset, more chronic course, and high rates of comorbidity with social phobia and panic disorder with agoraphobia. The requirement of preserved mood reactivity is arguably the most controversial of the DSM-IV criteria for atypical depression. When compared with melancholia, the neurobiological profiles of patients with atypical depression are relatively normal. The utility of the atypical depression subtype for differential therapeutics diminished substantially when the TCAs were supplanted as first-line antidepressants by the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Although introduction of safer MAOIs has fostered renewed interest in atypical depression, the validity and importance of the DSM-IV definition of atypical depression for the nosology of affective illness remains an open question.