cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retrospective Evaluation of Cyclosporine in the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis in Dogs: 2010-2017

Background Idiopathic chronic hepatitis (CH) in dogs is a prevalent hepatic disorder. The etiology is poorly understood; however, there is evidence to support an immune-mediated pathogenesis. No literature exists investigating the efficacy of cyclosporine (CsA) therapy for CH in dogs. Objectives To retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and adverse side effects of CsA in the treatment of CH in dogs, and to identify factors that impact response to CsA therapy. Animals 48 client-owned dogs diagnosed with CH treated with CsA for at least 2 weeks. Methods Retrospective review of medical records between the years 2010-2017. Results Twenty-two breeds of dogs were included of which 54% were spayed females, 42% neutered males and 4% intact males. Median age was 8.5 years (range, 0.7-14 years). Complete remission (normalization of alanine aminotransferase [ALT]) in response to CsA was attained in 79% of dogs (38/48). Median dose of CsA at the time of remission was 7.9 mg/kg/day (range, 2.5-12.7mg/kg/day) and median time to remission was 2.5 months (range, 0.75-18 months). None of the factors evaluated including clinical score, presence of ascites, hypoalbuminemia, hyperbilirubinemia, prolonged coagulation times, dose, or duration of therapy influenced remission. Common side effects were gastrointestinal signs in 38% (18/48) and gingival hyperplasia in 25% (12/48) of dogs. Conclusion and Clinical Importance CsA proved to be a tolerated and effective medication in attaining remission in dogs with idiopathic CH based on normalization of serum ALT. None of the evaluated factors were shown to negatively impact response to CsA or remission of disease.
Evaluation of the Prognostic Significance of TNM Staging Guidelines in Lung Carcinoid Tumors

Abstract Introduction The TNM classification for lung cancer, originally designed for NSCLC, is applied to staging of bronchopulmonary carcinoid tumors. The validity of the eighth edition of the staging system for carcinoid tumors has not been assessed. In this study, we evaluated its prognostic accuracy by using data from a large national population-based cancer registry. Methods Patients with typical and atypical bronchopulmonary carcinoids diagnosed between 2000 and 2013 were identified from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry. We used competing risks analysis to compare 10-year disease-specific survival (DSS) across stages. Results Overall, 4645 patients with bronchopulmonary carcinoid tumors were identified. Worsening DSS with increasing TNM status and stage was demonstrated across both typical and atypical carcinoids, with overlaps between adjacent subcategories. The combined stages (I versus II, II versus III, and III versus IV) showed greater separation in DSS despite persistent overlaps between groups. For typical carcinoids, we found decreased DSS for stages II, III, and IV, with hazard ratios of 3.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.6–5.6), 4.3 (95% CI: 3.0–6.1), and 9.0 (95% CI: 6.1–13.1), respectively, compared with stage I. Conclusion The combined stage categories of the eighth edition of the TNM staging system provide useful information on outcomes for typical and atypical carcinoids. However, persistent overlaps in combined stage and subcategories of the staging system limit the usefulness of the TNM staging system, particularly in intermediate stages. These limitations suggest the need for future further study and refinement.
A hybrid Markov chain-tree valuation framework for stochastic volatility jump diffusion models

We develop a unified hybrid valuation framework for computing option values under stochastic volatility (SV) models with a jump component. The proposed method originates from the tree method and re...
Non-Fermi liquid behavior, the Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin identity in the dense quark-gluon plasma, and color superconductivity

At sufficiently high baryon densities, the physics of a dense quark-gluon plasma may be investigated through the tools of perturbative QCD. This approach has recently been successfully applied to the study of color superconductivity, where the dominant di-quark pairing interaction arises from one gluon exchange. Screening in the plasma leads to novel behavior, including a remarkable non-BCS scaling of ${T}_{C},$ the transition temperature to the color superconducting phase. Radiative corrections to one gluon exchange were previously considered and found to affect ${T}_{C}.$ In particular, the quark self-energy in a plasma leads to non-Fermi liquid behavior and suppresses ${T}_{C}.$ However, at the same time, the quark-gluon vertex was shown not to modify the result at leading order. This dichotomy between the effects of the radiative corrections at first appears rather surprising, as the BRST identity connects the self-energy to the vertex corrections. Nevertheless, as we demonstrate, there is in fact no contradiction with the BRST identity, at least to leading logarithmic order. This clarifies some of the previous statements on the importance of the higher order corrections to the determination of ${T}_{C}$ and the zero temperature gap in color superconductivity.
Energy and the Environment I: Fossil Fuels

The goal of this chapter on energy and the environment is to review the basic impacts of human civilization’s quest for natural resources and energy and how these developments impact socio-ecological systems. Each of the major fossil fuel sources—natural gas, petroleum, coal, tar sands, and oil shale—is described in terms of major impacts, current and historical commodity chains, and impacts to communities and ecosystems. Recent advances in unconventional shale oil and gas production, and even less conventional and emerging energy extraction techniques such as tar sands, oil shale (kerogen oil), and methane hydrates, are detailed through problem sets and writing assignments on existing energy commodities and infrastructure. These examples draw on lessons from prior chapters regarding unit transformations and calculating energy/power flows.
THE CATHOLIC CLERGY IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC AREA, 1763-1830: PATTERNS OF DEVIANCY

Abstract: In a very transnational fashion, priestly misbehavior is a constant feature in the primary sources dealing with the United States and British North America, including Quebec, between 1763 and 1846. Rather than a catalogue of occurrences, this article briefly surveys the three main elements of such misbehavior, namely, illicit sex, immoderate drinking, and excessive avariciousness. It then suggests an interpretative grid where behavioral norms were interpreted differently whenever they were challenged by local conditions, leading to accusations of misbehavior whether these accusations reflected actual wrongdoings or not. Ethnic rivalries, different institutional traditions, conflicting political choices, and Protestant competition are the most likely candidates to populate such a large framework.
An Unusual Case of Chest Pain in a 9-Year Old Immigrant

CASE PRESENTATION: A nine-year-old female with no past medical history presented to the emergency department with a two-week history of chest pain associated with tactile fevers and cough. One-year prior, she traveled by foot from Venezuela to the United States crossing through five countries and was detained in both Panama and the U.S. border prior to arriving in Atlanta four months ago. On physical exam, she appeared thin and emaciated, with decreased breath sounds on the right, but otherwise was in no respiratory distress with normal oxygen saturations. Initial work-up revealed leukocytosis, normocytic anemia, elevated inflammatory markers, and a normal blood smear. Chest …
Utilization Patterns of Skeletal Muscle Relaxants Among Commercially Insured Adults in the United States from 2006 to 2018.

OBJECTIVE To examine the prevalence and duration of skeletal muscle relaxant (SMR) treatment among commercially insured adults in the United States. METHODS We used the MarketScan Research Database to identify a cohort of adults 18 to 64 years who had ≥2-year continuous enrollment between 2005 and 2018. We estimated the prevalence of SMR treatment using a repeated cross-sectional design and derived treatment duration using the Kaplan-Meier method. Analyses were stratified by age group, sex, geographic region, individual SMR agent, and musculoskeletal disorder. RESULTS 48.7 million individuals were included. Treatment prevalence ranged from 61.5 to 68.3 per 1,000. About one-third of users did not have a preceding musculoskeletal disorder diagnosis. Cyclobenzaprine was the dominant agent accounting for >50% of prescriptions. The considerable growth in the use of baclofen, tizanidine, and methocarbamol paralleled with a decline in carisoprodol and metaxalone use. The prevalence was highest in the South while lowest in the Northeast. The median treatment duration was 14 days with 4.0%, 1.9%, and 1.0% of individuals using SMRs for more than 90, 180, and 365 days, respectively. Compared with cyclobenzaprine, patients initiating baclofen, tizanidine, and carisoprodol had longer treatment duration. CONCLUSIONS SMRs are widely used in the United States. Their use slightly increased in recent years, but trends varied among individual agents, patient groups, and geographic regions. Despite limited evidence to support efficacy, a sizable number of U.S. adults used SMRs for long-term and off-label conditions. Further study is needed to understand determinants of treatment as well as outcomes associated with such use.
A Critical Review of Hemodynamically Guided Therapy for Cardiogenic Shock: Old Habits Die Hard

Here, we review the importance of using hemodynamic data to guide therapy and risk stratification in cardiogenic shock as well as the various definitions of this syndrome that have been used in prior studies. Furthermore, we provide perspective regarding the controversy surrounding pulmonary artery (PA) catheter use as well as current society guidelines and scientific statements. Lastly, we review the technical aspects for accurate interpretation of data of cardiogenic shock. More recent studies specifically evaluating cardiogenic shock patients have shown higher mortality when PA catheters were not used. Furthermore, initiatives are underway to develop more standardized definitions of cardiogenic shock, including the SCAI Shock Classification Scheme. Only by having a standardized fashion of conveying severity of shock will we be able to more systematically study this patient population and improve outcomes moving forward. PA catheters are critical to the prognostication and management of a subset of patients with cardiopulmonary disease, particularly in those with pulmonary hypertension, cardiogenic shock, or requiring mechanical circulatory support or undergoing evaluation for advanced heart failure therapies.
Feasibility and effectiveness appraisal of a neurology residency health equities curriculum.

Background Despite increasing awareness of inequities in healthcare in neurology, health equity is not a core competency of neurology training. To meet this need, we implemented a health equities curriculum for neurology residents at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Methods A seven-lecture health equities curriculum was implemented during the 2019-2020 academic year. Surveys were distributed pre-and post-curriculum to assess resident demographics, previous training in health equities, curriculum effectiveness addressing health equities topics, and resident appraisal of the curriculum. Results On average, residents attended 2-3 lectures. Most of the residents who participated were White-Non Latinx women. Residents who did not participate in the curriculum listed clinical responsibilities as the main reason for absenteeism. Residents who participated felt the curriculum was at least somewhat effective in addressing health disparities, cultural competency, and implicit bias. 64% of the residents felt the curriculum was effective in improving their preparedness in caring for underserved patients. Conclusion Implementing a health equities curriculum in neurology residency programs is feasible and well-received by residents. Given inconsistent attendance and a small sample size, we are unable to assess its true effectiveness. Nonetheless, residents felt it prepared them in addressing disparities in neurological care. A longer curriculum will help in assessing the effectiveness of this curriculum intervention. A standard health equities curriculum should be implemented across neurology residency programs, and health equities should be considered a core competency topic for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) certification.
Uses of Differential Sensing and Arrays in Chemical Analysis

The aim of this chapter is to introduce the reader to differential sensing, to detail the history of the electronic nose and tongue that led to the development of differential sensing, and to provide a spectrum of examples where differential sensing has been employed to classify and/or detect single analytes and mixtures of analytes. Using the information presented in this chapter, we hope to provide a solid background for the reader so that the differential sensing approach can be extrapolated to any desired chemical sensing purpose. Keywords: differential sensing; array sensing; pattern recognition; sensing; electronic nose and tongue; amino acids; nucleotides; peptides; proteins; ion mixtures; beverages; biomolecules
Identifying and Using Patterns in Sequential Data

Whereas basic machine learning research has mostly viewed input data as an unordered random sample from a population, researchers have also studied learning from data whose input sequence follows a regular sequence. To do so requires that we regard the input data as a stream and identify regularities in the data values as they occur. In this brief survey I review three sequential-learning problems, examine some new, and not-so-new, algorithms for learning from sequences, and give applications for these methods. The three generic problems I discuss are: Predicting sequences of discrete symbols generated by stochastic processes. Learning streams by extrapolation from a general rule. Learning to predict time series.
The structure of lexical meaning: Why semantics really matters

This article explores the architecture of the interface between morphosyntax and lexical semantics, in particular the semantic underpinnings of argument realization. Many theories of lexical meaning assume that argument realization is derived from underlying event structure: the relative prominence of coarguments in a clause follows from their relative semantic prominence in how the event unfolds. I show that event structure is not sufficient to capture certain generalizations about argument realization, however, focusing on arguments that alternate between direct and oblique realization. I show that for these alternations the relevant semantic contrast is in strength of truth conditions: direct realization encodes a monotonically stronger set of truth conditions associated with the alternating argument than oblique realization. This, I suggest, follows if word meanings are built from basic units that are related to one another implicationally, and the relative implicational strength of such components figures into argument realization. I use as a case study English locative and conative alternations, which, I argue, reflect stronger and weaker degrees of affectedness along an independently motivated affectedness hierarchy . I also show that similar contrasts are found with other alternations on other hierarchies. I conclude by suggesting that a theory of weakening truth conditions is not incompatible with event-structural analyses of verb meaning, and in fact the two augment one another.
Entry barriers and medical board funding autonomy

In this paper we develop and test the hypothesis that institutional funding arrangments affect the extent to which public agencies are influenced by special interests. We test this hypothesis using data on state medical boards. In 1989, medical boards in twenty-one states received budget appropriations from their legislatures. The remaining boards operated independent of legislative control, financing their activities from fees and other revenues. We find that budgetary autonomy does influence agency decisions. The ability of physicians to restrict entry is enhanced where licensing boards are self-financed.
Experimental electrical characterization of high speed interconnects

The authors present measurement techniques to experimentally characterize the electrical performance of interconnects on printed circuit boards and multichip modules. Novel techniques for calibrated measurements of two-port and three-port structures are presented. Measurements of a transmission line, a via, and a tee on a printed circuit board are presented. >
Measuring NBA Players' Mood by Mining Athlete-Generated Content

Online athlete-generated content in social media has high potential to become the information source for both team managers and coaches to discern players' mood status and shaky performance before games. In the existing literature, either in psychology or sport analytics, there is a stream of research that investigated the relationship between athletes' mood and the individual sport performance, however, few of them discussed the causality from the social media perspective. In this study, we look deep into the Athlete-generated content (AGC) and aim to provide a more comprehensive framework to sport operators that incorporates players' social media content into their administrative decision-making process. We obtained a unique and extensive dataset of AGC for active NBA players (in the 2012-13 season) from Twitter and apply sentiment analysis technique to measure the general mood polarity of a player. The general mood was then incorporated into econometrics models to examine its effect on players' individual game performance. The results suggest that the mood of NBA player has significant effect on driving sport performance. This paper explores the possibility of using social media data to measure athletes' mood and predicting the sport performance.
A City Metaphor to Support Navigation in Complex Information Spaces

A major problem for users of modern information systems is the retrieval of new and previously viewed information from the system. Systems like the Word-Wide Web are heavily interlinked but do not communicate structure that helps users to navigate the information it contains. The use of appropriate navigation metaphors can help to make the structure of modern information systems easier to understand, and therefore, easier to use.
Strategic implications of AIA for IT entrepreneurs: A practical primer about the new patent world

Protecting intellectual property remains a crucial requirement for technology entrepreneurs. This paper focuses on the global issues created by the America Invents Act: specifically, the implications for patent protection of IT innovations. Around the world, key differences remain among patent systems, although some of the essential elements match more closely now than ever before. We contrast patent protection in the United States with China, and the European Union. A key implication is that, today, more than ever, an IT entrepreneur must be aware of the options available via national patent offices versus regional patent offices versus the Patent Cooperation Treaty: each comes with its own pros and cons. We highlight the strategic implications by sharing a short case illustrating both filing and enforcement options for a designer of IT software. In addition, possible, unintended consequences are emphasized, not only for technology entrepreneurs, but also for national innovation rates. Lessons learned are generalizable to other technology arenas.
A low-power video decoder with power, memory, bandwidth and quality scalability

This paper describes a low-power scalable video decoder for use in portable video applications. The scalable video decoder uses tree structured vector quantization (TSVQ) of perceptually weighted block transforms. The subjective quality of compressed images improves significantly by the use of perceptual distortion measures. The low-complexity, low-power architecture requires only table-lookups to perform video decompression. Inverse transforms are performed as pre-processing steps in the tables. Color conversion from YUV to RGB and color quantization are also performed as pre-processing steps in the tables. The video decoder provides a trade-off between rate-distortion, power and memory size. This allows to trade-off power and memory size for better quality of compressed video and vice-versa. The power consumption of our video decoder is orders of magnitude smaller than other decoders in existing technology. Measured performance shows that the scalable video decoder consumes between 50 to 150 micro-watt with a 1.5 V power supply in 0.8 /spl mu/ CMOS technology for 160/spl times/240 resolution video at 30 frames per second.
Prevalence of Aggressive Behaviors among Preschoolers in Head Start and Community Child Care Programs

The purpose of this study was to assess both the prevalence and structure of antisocial behavior among 4 year olds in a Head Start sample compared to a randomly sampled group of children in communi...
Cadmium Absorption in Women Fed Processed Edible Sunflower Kernels Labeled with a Stable Isotope of Cadmium, 113Cd

Abstract The apparent fractional absorption of cadmium (Cd) from sunflower kernels (SFK) was determined in women volunteers by using kernels labeled with a stable isotope of Cd ( 113 Cd) by injecting it into the flowering head. Fourteen women who were between the ages of 30 and 70 years, who did not use tobacco products, who were in good health, and who had been consuming a self-selected diet low in Cd content participated in the study. The volunteers were fed a breakfast composed primarily of cereal, milk, and fruit juice. The breakfast also contained a portion of 113 Cd-labeled SFK processed into a buttery spread. Each volunteer collected individual stool samples for 21 days beginning immediately after they had consumed the labeled kernels. The total amounts of Cd and 113 Cd excreted in each stool were determined by isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Mean fecal Cd excretion was 14.1±4.1 μg/day and mean 113 Cd absorption was 10.6±4.4%. In agreement with previous studies, no significant ( P >0.3) correlation between Cd absorption and serum ferritin concentrations was found in women whose serum ferritin concentrations were >25 ng/mL. These data suggest that the availability of Cd from highly processed sunflower kernels to humans is similar to that reported for other types of food.
Biodegradation of organic compounds in fluidized bed reactors

Biodegradation of organics in fluidized bed reactors was studied experimentally. Both single-substrate and mixed-substrate systems were considered. With the use of a previously developed biofilm model, parameters pertinent to the degradation of mixed-substrate systems and their single substrate system counterparts were evaluated and compared. Two approaches attempted to predict the degradation of a mixed-substrate system. One assumed independent biodegradaion and diffusion of individual substrates while the other used a lumped concentration approach. The latter approach was found to give better agreement with experiments than the former. On a etudie la biodegradation de composes organiques dans des reacteurs a lits fluidises. On a considere des systemes a substrat simple et a substrat mixte. Au moyen d'un modele de biofilm developpe anterieurement, on a evalue et compre les parametres correspondants a la degradation de systemes a substrat mixte et a leurs contreparties a substrat simple. On a essaye deux methodes pour predire la degradation d'un systeme a substrat mixte. Dans la premiere methode, on a suppose une biodegradation et une diffusion independantes pour chaque substrat individuel, tandis que, dans la seconde, on a employe une representation a concentration uniforme. On a trouve que la seconde methode concorde mieux avec les resultats experimentaux que la premiere.
Generality and reuse in a common type system for clinical natural language processing

The aim of Area 4 of the Strategic Healthcare IT Advanced Research Project (SHARP 4) is to facilitate secondary use of data stored in Electronic Medical Records (EMR) through high throughput phenotyping. Clinical Natural Language Processing (NLP) plays an important role in transforming information in clinical text to standard representation that is comparable and interoperable. To meet the NLP requirement of different secondary use cases of EMR, accommodate different NLP approaches, enable the interoperability between structured and unstructured data generated in different clinical settings, we define a common type system for clinical NLP that integrates a comprehensive model of clinical semantics with language processing types for SHARP 4. The type system has been implemented in UIMA (Unstructured Information Management Architecture), which allows for flexible passing of input and output data types among NLP components, and is available at the SHARP 4 website.
Escaping senescence: demographic data from the three-toed box turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis)

Two criteria have been proposed for the demonstration of negligible senescence. These include (1) no increase in age-related mortality and (2) negligible functional impairments with age. Although researchers have suspected turtles to exhibit negligible senescence, this has been largely based on the former rather than the latter criteria for which scant evidence is available. Using a long-term study on a population of three-toed box turtles (Terrapene carolina triunguis) in Cole County, Missouri, I combine known minimum age ranges and reproductive evidence to demonstrate their apparent escape from senescence. During 1998 and 1999, eight females >60 years of age were found gravid. The oldest of these is estimated to be at least 65-74 years of age. Of females >60 years, the mean clutch size and the proportion gravid were greater, although not significantly different, when compared to females <60 years. These findings indicate that the reproductive function in these turtles does not become impaired with age, thus supporting the second criteria for demonstrating negligible senescence.
The effect of ascorbic acid on collagen polypeptide synthesis and proline hydroxylation during the growth of cultured fibroblasts

Abstract The rate of collagen synthesis relative to the rate of synthesis of noncollagen protein was determined in several lines of cultured fibroblasts using an assay which measures [14C]proline incorporation into the polypeptide chains of collagen. In this assay procedure, collagen is degraded by protease-free collagenase regardless of whether proline and lysine residues are hydroxylated, thus separating the process of polypeptide synthesis from hydroxylation. It was found that the relative rate of collagen synthesis in L-929 cells was approximately 0.8–1% at all stages of growth. There was no significant increase in the relative rate of collagen synthesis in stationary phase compared to log phase cells in the lines Balb 3T3, 3T6, 3T12, and Swiss mouse 3T6. In all cases, the absolute incorporation of [14C]proline into both collagen and noncollagen proteins expressed as radioactivity incorporated per milligram of cellular protein, was 2–10 times higher in log phase cells, depending on the line examined. Ascorbic acid did not affect the growth nor the rate of collagen synthesis of L-929 cells. In the presence of ascorbate, the ratio of proline:hydroxyproline in collagenase digests of protein from cells and medium indicated that proline hydroxylation was complete at all stages of growth. In the absence of ascorbate, however, hydroxylation of proline in collagen of the cell layer was about 20% of maximum in early log phase cells and the extent of hydroxylation increased to about 60% in late stationary phase, suggesting that a cofactor which can substitute for ascorbate is synthesized in these cells and accumulates during stationary phase. About 25–30% of the collagen synthesized during log phase was found in the medium and the extent of proline hydroxylation in the absence of ascorbate was approximately the same as that of the collagen in the cell layer. It was also found that ascorbic acid is extremely unstable in tissue culture media incubated at 37 °C. After 24 hr, 88–98% of the compound had disappeared or been altered so that it no longer reacted in a standard ascorbic acid assay.
IMPROVED PROCEDURE FOR THE ONE-STEP SYNTHESIS OF α-KETOESTERS

(1989). IMPROVED PROCEDURE FOR THE ONE-STEP SYNTHESIS OF α-KETOESTERS. Organic Preparations and Procedures International: Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 501-504.
Institutional Policies, Professional Practices, and the Discourse of End-of-Life Discussions in American Medicine

The discourse analysis of end-of-life discussions presented here describes the interplay between the institutional order and interactional order in American medicine following Sarangi and Roberts (1999). In American hospitals, the institutional order of end-of-life discussions is accountable to a bioethics model of patient/surrogate autonomy for making medical decisions. In end-of-life care, medical futility is the basis for the decision to withdraw life support from a terminal patient; under autonomy in a bioethics model, this decision should be made primarily by the patient’s surrogate in consultation with the attending physician. The interactional order of discussions with patients’ families, however, is largely without accountability to institutional policies mandating autonomy, instead following the clinical and ethical standards of the profession of medicine, which preserve the determination of medical futility as a professional judgment and limit the scope of surrogate autonomy to an account of the patient’s wishes. In these discussions, physicians and families can be seen as constructing an ethics of emerging consensus as the basis for end-of-life decision-making.
The acquisition and generalization of compound sentence structure in an autistic child

A 6-year-old autistic boy, whose language consisted primarily of two-word phrases, was taught to describe verbally a standard set of training pictures using both simple and compound sentences. Training procedures included imitative prompts, differential reinforcement, and time-out. Procbe trials presenting a set of novel stimuli were used to examine the extent of stimulus generalization for both sentence types in the experimental setting and it was reported that the child used simple and compound sentences spontaneously in a classroom setting at the end of the training period.
Modification of ethanol's reinforcing effectiveness in rhesus monkeys by cocaine, flunitrazepam, or gamma-hydroxybutyrate

Background Although ethanol is frequently used in combination with other psychoactive drugs, the behavioral and pharmacological reasons for this form of polydrug abuse have not been well described.
Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) secondary to anti-tuberculosis therapy with features of isoniazid toxicity

Abstract Rationale DRESS is a severe idiosyncratic systemic reaction to a drug characterized by fever, rash, and internal organ involvement including lymphadenopathy, eosinophilia and hepatitis. To our knowledge, this is the second case report of DRESS caused by anti-tuberculosis therapy. It is the first report of DRESS with features of isoniazid toxicity. Methods A case report of a patient who developed DRESS while being treated for tuberculosis. Results A 32-year-old male was diagnosed with active tuberculosis and started on a four-drug regimen of isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. Three weeks after starting treatment the patient developed malaise, fevers to 103F, and a diffuse erythematous rash starting on his chest and spreading to involve his entire body. Laboratory data revealed acute liver failure with coagulopathy and eosinophilia with an absolute eosinophil count of 2.9 thousand/mL. Liver biopsy revealed 30% necrosis and showed portal and lobular inflammation with activated lymphocytes and eosinophils consistent with DRESS and centrilobular necrosis consistent with isoniazid hepatotoxicity. All medications were discontinued and the patient was started on high dose methylprednisolone. Within 48 hours his eosinophil count and liver function improved dramatically. Steroids were tapered over a 10-week period and upon completion of the taper the patient's rash, eosinophilia, and liver function abnormalities resolved. Ethambutol and pyrazinamide were reintroduced without adverse reaction. Re-challenge with isoniazid and rifampin is not planned as life-threatening hepatitis could develop. Conclusions DRESS can be caused by anti-tuberculosis therapy. This is the first report of DRESS in conjunction with isoniazid toxicity.
Guanosine 5'-(γ-thio) triphosphate (GTPγS) inhibits phosphorylation of insulin receptor and a novel GTP-binding protein, Gir, from human placenta

A novel 66 kDa GTP-binding protein, designated Gir, has been partially purified along with insulin receptor (IR) from human placenta. This protein binds 8-azido-GTP, is ADP-ribosylated by pertussis toxin, phosphorylated by IR tyrosine kinase and cross-reacts with antibodies against synthetic peptides from the GTP-binding domain of Gzα (P960). Phosphorylation of IR-β subunit and Gir by IR tyrosine kinase was almost completely inhibited by 100 μM GTPγS, >75% by 50 μM and 20–30% by 1 μM, while GDP at these concentrations had no significant effect on the phosphorylation. IR tyrosine kinase phosphorylated Gir at the tyrosine residues. These studies indicate regulation of IR tyrosine kinase activity by guanosine phosphates and involvement of Gir in insulin action.
Understanding and manipulating O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase expression

O6-Methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is a DNA repair protein that transfers methyl and alkyl lesions from the O6 position of guanine to a cysteine in its structure. The ability of MGMT to also remove precytotoxic O6-alkylguanine lesions induced by chemotherapeutic chloroethylnitrosoureas has made down-regulation of MGMT expression the key component in strategies designed to sensitize tumors to the cytotoxic potential of chloroethylnitrosoureas. The study of how to regulate MGMT expression at the gene, mRNA, and protein levels has contributed not only to the development of effective inhibitors of MGMT action, but also, in a broader sense, to a better understanding of gene regulation and protein structure/function.
New Rhenium Chalcogenides with (Re6X8)-Cluster Units

Abstract A number of new ternary rhenium chalcogenides A2Re6X12 with A=Tl, Cu, Na, Cs; X=Se; A=Tl, Rb, X=S; and A2Re6X12 with A=Pb, X=S, Se, have been prepared using high temperature solid state reaction or ion exchange methods. These new phases are isostructural with K4Re6S12 (space group C2/c). The observed semiconducting and diamagnetic properties of these phases are consitent with the valence electron count (VEC) of 24. Tl and Re in Tl4Re6X12 (rmX=S, Se) have been confirmed by XANES to be in the +1 and +3 oxidation state, respectively. Ru can partially substitute for Re in Tl4Re6Se12 forming solid solutions of Tl4Re6−xRuxSe12. For x⩾0.5, Tl4Re6−xRuxSe12 shows metallic and antife romagnetic behavior which suggest the possibility of VEC greater than 24.
Compressive stress profiles of chemically strengthened glass after exposure to high voltage electric fields

Abstract The ion exchange process for chemical strengthening of glass involves an inter-diffusion of alkali ions between the glass and a molten salt bath. In most commercial glasses, this comprises an exchange of Na+ ions in the glass for larger K+ ions from the salt bath. The stuffing of K+ ions into sites previously occupied by Na+ in the glass results in the formation of a compressive stress profile in the glass. In the absence of stress relaxation, this compressive stress profile largely follows the concentration profile of the K+ ions. Any subsequent migration of K+ ions within the glass would result in a change in this stress profile, which could lead to different mechanical behaviors of the glass. In particular, a reduction of the surface compressive stress could lead to a compromise in the retained strength of the glass, making it more susceptible to failure. Recent work has shown that chemically strengthened glass can be used as an effective substrate material for organic thin film transistors (TFTs), since the temperatures involved with organic TFT deposition are low enough to avoid any compromise in the compressive stress profile. This opens the possibility of fabricating high strength organic TFT displays. However, the question remains as to whether the exposure of the glass to an electric field may lead to the diffusion of the alkali ions and a corresponding alteration of the stress profile, which could compromise the strength of the organic TFT device. In this paper, we demonstrate that there is no change in the stress profile of Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 after subjecting the glass to much higher voltage dc fields compared to the maximum field that would be exhibited in an organic TFT device. The stress profile is modified only after treating the glass at sufficiently high temperature, where alkali migration becomes thermally activated.
Federalism, regionalism, nationalism: A century of Catalan political thought and its implications for Scotland in Europe

Abstract Although on Spain's periphery, Catalonia has often held a central position in Spanish politics. In dealing with the Catalan question, politicians in Madrid and Barcelona have had to grapple with different models of state structures. Some have even attempted to consider the issue in terms of greater European solutions. At the end of the 20th century, Europe's regions are having to consider their role not just within the traditional states, but also within the new European framework. The Scottish movement has now found itself in a position to affect British politics. The long tradition of Catalan thought on statecraft, and the influence Catalonia has had on the Spanish state, can serve as useful examples for the traditionally more marginalised Scots. Both Scots and Catalans face the question of defining their own identity, the identity of the state and the identity of Europe. In two decades of British politics, the SNP has also shifted to define itself within a greater European context.
Strain-Dependent Differences in Susceptibility to Lung Cancer in Inbred Mice Exposed to Mainstream Cigarette Smoke

It is becoming increasingly clear that genetic susceptibility is an important host factor determining the effects of exposure to a number of airborne particles and gases. Although numerous studies have identified a genetic component for spontaneous pulmonary tumor development and for chemically induced lung cancer (e.g., urethane) in mice, a systematic examination of murine inter-strain differences in response to cigarette smoke inhalation has not been conducted. We addressed this research gap by examining the strain distribution pattern of lung cancer in nine inbred strains of mice exposed to 258 mg/m(3) mainstream cigarette smoke for 5 months followed by 4 months of rest. Lung tumors were enumerated on fixed lungs visualized at low magnification and on serial step sections examined microscopically. With the low magnification examination, we observed statistically significant increases in the number of lung tumors in cigarette smoke-exposed A/J and the genetically-related A/HeJ mice (p<0.05). While fewer tumors were identified by the microscopic enumeration method, it confirmed that significant increases in lung tumors occurred only in A/J and A/HeJ mice exposed to cigarette smoke (p<0.05). Thus, as predicted by epidemiologic studies and animal experiments using chemically induced lung cancer models, these findings suggest that genetic host factors play a significant role in the pulmonary tumorigenic response of mice to mainstream cigarette smoke.
Standardized Polymer Durometry

Polymer durometry is the measurement of the hardness of plastic and rubber materials using an indentor. Many different hardness scales and indentor geometries have been standardized for durometry. Indentation into a solid is governed by linear elastic mechanics, and this paper relates the Young’s modulus to standardized hardness scale reading. We nondimensionalized these indentation mechanics, to uncover a normalized Young’s modulus, Υ, and the dimensionless hardness, , and then, a new dimensionless indentor stiffness that we call mechanical indentability, Mi. We use Mi for classifying standardized hardness scales. Our results allow practitioners to determine the Young’s modulus from measured hardness. Further, our results can be used to convert between hardness scales, not only between hardness scales of the same indentor geometry, but also between those of differing geometry.
MO‐E‐BRB‐04: A Grid for Justifying Clinical Staffing Budgets

Purpose: Justification of clinical physics staffing levels is difficult due to the ever increasing time demands to implement new technologies and by lack of direction as how to equate clinical needs with the staffing levels and competency required. When a physicist negotiates staffing requests to administration, she/he often refers to “blue book” (ACR) staffing suggestions, and resources such as the Abt studies. This approach is often met with questions as to how to fairly derive the time it takes to perform tasks properly, and what level of experience is actually required. The result is often insufficient and/or inexperienced staff handling complex and cumbersome tasks. We undertook development of a staffing justification grid to equate the clinical needs to the quantity and quality of staffing required. Method&Materials: The first step is using the Abt study, customized to the clinical setting, to derive time per task multiplied by the anticipated number of such tasks. Inclusion of vacation, meeting, and developmental time is incorporated along with allocated time for education and administration. This is followed by mapping the tasks to the level of competency/experience needed, for example in an academic setting the faculty appointment levels. Non‐staff personal, such as IMRT QA technicians or clerical staff should also be part of the equation. This grid method not only equates the clinical needs with the quantity of staffing, but also generates the personnel budget, based on the type of staff and personnel required. Results: By using the staffing justification grid, we derived strong documentation to justify a substantial budget increase. Conclusion: Though our grid is for a large academic facility, the methodology can be extended to a non‐academic setting, and to a smaller scale. The grid is easily adaptable when changes to the clinical environment change, such as an increase in IMRT or IGRT applications.
The configurations of (−)-2,3,3-trimethyl-2-hydroxybutanoic acid, Me3CC(Me)(OH)CO2H, (−)-3,3,4-trimethyl-3-hydroxy-1-pentyne and (−)-3-t-butyl-3-methyl-1-chloroallene

Abstract The configurations of the title compounds are reassigned, based on stereoselective syntheses of the hydroxyacid and corresponding glycol and application of Cram's, Prelog's and Sharpless' rules.
Pre-Breakdown and Breakdown Phenomena along Pmma Surfaces in Vacuum and Nitrogen Gas Stressed by 60 Hz Voltages

Predischarge current and breakdown measurements of solid Plexiglas® (PMMA) insulators in vacuum and nitrogen gas gaps, excited by 60 Hz ac voltages, are reported. Results show that for bridged vacuum gaps, the predischarge current is in the form of pulses. In addition to electron emission from the cathode, secondary emission from the insulator surface is postulated to play a significant role in determining the characteristics of the current pulses. It is reported that for bridged nitrogen filled gaps no partial discharges prior to breakdown were noted, except for the case of introduced artificial voids. Insulating spacers in the form of circular cylinders and conical frustrums of different angles have been studied. The breakdown characteristics are found to depend strongly on the shape of the insulating spacer and also on the surface condition. For any given gas pressure, the breakdown strength was found to decrease with decreasing angle of the cone frustrum at its base. A rough insulator surface exhibited considerable discharge track resistance compared to a smooth surface. For cylindrical spacers, the predischarge and breakdown characteristics are found to be strongly influenced by the shape and position of the introduced voids. The effect of gas pressure on the pre-discharge and breakdown characteristics are reported.
Quantitative analysis of the first-principles effective-Hamiltonian approach to ferroelectric perovskites

The various approximations used in the construction of a first-principles effective Hamiltonian for ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3},$ and their effects on the calculated transition temperatures, are discussed. An effective Hamiltonian for ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}$ is constructed not from first-principles calculations, but from the structural energetics of an atomistic shell model for ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}$ of Tinte et al. This allows the elimination of certain uncontrolled approximations that arise in the comparison of first-principles effective Hamiltonian results with experimental values and the quantification of errors associated with the selection of the effective Hamiltonian subspace and subsequent projection. The discrepancies in transition temperatures computed in classical simulations for this effective Hamiltonian and for the atomistic shell model are shown to be associated primarily with a poor description of the thermal expansion in the former case. This leads to specific proposals for refinements to the first-principles effective Hamiltonian method. Our results suggest that there are at least two significant sources of error in the effective-Hamiltonian treatment of ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}$ in the literature, i.e., the improper treatment of thermal expansion and the errors inherent in the first-principles approach itself.
Cultural sensitivity in social work practice and research with children and families

As children develop in an increasingly heterogeneous culture with multifarious influential factors and choices, social workers need to adjust their clinical practice and scientific pursuits accordingly. This article addresses the need for cultural sensitivity on the part of professional social workers in both practice and research capacities. Cross‐cultural issues are unavoidable when serving and studying children and their families in any capacity. The authors discuss professional self‐examination and awareness of personal biases and prejudices as an important area of focus to enhance sensitivity to cultural diversity. Additionally, they address issues surrounding cultural sensitivity in the context of client#shparticipant attendance, needs, attitudes, values, and motivations. Without attending to features inherent in the families we serve and study, social work services will not be properly delivered, and research will be inaccurate and#shor incomplete. Avoiding such unfavorable outcomes is key to assur...