cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Successful Management (Mgt) of Hyperkalemia Associated with Tumor Lysis Syndrome (TLS) in Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Patients (pts) Receiving Flavopiridol on an Active Pharmacologically Derived Schedule.

Introduction: Flavopiridol, a synthetic flavone with marked clinical efficacy in refractory high risk CLL, can cause overwhelming TLS with hyperkalemia. Accrual to a National Cancer Institute (NCI) sponsored phase 1 trial of flavopiridol (NCI 5746) was held for TLS with uncontrolled hyperkalemia in 2 of 3 pts at the cohort 2 dose. An algorithm for hyperkalemia mgt was instituted, and accrual resumed. An additional 14 pts were treated with dose level 1 (30mg/m 2 30-min IV bolus followed by 4 hr IV infusion of 30 mg/m 2 weekly x 4 every 6 wks for up to 6 cycles). This regimen had marked activity (43% PR) and improved safety. A third cohort with dose escalation to 50 mg/m 2 for the 4 hr infusion in pts with Methods: Potentially nephrotoxic drugs were held. The 1 st cycle and 1st dose of the 2nd cycle were given in-patient (inpt). Premedications included allopurinol and calcium acetate. Inpatients (Inpts) received IV alkalinization for 10 hr prior to flavopiridol, and rasburicase 0.15 mg/kg 2 hr prior to flavopiridol. Serum monitoring was done pretreatment, after the loading dose, hourly during and for 4 hr after flavopiridol for inpts (hourly for 2–3 hr afterwards for outpts). Serum monitoring was more frequent if potassium (K) levels exceeded 5.0 mmol/L. Rapid, accurate result reporting (less than 30 min from draw) was achieved with use of a critical care laboratory. Serum K levels were managed accordingly. Results: To date 19 pts have received 116 inpt doses (range 1–6/pt) of flavopiridol and 78 outpt doses (range 3–11/pt). Out of 194 infusions, 7 resulted in hyperkalemia which required hemodialysis/CVVHD; 2 occurred in 1 pt at the start of cycle 1 and upon dose escalation. All inpt doses required interventions in addition to premedications to prevent hyperkalemia. Incidence of hyperkalemia as rated by NCI Common Toxicity Criteria V 3.0 was low. Hyperkalemia incidence in 116 inpt doses was: grade (gr) 1, 0.086% (N=10) gr 2, 0.026% (N=3); gr 3, 0.008% (N=1); gr 4, 0.04% (N=5). Similarly, outpt hyperkalemia was uncommon. Of 78 outpt doses only 14% (N=11) resulted in gr 1 hyperkalemia and only 1 pt required admission for IV fluids and monitoring. The hyperkalemia mgt algorithm for 78 outpt doses required 44% (N=35) to have pre-treatment Kx, 61% (N=48) to have additional Kx, and 29% (N=19) to have IV interventions. Conclusion: Aggressive monitoring and adherence to this hyperkalemia algorithm during flavopiridol therapy has reduced the incidence of hyperkalemia and the need for hemodialysis. The safety of this highly active treatment for resistant, high risk CLL has improved with the algorithm, so that outpt treatment is now feasible. Further development of flavopiridol in this indication is warranted.
Palliative therapy for stage IV rectal adenocarcinoma: how frequently is it used?

Abstract Background Palliative care is associated with decreased cost and improved quality of life, although its use in stage IV rectal cancer is understudied. Materials and methods Stage IV rectal cancer patients (2004-2011) who did not undergo surgery with curative intent were identified within the National Cancer Database. Patients receiving palliative therapy were stratified by the type of intervention, as were patients undergoing chemotherapy that was not designated as palliative. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the receipt of palliative therapy. Results A total of 11,245 patients were analyzed, of which 2314 (20.6%) received palliative therapy. Use of palliative therapy as a category of treatments did not change significantly from 2004-2012 (19.4%-23.0%; P = 0.14), but the use of palliative chemotherapy nearly doubled (4.7%-8.7%; P 60 y and increasing chronic comorbidities; these subgroups also had lower odds of receiving chemotherapy that was not designated as palliative. Differences in gender and race were not associated with variations in the receipt of palliative therapy. Conclusions For stage IV rectal cancers managed without curative intent, use of palliative therapies remains consistently low, with a preference for sicker patients.
Implication of our technological species being first and early

According to the Principle of Mediocrity, a cornerstone of modern cosmology, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, we should believe that we are a typical member of an appropriately chosen reference class. If we assume that this principle applies to the reference class of all extant technological species, then it follows that other technological species will, like us, typically find that they are both the first such species to evolve on their planet and also that they are early in their potential technological evolution. Here we argue that this suggests that the typical technological species becomes extinct soon after attaining a modern technology and that this event results in the extinction of the planet's global biosphere.
Gaseous Ignition Models

We discuss in this chapter initial-boundary value problems of the form $$ {u_t} - a\Delta u = f(u) + f(u) + g(t),{\mkern 1mu} {\mkern 1mu} a \geqslant 0,{\mkern 1mu} {\mkern 1mu} \left( {x,t} \right) \in \Omega \times \left( {0,T} \right) $$ with u(x, 0) = ϕ(x) for x ∈ Ω and u(x,t) = 0 for (x,t)∈ ∂Ω×(0,T). The reactive-diffusive gaseous model (1.39)-(1.40) and the nondiffusive model (1.41)-(1.40) are special cases.
Antifibrinolytics in a rural trauma state: assessing the opportunities

Background Tranexamic acid (TXA) has demonstrated improved mortality among trauma patients. However, recent evidence from urban US trauma centers has failed to show a benefit among the civilian population. TXA in rural states has not been evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the current use of TXA in the rural trauma population. Methods A retrospective observational review at a level 1 trauma center based in a rural environment. Records were reviewed for TXA indications. TXA indication was defined as: systolic blood pressure 3 hours. Results 400 patients were evaluated. 54% of patients met indications for TXA. 14% of these received TXA. 30.4% with an indication for TXA were ineligible due to arrival beyond 3 hours from time of injury. 135 patients arrived as transfers, 265 from the scene. There was no difference in TXA indications between scene and transfers (73 vs 144, p=1). Transfers were more likely to arrive beyond the 3-hour window (59 vs 7, p=0.001). Mortality for patients treated with TXA was 12.5%. This was not significantly different from patients not treated with TXA (19%). Discussion In a rural system, long transfers exclude most patients from treatment with TXA. A multicenter rural trauma center study will be needed to better define the optimal use of TXA in rural populations. Level of evidence Level IV data: therapeutic/care management.
Structured fluid theory: Kinematics of substructure redistribution

A complete theory of structured fluids is formulated. The substructure distribution, velocity profile and apparent viscosity are calculated for parallel flow between two parallel plates.
Pemanfaatan Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) melalui Aplikasi Berbasis Android dalam Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris secara Mandiri

In order to improve the English skills, students may not only depend on the teachers; yet they need to motivate themselves for independent learning. Due to the development of mobile technology, there are many English Language Learning applications that can be downloaded. This study aims to know how far the English Language Learning applications, especially Android-based applications, are used to help students in mastering English. This study used quantitative and qualitative method through questionnaire and library research. The result shows that most of the students have ever downloaded and used Android-based English Language Learning applications, and they feel it is very helpful in improving their English skills. However, those applications still need to be developed in order to support the more effective utilization of MALL.
Measurement of around-body creeping waves using wearable sensor modules

Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) technology holds great potential for many applications such as remote healthcare monitoring and personal activity tracking. A vector network analyzer can be used to measure on-body channel changes due to different activities, but they are much too costly and bulky for most WBAN applications. Small, wearable, affordable sensors must be developed for practical WBAN usage. This paper investigates two methods for replacing the network analyzer from an on-body wave propagation measurement setup.
catena‐Poly[[[bis(cyclohexyldiphenylphosphine‐κP)silver(I)]‐μ‐cyano‐κ2N:C‐silver(I)‐μ‐cyano‐κ2C:N] dichloromethane solvate]

The 1:1 AgCN–cyclo­hexyl­diphenyl­phosphine adduct was synthesized to explore the structural possibilities of C- or N-atom coordination available to the cyanide ligand in the presence of cyclo­hexyl­diphenyl­phosphine (PCyPh2), which would exert a steric influence inter­mediate between PCy3 and PPh3. The title compound, {[Ag2(CN)2(C16H21P)2]·CH2Cl2}n, is an inorganic polymer with monomeric units consisting of a linear bis­(cyano)silver complex (formally a −1 anion) coordinated via the C atoms alternating with a tetra­hedral silver complex having two phosphine ligands (formally a +1 cation). The tetra­hedral coordination of the bis­(phos­phine)­silver fragment is completed by dative bonds through the N-atom lone pairs of two bis­(cyano)silver fragments. For each disilver monomeric unit, one mol­ecule of dichloromethane solvent is found, disordered over two positions with relative occupancies 0.88:0.12. The polymer is propagated by a twofold screw causing each polymer strand to be chiral. Crystallization in a noncentrosymmetric space group implies spontaneous resolution from the solution, which could be achiral if the solvated species is different from the solid state or racemic if the polymers persist in solution. Even at a twofold excess of the phosphine, only the 1:1 polymer is observed, suggesting that the PCyPh2 ligand has a structural behaviour more like PPh3 than PCy3.
Intrinsic Structural Features of the Human IRE1α Transmembrane Domain Sense Membrane Lipid Saturation.

Activation of inositol-requiring enzyme (IRE1α) is an indispensable step in remedying the cellular stress associated with lipid perturbation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. IRE1α is a single-spanning ER transmembrane protein possessing both kinase and endonuclease functions, and its activation can be fully achieved through the dimerization and/or oligomerization process. How IRE1α senses membrane lipid saturation remains largely unresolved. Using both computational and experimental tools, we systematically investigated the dimerization process of the transmembrane domain (TMD) of IRE1α and found that, with help of the serine 450 residue, the conserved tryptophan 457 residue buttresses the core dimerization interface of IRE1α-TMD. BiFC (bimolecular fluorescence complementation) experiments revealed that mutation on these residues abolished the saturated fatty acid-induced dimerization in the ER membrane and subsequently inactivated IRE1α activity in vivo. Therefore, our results suggest that the structural elements of IRE1α-TMD serve as a key sensor that detects membrane aberrancy.
Pneumatosis Coli in a Dog.

ABSTRACTThe objective of this report is to document a case of pneumatosis coli in an immunosuppressed dog successfully treated with supportive care that included hyperbaric oxygen. A 9 yr old, neut...
The conversion of saturated hydrocarbons into carboxylic acids using Fe(CO)5H2O2 oxidation

Abstract Saturated hydrocarbons are transformed into their corresponding homologous carboxylic acids by treatment with iron pentacarbonyl and hydrogen peroxide in pyridine-acetic acid. A mechanism for this reaction is proposed. A tteention is also directed to a new and convenient procedure for the determination of carbon monoxide.
The Erosion of Democracy: Can We Muster Enough Wisdom to Stop It?

A healthy democracy maintains a fine balance between individual freedom and compassionate responsibility. A totalitarian government destroys both of these ideals, leaving virtually all of the power in the hands of an unethical few while abusing the human rights of the vast majority. This interdisciplinary analysis shows how democracies can strengthen over time or suffer from erosion and become increasingly totalitarian. When democratic erosion occurs, the political system becomes unresponsive to the needs and wants of the population. The media is captured by the elite so it produces propaganda instead of objective, investigative journalism. The economy pushes most of the wealth into the hands of a few while impoverishing the masses. The justice system becomes harsh, punitive, and corrupt, serving as a tool for the interests of the elite. After clarifying these dynamics, the analysis turns to some ways in which societies can produce wisdom throughout a nation’s population to serve as a buffer against democratic erosion.
Neural Representation of Parental Monitoring and Links to Adolescent Risk Taking.

Decades of developmental research have demonstrated the positive role of parental monitoring during adolescence, a time during which youth seek exploration and show heightened risk taking. The present study employed a novel neural pattern similarity approach to identify neural patterns underpinning parental monitoring, with attention to implications for adolescent risk taking. Mothers (N = 23) underwent an fMRI scan during which they completed a risk-taking task and viewed the risk-taking behavior of their adolescent child. Using a representational similarity analysis, we examined the neural pattern similarity between mothers’ anticipation of their child’s risk taking and their own decisions. Higher parental monitoring was reflected in greater similarity between neural pattern of anticipating their adolescents’ risk taking and experiencing their own safe outcomes. Moreover, greater neural pattern similarity between mothers’ anticipation and their own safe outcomes was associated with lower risk-taking propensity in adolescents. Taken together, the present study provides preliminary evidence for the neural patterns underpinning parental monitoring, highlighting the importance of incorporating parents’ brain as a window to understand parenting practices and adolescent risk taking.
Battlefield Mapping by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Swarm: Applied Systems Engineering Processes and Architectural Considerations From System of Systems

For many years, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Swarm (UAVs) have been implemented as stand-alone systems for various applications. Advances in technology necessitate the need for the complexity of the systems to rise to a level higher than ever. The capability needs today require the use of multiple systems to act together to accomplish a common goal that is unachievable with a single system. The use of multiple UAVs in an autonomous, or semi-autonomous, nature to accomplish this higher-level goal is known as a UAV Swarm system of systems. In designing a system with the complexity of a UAV Swarm there are many aspects that must be taken into careful consideration. This article will identify the SoS principles and considerations for developing and deploying a UAV Swarm for Battlefield Mapping using System Modeling Language. The design of the developed battlefield SoS will utilize standard Systems Engineering processes, adapted Systems Engineering processes for Systems of Systems, and architecture representation models. Each of these key utilities will be analyzed to provide guidance and considerations for SoS Engineering of the UAV Swarm.
In Opinion Holders’ Shoes: Modeling Cumulative Influence for View Change in Online Argumentation

Understanding how people change their views during multiparty argumentative discussions is important in applications that involve human communication, e.g., in social media and education. Existing research focuses on lexical features of individual comments, dynamics of discussions, or the personalities of participants but deemphasizes the cumulative influence of the interplay of comments by different participants on a participant’s mindset. We address the task of predicting the points where a user’s view changes given an entire discussion, thereby tackling the confusion due to multiple plausible alternatives when considering the entirety of a discussion. We make the following contributions. (1) Through a human study, we show that modeling a user’s perception of comments is crucial in predicting persuasiveness. (2) We present a sequential model for cumulative influence that captures the interplay between comments as both local and nonlocal dependencies, and demonstrate its capability of selecting the most effective information for changing views. (3) We identify contextual and interactive features and propose sequence structures to incorporate these features. Our empirical evaluation using a Reddit Change My View dataset shows that contextual and interactive features are valuable in predicting view changes, and a sequential model notably outperforms the nonsequential baseline models.
Bloating and Abdominal Distension: Exploring Hidden Depths and Insights

The goal of this paper is to review categorically treatment options for the diverse mechanisms to which studies have shown underlie bloating and abdominal distension. While previous studies typically associate bloating and distension with a functional gastrointestinal disorder, in appropriate clinical settings, workup to look at diseases such as postural orthostatic hypotension, chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and mast cell activation syndrome can further provide insight into to these patients. Bloating and distension are commonly presented to the gastroenterologist. The underlying mechanism can be ambiguous, and therefore, the treatment can be challenging. However, current treatment options that are available can be effective if used in the appropriate patient. Further research is desperately needed for the more elusive disease processes mentioned in this review that presents with bloating and distension.
Meta-Analysis Comparing Endovascular Treatment Modalities for Femoropopliteal Peripheral Artery Disease

Endovascular interventions are commonly utilized for treatment of femoropopliteal peripheral artery disease. The relative efficacy of these interventions remains unclear. A Bayesian network meta-analysis was performed comparing 5 endovascular treatment modalities: balloon angioplasty (BA), bare metal stent (BMS), covered stent (CS), drug-coated balloon (DCB), drug-eluting stent (DES) for femoropopliteal peripheral artery disease. The primary efficacy end points were freedom from target lesion revascularization (TLR) and primary patency at 12 months. BA was the reference treatment. Twenty-two trials including 4,381 participants provided data on TLR. Sixteen trials including 3,691 participants provided data on primary patency. Point estimates for DCB suggested that it was the most efficacious treatment for freedom from TLR (odds ratio [OR] 4.23; 95% credible intervals [CrI] 2.43 to 7.66) followed by CS (OR 3.65; 95% CrI 1.11 to 12.55), DES (OR 2.64; 95% CrI 0.72 to 9.77), and BMS (OR 2.3; 95% CrI 1.11 to 4.76). Similarly, point estimates for primary patency were highest with DES (OR 8.93; 95% CrI 3.04, 27.14) followed by CS (OR 3.91; 95% CrI 1.18, 13.84), DCB (OR 3.32; 95% CrI 1.8, 6.25), and BMS (OR 3.5; 95% CrI 1.58, 7.99). In conclusion, DCB has the lowest need for TLR whereas DES has the highest primary patency rate. DCB, CS, and BMS were associated with significant reductions in TLR compared with BA, whereas DCB, DES, CS, and BMS were associated with significantly improved primary patency compared with BA.
Terawatt chirped pulse Raman amplified laser for two-color experiments

We report the generation of a two-color terawatt (TW) laser by the insertion of a three-stage barium nitrate Raman shifter and amplifier system into a conventional Ti:sapphire chirped-pulse amplification system. The Raman subsystem produces a pulse that is shifted from 800 to 873 nm and is amplified and compressed to TW scales (140 mJ and 140 fs) and then recombined with the 45-TW 800-nm fundamental pulse.
Making Lemonade out of Lemons: Supporting Adoption of Evidence-Based Practices in Response to Educational Disruptions

Effective diffusion of educational innovations is essential for evidence-based practices to have broad impacts on student learning. One of the barriers to such diffusion is the large inertia associated with changing one’s teaching practices. Educational disruptions, such as COVID-19, may lower this barrier by making business-as-usual no longer feasible. Here, we reflect on the ways in which an online community, designed to promote diffusion of educational innovation, supported Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry teachers in the rapid transition to online instruction necessitated by the pandemic. The lessons learned from supporting teachers as they responded to the pandemic may provide insights into how to better promote and support adoption of reformed teaching strategies.
Risk Factors for Anterior Tibial Tendon Pathology

Background:Though the tibialis anterior (TA) serves a vital role in ankle dorsiflexion, there is little information regarding risk factors and demographic information that might predispose one to t...
Managerial Ownership and Conflicts: A Nonlinear Simultaneous Equation Analysis of Managerial Ownership, Risk Taking, Debt Policy and Dividend Policy

This paper uses a nonlinear simultaneous equation methodology to examine how managerial ownership relates to risk taking, debt policy, and dividend policy. The results have implications for our understanding of agency costs. We find risk to be a significant and positive determinant of the level of managerial ownership while managerial ownership is also a significant and positive determinant of the level of risk. The result supports the argument that managerial ownership helps to resolve the agency conflicts between external stockholders and managers but at the expense of exacerbating the agency conflict between stockholders and bondholders. We further observe evidence of substitution-monitoring effects between managerial ownership and debt policy, between managerial ownership and dividend policy, and between managerial ownership and institutional ownership.
Studying social workers’ roles in natural disasters during a global pandemic: What can we learn?

The author reflects on the convergence of her roles as a qualitative researcher studying social workers' roles during Hurricane Harvey, a student of public health, and a hospital social worker in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarities are drawn between the social work role following a natural disaster and a pandemic disaster along with observations regarding core differences. Practice and research recommendations are provided for social workers in the domains of therapeutic interactions, social justice, and public health. While therapeutic relationships have often been far more difficult to achieve during the pandemic than Hurricane Harvey, the assistance of technology and proper personal protective equipment has been helpful in filling communication gaps. Both types of disasters are universal in their reach, impacting people of all backgrounds; the social work role has been to address differences in access to resources, including health care and financial assistance. Finally, social workers play a significant role in public health during disasters through disseminating reliable information about safety, resources, and opportunities to assist others. The author recommends the expansion of social work in the public health space to provide more insight about communicating with vulnerable populations during disasters.
Detection of framboidal pyrite size distributions using convolutional neural networks

Abstract Pyrite (FeS2) framboids, spheroidal groups of discrete equant pyrite microcrysts, are found in sediments of all geological ages. The size of a pyrite framboid is established during early diagenesis and preserved through time. Framboid size distributions are hence useful for the evaluation of depositional conditions. In this work, we present machine learning approaches to characterize the size distributions of pyrite framboids to understand the intensity and duration of anoxia and euxinia during the Middle Devonian of the Appalachian foreland basin by analyzing framboid size distributions of the Marcellus Shale from Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. Importantly, we overcome the time-consuming and laborious nature of current manual tracing methods to enable the processing of high volumes of micrograph data. Specifically, we implement convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to characterize framboids from 14 samples across depths in the Marcellus Shale. We show that CNNs enable the precise and fast measurement of framboid size distributions from scanning electron micrographs. CNN architectures including Inception, ResNet, Inception-Resnet, and Mask R-CNN were trained and tested on a total of ~6,800 framboids from 128 grayscale and 32 colored scanning electron micrographs. Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests on the framboidal equivalent diameter distributions measured from CNNs and manual tracing show that the CNN algorithms detected framboids with up to 99% precision. Importantly, once trained, the CNNs were ~100 times faster than current manual tracing. A straightforward extension of this work includes the application of CNNs to characterize pores, fractures, organic matter, and/or mineral grains in geological materials.
Biosimilars And Follow-On Products In The United States: Adoption, Prices, And Users.

Biologic drugs account for a disproportionate share of the increase in pharmaceutical spending in the US and worldwide. Against this backdrop, many look to the expanding market for biosimilars—foll...
Protein Transfer from Immobilized pH Gradient Gels

Typically, isoelectric focusing is carried out in the first dimension of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and the procedure separates protein isoforms such as those resulting from phosphorylation and acetylation. The method detailed in this chapter reveals this diversity by a one-dimensional separation and an immunoblotting procedure developed and described originally by Harry Towbin. Proteins are resolved using commercially available immobilized pH gradient plates or strips in the first direction. The resolved proteins are then transferred to PVDF membranes by diffusion, and the membranes are probed with a protein-specific antibody. This system is valuable for monitoring variations of banding patterns and allows parallel sample processing. Deducing the number and degree of modifications is probable because of the ability to predict the effect of posttranslational modifications on the isoelectric point.
Risk and resilience for alcohol use disorder revealed in brain functional connectivity.

Abstract A family history of alcoholism (FH) increases risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD), yet many at-risk individuals never develop alcohol use problems. FH is associated with intermediate levels of risk phenotypes, whereas distinct, compensatory brain changes likely promote resilience. Although several cognitive, behavioral, and personality factors have been associated with AUD, the relative contributions of these processes and their neural underpinnings to risk or resilience processes remains less clear. We examined whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity (FC) and behavioral metrics from 841 young adults from the Human Connectome Project, including healthy controls, individuals with AUD, and their unaffected siblings. First, we identified functional connections in which unaffected siblings were intermediate between controls and AUD, indicating AUD risk, and those in which siblings diverged, indicating resilience. Canonical correlations relating brain risk and resilience FC to behavioral patterns revealed AUD risk and resilience phenotypes. Risk phenotypes primarily implicated frontal-parietal networks corresponding with executive function, impulsivity, externalizing behaviors, and social-emotional intelligence. Conversely, resilience-related phenotypes were underpinned by networks of medial prefrontal, striatal, temporal, brainstem and cerebellar connectivity, which associated with high trait attention and low antisocial behavior. Additionally, we calculated “polyphenotypic” risk and resilience scores, to investigate how the relative load of risk and resilience phenotypes influenced the probability of an AUD diagnosis. Polyphenotypic scores predicted AUD in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, resilience phenotypes interacted with risk phenotypes, reducing their effects. The hypothesis-generating results revealed interpretable AUD-related phenotypes and offer brain-informed targets for developing more effective interventions
Interfering with Interferons: targeting the JAK-STAT pathway in complications of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA).

Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) is distinguished from other forms of JIA by the prevalence of severe, life-threatening complications macrophage activation syndrome (SJIA-MAS) and lung disease (SJIA-LD). Alternative therapeutics are urgently needed, as disease pathogenesis diverges from what is observed in SJIA, and currently available biologics are insufficient. SJIA-MAS, defined by a cytokine storm and dysregulated proliferation of T-lymphocytes, and SJIA-LD which presents with lymphocytic interstitial inflammation and pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, are both thought to be driven by interferons, in particular type II interferon (IFN-y). Involvement of IFNs and a possible crosstalk of type I IFNs with existing biologics indicate a distinct role for the JAK-STAT signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of SJIA-MAS and SJIA-LD. Here, we review this role of JAK-STATs and interferons in SJIA complications and discuss how new insights of ongoing research are shaping future therapeutic advances in the form of JAK inhibitors and antibodies targeting IFNs.
Virtual Reality Issues in Training Environments

Advances in the use of virtual environments (VE) for Navy operation and training have been made along several dimensions. Chiefly, the emphasis in the initial stages has been on building virtual environments. Emphasis has been on developing several different virtual reality situational displays where different levels of immersion can be provided. These include cave environments, head-mounted displays integrated with other immersive interaction capability displays such as data gloves or the PHANToM device to study what is effective VR. Initial investigations have shown that VR is not a solution for all rehearsal and training problems. Sometimes the technology does not provide a suitable environment for the desired outcome.
K-Divisibility and K-Strong Divisibility Sequences

A sequence of rational integers g is called a divisibility sequence if and only if n | m ⇒ g(n) | g(m) for all positive integers , n m . [See [3] and [4]]. Also, g is called a strong divisibility sequence if and only if ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ), ( ) , g n g m g n m = for all positive integers , n m . [See [1], [2], [3], [4], and [5]]. Of course, it is easy to show that the results of the Smarandache function S(n) is neither a divisibility nor a strong divisibility sequence, because 4 | 20 but S(4) = 4 does not divide 5 = S(20) , and ( ) ( ) ( ) (4), (20) (4,5) 1 4 (4) 4, 20 S S S S = = ≠ = = . a) However, is there an infinite subsequence of integers { } 1 2 , ,... M m m = such that S is a divisibility sequence on M ? b) If { } 1 2 , ,... P p p is the set of prime numbers, the S is not a strong divisibility sequence on P , because for i ≠ j we have ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ), ( ) , 1 0 (1) , i j i j i j S p S p p p S S p p = = ≠ = = . And the same question can be asked about P as it was asked in part a). We introduce the following two notions, which are generalizations of a “divisibility sequence” and “strong divisibility sequence” respectively.
Reactions between sugars and nitrogenous compounds and their relationship to certain food problems.

Publisher Summary The interaction between carbohydrates and amino acids, proteins, and other nitrogen compounds has gradually come to be recognized as fundamental to a wide variety of naturally occurring phenomena, many of which play important roles both in basic biological. as well as industrial processes. This chapter aims to critically survey the large amount of experimental and speculative work that has been published in this field. Investigations of the type of reaction that have been observed under laboratory conditions have been considered and their possible significance in basic biological and industrial processes has been mentioned. The discussion in this chapter covers the more labile combinations of certain carbohydrates with amino acids, proteins, and other nitrogen compounds. Sugars and amino acids yield dark materials when heated together and this so-called melanoidin or browning reaction has been specifically discussed. The work on sugar-amino acid condensations may be said to date definitely from the experiments of Maillard. In attempting to extend his work to other compounds containing several hydroxyl groups, he chose D-glucose and quickly observed that the aldehydic function of the latter predominated and completely changed the course of the reaction. He devoted considerable attention to the new reaction and his results have been discussed in detail in the chapter. Subsequently, the kinetics and equilibria of the reaction have been studied extensively by physical-chemical techniques. The key tools were polarimetry, cryoscopy, colorimetry, potentiometry, and chemical analysis.
In Search of El Dorado: The Elusive Financial Returns on Corporate Political Investments

Although many believe that companies' political activities improve their bottom line, empirical studies have not consistently borne this out. We investigate the relationship between corporate political activity (CPA) and financial returns on a set of 943 S&P 1500 firms between 1998 to 2008. We find that firms' political investments are negatively associated with market performance and cumulative political investments worsen both market and accounting performance. Firms placing former public officials on their boards experienced inferior market performance and similar accounting performance than firms without such board members. We find, however, that CPA is positively associated with market performance for firms in regulated industries. Our results challenge the profit-maximizing assumptions underlying CPA research and focus on agency theory to better understand CPA. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the construction of Lyapunov functions using the sum of squares decomposition

A relaxation of Lyapunov's direct method has been proposed elsewhere that allows for an algorithmic construction of Lyapunov functions to prove stability of equilibria in nonlinear systems, but the search is restricted to systems with polynomial vector fields. In the paper, the above technique is extended to include systems with equality, inequality, and integral constraints. This allows certain non-polynomial nonlinearities in the vector field to be handled exactly and the constructed Lyapunov functions to contain non-polynomial terms. It also allows robustness analysis to be performed. Some examples are given to illustrate how this is done.
A comparison of the total capacitance and total resistance techniques for measuring the thickness of journal bearing oil films in an operating engine

Bearing oil film thickness (BOFT) values were determined for the front main bearing of a four-cylinder engine at different engine speeds, loads, and oil temperatures using two different measurement techniques. The total resistance technique assumes the oil film can be modelled as a simple ohmic resistor. The total capacitance technique assumes the oil film can be described as a simple capacitor. A comparison of results determined using both methods for a set of single-grade oils demonstrated that, although the methods agree quantitatively for certain combinations of engine test conditions and oils, the level of precision with the total capacitance technique is greater than with the total resistance technique
Where Am I? A Simulated GPS Sensor for Outdoor Robotic Applications

Advances in the field of robotic simulations in general and the complexity of virtual outdoor environments in particular have created a demand for accurate simulated open-air localization devices. In this paper, we answer this request by presenting the implementation of a simulated Global Positioning System receiver for the popular USARSim platform. The engineering tradeoff of speed versus accuracy is encountered throughout the design process and discussed comprehensively in the paper. Along the lines of a validation methodology we developed in recent years, the simulated sensor is implemented and extensively analyzed in a real/simulated scenario, where data logged from a real robot is evaluated against the data acquired in simulation.
Rituals in information system design

Developing computer-based information systems is usually conceived as a rational process, intended to achieve identifiable and agreed upon goals. From this perspective, certain elements in the system development process are believed to enhance its effectiveness. For example, handoffs between one project phase and another, feasibility studies conducted prior to development work, and the use of project teams and steering committees are recommended in most texts as activities instrumental to effective system design. Recently, the political view of organizations has assumed greater stature in organization theory. This perspective interprets organizational events not only from the rational standpoint, but also in terms of negotiation and conflicting goals. From the political perspective, elements of the system design process can be interpreted as rituals which enable actors to remain overtly rational while negotiating to achieve private interests. This paper seeks to understand those rituals and to reveal their function in the systems design process.
Culture, Environment, and Conservation in the Appalachian South

Reviewed Medium: book Year: 2002 Pages: ix + 203 Publisher: University of Illinois Press Prices: $16.95
The cost of locking

Consider the problem of locking two transactions A and B, each a linear sequence of atomic database steps. Let a fixpoint H be a subset of all possible shuffles of the steps of A and B. [Papadimitriou-82] gave a necessary and sufficient condition for H to be realizable as the set of all sequences of steps “legal” under some locking program. This paper addresses two questions his work left unanswered. First, how many locks are required to realize a given fixpoint set? Second, what sets are realizable as fixpoints of a locking program in the case of three or more transactions? Here, in response to the first query, we demonstrate that for two transactions, any fixpoint set which satisfies this condition may be realized with O(m2n) locks, while for three or more transactions, we show the existence of realizable fixpoint sets which require a number of locks exponential in the number of transaction steps. We also give a partial response to the second query, by developing necessary conditions for the realization of fixpoints which involve three transactions.
MSE law of nth order /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ modulators

The mean squared error (MSE) of an nth order /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ modulator is classically understood to decay with the oversampling ratio M at the rate /spl alpha//M/sup 2n+1/. In this paper, we show that the accurate general MSE law is in fact in /spl beta//M/sup 2n/ + /spl gamma//M/sup 2n+1/ instead. The coefficient /spl beta/ is in general not zero, except when the input is rigorously constant, or when using the ideal standard nonoverloaded n-bit n-loop modulator. The term /spl beta//M/sup 2n/ is dominant starting from low values of M when using a one-bit quantizer.
Transcription of the tryptophan operon in polarity mutants of Escherichia coli: II. Evidence for normal production of tryp-mRNA molecules and for premature termination of transcription

Studies were performed with tryptophan-operon polarity mutants to determine whether normal numbers of tryp-mRNA molecules were produced by these strains and whether the short tryp-mRNA molecules detected (Imamoto & Yanofsky, 1967) resulted from selective degradation of regions of the intact tryp-mRNA. In experiments in which pulse-labeling was performed immediately after the shift of bacterial cultures from repression to derepression conditions, normal production of early tryp-mRNA was observed in all polarity mutants examined. When pulse-labeling was performed at different times prior to the appearance of the first intact tryp-mRNA molecules in the wild-type strain (before six minutes after the initiation of derepression), reduced levels of tryp-mRNA were detected in the polar mutants and the mRNA region corresponding to the operon region beyond the nonsense codon was conspicuously absent. Since the growing mRNA chain is presumably attached at the site of synthesis during this period, it seems unlikely that selective degradation of intact tryp-mRNA molecules could be responsible for the short mRNA molecules that are detected. It was found that decreasing the pulse period in transcription experiments with polarity mutants failed to increase the relative amount of total detectable tryp-mRNA or the relative level of the tryp-mRNA regions corresponding to the genes of the operon beyond the gene with the polarity mutation. In addition, sucrose gradient sedimentation studies failed to detect a shift of the tryp-mRNA profile of polarity mutants to higher molecular weight regions as the pulse time was decreased. These findings suggest that polarity mutations may cause premature termination of transcription of an operon in the vicinity of an introduced nonsense codon.
Estimation of radar signals using passive sensor network

The problem of signal estimation in radar using passive receiver networks is addressed. A new method for estimating the radar signal is proposed, based on augmenting the set of signals received at the sensors with a signal chosen from among one of several appropriate signal classes. The choice within each signal class is optimized by maximizing the principal component of the augmented signal matrix, and the best among the signal classes selected as the final estimate. This approach is compared with the signal estimate obtained through unconstrained principal component analysis of the signal matrix. Simulations are presented that demonstrate improved performance using the proposed method and that show good estimates of the signal with signal to noise ratios as low as −20dB.
Parametric Analysis of Flashback Propensity With Various Fuel Compositions and Burner Materials

Flashback is a key operability issue for low NOx premixed combustion of hydrogen enriched fuels. Previous work has systematically investigated the impact of fuel composition on flashback propensity and noted the coupling of flashback with burner tip temperature. It led to models for critical velocity gradient as an indicator of flashback propensity as a function of parameters studied, such as fuel composition, burner tip temperature and laminar flame speed, etc. The present work further analyzes existing data and develops an empirical physical model for flashback propensity as a function of dimensionless groups. A comprehensive parameter screening is conducted and the potential variables determining flashback behavior are catalogued into five types: operational parameters, unburnt conditions, ambient conditions, rig properties and others. The objective of the analysis is to predict the critical operational parameters with given unburnt conditions which are generally known to the hardware designer. Other factors, such as ambient conditions and rig properties might also affect the prediction performance. To account for such factors, a dimensional analysis is conducted based on Buckingham Pi theorem. The critical Damkohler number is selected as the indicator of flashback propensity and a model is developed suggesting the significance of preferential diffusion (Le), heat loss Display Formula(TuT0), thermal coupling effect Display Formula(TtipTu) and flame Peclet number (Pef) as follows:Display FormulaDa=Const.·Le-6.12·TuT0-1.71·TtipTu-3.69Pef1.89·f1θ′d·f2PuP0Finally, preliminary results for pressure effects are presented.© 2015 ASME
An Activity-Based Format Increased Student Retention in a Community College Microbiology Course

Microbiology is offered each semester at the Allied Health Campus of Pearl River Community College. The evening course meets weekly for 16 sessions from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Most students enrolled in the course are in one of the seven associate degree allied health programs on the allied health campus. Among the challenges of teaching a course in this situation is retention of enrolled students. Although the course is required for most of the allied health programs on the campus, many students enrolled, attended class for a few weeks, and withdrew from the course. During the 1998-1999 school year the retention rates for students enrolled in the night microbiology classes for Fall and Spring semesters were 52% and 47%, respectively. The format for the 1998-1999 academic year was a conventional course with 2½ hours of lecture material followed by 2 hours of laboratory. Little or no effort was made to correlate laboratory and lecture topics. The course format for Fall 1999 was modified to (i) provide the laboratory component at the beginning of the time slot, (ii) tailor the lecture topics to relate to the laboratory component each night, and (iii) add an outside reading component. The laboratory served as an introduction to the lecture topic, and the lecture became more significant since it related directly to the laboratory experience. Following this format change the retention rate for the Fall 1999 semester increased to 80%.
Analysis of a Blast-loaded Protective Wall for Bridge Columns

In this paper, the analytical method of analysing the dynamic response of a protective wall subjected to the blast loadings is presented. Based on the deformation observations and analyses, the wall is treated as a shear–flexural plate, wherein the deformations in two orthogonal directions are assumed to be dominated by shear and flexure, respectively. The governing equation is derived, and the method of the blast response analysis is proposed. For a soil protective wall, the numerical results, including dynamic characteristics, structural response, and pressure–impulse (P–I) diagram are given based on the proposed shear–flexural plate model.
Bank efficiency and financial system evolution: an analysis of complementary problems in transitional and state-dominated economies

Abstract In this paper, a simple model to examine the problems faced by emerging economies in developing their financial systems is presented. The two main findings are as follows. First, the combination of corporate governance and management entrenchment problems in the real sector with monitoring inefficiency in banking leads to impediments in the development of the capital market. Second, banks both compete with and complement capital markets. If banks are sufficiently inefficient, they attract all the borrowers away from the market, and the market does not develop. Improvements in bank efficiency, up to a point, lead to borrowers accessing the market, so that banks complement the market. Beyond that point, banks and the market compete, and further improvements in bank efficiency lead to more borrowers approaching banks. This framework is used to extract policy implications for financial system design in transitional and state-dominated economies. D82, G21, G28, P41.