cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stochastic characteristics and Second Law violations of atomic fluids in Couette flow

Abstract Using Non-equilibrium Molecular Dynamics (NEMD) simulations, we study the statistical properties of an atomic fluid undergoing planar Couette flow, in which particles interact via a Lennard-Jones potential. We draw a connection between local density contrast and temporal fluctuations in the shear stress, which arise naturally through the equivalence between the dissipation function and entropy production according to the fluctuation theorem. We focus on the shear stress and the spatio-temporal density fluctuations and study the autocorrelations and spectral densities of the shear stress. The bispectral density of the shear stress is used to measure the degree of departure from a Gaussian model and the degree of nonlinearity induced in the system owing to the applied strain rate. More evidence is provided by the probability density function of the shear stress. We use the Information Theory to account for the departure from Gaussian statistics and to develop a more general probability distribution function that captures this broad range of effects. By accounting for negative shear stress increments, we show how this distribution preserves the violations of the Second Law of Thermodynamics observed in planar Couette flow of atomic fluids, and also how it captures the non-Gaussian nature of the system by allowing for non-zero higher moments. We also demonstrate how the temperature affects the band-width of the shear-stress and how the density affects its Power Spectral Density, thus determining the conditions under which the shear-stress acts is a narrow-band or wide-band random process. We show that changes in the statistical characteristics of the parameters of interest occur at a critical strain rate at which an ordering transition occurs in the fluid causing shear thinning and affecting its stability. A critical strain rate of this kind is also predicted by the Loose–Hess stability criterion.
Impact of Non-Tangent-Slab Radiative Transport on Flowfield–Radiation Coupling

For coupled flowfield–radiation simulations, required for Earth entry at velocities greater than 10 km/s, tangent-slab radiative transport is shown to sufficiently model the divergence of the radi...
Current Status of Blood and Marrow Transplantation

Bone marrow transplants are increasingly used to treat diverse diseases. Current data from the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry (IBMTR) and the Autologous Blood and Marrow Transplant Registry (ABMTR) indicate >30,000 autografts and >15,000 allografts are done yearly, worldwide. Reasons for increasing use include demonstrated efficacy for hematologic malignancies, bone marrow failure states and congenital immune deficiencies, recent application in solid tumors such as breast cancer, greater availability of donors for allografts and decreased transplant-related morbidity and mortality.
Systemic Risk and the Insurance Industry

This chapter examines the potential for the US insurance industry to cause systemic risk events that spill over to other segments of the economy. We examine primary indicators that determine whether institutions are systemically risky as well as contributing factors that exacerbate vulnerability to systemic events. Evaluation of systemic risk is based on a detailed financial analysis of the insurance industry, its role in the economy, and the interconnectedness of insurers. The primary conclusion is that the core activities of US insurers do not pose systemic risk. However, life insurers are vulnerable to intra-sector crises; and both life and property-casualty insurers are vulnerable to reinsurance crises arising from counterparty credit risk. Noncore activities such as financial guarantees and derivatives trading may cause systemic risk, and interconnectedness among financial institutions has grown significantly in recent years. To reduce systemic risk from noncore activities, regulators need to continue efforts to strengthen mechanisms for insurance group supervision, particularly for multinational groups.
Chapter 30 A Framework for Applied Dynamic Analysis in IO

This paper reviews a framework for numerically analyzing dynamic interactions in imperfectly competitive industries. The framework dates back to Ericson and Pakes [1995. Review of Economic Studies 62, 53–82], but it is based on equilibrium notions that had been available for some time before, and it has been extended in many ways by different authors since. The framework requires as input a set of primitives which describe the institutional structure in the industry to be analyzed. The framework outputs profits and policies for every incumbent and potential entrant at each possible state of the industry. These policies can be used to simulate the distribution of sample paths for all firms from any initial industry structure. The sample paths generated by the model can be quite different depending on the primitives, and most of the extensions were designed to enable the framework to accommodate empirically relevant cases that required modification of the initial structure. The sample paths possess similar properties to those observed in (the recently available) panel data sets on industries. These sample paths can be used either for an analysis of the likely response to a policy or an environmental change, or as the model's implication in an estimation algorithm. We begin with a review of an elementary version of the framework and a report on what is known about its analytic properties. Much of the rest of the paper deals with computational issues. We start with an introduction to iterative techniques for computing equilibrium that are analogous to the techniques used to compute the solution to single agent dynamic programming problems. This includes discussions of the determinants of the computational burden of these techniques, and the mechanism implicitly used to select an equilibrium when multiple equilibria are possible. We then outline a number of techniques that might be used to reduce the computational burden of the iterative algorithm. This section includes discussions of both the implications of differences in modeling assumptions used in the alternative techniques, and a discussion of the likely relevance of the different techniques for different institutional structures. A separate section reports on a technique for computing multiple equilibria from the same set of primitives. The paper concludes with a review of applications of the framework and a brief discussion of areas where further development of the framework would seem warranted.
Adverse Events Associated With the Use of Sipuleucel-T Reported to the US Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Event Reporting System, 2010-2017

Importance Sipuleucel-T was the first therapeutic cancer vaccine approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2010. Although almost a decade has passed since its approval for the treatment of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), there remains a paucity of literature describing safety data in the postmarketing period. Objective To describe the postmarketing safety experience for sipuleucel-T. Design, Setting, and Participants In this case series study, US reports for sipuleucel-T submitted to the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System were searched and reviewed between April 29, 2010, and December 31, 2017. This system is a spontaneous safety surveillance database for drug and therapeutic biologic products. The analysis of 3216 reports and select case reviews were undertaken between February and November 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures Descriptive statistics were used to assess adverse event reports for sipuleucel-T. Empirical Bayes Geometric Means (EBGM) and their 90% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed to identify disproportionate (ie, at least twice the expected) reporting of sipuleucel-T–event pairs. Selected adverse events and death reports were individually reviewed. Results In total, 3216 reports were identified for sipuleucel-T, of which 2014 (62.6%) were serious. For all included reports, the patients’ median (interquartile range) age was 73 (67-79) years, and 3149 were specified to be males. Chills (n = 318), malaise (n = 196), pyrexia (n = 189), culture positive (n = 184), fatigue (n = 180), and nausea (n = 173) were among the most commonly reported adverse events. Infusion-related reactions (EBGM, 12.1; 90% CI, 9.4-15.3), infections, vascular events, and transient ischemic attacks (EBGM, 2.9; 90% CI, 2.2-3.9) were reported disproportionately. Among 249 deaths for which relevant dates were available, 128 (51.4%) were reported within 30 days of a sipuleucel-T infusion, of which 81.2% included a specified cause of death; of these 104 deaths, there were 37 neoplasms (35.6%), 25 cardiac disorders (24.0%), 18 nervous system disorders (17.3%), and 9 infections (8.7%). Conclusions and Relevance Reported adverse events were generally consistent with the safety experience observed in prelicensure studies and described in the sipuleucel-T package insert. Off-label use among overtly symptomatic men with CRPC, reporting bias, or lack of product effectiveness may have influenced the reporting of deaths within 30 days of treatment initiation. With this overview of sipuleucel-T experience, the present study serves as a resource for health care professionals and patients as they weigh the risks and benefits of treatment in the context of all available therapeutic options for CRPC.
Cause of death in adults with Down syndrome in the United States

Abstract Background Prior studies report anomalous cause of death patterns for adults with Down syndrome, but do not provide comparison of age trends for specific causes of death between adults with and without Down syndrome, or explore biological sex and racial-ethnic differences in causes of death among adults with Down syndrome. Objective To better understand cause of death trends for adults, age 18 and over, with Down syndrome. Methods Cross-sectional data were from the 2013–2017 US Multiple Cause of Death Mortality files. Adjusted odds ratios were utilized to compare cause of death trends overall, and by age, between adults with (N = 9870) and without (N = 13,323,001) Down syndrome. We also analyzed biological sex and race-ethnic differences in cause of death solely among adults with Down syndrome. Results Although heart disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer were common among adults all adults, death from these diseases was more prominent at younger ages for adults with Down syndrome. Adults with Down syndrome were also more likely to die from influenza and pneumonia, pneumonitis, respiratory failure, and choking at all ages. Distinct biological sex and racial-ethnic differences were present in causes of death among adults with Down syndrome. Conclusions While efforts to reduce premature mortality for adults with Down syndrome should attend to common risk factors such as heart disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer, it is imperative to afford increased attention to earlier onset of these diseases, as well as increased risk of death from respiratory and swallowing/choking related disorders at all ages.
Radially resolved optical emission spectral imaging study of an atmospheric pressure μDBD jet for elucidating the effect of sample surface material on the underlying mechanisms

Dielectric barrier discharges are receiving increasing attention as sampling/ionization sources for ambient mass spectrometry. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood, particularly when the plasma plume is exposed to a sample surface. Herein, an atmospheric pressure helium micro-dielectric barrier discharge (μDBD), flowing into open-air and onto a sample surface (floating Cu or LDPE), is studied via optical emission spectroscopy (OES) with radial information extracted through Abel's inversion. Radially resolved optical emission profiles along the axis are shown to shift with respect to the line-of-sight counterparts, for some species. The OES images, as well as vibrational and rotational temperature maps, indicate the energy transfers mainly via Penning ionization of N2 with He metastables to produce N2+, as the plasma plume exits the capillary into open air, while charge transfer with He2+ is dominant further downstream, as well as toward the periphery of the plume. In addition, the sample surface is shown to play an important role in the energy transfer mechanisms. For the LDPE sample, the spatial distribution sequence of excited species is similar to the free-flowing counterpart but disappears into the surface, which indicates that excited N2 further downstream/outer periphery is produced from electron recombination with N2+. On the other hand, the presence of the floating Cu sample results in an intensity peak at the plasma/surface interface for most species. We propose that the temporal evolution of the half-cycle dynamics have a great effect, where the resulting higher electron temperature and density towards the surface of metallic samples favors electron impact excitation. Furthermore, profilometry of the resulting craters in the floating Cu samples revealed a close correlation between their diameter and the width of the N2+ emission.
Medical Treatment Following Violence Exposure in a National Sample of Children and Youth.

Importance Children and youth experience high rates of exposure to violence, which is associated with later poor physical and mental health outcomes. The immediate injuries and impacts from these exposures are often treated in emergency departments and medical offices. Objective To characterize, using nationally representative data, the size and characteristics of the child and youth population being seen by medical authorities in the wake of violence exposure. Design, Setting, and Participants The survey study used a representative sample of children and youth aged 2 to 17 years, from 2 waves (2011 and 2014) of the National Survey of Children Exposed to Violence, drawn from a mix of random digit dialing and address-based sampling. Interviews were conducted (1) over the phone with caregivers of young children or (2) directly with the youth aged 10 to 17 years. Data analysis was performed from September to December 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures Violence exposures were assessed with the 53-item Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire, which had follow-up questions that asked about injury and going “to the hospital, a doctor’s office, or some kind of health clinic because of what happened.” Additional questions were asked about lifetime and past-year childhood adversities and current trauma symptoms using the Trauma Symptom Checklist and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children. Results The combined 2-survey sample had 5187 children and youth who reported a lifetime violence exposure, of whom 45.6% (95% CI, 43.1%-48.2%) were aged 2 to 9 years, and 54.4% (95% CI, 51.8%-56.9%) were aged 10 to 17 years; 53.6% (95% CI, 51.0%-56.2%) were male. Based on the full sample of 8503 children and youth, 3.4% (95% CI, 2.6%-4.4%) had a violence-related medical visit at some time in their lives. The rate of past-year medical visits due to a violence exposure was 1.9% (95% CI, 1.2%-2.7%), equivalent to a point estimate of approximately 1.4 million children and youth. Of those with medical visits, 33.3% (95% CI, 23.1%-45.4%) were aged 2 to 9 years. Those with a past-year visit had higher levels of trauma symptoms (risk ratio, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.44-2.03) adverse childhood experiences (risk ratio, 2.55; 95% CI, 2.34-2.78) and multiple violence exposures (risk ratio, 3.91; 95% CI, 3.22-4.76) compared with the general sample of children and youth. Conclusions and Relevance The estimated large number of violence-related visits with medical professionals offers an opportunity to address a source of frequent injury, and provide counseling and referral for a high-risk segment of the population to treat and prevent further physical and mental health and social consequences.
Energy Aware Latency Minimization for Network Slicing Enabled Edge Computing

With the rapid growth of traffic in current wireless networks, the management of heterogeneous and time-critical services with limited computing and communication resources has become a significant challenge. Edge computing (EC) is one of the key techniques in enabling 5G networks to reduce the latency of services while the network slicing (NS) technique aims to provide users with tailored services by taking advantage of virtualization of a physical network. Besides, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), one of the key enablers of 5G networks, enables more users to share wireless resources. We propose to leverage these techniques to minimize the total latency of the computing tasks with energy constraints. The combination of NS with NOMA for EC can reduce the unnecessary allocation of resources and consequently enhance both the energy and spectral efficiencies of the system. We first propose a binary scheme for offloading computing tasks and formulate an optimization problem to minimize the total latency of completing the tasks. We then transform the optimization problem to facilitate a near-optimal solution. We also introduce a heuristic algorithm to reduce the computational complexity of solving the optimization problem. Finally, extensive simulation results have demonstrated the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm.
Addressing student engagement during COVID-19: Secondary STEM teachers attend to the affective dimension of learner needs

This case study examines how a cohort of eleven induction secondary STEM teachers engaged learners during the onset of COVID-19 and their designs for student engagement given an online or blended t...
SMN controls neuromuscular junction integrity through U7 snRNP

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is an essential synapse for animal survival whose loss is a key hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). While insights into the function of the causative genes implicate RNA dysregulation in NMJ pathogenesis, the RNA-mediated mechanisms controlling the biology of this specialized synapse that go awry in disease remain elusive. Here, we show that activity of the SMA-determining SMN protein in the assembly of U7 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP), which functions in the 3’-end processing of replication-dependent histone mRNAs, is required for NMJ integrity. AAV9-mediated gene delivery of U7-specific Lsm10 and Lsm11 proteins selectively enhances U7 snRNP assembly, corrects histone mRNA processing defects, and rescues key structural and functional abnormalities of neuromuscular pathology in SMA mice - including NMJ denervation, reduced synaptic transmission, and skeletal muscle atrophy. Furthermore, U7 snRNP dysfunction induced by SMN deficiency drives selective loss of the synaptic organizing protein Agrin at NMJs innervating vulnerable axial muscles of SMA mice, revealing an unanticipated link between U7-dependent histone mRNA processing and motor neuron-derived expression of an essential factor for NMJ biology. Together, these findings establish a direct contribution of U7 snRNP dysfunction to the neuromuscular phenotype in SMA and the requirement of RNA-mediated histone gene regulation for maintaining functional synaptic connections between motor neurons and muscles.
Reactive force fields for aqueous and interfacial magnesium carbonate formation.

We develop Mg/C/O/H ReaxFF parameter sets for two environments: an aqueous force field for magnesium ions in solution and an interfacial force field for minerals and mineral–water interfaces. Since magnesium is highly ionic, we choose to fix the magnesium charge and model its interaction with C/O/H through Coulomb, Lennard-Jones, and Buckingham potentials. We parameterize the forcefields against several crystal structures, including brucite, magnesite, magnesia, magnesium hydride, and magnesium carbide, as well as Mg2+ water binding energies for the aqueous forcefield. Then, we test the forcefield for other magnesium-containing crystals, solvent separated and contact ion-pairs and single-molecule/multilayer water adsorption energies on mineral surfaces. We also apply the forcefield to the forsterite–water and brucite–water interface that contains a bicarbonate ion. We observe that a long-range proton transfer mechanism deprotonates the bicarbonate ion to carbonate at the interface. Free energy calculations show that carbonate can attach to the magnesium surface with an energy barrier of about 0.22 eV, consistent with the free energy required for aqueous Mg–CO3 ion pairing. Also, the diffusion constant of the hydroxide ions in the water layers formed on the forsterite surface are shown to be anisotropic and heterogeneous. These findings can help explain the experimentally observed fast nucleation and growth of magnesite at low temperature at the mineral–water–CO2 interface in water-poor conditions.
Neuromodulation for Gait Disorders

Both the clinical success of deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease and the discovery that epidural spinal cord stimulation can restore volitional movement in patients with chronic motor-complete spinal cord injury were paradigm shifting milestones that sparked the field of neuromodulation. The rapid expansion of neuromodulatory approaches and targets being researched today underlies the high hopes and expectations of the neuroscience community. Here, we provide an overview of the neurophysiological basis of gait, the pathophysiology of some common gait disorders, and review the most promising neuromodulatory strategies being investigated to augment one of our most fundamental daily activities—walking.
Descriptive statistical analysis of experimental data for wettability alteration with surfactants in carbonate reservoirs

Abstract Surfactants have been the widely used agents to alter the wettability of carbonate rocks to more water-wet and enhanced oil recovery (EOR). As one of major EOR methods, an effective surfactant huff-puff application design requires comprehensive guidelines about where, how, and when this method could be applied. In order to construct such guidelines, a dataset including 338 effective surfactant imbibition tests is established by collecting information from nearly 50 publications. Based on this dataset, descriptive statistical analysis methods are used to conduct data analysis, including three main parts. The first part establishes the application guidelines for surfactant huff-puff treatments which displays suitable application ranges of critical parameters regarding rock, oil, and water. Results show that surfactants can be effectively applied in wide ranges: porosity from 3.1 to 51.7%, permeability from 0.04 to 1458 mD, starting oil saturation from 37.7 to 100%, temperature from 20 to 100 °C, average contact angle from 55 to 180°, oil gravity from 22 to 75.2 °API, oil viscosity from 0.3 to 23 cp, acid number from 0 to 4.5 mg KOH/g oil, base number from 0 to 1.83 mg KOH/g oil, asphaltene concentration from 0 to 10.7 wt%, salinity of connate water and imbibition water from 0 to 263.7 g/l, divalent cations concentration of connate water and imbibition water from 0 to 24.6 g/l. The second part discusses several aspects about design of surfactant huff-puff treatments. Results show that anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactants have been applied in 83% of tests. Among them is cationic surfactants which have the most frequency. Surfactant concentration is suggested to be remained close or above a critical concentration to obtain the best performance. It is shown that 97% of tests are conducted with surfactant concentration less than 2.0 wt%. In addition, blends of different surfactants and usage of additives could enhance the effectiveness of surfactants. The last part evaluates the performance of surfactant imbibition tests. Results show that surfactants are capable to improve oil recovery either from secondary phase or tertiary phase. In general, the range of oil recovery from secondary phase and tertiary phase are similar, which covers from 1.0 to 93%. However, the average oil recovery from secondary phase is 39.1% which is higher than 32.2% from tertiary phase. Based on this, it is recommended that the treatment timing should be considered in the design of treatments.
Analysis on long‐range residue–residue communication using molecular dynamics

We investigated the possibility of inter-residue communication of side chains in barstar, an 89 residue protein, using mutual information theory. The normalized mutual information (NMI) of the dihedral angles of the side chains was obtained from all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. The accumulated NMI from an explicit solvent equilibrated trajectory (600 ns) with free backbone exhibits a parabola-shaped distribution over the inter-residue distances (0-36 A): smaller at the end regimes but larger in the middle regime. This analysis, plus several other measures, does not find unusual long-range communication for free backbone in explicit solvent simulations.
The value of internship in graduate medical education: survey of emergency medicine residents and program directors.

Objective: To assess the opinions of emergency medicine (EM) residents and program directors about the value of completing a nonrequired 1-year internship before entering an EM residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Methods: An eight-question, self-administered online survey was e-mailed to EM residents who had completed a nonrequired internship before entering ACGME-accredited residency programs. A separate, six-question survey was e-mailed to program directors of ACGME-accredited programs that do not require an internship who had ever had a resident who had completed a nonrequired internship. Results: Forty-six (27 [59%] osteopathic, 19 [41%] allopathic) of 113 residents and 40 of 124 program directors responded to the survey questions. Less than 4% of residents completed a separate nonrequired 1-year internship. The most common reason for completing a nonrequired internship was to obtain licensure by the American Osteopathic Association (19 [41%]). Most residents believed that they were more proficient with history-taking and physical examinations (38 [83%]) and procedures (34 [74%]) during the first year of residency than their colleagues who did not complete an internship, but this percentage decreased over time. The program directors had similar opinions. Most osteopathic residents who completed the internship for osteopathic licensure would not have done so if it were not required. Most (39 of 40) program directors would not recommend taking a nonrequired internship. Conclusion: Completing a 1-year internship before entering an EM residency program may better prepare physicians for their first year of residency in terms of basic clinical competancy, but further study is needed in this area.
Corporate Bond Spreads and the Business Cycle

L'auteur se penche sur le pouvoir predictif des ecarts de taux observes sur le marche des obligations de societes. Les ecarts relatifs aux obligations a rendement eleve et aux obligations de bonne qualite peuvent expliquer respectivement 68 et 42 % des variations de la production a l'horizon de un an, tandis que le differentiel d'interet entre les titres d'Etat a long terme et a court terme n'en explique que 12 %.
Oxidative Stress in Diabetes

Oxidative stress and diabetes, both Type 1 and Type 2 as well as their related conditions have been extensively studied. As diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome have reached at epidemic levels, there is a huge need and effort to understand the detailed molecular mechanisms of the possible redox imbalance, underlying the cause of pathology and progression of the disease. These studies provide new insights at cellular and subcellular levels to design effective clinical interventions. This chapter is intended to emphasize the latest knowledge and current evidence on the role of oxidative stress in diabetes as well as to discuss some key questions that are currently under discussion.
A second look at the utility of serial routine repeat computed tomographic scans in patients with traumatic brain injury.

Abstract Background The practice of a routine repeat head computed tomographic scans in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is under question. The aim of our study was to evaluate the utility of a more than 1 repeat head computed tomography (M1CT) scans in patients with TBI. Methods We performed a 3-year analysis of a prospectively collected database of all TBI patients presenting to our level I trauma center. Patients who received M1CT scans were included. Findings and reason (without neurologic decline vs after neurologic decline) for M1CT were recorded. Primary outcome measure was neurosurgical intervention. Results A total of 296 patients that underwent M1CT were included. Of those, 291 patients (98.6%) had M1CT without a neurologic decline, and neurosurgical intervention was performed in 1 patient (.3%) who was inexaminable (Glasgow coma scale score = 6). The remaining (n = 5) had M1CT due to a neurologic decline; 4 patients (80%) of the 5 had worsening of ICH; and neurosurgical intervention was performed in 3 (75%) of the 4 patients. Conclusions The practice of multiple repeat head computed tomographic scans should be limited to inexaminable patients or patients with neurological deterioration.
Making the Case for Middlebrow Culture

It is commonly assumed that Caribbean culture is split into elite highbrow culture—which is considered derivative of Europe and not rooted in the Caribbean—and authentic working-class culture, which is often identified with such iconic island activities as salsa, carnival, calypso, and reggae. In Caribbean Middlebrow, Belinda Edmondson recovers a middle ground, a genuine popular culture in the English-speaking Caribbean that stretches back into the nineteenth century. Edmondson shows that popular novels, beauty pageants, and music festivals are examples of Caribbean culture that are mostly created, maintained, and consumed by the Anglophone middle class. Much of middle-class culture, she finds, is further gendered as female : women are more apt to be considered recreational readers of fiction, for example, and women's behavior outside the home is often taken as a measure of their community's respectability. Edmondson also highlights the influence of American popular culture, especially African American popular culture, as early as the nineteenth century. This is counter to the notion that the islands were exclusively under the sway of British tastes and trends. She finds the origins of today's dub or spoken-word Jamaican poetry in earlier traditions of genteel dialect poetry-as exemplified by the work of the Jamaican folklorist, actress, and poet Louise Miss Lou Bennett Coverley-and considers the impact of early Caribbean novels including Emmanuel Appadocca (1853) and Jane's Career (1913).
Retrograde labeling, enrichment, and characterization of retinal ganglion cells from the neonatal rat

We have developed a method for labeling retinal ganglion cells in neonatal rats by retrograde transport of the fluorescent dye, True Blue (TB), injected into the optic chiasm. Following proteolytic dissociation of labeled retinas into single cells, the labeled cells could be enriched 50- to 100-fold by centrifugation in a 5%/10% metrizamide gradient. When plated in Ham's F-10 medium in the presence of fetal calf serum and chick optic tectum-conditioned medium, the labeled cells could be maintained in vitro up to 48 hr. In these cultures, the ganglion cells (GCS) constituted 50 to 70% of the total cell population. When GC-rich fractions or GC cultures were stained with a monoclonal antibody to Thy-1 antigen, greater than 90% of the TB- labeled cells were reactive. In order to localize voltage-sensitive sodium channels, GC-rich cultures were reacted with 125I-scorpion toxin. Analysis of the autoradiograms showed that the density of silver grains was about 10-fold higher on TB-labeled cells than on nonfluorescent cells, or in controls which contained excess of unlabeled toxin. When GC cultures were incubated with micromolar concentrations of putative GC transmitters, aspartate and glutamate, the amino acids were accumulated by 15 to 20% of labeled cells. Several lectin receptors were also localized on TB-labeled cells in situ. Whereas the lectins wheat germ agglutinin, concanavalin A, peanut agglutinin, Dolichos biflorus agglutinin, and Limulus polyphemus agglutinin bound to TB-labeled cells, others such as Ricinus communis agglutinin I, Ulex, and Lotus lectins showed no binding. The lectin binding was specific since preincubation with the appropriate hapten sugar blocked lectin binding.
Clinical features of life-threatening complications following autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with lymphoma

Toxic effects of high dose therapy (HDT) combined with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) can lead to life-threatening conditions that may require intensive care unit (ICU) admission. We conducted a retrospective observational study over a 10-year period of all patients admitted to the ICU within 3 months after HDT/ASCT for lymphoma. Among the 532 patients treated by HDT/ASCT at our hospital, 27 (5%) were admitted to the ICU. Infections accounted for 88% (n = 24) of diagnoses, in whom 50% were microbiologically documented. Primary sources of infections were neutropenic enterocolitis (n = 9, 33%) and pneumonia (n = 9, 33%). Bacteria were identified in 83% of documented infections. ICU mortality was 18.5% (n = 5), representing 0.9% of the 532 patients. Among the 22 ICU survivors, 72.7% (n = 16) were alive and in complete remission 6 months after ICU discharge. In our experience, maximal intensive care support is justified for HDT/ASCT recipients with severe complications.
Electropolymerized Polyaniline Nanocomposites from Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes with Tuned Surface Functionalities for Electrochemical Energy Storage

The effects of the surface functional groups on the electrochemical properties and electrochemical energy storage were systematically studied by employing the as-received multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and two other MWNTs modified with ether and carboxylic acid functionalities (-C-O-C and -COOH), and ester functional groups (–COOR). The structure and morphology of the films prepared by electropolymerizing aniline onto MWNTscoated carbon paper substrate were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The band gaps obtained from ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy suggested slight difference in the structure of the nanocomposite films induced by the functional groups in the MWNTs. Electrochemical measurements revealed that all the nanocomposite films with MWNTs exhibited an enhanced capacitance compared to the film grown onto pure carbon paper. An energy density as high as 30 μWh/cm2 corresponding to a power density of around 8 mW/cm2 was obtained even at a high current density of 20 mA/cm2 for the nanocomposite films. An equivalent circuit consisting of a combined resistance and a capacitor is well fitted with the electrochemical impedence spectroscopy data. Stability study showed that the nanocomposite films retained around 80% of the discharge capacity even after 1000 charge-discharge cycles, rendering these films promising for supercapacitor applications. © 2013 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.006307jes] All rights reserved.
Hierarchical heuristics in evaluation of competitive brands based on multiple cues

The primary focus of this research is to develop a conceptual framework for analyzing the process by which consumers evaluate brand quality based on multiple cues. The representative design nature of this theory provides a strong analytical foundation for comparing the use of hierarchical versus nonhierarchical heuristics by consumers in making overall brand evaluations It also enables the modeling of individual differences among consumers in their choice of heuristics to evaluate brands. Results of an illustrative experimental investigation show that hierarchical heuristics are as effective as nonhierarchical, or full-profile, heuristics. It is also shown that brand evaluation heuristics can be broken down into an intuitive (nonlinear) component and a rule-bound (linear) component. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Resonant infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation of CdSe colloidal quantum dot/poly[2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-(1-cyano vinylene)phenylene] hybrid nanocomposite thin films

Abstract CdSe colloidal quantum dot / poly[2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-(1-cyano vinylene)phenylene] hybrid nanocomposite thin films were deposited using resonant infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation. The distributions of CdSe colloidal quantum dots within the polymer matrices of as-grown films were evaluated using transmission electron microscopy, and the optical properties of these films were determined by photoluminescence spectroscopy. These measurements demonstrate that: i) depending upon the deposition parameters used, the CdSe colloidal quantum dot distribution can be tuned between two morphology extremes, i.e. clustering or homogenous dispersion; and ii) the constituent materials of the nanocomposite are not damaged in any way that affects structural or optical properties by the deposition process. The demonstrated ability to control nanoparticle distribution within organic films has not been achieved by other deposition techniques and could enhance the performance of optoelectronic devices based on these materials.
Semidirect algorithms in electron propagator calculations

Electron propagator calculations have been executed with a semi-direct algorithm that generates only a subset of transformed electron repulsion integrals and that takes advantage of Abelian point group symmetry. Diagonal self-energy expressions that are advantageous for large molecules are employed. Illustrative calculations with basis sets in excess of 200 functions include evaluations of the ionization energies of C{sup 2{minus}}{sub 7} and Zn(C{sub 5}H{sub 5}){sub 2}. In the former application, a bound dianion is obtained for a D{sub 3h} structure. In the latter, many final states of the same symmetry are calculated without difficulty.
Second-order Properties of the Loss Probability in M/M/s/s+c Systems

The Erlang loss function, which gives the steady state loss probability in anM/M/s/s system, has been extensively studied in the literature. In this paper, we look at the similar loss probability inM/M/s/s + c systems and an extension of it to nonintegral number of servers and queue capacity. We study its monotonicity properties. We show that the loss probability is convex in the queue capacity, and that it is convex in the traffic intensity ρ if ρ is below some ρ* and concave if ρ is greater that ρ*, for a broad range of number of servers and queue capacities. We prove that the one-server loss system is the onlyM/M/s/s +c system for which the loss probability is concave in the traffic intensity in all its range.
Synthesis of optically active deuterium labelled serine and glycylserine derivatives

Optically active α-deuterated serine dipeptide active ester derivatives were prepared to study the racemization mechanism. N-Acetyl-O-benzyl-DL-serine, 1, was converted to 5(4H)-oxazolone 2 and deuterated with CH3-COOD in α-position. 5(42H)-Oxazolone 3 was converted to Z-(α2H)-L-Ser(Bzl)-OH17, after opening the 5(42H)-oxazolone ring with D2O, removal of the N-acetyl group, treatment with carbobenzoxy chloride and resolution with (+)-α-phenylethylamine. Pentachlorophenyl ester 8 of 7 was converted to Z-Gly-(α2H)-L-Ser(Bzl)-OPcp, 10, after removal of carbobenzoxy group by catalytic hydrogenation. The deuterium content of the intermediates was determined by mass spectrometry.
Usefulness of adenosine for arrhythmias in infants and children.

Abstract Adenosine was administered to 25 infants and children (11 patients after presenting with a sustained arrhythmia, and 14 during a diagnostic electrophysiologic study) to determine its electrophysiologic effects. Adenosine was given as an intravenous bolus (starting dose 37.5 μg/kg, and increased by 37.5 μg/kg increments until an effect was seen). Adenosine caused tachycardia termination or transient increased atrioventricular (AV) block in all 25 patients. Seven patients had tachycardia requiring only the atria for perpetuation and developed increased AV nodal block (minimum effective adenosine dose range 37.5 to 350 μg/kg, mean 131). Thirteen had AV reciprocating tachycardia or AV node reentry tachycardia (minimum effective adenosine dose range 37.5 to 225 μg/kg, mean 114). Four other patients received adenosine to rule out preexcitation (minimum effective adenosine dose range 37.5 to 375 μg/kg, mean 165). One of the 25 patients had junctional ectopic tachycardia and adenosine administration caused retrograde AV block. Six of the 25 (24%) had noticeable but minor side effects. One patient had sustained bradycardla (2 to 3 minutes requiring temporary pacing). Adenosine is a safe and effective agent in the evaluation and treatment of infants and children with arrhythmias.
The case of mike: A socially rejected adolescent in residential care

We present the case of Mike, a 13-year-old Caucasian male currently receiving rervices at a residential treatment facility. Mike has a history of significant behavior problems and a chaotic living environment, resulting in multiple out-of-home placements and eventuating in Mike becoming a ward of the state. Records indicate that various care providers have diagnosed Mike with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, and intermittent explosive disorder. Behavioral concerns at the time of referral for psychological services included significant social isolation from and rejection by peers, extreme social awkwardness, socially inappropriate behavior, and sexualized behavior (e.g., making lewd comments to females). Mike displays little to no insight as to either the presence or cause of his referral behaviors.
Robust man-machine interfaces and dialog modelling: Carnegie-Mellon University

A number of projects at the Carnegie-Mellon University Computer Science Department address issues in Natural Language Processing. Since several of these projects share rescarchers and a similar view of the world, we have listed them in a single summary. Our general interests are in robust man-machine interfaces and the modelling of human dialogs.
A search for dichlorocarbene ether solvent interactions

Abstract The absolute rate constant of reaction of dichlorocarbene with pyridine and with tetramethylethylene was determined in Freon-113 (CF 2 ClCFCl 2 ), dioxane, and tetrahydrofuran. No evidence of specific solvation was obtained.
Modeling chemical bonding effects for protein electron crystallography: the transferable fragmental electrostatic potential (TFESP) method

This paper addresses the problem of determining the electrostatic potential of large proteins by the superposition of potentials calculated for small fragments. The use of different atomic and molecular fragments is considered for reproducing the molecular electrostatic potential of different conformations of N-acetylalanine methylamide (NAAMA) with an acceptable degree of error as measured by conventional R factors used in crystallographic structure refinement. Three different divisions of NAAMA are tested, producing fragments that incorporate increasingly more complete descriptions of molecular bonding with diminishing accuracy in geometric fit to the parent molecule: single atoms in molecules, bonded atoms in molecules and selected functional groups, such as the backbone peptide moiety, or the α-carbon, β-carbon and their associated H atoms. In the resolution range 2.5–25 A, the fairly straightforward use of single atoms in molecules reduces the calculated R factors by 5–15% over a free-atom superposition. No significant further improvement was found at the lowest resolutions with a superposition of single bonds in molecules and R factors were found to degrade with larger fragments at higher resolutions because of poor geometry fits to the atoms of the parent molecule. Because the potential distribution even for single atoms depends on the environment, the best accuracy will be obtained by using a library of fragment potentials calculated for each type of atom as a function of important protein conformations.
Invariant Imbedding and Chandrasekhar's Planetary Problem of Radiative Transfer

In connection with Chandrasekhar's planetary problem of radiative transfer the total scattering and the diffuse transmission functions have been discussed by several authors (cf. Chandrasekhar, 1950; van de Hulst, 1948; Sobolev, 1948; Bellman,et al., 1967; Kagiwada and Kalaba, 1971). With the aid of the Bellman-Krein formula for the resolvent kernel of the auxiliary equation governing the source function, we show how the invariant imbedding equations governing the diffuse scattering and transmission functions can readily be obtained. So far as we know, the Cauchy system of the functional equations for the scattering and transmission functions is new and is well-suited for the numerical computation.
Current Clinical Trials in Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Seven years passed since docetaxel/prednisone demonstrated and overall survival benefit, leading to its approval by the FDA for metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer. In 2010, two new treatments, sipuleucel-T and cabazitaxel, were approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for men with castration-resistant prostate cancer, based upon improvement in overall survival. The progress that has been made in understanding the biological basis of disease progression, particularly the role of the continued activation of the androgen receptor, have led to new treatments that will further improve survival in these patients. Abiraterone, a drug that depletes both intracellular and extracellular sources of testosterone, demonstrated a 3.9-month improvement in survival in patients who failed docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Other drugs targeting the androgen-receptor axis, such as TAK-700 and MDV3100, have demonstrated significant activity in phase 1 and 2 studies, and are currently in phase 3. Agents that target angiogenesis, bone, and novel apoptotic proteins currently are under investigation, either as single agents or in combination with chemotherapy. The challenge for the development of clinical trials will be how these compounds will be sequenced in the future.
Evaluation of a 15-inch widescreen OLED with sunlight-readable resistive touch panel

A commercially available 15-inch active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) television was modified to include a sunlight-readable resistive touch panel for technical evaluation with regard to a variety of rugged military and aerospace applications. By removing the circular polarizer (CP) from the AMOLED and relying on the touch panel's CP, the authors were able to minimize change in display luminance while adding touch capability and reducing reflectance.
Fevered measures: Public health and race at the Texas-Mexico border, 1848–1942

Fevered measures: Public health and race at the Texas-Mexico border, 1848–1942, by John Mckiernan-Gonzalez, Durham, NC, Duke University Press, 2012, 440 pp., US$26.95 (paperback), ISBN 978082235276...
Effects of docking on growth performance and carcass characteristics of fat-tailed Awassi ram lambs

Abstract Fifteen Awassi ram lambs were docked at 1 day of age by the elastrator method and 13 intact lambs were kept as controls. They were kept separately in two pens and fed a concentrate diet ad-libitum from weaning at 8 weeks of age until about 40 kg liveweight. Daily liveweight gain, group feed efficiency and the duration of fattening period for docked lambs were 266 g, 3.8 and 84 days vs. 230 g, 4.3 and 98 days for controls, respectively. None of the differences was significant ( P > 0.05). Carcass measurements taken on four docked and four intact lambs indicated that dressing percentage was similar (48.6 and 48.7%) for both groups. Compared to intact lambs, those docked had significantly ( P