cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Guideline-based medicine grading on the basis of the guidelines of care for ambulatory atopic dermatitis treatment in the United States.

Purpose This study was designed to assess the adherence to evidence-based guidelines of care for atopic dermatitis (AD). Methods To characterize AD treatment in the United States, ambulatory visits from the 2006-2015 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were analyzed. For each medication prescribed, a grade was assigned on the basis of the American Academy of Dermatology treatment guidelines for topical and systemic medications. Considering all visit prescriptions, I calculated a composite grade, analogous to the US academic grading system (scores A-F). Results I noted prescribing differences across specialty groups. Systemic corticosteroids were more likely to be prescribed by family and general physicians and less likely by pediatricians. Dermatologists were more likely than other specialties to prescribe nonsedating antihistamines, which lack a guideline base supporting their use. Depending upon modeling of care assumptions, all physician specialty visits earned mean guideline-based grades of B or C in their care of AD patients. Limitations The clinical, social, and demographic factors influencing prescribing behavior cannot be completely assessed by using extant data. Conclusions This preliminary study demonstrates that physicians might benefit from reviewing guidelines of care; there might be an educational gap in the implementation of these guidelines.
Considerations for Tissue Expansion in the Management of Massive Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans of the Head and Neck

Objective: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a locally invasive soft tissue tumor with rare malignant potential, but a high tendency for local recurrence. We present 2 cases of DFSP involving the head and neck requiring tissue expansion for reconstruction. Methods: A retrospective review of the medical records for 2 patients with DFSP was performed. Data concerning the operative approaches, reconstructive strategies, details of tissue expansion, and outcomes were collected. Results: Case 1: A 4-year-old child with a large DFSP infiltrating her entire anterolateral neck and shoulder. Case 2: A 34-year old woman with a large DFSP involving the scalp overlaying the anterior-frontal scalp. Both patients underwent successful tumor resection and reconstruction; however, the timing of tissue expander placement and final reconstruction differed. Conclusions: These cases present the challenges of soft tissue reconstruction of the head and neck following tumor extirpation. In addition, we discuss the important considerations for tissue expansion prior to tumor resection versus after tumor resection and free flap reconstruction.
Implication and Management of Incidental Oropharyngeal Papillomas-A Retrospective Case Series Review.

Introduction:Incidental papillomas of the pharynx can be found while examining the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and hypopharynx for other disorders of the head and neck. Purpose of the study is to expl...
A nationwide survey on neonatal medical resources in mainland China: current status and future challenges

With the rapid development of economy in recent two decades, neonatology has been progressing quickly in China. However, there is little knowledge about the exact developmental status of neonatal departments in China. The aim of this study was to assess resources available for care of sick newborns in mainland China. Questionnaires were sent to the membership of the Chinese Neonatologist Association (CNA) and used to survey the scale, facilities, staff, technologies, transport systems and preterm infants’ outcomes of neonatal departments (NDs) in different areas of China from June 2012 to December 2012. The result of this survey including a total of 117 questionnaires showed that investigated ND had a mean of 65 (median 47; range 5–450) beds, including 19.59 (median 15, range 0–100) NICU beds. The overall doctor/bed and nurse/bed ratio was 1:3.84 and 1:1.43, respectively. Lack of medical equipment was one of the main problems in most NDs surveyed, and only 26 NDs (22.2%) had more than one neonatal incubator per bed. Only 70.1, 30.6, 30.8 and 4.3% NDs carried out high-frequency ventilation, hypothermia, nitric oxide inhalation, and ECMO respectively. The capacity to provide advanced therapies increased with the size of the NDs (P < .01). A total of 81 NDs (69.2%) carried out neonatal transport, but only 70 NDs (86.4%) were equipped with transport incubators, 36 NDs (44.4%) had the ability of performing intrauterine transport of the preterm infants, and 3 NDs (3.7%) had the ability of performing air transport. The survival rate of extremely preterm infants (Gestational age less than 28w) to discharge home was 47.8% in 2011. NDs in mainland China are not well distributed and still face many problems, such as staff shortage, inadequate facilities, and imperfect transport. It is urgent to set up a classification of neonatal care to enhance the utilization rate of medical resources and improve the prognosis of critically ill infants.
Couple‐Level Stress Proliferation and Husbands' and Wives' Distress During the Life Course

Objective The present study investigated the factorial structure of the dyadic stress proliferation process in couples in enduring marriages leading to their psychological distress in later years. Background Stress proliferation during short and long periods of time has been shown to drive complex stress-distress processes during the life course. This research has largely been limited to individual-level stress proliferation with less research demonstrating stress proliferation in the context of enduring relationships. Methods Using data from 224 dual-earner couples in long-term marriages, the present study examined the aggregation of individual stress (as defined by role-related stress experiences including provider, work, spousal, and parental roles) into couple-level stress constructs. These couple-level stress constructs were examined as predictors of husbands' and wives' psychological distress over 27 years (1991-2017) independent of individual-level stress. Results Couple-level socioeconomic and relationship stress was highly stable over time, suggesting that stress within a domain proliferates across the life course. Individual-level psychological distress was significantly associated with couple-level stress constructs at midlife and in later life after controlling for previous distress. Conclusion Evidence suggests that husbands' and wives' psychological distress is significantly affected by couple-level stress processes. Findings have implications for intervention and prevention programs focusing on the well-being of married couples in later life.
Isolated Alpha-2 Antiplasmin Deficiency Presenting as a Spontaneous Bleeding Disorder in a 63 Year Old Man.

Spontaneous disruption of hemostasis in adults is a common clinical presentation. However, in a few patients, no cause is found. We were faced with such a situation when a 63 year old Caucasian male presented with a large spontaneous hematoma of his left thigh. There was no prior history of bleeding disorders in our patient or amongst his family members. Initial investigations did not show any conclusive coagulation factor abnormalities. Fibrinogen, D-dimer, liver function tests and platelet aggregation studies were normal. Subsequent tests showed that while his activatable plasminogen and euglobin clot lysis were normal, the function of his alpha-2 antiplasmin was at 35% of normal. Laurell immunoassay demonstrated a type 1 deficiency with antigen levels proportionately decreased at 30% of normal. Treatment with low dose epsilon amino caproic acid resulted in resolution of the hematoma and control of bleeding. We therefore sought to determine the cause of his isolated alpha-2 antiplasmin deficiency. Alpha-2 antiplasmin is a serpin which targets plasmin. It is synthesized in the liver and deficiency results in a bleeding disorder.Congenital deficiencies of alpha-2 antiplasmin are uncommon bleeding disorders. However, since heterozygotic mutations of alpha-2 antiplasmin can present with initial bleeds late in life, we sequenced his alpha-2 antiplasmin gene. This gene is located on chromosome 17, spanning 16 Kb. It has 10 exons which we amplified by PCR in 13 segments and sequenced by the di-deoxy method. All splice junctions and the 70 base pairs upstream of exon 1 were normal. Three heterozygous polymorphisms were found, ruling out major gene deletions. The polymorphisms are as follows: Exon 2, C to T causing substitution of Alanine by Valine in the signal peptide, Exon 3, C to T causing substitution of Arginine by Tryptophan, Exon 10, G to A causing substitution of Arginine by Lysine. Each of these 3 polymorphisms have been found in blood donors. This raises important issues about his deficiency. First, lack of production could be due to defective translational factors or epigenetic factors regulating gene transcription. It could also be due to the Alanine to Valine change in the signal peptide which we are currently investigating. Secondly, non-inhibitory antibodies to alpha-2 antiplasmin could explain his type 1 deficiency. Finally, age-related vascular and connective tissue defects may unmask a dormant inherited bleeding disorder. Unfortunately, his demise due to the development of nephrotic syndrome and sepsis may leave us without answers to these questions. There is no case linking nephrotic syndrome with the use of epsilon amino caproic acid. In conclusion, since response to anti- fibrinolytics can be dramatic, deficiencies of alpha-2 antiplasmin must be considered in patients presenting at any age with a spontaneous bleeding disorder.
Letter to the Editor: How the Social Isolation of the COVID-19 Pandemic Creates Opportunity for Interdisciplinary Collaboration.

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic is a unique opportunity to examine the relationships between hospitalists, neurosurgeons, and patients. Each individual must weigh the risk of further virus spread during a pandemic, while maintaining personal and professional obligations. Here we reflect on the experience of both neurosurgeon and hospitalist. We identify a need for interdisciplinary reflection and collaboration so that a potential second wave or future pandemic might be better mitigated.
186 Distinct immune signatures predicting clinical response to PD-1 blockade therapy in gynecological cancers revealed by high-dimensional immune profiling

Background Although immune checkpoint blockade revolutionized cancer therapy, response rates have been mixed in gynecological malignancies. While uterine endometrial cancer with high microsatellite instability (MSIHI) and high tumor mutational burden (TMB) respond robustly to checkpoint blockade, high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) with low TMB respond modestly. Currently, there has been no known immune signature or T cell phenotype that predicts clinical response in gynecological tumors. Methods To dissect the immune landscape and T cell phenotypes in gynecological cancer patients receiving PD-1 blockade, we used high-dimensional cytometry (flow cytometry and mass cytometry (CyTOF)). We performed longitudinal deep immune profiling of PBMC from patients with recurrent uterine endometrial cancer receiving single-arm nivolumab, and HSGOC patients receiving neoadjuvant nivolumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy prior to debulking surgery. Results Chemotherapy-resistant MSI-H uterine cancer patients treated with nivolumab had a proliferative T cell response 2–4 weeks post PD-1 blockade, consistent with responses seen in high TMB melanoma and lung cancer. The responding Ki67+ CD8 T cell population was largely CD45RAloCD27hi or CD45RAloCD27lo and highly expressed PD1, CTLA-4, and CD39, consistent with the phenotype of exhausted T cells (TEX). These exhausted-like cells are enriched in responders, whereas early expansion Tregs are enriched in non-responders. Unlike patients with uterine endometrial cancer, patients with TMBlo ovarian cancer did not have a clear proliferative CD8 T cell response after neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy treatment, suggesting systemic immune suppression. At baseline, ovarian cancer without recurrence have more terminally differentiated effector-like CD8 T cells, and patients with recurrence have more naive-like cells. Thus, both high and low TMB gynecological tumors have distinct immune landscapes associated with clinical response. Additionally, in MSI-H uterine endometrial cancer patients, the length of time between the prior chemotherapy and the initiation of immunotherapy was negatively correlated with T cell reinvigoration post immunotherapy and clinical response. This suggests the importance of optimize therapeutic timing to maximize the therapeutic efficacy when combining immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Conclusions Collectively, our immune profiling revealed the distinct immune signatures associated with clinical response to PD-1 blockade in gynecological cancers. Our results also suggest that TMBhi inflamed versus TMBlo cold tumor microenvironment, and timing of chemo/immunotherapy could impact differentiation and functions of T cells. Ethics Approval The study was approved by MSKCC Ethics Board, approval number 17–180 and 17–182.
Annetta T. Mills and the Origin of Deaf Education in China

As the first education institution enrolling deaf children in China, the Chefoo School for the Deaf (which will be called “Chefoo School” in the rest of this article) was originally established by the American missionary couple Charles R. Mills and Annetta T. Mills. In the first decade of the twentieth century, the Chefoo School succeeded in attracting students across the country. For investigating Mills’s contributions to the proliferation of Chinese deaf education in a transnational context, this article will consist of the following three sections. The first section primarily discusses the early history of deaf education in China before the establishment of the Chefoo School in 1898. As early as the 1840s, Chinese elites had already gained firsthand knowledge of deaf education in the United States. Around the 1870s, American and French missionaries respectively proposed to establish a specific deaf school, which took care of deaf children in Shanghai but failed to provide special education to them. And then the second section of this article will examine Mills’s efforts to seek financial support from the transnational community of deaf education. The final section of this article will switch to Mills’s agenda of localizing deaf education in China, including training native teachers fostering the proliferation of deaf education in China and providing industrial training to Chinese deaf children.
Leaky wave-based HIS-inspired Antenna supported by negative permeability for millimeter-Wave Applications

High Impedance Surface (HIS) planar antenna governed by leaky wave properties is presented in this paper. Near the ‘magnetic resonance’, the slotted square shaped ring patches experience the peak current value. Thus, the slotted square shaped ring patch based metasurface antenna resonates at 29.7 GHz where the structure exhibits negative effective permittivity and effective permeability. Far-field performances are examined for a different number of elements distributed over the copper grounded substrate. Maximum gain of 9.142 dB near the resonance is obtained with good gain-bandwidth over a large frequency from this antenna composed of 6 elements.
Effects of the hangover secret on mitigating hangover symptoms: A pilot study.

Background Due to the popularity of excessive alcohol consumption, there is an increasing need for hangover symptom remedies. Most commercially available hangover treatment products have not been tested for efficacy through clinical study. Aims The purpose of this pilot study was to characterize the activity of a commercially available hangover product, The Hangover Secret (THS). Methods This was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot study. Healthy volunteers of 21- to 40-years-old were eligible for participation, and received either THS or placebo on two different occasions. Participants were given 43 mL of whiskey every twenty minutes for up to 3 hours to achieve a blood alcohol concentration (BrAC) ≥ 0.12%. Hangover severity was assessed using the Acute Hangover Scale (AHS) and Acute Hangover Severity Scale (AHSS) validated tools. Results Nine participants completed the study. AHS scores increased from baseline to 7 am by 4.11 ± 3.17 and 1.26 ± 2.29 for the placebo and active arms respectively (P = .16). AHS headache scores increased from baseline to 7 am by 2.44 ± 1.67 and 1.11 ± 1.17 for the placebo and active arms respectively (P = .06). AHSS scores increased from baseline to 7 am by 1.0 ± 1.05 and 0.41 ± 1.08, for the placebo and active arms respectively (P = .30). There was no significant difference between average BrAC at 7 am between the placebo and active arms. Conclusion THS showed positive signals in the prevention of alcohol-induced hangover, especially headaches. The improvements with THS surpassed the minimum clinically important difference in overall AHS score and three individual AHS symptoms scores (hangover, headache, and thirsty). THS's reduction in AHS or AHSS scores did not reach statistical significance likely due to the small sample size. Larger studies with appropriate sample sizes are needed in light of these promising findings.
Symbolic computer methods to automatically formulate vehicle simulation codes

This dissertation deals with the modeling and computer simulation of multibody systems composed of rigid bodies and massless force- and torque-producing elements. Multibody systems pertaining to ground vehicles are of particular interest. The dissertation includes (1) a software design for representing a multibody system in symbolic form as a set of computer data objects representing bodies, points, forces, etc, (2) a multibody formalism (i.e., a formal strategy for deriving equations of motion for a multibody system) that is valid for systems with various types of connections between bodies, (3) methods to manipulate symbolic expressions automatically within the multibody formalism, (4) the design of an interface to the analyst that permits the description of unconventional force- and moment-producing components, (5) methods for automatically generating constraint equations in symbolic form, and (6) a way to accommodate external numerical algorithms that may have already been developed. The methods are valid for systems of rigid bodies with holonomic and nonholonomic constraints, tree topologies, closed kinematical loops, and scleronomic or rheonomic constraints that are continuously differentiable. Symbol manipulation techniques are applied to (1) vector and dyadic algebraic expressions, (2) elements of the multibody system, and (3) pieces of numerical analysis code. A software package called AUTOSIM was written in the Lisp computer language to validate and demonstrate the methods. The analyst using AUTOSIM provides a description of (1) the multibody system layout, (2) output variables of interest, (3) "external" subroutines, and, for some systems, (4) descriptions of constraint conditions. Using the multibody formalism and symbol manipulation techniques, AUTOSIM automatically generates a complete, self-contained Fortran program that numerically computes the specified output variables in response to initial conditions, control inputs, and disturbances. Six case studies are included to illustrate the methods. These include two ground vehicles (one with rigid, nonslipping wheels, and one with slip angles and tire characteristics), a four-bar linkage, two spacecraft vehicles, and a robot manipulator with six links.
Human-centered systems for business services

This NSF-funded project is a collaborative effort with the State of New Jersey to address two major problems in consuming and providing government services: the integration and customization of services. The government services needed by the citizens or businesses often require horizontal integration across autonomous government agencies, whose information systems are heterogeneous and difficult to interoperate. The service consumers, both citizens and businesses, face a challenging task of locating relevant services and information from various documents abundantly available on the Web. They are in need of a system to locate and integrate the services that are tailored to individual preferences and constraints.
Technology in the internet age

Internet electronic products have requirements different from those of personal computers (PCs). The increasing importance of Internet electronics is driving changes in development of IC technology. One important characteristic of the Internet Age is computational disaggregation. Whereas, over the past 20 years, PCs have been characterized by ever-increasing computation capabilities, emerging Internet electronic products are characterized by sufficient computation to achieve the function in a small, often portable, form factor. The imperative for lower cost, which enables penetration into mass markets, is a second area where Internet electronic products differ from PCs. Disaggregation and cost requirements are driving an unprecedented degree of system-on-a-chip (SoC) integration. In the Internet Age, SoC integration means more than integrating different digital cores. It also means integrating functions that are realized today in different technologies: logic, memory, analog, power management, passives and radio or wireline driver, depending on the product. Because SoC integration is motivated primarily by cost, diverse functions must be integrated together in standard CMOS with minimal cost addition. Cost-effective embedded memory technology also needs to be developed. Current examples of SoC integration include cell phones, cable/DSL modems, and Internet audio. These representative examples, together with others, are driving changes in the way ICs are developed. In the latter half of the decade, it is likely that SoC integration will expand to include MEMS, microphotonics, and on-chip energy sources. Moore's Law scaling will continue at least through the end of this decade, but SoC integration will become an increasingly important technology imperative for continued cost reduction throughout the Internet Age.
Enhancing the support of multihopping in an IEEE 802.11 ad-hoc network

Previous studies have proved that the performance of IEEE 802.11 protocol is poor when used as a platform to implement multihop ad-hoc networks. We elaborate on the negative behavior caused by having multiple overlapping IBSSs (independent basic service sets) operating on the same frequency channel in an 802.11 ad-hoc network. Then we propose an overlay algorithm on top of 802.11 to help discipline the interaction of overlapping IBSSs with one or more stations in the overlap zone. Such algorithm enhances the support of multihopping in 802.11 ad-hoc mode. Performance analysis and simulation results of this algorithm show noticeable improvement in overall system throughput as well as stability.
Colored trails: a multiagent system testbed for decision-making research

With increasing frequency, computer agents participate in collaborative and competitive multiagent domains in which humans reason strategically to make decisions. The deployment of computer agents in such domains requires that the agents understand something about human behavior so that they can interact successfully with people; the computer agents must be sensitive to how people reason in strategic settings as well as to the social utilities people employ to inform their reasoning. To date, these design requirements for computer agents have received relatively little attention. To further research in this area, we are developing the Colored Trails (CT) testbed [5], a configurable and extensible open-source system for use by the research community at large to investigate multiagent decision making.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: A Cost Benefit Analysis Using the U.S. Banking Industry

There are many analyses of the economic effects that regulations, in general, and Sarbanes-Oxley Act, in particular, have had on American business. This analysis looks at the effect that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act has had on the American banking industry. The return on assets and return on equity were obtained from the Federal Reserve Bank for all SEC-registered and nonregistered banks for the period 2000 through 2005. Comparative results indicate that during the period that the Act had been in effect there is a marked negative divergence for SEC-registered banks as opposed to those banks that do not report to the SEC.
The effects of pomegranate extract on anaerobic exercise performance & cardiovascular responses.

Background During exercise, there is an increased demand for oxygen. Increasing blood flow may provide an ergogenic effect. Dietary nitrate supplementation, such as pomegranate extract (PE), has been linked to reduced vascular resistance, enhanced vasodilation, and increased blood flow to possibly improve exercise efficiency. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of acute PE supplementation on anaerobic exercise, flow mediated dilation (FMD), oxygen saturation (SP02), heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP).
Molecular sexing and sources of CHD1‐Z/W sequence variation in Hawaiian birds

Sequence information from 28 CHD1 gene fragments reveals that a primary source of variability in CHD1-W genes is a variable intron microsatellite; a single-codon deletion was found in the 3′ exon in one species. Sequence variation of CHD1-Z genes was detected in males that altered polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fragment length. Three sets of CHD1-based primers were evaluated for sex determination in 12 endemic and 8 alien Hawaiian species, including one of the last po’o-uli. Combined, these primers provide a reliable means of sex determination in most species (including the po’o-uli), and have produced a valuable reference database for future expanded population-level studies.
Abstract 16: Diabetes, Pre-diabetes, and Progression of Subclinical Myocardial Damage

Background: Persons with hyperglycemia even below the threshold for the diagnosis of diabetes are at increased risk for cardiovascular events. The relationships of pre-diabetes and undiagnosed diabetes with progression of subclinical myocardial damage are relatively uncharacterized. Objective: To characterize the associations of diabetes and pre-diabetes with 6-year progression of subclinical myocardial injury, as assessed by a novel highly sensitive assay for cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT). Methods: We conducted a prospective analysis of hs-cTnT measured at two time points, 6 years apart, in 8446 participants of the community-based ARIC Study with hs-cTnT Results: Baseline prevalence of elevated concentrations of hs-cTnT among persons with no diabetes (HbA1c Conclusions: These results provide evidence for a progressive, deleterious effect of hyperglycemia on the myocardium, even below the threshold for a diagnosis of diabetes.
An Arithmetic Analogue of Bezout's Theorem

In this paper, we prove two versions of an arithmetic analogue of Be- zout's theorem, subject to some technical restrictions. The basic formula proven is deg(V )h(X\Y ) = h(X) deg(Y )+h(Y ) deg(X)+O(1), where X and Y are algebraic cycles varying in properly intersecting families on a regular subvariety VS P N. The theorem is inspired by the arithmetic Bezout inequality of Bost, Gillet, and Soul e, but improve upon it in two ways. First, we obtain an equality up to O(1) as the intersecting cycles vary in projective families. Second, we generalise this result to intersections of divisors on any regular projective arithmetic variety.
Saliva-Bacterium Interactions in Oral Microbial Ecology

Saliva is thought to have a significant impact on the colonization of microorganisms in the oral cavity. Salivary components may participate in this process by one of four general mechanisms: binding to microorganisms to facilitate their clearance from the oral cavity, serving as receptors in oral pellicles for microbial adhesion to host surfaces, inhibiting microbial growth or mediating microbial killing, and serving as microbial nutritional substrates. This article reviews information pertinent to the molecular interaction of salivary components with bacteria (primarily the oral streptococci and Actinomyces) and explores the implications of these interactions for oral bacterial colonization and dental plaque formation. Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms controlling bacterial colonization of the oral cavity may suggest methods to prevent not only dental plaque formation but also serious medical infections that may follow microbial colonization of the oral cavity.
Light rays, gravitational waves and pulse-time offsets

One might expect light to be scattered when it passes through a gravitational wave, and might hope that in favourable circumstances these scatterings could be observed on Earth even if the interaction occurs far away. Damour and Esposito-Far\`ese, and Kopeikin, Sch\"afer, Gwinn and Eubanks, found that there were cancellations making such effects disappointingly small. Here I show that those cancellations depend on the emission of the light occurring far behind the gravity-wave source; for light-emissions near that source, larger effects are possible. I first develop a covariant treatment of the problem in exact general relativity (the propagation of light being modelled by geometric optics), and then specialise to linearised gravity. The most promising candidates identified here for detection in the not-too-distant future would involve sufficiently tight binaries as sources of gravitational radiation, and nearby pulsars as light-sources. In some favourable but not extreme cases, I find offsets in the pulses' times of arrival at Earth by ~ 10^{-10} -- 10^{-9} s, with periods half the binaries' periods.
Modeling the Effect of Extended Facilities Usage in a School District.

Abstract Costs for physical plants constitute on an average about 10% of the expenditures for public education. Despite the large financial resources committed to school facilities, schools often are unused during significant portions of the school year. Concerns over rising costs of public services have prompted school officials to give serious consideration to increased utilization of their physical facilities. In the study reported here a cost model of facility usuage was constructed to assess the financial impact of alternative facility usage policies. Results of the study indicate that the financial benefits that accrue from increased facility utilization would likely be more than offset by increased costs. Reasons for this are discussed.
Review of The Civil Engineering Handbook edited by W. F. Chen and J. Y. Richard Liew

First published in 1995, The Civil Engineering Handbook became a complete and authoritative reference. This second edition provides a revised and updated reference work and resource book for civil engineers. More than one-third of the handbook is new or substantially revised. It has an increased focus on computing to reflect the rapid advances in computer technology that revolutionized many aspects of civil engineering. It has been written for practicing engineers, and the ideal reader targeted is at the level of a BS and MS degree. The handbook stresses professional applications with emphasis on ready-to-use material. It contains many formulas, tables, and about 1,200 illustrations that give immediate solutions to common civil engineering problems. It also contains the essential elements of each subject for the reader to understand the underlying background and fundamentals. Both wellestablished and innovative practices are covered. The handbook is organized into eight sections covering the traditional areas of civil engineering: construction engineering, materials engineering, environmental engineering, structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, surveying engineering, hydraulic engineering, and transportation engineering. The chapters of the handbook have been written by many authors, mostly from Purdue University and the National University of Singapore. This handbook is massive and impressive. It is the kind of work one may start reading as a student and finish understanding upon retirement. It is so comprehensive that it is essentially impossible to write anything but a cursory review. What this text does so well is to cover all the main fields of the undergraduate civil engineering curriculum. It is fairly thorough and complete. The illustrations are indeed very good and useful. The material has been written very concisely and to the point, with the practitioner in mind. In my opinion, the main value of this handbook to hydraulic engineers is to have the possibility to brush up on knowledge in all other fields of civil engineering besides individual specialty areas. To hydraulic engineers, it contains a real
Development of a Fatigue Design Curve for Austenitic Stainless Steels in LWR Environments: A Review

The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code provides rules for the construction of nuclear power plant components and specifies fatigue design curves for structural materials. However, the effects of light water reactor (LWR) coolant environments are not explicitly addressed by the Code design curves. Existing fatigue strain–vs.–life (e–N) data illustrate potentially significant effects of LWR coolant environments on the fatigue resistance of pressure vessel and piping steels. This paper reviews the existing fatigue e–N data for austenitic stainless steels in LWR coolant environments. The effects of key material, loading, and environmental parameters, such as steel type, strain amplitude, strain rate, temperature, dissolved oxygen level in water, and flow rate, on the fatigue lives of these steels are summarized. Statistical models are presented for estimating the fatigue e–N curves for austenitic stainless steels as a function of the material, loading, and environmental parameters. Two methods for incorporating environmental effects into the ASME Code fatigue evaluations are presented. Data available in the literature have been reviewed to evaluate the conservatism in the existing ASME Code fatigue design curves.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Barriers to Community Treatment of Patients With Dual Diagnoses

services for mental health treatment and those for substance abuse treat ment. Given the extent of problems faced by dual diagnosis patients and their relatively poor fit in either the mental health on the substance abuse systems alone, specialized services would seem appropriate. However, few community programs exist to provide such specialized services, and those that do probably could not adequately serve the large number of patientswho might benefit. An alter native would be to coordinate exist ing services from each system, a practice that is unfortunately the ex ception rather the rule (6). This paper describes some of the barriers to the adequate provision of clinical services for dual diagnosis patients and recommends ways of ovencorn ing these barriers.
Menispermaceae endémicas del Perú

La familia Menispermaceae es reconocida en el Peru por presentar 15 generos y 75 especies (Brako & Zarucchi, 1993; Ulloa Ulloa et al., 2004), principalmente lianas y bejucos. En este trabajo reconocemos cuatro especies endemicas en tres generos. Las especies endemicas se encuentran en las regiones Bosques Humedos Amazonicos y Bosques Muy Humedos Montanos, entre los 100 y 940 m de altitud. Ninguna de las especies endemicas esta representada en el Sistema Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado.
Effect of Adsorbed Surface Layers on Second-Harmonic Light from Silver

It has been found that atomically clean silver surfaces generate approximately four times as much harmonic light as those subjected to adsorption. Existing theories of the nonlinear optics of metals, which are based on bulk properties, must therefore be modified to account for the surface contribution. It is hypothesized that an electric dipole contribution to the nonlinear polarization may account for the present result.
Augmented Multisensory Interface Design (AMID): A Human-Centric Approach to Unisensory and Multisensory Augmented Reality Design

This study demonstrates that the use of augmented reality interfaces, designed based on a theoretically driven human-centered framework, can significantly improve task performance. The domain of unmanned ground vehicle landmine/unexploded ordnance detection and disposal was selected because it is a real-world example of a complex human-robot interaction task. Participants in this study were assigned to one of seven experimental conditions. A new method (the augmented multisensory interface design, or AMID, method) was used to identify two unisensory and one multisensory performance-enhancing augmented reality (AR) interface solutions, along with three less appropriate interface solutions. All participants were trained in the operation of the AR devices they were assigned and also in telerobotic landmine detection operations. After completing the training, participants were given the task of clearing a minefield. Results show that participants in the AMID-compliant solution groups significantly outperforme...
New method for the derivation of net atomic charges from the electrostatic potential

Net atomic charges are derived from a least-squares fitting to electrostatic potentials at atomic sites. The method treats atoms in the molecule as having spherically averaged Hartree–Fock densities, the atomic densities overlapping with one another. The method has the advantage of best reproducing the electrostatic potentials at the atomic nuclei and avoiding the arbitrariness in choosing the points used in the fitting. We have written a FORTRAN program, CHELPN92 (Z. Su, Chemistry Department, SUNY at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 1992), based on the method and applied it to deuterated benzene, l-alanine, d,l-histidine, 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline, and deuterated pyridinium-1-dicyanomethylide using the molecular geometry and electrostatic potentials from analysis of accurate X-ray diffraction data. The derived charges are used to calculate the molecular dipole moments. While the charges from this method are in general significantly different from those from the kappa refinement [P. Coppens, T.N. Guru Row, P. Leung, E.D. Stevens, P.J. Becker, and Y.W. Yang, Acta Cryst. A, 35, 63 (1979)], the dipole moments obtained with the new method agree well with those from the kappa refinement. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Prior ischemic stress protects against experimental stroke

We studied the possible role of prior ischemic stress as a protective mechanism against cerebral infarction in rats. Two brief periods of global cerebral ischemia, separated by 24 h, did not cause cell death in brain, but did produce neuronal stress, as demonstrated by induction of the nonconstitutive 72 kDa heat shock protein (HSP72). Forty-eight hours later, animals subjected to prior ischemia had smaller infarct from permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion than did sham-operated controls. These findings support an association between ischemia-induced stress, HSP72 induction, and attenuation of injury from subsequent focal cerebral ischemia.
Regulation of Interferon-α Responsiveness by the Duration of Janus Kinase Activity

Daudi B lymphoblastoid cells are highly sensitive to the anti-growth and anti-viral effects of interferon (IFN). Unlike many cell lines, these cells show prolonged transcription of IFN-stimulated genes following treatment with IFN-alpha. This prolonged response correlated with the continued presence of the activated transcription factor, IFN-stimulated gene factor 3 (ISGF3). Pulse-chase labeling experiments indicated that the half-life of the phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription (Stat)1 and Stat2 was short ( 24 h), indicative of a constitutive phosphatase activity. The administration of protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitors at any time point during IFN stimulation led to rapid inhibition of the response, indicating that tyrosine kinase activity was continuously required. Catalytic activity of Jak1 and Tyk2 kinases remained elevated for prolonged periods following stimulation. Continuous presence of IFN-alpha was necessary for maintaining prolonged activation of ISGF3 and of Janus kinases, an activity that was blocked by antibodies to IFN-alpha or by cycloheximide. Conditioned medium of IFN-alpha-stimulated cells was capable of stimulating STAT activation in naive cells. Taken together, these results suggest that the response to IFN-alpha is controlled by the duration of stimulated Janus kinase activity over the background of constitutive dephosphorylation and that this response can be sustained by autocrine secretion of IFN-alpha.
Butyrate increases type-A and type-R virus-like particles in BKV-transformed hamster spleen cells.

AbstractA cell line derived from hamster spleen transformed by human papovavirus BK was adapted to grow in 5 mM butyrate. Ultrastructurally, the butyrate-adapted cells were found to contain large numbers of type-R and intracytoplasmic type-A virus-like particles (VLP). In contrast, the unadapted cells contained only rare VLP. Treatment of the unadapted cells with nontoxic and toxic concentrations of butyrate for 24 and 48 hr failed to induce VLP, indicating the importance of butyrate adaptation in the induction of VLP. The increase in type-R VLP was stable after removal of the adapted cells from butyrate; however, the increase in type-A VLP was not.
A geometrically-conservative, synchronized, flux-corrected remap for arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian computations with nodal finite elements

This article describes a conservative synchronized remap algorithm applicable to arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian computations with nodal finite elements. In the proposed approach, ideas derived from flux-corrected transport (FCT) methods are extended to conservative remap. Unique to the proposed method is the direct incorporation of the geometric conservation law (GCL) in the resulting numerical scheme. It is shown here that the geometric conservation law allows the method to inherit the positivity preserving and local extrema diminishing (LED) properties typical of FCT schemes. The proposed framework is extended to the systems of equations that typically arise in meteorological and compressible flow computations. The proposed algorithm remaps the vector fields associated with these problems by means of a synchronized strategy. The present paper also complements and extends the work of the second author on nodal-based methods for shock hydrodynamics, delivering a fully integrated suite of Lagrangian/remap algorithms for computations of compressible materials under extreme load conditions. Extensive testing in one, two, and three dimensions shows that the method is robust and accurate under typical computational scenarios.
Dietary Cholesterol and Plasma Lipoprotein Profiles: Randomized Controlled Trials

Early work suggested that dietary cholesterol increased plasma total cholesterol concentrations in humans. Given the relationship between elevated plasma cholesterol concentrations and cardiovascular disease risk, dietary guidelines have consistently recommended limiting food sources of cholesterol. Current intakes are approaching recommended levels. Recently there have been calls to reassess the importance of continuing to recommend limiting dietary cholesterol. Over the past 10 years, there have been a limited number of studies addressing this issue. Striking among these studies is the high degree of variability in background diet, study subject characteristics, and study design. Within the context of current levels of dietary cholesterol intake, the effect on plasma lipid concentrations, with primary interest in LDL cholesterol concentrations, is modest and appears to be limited to population subgroups. In these cases, restrictions in dietary cholesterol intake are likely warranted. The biological determinants of interindividual variability remain a relatively understudied area.
Alterations in renal threshold for sugar by oral administration of cortisone acetate.

SummaryA simple method is described for determination of the renal threshold for glucose in untreated and cortisone-treated individuals. In 4 patients the “breakdown” of the glucose-threshold was investigated and was found to be markedly decreased after 6 days of orally administered cortisone, 200 mg daily. The decrease amounted to an average of 86 mg per 100 ml of blood with a range from 52 to 132 mg per 100 ml. In another group of 4 patients, both the “breakdown” and the “restoration” thresholds were determined. The breakdown values for the first group were confirmed and in addition the restoration of the threshold was also found to be at a lower level for blood sugar, averaging 68 mg per 100 ml less after cortisone than before it with individual variations from 35 to 116 mg per 100 ml.
Characteristics of depressed patients with elevated levels of dysfunctional cognitions.

The characteristics of subjects with elevated scores on both the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale and Cognitive Bias Questionnaire were studied in a sample of 72 depressed inpatients. In comparison with low cognitive dysfunctional subjects (n =48), subjects with elevated dysfunctional cognitions (n =24) revealed greater severity of depression, more hopelessness, higher frequencies of automatic thoughts, less social support, and overall poorer social adjustment. Furthermore, the data suggest that age of depression onset, duration of current depressive episode, and number of previous depressive episodes are associated with elevated levels of dysfunctional cognitions. There were no differences between high and low dysfunctional cognitive groups with respect to DSM-III melancholic diagnosis or response on the dexamethasone suppression test.
Effects of different routes of administration and injection schedules of thrombopoietin on 35s incorporation into platelets of assay mice.

The 24-hr percentage of /sup 35/S incorporation into platelets of mice in rebound thrombocytosis was compared after single or multiple sc and ip injections of a thrombopoietin (TSF)-rich preparation. TSF administered sc or ip resulted in almost identical percentage of /sup 35/S incorporation values. Various doses of TSF injected sc two times on Day 5 after RAMPS and two times again on Day 6 gave a linear dose-response curve. Also, this injection schedule gave the greatest response to the same total dose of TSF when compared to other injection schedules. Single injections of TSF did not give as great a response as did multiple injections using the same total dose. Results of this work indicate that for maximum percentage of /sup 35/S incorporation values, TSF-rich materials should be administered in multiple injections to mice, either sc or ip, over a period of approximately 2 days.
Quantum computation for physical modeling

Abstract : One of the most famous American physicists of the twentieth century, Richard Feynman, in 1982 was the first to propose using a quantum mechanical computing device to efficiently simulate quantum mechanical many-body dynamics 1, 2, 3, a task that is exponentially complex in the number of particles treated and is completely intractable by any classical computiiig means for large systems of many particles. In the two decades following his work, remarkable progress has been made both theoretically and experimentally in the new field of quantum computation 4, 5. Ironically, however, most of the theoretical progress in quantum computing has developed within the purview of the computer scientist with the principle applications of efficient quantum information processing re lated to cryptography and secure quantum communication. In an effort return to Feynman's original direction, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research has established a multidisciplinary basic research theme called Quantum Computation for Phvsioal Modeling to explore quantum algorithms to model dynamical physical systems. Our goal is to establish a practical and generic means by which the power of quantum mechanics (that is, quantum parallelism due to the superposition and entanglement of states) can be used to speedup numerical simulations of interest to computational physicists.