cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overall Survival in Erythrodermic Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma: An Analysis of Prognostic Factors in a Cohort of Erythrodermic Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma Patients.

Most common cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) are Mycosis fungoides (MF) and a leukemic, erythrodermic (E) variant known as Sezary Syndrome (SS). Blood (B) criteria were not previously considered for staging purposes and are evolving. E-CTCL can be divided into E-MF versus SS based on new criteria, B0-B2, published by the ISCL guidelines. Historically, overall survival (OS) of “SS” patients is 2–4 years. To determine if hematologic staging and prognostic variables affects overall survival, we retrospectively studied 1197 MF/CTCL patients seen at MDACC since 1987 from which were identified 124 (10%) patients with E-CTCL. Median age at diagnosis was 63 (range 0–89), 71 males and 53 females. Hematologic (H) stage was based on quantitative Sezary cell counts (manual or by flow as absolute CD4+26−). Overall survival curves were estimated by Kaplan and Meier and compared using log-rank tests. Median OS all 124 E-CTCL patients was 5.1 years [range=0.4–18.6]. We also considered patients divided by the H0–H4 staging system (Russell-Jones 2000). For H0–H2, OS was 7.6 years, H3 was 5.4 years, and H4 was 2.4 years (p=0.011). Treatment with systemic steroids, advanced age, increased serum LDH at presentation, WBC > 20,000 were significant prognostic factors. Large cell transformation (p=0.758), positive T-cell receptor gene rearrangement in the skin (p=0.54), stage of disease (p=0.955), prior exposure to multiple treatments (p=0.953), and CD4:CD8 ratio (p=0.068) were not significant. In conclusion, we provide evidence that absolute Sezary cell counts can be used to define three groups of patients with E-CTCL with different overall survival patterns and propose a modification to the ISCL B ratings as follows: B0, absolute Sezary cell count 10.0 KuL−1. Serum LDH and CD4/8 ratio may be used to estimate tumor burden, as they correlate with Sezary counts.
From Deficit to Asset: Locating Discursive Resistance in a Refugee-Background Student’s Written and Oral Narrative

This article examines how a refugee-background student of Somali Bantu heritage employs linguistic resources to make sense of his experience with forced migration, resettlement, and formal educatio...
Hypotension during induction of anaesthesia is neither a reliable nor a useful quality measure for comparison of anaesthetists’ performance

Abstract Background Identification of statistically reliable outcomes for comparison among anaesthetists is challenging. Time-weighted intraoperative mean arterial pressure Methods We retrieved electronic data between 2006 and 2015 at a tertiary care, academic hospital in the USA for patients at risk for myocardial damage (inpatient after surgery, ASA physical status ≥III, ≥50 yr of age, and case duration ≥60 min). We determined the percentage of anaesthetists comparable based on caseload and case-mix. The AUC65 was compared amongst anaesthetists supervising ≥100 cases involving at-risk patients during the last 12 months. Results Only 14.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) 13.6–14.5%] of cases involved patients who were ‘at risk' during the 10 yr study period. A yearly average of 49 (sd 6) anaesthetists supervised ≥100 cases of any type, of whom only 52% (95% CI 47.1–56.0%) supervised ≥100 cases involving at-risk patients. Thus, nearly half the anaesthetists would have been excluded from peer comparison. During the last 12 months, there were two outliers among 34 evaluable anaesthetists (P Conclusions The AUC65 of time-weighted pre-incision hypotension is not a suitable metric for comparing anaesthetists. There were few at-risk patients, half the anaesthetists were not evaluable because of their case-mix and caseload, and hypotension was widely distributed.
El calcio es un nutriente limitante en cafetales bajo manejo intensivo de fertilizantes en Ultisoles

Calcium is a limiting nutrient in coffee groves under intensive fertilizer management on Ultisols. Intensively managed coffee (Coffea arabica) agroecosystems demand considerable amounts of potassium (K) and nitrogen (N). In groves fertilized with high rates of N, K and P, however, it is reasonable to foresee that calcium (Ca) or magnesium (Mg) availability can limit crop production and development. This study explored whether a link exists between coffee plant leaf tissue Ca, Mg and K contents and the fertility of these exchangeable bases in Ultisols. The study also analyzed whether the availability of one of these nutrients in leaves limits crop productivity. In the span of 2 years, soil and leaf tissue samples were collected in 26 coffee farms in Tarrazu, Costa Rica. Using linear regression analysis models, soil and leaf Ca, Mg and K concentrations were compared; the el suelo. Adicionalmente, se caracterizaron el estatus nutricional del follaje, la estructura y la produccion de las plantas de cafe en 2 parcelas en cada uno de 39 lotes (12 plantas por parcela; 78 parcelas). Mediante indicadores de productividad, se clasifico post-hoc cada par de parcelas en una collected in 2 plots in each of 39 coffee farms (12 plants per plot; 78 plots total). Within each farm, the crop productivity indicator was used to classify each plot as of higher or lower productivity in relation to its pair. By this post-hoc classification, a quasi-experiment with a random block design was generated. This design was used to analyze the variation of N, K, Ca and Mg concentration of the leaf tissue collected in the plots. Ca leaf content tended to be higher in leaf samples from plots with higher productivity; Ca/K and Ca/N ratios tended to be significantly higher as well (p-value<0.05). These results highlight the importance of soil Ca for coffee productivity in Ultisols of moderate to low fertility.
Large-scale structure perturbation theory without losing stream crossing

This paper proposes a formalism for perturbative calculations of large scale clustering in the Universe, which includes stream crossing from the onset. This leads to significant improvement of the convergence of perturbative calculations, even for nonlinear scales.
Framing Longevity Income

This paper analyzes the effect of framing on the stated demand for longevity annuities. We test whether longevity income framed as “insurance” is more attractive than longevity income framed as an “annuity,” since longevity income is consumption protection. In a sample of 1,425 respondents, we find that when the longevity insurance frame is shown before the longevity annuity frame, respondents are less likely to state a demand for a longevity annuity. In addition, we find that people with higher numeracy are less likely to succumb to longevity income framing effects.
Principles of Bioinformatics as Applied to Hydrogen-Producing Microorganisms

Access to computer technology is so widespread that few biologists do not make use of automated systems for managing laboratory data. The growth of the Internet and the development of software tools that facilitate management and dissemination of data in a networked environment have resulted in the proliferation of biological data resources that are now available to researchers throughout the world. The biohydrogen community is no exception, in that data relevant to hydrogen-producing microorganisms are available through numerous resources, many of which may be accessed via the World Wide Web. From genomics and sequence databases to culture collections and specialized data, the hydrogen producers are well-represented. The challenge is to develop a platform on which these data can be merged into a working tool that will meet the various requirements of a broad range of potential users. Environmental conditions, media/nutrient requirements, biochemical characteristics, metabolic pathways, genomics, and industrial process modeling are all aspects of a knowledge base that will be required to track the growing body of information about these organisms and the distinguishing characteristics that may result in the production of energy sources to improve the environment. Development of a working data management tool to serve the biohydrogen community will require adherence to accepted technical and semantic standards. The interdependence of information in disparate databases must be recognized and support for integrated queries involving multiple databases must be maintained. The disparity in data resources relevant to hydrogen producers may be more acute than for other microorganisms because several distinct taxa are represented and will be studied from a functional, rather than a taxonomic, viewpoint. This requires an interdisciplinary approach to data management problems and will require cooperation from a social and technical standpoint. A data model for the biohydrogen community, based on existing software used by culture collections that includes links to networked data resources, is presented. Such a system will serve not only individual laboratories but, importantly, the global biohydrogen community.
Property clustering and group contribution for process and molecular design

Abstract In this work, property clustering techniques and group contribution methods are combined to enable simultaneous consideration of process performance requirements and molecular property constraints. Using this methodology, the process design problem is solved to identify the property targets corresponding to the desired process performance. A significant advantage of the developed methodology is that for problems that can be satisfactorily described by three properties, the process and molecular design problems can be simultaneously solved visually, irrespective of how many molecular fragments are included in the search space. On the ternary cluster diagram, the target properties are represented as individual points if given as discrete values or as a region if given as intervals. The structure and identity of candidate components is then identified by combining or “mixing” molecular fragments until the resulting properties match the targets.
Ultra high-Q 60GHz open resonator system for precision dielectric permittivity and loss tangent measurements

Ultra high Q factor that never reported before was achieved in the measurement of permittivity and loss tangent of dielectric materials by employing an improved 10 nm resolution Fabry-Perot open resonator. With newly designed cavity-length variation method this system is now able to provide a 10 nm resolution in the dimension changes of the cavity movement. The 10 nm resolution completely resolves the resonance profile to guarantee the reduced band width and improved real part of permittivity and loss tangent determination of ultra-low loss material.
Distortion and Entropy

Results are developed relating the goodness of approximation as measured by average Hamming distance between codes and and the d-bar distance between sources to the closeness of entropy rate. A few easy applications provide important properties of entropy rate.
Indigenous Higher Education

Currently Indigenous higher education is embedded within colleges and universities that serve the ideals of Western culture and nation-state interests. Higher education is assimilative for Indigenous students and faculty. At best there is great pressure for Indigenous students and faculty to serve nation-state goals, an assimilation model, or serve both nation-state and Indigenous goals through acquiring and utilizing multicultural skills and knowledges. Indigenous peoples are diverse culturally, politically and have focuses on self-government and territoriality that other ethnic, racial, and minority groups do not. Indigenous nations do not share common cultural and political ground with mainstream institutions, including universities. Higher education should address, support, and welcome the holistic diversity of Indigenous perspectives. The most intellectually open ended way to address the issues and diversity of Indigenous peoples is to recognize that there is a unique Indigenous paradigm that cannot be addressed within the frames of ethnic or minority diversity, civil rights, or human rights. Greater educational inquiry, greater research and intellectual contributions, and greater inclusion of indigenous students and faculty in higher education will result from recognizing and supporting Indigenous perspectives, rights, and associated education needs that address self-government, territory, and cultural autonomy.
The Pauli Principle and the Restricted Primitive Model

The restricted primitive model is an electrically neutral, classical model consisting of hard spheres charged either +q or −q. We show that, by appropriately selecting the diameter of the hard spheres, the pressure when q=0 can be made equal to that for a fluid of Maxwell–Boltzmann point ions and an ideal Fermi gas of electrons. We compare the series expansion of these classical and quantum systems and find that, except for intermediate de Broglie density and moderate to strong electrical interaction strength, the restricted primitive model gives a reasonable representation of the pressure of the corresponding quantum system. Much of the current interest, however, has been focused on the above, excepted region.
An automated spectral clustering for multi-scale data

Abstract Spectral clustering algorithms typically require a priori selection of input parameters such as the number of clusters, a scaling parameter for the affinity measure, or ranges of these values for parameter tuning. Despite efforts for automating the process of spectral clustering, the task of grouping data in multi-scale and higher dimensional spaces is yet to be explored. This study presents a spectral clustering heuristic algorithm that obviates the need for any input by estimating the parameters from the data itself. Specifically, it introduces the heuristic of iterative eigengap search with (1) global scaling and (2) local scaling. These approaches estimate the scaling parameter and implement iterative eigengap quantification along a search tree to reveal dissimilarities at different scales of a feature space and identify clusters. The performance of these approaches has been tested on various real-world datasets of power variation with multi-scale nature and gene expression. Our findings show that iterative eigengap search with a PCA-based global scaling scheme can discover different patterns with an accuracy of higher than 90% in most cases without asking for a priori input information.
Perspective: Where might be many tropical insects?

Abstract I have been watching the gradual and very visible decline of Mexican and Central American insect density and species richness since 1953 and Winnie since 1978. The loss is very real for essentially all higher taxa, and the reasons are very evident: intense forest and agricultural simplification of very large areas, massive use of pesticides, habitat fragmentation, and at least since the 1980's, ever-increasing climate change in temperature, rainfall, and synchronization of seasonal cues. There is no ecological concept suggesting that this biodiversity and habitat impoverishment is restricted to this portion of the Neotropics, and our 50 years of occasional visits to other parts of the tropics suggest the same. We are losing most of the insect community that is still in the cloud forests due to the drying of the tops of tropical mountains, just as we are losing the huge expanses of insect communities that once occupied the fertile soils, weather, and water of the lowland tropics. Today we have unimaginable access to the world's biodiversity through the internet, roads, dwellings, education, bioliterate societies, DNA barcoding, genome sequencing, and human curiosity. The wild world gains from our understanding that it needs large and diverse terrain, relief from hunting trees and animals, site-specific restoration, profit-sharing with its societies, and tolerance of humans and our extended genomes. But if our terrestrial world remains constructed through constant war with the arthropod world, along with the plants, fungi and nematodes, human society will lose very big time. The house is burning. We do not need a thermometer. We need a fire hose.
Pathways to Provenance: "DACS" and Creator Descriptions.

SUMMARY Describing Archives: A Content Standard breaks important ground for American archivists in its distinction between creator descriptions and archival material descriptions. Implementations of creator descriptions, many using Encoded Archival Context (EAC), are found internationally. DACS's optional approach of describing creators in authority records separate from, but linked to, descriptions of holdings has the potential for the “rediscovery” of provenance in U.S. repository collections. Multiple provenance (e.g., the Australian series system), postmodern theory of archives, and an increased emphasis on provenance as function are some of the reconceptualizations of archival context that compliance with DACS may inspire.
Clinical Indications for Bone Densitometry

There is no question that the variety of densitometry techniques available to the physician today can accurately and precisely quantify the bone density at virtually any skeletal site. But when should these technologies be used? In what clinical circumstances should physicians consider measuring the bone density? Four major organizations have published guidelines on the use of bone mass measurements. As practice guidelines, they are intended to help the physician determine when a bone mass measurement may be useful in the care of individual patients. A fifth major organization has published guidelines for the diagnosis of osteoporosis, based on the absolute level of the bone density or bone mass that is measured.
Construction and application of the surveillance system for schistosomiasis transmission risk in Sichuan Province

OBJECTIVE To build a schistosomiasis transmission risk surveillance system in Sichuan Province, so as to provide technical support for facilitating the progress towards schistosomiasis elimination in the province. METHODS The surveillance sites for schistosomiasis transmission risk were assigned in 63 endemic counties (districts) of 11 cities (prefectures) in Sichuan Province. During the period from 2015 through 2018, wild feces contamination, the sources of Schistosoma japonicum infections (fever patients, livestock and wild animals), water infectivity in key settings, snail distribution in key settings, and snail breeding risk (snail importation and spread, floating debris carrying snails and snail breeding in ecological wetlands) were monitored in the surveillance sites. RESULTS From 2015 to 2018, a total of 1 636 wild faces were detected in Sichuan Province, and 3 faces were positive for S. japonicum, with a 0.18% positive rate; among 3 995 livestock and 59 wild mice monitored, no S. japonicum infection was detected. A total of 49 414 fever patients were monitored in 2018, and 493 were seropositive for S. japonicum infection; then, 445 seropositives were subjected to stool examinations, and no egg-positives were found. From 2010 to 2018, a total of 93 sentinel sites were assigned, and 3 994 sentinel mice were placed for monitoring the water infectivity, with one S. japonicum-infected mouse detected. Between 2015 and 2018, a total of 4 156 key settings were investigated covering an area of 1 998.46 hm2, and 668 settings were detected with snails (16.07%), covering an area of 193.26 hm2; 497 suspected settings with a likelihood of snail importation with plant introduction were monitored from 2017 to 2018, and 65 settings with snails were found with 2 673 snails captured; 593 sites were assigned to collect the floating debris from 2017 to 2018, and 9 191.39 kg floating debris were collected with 186 snails captured; 4 wetlands were monitored for the risk of schistosomiasis transmission from 2013 to 2015, and snail breeding was found in 2 wetlands. No S. japonicum infection was identified in snails captured from all surveillance sites. CONCLUSIONS A sensitive and effective schistosomiasis transmission risk surveillance system has been successfully established in Sichuan Province. There is still a risk of schistosomiasis transmission risk in local areas of Sichuan Province. Therefore, the integrated schistosomiasis control measures with emphasis on the control of the source of S. japonicum infections should be further intensified, and snail monitoring and control and monitoring and control of schistosomiasis in wetlands should be also intensified.
Trauma system funding: implications for the surgeon health policy advocate.

Background Trauma systems improve mortality for the most severely injured patients; however, these systems are managed by individual states with different funding mechanisms, which can lead to inconsistencies in the quality of care. This study compiles trauma system legislation and regulations of funding sources and creates a trauma funding categorization system. Such data help to inform the systems of trauma care delivery within and between states. Methods Online searches of state statutes were performed to establish the presence of legislative code to establish a trauma system, the presence of legislative code that funds these trauma systems, and the amount of funding that was allocated to each state’s trauma system in fiscal year 2016 to 2017. Following this, each state’s trauma system was contacted via email and telephone to further obtain this information. Results Specific state legislation creating a trauma system was identified in 48 states (96%). Data for categorization of trauma system funding were obtained in 30 states (60%). Of these 30 states, 29 have legislation funding their trauma systems. 17 states funded their trauma systems through general appropriations legislation, 10 states used percentages of fines from criminal and misdemeanor offenses, and 7 states used fees and taxes. New York state does not have any specific funding legislation. Individual state financial contributions to state trauma systems ranged from $55 000 to $25 899 450, annually. Discussion There is a limited amount of trauma system funding details available, and among these there is wide variation of funding source types and amounts allotted toward trauma systems. It is difficult to obtain and summate legislative information for use for surgical health policy advocacy efforts. Further study and method development to disseminate comprehensive and comparative legislative and regulatory data and information to physicians and other trauma system stakeholders are needed. Level of evidence III, economic and valued-based evaluation; analyses based on limited alternatives and costs; poor estimates.
Arteriovenous Fistula Versus Graft Access Strategy in Older Adults Receiving Hemodialysis: A Pilot Randomized Trial

Background It is unclear whether surgical placement of an arteriovenous (AV) fistula (AVF) confers substantial clinical benefits over an AV graft (AVG) in older adults with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). We report vascular access outcomes of a pilot clinical trial. Study Design Pilot randomized parallel-group open-label trial. Setting & Participants Patients 65 years and older with ESKD and no prior AV access receiving maintenance hemodialysis through a tunneled central venous catheter referred for AV access placement by their treating nephrologist. Intervention Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to surgical placement of an AVG or AVF. Outcomes Index AV access primary failure, successful cannulation, adjuvant interventions and infections. Results Of 122 older adults receiving hemodialysis and no prior AV access surgery, 24% died before (n = 18) or were too sick for (n = 11) referral for a permanent AV access. Of 46 eligible patients, 36 (78%) consented and were randomly assigned to AVG (n = 18) and AVF (n = 18) placement, of whom 13 (72%) and 16 (89%) underwent index AV access surgical placement, respectively. At a median follow-up of 321.0 days, primary AV access failure was noted in 31% in each group. The proportion of patients with successful cannulation was 62% (8 of 13) in the AVG and 50% (8 of 16) in the AVF group; median times to successful cannulation were 75.0 and 113.5 days, respectively. Endovascular procedures were recorded in 38% and 44%, and surgical reinterventions, in 23% and 25%, respectively. AV access infection was seen in 3 (23%) and 2 (13%) patients, respectively. Limitations Small sample size precludes statistical inference. Conclusions Almost one-quarter of older adults with incident ESKD and a central venous catheter as primary access were not referred for AV access placement due to medical reasons. Based on these limited results, there is little reason to favor either an AVF or AVG in this population until results from a larger randomized clinical trial become available. Funding Government funding to an author (Dr Murea is supported by National Institutes of Health∖National Institute on Aging grant 1R03 AG060178-01). Trial Registration NCT03545113.
The effects of cross-border cooperation on disclosure enforcement, earnings attributes, and transparency

Abstract This study tests for changes in U.S.-listed foreign firms’ financial reporting properties and transparency when their home market regulators enter an arrangement that facilitates enforcement cooperation with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This arrangement—the International Organization of Securities Commissions’ Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Consultation and Cooperation and the Exchange of Information (MMoU)—has explicit disclosure-related provisions. I show that the MMoU is associated with improvements across various measures of accounting properties and transparency. Collectively, the findings help resolve enduring questions about why the earnings quality of U.S.-listed foreign firms diverged from that of U.S. firms during pre-MMoU periods.
Controlled Delivery of Natural Medicinal Compounds from Tissue Engineering Scaffolds for Critical-Sized Bone Defect Repair

With an increasing life expectancy and aging population, orthopedic defects and bone graft surgeries are increasing in global prevalence. Research to date has greatly advanced the understanding of bone biology and defect repair mechanism, leading to a marked success in the development of synthetic bone substitutes. Yet, the quest for a functionalized bone grafts prompted the researchers to pursue a viable and safer alternative that regulates cellular activity, and supports bone regeneration and healing process without causing serious side-effects and tissue toxicity. In this context, researchers have found a novel treatment regimen by introducing naturally derived medicinal compounds (NMSs) in bone tissue engineering scaffold that enables them to release at a desirable rate and concentration, maintains a sustained release allowing sufficient time for tissue in-growth, and guides bone regeneration process with minimized risk of tissue toxicity. NMCs are gaining popularity in western countries for the last two decades and is now being used by 80% of the population worldwide, according to an estimation by WHO. In contrast to synthetic drugs, NMCs have a broader range of safety window and thus presented as suitable for prolonged localized delivery for bone tissue regeneration. There is limited literature focusing on the integration of bone grafts and natural medicines that provides detailed scientific evidences on each NMCs, their toxic limits and particular application in bone tissue engineering, which could guide the researchers to develop functionalized implants for various bone disorders. This review will discuss the emerging trend of NMC drug delivery from tissue engineering scaffold, including both 3D printed structures and surface modified implants, highlighting the significance and potential of NMCs for bone health, guiding future paths toward the development of an ideal bone tissue engineering scaffold.
Two-faced behavior of microglia in Alzheimer's disease.

Microglia form barriers that attenuate the propagation of amyloid pathology in Alzheimer’s disease. d’Errico et al. have uncovered a paradoxical ability of microglia to spread amyloid plaques, which depends on the transcription factor IRF8. Here, we highlight the contexts in which this may happen and discuss outstanding questions.
Radicals in Robes: Why Extreme Right-Wing Courts Are Wrong for America

Praised as a must-have primer during the Roberts and Alito hearings, Radicals in Robes offers a rigorous yet accessible analysis of what's at stake in the judiciary choices made during these warring days of the Warren/Rehnquist legacy. Radicals in Robes pulls away the veil of rhetoric from a dangerous and radical movement and issues a strong and passionate warning about what conservatives really intend.
Prosodic Annotation in a Thai Text-to-speech System

This paper describes a preliminary work on prosody modeling aspect of a text-tospeech system for Thai. Specifically, the model is designed to predict symbolic markers from text (i.e., prosodic phrase boundaries, accent, and intonation boundaries), and then using these markers to generate pitch, intensity, and durational patterns for the synthesis module of the system. In this paper, a novel method for annotating the prosodic structure of Thai sentences based on dependency representation of syntax is presented. The goal of the annotation process is to predict from text the rhythm of the input sentence when spoken according to its intended meaning. The encoding of the prosodic structure is established by minimizing speech disrhythmy while maintaining the congruency with syntax. That is, each word in the sentence is assigned a prosodic feature called strength dynamic which is based on the dependency representation of syntax. The strength dynamics assigned are then used to obtain rhythmic groupings in terms of a phonological unit called foot. Finally, the foot structure is used to predict the durational pattern of the input sentence. The aforementioned process has been tested on a set of ambiguous sentences, which represents various structural ambiguities involving five types of compounds in Thai.
Peak torque, total work and power values when comparing individuals with Q-angle differences

The objective of this study was to examine possible differences in peak torque, total work and power between the quadriceps muscles relating to smaller or larger Q-angle. Twenty asymptomatic females between the ages of 23 to 27 met the inclusion criteria. Each subject answered a questionnaire, had their Q-angles measured, and performed concentric knee extension testing on the Biodex at speeds 60, 180 and 300°/sec. T-tests were used and significance was set at p < 0.05. The results showed the quadriceps with the smaller Q-angle had a significantly greater: peak torque at 300°/sec and at the combined peak torque speeds, total work at 300°/sec and power at 60°/sec and at the combined power speeds as well as trends in other tests. Understanding Q-angle difference may provide scientific and clinical rationale for the design of rehabilitation programs for patients with patellofemoral or anterior knee pain syndromes.
The development of selective attention: from perceptual exploration to logical search.

Publisher Summary There is a major developmental shift in the nature of the stimulus variables that control attending behavior. This shift is proposed as an important contributor to the development of systematic information processing in children. This chapter proposes a distinction between exploration and search as distinctive modes of information-getting behavior. These two patterns are discriminable in their own right in terms of measurable response properties; they are further discriminable in terms of the stimulus and task features that control them; and they are observed to have a different course of development and period of acquisition. It is argued that exploration is a simpler process that develops earlier than search, it is maintained by different types of motivation, and it provides the germinal perceptual experiences out of which logical, systematic search can evolve when the appropriate cognitive structures for its organization become available. Parallel with the developmental evolution of exploratory schemas into search routines, the evidence reviewed suggests a shift from the control of attention by salient features of stimuli toward its control by logical features of the task and a shift from passively tracked to actively sequenced attending.
A Low-Power Dual-Frequency SIMO Buck Converter Topology With Fully-Integrated Outputs and Fast Dynamic Operation in 45 nm CMOS

The dual-frequency single-inductor multiple-output (DF-SIMO) buck converter topology is proposed. Unlike conventional single-frequency SIMO topologies, the DF-SIMO decouples the rate of power conversion at the input stage from the rate of power distribution at the output stage. Switching the input stage at low frequency ( $\sim $ 2 MHz) simplifies its design in nanometer CMOS, especially with input voltages higher than 1.2 V, while switching the output stage at higher frequency enables faster output dynamic response, better cross-regulation, and smaller output capacitors without the efficiency and design complexity penalty of switching both the input and output stages at high frequency. Moreover, for output switching frequency higher than 100 MHz, the output capacitors can be small enough to be integrated on-chip. A low-power 5-output 2 MHz/120 MHz design in 45 nm with 1.8 V input targeting low-power microcontrollers is presented as an application. The outputs vary from 0.6 V to 1.6 V, with 4 outputs providing up to 15 mA and one output providing up to 50 mA. The design uses single 10 µH off-chip inductor, 2 nF on-chip capacitor for each 15 mA output and 4.5 nF for the 50 mA output. The peak efficiency is 73%, dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) is 0.6 V/80 ns, and settling time is 30 ns for half-to-full load steps with no observable overshoot/undershoot or cross-regulation transients.
Induction of hepatic enzyme synthesis in vivo by adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate.

Abstract The N6,O2'-dibutyryl analogue of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (dibutyryl cyclic AMP) elevates the level of hepatic tyrosine-α-ketoglutarate transaminase (l-tyrosine:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.5) some 3- to 6-fold in intact and adrenalectomized rats. The response of this enzyme is more rapid to dibutyryl cyclic AMP than to any other inducer of the transaminase. Hourly injection of dibutyryl cyclic AMP can maintain the elevated transaminase level for at least 5 hours. The rate of synthesis of tyrosine transaminase, as measured by an isotopic-immunochemical procedure, is enhanced by treatment with dibutyryl cyclic AMP. There is no detectable effect of dibutyryl cyclic AMP on the synthesis of total soluble proteins, however. Combinations of dibutyryl cyclic AMP and hydrocortisone produce additive or, in some cases, synergistic increases in transaminase activity, but the responses to combinations of dibutyryl cyclic AMP and either glucagon or insulin are not additive. Two other soluble liver enzymes, P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP:oxaloacetate carboxy-lyase transphosphorylating, EC 4.1.1.32) and serine dehydrase (l-serine hydro-lyase, EC 4.2.1.13) are also elevated by treatment of intact rats with either dibutyryl cyclic AMP or glucagon, but another, tryptophan pyrrolase (l-tryptophan:oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.13.1.12, tryptophan oxygenase), is not affected by either agent. Hydrocortisone induces both the transaminase and pyrrolase 3- to 5-fold but the steroid has no effect on either the carboxykinase or the dehydrase. The results support the view that cyclic AMP is the intracellular mediator of the action of glucagon on hepatic enzyme synthesis.
Site concentration determination in liquid ion exchange membranes: Part III. Experimental

Abstract Potentiometric responses of Aliquat-nitrate liquid ion exchanger membranes in nitrobenzene, at various loadings, have been measured for bathing solutions of tetraethyl through tetrapentyl ammonium nitrates. Deviations from Nernstian nitrate responses, at high activities have been used to compute average site concentrations assuming onset of Donnan Exclusion Breakdown by cation penetration. Confirmation of theory includes agreement of observed with known site concentrations, and agreement of observed with calculated response slopes after Donnan Breakdown. The essential dependence of failure on salt extraction coefficients, ignored in classical theory, is clear from systematic dependence of results on extraction coefficient data.
Brillouin lasing with a CaF2 whispering gallery mode resonator.

Stimulated Brillouin scattering with both pump and Stokes beams in resonance with whispering gallery modes of an ultrahigh Q calcium fluoride resonator is demonstrated for the first time. The resonator is pumped with 1064 nm light and has 3 µW Brillouin lasing threshold. The scattering is observed due to the unique morphology of the resonator reducing the phase mismatch between the optical modes and the hypersound wave.
Winter Feeding and Changes in Somatic Energy Content of Age-0 Pacific Herring in Prince William Sound, Alaska

Abstract During the winter of 1996–1997, somatic energy content and diets of age-0 Pacific herring Clupea pallasi from Prince William Sound, Alaska, were examined. From October to March, the standard length of age-0 recruits continued to increase, indicating either growth or mortality of smaller fish. The whole-body energy content averaged 4.4 kJ/g wet weight for fish captured in October and increased to 5.0 kJ/g wet weight in November. Thereafter, somatic energy continually declined, reaching 3.9 kJ/g wet weight in March. The December–March decline in nutritional status of the recruits verified that the energy derived from feeding was not enough to meet metabolic needs. The energy density of taxa found in the diets remained steady through the winter and increased in March. Total zooplankton biomass, however, decreased as the mean water temperature decreased. Estimated assimilation rates were lower for smaller fish than larger fish and decreased as winter progressed. We concluded that juvenile herring rel...
Synthesis and characterization of an unsymmetrical cobalt(III) active site analogue of nitrile hydratase.

The design, synthesis, and characterization of an unsymmetrical diamidato-dithiol ligand (H41, where the hydrogen atoms represent deprotonatable amide and thiol protons) and its cobalt(III) complex, a synthetic analogue of the cobalt-containing nitrile hydratase enzyme family, are reported. The ligand was prepared in 24% yield from an overall eight-step synthetic pathway following a modified protocol established in our laboratory that includes two peptide couples using O-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate as the coupling agent. The ligand and all precursors were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The cobalt nitrile hydratase synthetic analogue complex [NBu4][Co(1)] was prepared on deprotonating ligand H41 to [1]4− on addition of 5 equiv of NaH in N,N-dimethylformamide and adding 1 equiv of CoCl2 at −40 °C under a N2 atmosphere followed by oxidizing the complex by stirring it overnight open to dry air. The complex [NBu4][Co(1)] was isolated after counterion exchange with 1 equiv of NBu4Cl followed by crystallization from MeCN/Et2O in 71% yield. The structure of the complex was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Cyclic voltammetry studies on [NBu4][Co(1)] in a 0.1 M [NBu4][PF6]/MeCN solution showed a quasi-reversible reduction potential at −1.1 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), and magnetic susceptibility investigations indicated the complex is paramagnetic in both the solid and the solution states as determined from inverse-Gouy and Evans NMR methods, respectively.
Three-dimensional reconstruction of echocardiographic images using the rotation method☆

Abstract We describe a method for three-dimensional reconstruction of real time two-dimensional echocardiographic images using a rotation method. Seven tissue specimens were studied in a water bath and two-dimensional images were recorded by rotating the transducer every 30°, from 0 to 180°. Angular reconstruction of areas was obtained at different axial locations and volumes calculated by a Sigma 9 computer using axial summation without geometric assumptions. Using spatial coordinate data, three-dimensional perspective images could be plotted by the computer in any desired view. The volumes obtained by this method (range 90–231 ml) corresponded closely ( R = 0.96) with volumes measured directly by water displacement (range 95–200 ml). Two patients were also studied with this technique by placing the transducer at the cardiac apex to record two-dimensional left ventricular and diastolic and end systolic images. Three-dimensional reconstructed volumes closely correlated with those obtained by left ventricular angiography. Ejection fraction in one patient was 52% by three-dimensional reconstruction, 47% by angiocardiography. In the other patient, the ejection fraction was 76% by three-dimensional imaging, 69% by angiocardiography. This preliminary study demonstrates the feasibility and simplicity of three-dimensional reconstruction using the rotation method.
Construction of an antigenic map for human B-cell precursors.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the binding of a panel of monoclonal antibodies to human pre-B cells present in fetal, pediatric, and adult bone marrow. The antibodies included BA-1, BA-2, BA-3 (anti-CALLA), anti-B1, L243 (anti-HLA-DR), and T101. Binding of the monoclonal antibodies to pre-B cells was evaluated at the single-cell level by double fluorochrome analysis. Percentages of BA-1+ and anti-B1+ pre-B cells were independent of age group. BA-1 bound to approximately 80% of fetal, pediatric, and adult bone marrow pre-B cells, whereas anti-B1 bound to approximately 50%. BA-2 bound to 55% of fetal pre-B cells, but this percentage decreased to 32% in pediatric and 16% in adult bone marrow. CALLA was expressed on less than 10% of fetal, pediatric, and adult bone marrow pre-B cells, and HLA-DR was expressed on greater than 95% of fetal, pediatric, and adult pre-B cells. Although T101 (an anti-T-cell monoclonal antibody) did not bind to pre-B cells, it did bind to approximately 25% of the sIgM+ cells in fetal bone marrow. These results suggest a predominant phenotype of L243 (anti-HLA-DR)+, BA-1+, BA-3 (anti-CALLA)−, T101− for the human pre-B cell while phenotypic heterogeneity exists for anti-B1 and BA-2.
Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in the young: clinical profile and natural history.

The clinical profile and course of documented cases of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in children have been poorly characterized. Twenty-four patients (median age 2 years, range On follow-up (mean duration 33 months, range 0 to 149), systemic arterial embolism had occurred in 2 (8%) of 24 patients. Fifteen of 24 patients had died (63% survival at 1 year and 34% survival at 5 years of followup). The cause of death was congestive heart failure in 11, complications after cardiac transplantation in 3 and sudden cardiac death in 1. Nine patients are alive at a mean follow-up time of 65 months (range 26 to 149); five are asymptomatic. Serial determination of left ventricular systolic function, available in all survivors, showed improvement in six patients and no significant change in three. Severe mitral insufficiency was present only in patients who ultimately died. A recent viral syndrome was noted more frequently in patients who survived. There were no clinical or laboratory variables that were sensitive and specific predictors of outcome. Although the prognosis of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in children is usually grave, a minority show unpredictable clinical improvement.
Template Aging Phenomenon in Iris Recognition

Biometric template aging is defined as an increase in recognition error rate with increased time since enrollment. It is believed that template aging does not occur for iris recognition. Several research groups, however, have recently reported experimental results showing that iris template aging does occur. This template aging effect manifests as a shift in the authentic distribution, resulting in an increased false non-match rate. Analyzing results from a three-year time-lapse data set, we find ~150% increase in the false non-match rate at a decision threshold representing a one in two million false match rate. We summarize several known elements of eye aging that could contribute to template aging, including age-related change in pupil dilation. Finally, we discuss various steps that can control the template aging effect in typical identity verification applications.
Internal absorption coefficient and threshold for pulsed laser disruption of melanosomes isolated from retinal pigment epithelium

This study determine the threshold radiant exposure from a 10-ns pulsed laser (532 nm) which caused bovine melanosomes to present various observable endpoints of disruption. The endpoints tested were (1) a visible region of clearing in a uniform field of melanosomes under a glass cover slip, (2) an audible sound, and (3) the increase in melanin photoreactivity due to photodisruption of melanosomes. The thresholds were tested for different starting temperatures by pre-equilibrating the melanosomes in aqueous solution at various temperatures. Lower temperatures required larger exposures to attain a given endpoint. The data suggest that bovine RPE melanosomes are about 4-fold denser in melanin content than cutaneous melanosomes.
Shape optimal design of an engine exhaust manifold

An engine exhaust manifold made of cast iron cracks during thermal shock testing. The test process is simulated by finite element analysis. The manifold is formulated as a linear heat transfer and thermoelasticity problem in a variational form. Analytical expressions for shape design sensitivities of general three-dimensional problems are presented, using the material derivative approach. A hybrid approach is described and used during the optimization process. This approach takes advantage of the direct and the adjoint variable methods and is the most efficient in calculating the sensitivity of the structural responses. After the finite element model is verified by comparing the results with those from testing, the engine exhaust manifold is optimized with respect to its geometry.
An ab initio chemical kinetic study on the reactions of H, OH, and Cl with HOClO3

The mechanisms for reactions of H, HO, and Cl with HOClO3, important elementary processes in the early stages of the ammonium perchlorate (AP) combustion reaction, have been investigated at the CCSD(T)/6-311+G(3df,2p)//PW91PW91/6-311+G(3df) level of theory. The rate constants for the low-energy channels have been calculated by statistical theory. For the reaction of H and HOClO3, the main channels are the production of H2 + ClO4 (k1a) and HO + HOClO2 (k1b); k1a and k1b can be represented as 1.07 × 10−17 T1.97 exp(−7484/T) and 6.08 × 10−17T1.96 exp(−7729/T) cm3 molecule−1 s−1, respectively. For the HO + HOClO3 reaction, the main pathway is the H2O + ClO4 (k2a) production process, with the predicted rate constant k2a = 1.24 × 10 −8 T−2.99 exp(1664/T) for 300–500 K and k2a = 1.27×10−19 T2.12 exp(−1474/T) for 500–3000 K. For the Cl + HOClO3 reaction, the formation of HOCl + ClO3 (k3a) and HCl + ClO4 (k3b) is dominant, with k3a = 1.33×10−12 T0.67 exp(−9658/T) and k3b = 1.75×1016 T1.63 exp(−11156/T) cm3 molecules−1 in the range of 300–3000 K. In addition, the heats of formation of ClO3 and HOClO3 have been predicted based on several isodesmic and/or isogyric reactions with ΔfHo0 (ClO3) = 47.0 ± 1.0 and ΔfHo0 (HOClO3) = 5.5 ± 1.5 kcal/mol, respectively. These data may be used for kinetic simulation of the AP decomposition and combustion reaction. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 42: 253–261, 2010