cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Initial antibiotic therapy of neonatal sepsis

It is certain that in the past the types of bacterial agents responsible for neonatal sepsis and their sensitivity to antibiotics were not the same in all historical periods. However, the reports confirming the conclusion have been published only in the last three years. According to these facts, the bacterial causes of neonatal sepsis were analyzed in patients treated at the University children's hospital in Belgrade (S&M) as well as their sensitivity to antibiotics to determine the most effective initial therapy. Between January 2001 and June 2004, 35 neonates, aged from 1-30 days, with positive blood culture were treated. Gram-negative bacteria were the cause of sepsis in 57% of patients (Pseudomonas--20%, Klebsiella--20%, E. coli--8.5%, Acinetobacter--8.5%), gram-positive in 43% (coagulase-negative Staphylococci--14%, Staphylococcus epidermidis--14%, Staphylococcus aureus--9%, Streptococcus group B--3%, Listeria monocytogenes--3%). The bacteria were the most sensitive to carbapenems (85-89%), amikacin (68%), third-generation cephalosporins (47-50%), while the sensitivity to gentamicin was less than expected (48.5%). Sensitivity to ampicillin (8%) confirmed a high level of resistance to this antibiotic. All isolated Staphylococci were sensitive to vancomycin, and the overall methicillin resistance was 46%. Combined cefotaxime and amikacin therapy was the most effective of all suggested initial combinations of antibiotics (74%). The sensitivity to all other combinations of antibiotics was 51-71%. The most adequate initial combination of antibiotics for the treatment of neonatal sepsis is cefotaxime plus amikacin. The most adequate antibiotic for the treatment of nosocomial neonatal sepsis is carbapenem.
Prolonged gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment of symptomatic endometriosis: the role of cyclic sodium etidronate and low-dose norethindrone "add-back" therapy.

Objective To examine the safety and efficacy of combining cyclic sodium etidronate and low-dose norethindrone with a long-acting GnRH agonist (GnRH-a) for prolonged therapy of symptomatic endometriosis. Design Prospective randomized open label study. Setting Tertiary care university-affiliated reproductive medicine program. Patients Nineteen regularly cycling women with laparoscopically diagnosed symptomatic endometriosis and 18 regularly cycling untreated controls without endometriosis. Interventions All patients received a depot preparation of the GnRH-a leuprolide acetate IM monthly for 48 weeks. Group I patients (n = 10) received supplemental sodium etidronate cycled with calcium carbonate as well as 2.5 mg norethindrone daily. Group II patients (n = 9) received only supplemental 10 mg norethindrone daily. Group III volunteers (n = 18) were untreated and followed for bone density changes. Main Outcome Measures Disease extent at follow-up laparoscopy; pain, vasomotor, and vaginal symptom scores; bone mineral density (serial dual-energy roentgenogram absorptiometry scans); serum estrogens, lipids, and glucose and insulin response to glucose challenge. Results Painful symptoms and extent of endometriosis were reduced in both treatment groups. Despite maintenance of a chronically hypoestrogenic state for 48 weeks, no changes in bone density over time or in comparison to group III untreated controls were noted. Similarly, no evidence of significant vasomotor symptoms were reported in either treatment group. However, adverse changes over time in circulating low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and apolipoprotein A 1 levels as well as the ratio of high-density lipoprotein to LDL were noted only in group II. Conclusions The combination of cyclic sodium etidronate and low-dose norethindrone with a long-acting GnRH-a served to safely prolong medical therapy of symptomatic endometriosis. Clinical efficacy was preserved while prophylaxis against significant hypoestrogenic side effects was achieved.
Some elementary mathematics on curves

So far our efforts have principally been directed toward getting information about algebraic varieties. But one can regard varieties themselves as “spaces on which one does mathematics.” The reader has met this idea before. For instance one can transfer analysis on ℝ to analysis on the more general real variety ℝ n , getting, for example, multivariable calculus. And in complex analysis one regards the variety ℂ (or more generally ℂ n ) as a carrier of analytic functions; one then studies differentiation and integration of these functions, and so on. One can also do analysis on real differentiable manifolds or complex analytic manifolds. (See, for instance, [Narasimhan], [Spivak], or [Wells].) Such a study in turn often sheds new light on the underlying space; algebraic geometry is no exception in this respect. In such questions, algebraic varieties occupy a special position; they have so much structure that one can transfer to them many ideas not only from analysis, but also from number theory, and these generalizations interconnect with and enrich each other. Transferring differentials and integration to non-singular complex varieties is particularly natural, and in fact in its early days, algebraic geometry was regarded as a part of complex analysis (by Abel (1802–1829), Riemann (1826–1866), Weierstrass (1815–1897), etc.). More recently, attempts to transfer notions from topology and analysis to appropriate generalizations of algebraic varieties have met with varying degrees of success, and have for example already shed new light on some old problems in number theory. In applying algebraic geometry to other fields in this way, one often needs to translate classical geometric results into ring-theoretic terms.
A 110 × 64 150 mW 28 frames/s integrated visible/near-infrared CMOS image sensor with dual exposure times for image guided surgery

A 110 × 64 pixel CMOS image sensor integrated with pixelated spectral interference filters is used for image guided surgery. The sensor operates with short exposure times for capturing visible light using blue, green, and red pixelated interference filters, and long exposure time for capturing near-infrared fluorescence with a co-located, pixelated NIR filter. The sensor was used to successfully detect the fluorescence of ICG accumulation in sentinel lymph node on patients with breast cancer.
Plasmonic Sensing of Ultrafast Evaporation and Condensation

ABSTRACTWe use nanoscale plasmonic structures and ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy to study the evaporation and condensation of an adsorbed layer of 2-chloro-1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R124) on Au surfaces functionallized by self-assembled monolayers. silica substrate is patterned with Au nanodisks with a diameter of 120 nm and thickness of 20 nm that have plasmonic resonances near the Ti:sapphire laser wavelength of 800 nm. The sensor is placed in contact with a vapor of R124 at room temperature and pressures between 0 and approximately half of the saturation pressure, 25 psi. The pump optical pulse heats the nanodisk and the changes in the thickness of the adsorbed layer are probed by transient absorption on timescales of picoseconds to nanoseconds. Due to the small thickness of the adsorbed layer, evaporation and condensation is limited by mass exchanged at the vapor–liquid interface and not by heat transport. We describe the relationships between the amplitude and timescale of the response, thermodyn...
Hardware Analogies to Cloud Software Standards Development

Datacenter automation has entered the modern era through definition and standardization of underlying services. This column explores the basis for these trends in both modern and historical standards, and sets a direction for microservices deployment in datacenters.
A Scholarship of Our Own

ABSTRACTThe Presidential Panel at the 2016 Council for the Study of Community Colleges annual meeting was comprised of a community college president, a CAO, and a policy leader. As a panel, we were asked to have a “courageous conversation about critical issues facing today’s community colleges and how scholars can help advance new knowledge to inform practice and policy” (F. Laanan, personal communication, March 2, 2016). This exchange article provides one perspective from the panel, making the case that scholar-practitioners are needed across settings to advance the community college mission.
Parental Involvement Among Middle-Income Latino Parents Living in a Middle-Class Community

Parental involvement has often shared a positive correlation with student academic achievement. To better understand parental involvement dynamics among middle-class Latino families, in-depth parent interviews were conducted among 21 such parents. Results from this study which add to the educational literature include high levels of academic socialization between parents and their children as early as elementary school, and perceived barriers to involvement similar to those often found among poor and working-class Latino families. Other findings which support the literature are the ways in which home-based and school-based involvement practices change over time, and the implementation of childrearing strategies previously linked to middle-class families. Parents in this study were primarily concerned with the emotional well-being of their children, and with affording their children autonomy over extracurricular activities and future career choices. Implications for future research are further presented.
Unmanned aerial systems measure structural habitat features for wildlife across multiple scales

1.Assessing habitat quality is a primary goal of ecologists. However, evaluating habitat features that relate strongly to habitat quality at fine-scale resolutions across broad-scale extents is challenging. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) provide an avenue for bridging the gap between relatively high spatial resolution, low spatial extent field-based habitat quality measurements and lower spatial resolution, higher spatial extent satellite-based remote sensing. Our goal in this study was to evaluate the potential for UAS structure from motion (SfM) to estimate several dimensions of habitat quality that provide potential security from predators and forage for pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis) in a sagebrush-steppe environment. 2.At the plant and patch scales, we compared UAS-derived estimates of vegetation height, volume (estimate of food availability), and canopy cover to estimates from ground-based terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), and field-based measurements. Then, we mapped habitat features across two sagebrush landscapes in Idaho, USA, using point clouds derived from UAS SfM. 3.At the individual plant scale, the UAS-derived estimates matched those from TLS for height (r2 = 0.85), volume (r2 = 0.94), and canopy cover (r2 = 0.68). However, there was less agreement with field-based measurements of height (r2 = 0.67), volume (r2 = 0.31), and canopy cover (r2 = 0.29). At the patch scale, UAS-derived estimates provided a better fit to field-based measurements (r2 = 0.51-0.78) than at the plant scale. Landscape-scale maps created from UAS were able to distinguish structural heterogeneity between key patch types. 4.Our work demonstrates that UAS was able to accurately estimate habitat heterogeneity for a key terrestrial vertebrate at multiple spatial scales. Given that many of the vegetation metrics we focus on are important for a wide variety of species, our work illustrates a general remote sensing approach for mapping and monitoring fine-resolution habitat quality across broad landscapes for use in studies of animal ecology, conservation, and land management. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Comparison of steady-state induction motor-drive efficiency control schemes

Steady-state motor efficiency control has been shown to provide significant motor loss savings and efficiency improvement. Including adjustable speed drive inverter losses into the steady-state motor control optimization is also of interest. What is shown here is the effect that these two efficiency improvement schemes have on the distribution of losses between the motor and the inverter when an efficiency control scheme is applied to the motor-drive system. It will be shown in this paper that the choice of motor loss optimization versus system loss optimization should not only be determined by the loss improvement for the motor, but also by careful consideration of the re-distribution of losses caused by loss optimization control.
Acid centers in sulfated, phosphated and/or aluminated zirconias

On sulfated ZrO2, the comparison of the effects of adsorbing water or ammonia on the infrared bands between 1400 and 1000 cm−1 suggests that besides structural Lewis sites on the surface of ZrO2, strong Lewis sites are made from chemisorbed SO3. Upon adsorption of water, SO3 is converted, partially, into a surface sulfated species which may act as strong Bronsted sites. At moderate surface hydration, both types of sites may coexist. The catalytic activity in the isomerization of isobutane is a function of the overall nominal surface density in SO4. The acid sites on the surface of phosphated mesoporous zirconia are attributable to surface P–OH groups working as weak Bronsted sites. On both sulfated and phosphated zirconia, surface coating of alumina stabilizes the porosity, but it does not modify the nature of their acid centers.
Exploring the Impact Factor: Medical Students Mentoring High School Students and Cultivating Cultural Humility

Purpose: Diversity at all levels of medical training remains relatively stagnant, despite efforts to address equity in medical schools. Early career-specific mentoring may address barriers to the pursuit of medical education for students underrepresented in medicine (URiM). By surveying a program that engages medical students as drivers of career-specific mentorship for URiM high school students, this study evaluates medical student mentors' experiences mentoring and seeks to develop a mentorship curriculum. Methods: The authors describe a medical student-led pipeline program, which connects medical students with URiM high school students. Medical student mentors participated in focus groups and gave written responses evaluating reasons for involvement, sociocultural attitudes, and skills needed for mentoring. Thematic analysis was applied. Results: Themes that emerged in this analysis include motivation to mentor, skills used to approach the mentoring relationship, and benefits to the mentor. Mentors felt their experiences had a high impact factor, and they employed dynamic discovery. It provided personal reward and a deeper understanding of disparities. Conclusion: Bringing medical school mentors together for peer to peer idea sharing, creating communities of practice, will help these students develop effective mentorship skills. A curriculum based on appreciative inquiry of mentors' strengths will enrich idea sharing, fostering cultural humility and avoiding burnout. Medical students involved in this program believe they gained benefits, including improving their mentorship skills, expanding their cultural humility, increasing their comfort with caring for underserved populations, and improving their ability to recognize health disparities.
Annual variation in the offspring sex ratio of Saltmarsh Sparrows supports Fisher's hypothesis

ABSTRACT Evolutionary theory suggests that natural selection should favor the ability of animals to modify their offspring sex ratios when the fitness benefits of producing one sex over the other vary in relation to environmental conditions. The Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus) is an extreme habitat specialist, with breeding behavior influenced by the tidal cycle. The challenges of nesting in the harsh environment of salt marshes and the unique promiscuous mating system of the Saltmarsh Sparrow provide a context for offspring sex ratio manipulation. We investigated adaptive sex ratio manipulation in this system across multiple sites and years using a mixed modeling approach. We collected data on nest initiation and nestling survival from 370 nests of 210 females during 2011–2015 in 4 marshes in the northeastern United States. Using molecular techniques, we determined the sex of 990 offspring and characterized variation in site- and population-level sex ratios. Using binomial linear mixed-effects ...
Crayons: Empowering CyberGIS by Employing Cloud Infrastructure

Efficient end-to-end parallel/distributed processing of vector-based spatial data has been a long-standing research question in GIS community. The irregular and data intensive nature of the underlying computation has impeded the research in this space. We have created an open-architecture-based system named Crayons for Azure cloud platform using state-of-the-art techniques. The design and development of Crayons system is an engineering feat both due to (i) the emerging nature of the Azure cloud platform which lacks traditional support for parallel processing, and (ii) the tedious exploration of design space for suitable techniques for parallelizing various workflow components including file I/O, partitioning, task creation, and load balancing. Crayons is an open-source system available for both download and online access, to foster academic activities. We believe Crayons to be the first distributed GIS system over cloud capable of end-to-end spatial overlay analysis. We demonstrate how Azure platforms storage, communication, and computation mechanisms can support high performance computing (HPC) application development. Crayons scales well for sufficiently large data sets, achieving end-to-end absolute speedup of over 28-fold employing 100 Azure processors. For smaller, more irregular workload, it still yields over 9-fold absolute speedup.
SALIVARY GLAND DISORDERS: Neoplastic and Nonneoplastic

A wide variety of entities may cause nonneoplastic diseases of the salivary glands. A general classification divides the disorders into inflammatory and noninflammatory diseases. This group of disorders can afflict the major or minor salivary glands but are generally much more common in the major glands. The history and physical examination should be done in a systematic manner, and in most cases the diagnosis is narrowed through a careful history and physical examination. Additional studies may be needed either to make a final specific diagnosis or to help with treatment planning.
Mass Spectral Detection of Forward- and Reverse-Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Resulting from Residual Solvent Vapors in Electrospray Sources

Characterizing glycans is analytically challenging since glycans are heterogeneous, branched polymers with different three-dimensional conformations. Hydrogen/deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) has been used to analyze native conformations and dynamics of biomolecules by measuring the mass increase of analytes as labile protons are replaced with deuterium following exposure to deuterated solvents. The rate of exchange is dependent on the chemical functional group, the presence of hydrogen bonds, pH, temperature, charge, and solvent accessibility. HDX-MS of carbohydrates is challenging due to the rapid exchange rate of hydroxyls. Here, we describe an observed HDX reaction associated with residual solvent vapors saturating electrospray sources. When undeuterated melezitose was infused after infusing D2O, samples with up to 73% deuterium exchange were detected. This residual solvent HDX was observed for both carbohydrates and peptides in multiple instruments and dependent on sample infusion rate, infusion time, and deuterium content of the solvent. This residual solvent HDX was observed over several minutes of sample analysis and persisted long enough to alter the measured deuterium labeling and possibly change the interpretation of the results. This work illustrates that residual solvent HDX competes with in-solution HDX for rapidly exchanging functional groups. Thus, we propose conditions to minimize this effect, specifically for top-down, in-electrospray ionization, and quench-flow HDX experiments. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.
On Discovering the Semiotic Organization of the Lexicon: State of Health as a Multifaceted Domain

Inquiries into the conceptual categories embedded in state of health ordinarily proceed with a theoretical assumption that disease terms, taken alone, provide a legitimate entry point for a semiotic analysis. The analysis is seen as semiotic in the sense that Sebeok identifies “three fundamental semiotic traditions — the medical, the philosophical, and the linguistic” (1978:viii), and in the recognition that medicine, “is constituted as a cultural system in which symbolic meanings take an active part in disease formation, the classification and cognitive management of illness, and in therapy” (Kleinman, 1973:206). Since diagnosing behavior manifests a diagnostic function and since the diagnostic function is a semiotic function, the symptomatic property of behavior is a semiotic property.
Complex Symbol-Processing in Conposit, A Transiently Localist Connectionist Architecture

Two unusual primitives for the structuring of symbolic information in connectionist systems were discussed in [9]. The primitives are called Relative-Position Encoding (RPE) and Pattern-Similarity Association (PSA). The present article shows that the primitives are powerful and convenient for effecting cognitively sophisticated connectionist symbol processing. Specifically, it shows how RPE and PSA are used in a connectionist implementation of Johnson-Laird’s mental model theory of syllogistic reasoning [23] [24] [25]. The symbol processing achieved is therefore at the level of complexity to be found in existing, detailed information-processing theories in cognitive psychology. This system is called Conposit/SYLL, but for brevity it will often be referred to here as Conposit. To be exact, Conposit is a general framework for implementing rule-based systems in connectionism, and Conposit/SYLL is just one instance of it. (The name “Conposit” is derived from “Connectionist POSI-Tional encoding.” Conposit/SYLL is a major extension beyond the preliminary version described in [2]).
Two-Dimensional Manifolds

The topological concept of a surface or 2-dimensional manifold is a mathematical abstraction of the familiar concept of a surface made of paper, sheet metal, plastic, or some other thin material. A surface or 2-dimensional manifold is a topological space with the same local properties as the familiar plane of Euclidean geometry. An intelligent bug crawling on a surface could not distinguish it from a plane if he had a limited range of visibility.
Real-Time Bi-Directional Electric Vehicle Charging Control with Distribution Grid Implementation

As electric vehicle (EV) adoption is growing year after year, there is no doubt that EVs will occupy a significant portion of transporting vehicle in the near future. Although EVs have benefits for environment, large amount of un-coordinated EV charging will affect the power grid and degrade power quality. To alleviate negative effects of EV charging load and turn them to opportunities, a decentralized real-time control algorithm is developed in this paper to provide optimal scheduling of EV bidirectional charging. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, numerical simulation is performed based on real-world EV user data, and power flow analysis is carried out to show how the proposed algorithm improve power grid steady state operation. The results show that the implementation of proposed algorithm can effectively coordinate bi-directional charging by 30% peak load shaving, more than 2% of voltage drop reduction, and 40% transmission line current decrease.
Investigating Individual Engineers’ Moral Personality: Socialization and Judgment

The proposed research project investigates individual engineers’ moral personality: how it is shaped by institutional culture through both formal education and employment (socialization), and how it influences engineers’ ethical decision-making (judgment). The results of this study are expected to inform improvements in engineering ethics education, especially to support student-centered, individualized instruction, by addressing students’ individuality.
Nickel-Catalyzed Synthesis of Dialkyl Ketones from the Coupling of N-Alkyl Pyridinium Salts with Activated Carboxylic Acids.

While ketones are among the most versatile functional groups, their synthesis remains reliant upon reactive and low-abundance starting materials. In contrast, amide formation is the most-used bond-construction method in medicinal chemistry because the chemistry is reliable and draws upon large and diverse substrate pools. A new method for the synthesis of ketones is presented here that draws from the same substrates used for amide bond synthesis: amines and carboxylic acids. A nickel terpyridine catalyst couples N-alkyl pyridinium salts with in situ formed carboxylic acid fluorides or 2-pyridyl esters under reducing conditions (Mn metal). The reaction has a broad scope, as demonstrated by the synthesis of 35 different ketones bearing a wide variety of functional groups with an average yield of 60±16 %. This approach is capable of coupling diverse substrates, including pharmaceutical intermediates, to rapidly form complex ketones.
A global Slc7a7 knockout mouse model demonstrates characteristic phenotypes of human lysinuric protein intolerance

Lysinuric protein intolerance (LPI) is an inborn error of cationic amino acid (arginine, lysine, ornithine) transport caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in SLC7A7, which encodes the light subunit of the y+LAT1 transporter. Treatments for the complications of LPI, including growth failure, renal disease, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, autoimmune disorders and osteoporosis, are limited. Given the early lethality of the only published global Slc7a7 knockout mouse model, a viable animal model to investigate global SLC7A7 deficiency is needed. Hence, we generated two mouse models with global Slc7a7 deficiency (Slc7a7em1Lbu/em1Lbu; Slc7a7Lbu/Lbu and Slc7a7em1(IMPC)Bay/em1(IMPC)Bay; Slc7a7Bay/Bay) using CRISPR/Cas9 technology by introducing a deletion of exons 3 and 4. Perinatal lethality was observed in Slc7a7Lbu/Lbu and Slc7a7Bay/Bay mice on the C57BL/6 and C57BL/6NJ inbred genetic backgrounds, respectively. We noted improved survival of Slc7a7Lbu/Lbu mice on the 129 Sv/Ev × C57BL/6 F2 background, but postnatal growth failure occurred. Consistent with human LPI, these Slc7a7Lbu/Lbu mice exhibited reduced plasma and increased urinary concentrations of the cationic amino acids. Histopathological assessment revealed loss of brush border and lipid vacuolation in the renal cortex of Slc7a7Lbu/Lbu mice, which combined with aminoaciduria suggests proximal tubular dysfunction. Micro-computed tomography of L4 vertebrae and skeletal radiographs showed delayed skeletal development and suggested decreased mineralization in Slc7a7Lbu/Lbu mice, respectively. In addition to delayed skeletal development and delayed development in the kidneys, the lungs and liver were observed based on histopathological assessment. Overall, our Slc7a7Lbu/Lbu mouse model on the F2 mixed background recapitulates multiple human LPI phenotypes and may be useful for future studies of LPI pathology.
Knee Bruising and Swelling in a Teenager

A teenaged baseball player presented with left knee pain, bruising, and swelling, as well as subjective quadriceps weakness 10 days after sustaining a leg injury while sliding into home plate.
CRISPR-DS: An efficient, low DNA input method for ultra-accurate sequencing

Conventional hybrid-capture based Next-Generation Sequencing suffers from frequent errors, PCR bias due to variable fragment length, and inefficient target enrichment. To address these shortcomings, we combined ultra-accurate Duplex Sequencing with CRISPR/Cas9 excision of target regions, which allows enrichment by size selection prior to library preparation. This high efficiency method, which we term CRISPR-DS, improves targeted sequence recovery, reduces PCR bias, and maximizes read usability from minimal DNA inputs.
Attitudes and Emotions of Employees

Emotions are a part of everyone’s life, and the workplace is no different. This chapter will look at both traditional and contemporary perspectives of how humans perceive and generate emotions. Concepts such as emotional intelligence, pride, passion, and well-being are all examined. The chapter also includes a discussion on how emotions are particularly relevant and important in the sport workplace.
Bioactive oligosaccharides in colostrum and other liquid feeds for calf's early life nutrition: A qualitative and quantitative investigation

Abstract Milk oligosaccharides are the prebiotic gold standard for neonates. This work investigated the concentration and profile of bovine milk oligosaccharides (BMO) in colostrum and other types of liquid feeds. Sialylated BMO displayed a broad range of concentrations (from nearly 1.7 g L−1 to 100 mg L−1) with 3′-sialyllactose, 6′-sialyllactose, and 6′-sialyl-N-acetyllactosamine having the highest concentration in the 1st milking postpartum but decreasing rapidly until reaching a stable concentration at the 3rd–5th milking. While 3′-sialyllactose was present at the highest concentration in all samples, 6′-sialyl-N-acetyllactosamine concentration was higher than 6′-sialyllactose in the 1st milking but lower than 6′-sialyllactose in the 3rd–5th milking. BMO abundance in colostrum was 7–9 fold higher than in other liquid feeds (saleable, non-saleable, and saleable mixed with non-saleable milk). Sialylated BMO were the predominant type in colostrum, whereas neutral non-fucosylated were similar in all feeds. Five fucosylated BMO were also identified.
The landscape of mortality during or within 30 days after non-palliative radiotherapy across 11 major cancer types.

6570Background: The rate of peri-RT mortality (death that occurs during or within 30 days after non-palliative radiotherapy) has not been previously characterized. Risk factors and predictors for p...
Inflammatory but not respiratory symptoms are associated with ongoing upper airway viral shedding in outpatients with uncomplicated COVID-19

Abstract Although the vast majority of SARS-CoV-2 infections are uncomplicated, our understanding of predictors of symptom resolution and viral shedding cessation remains limited. We characterized symptom trajectories and oropharyngeal viral shedding among 120 outpatients with uncomplicated COVID-19 enrolled in a clinical trial of Peginterferon Lambda, which demonstrated no clinical or virologic benefit compared with placebo. In the combined trial cohort, objective fever was uncommon, inflammatory symptoms (myalgias,fatigue) peaked at 4-5 days post symptom onset, and cough peaked at 9 days. The median time to symptom resolution from earliest symptom onset was 17 days (95% CI 14-18). SARS-CoV-2 IgG seropositivity at enrollment was associated with hastened resolution of viral shedding (HR 1.80, 95% CI 1.05-3.1, p=0.03), but not with symptom resolution. Inflammatory symptoms were associated with a significantly greater odds of oropharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection; respiratory symptoms were not. These findings have important implications for COVID-19 screening approaches and trial design.
Microstructural and Microchemical Studies in Weld Sensitized Austenitic Stainless Steels

Considerable attention has been focused recently on understanding the detailed mechanism of intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) in weld-sensitized austenitic stainless steels used as structural material components in light water nuclear reactors. It is well recognized that three major factors (namely, a sensitized microstructure, a stress and consequent strain-time behavior, and a corrosive environment) need to coexist in order that IGSCC may occur. This paper is only concerned with the characterization of the sensitized microstructure. In order to fully understand weld-sensitized microstructure, it is necessary to carry out detailed microstructural studies on the nature of grain boundary chromium-rich M 2 3 C 6 carbides in the sensitized region adjacent to the weld bead. In addition, techniques have now been developed for performing detailed quantitative microstructural measurements that allow the determination of carbide size, number density per unit area of grain boundary, grain boundary areal fraction coverage, and micrograms of chromium depleted from the neighboring grains. Qualitative and quantitative microstructural observations from several pipe heats, pipe diameters, and grain sizes are presented. Since the shape and depth of the chromium depletion profile in the vicinity of carbide particles is expected to govern the extent of susceptibility of the weld heat affected zone to the corrosive environment, a more realistic picture would be obtained if it were possible to map such depletion profiles. Only recently has it become possible with major developments in microanalytical instrumentation to use a combination of scanning-transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and high spatial resolution thin foil X-ray microanalysis for this purpose. Chromium depletion profiles are presented as a function of distance from austenite-austenite and austenite-carbide interfaces to demonstrate the feasibility of performing systematic sensitization studies on austenitic stainless steels used in reactor piping.
The Historical Origins of Modern Immunology

Publisher Summary This chapter brings together those investigators who helped form and give substance to modern immunology. It examines the historical factors that set the stage for the development of immunology following World War II. It considers the two major eras in immunology that preceded the present biomedical one: the early age of bacteriology, with its emphasis on disease diagnosis, prevention, and cure; and its successor age of immunochemistry, with its concentration on the chemistry of antigens and antibodies. Special attention is paid to the causes of these major directional changes in the discipline, and to the different theoretical frameworks and the new set of research questions and technical approaches that accompanied each change. The immunochemists and the biologists found a common ground in the molecular biology of T- and B-cell receptors, of lymphokines, and in the structure and function of the immunoglobulin gene superfamily.
Regression Quantile Diagnostics for Multiple Outliers

The concept of regression quantiles provides a natural approach to the analysis of the general linear model. In addition to providing methods of statistical inference, the regression quantile computation provides useful information concerning the presence of outliers. Two methods based on regression quantiles can be suggested; one involves “peeling” observations fit exactly by extreme quantiles, and the other comes more directly from the computation of the quantile function. Simulated data sets containing outliers are used to compare these methods with the use of Cook’s D diagnostic and with Rousseeuw’s method based on a high breakdown “least median of squares”-type estimator. Although all methods fare moderately well in these trials, the “peeling” method is clearly the most efficient at identifying outliers. In an effort to explain the relatively poorer performance of Rousseuw’s method, it is shown that the “least median of squares” estimator is not an elemental solutions (i.e., fit exactly by p observations), but is determined to have exactly (p + 1) equal residuals when there are p parameters.
Definition and development of a crash dummy head

Crash test dummies serve as human surrogates in automotive crash simulations, and accelerations monitored in the heads of these dummies are used for assessment of human head injury hazard. For these acceleration measurements to be meaningful indicators of head injury, the impact response of the human head must be a part of dummy head design. This paper describes the conception, design and development of a crash test dummy head. Geometric, inertial, and performance requirements based on biomechanical information are presented and discussed. The head design concept is compatible with current head injury assessment procedures, and the configuration is based on the GM Research skull and head geometry models. The manufacture and development are described, and the test procedures and results are presented and discussed with reference to the biomechanical and functional requirements. The resulting dummy head is shown to comply with these requirements.
The Fault Lines of Power: Urban Theory and Disciplinary Divides

In this paper I draw upon research I conducted on the atypical power structure and politics of Santa Cruz, California, to assess the similarities and differences between regime theory and growth coalition theory. Central to this comparison is the question of how each theory views the operation of power in urban policy and politics. While the two theories are often considered to be very similar in their conceptual formulations and empirical foci, I maintain that there are key points of divergence between them that derive from the assumptions and principles of political science and sociology, respectively the academic disciplines from which each theory emerges. I argue that while proponents of regime theory and growth coalition theory often express the same normative concerns for increasing social justice in the city, their disparate conceptions of the sources and operation of power lead them to suggest divergent paths to attaining that goal.
Near field three dimensional time delay and Doppler target motion analysis

The problem of delay-differences and delay-rate-differences target motion analysis (DDRD TMA) is considered in the near-field and three-dimensional context. An accurate delay-differences model is derived and compared with the conventional range-differences model. The performances of DD TMA and DDRD TMA are studied and compared with respect to the Cramer-Rao lower bound. The maximum-likelihood estimator for location and velocity is obtained in Gaussian additive noise, leading to Newton-like algorithms (batch process). An extended spherical interpolation TMA algorithm is derived in order to perform approximate DD TMA. >
An LMI-SSI model based PSS design approach for a multi-machine power system

In recent days, as power systems are operated close to the stability margin, oscillation caused by lack of damping torque is frequently observed. Power System Stabilizer (PSS) enhances generator stability by providing a supplementary signal to the automatic voltage regulator which enhances the damping torque. Stochastic Subspace Identification (SSI) algorithm is applied to obtain a linearized single-input-multiple-output model of a power system and the Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) approach is then used to design several PSSs. Typical results are presented for the LMI-SSI model based PSS design on the IEEE 68 16- machine power system.
Abelian subalgebras and the Jordan structure of a von Neumann algebra

For von Neumann algebras M, N not isomorphic to C^2 and without type I_2 summands, we show that for an order-isomorphism f:AbSub(M)->AbSub(N) between the posets of abelian von Neumann subalgebras of M and N, there is a unique Jordan *-isomorphism g:M->N with the image g[S] equal to f(S) for each abelian von Neumann subalgebra S of M. The converse also holds. This shows the Jordan structure of a von Neumann algebra not isomorphic to C^2 and without type I_2 summands is determined by the poset of its abelian subalgebras, and has implications in recent approaches to foundational issues in quantum mechanics.
Beneath the Mask: Use of Psychological Tests to Detect and Subtype Malingering in Criminal Defendants

Abstract Sensitivity with implications for utility of psychological tests in detecting malingering was examined in 57 men suspected of feigning incompetence to stand trial. The instruments included were the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2), Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS), M Test, Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS), Rey's 15-Item Memory Test, Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM), and the Atypical Presentation Scale (AP). Results indicate that all measures were relatively sensitive to various types of malingering, although any one test is not likely to be sufficiently sensitive to malingering when employed as a single “malingering test.” Based on test pattern analysis, different subtypes of malingering were identified. These sub-types of malingering ranged from indiscriminant symptom endorsement to more specific symptom endorsements. Subgroups that responded to the test length and format were also identified. Practical issues and decision trees for ...
Single-Molecule Imaging of PSD-95 mRNA Translation in Dendrites and Its Dysregulation in a Mouse Model of Fragile X Syndrome.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is caused by the loss of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), an RNA binding protein that regulates translation of numerous target mRNAs, some of which are dendritically localized. Our previous biochemical studies using synaptoneurosomes demonstrate a role for FMRP and miR-125a in regulating the translation of PSD-95 mRNA. However, the local translation of PSD-95 mRNA within dendrites and spines, as well as the roles of FMRP or miR-125a, have not been directly studied. Herein, local synthesis of a Venus-PSD-95 fusion protein was directly visualized in dendrites and spines using single-molecule imaging of a diffusion-restricted Venus-PSD-95 reporter under control of the PSD-95 3′UTR. The basal translation rates of Venus-PSD-95 mRNA was increased in cultured hippocampal neurons from Fmr1 KO mice compared with WT neurons, which correlated with a transient elevation of endogenous PSD-95 within dendrites. Following mGluR stimulation with (S)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine, the rate of Venus-PSD-95 mRNA translation increased rapidly in dendrites of WT hippocampal neurons, but not in those of Fmr1 KO neurons or when the binding site of miR125a, previously shown to bind PSD-95 3′UTR, was mutated. This study provides direct support for the hypothesis that local translation within dendrites and spines is dysregulated in FXS. Impairments in the regulated local synthesis of PSD-95, a critical regulator of synaptic structure and function, may affect the spatiotemporal control of PSD-95 levels and affect dendritic spine development and synaptic plasticity in FXS.
PERIOPERATIVE RISK FACTORS FOR POSTERIOR ISCHEMIC OPTIC NEUROPATHY

Abstract Background: Infarction of the optic nerve posterior to the lamina cribrosa, called posterior ischemic optic neuropathy (PION), is a condition that can result in profound bilateral blindness. Cases of PION treated at this institution and those described in the literature were analyzed to identify clinical features that profile those individuals at risk of PION in an attempt to identify major contributing factors that could be addressed prophylactically to enable effective prevention. Study Design: Salient clinical features in seven cases of PION diagnosed at the Doheny Eye Institute between 1989 and 1998 are compared with 46 cases of PION reported in the literature. Results: In the Doheny series there were six men and one woman aged 12 to 66 years (mean, 47 years). Five patients were status-post spine surgery, one was status-post knee surgery, and one had a bleeding stomach ulcer. Vision loss was simultaneously bilateral in six of seven patients (85.7%) and was apparent immediately after surgery. There were no abnormal retinal or choroidal findings including diabetic retinopathy, in any of the patients. Notable contributing factors were blood loss in all seven patients, ranging from 2,000 to 16,000 mL, with a drop in hematocrit of 9.5% to 19% (mean, 14%), and intraoperative systemic hypotension in all patients. Facial edema was a factor in three of six spine surgery patients (50%). Patients reported in the literature had a mean age of 50 years and were also predominantly men (34 of 46, 74%) who underwent spine surgery (30 of 46, 65.2%). Conclusions: Middle-aged men undergoing spine surgery with prolonged intraoperative hypotension and postoperative anemia and facial swelling are at risk of developing PION from hypovolemic hypotension. Avoiding or immediately correcting these contributory factors can reduce the incidence of PION.
Power-law shot noise and its relationship to /spl alpha/-stable processes

1/f/sup /spl beta//-type spectral behavior has received considerable attention in the past few years because it arises from a wide range of natural phenomena. Several methods have been proposed for modeling a 1/f/sup /spl beta// process. We consider a power-law shot noise model, and show that it gives rise to a power-law /spl alpha/-stable process if /spl beta/<1, or to a process with power-law /spl alpha/-stable increments if 1</spl beta/<3. Based on the relationship between /spl alpha/ and /spl beta/ we propose a new method for the estimation of the spectral exponent of the sample spectrum, which is particularly robust in the case /spl beta/<1.
Transport Properties of He3, He4, H2, D2, T2 and Ne in the Liquid State According to the Quantum Mechanical Principle of Corresponding States

The principle of corresponding states provides a practical method for making use of the measured properties of one or more substances to predict the properties of other substances under conditions for which no data exist and no satisfactory theoretical treatments may be applied. This principle was originally formulated by van der Waals [1] for classical systems and subsequently a method of accounting for deviations caused by quantum effects was suggested by Byk [2], The further development of the quantum mechanical principle of corresponding states has been due primarily to de Boer and his collaborators [3–5]. Their early efforts were concerned with equation of state and vapor pressure correlations and predictions, the most successful of which was the prediction of the vapor pressure and the critical parameters of He3 prior to its liquefaction [6].
Assessing Client Strengths: Clinical Assessment for Client Empowerment

The proposition that client strengths are central to the helping relationship is simple enough and seems uncontroversial as an important component of practice. Yet deficit, disease, and dysfunction metaphors are deeply rooted in clinical social work, and the emphasis of assessment has continued to be diagnosing abnormal and pathological conditions. This article argues that assessment in clinical practice, among other things, is a political activity. Assessment that focuses on deficits provides obstacles to client exercise of personal and social power and reinforces those social structures that generate and regulate unequal power relationships that victimize clients. Clinical practice based on metaphors of client strengths is also political in that it is congruent with the potential for client empowerment. This article discusses the importance of a client strengths perspective for assessment and proposes 12 practice guidelines that foster a strengths perspective.
Carcinoembryonic antigen and phosphohexose isomerase, gammaglutamyl transpeptidase and lactate dehydrogenase levels in patients with and without liver metastases

Plasma carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and serum enzyme levels of phosphohexose isomerase (PHI), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (psi-GTP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured in 147 patients with malignancy. Levels were higher in patients (particularly with G.I., breast and lung cancers) than in normals or in patients with cancer in clinical remission. Elevations of CEA and of all three enzymes in blood were most frequent in patients with hepatic metastases. CEA elevations correlated directly with PHI levels. Seventy-eight percent of patients with metastatic G.I. cancer could be identified by CEA (greater than 5 ng/ml) alone, as well as 38% with breast cancer and 85% with lung cancer; but only 17% of other cancers could be identified by CEA alone. CEA or one or more enzymes was elevated in 64% of metastatic breast cancer patients, 92% of lung cancer and 41% of other cancers, but enzyme measurement did not increase identification of G.I. cancer over that achieved by CEA alone. These findings suggest that circulating levels of CEA, PHI, psi-GTP and LDH may reflect a direct contribution from the malignant tissue and/or liver malfunction secondary to liver replacement.