cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NISAR's Unique Challenges and Approach to Robust JPL/ISRO Joint Operations

The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission is the first major collaboration between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and will return an unprecedented amount of science data (~5,000 terabytes during its prime mission). From a mean altitude of ~750km, the Observatory will use two distinct bands of SAR to provide detailed insight into the evolution and state of Earth's crust, including the abatement of glaciers, ecosystem changes, and natural and man-made disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and oil spills. JPL will provide NISAR's L-band SAR, GPS receivers, a payload data system, solid state recorder, and a high-rate Ka-band telecom system. ISRO will provide the satellite bus and an S-band SAR. With both JPL and ISRO providing key flight components, NISAR operations will be inherently interactive. This, combined with the substantial geographic and time differences, brings a unique set of operational challenges. How should the project weigh each Center's responsibility for operation of their specific flight and ground components against the need for both JPL and ISRO to maintain situational awareness of the Observatory and Ground System? In preparation for launch in January 2022, the NISAR Mission System has worked to find the right balance between inter-Center collaboration and each Center's individual responsibilities. With the goal of minimizing the complexity of operational interfaces, NISAR must still perform – integrated long and short-term science planning, – coordinated commanding necessary to execute joint SAR observations, – coordinated commanding necessary to carry out all of the Ka-band downlinks, and – anomaly response and recovery. This paper describes NISAR's approach to addressing each of these challenges to joint operation of the Observatory.
Hydroxychloroquine in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: Real-World Experience Assessing Mortality.

Introduction Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is presently being used off-label or within a clinical trial. Objectives We investigated a multinational database of patients with COVID-19 with real-world data containing outcomes and their relationship to HCQ use. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality within 30 days of follow-up. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients receiving HCQ within 48 hours of hospital admission. Medications, preexisting conditions, clinical measures on admission, and outcomes were recorded. Results Among patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 in our propensity-matched cohort, the mean ages ± SD were 62.3 ± 15.9 years (53.7% male) and 61.9 ± 16.0 years (53.0% male) in the HCQ and no-HCQ groups, respectively. There was no difference in overall 30-day mortality between the HCQ and no-HCQ groups (HCQ 13.1%, n=367; no HCQ 13.6%, n=367; odds ratio 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.62-1.46) after propensity matching. Although statistically insignificant, the HCQ-azithromycin (AZ) group had an overall mortality rate of 14.6% (n=199) compared with propensity-matched no-HCQ-AZ cohort's rate of 12.1% (n=199, OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.70-2.22). Importantly, however, there was no trend in this cohort's overall mortality/arrhythmogenesis outcome (HCQ-AZ 17.1%, no HCQ-no AZ 17.1%; OR 1.0, 95% CI 0.6-1.7). Conclusions We report from a large retrospective multinational database analysis of COVID-19 outcomes with HCQ and overall mortality in hospitalized patients. There was no statistically significant increase in mortality and mortality-arrhythmia with HCQ or HCQ-AZ.
Higher Secondary Polytopes for Two-Dimensional Zonotopes

Very recently, Galashin, Postnikov, and Williams introduced the notion of higher secondary polytopes, generalizing the secondary polytope of Gelfand, Kapranov, and Zelevinsky. Given an $n$-point configuration $\mathcal{A}$ in $\mathbb{R}^{d-1}$, they define a family of convex $(n-d)$-dimensional polytopes $\widehat{\Sigma}_{1}, \ldots, \widehat{\Sigma}_{n-d}$. The $1$-skeletons of this family of polytopes are the flip graphs of certain combinatorial configurations which generalize triangulations of $\text{conv} \mathcal{A}$. We restrict our attention to $d=2$. First, we relate the $1$-skeleton of the Minkowski sum $\widehat{\Sigma}_{k} + \widehat{\Sigma}_{k-1}$ to the flip graph of "hypertriangulations" of the deleted $k$-sum of $\mathcal{A}$ when $\mathcal{A}$ consists of distinct points. Second, we compute the diameter of $\widehat{\Sigma}_{k}$ and $\widehat{\Sigma}_{k}+\widehat{\Sigma}_{k-1}$ for all $k$.
A bioinspired associative memory system based on enzymatic cascades.

A biomolecular system representing the first realization of associative memory based on enzymatic reactions in vitro has been designed. The system demonstrated “training” and “forgetting” features characteristic of memory in biological systems, but presently realized in simple biocatalytic cascades.
Wind extraction? Gifts, reciprocity, and renewability in Colombia's energy frontier

This article examines the circulation of gifts that binds dozens of indigenous Wayuu communities and Jemeiwaa Kai, a wind energy corporation that intends to build five wind farms in Colombia's coastal region of La Guajira. Drawing on long‐term fieldwork, I analyze how the intimate, reciprocal, and meaningful social exchanges that take place as part of the gift‐giving practices between Jemeiwaa Kai and Wayuu residents are critical for the renewability of wind energy itself, as they create and maintain the conditions for harnessing this resource without interruption. Since these exchanges acknowledge the power of Wayuu communities hosting future wind farms to disrupt their operations and infrastructures, they enable recipients to carve out a space of accountability by entangling the corporation in long‐term relationships of obligation and negotiating the ethical ways of harnessing wind in Wayuu land. The centrality of gift giving highlights that extraction, as a concept for theorizing wind energy in La Guajira, falls short of fully making sense of the variegated interactions, ethical predicaments, and forms of value production that take place on the ground, between those who have lived alongside the wind for centuries and the outsiders who now aspire to harness its force.
Herpes Simplex Virus-1 and -2 Rapid Detection in Whole Blood

Disseminated herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection has high morbidity and mortality, particularly in neonates, and requires rapid diagnosis for proper treatment. Currently, there are no US FDA-approved assays available to perform HSV testing on blood. Our goal was to evaluate the analytical sensitivity and clinical performance of an available sample-to-answer real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) platform used as a laboratory-developed test (LDT) for the detection of HSV-1 and -2 in whole blood (WB). A clinical comparison study comparing a real-time PCR reference assay to a LDT based on the DiaSorin Simplexa Direct assay kit was performed. Analytical sensitivity studies comparing WB to the FDA-approved specimen type, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), were also conducted with contrived quantified HSV-1 and -2 samples in WB and CSF matrix. In total, 102 samples were tested using the LDT and reference assay for the clinical correlation study, with 91 negative and 10 positive results for HSV-1 (n = 7) and HSV-2 (n = 3), exhibiting 100% concordance with comparator results. The overall limit of detection (LoD) for HSV-1 and HSV-2 in WB was comparable to that seen in CSF, with the calculated 95% LoD for blood being 1489 ± 16 copies/ml for HSV-1 and 1187 ± 18 copies/ml for HSV-2 and for CSF being 1168 ± 17 copies/ml for HSV-1 and 953 ± 21 copies/ml for HSV-2. The performance of the LDT for detection of HSV-1 and HSV-2 in WB specimens is adequate for clinical use. The LoD for HSV-1 and HSV-2 is comparable to that in CSF, the FDA-approved specimen type.
The Use of Microarray and Other Multiplex Technologies in the Diagnosis of Allergy

Abstract Objective To give an overview and describe the strengths and weaknesses of immunoglobulin E (IgE) microarray and other multiplex assays that have been developed and are being used for allergy diagnostics. Data Sources Queries for IgE microarray and multiplex assays were conducted with PubMed and Google Scholar, searching for primary articles and review papers. Study Selections We focused on articles written in English on commercially available IgE multiplex assays that were reported in the allergy and immunology literature. Results Several commercial IgE assays that use microarray or other multiplex technology have been developed, and some have been implemented into clinical practice in Europe and Asia, with the Immuno Solid-Phase Allergen Chip being the most widely studied. Results of these assays generally correlate with results using “singleplex” IgE assays (eg, ImmunoCAP), though there can be variability among products and among allergens. A strength of the microarray technology is that IgE to a large number of allergens can be detected simultaneously in a single test, and only a small amount of patient serum is required. Cost, inadequate sensitivity under some scenarios, and difficulties with data interpretation, in some cases of 100 or more allergens, can be limitations. Conclusion IgE microarray assays are already a valuable tool in research applications. These assays, and also other forms of IgE multiplex assays, are likely to play an important role in the clinical practice of allergy in the future. Additional studies focused on clinical outcomes, and the development of more targeted allergen panels could facilitate increased clinical use.
Material characterization of workability and process imaging for robotic concrete finishing

In this paper, we discuss a robotic-assisted concrete finishing method for fabricating architectural panels. Concrete finishing is an important process for producing architectural elements with acceptable surface quality. It is also a challenging process conventionally relying on skillful laborers. We describe a hybrid framework incorporating both human skill and robotics in the concrete finishing process and a multi-phase sensing strategy to assist in part touch-up and to validate final surface quality. The paper discusses a general approach to finishing from three perspectives: (1) Material characterization of concrete’s workability throughout its setting process, (2) A modular system-architecture for collaborative human-robot concrete finishing, and (3) Assessment feedback of surface quality using process images.
Aileron size and location to minimise induced drag during rolling-moment production at zero rolling rate

Most modern aircraft employ discrete ailerons for roll control. The induced drag, rolling moment, and yawing moment for an aircraft depend in part on the location and size of the ailerons. In the present study, lifting-line theory is used to formulate theoretical relationships between aileron design and the resulting forces and moments. The theory predicts that the optimum aileron geometry is independent of prescribed lift and rolling moment. A numerical potential flow algorithm is used to evaluate the optimum size and location of ailerons for a wide range of planforms with varying aspect ratio and taper ratio. Results show that the optimum aileron design to minimise induced drag always extends to the wing tip. Impacts to induced drag and yawing moment are also considered, and results can be used to inform initial design and placement of ailerons on future aircraft. Results of this optimisation study are also compared to theoretical optimum results that could be obtained from morphing-wing technology. Results of this comparison can be used to evaluate the potential benefits of using morphing-wing technology rather than traditional discrete ailerons.
Hormonal Regulation of Calcium Metabolism

Calcium metabolism, particularly the levels of Ca found in blood and tissues, is regulated mainly by three hormones: (1) parathyroid (PTH) from the parathyroid glands; (2) calcitonin (CT) from the C cells of thyroid and ultimobranchial bodies, and (3) dihydroxycholecalciferol (calciferol), formed from vitamin D in liver and kidney, which increases calcium absorption from the gut.
Technology in the teaching and assessment of engineering prerequisite courses

This is a hands-on workshop for faculty and support staff. The goal is to have participants ready to implement technology in their courses using the LONCAPA content and course management system at their institution for teaching and assessment. Participants will be introduced to and learn (a) to use key features such as authoring, and (b) to set up and operate a complete course with homework assignments, quizzes, examinations, bulletin boards, lecture materials, etc. and (c) to use advanced assessment tools (see www.lon-capa.org).
Integration of Differential Forms

The material of this chapter is also contained in my book on real analysis [La 93], but it may be useful to the reader to have it also here in a rather self contained way, based only on standard properties of integration in Euclidean space.
Chemically defined medium for cultivation of several epiphytic and phytopathogenic spiroplasmas.

Abstract A chemically defined medium, LD82, was formulated for in vitro cultivation of spiroplasmas. Medium LD82 supported good growth for four epiphytic and insect-pathogenic spiroplasmas, Spiroplasma floricola 23-6T, Spiroplasma sp. strain SR3, Spiroplasma sp. strain brevi, and Spiroplasma sp. strain AS576, and of the phytopathogenic spiroplasmas Spiroplasma citri Maroc R8A2T and PC1. Titers of all six strains grown in defined medium LD82 reached 2.0 × 109 to 6.0 × 109 CFU/ml of culture. All spiroplasma strains tested formed colonies readily on agar medium LD82. None of the spiroplasmas formed typical fried-egg colonies. All formed diffuse colonies, but the forms of colonies differed somewhat among the spiroplasma strains. In preliminary studies of nutritional requirements, phospholipids slightly enhanced the growth of the epiphytic and insect-pathogenic strains in medium LD82 and were found essential for good growth of S. citri.
A frontier molecular orbital treatment of fulvene cycloadditions : Molecular orbital calculations and photoelectron spectra of substituted fulvenes

Abstract MO calculations have been carried out on substituted fulvenes by several semiempirical methods. The results of these calculations are compared with those by other methods, and with photoelectron spectroscopic data obtained here for several substituted fulvenes. Predictions about the periselectivity ([6+4] or [4+2]) of fulvene cycloadditions with dienes, 1,3-dipoles, and ketenes are made and compared with experimental data, where available.
Age-related hearing impairment and the triad of acquired hearing loss

Understanding underlying pathological mechanisms is prerequisite for a sensible design of protective therapies against hearing loss. The triad of age-related, noise-generated, and drug-induced hearing loss displays intriguing similarities in some cellular responses of cochlear sensory cells such as a potential involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptotic and necrotic cell death. On the other hand, detailed studies have revealed that molecular pathways are considerably complex and, importantly, it has become clear that pharmacological protection successful against one form of hearing loss will not necessarily protect against another. This review will summarize pathological and pathophysiological features of age-related hearing impairment (ARHI) in human and animal models and address selected aspects of the commonality (or lack thereof) of cellular responses in ARHI to drugs and noise.
Doppler Tomography of Eclipsing and Non-eclipsing Algols

Since the advent of Doppler tomography, Hα tomograms of eleven eclipsing Algol-type binaries and an ultraviolet tomogram of U Sge have been made from difference profiles. Tomograms of CX Dra, a non-eclipsing Algol, were made from the observed and difference Hα, Hβ, He I λ 6678, and Si II λ 6371 profiles. Tomograms produced at multiple epochs demonstrate stability in systems like β Per and TX UMa but variability in others like U Sge, U CrB, and CX Dra. These tomograms show that the Algols contain a diverse range of circumstellar structures that include a gas stream, accretion annulus, transient accretion disk, and/or chromospheric emission source in a short-period Algol, or a classical accretion disk in a long-period system. Some systems, like U CrB and U Sge, alternate between stream-like and disk-like states. These results were obtained by extracting information that was formerly irretrievable from the observed spectra of these systems.
The Prescription of Peritoneal Dialysis

In addition to the maintenance of normal extracellular electrolyte composition, the prescription of continuous peritoneal dialysis (CPD) should address four other specific issues: (i) prevention of uremia by achievement of adequate clearance of azotemic substances, (ii) prevention of progressive expansion of the extracellular volume by adequate peritoneal ultrafiltration, (iii) prevention of loss of residual renal function, and (iv) prevention of deterioration of the peritoneal membrane structure and function. Urea clearance, in the form of Kt/V(Urea), is the index of removal of azotemic substances proposed by current guidelines. The target total (renal plus peritoneal) Kt/V(Urea) is >or=1.7 weekly. To provide the desired peritoneal Kt/V(Urea) (K(p)t/V(Urea)), the prescription of peritoneal dialysis must provide a daily drain volume (Dv) defined by the clearance equations as Dv = V x (K(p)t/V(Urea))/(D/P(Urea)), where V is body water obtained from published anthropometric formulas, K(p)t/V(Urea) = (1.7 - renal Kt/V(Urea))/7 and D/P(Urea) is the dialysate-to-plasma urea concentration ratio at the dwell time prescribed. Computer programs obtain the relevant D/P(Urea) values from formal studies of peritoneal transport. In the absence of these studies (for example, at initiation of CPD), D/P(Urea) values can be obtained from published studies with similar dwell times. Body size, indicated by V, is the major determinant of the K(p)t/V(Urea) limit provided by a given CPD schedule. Other obstacles to achievement of adequate urea clearance are created by poor patient compliance, inaccuracies of the anthropometric formulas estimating V, and mechanical complications of CPD that lead to retention of dialysate in the body. The main requirements for the prescription of adequate ultrafiltration are knowledge of the individual peritoneal transport characteristics, monitoring of urinary volume, and restriction of dietary sodium intake. Excessive dietary sodium intake is the major cause of extracellular volume expansion in CPD. Ideally, sodium intake should be kept at the level of total (peritoneal plus renal) sodium removal. Preventing the loss of residual renal function involves avoidance of nephrotoxic influences in the form of medications, radiocontrast agents, urinary obstruction and infection, and possibly other influences, such an elevated calcium-phosphorus product and anemia. Use of the lowest dialysate dextrose concentration that will allow adequate ultrafiltration is currently the most widespread practical measure of prevention of peritoneal membrane deterioration. Formulation of biocompatible dialysate is a major ongoing research effort and may greatly enhance the success of CPD in the future.
Nonlinear dynamics and control of a variable order oscillator with application to the van der Pol equation

We investigate the dynamics and control of a nonlinear oscillator that is described mathematically by a Variable Order Differential Equation (VODE). The dynamic problem in question arises from the dynamical analysis of a variable viscoelasticity oscillator. The dynamics of the model and the behavior of the variable order differintegrals are shown in variable phase space for different parameters. Two different controllers are developed for the VODEs under study in order to track an arbitrary reference function. A generalization of the van der Pol equation using the VODE formulation is analyzed under the light of the methods introduced in this work.
Strictly Pseudoconvex b-CR Manifolds

A b-CR structure on a smooth (2n + 1)-manifold ℳ with boundary is an involutive subbundle &#x1d4b1; of the complexification of the b-tangent bundle of ℳ such that and the codimension of in ℂ b Tℳ is 1. Thi...
Oxidation Kinetics and Composite Scale Formation in the System Mo(Al,Si)2

The oxidation kinetics of hot-pressed Mo(Al0.01Si0.99)2 and Mo(Al0.1Si0.9)2 were measured at 480°C, and between 1200° and 1600°C. The qualitative oxidation of arc-melted Mo(Al0.1Si0.9)2, Mo(Al0.3Si0.7)2, Mo(Al0.5Si0.5)2, and Mo3Al8 was examined after 600°C for 1000 h in air. At all temperatures, the compositional difference between the materials yielded very different oxidation rates and scale microstructures. At 1400° and 1500°C, microstructural evolution of the oxide scales resulted in improved oxidation resistance at long times (>400 h). At these temperatures, a significant reduction in the long-time oxidation kinetics was correlated with the in situ formation of an inner mullite scale. At 480° and 600°C, oxidation resistance improved significantly with increasing aluminum concentration. Contrary to the behavior of MoSi2, samples of Mo(Al0.01Si0.99)2 did not demonstrate catastrophic oxidation, and samples of Mo(Al0.1Si0.9)2 were very oxidation resistant.
Switched Poisson process/G/1 queue with service interruptions

Abstract In this paper, we develop an expression for the expected waiting time in a single server queueing system subject to interruptions with alternately varying Poisson arrival and renewal service rates. This queueing system is useful to model situations in production, computer and telecommunication systems in which customer arrivals and service requirements differ depending on whether the server is working or not. We develop an expression for the expected waiting time by approximating the virtual delay process by a Brownian motion. Our approximation for the expected waiting time involves only the means and variances and does not depend on any assumptions regarding the interarrival, service or switching time distributions. We present simulation results to illustrate the quality of our approximations.
Sodium depletion on glass surfaces during Auger analysis

The kinetics of the depletion of sodium on glass surfaces during Auger Electron Spectroscopic analysis is investigated. The decay process is mathematically represented as a sum of two single decaying exponential functions. This behavior may be described by a mechanism that accounts for the neutralization of sodium ions by the electron beam. Sodium ions and neutral sodium atoms are depleted by several known processes.
Transplacental pharmacokinetics of flecainide in the gravid baboon and fetus.

The objective of this study was to characterize the transfer of flecainide across the placenta and determine the fetal: maternal ratio of flecainide in the gravid baboon. Flecainide acetate has been especially successful for the treatment of fetal supraventricular tachycardia associated with hydrops fetalis. However, the degree of transplacental transmission remains unknown. In this study, all animals were placed under general anesthesia. Flecainide 2.5 mg/kg was administered intravenously. Percutaneous umbilical blood sampling was performed simultaneously with maternal sampling. Flecainide levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. A total of six gravid baboons were studied at an average gestational age of 132 days. The mean maternal volume of distribution at steady state was 5.1 ± 1.8 L/kg. The mean combined elimination constant (kel) was 0.79 ± 0.19 hr−1 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.64–0.93]. There was a linear relationship between maternal and fetal concentrations, with a ratio of fetal-to-maternal serum levels of 0.49 ± 0.05 (95% CI, 0.39–0.59). At steady state, fetal flecainide levels are ∼50% of maternal flecainide levels. Flecainide is rapidly distributed in the mother and fetus following a single intravenous dose with a maternal volume of distribution similar to that reported in normal healthy human adults. Since fetal levels correlate closely with maternal levels, we propose that it is possible to estimate fetal levels by monitoring maternal levels.
The use of corticosteroids to treat ocular inflammation.

Use of corticosteroids to treat ocular inflammation began more than 50 years ago when systemic administration of the hypophyseal-derived adrenocorticotrophic hormone caused significant improvement in human patients with uveitis [1,2]. Around the same time, topical therapy with cortisone was begun for patients with uveitis, sclerokeratitis, pemphigus, corneal alkali burns, and vernal keratoconjunctivitis [2]. Since then, corticosteroid therapy has been used extensively to control and prevent sequelae of ocular inflammation. This article reviews the common drugs, routes, indications, and side effects guiding corticosteroid therapy in small animal patients with ocular and periocular disease.
Who has soft budget constraints

(1997). Who has soft budget constraints? Global Economic Review: Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 29-49.
The spatial and temporal dynamics of US regional income inequality, 1950–1989

The inverted-U hypothesis which so influenced research on regional income inequality is obsolete and does not predict or explain the recent rise in regional inequality. We argue that the regional dynamics literature on polarization, polarization reversal and spatial restructuring offers more powerful explanations to changes in regional income inequality. In addition to the conventional approach of measuring systemic inequality, the empirical analysis in this paper emphasizes inequality variations, which put into focus the interplay between regional dynamics and regional income inequality. The findings highlight the impact of sectoral shifts and global spatial restructuring on the US regional economy, where new cores of growth and renewed growth are emerging.
Cosmic attractors and gauge hierarchy

We suggest a new cosmological scenario which naturally guarantees the smallness of scalar masses and vacuum expectation values , without invoking supersymmetry or any other (nongravitationally coupled) new physics at low energies. In our framework, the scalar masses undergo discrete jumps due to nucleation of closed branes during (eternal) inflation. The crucial point is that the step size of variation decreases in the direction of decreasing scalar mass. This scenario yields exponentially large domains with a distribution of scalar masses, which is sharply peaked around a hierarchically small value of the mass. This value is the ``attractor point'' of the cosmological evolution.
The Alaska Earthquake of 1964

Now that the dust has settled it is possible to assess the long term effects of the Alaskan earthquake on March 27, both on the activities of man and on the wild life of the State.
Erosion and reorientation of the Sapodilla Cays, Mesoamerican Reef Belize from 1960 to 2012

The Sapodilla Cays Marine Reserve in southern Belize includes nine low-relief sand cays that were first surveyed in 1960. The purpose of this study is to reconstruct a 52-year history of the Sapodilla Cays (1960–2012) using a combination of historical topographic surveys, satellite imagery, and additional field data collection. Results suggest that the majority of islands are eroding with some islands having lost over 70% of their area, and many have become swash aligned, which suggests limited sediment availability. The proportion of area lost on each island is related to the width of the reef platform (to the 5 m isobaths) in the direction of the reef edge, while island area is dependent on the width of the reef platform in the direction of the resultant wind. This suggests that the width of the reef platform is a primary determinant of sediment supply between storms that tend to erode the eastern shoreline of the island through refraction along the reef edge. While storm erosion tends to be concentrate...
Micrometre-gate m.e.s.f.e.t.s on laser-annealed polysilicon

Schottky-barrier field-effect transistors (m.e.s.f.e.t.s) have been fabricated on uniformly doped laser-annealed polycrystalline silicon deposited on a silicon nitride insulator. The devices, which had aluminium Schottky-barrier gates and diffused n+ sources and drains but nonoptimised channel profiles, had about 65% the gm values of similar but optimised devices made on s.o.s. layers. Performance of these devices is considered adequate for certain innovative integrated-circuit technologies.
Prospective evaluation of an anemia treatment algorithm in hemodialysis patients

Current guidelines recommend maintaining the hematocrits of chronic hemodialysis patients in the low to mid-30s. Maintaining patients' hematocrits within a narrow range requires frequent monitoring of their hematocrits and iron studies and periodic adjustment of erythropoietin doses and administration of intravenous iron. We designed a simple anemia treatment algorithm to streamline the management of anemia in hemodialysis patients. The protocol required formal monthly decisions about the administration of intravenous iron or changes in erythropoietin dose. This algorithm was implemented by dialysis nurses and evaluated prospectively for 6 months in a single dialysis unit (30 patients). The proportion of patients whose hematocrits were within the desired target (31% to 35%) increased from 27% at baseline to 61% during months 4 through 6 of the algorithm. Conversely, the proportion of patients whose hematocrit values were below the target decreased from 46% at baseline to 18% during months 4 through 6 of the algorithm (P=0.004). The percentage of patients whose hematocrit values were above the target did not increase. The proportion of patients whose transferrin saturation was less than 18% decreased from 47% at baseline to 20% during months 4 through 6 of the algorithm (P=0.04). The weekly erythropoietin dose administered decreased from 11,200+/-1,400 units at baseline to 9,400+/-1,200 units in month 6 of the algorithm (P=0.06). We conclude that a simple anemia treatment algorithm implemented by dialysis nurses is feasible and efficacious and may increase the proportion of hemodialysis patients whose hematocrit values are within the target range, without increasing erythropoietin requirements.
Argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness as a function of locus of control

This study examined argumentativeness, verbal aggressiveness, and general control expectancies. Two hundred ten (N=210) participants completed the Argumentativeness Scale, the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale, and a modified version of the Three‐Factor Locus of Control Scale. Results indicate that individuals who reportan internal control orientation were found toreport lower levels of argument avoidance than externals. Externals reported higher levels of verbal aggressiveness than internals. Further, an external locus of control orientation was positively related to verbal aggressiveness. Internal locus of control orientation was negatively related to tendency to avoid arguments. The findings provide further evidence into the relationship between control expectancies and aggressive communication traits.
Defective p53 Post-translational Modification Required for Wild Type p53 Inactivation in Malignant Epithelial Cells with mdm2 Gene Amplification

Mdm2 gene amplification occurs in benign and chemotherapy-responsive malignant tumors with wtp53 genes as well as in breast and epithelial cancers. Mdm2 amplification in benign tumors suggests that it is not sufficient for p53 inactivation in cancer, implying that other defects in the p53 pathway are required for malignancy. We investigated mechanisms of wtp53 protein inactivation in malignant conversion of epithelial cells by comparing clonally related initiated cells with their derivative cancerous cells that have mdm2 amplification. Deficiencies in p53 accumulation and activities in response to DNA damage were not due simply to Mdm2 destabilization of p53 protein, but to continued association of DNA-bound p53 with Mdm2 protein and lack of binding and acetylation by p300 protein. The aberrant interactions were not because of mdm2 amplification alone, because DNA-bound p53 protein from initiated cells failed to bind ectopically expressed Mdm2 or endogenous overexpressed Mdm2 from cancerous cells. Phosphorylations of endogenous p53 at Ser18, -23, or -37 were insufficient to dissociate Mdm2, because each was induced by UV in cancerous cells. Interestingly, phospho-mimic p53-T21E did dissociate the Mdm2 protein from DNA-bound p53 and recovered p300 binding and p21 induction in the cancerous cells. Thus wtp53 in malignant cells with mdm2 amplification can be inactivated by continued association of DNA-bound p53 protein with Mdm2 and failure of p300 binding and acetylation, coupled with a defect in p53 phosphorylation at Thr21. These findings suggest therapeutic strategies that address both p53/Mdm2 interaction and associated p53 protein defects in human tumors that have amplified mdm2 genes.
An immobilized enzyme reactor for the detoxification of bilirubin

An immobilized enzyme reactor has been developed for the degradation of bilirubin as a potential treatment for neonatal jaundice. It utilizes the enzyme bilirubin oxidase from Myrothecium verrucaria, which in the presence of molecular oxygen converts bilirubin to biliverdin and other products that are much less toxic than bilirubin. Bilirubin oxidase was covalently attached to agarose beads using cyano transfer activation. Forty percent of the specific activity of bilirubin oxidase was retained after immmobilization, and preparations with 20 units of enzymatic activity per gram of drained wet weight of gel were obtained. The stability of bilirubin oxidase at pH 7.4 and 37°C was improved fivefold by immobilization. A 15-mL column containing immobilized bilirubin oxidase, through which a 37°C solution of 332μM bilirubin and 450μM human serum albumin in 0.05M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) was passed at 1 mL/min, converted more than 60 percent of the bilirubin per pass. The substrate specificity of the enzyme and the small volume of the reactor are important characteristics for this clinical application where it is desirable to remove only one compound from the blood and to minimize the volume of blood in the extracorporeal circuit. This reactor, by detoxifying the jaundiced infant's blood of bilirubin, would eliminate the risks associated with the use of donor blood as is done currently in treating severe neonatal jaundice.
Effect of diet hydration on food and water intake, efficiency of food utilization and response to fast and realimentation in rats with dorsomedial hypothalamic hypophagia and growth retardation.

Mature male Sprague-Dawley rats that had received bilateral electrolytic lesions in the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMNL rats) at weaning and sham-operated controls, were divided into four groups. One DMNL and one control group were given a diet consisting of equal parts ( w / w ) of Purina Laboratory Chow and tap water (Mash). A second DMNL and control group received powdered lab chow (Powder). During an 11-day “baseline period” both DMNL groups were profoundly hypophagic, however, both Mash-fed DMNL rats and controls ate more than their Powder-fed counterparts. This pattern obtained whether or not the Mash water was considered in the calculations. Despite their lesion-induced hypodipsia, Mash-fed DMNL rats and controls compensate almost perfectly for the hydration water in the Mash by reducing water intake from drinking bottles. In contrast to previous experiments using pelleted lab chow, DMNL rats showed reduced water/food intake ratios compared with their controls. However, these ratios were above unity, as were those of the controls. The “Delta Lee Index” was greater in the Mash-fed DMNL rats than in the controls but similar to the Powder-fed DMNL rats. Efficiency of food utilization (EFU) was greatest in the Mash-fed DMNL rats, even when Mash water was not included in its computation. During a three-day fast DMNL rats drank less water than their controls, irrespective of previous dietary hydration. Body weight loss and loss in Lee Index in percent of pre-fast values were less severe in the DMNL rats, again irrespective of previous dietary hydration. During a five-day realimentation period similar food and water intake patterns were observed as during the “baseline period”. Regaining of lost body weight and Lee Index in per cent were similar in all rats, but Mash-fed DMNL rats utilized food more efficiently than their controls. Plasma glucose, free fatty acids and total protein were similar among the groups at sacrifice but plasma glycerol levels were higher in the Mash-fed DMNL rats than in their controls and Powderfed DMNL rats. The data are interpreted to mean that although DMNL rats are grossly hypophagic and hypodipsic and grow poorly they will respond—as do controls—to the weight gain- and food intake-promoting properties of a hydrated diet.
The semantics of social constructivism

This essay will examine some rather serious trouble confronting claims that mathematicalia might be social constructs. Because of the clarity with which he makes the case and the philosophical rigor he applies to his analysis, our exemplar of a social constructivist in this sense is Julian Cole, especially the work in his 2009 and 2013 papers on the topic. In a 2010 paper, Jill Dieterle criticized the view in Cole’s 2009 paper for being unable to account for the atemporality of mathematical existents. Cole’s 2013 paper addresses this objection, providing a modification of his 2009 paper allowing for atemporal mathematicalia. An unusual consequence of Cole’s account is that at least some existential claims about mathematicalia used to be false but now have always been true. By examining the semantics of such claims, we demonstrate that social constructivism is in fact, despite Cole’s attempts to rectify matters, incompatible with atemporal mathematicalia. In the course of examining these semantic details, however, an alternative hybrid view of fictionalism and social constructivism emerges. Those tempted by social constructivism, while perhaps disappointed by the negative results of the paper, may be encouraged by how much of their view can be recovered in this alternative account.
Extreme sample censoring problems with multivariate data: Indirect censoring and the Farlie-Gumbel-Morgenstern distribution

Abstract Indirect censoring is defined as the effect on observed variables of censoring on unobserved variables. Methods of testing for indirect censoring are discussed, and exemplified, using a bivariate Farlie-Gumbel-Morgenstern distribution.
Integration in Christian Ethical Decision-making

Market complexity, ongoing change, and the effect of postmodern assump tions on capitalism leave organizational leaders to manage a degree of ambiguity historically unknown. In the midst of such ambiguity, leaders must respond to multiple constituents with competing demands (Fama, 1980), operating within structures that minimize the leaders' formal authority (e.g., Miles and Snow, 1986). The leaders' task, therefore, becomes the management of market and value ambiguity without formal influence, or at least with primarily informal influence (Kotter, 1985). It is in this ambiguous context that most organizational leaders are challenged with making and implementing ethical decisions (Donaldson, 2003). Overly simplistic assistance to leaders will not satisfy their complex needs. They require an integrated and appropriately sophisticated model for ethical decision-making. Christian leaders may require more, because they believe they are wrestling with truth in the midst of apparent chaos. Many promising advances are available to assist them, yet organizational efforts continue to strive for a more satisfactory integration. Given the overwhelming breadth and depth of ethical perspectives to date (Stackhouse, 1995), full and satisfactory integration is ultimately attainable only by God. However, we are called to the task of ongoing
Towards Expert Systems for the Selection of Search Keys

Intermediary expert systems are designed to mediate between end-users and complex information retrieval systems. However, since most of these expert systems are based on text analysis rather than on models of hum man searching, they cannot process requestrelated criteria, such as precision or recall requirements. Analysis of the searching behavior of human intermediaries revealed a routine for the selection of search keys-freetext or controlled vocabulary-along a decision tree. Examples of decision rules demonstrate that although further research is required, these rules can be automated to significantly enhance the adaptability of inter. mediary expert systems.
Resonance Raman Spectroscopic- and Photocurrent Imaging of Polythiophene/Fullerene Solar Cells

Resonance Raman−photocurrent imaging (RRPI) is introduced to spatially map the morphology-dependent polymer aggregation state to local photocurrent generation efficiency in poly-(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) blend thin film photovoltaic devices. The C═C symmetric stretching mode of P3HT is decomposed into contributions from aggregated (IC═Cagg, ∼1450 cm−1) and unaggregated (IC═Cun, ∼1470 cm−1) chains, and the ratios of their integrated intensities (IC═Cagg/IC═Cun, R) is used as a reporter for the local P3HT aggregation state. Maps of R values and photocurrents are generated for both as-cast and annealed P3HT/PCBM devices that permit direct spatial correlations between the P3HT aggregation state and local photocurrent generation efficiency. Regions of increased P3HT aggregation are observed at both P3HT/PCBM interfaces and in P3HT-rich areas that result in decreased photocurrent generation. Voltage-dependent RRPI studies are also performed at several applie...
Methylation of erythrocyte membrane phospholipids in patients with myotonic and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Abstract Recent studies of rat erythrocyte membranes demonstrated that the transfer of methyl groups to phosphatidylethanolamine significantly altered membrane structure and function. Because membrane alterations were reported in red blood cells from patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, we investigated these reactions as a potential explanation for the membrane defects of these disorders. Human erythrocyte membranes were found to catalyze the transfer of methyl groups from S -adenosylmethionine (SAM) to phosphatidylethanolamine to form successively N -monomethyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (PMME), N,N -dimethylphosphatidylethanolamine (PDME), and phosphatidylcholine (PC). The half-maximal rate of [ 3 H]methyl incorporation into PMME and PDME occurred at lower concentrations of SAM (3 and 11 μM, respectively) than that (46 μ m ) needed for the incorporation into PC. Phospholipid methyltransferase activities in erythrocyte membranes increased with the age of the subject. Five of seven female patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy possessed elevated rates of phospholipid methylation compared with their sex- and age-matched controls. The formation of PC in the red blood cells of one female patient were enhanced over a wide range of SAM concentrations indicating an increased V max rather than an altered K m . In contrast, male patients with myotonic dystrophy or with Duchenne muscular dystrophy had similar activities relative to age- and sex-matched controls. Because only female patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy demonstrated an alteration in phospholipid methylation, these reactions do not represent the primary metabolic defect in either dystrophic disorder. However, these results suggest that an increased conversion of PE to PC may influence the expression of the primary defect especially in older female patients.
A low cost solution for the fabrication of dielectrophoretic microfluidic devices and embedded electrodes

The versatility of a simple method for producing microfluidic devices with embedded electrodes is demonstrated through the fabrication and operation of two dielectrophoretic devices; one employing interdigitated electrode structures on glass and the other employing contactless electrode reservoirs. Device manufacture is based on the precipitation of silver and subsequent photolithography of thin film resists conducted outside of a cleanroom environment. In current experiments, minimum channel widths of 50 microns and electrode widths of 25 microns are achieved when the distance between features is 40 microns or greater. These results illustrate this technique's potential to produce microfluidic devices with embedded electrodes for lab on chip applications while significantly reducing fabrication expense.
New Postoperative Depressive Symptoms and Long-Term Cardiac Outcomes After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

The authors evaluated the impact of an increase in depressive symptoms at 6 months after elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery on long-term cardiac morbidity and mortality between 6 and 36 months postoperatively. Patients who had low scores for depressive symptomatology pre-operatively and who completed follow-up at 6 months were contacted again 36 months after surgery to assess cardiac and neurologic morbidity and mortality. At 36 months after surgery, an interval history was completed, and baseline questionnaires were readministered. Follow-up was obtained on 123/124 patients (99%). The rate of combined new cardiac morbidity/mortality between 6 and 36 months was 13.6% among those with newly increased depressive symptoms at 6 months vs. 3.0% in the patients without new depressive symptoms at 6 months. Only an increase in depressive symptoms at 6 months was related to the occurrence of subsequent cardiac complications between 6 and 36 months. In this small sample of patients, increased depressive symptoms at 6 months after surgery appear to be associated with the occurrence of subsequent major cardiac morbidity/ mortality.
Dynamic Stiffness Formulation and Its Application for a Combined Beam and a Two Degree-of-Freedom System

This paper is concerned with the dynamic stiffness formulation and its application for a Bernoulli-Euler beam carrying a two degree-of-freedom spring-mass system. The effect of a two degree-of-freedom system kinematically connected to the beam is represented exactly by replacing it with equivalent stiffness coefficients, which are added to the appropriate stiffness coefficients of the bare beam. Numerical examples whose results are obtained by applying the Wittrick-Williams algorithm to the total dynamic stiffness matrix are given and compared with published results. Applications of the theory include the free vibration analysis of frameworks carrying two degree-of-freedom spring-mass systems.