cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early initiation of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in a mechanically ventilated patient with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome.

A 49-year-old man presented to the emergency department with acute-onset dyspnoea and hypoxaemia 1 day following nasal surgery for obstructive sleep apnoea. A chest X-ray showed diffuse bilateral pulmonary infiltrates. Supplemental 100% fractional inspired oxygen (FiO2) via non-rebreather mask was delivered with resulting arterial oxygen tension:FiO2 ratio of 67. Transthoracic echocardiogram demonstrated normal heart function. A clinical diagnosis of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was promptly made. Based on patient preference to avoid intubation and following a multidisciplinary approach, we decided to initiate venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) as an alternative strategy to mechanical ventilation. Though he ultimately required brief mechanical ventilation during ECMO cannulation, the patient spent a total of 5 days on VV-ECMO and a total of 8 days in the intensive care unit. Six days after discharge, his pulmonary function test demonstrated no significant abnormalities. We present a rare case of early initiation of VV-ECMO in a patient with severe ARDS that served as a bridge to recovery.
The “male” privilege of White women, the “White” privilege of Black women, and vulnerability to violence: an intersectional analysis of Peace Corps workers in host countries

ABSTRACTThis article is an intersectional analysis of race, gender, and nationality in development work. Using interview, document, and observational data, I situate this inquiry in the context of ...
Antología de escritoras españolas de la Edad Media y el Siglo de Oro

Antologia de escritoras espanolas de la Edad Media y el Siglo de Oro ofrece una seleccion de obras literarias de ocho escritoras medievales, renacentistas y barrocas. Cada capitulo presenta una extensa introduccion sobre la autora y su obra. Esta antologia contribuye a mejorar el conocimiento de los estudiantes sobre la lengua, la literatura y la cultura espanolas, al igual que ofrece una lectura desde la perspectiva de genero de estas escritoras. Acompanada de textos originales modernizados al castellano actual, notas aclaratorias, actividades y una extensa y actualizada bibliografia, Antologia de escritoras espanolas de la Edad Media y el Siglo de Oro muestra la evolucion de voces femeninas a lo largo de estos siglos. Las actividades sugeridas para cada capitulo ayudan a exponer y a reflexionar sobre la relevancia cultural que en la actualidad tienen los argumentos que estas mujeres proponent en sus trabajos. Esta antologia sera de gran utilidad para estudiantes de literatura y cultura espanolas de niveles de grado y graduado e, igualmente, para los estudiantes hispanohablantes de literature comparada y de estudios de genero.
Modulation of Formation, Physicochemical Properties, and Digestion of Ovotransferrin Nanofibrils with Covalent or Non-Covalent Bound Gallic Acid

The impact of covalent or non-covalent bound gallic acid (GA) on the formation, physicochemical properties, and digestion of ovotransferrin (OTF) nanofibrils was comprehensively studied. Thioflavin T fluorescence results revealed that bound GA could inhibit OTF nanofibrillation and that the fibril-inhibitory activity of bound GA was dose dependent. Covalent bound GA exerted stronger inhibition on OTF nanofibrillation than an equal amount of non-covalent bound GA. Atomic force microscopy revealed that covalent bound GA shortened OTF nanofibrils significantly, while non-covalent bound GA did not change the contour length of OTF fibrils remarkably. Bound GA altered diameter of OTF nanofibrils. Both covalent and non-covalent bound GA could alter the zeta potential, surface hydrophobicity, and rheological properties of OTF nanofibrils. Bound GA endowed OTF nanofibrils with a strong antioxidant activity. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion results showed that covalent bound GA elevated the fibril digestion rate better than non-covalent bound GA. Polyphenol binding provided a new approach to modulating the physicochemical properties of protein nanofibrils.
Using Sustainable Robotics in an Intelligent Robotic Gardening System for Education

The project presented here intends to bring together robotics and gardening in a fun and interactive game. This game will become an educational tool to teach users about horticulture as well as sustainable practices in agriculture. Additionally, repurposed electronics including discarded robotic vacuums and laptop computers are utilized to facilitate the reduction of electronic waste and sustainability of the system. The combination of complex robotics and the simplicity of nature's plants can appeal to a wide audience and give widespread access to human-machine interaction. The learning activity is open source and will eventually be expanded to be used for intelligent urban gardening.
Delayed vs initial cytomegalovirus prophylaxis after kidney transplantation

It is recommended to start cytomegalovirus (CMV) prophylaxis within 10 days of solid organ transplant, if indicated. Our center underwent a cost-savings initiative to delay CMV prophylaxis initiation from postoperative day zero to postoperative day 7 or upon discharge, hypothesizing this would not affect clinical outcomes but could impact costs. The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the effects of early vs delayed ( 72 hours after transplant) CMV prophylaxis in kidney and kidney/pancreas transplant recipients transplanted between June 2014 and January 2017. The primary endpoint was incidence of CMV infection within 1 year. Secondary endpoints included CMV disease, CMV testing, and valganciclovir cost during index hospitalization. A total of 173 patients (114 early, 59 delayed) were included. CMV infection occurred in 61% vs 54% in the early vs delayed group (P = .5). Excluding low-level DNAemia (QNAT < 200 IU/mL), infection occurred in 30% vs 22% in the early vs late group (P = .4). The median days to starting prophylaxis were 0 and 6 in the early and delayed group (P < .05), which led to a median cost savings of $497.00 per patient during index hospitalization (P < .05). Delaying prophylaxis initiation did not impact CMV outcomes in this cohort and decreased costs.
Repeatability and Reproducibility of Pancreas Volume Measurements Using MRI

Reduced pancreas volume, as measured by non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is observed in individuals with newly-diagnosed type 1 diabetes (T1D) and declines over the first year after diagnosis. In this study, we determined the repeatability and inter-reader reproducibility of pancreas volume measurements by MRI. Test-retest scans in individuals with or without T1D (n = 16) had an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.985 (95% CI 0.961 to 0.995) for pancreas volume. Independent pancreas outlines by two board-certified radiologists (n = 30) yielded an ICC of 0.945 (95% CI 0.889 to 0.973). The mean Dice coefficient, a measurement of the degree of overlap between pancreas regions of interest between the two readers, was 0.77. Prandial state did not influence pancreatic measurements, as stomach volume did not correlate with pancreas volume. These data demonstrate that MRI measurements of pancreas volume between two readers are repeatable and reproducible with ICCs that correspond to excellent clinical significance (ICC > 0.9), are not related to changes in stomach volume, and could be a useful tool for clinical investigation of diabetes and other pancreas pathologies.
In Sullivan’s Shadow: The Use and Abuse of Libel Law during the Long Civil Rights Struggle: Edmondson, Aimee. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2019, 382 pp., $27.95 (paperback).

The 1964 Supreme Court decision in New York Times vs. Sullivan is rarely mentioned without the modifying phrase “landmark case.” The case represented a major disruption in the libel law in the Unit...
Christianity, LGBTQ Suicide, and the Souls of Queer Folk: by Cody J. Sanders, Lanham, MA, Lexington Books, 2020, 152 pp., $90.00 (hardback), ISBN 978-1-7936-0609-9

Cody Sanders is a leading voice in pastoral theology and care with LGBTQ people, and his work explores a range of topics: from queer approaches to therapy, to microaggressions in ministry, and care...
Who Touched My Browser Fingerprint?: A Large-scale Measurement Study and Classification of Fingerprint Dynamics

Browser fingerprints are dynamic, evolving with feature values changed over time. Previous fingerprinting datasets are either small-scale with only thousands of browser instances or without considering fingerprint dynamics. Thus, it remains unclear how an evolution-aware fingerprinting tool behaves in a real-world setting, e.g., on a website with millions of browser instances, let alone how fingerprint dynamics implicate privacy and security.In this paper, we perform the first, large-scale study of millions of fingerprints to analyze fingerprint dynamics in a real-world website. Our measurement study answers the question of how and why fingerprints change over time by classifying fingerprint dynamics into three categories based on their causes. We also observed several insights from our measurement, e.g., we show that state-of-the-art fingerprinting tool performs poorly in terms of F1-Score and matching speed in this real-world setting.
Structural and functional sex differences in the ventral pallidal vasopressin system are associated with the sex-specific regulation of juvenile social play behavior in rats

The ventral pallidum (VP) has been implicated in the regulation of rewarding adult social behaviors, such as pair-bonding and sociosexual motivation. However, the role of the VP in regulating rewarding juvenile social behaviors, such as social play, is unknown. Social play is predominantly displayed by juveniles of many mammalian species and engagement in social play helps develop social competence. In this study, we determined whether the VP is involved in regulating social play in juvenile rats by temporarily inactivating the VP via bilateral infusions of muscimol, the GABAA receptor agonist. Muscimol treatment decreased social play duration in males and females compared to the same-sex control groups. We then focused on the vasopressin (AVP) system in the VP as one potential modulator of social play. We examined the organization of the AVP system in the VP in juvenile rats and found robust sex differences, with denser AVP-immunoreacive fibers and denser vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR) binding in males compared to females, but a greater number of V1aR-expressing cells in females compared to males. Next, we determined whether exposure to social play changed the activation of V1aR-expressing VP cells in male and female juvenile rats. We found that exposure to social play enhanced the number of V1aR-expressing VP cells co-expressing fos, a marker of neuronal activation, in males only. Finally, we determined the causal involvement of AVP signaling in the VP in social play behavior by infusion of a specific V1aR antagonist into the VP prior to social play exposure. We found that V1aR blockade in the VP increased social play duration in juvenile male rats but decreased social play duration in juvenile female rats compared to same-sex control groups. These findings reveal structural and functional sex differences in the AVP system in the VP that are associated with the sex-specific regulation of juvenile social play behavior.
Detailing an Improved Heat Transfer Model for Pavements

Temperature profiles are a fundamental input into mechanistic-empirical pavement analysis and design, and the enhanced integrated climatic model (EICM) is the state-of-the-practice for calculating ...
Experimentally imposed circadian misalignment alters the neural response to monetary rewards and response inhibition in healthy adolescents.

Background Sleep and circadian timing shifts later during adolescence, conflicting with early school start times, and resulting in circadian misalignment. Although circadian misalignment has been linked to depression, substance use, and altered reward function, a paucity of experimental studies precludes the determination of causality. Here we tested, for the first time, whether experimentally-imposed circadian misalignment alters the neural response to monetary reward and/or response inhibition. Methods Healthy adolescents (n = 25, ages 13-17) completed two in-lab sleep schedules in counterbalanced order: An 'aligned' condition based on typical summer sleep-wake times (0000-0930) and a 'misaligned' condition mimicking earlier school year sleep-wake times (2000-0530). Participants completed morning and afternoon functional magnetic resonance imaging scans during each condition, including monetary reward (morning only) and response inhibition (morning and afternoon) tasks. Total sleep time and circadian phase were assessed via actigraphy and salivary melatonin, respectively. Results Bilateral ventral striatal (VS) activation during reward outcome was lower during the Misaligned condition after accounting for the prior night's total sleep time. Bilateral VS activation during reward anticipation was lower during the Misaligned condition, including after accounting for covariates, but did not survive correction for multiple comparisons. Right inferior frontal gyrus activation during response inhibition was lower during the Misaligned condition, before and after accounting for total sleep time and vigilant attention, but only during the morning scan. Conclusions Our findings provide novel experimental evidence that circadian misalignment analogous to that resulting from school schedules may have measurable impacts on healthy adolescents' reward processing and inhibition of prepotent responses.
The Second Element, First Priority

Leaders have knowingly made a significant miscalculation in basic math, which is pushing world climate policies to the “tipping points . . . that will alter regional and global environmental balances. . . irreversible within the time span of our current civilization.” Climate policy focuses primarily on only one warming chemical, carbon dioxide (CO2), the most prevalent greenhouse gas (GHG). The second most important warming chemical has been miscalculated and underestimated in its causative impact on climate, not by a few percent or by a rounding error, but by several hundred percent. This article re-examines the science of climate warming in real time. This article identifies and outlines corrections in how U.S. policy has underestimated the real-time impact of methane on the Planet’s environment, and underscores necessary legal policy options to correct the error. The legal policy options for every sector of the U.S. economy are analyzed in this article, to achieve deep decarbonization of methane’s damage to climate and environment. This article identifies ‘win-win’ policy options and imperatives, if correctly identified and implemented.
Malignant spindle cell tumors of the posterior fossa in children: case series and review of management.

Objective The WHO Classification of Tumours of the Central Nervous System (2016) classifies nonmeningothelial malignant spindle cell tumors involving the extraaxial tissues of the posterior fossa as melanocytic tumors and malignant mesenchymal tumors (sarcomas). The objective of this study was to conduct a review of the literature pertaining to the management strategies of posterior fossa malignant spindle cell tumors in the pediatric population. Methods The authors performed an institutional search of their pathology database for patients younger than 18 years of age who presented with posterior fossa malignant spindle cell tumors. A literature review was also performed using the PubMed database, with "posterior fossa" or "spindle cell tumors" or "Ewing sarcoma" or "high-grade" or "spindle cell sarcoma" or "leptomeningeal melanocytoma" as keywords. The database search was restricted to pediatric patients (age ≤ 18 years). Parameters reported from the literature review included patient age, tumor location, presenting symptoms, treatment modalities (resection, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy), leptomeningeal spread at or after the time of treatment, and follow-up length and resulting outcome. Results The authors report 3 rare cases of posterior fossa malignant spindle cell tumors, including Ewing sarcoma in a 13-year-old male; high-grade spindle cell sarcoma, not otherwise specified in a 10-year-old male; and primary leptomeningeal melanocytoma in a 16-year-old female. All 3 patients underwent resection and radiotherapy and either chemotherapy or targeted immunotherapy. At the last follow-up, all patients were alive with either resolution or stable disease. Conclusions A review of these 3 cases and the existing literature support managing patients with intracranial malignant spindle cell tumors with multimodal therapy that can include a combination of resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy or immunotherapy to prolong progression-free and overall survival.
What makes for a competitive fellowship candidate? A survey of clinical neuropsychology postdoctoral training directors.

To obtain objective data about the factors that clinical neuropsychology postdoctoral training directors (TDs) look for and prioritize in their review and selection of fellowship candidates.We iden...
Housing Instability and Depression among US Mothers Following a Nonmarital Birth.

Mothers who had a nonmarital birth experience multiple risk factors for depression, including housing instability. Yet, important questions remain about the extent of long-term housing instability and its association with future depression among at-risk mothers. Using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study data, we examine cumulative housing instability over a 15-year period following nonmarital birth and its association with maternal depression. Based on a sample of 2279 mothers who had a nonmarital birth in 20 major US cities between 1998–2000, we examined their 15-year residential moves and housing arrangements. Then, we tested the associations between the cumulative residential moves and major depressive episodes (MDE) in Year 15 using logistic regression analysis. One in every four mothers had six or more residential moves in 15 years following a nonmarital birth. For each additional move, mothers reported up to 27.9% higher odds of having a past-year MDE in Year 15, translating into the prevalence increases from 6.0% (zero move) to 20.6% (10 moves). Our findings suggest that greater attention should be paid to housing needs among mothers following a nonmarital birth, including temporary housing assistance and more fundamental programs to reduce housing instability as preventive mental health services.
A comparison of the odorous emissions from a direct injection and an indirect injection diesel engine

Two single cylinder diesel engines, a direct injection TACOM engine and an indirect injection CFR cetane engine, were modified and instrumented to incorporate odour research utilizing the Diesel Odor Analysis System. Both engines were exercised over similar ranges of operating parameters and their odourous emissions compared and contrasted. Engine operating variables having an effect on odour were identified and include: extreme air–fuel ratios or loads, injection timing, injector configuration, and fuel composition. The effects of these parameters on the odour trends were not always similar in both engine configurations. An explanation of these different odour trends is presented and is based upon the identification and location of injection rate controlled and aerodynamically controlled combustion regimes, coupled with their effect on the different combustion sources of odour emissions.
Opiate Antagonists in the Treatment of Heroin Dependence

Opiate addiction is a complex social and psychological disorder of diverse origins that defies conventional therapeutic efforts, both social and medical. Treatment is discouraged by the high rate of recidivism. Rehabilitation programs frequently reduce recidivism either by the careful selection of suitable patients (accepting only those with the best motivation for recovery) or by imprisonment and primitive systems of parole or by methadone substitution, which satisfies opiate craving by cross tolerance. Each treatment program for opiate dependence—whether forced imprisonment, group therapy, reeducation, psychotherapy, or social rehabilitation— requires an adjuvant to “engage” the subject in the treatment schedule. Methadone substitution fulfills such a role, although the addicting properties of methadone is a continuing hazard.
SU-E-T-597: Parameterization of the Photon Beam Dosimetry for a Commercial Linear Accelerator

Purpose: In radiation therapy, accurate data acquisition of photon beam dosimetric quantities is important for (1) beam modeling data input into a treatment planning system (TPS), (2) comparing measured and TPS modelled data, (3) a linear accelerator’s (linac) beam characteristics quality assurance process, and (4) establishing a standard data set for data comparison, etcetera. Parameterization of the photon beam dosimetry creates a portable data set that is easy to implement for different applications such as those previously mentioned. The aim of this study is to develop methods to parameterize photon percentage depth doses(PDD), profiles, and total scatter output factors(Scp). Methods: Scp, PDDs and profiles for different field sizes (from 2×2 to 40×40cm{sup 2}), depths and energies were measured in a linac using a three-dimensional water tank. All data were smoothed and profile data were also centered, symmetrized and geometrically scaled. The Scp and PDD data were analyzed using exponential functions. For modelling of open and wedge field profiles, each side was divided into three regions described by exponential, sigmoid and Gaussian equations. The model’s equations were chosen based on the physical principles described by these dosimetric quantities. The equations’ parameters were determined using a least square optimization method with themore » minimal amount of measured data necessary. The model’s accuracy was then evaluated via the calculation of absolute differences and distance–to–agreement analysis in low gradient and high gradient regions, respectively. Results: All differences in the PDDs’ buildup and the profiles’ penumbra regions were less than 2 mm and 0.5 mm, respectively. Differences in the low gradient regions were 0.20 ± 0.20% and 0.50 ± 0.35% for PDDs and profiles, respectively. For Scp data, all differences were less than 0.5%. Conclusion: This novel analytical model with minimum measurement requirements proved to accurately calculate PDDs, profiles, and Scp for different field sizes, depths and energies.« less
The Moral Presuppositions of Multicultural Education

Advocates of Multicultural Education (ME) have shown little or no special interest in teaching tolerance even though they have regarded it as a trait of the members of a multicultural society. On the other hand, some proponents of ME have suggested that it might be desirable to teach students to be intolerant of certain things, mainly, linguistic signs of cultural disrespect. These are those advocates who have acted to ban “hate speech” and “politically incorrect speech.” I do not know that they actually want students to learn to be intolerant of these and other linguistic forms of cultural disrespect, but because of their actions, I suppose that they do.
The lown and lowm r. e. degrees are not elementarily equivalent

Jockusch, Li and Yang showed that the Lown and Low1 r.e. degrees are not elementarily equivalent for n>1. We answer a question they raise by using the results of Nies, Shore and Slaman to show that the Lown and Lowm r.e. degrees are not elementarily equivalent for n > m > 1.
Computer aided design of broadband matching networks with optimal delay characteristics

A CAD procedure is presented for the design of broadband matching networks which, when operating between frequency-dependent terminations, approximates a specified group delay response. Examples include embedding the matching network in an active environment. It is seen that the CAD technique gives superior performance compared with analytic matching methods. >
Single-Iteration Training Algorithm for Multi-Layer Feed-Forward Neural Networks

A new methodology for neural learning is presented. Only a single iteration is needed to train a feed-forward network with near-optimal results. This is achieved by introducing a key modification to the conventional multi-layer architecture. A virtual input layer is implemented, which is connected to the nominal input layer by a special nonlinear transfer function, and to the first hidden layer by regular (linear) synapses. A sequence of alternating direction singular value decompositions is then used to determine precisely the inter-layer synaptic weights. This computational paradigm exploits the known separability of the linear (inter-layer propagation) and nonlinear (neuron activation) aspects of information transfer within a neural network. Examples show that the trained neural networks generalize well.
Expansion Tree Proofs and Their Conversion to Natural Deduction Proofs

We present a new form of Herbrand’s theorem which is centered around structures called expansion trees. Such trees contains substitution formulas and selected (critical) variables at various non-term/hal nodes. These trees encode a shallow formula and a deep formula — the latter containing the formulas which label the terminal nodes of the expansion tree. If a certain relation among the selected variables of an expansion tree is acycllc and if the deep formula of the tree is tantologous, then we say that the expansion tree is a special kind of proof, called an ET-proof, of its shallow formula. Because ET-proofs are suf~ciently simple and general (expansion trees are, in a sense, generalized formulas), they can be used in the context of not only first-order logic but also a version of higher-order logic which properly contains first-order logic. Since the computational logic literature has seldomly dealt with the nature of proofs in higher-order logic, our investigation of ET-proofs will be done entirely in this setting. It can be shown that a formula has an ET-proof if and only if that formula is a theorem of higher-order logic. Expanslon trees have several pleasing practical and theoretical properties. To demonstrate this fact, we use ET-proofs to extend and complete Andrews’ procedure [4] for automatically constructing natural deductions proofs. We shall also show how to use a mating for an ET-proof’s tautologous, deep formula to provide this procedure with the “look ahead” needed to determine if certain lines are unnecessary to prove other lines and when and how backchalning can be done. The resulting natural deduction proofs are generally much shorter and more readable than proofs build without using this mating information. This conversion process works without needing any search. Details omitted in this paper can be found in the author’s dissertation [16].
Tone conditioning potentiates rather than overshadows context fear in adult animals following adolescent ethanol exposure.

We have shown that adults exposed to ethanol during adolescence exhibit a deficit in the retention of context fear, reminiscent of that normally seen in preweanling rats. However, preweanlings have been reported to exhibit a potentiation of context fear when they are conditioned in the presence of a tone. Therefore, this study examined context retention 24 hr after tone or context conditioning in male Sprague–Dawley rats exposed intragastrically to 4 g/kg ethanol or water every 48 hr (total of 11 exposures) during adolescence [Postnatal day (P) 28–48] or adulthood (P70–90). Approximately 3 weeks following exposure, retention of fear to the context in animals exposed to ethanol during adolescence was attenuated after context conditioning, but enhanced after tone conditioning. Comparable adult ethanol exposure groups showed typical overshadowing of context fear retention after tone conditioning. These data suggest that adolescent ethanol exposure may induce an immature pattern of cognitive processing. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 56: 1150–1155, 2014.
The Star-Jet-Disk System and Angular Momentum Transfer

The interaction between the stellar magnetic field and the accretion disk in T Tauri stars is a complex, poorly-understood region. Both accretion and angular momentum loss are driven in some manner from this region. I discuss some of the models of disk-star interaction with a focus on angular momentum regulation, suggesting that time-dependent field line structure is essential to explain the slow rotation of many accreting T Tauri stars.
Accurate & Efficient Pricing of Arithmetic Average Asian Options within the Hull-White Method

Simulation or other approximate methods have traditionally been required to price most exotic options as there have existed no closed-form expressions for their prices. By contrast, simulation of vanilla options without dividends is not necessary, as Black-Scholes expected prices are represented by closed-form expressions. Relying on analytical closed-form results developed by Market Memory Trading, L.L.C. (MMT), described in recent publication http://ssrn.com/abstract=2546430, errors of the widely used Hull-White Method (HWM), based on binomial trees, for valuing arithmetic average Asian options are studied here as functions of the number of time steps n, grid-spacing h, moneyness and other option parameters. It is demonstrated that: As expected, the HWM approximation error with respect to exact reference prices provided by MMT is a decreasing function of the number of time steps n for a reasonably small grid spacing h, e.g. for h = 0.01 and n = 200 the error is within 0.1% for In-The-Money (ITM) options, around 5% for At-The-Money (ATM) options and a few tens of percent for deeply Out-of-The-Money (OTM) options for a wide range of options parameters. The remarkable accuracy of the HWM approximation for ITM options is due to the fact that approximation errors are associated with estimates of the options’ time value. Time value of deeply ITM options is relatively small, making relative value of errors in its estimates even smaller. For ATM and, especially, for OTM options time value is the only value and errors are substantial. The availability of exact prices provided by MMT has allowed discovery of the important and surprising fact that for any number of time steps n, even as small as 20, there exists an optimal grid spacing h* which reproduces exact prices within just 0.5% error margin for the entire spectrum of moneyness and for any choices of expiry T, volatility σ and interest rate r. For the most liquid ATM and close to ATM options, an empirical expression for h* was found in a remarkably simple form.The opportunity provided by this formula for practitioners is that as few as n = 20 time steps can be used to price an ATM Asian option with error less than 0.5% within milliseconds for any choice of option parameters, rather than running extremely long simulations (say, 500 or more time steps) with sub-optimal grid-spacing. In this sense, knowledge of h* is practically equivalent to having the analytical closed-form pricing of Asian options. All computations were performed using the multi-threaded C code (8 threads) on a Windows 8.1, 2.4GHz (8 virtual cores) Intel i7 machine. With suboptimal grid-spacing h=0.01 evaluation of each price for n=200 time steps has taken on average 450 seconds. On a similar platform MMT produces exact prices in a millisecond per price for any set of option parameters.
RNA from brush oral cytology to measure squamous cell carcinoma gene expression.

Background: RNA expression analysis of oral keratinocytes can be used to detect early stages of disease such as oral cancer or to monitor on-going treatment responses of the same or other oral diseases. A limitation is the inability to obtain high quality RNA from oral tissue without using biopsies. While oral cytology cell samples can be obtained from patients in a minimally invasive manner they have not been validated for quantitative analysis of RNA expression. Methods: As a starting point in the analysis of tumor markers in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), we examined RNA in brush cytology samples from hamsters treated with dibenzo[a,l]pyrene to induce oral carcinoma. Three separate samples from each animal were assessed for expression of candidate marker genes and control genes measured with real-time RT-PCR. Results: Brush oral cytology samples from normal mucosa were shown to consist almost exclusively of epithelial cells. Remarkably, s-2 microglobulin and cytochrome p450, 1B1 (CYP1B1) RNA showed potential utility as markers of OSCC in samples obtained in this rapid and non-surgical manner. Conclusion: Brush oral cytology may prove useful as a source of RNA for gene expression analysis during the progression of diseases of the oral epithelium such as OSCC.
Evolution: The Advantage of ‘Maladaptive’ Pain Plasticity

Following injury, nociceptive systems become sensitized, leading to heightened pain perception. The evolutionary reason for this phenomenon has been hard to pinpoint. A study in squid now suggests that nociceptive sensitization enhances survival from predators.
Focussed microwave radiation: a technique to minimize post mortem changes of cyclic nucleotides, dopa and choline and to preserve brain morphology

Abstract A focussed microwave irradiation is described which facilitates microdissection of brain nuclei and the assay of the concentrations of cyclic AMP, cyclic guanosine monophosphate, choline, DOPA and various glucose metabolites which undergo rapid metabolism during post mortem processes. This technique is compared with freeze-blowing, liquid nitrogen immersion and decapitation. The results obtained with the various techniques are discussed.
Effect of Shear Stud Connections on Dynamic Response of an FRP Deck Bridge under Moving Loads

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of shear stud connections on the dynamic response of the fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) deck system under moving loads. A FRP deck bridge in Pennsylvania was studied based on a field test and finite-element (FE) analysis. In the field test, the strain of each steel girder at the midspan was measured at three positions: top, midheight, and bottom. In the FE analysis, the connection between the steel girders and the FRP deck was simulated as fully and partially composite, separately. Static performance under a simplified truck load was investigated based on these two FE models, and the FE analysis results were compared with the field test results to validate the FE models. The FE results of the fully composite model and the partially composite model provide a lower bound and an upper bound for the real response of the FRP deck system. Next, the dynamic behavior of the FRP deck system under moving loads was studied based on the two verified FE models. The static or dynamic response in the partially composite model of the FRP deck bridge was greater than the corresponding static or dynamic response in the fully composite model. Also, it was shown that the dynamic response in the partially composite model lags behind that in the fully composite model. Additionally, the FE analysis revealed that the number of shear stud connections affected the dynamic deflection, slip, and separation. Finally, the dynamic response of the FRP deck system was compared with that of the commonly used RC system.
SAS: Semantics Aware Search in P2P Networks

Resource management is very important yet challenging in large scale distributed systems like P2P networks. With more and more users incorporating semantic meta-data with their resources, the resource discovery mechanism should not only be able to scale well with the large number of information resources but also be capable of retrieving semantically relevant resources distributed in the P2P network with high accuracy and efficiency. In this paper we address these problems by proposing an ontology-based fully-decentralized peer clustering scheme where the network topology is optimized to perform efficient semantic query routing. The proposed semantic clustering scheme utilizes the structural relationships in ontology to organize peers into clusters based on the semantics of the resources they share. Performance evaluation demonstrates that our proposed approach can dramatically improve the search efficiency of unstructured P2P systems while keeping the communication cost at a comparable level compared with state-of-art unstructured P2P systems.
Spectral representations of infinitely divisible processes

The spectral representations for arbitrary discrete parameter infinitely divisible processes as well as for (centered) continuous parameter infinitely divisible processes, which are separable in probability, are obtained. The main tools used for the proofs are (i) a “polar-factorization” of an arbitrary Levy measure on a separable Hilbert space, and (ii) the Wiener-type stochastic integrals of non-random functions relative to arbitrary “infinitely divisible noise”.
HPLC‐Methoden auf die UPLC übertragen

Die Ultra Performance LC nutzt kleinere Partikel und hohere Eingangsdrucke und kann so eine hohere Analysengeschwindigkeit oder bessere Trennleistung als eine bestehende HPLC-Methode erreichen.1,2) Die Einfuhrung der UPLC in der Routineanalytik wirft dann die Frage auf, wie die Methoden zu ubertragen sind.
Reproductive Risk Factors for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer According to Histologic Type and Invasiveness

PURPOSE: Differences in histology among the subtypes of epithelial ovarian tumors suggest possible differences in their etiologies. We examined reproductive risk factors for epithelial ovarian cancer according to histologic subtype and tumor invasiveness. METHODS: We conducted a population-based, case-control study of associations between reproductive risk factors and epithelial ovarian cancer in the Delaware Valley from 1994 to 1998. Cases age 20 to 69 years with a recent diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer (n = 767) were compared to community controls (n = 1367) frequency matched by age. RESULTS: With few exceptions, we found significant risk reduction for each histologic subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer by using oral contraceptive, bearing children, and having a tubal ligation; for each subtype, there was significant increased risk associated with a family history of the disease. There were no significant differences among histologic subtypes in the magnitude of the odds ratios for OC use, parity, breastfeeding, tubal ligation, hysterectomy, family history of breast or ovarian cancer, use of noncontraceptive estrogens, age at menarche, and age at menopause. There were also few differences between invasive and borderline tumors, except that women with borderline tumors were significantly younger than women with invasive disease (44.7 years vs. 52.0 years, p < 0.001). Among serous tumors only, women with borderline tumors were more likely to use oral contraceptives than women with invasive tumors (OR = 2.28 95% CI 1.20–4.35). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that reproductive risk factors do not differ among histologic subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancers.
IgE and IgG4 epitope mapping by microarray immunoassay reveals the diversity of immune response to the peanut allergen, Ara h 2

Background Detailed assessment of antibody responses to allergens reveals clinically relevant information about both host response and antigen structure. Microarray technology offers advantages of scale and parallel design over previous methods of epitope mapping. Objective We designed a redundant peptide microarray for IgE and IgG 4 epitope mapping of the previously characterized peanut allergen, Ara h 2. Methods Six complete sets of overlapping peptides were commercially synthesized and site-specifically bound to epoxy-derivatized glass slides in triplicate. Peptides were 10, 15, or 20 amino acids in length with an offset of either 2 or 3 amino acids. A total of 10 control and 45 peanut-allergic sera were assayed. Specific IgE and IgG4 were detected by using fluorochrome-labeled monoclonal secondary antibodies. Results By using 15-mer and 20-mer peptides, we could define 11 antigenic regions, whereas only 5 were identifiable using 10-mers. Controls and patients produced IgG 4 recognizing a comparable number of Ara h 2 peptides, although the dominant epitopes were distinct. As expected, patient IgE bound a larger number of Ara h 2 peptides (9.4% vs 0.9%). IgE and IgG 4 epitopes recognized by patients were largely the same, and there was a positive association between IgE and IgG 4 signal, suggesting coordinate regulation. Cluster analysis of peptide binding patterns confirmed the specificity of antibody-peptide interactions and was used to define 9 core epitopes ranging from 6 to 16 residues in length—7 of which (78%) agreed with previous mapping. Conclusion Epitope mapping by microarray peptide immunoassay and cluster analysis reveals interpatient heterogeneity and a more detailed map.
Stylistic Features, Need for Sensation, and Confirmed Recall of National Smoking Prevention Advertisements

A growing body of research suggests that specific stylistic message features have meaningful implications for message attention, recall, and processing. This study combines content analysis (n = 45 ads) with population survey data from the Legacy Media Tracking Surveys (n = 32,977 teens) to (a) identify associations between specific visual, audio, and format features and recall of televised smoking prevention advertisements and (b) test whether these associations are moderated by the need for sensation (NFS). Consistent with research derived from the limited capacity model of mediated message processing, 6 of 7 hypothesized stylistic features increased the likelihood of ad recall. However, contrary to predictions outlined by the activation model of information exposure (AMIE), no differences were observed in the magnitude of these associations by NFS. Results underscore the importance of stylistic considerations in designing health campaign messages and raise questions about the central propositions of the AMIE.
Fears of normal and retarded children

The developmental features of the fears of 112 nonretarded and 42 retarded children were examined. With development, the fears of nonretarded children became more closely aligned with real sources of threat that involve human agency and less fearful of imaginary things. The retarded children displayed patterns of fears similar to their mental-age peers rather than chronological peers and were more likely to deny being fearful than their nonretarded peers.
415 Amifostine preserves the salivary gland function during irradiation of the head and neck

To evaluate the radioprotector Amifostine (Ami) when given during a course of head and neck (H&N) irradiation (RT), eligible pts underwent RT for H&N cancer where the major salivary glands received more than 45 Gy. Ami was administered prior to each dose of radiation. Saliva was collected and measured prior to, during and at regular intervals post RT. 99m Tc salivary scintiscans were performed prior to and post RT. Ten patients were treated on the first dose level (Ami 100 mg/m 2 ) and 2 on the second dose level (200 mg/m 2 ). Flow rates of unstimulated whole saliva decreased significantly during RT, recovering after 6 months. Stimulated whole salivary flow rate similarly decreased during RT and improved after 3 months post RT The stimulated parotid flow rate decreased during RT to 99m Tc salivary scintiscans confirmed this rebound of parotid function. Ami prior to each dose of radiation was feasible and without significant toxicity. Salivary gland function improved over time after completion of radiation, particularly the parotid. Future directions include escalation to 300 mg/m 2 and a Phase III randomized trial will be undertaken once the optimal dose is established.
Electromagnetic surface impedance of an anisotropic cylinder

The electromagnetic response of a long cylinder is considered for arbitrary excitation by an external source. The electrical and the magnetic properties are characterised by uni-axial immitance tensors with principal axes parallel to the axis of the cylinder. For a given spectral component of the excitation, the relevant expressions for the surface impedance are derived and various special cases are pointed out. The results have application to the nondestructive testing of wire ropes and cables. >
Cytoprotection by fructose and other ketohexoses during bile salt-induced apoptosis of hepatocytes.

Toxic bile salts cause hepatocyte necrosis at high concentrations and apoptosis at lower concentrations. Although fructose prevents bile salt- induced necrosis, the effect of fructose on bile salt-induced apoptosis is unclear. Our aim was to determine if fructose also protects against bile salt-induced apoptosis. Fructose inhibited glycochenodeoxycholate (GCDC)-induced apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner with a maximum inhibition of 72% +/- 10% at 10 mmol/L. First, we determined if fructose inhibited apoptosis by decreasing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and intracellular pH (pHi). Although fructose decreased ATP to <25% of basal values, oligomycin (an ATP synthase inhibitor) did not inhibit apoptosis despite decreasing ATP to similar values. Fructose (10 mmol/L) decreased intracellular pH (pHi) by 0.2 U. However, extracellular acidification (pH 6.8), which decreased hepatocyte pHi 0.35 U and is known to inhibit necrosis, actually potentiated apoptosis 1.6-fold. Fructose cytoprotection also could not be explained by induction of bcl-2 transcription or metal chelation. Because we could not attribute fructose cytoprotection to metabolic effects, alterations in the expression of bcl-2, or metal chelation, we next determined if the poorly metabolized ketohexoses, tagatose and sorbose, also inhibited apoptosis; unexpectedly, both ketohexoses inhibited apoptosis. Because bile salt-induced apoptosis and necrosis are inhibited by fructose, these data suggest that similar processes initiate bile salt-induced hepatocyte necrosis and apoptosis. In contrast, acidosis, which inhibits necrosis, potentiates apoptosis. Thus, ketohexose-sensitive pathways appear to initiate both bile salt-induced cell apoptosis and necrosis, whereas dissimilar, pH-sensitive, effector mechanisms execute these two different cell death processes. (Hepatology 1997 Jan;25(1):81-6)
Role of interictal epileptiform abnormalities in cognitive impairment

Abstract The epileptic encephalopathies are conditions in which neurological deterioration is attributable entirely or partly to epileptic activity and is due to very frequent or severe seizures or severely abnormal electroencephalograms (EEGs), or both. Evidence for the concept that seizures or the abnormal EEGs are responsible for the cognitive deterioration is the observation that patients can improve dramatically when therapy eliminates or reduces seizure frequency and improves or normalizes the EEG. For example, children with the syndrome of continuous spike–wave of sleep (CSWS) have electrical status epilepticus during sleep (ESES) and cognitive regression. Although seizures often occur in the disorder, there are indications that the EEG abnormalities are responsible for the cognitive regression. Interictal spikes, which correspond to a large intracellular depolarization with evoked action potentials, in many ways mimic a “miniseizure.” Interictal spikes can result in transitory cognitive impairment with the type of deficit dependent on where in the cortex the spike arises. We suggest that interictal spikes, particularly if frequent and widespread, can impair cognitive abilities, through interference with waking learning and memory, and memory consolidation during sleep.
Dynamic Temperature Distribution in Cylindrical Laser Rods With Time-Varying Pump Sources

A rigorous analysis of the temperature distribution of a laser rod with a time-varying axial heat source is presented. Closed-form expressions for the space-time dependence of the temperature are obtained and can be used to predict dynamic optical and mechanical fluctuations. These in turn can degrade timing stability in mode-locked lasers used as precision clocks and oscillators through the noise transfer process.