cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploring the association between KRAS mutations and depression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

114Background: Previous studies have demonstrated a higher rate of depression in cancer patients harboring KRAS mutations. We evaluated the feasibility of using secondary Electronic Medical Record (EMR) data to examine the association of KRAS mutations with depression in NSCLC patients. Methods: We identified cases with NSCLC from an institutional Cancer Registry. Tumor molecular profiles were obtained as standard of care. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), which is part of the institution’s universal Distress Screening tool completed at the time of clinic visit. PHQ-2 score of 2 and above was considered positive for depression. Data was extracted from EMR via Clinical Data Exchange Network bioinformatics tool and confirmed by chart review. Results: Of the 692 NSCLC patients, KRAS status was known in 174 cases: 40 (23%) were KRAS mutated and 134 (77%) were KRAS wild type. 101 (58%) had stage 4 NSCLC. PHQ-2 score was 0 in 146 (83.9%), 1 in 7 (4%), 2 in 19 (10.9%), and...
A bridging study for oxytetracycline in the edible fillet of rainbow trout: analysis by a liquid chromatographic method and the official microbial inhibition assay.

Oxytetracycline (OTC) is a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to control certain diseases in salmonids and catfish. OTC is also a likely control agent for diseases of other fish species and for other diseases of salmonids and catfish not currently on the label. One requirement for FDA to extend and expand the approval of this antibacterial agent to other fish species is residue depletion studies. The current regulatory method for OTC in fish tissue, based on microbial inhibition, lacks sensitivity and specificity. To conduct residue depletion studies for OTC in fish with a liquid chromatographic method, a bridging study was required to determine its relationship with the official microbial inhibition assay. Triplicate samples of rainbow trout fillet tissue fortified with OTC at 0.3, 0.6, 1.2, 2.4, 4.8, and 9.6 ppm and fillet tissue with incurred OTC at approximately 0.75, 1.5, and 3.75 ppm were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the microbial inhibition assay. The results indicated that the 2 methods are essentially identical in the tested range, with mean coefficients of variation of 1.05% for the HPLC method and 3.94% for the microbial inhibition assay.
Landscape and the cultural politics of China’s anticipatory urbanism

China has seen a proliferation of monumental urban projects in recent years extending to lower tier cities. This paper examines the production of new urban landscapes in the Kangbashi New District of Ordos Municipality to assess the political economy and cultural logics of China’s current-day city-making programmes. The concept of ‘anticipatory urbanism’ is developed to interpret how monumentality in the built environment is aimed at foretelling new developmental futures promising to deliver power to the local state and prosperity to residents. The analysis assesses public responses to landscape transformations and discusses how speculation in the production of new city spaces generates conflict and crisis for the local state. Anticipatory urbanism is found to feed off government ambition and undermines sustainable urban growth.
Objective Landscapes for Constraint Programming

This paper presents the concept of objective landscape in the context of Constraint Programming. An objective landscape is a light-weight structure providing some information on the relation between decision variables and objective values, that can be quickly computed once and for all at the beginning of the resolution and is used to guide the search. It is particularly useful on decision variables with large domains and with a continuous semantics, which is typically the case for time or resource quantity variables in scheduling problems. This concept was recently implemented in the automatic search of CP Optimizer and resulted in an average speed-up of about 50% on scheduling problems with up to almost 2 orders of magnitude for some applications.
Political Corruption in the Age of Transnational Capitalism: From the Relative Autonomy of the State to the White Man’s Burden

AbstractThe emergence of the ever-growing anti-corruption movement from the early ’90s onwards has proven itself to be of considerable importance in how we understand and explain global inequalities as well as in redefining corruption as a lack of transparency. This paper examines the timing and content of this international anti-corruption movement. It argues that, following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the deepening of an increasingly transnational capitalism, anti-corruption discourse has arisen as a new version of the ‘white man’s burden’, a justification for intervention into the domestic politics of less powerful states as well as an explanation for their relative poverty. Concurrently, the anti-corruption movement has functioned to push states into increasing their autonomy with respect to local interests and fractions of capital in order to become more subservient and hospitable to transnational capital as a whole.
Organic Treatment of the Elderly

Although clinical gerontology is a relatively new area of specialization, psychologists who practice in this field are committed to treatment goals which are similar to other areas of clinical psychology. Therapeutic goals, in a very general and ideal sense, are: to minimize the patient’s suffering, to improve behavior, to lessen interpersonal friction, and to assist the patient in taking pleasurable interest in his or her environment. To achieve these goals a combination of methods may be necessary. One method which is often used is psychopharmacology, the treatment of the emotionally disturbed with psychotropic medications. Even though psychologists do not prescribe medications, it is important for them to know what the various medications are, how they are used, what precautions should be taken in giving medications, and how medications affect behavior.
An Empirical Analysis of Feasibility Checking Algorithms for UTVPI Constraints

In this paper, we document the results of a detailed implementation study of two different algorithms for checking real (linear) and integer feasibility in a conjunction of Unit Two Variable per Inequality (UTVPI) constraints. Recall that a UTVPI constraint is a linear relationship of the form: \(a\cdot x_{i}+b\cdot x_{j} \le c_{ij}\), where \(a,b \in \{-1,0,1\}\). A conjunction of UTVPI constraints is called a UTVPI constraint system (UCS). UTVPI constraints subsume difference constraints. Unlike difference constraints, the linear and integer feasibilities for UCSs do not coincide. UCSs find applications in a number of different domains such as abstract interpretation, packing, and covering. There exist several algorithms for UCS linear feasibility and integer feasibility with various running times. We will focus on the linear feasibility algorithms in [19] (\(LF_1\)) and [13] (\(LF_2\)). We also focus on the integer feasibility algorithms in [18] (\(IF_1\)) and [13] (\(IF_2\)). We compare our implementations to the Yices SMT solver [17] running linear real arithmetic (QF_LRA) and linear integer arithmetic (QF_LIA). Our experiments indicate that \(LF_1\) is moderately superior to \(LF_2\) in terms of time, and that \(IF_1\) is vastly superior to \(IF_2\) in terms of time. Additionally on small inputs the Yices Solver performs better than the implemented algorithms, however the implemented algorithms perform much better on larger inputs.
HETEROGENEITY OF PROLACTIN RESPONSE TO HALOPERIDOL

ABSTRACT Prolactin (PRL) is secreted by the pituitary in response to dopamine receptor blockade following administration of antipsychotic drugs. This neuroendocrine system is sensitive, so that subclinical doses of drugs must be used to generate dose-response curves. Because inter-individual variability in prolactin response is large, the complete profile of prolactin secretion, over 5-7 hours following drug administration, must be measured.
D.C. news media coverage of the district’s Death With Dignity Act:

In 2016, the District of Columbia City Council passed the Death With Dignity Act. Afterward, Congress attempted to block its implementation by first invoking Congress’s power to overturn the law an...
Crouching Authors, Hidden Pitfalls: Collaboration in Research

Academic research has become increasingly collaborative, not just in the hard sciences and engineering but also in the social sciences. In this paper, we review studies that have documented this increasing collaboration, showing that collaboration, especially in the form of co-authorship, has risen across the board in almost all academic disciplines and across institutions and geographic regions of the world. What accounts for this rise? We identify four potential benefits to collaboration: greater learning opportunities, gains from a more complex division of labor, enhanced motivation and discipline, and reductions in the development cycle of projects. However, four potential pitfalls can hinder the collaborative process: decreased individual productivity, partner opportunism, communication and coordination challenges, and conflicting time horizons. Because we think these problems can ruin a research project, we offer strategies on how to overcome them: clearly defining the scope and logic of the project, agreeing upon responsibilities, enforcing deadlines and giving and receiving timely feedback, and using coordination mechanisms that facilitate the collaborative process. We conclude by discussing the implications our review has not only for aspiring academics but also for the organization of academic enterprises.
One-pot synthesis of sweetening syrup from lactose.

Lactose has become the main byproduct of many dairy products and ingredients. Current applications of lactose are insufficient to use the recovered lactose from manufacturing operations. Here we exemplified a new process for converting aqueous lactose into a sweeting syrup via one-pot synthesis. The synthesis consisted of two-steps: (1) enzymatic hydrolysis of lactose and (2) catalytic isomerization over MgO/SiO2. The hydrolysis of lactose over β-galactosidase converted 95.77 ± 0.67% of lactose into glucose and galactose. The catalytic isomerization was performed over MgO/SiO2 with different MgO loadings (10–40 wt.%). A battery of tests was conducted to characterize the different catalysts, including surface properties, basicity, and microstructure. The one-pot synthesis, enzymatic hydrolysis and catalytic isomerization over 20%-MgO/SiO2, converted 99.3% of lactose into a sweetening syrup made of glucose (30.48%), galactose (33.51%), fructose (16.92%), D-tagatose (10.54%), and lactulose (3.62%). The outcomes of this research present an opportunity for expanding the utilization of lactose.
Rethinking Weidman’s Models of Socialization for Latinxs Along the Postsecondary Educational Pipeline

This chapter explores the usefulness of Weidman’s socialization models for understanding the socialization of Latinx undergraduate and graduate students. Through a review of existing literature on Latinx undergraduate and graduate students’ integration, adjustment, and socialization, and through the lens of Latino Critical Theory (LatCrit), we highlight the ways in which Latinxs experience racist socializing contexts along the postsecondary educational pipeline and how this negatively affects their socialization process. Then, through the lens of Community Cultural Wealth (CCW), we highlight how Latinxs’ background and dispositions serve as assets as they navigate the white normative contexts of higher education. Based on this review, we challenge and rethink the Weidman models, offering theoretical suggestions for making them more applicable to the experiences of Latinxs along the postsecondary pipeline. We also offer a revised model that considers white supremacy as an underlying driving force in the socialization of Latinxs. We also add various forms of community cultural wealth to the model, and propose alternative, empowering socialization outcomes for Latinxs.
85 An audit of continuous subcutaneous syringe pump doses in adults recognised as dying in a district general hospital

Introduction Symptom assessment and management is one of the key areas in NICE guidance (NG31). The Gosport enquiry shone a spotlight on the use of continuous subcutaneous syringe pumps (CSCP) inparticular proportionate and appropriate use of opioids and other medications at the End of Life (EOL). In response to this report we conducted an audit of the use of CSCPs in our District General Hospital (DGH). The audit had 2 aims; To understand the frequency of use of CSCPs in adults recognised as dying, To determine the average doses of medications in the last CSCP prescription prior to death. Methods This was a retrospective audit. Data was collected alongside data collection for the National Audit of EOL Care 2019. A data collection tool was designed by the specialist palliative care team (SPCT) and results analysed in Excel. Thirty-five notes and drug charts of patients who died in April and May 2019 were reviewed. Results 35 case notes were reviewed. The median age of patients recognised as dying was 83 years old (min 64, max 95). The 3 most common diagnoses were; cancer (24%), dementia (18%), respiratory disease (18%). Thirteen patients (37%) had a CSCP prescribed. Of these 12/13 (92%) contained an opioid; 6(50%) Morphine, 4 (33%) Alfentanil, and 2 (17%) Oxycodone. The mean subcutaneous morphine equivalent dose was 10.7 mg over 24 hours. Ten (77%) contained medication for agitation, the majority 9/10 (90%) contained Midazolam, with a mean 24 hours dose of 6.7 mg, and 6/13 (46%) contained Glycopyrronium. Conclusion This audit shows that less than half of patients dying in hospital require a CSCP, and that average 24 hour doses were relatively low. The next step is to scrutinize the notes and symptom observations charts to determine whether objectively symptoms at the EOL were well controlled with these doses.
Living Arrangements and Supplemental Income Programs for Older Adults in Mexico

Living arrangements often reflect important quality-of-life indicators for elderly adults. In particular, increased income can prompt changes in household living arrangements for elderly adults. Using a differences-in-differences approach, we examine whether a supplemental income program in Mexico for adults aged 70 and older influenced household size and composition. We compare outcomes at baseline and at six-month follow-up for elderly adults in the treatment group with those in the control group that did not participate in the program. We find that household size increased by 3% in the treatment group relative to the control group. We also find a statistically significant increase in the number of girls aged 6-11 in the household, likely the granddaughters or great-granddaughters of program recipients. Increases in household size were greatest for adults aged 70-79, couples, households receiving two or more supplemental incomes, and households in the top income tercile. Household size did not increase for households of adults aged 80 and older, singles, households with only one supplemental income recipient, and households not in the top income tercile. These results suggest that when older adults have more income, they use part of this income to house their grandchildren.
Languages, literacies and literate programming: can we use the latest theories on how bilingual people learn to help us teach computational literacies?

In this theory paper, we explore the concept of translanguaging from bilingual education, and its implications for teaching and learning programming and computing in especially computer science (CS...
Open data, trials and new ethics of using others' work.

Data and ideas are the capital of research productivity. Is it ethical to preempt the publication of another researcher’s unpublished data or preliminary analysis, perhaps without citation? The long-established answer is ‘certainly not’—but recent ‘open data’ use suggests otherwise. A research competition was held using data from The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT). This SPRINT Data Analysis Challenge created a novel environment for using open data as data became open early. This allowed third-party researchers the opportunity to assess some of the trial’s outcomes before trialists. Could this infringe on trialists’ right to analyse their data? Simultaneously, trialists had access to analyses from submissions to the competition that were not formally ‘published’ with a typical author credit or citation. Therefore, trialists had the opportunity to view the competition submissions and published on those ideas first without a typical way to cite the source of that idea. Could this infringe on researchers’ right to be credited for their ideas? This is not intended as a criticism of open data, the SPRINT Data Analysis Challenge, or similar systems/ventures, but is an effort to objectively note what may be remediable flaws in the worthwhile, growing and dynamic uses of open data. We offer preliminary analytics to shed more light and provide fodder for additional discussion.
Constant-time energy-normalization for the Phong specular BRDFs

The Phong and Modified Phong specular BRDFs, although of limited physical basis, are nevertheless some of the simplest BRDFs exhibiting glossy and specular qualities to understand and to implement, making them useful for validation and teaching. Unfortunately, although it is well-known how to make these BRDFs conserve energy (that is, never gain energy), making them energy-normalized (that is, never lose nor gain energy) is far more difficult. Lesser-known algorithms exist, but require the specular exponent n to be integer-valued, and have O(n) runtime cost. We express these algorithms as mathematical formulae and generalize to the real-valued specular exponent case. We then simplify and optimize to finally attain an algorithm that is O(1). Energy normalization makes the Phong BRDFs more physically plausible and therefore both more practically and theoretically useful—and our improvements allow for this energy normalization to be done efficiently and without arbitrary limitations.
Smoke and Mirrors: How Much Do We Know? An Assessment of Graduate Nursing Students' Knowledge of Tobacco and E-Cigarette Use

Background: Research suggests that there is a gap in knowledge of healthcare workers and graduate healthcare students on tobacco and e-cigarette use (Franks, Hawes, McCain, & Payakachat, 2017). These products are proving to be more addictive and contain more nicotine than traditional cigarette products. Furthermore, there is a difference in the way providers must assess patients for tobacco versus electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, as language plays an important role in how individuals identify as e-cigarette or traditional cigarette users (Young-Wolff et al., 2017). Although these products are new and long-term effects remain unknown, evidence suggests these products do affect overall health. Aim : The objective of this study is to assess the knowledge of graduate nursing students at Fairfield University on tobacco and e-cigarette use. Methods : Sixty-five participants were recruited from the Fairfield University graduate nursing program. Students completed a consent form followed by a pretest that contained 10 survey questions in a true or false format. An educational session was then conducted and followed by the same survey as a posttest. Data was analyzed with SPSS. Results : The mean pretest score was 61.8% and the mean posttest score was 78.8%. A paired sample t-test revealed a p-value of <0.00. Conclusion : This project was statistically significant in educating graduate nursing students on tobacco and e-cigarette use. More education is needed at the graduate level on this topic.
How to Act as an Effective Physician

Patients evaluate their doctor’s abilities based on the doctor’s manners. In many ways, this is not unreasonable, for manners communicate, in everyday behavior, the principles of medical ethics. It is insufficient to be competent and available; healthcare professionals have a moral obligation to be agreeable in their interactions with their patients. A display of good manners indicates to patients the physician is committed to improve their health. Good manners include good listening skills in taking a history, which are essential to making a diagnosis. We discuss the essentials of the office consultation, the importance of listening, and threats to the doctor-patient relationship from profit-oriented healthcare delivery systems. Senior physicians act as mentors to students. Teaching ethical manners to senior physicians can make them better role models.
Differences between Behavior and Maturation: Developmental Effects of Father Absence

A substantial body of research has investigated the effects of early family environments on sexual maturity and behavior, focusing mostly on effects on females. The purpose of the current study was to test the assumption that physiological maturation and casual sexual behavior are similarly influenced by early environmental stressors such as father absence (FA). Specifically, the current study investigated whether FA affects males’ and females’ casual sexual behavior and pubertal timing in the same way. Young adults (89 females, 46 males) were asked to report the ages at which they lived with their biological father, their casual sexual behavior, and the age at which they experienced a major pubertal marker (menarche for females, first nocturnal emission for males). FA by itself did not predict casual sexual behavior, although it did predict pubertal timing such that FA was associated with earlier pubertal timing. Interaction effects, however, indicate the effect of FA on behavior and maturation was sex-specific. For females, FA was associated with more casual sexual behavior; whereas, for males, FA was associated with less casual sexual behavior. With regard to maturation, FA was associated with earlier pubertal timing for males but did not have much an effect on females’ pubertal timing. Findings from the current study suggest the effects of FA on pubertal timing and casual sexual behavior are not specific to females. Furthermore, these findings suggest that sexual maturation and behavior may not be influenced in the same way by early environmental stressors.
Using a Diabetes Risk Score to Identify Patients Without Diabetes at Risk for New Hyperglycemia in the Hospital.

Abstract Objective To assess the value of a validated diabetes risk test, the Cambridge Risk Score (CRS), to identify patients admitted to hospital without diabetes at risk for new hyperglycemia (NH). Methods This retrospective cross-sectional study included adults admitted to a hospital over a 4-year period. Patients with no diabetes diagnosis and not on antidiabetics were included. The CRS was calculated for each patient, and those with available glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) results were investigated in a second analysis. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to assess the association among CRS, HbA1C, and the risk for NH. Results A total of 19,830 subjects comprised the sample, of which 38% were found to have developed NH, defined as a blood glucose level ≥140 mg/dL. After accounting for covariates, the CRS was significantly associated with NH (odds ratio [OR], 1.19 [1.16, 1.22]; P Conclusion Results of this study show that the CRS and HbA1C levels were significantly associated with the risk of developing NH in inpatient adults without diabetes. Given that an HbA1C level was missing in most medical records of hospitalized patients without diabetes, the CRS could be a useful tool for early identification and management of NH, possibly leading to better outcomes.
A High-Power Broadband Multi-Primary DAT-Based Doherty Power Amplifier for mm-Wave 5G Applications

Silicon-based millimeter-wave (mm-Wave) power amplifiers (PAs) with high power and high peak/back-off efficiency are highly desired to efficiently amplify multi-Gb/s 5G NR signals. This article presents a fully integrated high-power broadband linear Doherty PA with multi-primary distributed-active-transformer (DAT) power combining. We introduce a transformer-based impedance inverter for active load modulation and a multi-primary DAT structure for hybrid series and parallel power combining. Based on this, we propose a transformer-based Doherty combiner with more design freedom and a multi-primary DAT-based Doherty PA for simultaneous active load modulation and low-loss power combining. The EM simulation results demonstrate that the proposed DAT-based Doherty output network achieves very symmetric and balanced load impedances among all the main and auxiliary PA ports. As a proof of concept, a 24–30-GHz prototype PA is implemented in a 0.13- $\mu \text{m}$ SiGe BiCMOS process. The PA achieves 30.4% PAEmax, 28.3-dBm $P_{\mathrm {sat}}$ , 30.2% PAE at 26.8-dBm $P_{\mathrm {1\,dB}}$ , and 21.2% PAE at 6-dB back-off from $P_{\mathrm {sat}}$ at 28 GHz. Modulation measurement with single-carrier 64-QAM signals and 5G NR FR2 orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) signals has been demonstrated. For a 200-MHz 1-CC 5G NR FR2 64-QAM signal, the PA achieves 18.1-dBm Pavg and 13.8% PAEavg with −25.1-dB rms EVM at 28 GHz.
Hotep's story: exploring the wounds of health vulnerability in the US.

A wide variety of forms of domination hasresulted in a highly heterogeneous health riskcategory, ``the vulnerable.'' The study of healthinequities sheds light on forces thatgenerate, sustain, and alter vulnerabilities toillness, injury, suffering and death. Thispaper analyzes the case of a high-risk teenfrom a Boston ghetto that illuminatesintersections between ``race'' and class in theconstruction of vulnerability in the US.Exploration of his ``wounds'' helps specify howlarge-scale social and cultural forces becomeembodied as individual experience of disparatehealth risk. The case demonstrates that healthinequities would not occur if resources –employment, income, wealth, education, housing,profiling in the legal system, and health care– were more justly managed in keeping withstandards outlined in the Universal Declarationof Human Rights. Professional responses to the``wounds of vulnerability'' may reveal importantaspects of who we are and what our work asscholars, practitioners, and advocates mustbecome.
Value Knowledge Management for Multi-party Conflicts: An Example of Process Structuring

Value knowledge management (VKM) comprises the process structuring required to make individual and/or group values explicit in a manner so that such initially tacit knowledge appropriately informs decision making. This paper presents a case in which VKM is used for structuring an organizational preparation process for a new and substantial initiative. Fundamental group conflicts exist with respect to this initiative and, more immediately, with respect to the extent of preparation envisioned. The relative importance of two key values is at issue: increasing human capital and reducing project costs. The case illustrates a three-stage approach to VKM and demonstrates how the articulation of group judgment policies, the development of a shared resource allocation model, and the application of analytical mediation can make a substantial contribution to organizational problem solving or opportunity seeking.
Music‐based magnetic resonance fingerprinting to improve patient comfort during MRI examinations

Purpose Unpleasant acoustic noise is a drawback of almost every MRI scan. Instead of reducing acoustic noise to improve patient comfort, we propose a technique for mitigating the noise problem by producing musical sounds directly from the switching magnetic fields while simultaneously quantifying multiple important tissue properties. Theory and Methods MP3 music files were converted to arbitrary encoding gradients, which were then used with varying flip angles and repetition times in a two- and three-dimensional magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) examination. This new acquisition method, named MRF-Music, was used to quantify T1, T2, and proton density maps simultaneously while providing pleasing sounds to the patients. Results MRF-Music scans improved patient comfort significantly during MRI examinations. The T1 and T2 values measured from phantom are in good agreement with those from the standard spin echo measurements. T1 and T2 values from the brain scan are also close to previously reported values. Conclusions MRF-Music sequence provides significant improvement in patient comfort compared with the MRF scan and other fast imaging techniques such as echo planar imaging and turbo spin echo scans. It is also a fast and accurate quantitative method that quantifies multiple relaxation parameters simultaneously. Magn Reson Med, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Systems biology and animal nutrition: insights from the dairy cow during growth and the lactation cycle.

Summary of the effects of overfeeding energy during the dry period on bovine subcutaneous adipose tissue metabolic ﬂux (KEGG pathways), main biological functions (DAVID and Ingenuity Pathways Analysis R (IPA)), and network analysis to uncover putative links betweenblood insulin and DEG in energy-overfed cows versus controls. Arrows denote upregulation (↑) or downregulation (↓) in energy overfed cows versus controls. In the KEGG pathway orange-to-red denotes an increase in ﬂux, while green denotes a decrease in ﬂux through the speciﬁc pathway. Among lipid-related DEG highlighted in red in the insulin gene network are transcription factors (TF), and in blue are cytokines and growth factors. Within this network and the network of all DEG, red denotes upregulation and green downregulation of expression of the particular gene in cows overfed energy versus controls. In addition, in the network encompassing all DEG the TF are in large bold font. Microarray data are from the studyof Janovick et al. (2009). (
Motor drive common-mode EMI reduction by passive noise cancellation

A new method to reduce common-mode (CM) EMI emission at the dc input of variable-speed motor drives is presented. Unlike conventional passive or active filtering techniques that rely on impedance mismatch or active noise cancellation, the proposed method uses a passive circuit to cancel the CM current produced by the motor drive. In the proposed approach, a start-connected three-phase RC circuit is placed at the output of the inverter to extract the CM voltage. An inductor is connected between the star point of the RC circuit and the middle of the dc bus capacitor to inject a CM current into the dc input that cancels with the CM current produced by the inverter. Furthermore, a Wheatstone impedance bridge is identified in the CM equivalent circuit of the system after these passive components are added. By properly selecting the added passive components, the Wheatstone bridge can be balanced, resulting in near-ideal cancellation of the input CM current. The development of this impedance balancing method is presented in this paper and an experimental setup is used to demonstrate the effects of the proposed method. A comparison with conventional EMI filtering methods in terms of overall filter volume and effectiveness is also presented.
Antitumor Natural Products

The literature associated with major naturally occurring antitumor agents and related substances is reviewed and illustrated. Covered are dactinomycin, bleomycin, mitomycin, plicamycin, anthracyclines (daunorubicin, doxorubicin, epirubicin, idarubicin, and valrubicin), camptothecins (topotecan and irinotecan), idopodophyllotoxins (etoposide and teniposide), taxus diterpenes (docetaxel and paclitaxel), and vinca dimeric alkaloids (vinblastine, vincristine, and vinorelbine). Keywords: natural products; antitumor agents; chemistry; biosynthesis; medicinal properties; mode of action
Hybrid wafer scale interconnection inventing a new technology

Describes a monolithic multilayer thin film technology featuring discretionary wiring and a cellular design methodology which borrows heavily from VLSI design/fabrication technology. Referred to herein as Hybrid Wafer Scale Interconnect (HWSI), it preserves in many ways the advantages of monolithic Wafer Scale Integration (WSI), while simultaneously offering higher yield and superior performance typically associated with optimized subassemblies. It is noteworthy that many 'monolithic' WSI systems currently under development utilize the same, or even more discrete subassemblies, than the proposed HWSI technology. >
Familial aggregation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: use of the loglinear model to analyze intermediate environmental and genetic risk factors

To examine the contribution of environmental and genetic risk factors to familial aggregation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 325 first-degree (1d) relatives and 56 spouses of 150 COPD patients were compared with 222 1d relatives and 49 spouses of 107 nonpulmonary patient controls for the prevalence of two clinical outcomes: 1) airways obstruction (AO; 1-sec forced expiratory volume less than 68% of forced vital capacity) and 2) chronic bronchitis (CB; cough and sputum for 3+ months per year for 2+ years). The loglinear model was used to study direct and indirect (ie, those mediated by other risk factors) components of familial aggregation. Three risk factors were found to be independently associated with CB and/or AO: alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (PiZ allele), personal cigarette smoking, and parental cigarette smoking. Because 1d relatives of COPD patients were more likely to have a PiZ allele, be heavy smokers (1+ packs per day), and be exposed to parental smoking than 1d relatives of controls, these three factors also constitute indirect components of familial aggregation. However, after controlling for the three factors, 1d relatives of COPD patients were more likely to have AO and CB than 1d relatives of controls (direct component). This direct component might have a genetic basis, because no such association was found when spouses instead of 1d relatives were compared. Thus, both shared environmental factors (personal and passive smoking) and shared genetic factors (alpha 1-antitrypsin and a possible direct genetic component) contribute to familial aggregation in COPD. The loglinear model provides a useful tool for analyzing familial aggregation in diseases of multifactorial etiology.
POLYARTERITIS NODOSA IN AN INFANT * A problem of diagnosis

SYNOPSIS A 30 months old infant presented with a non-specific febrile illness. She rapidly deteriorated with cardiac, renal and hepatic failure, and succumbed before a definite diagnosis was made. At autopsy, polyarteritis nodosa was found. The rarity of this usually fatal disease is noted. The clinical features and relevant investigations are described with the aim of highlighting those manifestations which may be helpful in making an earlier diagnosis. The natural history, possible aetiology, and therapeutic aspects of polyarteritis nodosa are outlined.
Thirty-day hospital readmission rate among adults living with HIV.

OBJECTIVE Thirty-day hospital readmission rate is receiving increasing attention as a quality-of-care indicator. The objective of this study was to determine readmission rates and to identify factors associated with readmission among persons living with HIV. DESIGN Prospective multicenter observational cohort. SETTING Nine US HIV clinics affiliated through the HIV Research Network. PARTICIPANTS Patients engaged in HIV care during 2005-2010. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Readmission rate was defined as the proportion of hospitalizations followed by a readmission within 30 days. Factors in multivariate analyses included diagnostic categories, patient demographic and clinical characteristics, and having an outpatient follow-up visit. RESULTS Among 11,651 total index hospitalizations, the 30-day readmission rate was 19.3%. AIDS-defining illnesses (ADIs, 9.6% of index hospitalizations) and non-AIDS-defining infections (26.4% of index hospitalizations) had readmission rates of 26.2 and 16.6%, respectively. Factors independently associated with readmission included lower CD4 cell count [adjusted odds ratio 1.80 (1.53-2.11) for CD4 cell count <50 vs. ≥351 cells/μl], longer length of stay [1.77 (1.53-2.04) for ≥9 days vs. 1-3 days], and several diagnostic categories including ADI. Having an outpatient follow-up clinic visit was not associated with lower readmission risk [adjusted hazard ratio 0.98 (0.88-1.08)]. CONCLUSION The 19.3% readmission rate exceeds the 13.3% rate reported for the general population of 18-64-year-olds. HIV providers may use the 19.3% rate as a basis of comparison. Policymakers may consider the impact of HIV when estimating expected readmissions for a hospital or region. Preventing or recovering from severe immune dysfunction may be the most important factor to reducing readmissions.
Sexual diergism of baseline plasma leptin and leptin suppression by arginine vasopressin in major depressives and matched controls.

Abstract Leptin inhibits appetite by activating several neuroendocrine systems, including the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal cortical (HPA) axis. In turn, chronically elevated glucocorticoids increase circulating leptin. HPA axis hyperactivity occurs in 30–50% of patients with major depression, but the few prior reports of leptin measurements in this illness have shown inconsistent results. We, therefore, measured plasma leptin in 12 female and 8 male unipolar major depressives and 12 female and 8 male individually matched normal controls administered low-dose physostigmine (PHYSO) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) to stimulate the HPA axis. The subjects underwent four test sessions 5–7 days apart: PHYSO (8 μg/kg IV); AVP (0–08 U/kg IM); PHYSO+AVP; and saline control. Serial blood samples were taken before and after pharmacologic challenge and analyzed for leptin, ACTH 1−39 , cortisol and AVP. Estradiol and testosterone also were measured at each test session. PHYSO and AVP produced no side effects in approximately half the subjects and predominantly mild side effects in the other half, with no significant patient-control differences. Correlations between side effects (absent or present) after PHYSO or AVP and the corresponding leptin responses were non-significant in all groups. Baseline plasma leptin concentrations (mean±S.D.) were significantly higher in the female patients compared to the female controls (22.5±13.9 ng/ml vs. 12.3±9.7 ng/ml), whereas they were similar in the male patients and the male controls (3.9±1.4 ng/ml vs. 3.6±2.0 ng/ml). Leptin concentrations following PHYSO remained unchanged from baseline, indicating that the short-lived ACTH and cortisol increases produced by PHYSO did not affect leptin secretion. In contrast, AVP administration, while also increasing ACTH and cortisol, significantly suppressed leptin, more so in the women than in the men. Baseline leptin and the leptin decrease after AVP were moderately positively correlated with the Hamilton Depression Scale ‘somatization' factor in the female patients ( r =0.50) and more strongly correlated with the ‘mood-depression' factor in the male patients ( r =0.81). These findings indicate a sexual diergism (functional sex difference) in plasma leptin measures between major depressives and matched normal controls.
Measuring coverage quality for femtocell and macrocell broadband data services

This paper presents the results of field trials conducted to measure and compare indoor airlink data rates from femtocells to indoor coverage from macrocells and concludes that operators can expect to see significant (3–5x) improvement in average airlink data throughput relative to the existing macrocell network. Tests were conducted in a number of single family and multi-unit residences. The paper concentrates on UMTS/HSDPA measurements and presents the methodology used in tests and offers summary results. It shows that the case for using femtocells for broadband data services is stronger than for voice based services.
A dynamically reconfigurable parallel pixel processing system

We describe a dynamically reconfigurable image processing system that reaches real time video processing performances despite reconfiguration time overhead. The system is composed of reconfigurable pixel processing units set to process several pixels in parallel. We present a scheme for optimizing a LUT-based architecture by directly mapping it into the Xilinx FPGA CLB primitives. Internally controlled Dynamic Partial Reconfiguration is to modify the LUT values at run-time without stalling the overall operation. The combination of optimized implementations with CLB primitives and Dynamic Partial Reconfiguration leads to multifunctional, area-efficient, and highperformance realizations of LUT-based pixel processing systems. We present results from a dynamically reconfigurable high-performance LUT-based image/video processing system. Experimental measurements show that the system achieves speeds of 226Mbps with small resource utilization. The architecture can dynamically reconfigure the image processing operation at each new frame and still reach real-time video processing speeds (640×480 graylevel frames). We also evaluate the effect that increasing partial reconfiguration rates have on the system's overall performance.
Increased K-conductance as proximate cause of post-stimulus hyperpolarization in Tritonia neurones

Abstract 1. 1. Post-stimulus hyperpolarization (PSH) up to 10 mV, lasting from 0·5 to 2 min, was observed in neurones of Tritonia following outward-current stimuli. An increase of membrane conductance occurred simultaneously with the PSH. 2. 2. Neither ouabain nor cooling reduced the size of the PSH. 3. 3. By application of inward currents immediately after the outward-current stimulus, a reversal potential was measured for the PSH. The reversal potential varied about 42 mV/tenfold change in external potassium concentration. 4. 4. In the absence of inward current, the PSH increased in size with decreasing external potassium concentration. 5. 5. The results indicate that PSH is not due to increased activity of an electrogenic pump, but results from a long-lasting increase in membrane conductance, primarily to potassium ions.
A new chronological survival assay in mammalian cell culture.

The question of whether aging can be modeled in cell culture has been highly debated among specialists in the field ever since the seminal publication that primary fibroblasts undergo a finite numb...
Urban stream restoration in Korea: Design considerations and residents' willingness to pay

Abstract Urban streams in Korea, which until recently were channeled and served only flood control functions, have increasingly attracted attention for their potential as urban parks or residential open spaces. Consequently, urban stream restoration has been booming and a number of restoration projects have been carried out since 1990s. However, increased flash flood risks created by climate change are reigniting controversies regarding the vulnerability of restored streams to flooding. Furthermore, implementation issues including landscape/greening and facility design considerations have been under-investigated. This study explores these ongoing issues associated with urban stream restoration in Korea, as well as attempts to estimate consumers’ willingness to pay for the restoration process. In particular, this study estimates the partial values of natural and recreational attributes of urban streams, which can be improved through various types of urban stream restoration measures, using conjoint analysis. The findings indicate that improving natural attributes by transforming existing concrete-encased streams into natural state streams increases the value of an urban stream by about 50 USD per household. Improving recreational attributes, either by creating a walkway where there is no bank or by expanding facilities to the existing walkway, increases the value of an urban stream by about 25 USD per household. These estimated partial values of urban stream attributes imply the relative importance of each attribute and suggest policy implications for priority setting and trade-offs in urban restoration projects.
Effects of chronic administration of codeine and promethazine on breathlessness and exercise tolerance in patients with chronic airflow obstruction

It has been reported that short-term treatment with relatively high doses of opiates or promethazine causes improvements in dyspnoea and exercise tolerance in patients with chronic airflow obstruction (CAO). This study was designed to determine whether initial benefits were sustained during chronic administration of codeine or promethazine and to compare the two drugs in terms of their efficacy and possible mechanisms of action. Eleven patients with stable CAO were entered into a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in which codeine (30 mg four times daily) or promethazine (25 mg four times daily) were orally administered for 1-month periods. Treatment effects were assessed by spirometry, arterial blood gases, 12-minute walk distance and subjective dyspnoea ratings. A statistically significant increase from the baseline in mean arterial PCO2 at at 24 hours (P less than 0.01) and at 1 month (P less than 0.05) occurred with codeine administration. There was no significant change from baseline for any other measurement with either drug, and no differences were detected between the two treatment arms. Four of the eleven patients did not complete the study; three of the four experienced worsening of their CAO requiring hospitalization (two while receiving codeine, one while receiving promethazine). We conclude that chronic treatment with either codeine or promethazine provides uncertain benefits to patients with CAO which may not outweigh potential risks.