cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Race Differentiation by Raman Spectroscopy of a Bloodstain for Forensic Purposes.

Bearing in mind forensic purposes, a nondestructive and rapid method was developed for race differentiation of peripheral blood donors. Blood is an extremely valuable form of evidence in forensic investigations so proper analysis is critical. Because potentially miniscule amounts of blood traces can be found at a crime scene, having a method that is nondestructive, and provides a substantial amount of information about the sample, is ideal. In this study Raman spectroscopy was applied with advanced statistical analysis to discriminate between Caucasian (CA) and African American (AA) donors based on dried peripheral blood traces. Spectra were collected from 20 donors varying in gender and age. Support vector machines-discriminant analysis (SVM-DA) was used for differentiation of the two races. An outer loop subject-wise cross-validation (CV) method evaluated the performance of the SVM classifier for each individual donor from the training data set. The performance of SVM-DA, evaluated by the area under the...
How to Develop the Medical Neighborhood

Significant attention has been directed towards developing the medical home and improving the patient experience. The medical home is targeted towards optimizing the quality of patient care while also reducing overall costs. An extension of the medical home is the concept of a medical neighborhood. The medical neighborhood utilizes the success of the medical home and incorporates it into the coordination of care between primary care physician and specialists. In order to create an ideal system, though, the framework for making referrals, ordering tests prior to referrals, documentation and communication of recommendations must be addressed a priori. In this perspective we discuss the necessary steps to implement a medical neighborhood for patients with chronic medical conditions and the use of medical technology to facilitate this process.
What motivates deviant behavior in the workplace? An examination of the mechanisms by which procedural injustice affects deviance

This research examines the motivational and social-cognitive processes underlying the procedural injustice and deviance relationship. Based on psychological need and self-determination theories, it was hypothesized that intrinsic motivation would mediate the relationship between procedural injustice and deviance. Based on the general aggression model and social-cognitive theory, it was hypothesized that this positive indirect effect would be moderated by dispositional aggression. Two studies were conducted, including multi-wave and multi-source data, to test these relationships through mediation and moderated mediation procedures. Results supported both hypotheses: intrinsic motivation mediated the procedural injustice and deviance relationship; and this positive indirect effect was moderated by dispositional aggression, such that higher levels of aggression increased the magnitude of the indirect effect. Results were consistent across multiple measures of intrinsic motivation, aggression, and deviance (self- and other-report). Theoretical and practical contributions include support for a process-based theory of deviant behavior in the workplace and organizational interventions aimed at enriching one’s job to develop greater feelings of intrinsic motivation.
Treatment of ibuprofen toxicity with serial charcoal hemoperfusion and hemodialysis in a dog

Objective To describe the efficacy of serial charcoal hemoperfusion and hemodialysis in removing ibuprofen from a dog with severe clinical signs of toxicity. Case Summary A dog ingested a minimum of 2,200 mg/kg of ibuprofen resulting in progressive neurologic dysfunction that progressed to a comatose state by the time of presentation. Extracorporeal charcoal hemoperfusion coupled serially with hemodialysis was performed to remove ibuprofen from this patient. Serial charcoal hemoperfusion and hemodialysis therapy resulted in complete reversal of the neurologic dysfunction in this dog. No evidence of acute kidney or hepatic injury was observed. Serum ibuprofen concentrations confirmed the efficacy of this treatment. New Information Provided This report details the technique for extracorporeal extraction of ibuprofen, a methodology that could be employed for other toxicities due to substances with similar pharmacokinetics. Complications and limitations (eg, saturation of the charcoal cartridge) of the therapy are discussed.
A re-examination of the projected subtropical precipitation decline

Projected decreases in subtropical rainfall have previously been attributed to enhanced moisture transport or atmospheric circulation changes. New research shows that neither is the key mechanism, and instead greater land–sea temperature contrast in response to direct radiative forcing dominates.
Dependence of electrical resistivity on plastic deformation in copper-aluminum alloy Cu 0.975 Al 0.025

We measure changes of electrical resistivity after a plastic deformation. We supposed that the changes are due to a large density of dislocation present in the polycrystalline samples; therefore, we also measure the amount of dislocations after the plastic deformation. Thus, for our aim, we elaborated copper-aluminum alloys Cu 0.975 Al 0.025 ; next, with them, we fabricated metallographic specimens, which were submitted to traction subsequently. We measured the electrical resistivity before and after the traction. The obtained results are discussed in a theoretical framework of dislocations.
Unveiling the South American Balance

Within the last fifty years, the Brazilian share of South American power has increased from one-third to one-half of the overall material capabilities in the region. Such a significant change in the regional power structure cannot have gone unnoticed by Brazil’s neighbors. The article addresses the main question related to South American unipolarity (1985–2014): Why have most countries in the region not implemented any consistent balancing or bandwagoning strategies vis-a-vis Brazil? Drawing on neoclassical realism, the article proposes that certain domestic variables – government instability, limited party-system institutionalization, and powerful presidents – have diverted the attention of political elites and foreign policy executives from the challenges generated by a rising Brazil. Crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis is used to test this hypothesis and other, alternative explanations for the regional imbalance.
The mercenary Mediterranean: sovereignty, religion, and violence in the medieval crown of Aragon, by Hussein Fancy

For some time, important revisionary currents have been transforming the historiography of the Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages – among them, the move away from Platonizing views of Christian-M...
Diet and Brain Aging: Effects on Cell and Mitochondrial Function and Structure

The aging brain shows higher levels of oxidative damage suggesting that antioxidants would be of benefit for cognitive health. In this chapter, the cellular pathways involved with the production of reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage and antioxidants that can be obtained through diet (fruits, vegetables, vitamin E, quercetin, resveratrol, curcumin, and ECGC) will be described. Epidemiological studies suggest a link between these dietary components and healthy brain aging. Combinations of different antioxidants might, however, prove to be more beneficial than single compounds. Overall, a healthy diet rich in antioxidants may reduce the risk for age-associated neurodegenerative disease.
Pyrimidine nucleotides containing a (S)-methanocarba ring as P2Y6 receptor agonists

Both agonists and antagonists of the UDP-activated P2Y6 receptor (P2Y6R) have been proposed for therapeutic use, in conditions such as cancer, inflammation, neurodegeneration and diabetes. Uracil nucleotides containing a south-bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane ((S)-methanocarba) ring system in place of the ribose ring were synthesized and shown to be potent P2Y6R agonists in a calcium mobilization assay. The (S)-methanocarba modification was compatible with either a 5-iodo or 4-methoxyimino group on the pyrimidine, but not with a α,β-methylene 5′-diphosphate. (S)-Methanocarba dinucleotide potency was compatible with a N4-methoxy modification on the proximal nucleoside that is assumed to bind at the P2Y6R similarly to UDP; (N)-methanocarba was preferred on the distal nucleoside moiety. This suggests that the distal dinucleotide P2Y6R binding site prefers a ribose-like group that can attain a (N) conformation, rather than (S). Dinucleotide binding was modeled by homology modeling, docking and molecular dynamics simulations, which suggested the same ribose conformational preferences found empirically.
Landsat 8 TIRS calibration with external sensors

This paper deals with a calibration algorithm to be used with data from the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) on board Landsat 8. Some non-uniform banding calibration errors have been observed in TIRS data since it was launched in 2013. Investigations have shown that this artifact is due to out-of-field radiance that scatters onto the TIRS focal plane. A calibration algorithm which utilizes TIRS image data itself to correct the stray light error has been proposed and implemented. Preliminary experiments have indicated this methodology reduces stray light artifacts significantly. However, there are some cases in which the TIRS TIRS method may not optimally mitigate stray light. These are special cases where there is a large temperature contrast between the edge of the TIRS image and of out-of-field radiance. This paper outlines an alternative approach with near-coincident image data from an external satellite sensor and compares the correction results with the current operational method, in general, and for some of the out-of-field special cases.
Investigation of CCL filter for multilevel selective compensation (SHC) with staircase modulation

Multilevel topology and selective harmonic compensation (SHC) can control active power, reactive power, and to provide ancillary functions to support the grid. However, researchers find that with conventional L or LCL filter, multilevel SHC would act as noise source and inject harmonics to the grid by itself. Moreover, the output current of the multilevel converter is sensitive to the error of the controller or modulator. Therefore, the application of multilevel SHC is limited. This paper investigates and compares the output voltage harmonic spectrum between the multilevel SHC and conventional H-Bridge with SPWM modulation. Based on the differences, it identifies the limits when applying conventional L or LCL filter in the multilevel SHC. Then it proposes the principles and requirements for optimal filters. Based on the principle, it proposes a CCL filter to satisfy all the requirements. Simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed CCL filter.
Using deep learning and google street view to estimate the demographic makeup of neighborhoods across the United States

The United States spends more than $250 million each year on the American Community Survey (ACS), a labor-intensive door-to-door study that measures statistics relating to race, gender, education, occupation, unemployment, and other demographic factors. Although a comprehensive source of data, the lag between demographic changes and their appearance in the ACS can exceed several years. As digital imagery becomes ubiquitous and machine vision techniques improve, automated data analysis may become an increasingly practical supplement to the ACS. Here, we present a method that estimates socioeconomic characteristics of regions spanning 200 US cities by using 50 million images of street scenes gathered with Google Street View cars. Using deep learning-based computer vision techniques, we determined the make, model, and year of all motor vehicles encountered in particular neighborhoods. Data from this census of motor vehicles, which enumerated 22 million automobiles in total (8% of all automobiles in the United States), were used to accurately estimate income, race, education, and voting patterns at the zip code and precinct level. (The average US precinct contains ∼1,000 people.) The resulting associations are surprisingly simple and powerful. For instance, if the number of sedans encountered during a drive through a city is higher than the number of pickup trucks, the city is likely to vote for a Democrat during the next presidential election (88% chance); otherwise, it is likely to vote Republican (82%). Our results suggest that automated systems for monitoring demographics may effectively complement labor-intensive approaches, with the potential to measure demographics with fine spatial resolution, in close to real time.
“Promoting the General Welfare of Society”: The Political Activity of Social Workers and Human Service Organizations

Social workers are politically active both as individuals and as part of larger groups and organizations. This chapter provides an overview of social workers’ current and past political activity, as well as factors that encourage or limit social workers, our profession, and our employers from engaging in the political process. We consider relevant legal issues that guide organizations’ political activities and learn about rules that may apply to individual field placements or employers. Relevant theories and models are used to create a picture of social workers’ political involvement, both individually and collectively. Political knowledge, skills, interest, efficacy, and mobilization and their influences on social workers’ political activity are discussed, as readers are asked to reflect on political activities in which they have participated and potential future political activity. Activities include a political knowledge quiz and a survey that allows readers to compare their political efficacy with other social workers and the American public.
Macular Vessel Density in Glaucomatous Eyes With Focal Lamina Cribrosa Defects.

Author(s): Ghahari, Elham; Bowd, Christopher; Zangwill, Linda M; Suh, Min Hee; Shoji, Takuhei; Hasenstab, Kyle A; Saunders, Luke J; Moghimi, Sasan; Hou, Huiyuan; Manalastas, Patricia IC; Penteado, Rafaella C; Weinreb, Robert N | Abstract: PURPOSE:To compare optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) measured macular vessel density and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) measured macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness in primary open-angle glaucoma eyes with and without focal lamina cribrosa (LC) defects. METHODS:In this cross-sectional, case-control study of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, 46 eyes of 46 patients with LC defects and 54 eyes of 54 patients without observable LC defects were included. OCTA and SDOCT imaging were performed on the same day by the same operator. Perimetry and swept-source OCT testing used to identify LC defects were conducted within 6 months of OCTA and SDOCT testing. Global and local parafoveal vessel density and macular GCC thickness were compared between study groups. RESULTS:Glaucoma severity was similar between groups (SAP mean deviation=-5.63 and -4.64 dB for eyes with and without LC defects, respectively; P=0.40). Global and local measured parafoveal vessel density was similar between groups (all P≥0.11). GCC focal loss volume was higher in eyes with LC defects than eyes without LC defects (7.2% and 4.97%, respectively; P=0.03). In addition, GCC focal loss volume was topographically related to defect location in LC defect eyes. CONCLUSIONS:Although OCTA macular vessel density was not significantly different between eyes with and without LC defects, focal GCC loss in eyes with LC defects was different. This highlights the importance of not relying solely on vessel density measurements for determining macular changes for diagnosing and detecting glaucomatous progression.
Metastatic Nodal Pattern: Is There a Role for Paraaortic Lymph Node Dissection

The role of lymphadenectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma remains an area of controversy, as is the case for many urologic malignancies. Due to vast networks of vascular and lymphatic channels, urothelial carcinoma of both the bladder and upper tract represent diseases where evaluation of the role of meticulous lymph node (LN) dissection has attracted considerable interest from urologic surgeons. Upper tract urothelial carcinoma has the additional consideration of laterality and asymmetry of great vessels and renal vasculature. However, it has a relatively low incidence, which in part has resulted in far fewer studies evaluating the role of LN dissection, and has prevented a full understanding of both its benefits and the optimal extent of dissection to achieve them. That said, the results from multi-institutional studies by high volume centers have supported the beneficial role of LN dissection, more convincingly in staging, but possibly in improving oncological outcomes in select patients. Randomized controlled trials are required to generate a greater level of evidence to create defined templates and establish the role of LN dissection in surgical management of upper tract urothelial carcinoma.
Data Transformation for Normalization

As the abundance of collected data on products, processes and service-related operations continues to grow with technology that facilitates the ease of data collection, it becomes important to use the data adequately for decision making. The ultimate value of the data is realized once it can be used to derive information on product and process parameters and make appropriate inferences. Inferential statistics, where information contained in a sample is used to make inferences on unknown but appropriate population parameters, has existed for quite some time (Mendenhall, Reinmuth, & Beaver, 1993; Kutner, Nachtsheim, & Neter, 2004). Applications of inferential statistics to a wide variety of fields exist (Dupont, 2002; Mitra, 2006; Riffenburgh, 2006). In data mining, a judicious choice has to be made to extract observations from large databases and derive meaningful conclusions. Often, decision making using statistical analyses requires the assumption of normality. This chapter focuses on methods to transform variables, which may not necessarily be normal, to conform to normality.
Hyperfiltration-induced renal injury in normal man : myth or reality

Abstract Current knowledge fails to support the notion that adaptive hyperfiltration of the remnant kidney after donor nephrectomy is deleterious. Rather than being maladaptive, hyperfiltration appropriately compensates for the loss of functional renal mass. Accordingly, most kidney donors can be expected to maintain a stable level of renal function without proteinuria or hypertension. Essential to this is proper selection of donors for nephrectomy and exclusion of high risk potential donors, bearing in mind the fact that apparently healthy, asymptomatic relatives of end stage renal disease patients are prone to the same disease processes that inflict the general population and have a higher risk of underlying renal disease.
A pragmatist philosophy of psychological science and its implications for replication

A pragmatist philosophy of psychological science offers to the direct replication debate concrete recommendations and novel benefits that are not discussed in Zwaan et al. This philosophy guides our work as field experimentalists interested in behavioral measurement. Furthermore, all psychologists can relate to its ultimate aim set out by William James: to study mental processes that provide explanations for why people behave as they do in the world.
My Name, Shall I Tell You My Name?: Memory and Intransigence

This chapter explores the role of memory in the relationship between a grandfather and his granddaughter in Reid’s 1989 play My Name, Shall I Tell You My Name? The analysis of this play centers on recollections of the Battle of the Somme. Key to this discussion is Reid’s presentation of the difficulty of reconciling love for a family member with hate for the values they hold dear. The production analysis follows the first iteration of the play as a radio play, to its production in Dublin as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival and then on to its production at the Young Vic Theatre.
Eight issues in studying organizational constructs: Tackling a complex problem

Much of the industrial/organizational psychology research literature involves abstractions called constructs. Frequently, new constructs are proposed and measures are developed, revised, and evaluated in studies for modeling or predicting organizational criteria. There are many hazards in these studies that lead to incorrect conclusions and decisions. This is especially applicable to the introduction and use of new constructs. We discuss several methodological issues that affect the interpretation of results from theoretical and applied studies and provide examples where construct confusion occurred due to failure to use best practices. A paradigm is proposed to increase the efficacy of studies regardless of which model of constructs has been chosen. Consideration is given to sample characteristics, range restriction, reliability of scores, criterion development, identifying latent sources of variance, content validity, comparing regression equations, and defining the nomological network.
Differential Contribution of Cortical Thickness, Surface Area, and Gyrification to Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence.

Human intelligence can be broadly subdivided into fluid (gf) and crystallized (gc) intelligence, each tapping into distinct cognitive abilities. Although neuroanatomical correlates of intelligence have been previously studied, differential contribution of cortical morphologies to gf and gc has not been fully delineated. Here, we tried to disentangle the contribution of cortical thickness, cortical surface area, and cortical gyrification to gf and gc in a large sample of healthy young subjects (n = 740, Human Connectome Project) with high-resolution MRIs, followed by replication in a separate data set with distinct cognitive measures indexing gf and gc. We found that while gyrification in distributed cortical regions had positive association with both gf and gc, surface area and thickness showed more regional associations. Specifically, higher performance in gf was associated with cortical expansion in regions related to working memory, attention, and visuo-spatial processing, while gc was associated with thinner cortex as well as higher cortical surface area in language-related networks. We discuss the results in a framework where "horizontal" cortical expansion enables higher resource allocation, computational capacity, and functional specificity relevant to gf and gc, while lower cortical thickness possibly reflects cortical pruning facilitating "vertical" intracolumnar efficiency in knowledge-based tasks relevant mostly to gc.
Acute Treatment of Open Foot and Ankle Fractures Using a Bioartificial Dermal Regeneration Template and Split-Thickness Skin Grafting: A Report of 2 Cases.

Case Two patients with open foot and ankle fractures were treated with aggressive irrigation and debridement and acute placement of a dermal regeneration template (DRT) followed by split-thickness skin grafting. Patient 1 was an 82-year-old female with a type IIIB open ankle fracture complexed with 2 significant regions of soft tissue loss. Patient 2 was a 54-year-old male with type IIIB open metatarsal fractures. Both patients healed without complication. Conclusions Complex open fractures in lower extremities can be managed with acute DRT application. This may be a more cost-effective solution compared to free flaps.
Racial disparities in cardiovascular disease risk: mechanisms of vascular dysfunction.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for a third of all deaths in the United States making it the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Although CVD affects individuals of all races/ethnicitie...
Cross-lingual Transfer Learning with Data Selection for Large-Scale Spoken Language Understanding

A typical cross-lingual transfer learning approach boosting model performance on a language is to pre-train the model on all available supervised data from another language. However, in large-scale systems this leads to high training times and computational requirements. In addition, characteristic differences between the source and target languages raise a natural question of whether source data selection can improve the knowledge transfer. In this paper, we address this question and propose a simple but effective language model based source-language data selection method for cross-lingual transfer learning in large-scale spoken language understanding. The experimental results show that with data selection i) source data and hence training speed is reduced significantly and ii) model performance is improved.
System theoretic framework for active sensing in disaster management: modifying sensor guidance for life prolongation in hazardous fields

This work considers disaster management from a system theoretic framework. Assuming that disasters result in spatiotemporally varying fields, such as hazardous plumes that are harmful to humans and equipment, it proposes a three-step approach to disaster management: (i) detection of the presence of a disaster, (ii), reconstruction of the effects of the disaster and (iii) adaptive evacuation in terms of active path planning using information on the effects of the disaster. The second step is considered here and an integrated design for the reconstruction of the state of the spatiotemporally varying field, as described by advection-diffusion PDE, with a mobile sensor is proposed. The mobile sensor has tolerance limits on the measurements, beyond of which ceases to operate. A modification to the sensor guidance is proposed and which initially moves the sensor using a gradient ascent policy. The guidance policy switches to a gradient descent policy whenever the measurements are within a percentage of the tolerance limit ensuring the life prolongation of the sensor. Simulation studies for a 2D advection-diffusion PDE are included to demonstrate the effects of modified guidance on life extension of a sensor.
Management Considerations: Refractory Skin Rash and Calcinosis

Cutaneous manifestations of dermatomyositis can be severe and debilitating due to intense itching, burning pain, ulceration, and inflammatory pink to violaceous discoloration involving the skin, particularly the scalp, face, chest, and hands. Control of the refractory cutaneous dermatomyositis is challenging and usually requires a combination of systemic immunomodulators and/or immunosuppressants to achieve partial or complete remission. In selecting the therapeutic agents to control cutaneous dermatomyositis while minimizing their toxicities, it is important to consider each patient’s other organ-specific manifestations of dermatomyositis such as myositis, interstitial lung disease, arthritis, and malignancy in addition to the patient’s other health conditions and goals of treatment. Myositis-specific autoantibody may indirectly guide management as these autoantibodies may predict risk of other organ involvement such as interstitial lung disease in patients with anti-MDA5 and anti-synthetase autoantibodies and thereby influence the systemic medications chosen for treatment. Although early treatment of cutaneous dermatomyositis may prevent cutaneous damage such as hyperpigmentation, atrophy, calcinosis, and scarring from ulceration, it is currently unclear if treatment of cutaneous disease impacts involvement of other organs. Treatment of cutaneous calcinosis remains a formidable task. While the currently available medical therapies may have modest effects in reducing the burden and/or symptoms associated with calcinosis, surgical excision continues to be the single most effective treatment.
Interactions between Tumor Cells, Neurons, and Microglia in the Glioma Microenvironment

Despite significant strides made in understanding the pathophysiology of high-grade gliomas over the past two decades, most patients succumb to these neoplasias within two years of diagnosis. Furthermore, there are various co-morbidities associated with glioma and standard of care treatments. Emerging evidence suggests that aberrant glutamate secretion in the glioma microenvironment promotes tumor progression and contributes to the development of co-morbidities, such as cognitive defects, epilepsy, and widespread neurodegeneration. Recent data clearly illustrate that neurons directly synapse onto glioma cells and drive their proliferation and spread via glutamatergic action. Microglia are central nervous system-resident myeloid cells, modulate glioma growth, and possess the capacity to prune synapses and encourage synapse formation. However, current literature has yet to investigate the potential role of microglia in shaping synapse formation between neurons and glioma cells. Herein, we present the literature concerning glutamate’s role in glioma progression, involving hyperexcitability and excitotoxic cell death of peritumoral neurons and stimulation of glioma proliferation and invasion. Furthermore, we discuss instances in which microglia are more likely to sculpt or encourage synapse formation during glioma treatment and propose studies to delineate the role of microglia in synapse formation between neurons and glioma cells. The sex-dependent oncogenic or oncolytic actions of microglia and myeloid cells, in general, are considered in addition to the functional differences between microglia and macrophages in tumor progression. We also put forth tractable methods to safely perturb aberrant glutamatergic action in the tumor microenvironment without significantly increasing the toxicities of the standard of care therapies for glioma therapy.
61.5% Efficiency and 3.6 kW/m² Power Handling Rectenna Circuit Demonstration for Radiative Millimeter Wave Wireless Power Transmission

A new GaN Nano-Schottky diode rectifier is introduced with capacitance per unit gate width of 381 fF/mm, and series resistance is 0.45 Ω ·mm leading to transition frequency ( $f_{{T}})$ of 928 GHz. The associated forward current is 1.8 A/mm with breakdown voltage of 30 V. The new device was modeled and an on-wafer voltage doubler rectenna circuit was designed and fabricated on GaN/SiC wafers. A W-band small and large signal characterization was performed to highlight the integrated rectenna performance. An RF-dc efficiency of 61.5% was measured at 95 GHz with associated input power density of 3.61 kW/m². The latter represents a 15.7% increase in efficiency over the state-of-the-art W-band rectenna circuit. The input power handling has also increased by a factor of 1.5 and 9.5 from reported GaAs and CMOS-based rectenna circuits at 94 GHz. The result highlights key improvements in the rectenna metrics for wireless power beaming demonstrations of the future.
Efficacy of a password-protected pill-dispensing device to enhance disposal of unused opioids after cancer surgery.

264Background: Opioid misuse is a public health crisis. Initial opioid exposures often occur post-operatively, and 10% of opioid-naive patients who undergo cancer surgery subsequently become long-t...
A Bulk-Capacitance Reduction Method Using Self-Driven Thyristor for AC-DC Converters

Universal serial bus power delivery (USB-PD) fast chargers equipped with wide-bandgap devices are driven to higher power density and efficiency to be more competitive in the market. The indispensable bulk capacitors used to smooth rectifier output usually come with large capacitance that could take up to 35% of the total system volume. To further the system-level miniaturization and performance improvement, it is essential to reduce the bulk-capacitor size. This paper discusses a simple-to-implement method to extend the line-voltage conduction and reduce the bulk capacitance, using a self-driven thyristor including a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR), an anti-parallel diode and a Zener diode without any control circuits. Design analysis is presented, and the design procedure is implemented to build a 60-W GaN-based active-clamp flyback converter. The measurement results on the prototype show a 36.4% reduction of the bulk capacitance and 27.8% reduction of the total volume with similar efficiency compared to the conventional AC-DC solution. A detailed design guideline is also provided in this paper.
Lack of Effect of Mossy Fiber-Released Zinc on Granule Cell GABAA Receptors in the Pilocarpine Model of Epilepsy

The recurrent mossy fiber pathway of the dentate gyrus expands dramatically in the epileptic brain and serves as a mechanism for synchronization of granule cell epileptiform activity. It has been s...
A De Novo Variant in Galactose-1-P Uridylyltransferase (GALT) Leading to Classic Galactosemia

Classic galactosemia (CG) is a potentially lethal genetic disease that results from profound impairment of galactose-1-P uridylyltransferase (GALT), the middle enzyme in the Leloir pathway of galactose metabolism. Patients with CG carry pathogenic loss-of-function mutations in both of their GALT alleles; the parents of patients are considered obligate carriers. We report here a first exception to that rule – a de novo GALT variant in a patient with classic galactosemia. The new variant, c.563A>C (p.Q188P), which introduces a missense substitution near the active site of the GALT enzyme, was found in the compound heterozygous state in a child with classic galactosemia, but not in either of her parents. Extensive genomic studies of DNA from the child and both parents confirmed the expected degrees of relationship in the trio as well as inheritance of a common c.563A>G (p.Q188R) GALT mutation from the mother. This result demonstrates that not all pathogenic GALT mutations are inherited and raises concern that GALT may have a higher new mutation rate than previously believed.
IL-15 mediates alloreactive CD8 memory T cell resistance to CTLA4-Ig blockade. (TRAN3P.891)

Objective: The increased presence of alloreactive memory CD8 T cells in the peripheral blood of transplant patients is a risk factor for acute graft rejection and resistance to CTLA4-Ig immunosuppression. The mechanisms mediating this resistance are poorly understood. These studies tested the ability of IL-15, a cytokine produced in grafts during post-surgical inflammation, to confer memory CD8 T cell resistance to CTLA-4Ig blockade. Results: Addition of IL-15, but not IL-2 or IL-7, to co-cultures of purified CD28- or CD28+ memory CD8 T cells and allogeneic B cells induced proliferation of the CD28- memory cells. Proliferating CD28- memory CD8 T cells produced high amounts of IFN-g and TNF-a and up-regulated the cytolytic marker CD107a. IL-15 also induced rapid release of perforin and granzyme B by alloantigen-stimulated CD28- or CD28+ memory CD8 T cells. While CTLA4-Ig inhibited alloantigen-induced proliferation of CD28+ memory CD8 T cells, addition of IL-15 rescued this proliferation. CD28+CD8 memory T cells rendered resistant to CTLA4-Ig blockade by IL-15 down-regulated CD28, suggesting the loss of CD28 expression as one mechanism of resistance. Conclusions: IL-15 activates CD28- memory CD8 T cell to proliferate and to express effector functions in response to alloantigen and provokes down-regulation of CD28 on CD28+ memory CD8 T cells conferring resistance of these T cells to CTLA4-Ig mediated costimulation blockade.
Peptidomic and Proteomic Profiling of the Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) Synovial Fluid Reveals Transthyretin (TTR) as Potential Biomarker of the Disease

Juvenile rheumatic arthritis is the most common chronic condition seen by pediatric rheumatologists. There are high concentrations of immune complexes in the joint but their specificities are just ...
NUTRITION OF VIBRIO FETUS

Smibert, Robert M. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, Va.). Nutrition of Vibrio fetus. J. Bacteriol. 85:394–398. 1963.—A chemically defined medium has been developed for the cultivation of both catalase-positive H2S-negative and catalase-positive H2S-positive strains of Vibrio fetus. A total of 87 strains of V. fetus, representing bovine, ovine, porcine, human, and chicken isolates, were grown in both semisolid and liquid defined media. The medium was also used to isolate V. fetus from the stomach contents of aborted bovine fetuses. The strains investigated did not require purines or pyrimidines. They required nicotinic acid, and were stimulated by other B vitamins. There was considerable variation in the amino acid requirements of V. fetus. Some strains required only one amino acid, and others required many more. The final complete medium contained 18 amino acids and supported growth of all 87 strains. There was no significant correlation between amino acid requirements and source of isolation or biochemical characteristics of V. fetus.
The role of bipolar structures in a power MOS process

Modern power IC processes usually optimize DMOS outputs, with little emphasis on bipolar structures, for wafer cost reasons. We describe the role of bipolar structures in a high efficiency power IC process, and design techniques to allow use of non-optimized bipolar devices.
Abstract 40: Transcriptome and DNA Methylation Changes in Patients with Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Undergoing Remote Ischemic Preconditioning

Background: Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) is a phenomenon by which brief periods of sublethal ischemia in one tissue confers protection from ischemia to distant tissues. We hypothesize that RIC triggers a cascade of integrated gene expression and methylation changes, leading to neuroprotection in subarachnoidal hemorrhage (SAH) patients. Our goal was to identify and compare changes in DNA methylation and gene expression profiles before and after RIC. Methods: Patients enrolled in a clinical trial of RIC after SAH, receiving RIC by limb cuff transient ischemia sessions. Fourteen SAH patients (64% female, mean age 51) underwent 3-4 RIC sessions and gave a blood sample before and after RIC, seven days apart. The transcriptome analysis of whole blood was performed using paired-end, 100-bp RNA-sequencing. We employed STAR and HTSeq to align and count reads; EdgeR to normalize the counts and detect differential expression (DE); and David to search for functional categories of the DE genes. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles were assessed using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS); Bismark with Bowtie to align the RRBS data, and the differential methylation analysis package (DMAP) to call the methylation status of CpG sites. Bedtools was used to overlap the DE genes with differentially methylated regions. Results: Of the 12,411 genes passing QC, 168 genes were differentially expressed after RIC (FDR Conclusions: Our data suggest that RIC alters expression of a specific set of genes involved in stroke via changes in regional DNA methylation. Further studies are warranted to replicate these pilot results.
A Forecaster's Story: Robert H. Johns

The stages in the life of a severe storms forecaster, Robert H. Johns, are reconstructed from information in a series of interviews. The traditional interview format, question-and-answer mode, has been converted to a first-person narrative that leads to a more-continuous train of thought. The storyline begins by describing Johns' entrainment into meteorology as a youngster. By virtue of his contact and conversations with farmers in rural Indiana, he became interested in weather's impact on the farmers and their crop yields. Early stimulation also came from a challenging weather project in the 6th grade and reading of George Stewart's novel Storm. From these experiences, Bob Johns decided to pursue a science career in service to society. This service took the form of work as a weather forecaster for the United States Weather Bureau (USWB)/National Weather Service (NWS). The arduous path to severe storms forecaster is traced by highlighting his youthful experiences, his academic training, and the stepwise progression from student trainee to lead forecaster at the Severe Local Storms (SELS) unit of the USWB/NWS.
Evaluation of TeamSTEPPS integration across a curriculum regarding team attitudes: A longitudinal study

Introduction : The ability to function as an effective member of the healthcare team is essential for graduate nurses upon entry into practice. Team training is therefore, an important element of nursing education. A convenient and cost-effective approach to providing team training to nursing students is through the TeamSTEPPS ® curriculum. The purpose of the study was to determine if an intentional integration of TeamSTEPPS ® principles into simulation-based team training modules would improve attitudes toward teamwork in a cohort of undergraduate nursing students. Methods : A quasi–experimental time series nonequivalent control group design was used. A convenience sample of 115 first semester students (108 completed) who received the TeamSTEPPS ® training and 77 final semester undergraduate students who did not receive the intervention participated. Repeated measures of the TeamSTEPPS-Teamwork Attitude Questionnaire (T-TAQ) were obtained initially and three times throughout the curriculum. Final semester students served as the comparison group and completed the T-TAQ without formal team training. Results : After participation in ten hours of simulation-based instructional activities, T-TAQ scores significantly increased from baseline and maintained over time. No statistical difference was identified between first semester students without formal team training and graduating students without formal team training. Conclusions : The findings suggest an intentional integration of TeamSTEPPS ® principles throughout an undergraduate-nursing curriculum improve and maintain student teamwork attitudes over time. It is recommended that TeamSTEPPS ® principles be intentionally integrated throughout undergraduate nursing curricula.
The effect of lactulose on urea metabolism and nitrogen excretion in cirrhotic patients

The mechanism of action of lactulose is not known, although in vitro evidence suggests that lactulose may increase ammonia utilization and decrease ammmonia production by gut flora. If these changes occur in patients, they should be reflected in altered urea metabolism and nitrogen excretion. In seven studies conducted in 6 cirrhotic patients, the effects of lactulose on the kinetics of urea metabolism and nitrogen excretion were determined. Lactulose caused a fall in urea production (-24%, P less than 0.005) that was reflected in a decrease in both urea degradation and urinary urea excretion. Likewise, lactulose caused a decrease in the total body urea pool. The fall in urinary urea was accompanied by a large (two- to threefold) increase in stool nitrogen that was of a similar magnitude of the fall in urinary urea. Although urea degradation fell after lactulose, the intestinal (extrarenal) clearance of urea did not, indicating that the fall in urea degradation was due to the observed fall in the urea pool. The results indicate that: (a) Lactulose decreases urea production by increasing the fecal output of nitrogen, a finding compatible with altered ammonia metabolism by gut flora. (b) Lactulose decreases urea degradation, although this effect is primarily the result of a fall in the urea pool and cannot be attributed to an inhibition of urea breakdown in the gut lumen.
Comparison of Survival at Adult versus Pediatric Treatment Centers for Rare Pediatric Tumors in an Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Population in the State of Georgia

Background The type of treatment center where 15–21-year-old adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with rare pediatric tumors achieve their best clinical outcome is unknown. Procedure We performed a retrospective analysis using the Georgia Cancer Registry (GCR) of 15–21-year old patients with a malignant, rare pediatric tumor diagnosed during the period from 2000–2009. Patients were identified as being treated at one of five Georgia pediatric cancer centers or at an adult center. Data were analyzed for 10 year overall survival, patient characteristics associated with death, and patient characteristics present at diagnosis associated with choice of treatment center. Results There was a total of 479 patients in our final study population, of which 379 (79.1%) were treated at an adult center and 100 (20.9%) were treated at a pediatric center. Patients treated at an adult center had a 10 year overall survival of 86% compared to 85% for patients treated at a pediatric center (P = 0.31). Race and poverty were not significantly associated with death. Patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (OR = 7.38; 95% CI = 2.30–23.75) and ‘other carcinomas' (OR = 2.64; 95% CI = 1.25–5.60) were more likely to be treated at a pediatric center. Patients with higher-stage disease (OR = 4.24; 95% CI = 1.71–10.52) and higher poverty (OR = 2.32; 95% CI = 1.23–4.37) were also more likely to be treated at a pediatric center. Conclusion Our data suggest that there is no difference in survival for 15–21-year old patients with rare pediatric tumors when treated at an adult or pediatric center. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:456–462. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On the Cash Balance Problem

The problem of determining the optimal level of a firm's cash balance has been studied by many researchers. Their analyses differ with respect to the assumptions made about both the cost structure faced by the firm and the nature of the flow of funds to the firm. Because of the different methodologies employed by these authors, a proof of the form of the optimum policy only exists for some assumptions about costs and cash flow conditions. Under other conditions, authors have simply assumed the form of the policy and solved for the parameters of that policy. This paper uses a general dynamic programming formulation of the cash balance problem to derive the form of the optimal cash balance problem under different assumptions about transaction costs and the demand for funds. It consists of a review, synthesis, generalization, and in many cases gives a more rigorous derivation of results. Also the nature of the cash balance problem is expanded in the interest of realism, to allow for access to short-term sources of funds.
LnV₃Te₃O₁₅(OH)₃·nH₂O (Ln = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd; n = 1-2): a new series of semiconductors with mixed-valent tellurium (IV,VI) oxoanions.

Six new lanthanide tellurium vanadates with the general formula LnV3Te3O15(OH)3·nH2O (LnVTeO) (Ln = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Gd; n = 2 for Ce and Pr; n = 1 for Nd, Sm, Eu, and Gd) have been prepared hydrothermally via the reactions of lanthanide nitrates, TeO2, and V2O5 at 230 °C. LnVTeO adopts a three-dimensional (3D) channel structure with a space group of P63/mmc. Surprisingly, two types of oxoanions: TeIVO32– trigonal pyramids and TeVIO66– octahedra, coexist in these compounds. Solid-state UV–vis–NIR absorption spectra for LnVTeO show approximate band gaps on the order of 1.9 eV, suggesting the wide band gap semiconducting nature of these materials. No magnetic phase transition was observed in any of the analogues, but a clear increase in the strength of short-range antiferromagnetic correlations was found with the shortening of distances between magnetically coupled Ln3+ ions in LnVTeO.
Synthesizing Parallel Flexure Concepts That Mimic the Complex Kinematics of Serial Flexures Using Displaced Screw Systems

The aim of this paper is to introduce the theory necessary to synthesize a new type of parallel flexure system that mimics the complex kinematics of serial flexure systems using a comprehensive library of geometric shapes that represent systems of screws. By displacing these shapes far from the system’s motion stage, designers may rapidly visualize every parallel flexure concept that possesses degrees of freedom (DOFs), which approximate DOFs only achievable by serial flexure systems for small motions. In this way, designers may generate every flexure concept that utilizes the advantages of both parallel and serial flexure systems. This paper’s impact is most significant to the design of precision motion stages, optical mounts, microscopy stages, and general purpose flexure bearings. Two case studies are provided to demonstrate the utility of this theory.© 2011 ASME