cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The inhibition of lactoperoxidase catalytic activity through mesna (2-mercaptoethane sodium sulfonate).

Abstract Here, we show that mesna (sodium-2-mercaptoethane sulfonate), primarily used to prevent nephrotoxicity and urinary tract toxicity caused by chemotherapeutic agents such as cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide, modulates the catalytic activity of lactoperoxidase (LPO) by binding tightly to the enzyme, functioning either as a one electron substrate for LPO Compounds I and II, destabilizing Compound III. Lactoperoxidase is a hemoprotein that utilizes hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and thiocyanate (SCN−) to produce hypothiocyanous acid (HOSCN), an antimicrobial agent also thought to be associated with carcinogenesis. Our results revealed that mesna binds stably to LPO within the SCN− binding site, dependent of the heme iron moiety, and its combination with LPO-Fe(III) is associated with a disturbance in the water molecule network in the heme cavity. At low concentrations, mesna accelerated the formation and decay of LPO compound II via its ability to serve as a one electron substrate for LPO compounds I and II. At higher concentrations, mesna also accelerated the formation of Compound II but it decays to LPO-Fe(III) directly or through the formation of an intermediate, Compound I*, that displays characteristic spectrum similar to that of LPO Compound I. Mesna inhibits LPO's halogenation activity (IC50 value of 9.08 μM) by switching the reaction from a 2e− to a 1e− pathway, allowing the enzyme to function with significant peroxidase activity (conversion of H2O2 to H2O without generation of HOSCN). Collectively, mesna interaction with LPO may serve as a potential mechanism for modulating its steady-state catalysis, impacting the regulation of local inflammatory and infectious events.
Imaging of the acute scrotum: keys to a rapid diagnosis of acute scrotal disorders

Imaging of the scrotum in the setting of acute symptoms such as pain or swelling is commonly performed emergently to differentiate between patients who require immediate surgery and those that do not. Acute scrotal symptoms are generally caused by infectious, traumatic or vascular etiologies. Rapid diagnosis and initiation of treatment is vital for testicular salvage in cases of acute testicular torsion, testicular rupture, and Fournier gangrene. Epididymitis, epididymo-orchitis, torsed testicular appendage, segmental testicular infarction, scrotal hematomas, testicular neoplasms, and acute idiopathic scrotal edema can have similar clinical presentations, but these conditions do not require immediate surgery. Ultrasound is the well-established first-line imaging modality for the acute scrotum. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging can be useful as problem-solving tools when ultrasound studies are inconclusive or equivocal. This review describes normal scrotal anatomy and a wide range acute scrotal disorders, with emphasis on the imaging and clinical features that can minimize the risk of misdiagnosis.
Quantitative Analysis of in Vivo Methionine Oxidation of the Human Proteome.

The oxidation of methionine is an important post-translational modification of proteins with numerous roles in physiology and pathology. However, the quantitative analysis of methionine oxidation o...
Position: A Novice Oriented Dual-Modality Programming Tool for Brain-Computer Interfaces Application Development

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) are commonly used to translate brain activity to commands. The emergence of more affordable electroencephalography (EEG) hardware is gradually making neurotechnology more accessible to a broader audience. However, there is limited work investigating ways to design software that supports novice BCI developers. To address these issues, we have designed NeuroSquare, a hybrid block-flow based programming tool that provides a live environment designed to assist educators with introducing novice programmers to BCI. NeuroSquare divides applications into three parts: signal acquisition, signal processing, and application logic. It provides a flow-based environment for signal processing and a block-based environment for the application logic. The flow-based section provides the freedom to process EEG signals. Furthermore, the hybrid design may also provide insights into the efficacy of dual-modality environments in the context of neurofeedback application development. This paper discusses NeuroSquares software design, limitations, and future work.
Tenskwatawa - The Prophet

This encyclopedia entry explains who the Shawnee Prophet, Tenskwatawa, was and his importance to the history of American Indian relations.
Cinephilia and Method

Can the close attention to movies prompted by cinephilia enable us to notice what Stanley Cavell has called the “missable,” those elements of a film that elude our attention even without being hidden? In advocating this kind of heightened attentiveness, one doctor has suggested a method based on wonder, the sense that Wittgenstein referred to as “the dawning of an aspect.” Eleanor Duckworth’s “moonwatching” exercise and Thoreau’s Walden also disable standard formulas in favor of description. This chapter uses these models to look at Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night and It’s a Wonderful Life.
Modulating nonlinear elastic behavior of biodegradable shape memory elastomer and small intestinal submucosa(SIS) composites for soft tissue repair.

Abstract Structural repair of soft tissue for regenerative therapies can be advanced by developing biocompatible and bioresorbable materials with mechanical properties similar to the tissue targeted for therapy. Developing new materials modeling soft tissue mechanics can mitigate many limitations of material based therapies, specifically concerning the mechanical stress and deformation the material imposes on surrounding tissue structures. However, many elastomeric materials used in soft tissue repair lack the ability to be delivered through minimally invasive surgical (MIS) or transcatheter routes and require open surgical approaches for placement and application. We have developed a biocompatible and fully biodegradable shape memory elastomer, poly-(glycerol dodecanedioate) (PGD), which fulfills the requirements for hyperelasticity and exhibits shape memory behavior to serve as a novel substrate material for regenerative therapy in minimally invasive clinical procedures. Our previous work demonstrated control over the tangent modulus at 12.5% compressive strain between 1 and 3 MPa by increasing the crosslinking density in the polymer. In order to improve control over a broader range of mechanical properties, nonlinear behavior, and toughness, we 1) varied PGD physical crosslink density, 2) incorporated sheets of porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS, Cook Biotech, Inc.) with varying thickness, and 3) mixed lyophilized SIS particulates into PGD at different weight percentages. Tensile testing (ASTM D412a ) revealed PGD containing SIS sheets of were stiffer than controls (p D624c ) compared to PGD tear specimens prepared control specimens (p
Cost-Effectiveness of a Grade 8 Intensive Reading and Content Learning Intervention

When recommending a program to achieve objectives such as improving learning outcomes for middle school students, school psychologists need information about cost-effectiveness to identify the best...
A Pediatric Case of Granulomatous Myositis and Response to Treatment.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy encompasses a group of acquired, heterogeneous, systemic diseases of the skeletal muscle, including adult polymyositis, adult dermatomyositis, juvenile dermatomyositis, juvenile polymyositis, inclusion body myositis, and necrotizing myopathy, all resulting in muscle weakness. Granulomatous myositis (GM) is a rare myopathy disorder histologically characterized by the development of endomyseal and/or perimyseal granulomas in striated muscle. GM is often associated with sarcoidosis. GM has also been associated with myasthenia gravis, inflammatory bowel disease, thymoma, and malignancy. We are reporting a rare case of a 13-year-old girl with GM without associated disease that was refractory to multiple medications, and responded well to rituximab.
Dysregulated Immunity and Immunotherapy after Sepsis

Implementation of protocolized surveillance, diagnosis, and management of septic patients, and of surgical sepsis patients in particular, is shown to result in significantly increased numbers of patients surviving their initial hospitalization. Currently, most surgical sepsis patients will rapidly recover from sepsis; however, many patients will not rapidly recover, but instead will go on to develop chronic critical illness (CCI) and experience dismal long-term outcomes. The elderly and comorbid patient is highly susceptible to death or CCI after sepsis. Here, we review aspects of the Persistent Inflammation, Immunosuppression, and Catabolism Syndrome (PICS) endotype to explain the underlying pathobiology of a dysregulated immune system in sepsis survivors who develop CCI; then, we explore targets for immunomodulatory therapy.
Marking Time, Making Community in Medieval Schools.

This article examines the nature of school days and school years in later medieval Western Europe and considers the societal functions of the temporal cultures that emerged. The forms of the school day and year in elementary and grammar schools—alongside school- and youth-centered festivals—were replete with meaning and possessed utility beyond simple responses to environmental factors such as seasonal and meteorological changes. School authorities—whether ecclesiastical or municipal—saw the temporal cultures of medieval schools as a means to socialize children and to create and maintain collective community identities. By exploring a range of different traditions and regional variations, it is clear that the experience of the passage of time was imbued with meaning and social significance for medieval schoolchildren and their communities.
El Génesis. Fernanda Martínez Varela. Santiago: Castor y Pólux, 2019. ISBN 978-956-9872-13-6. 66 pp.

Publicado hace dos anos, El Genesis (Castor y Polux, 2019), de Fernanda Martinez Varela, continua explorando a traves de la poesia los temas que la obsesionan: las relaciones familiares y amorosas, la religion, el genero, la violencia y el lenguaje. Estos estaban ya presentes en su publicacion anterior, La Sagrada Familia (Libros del Perro Negro, 2015). Esta, tercera publicacion de la autora, se destaca, sin embargo, por hacer el esfuerzo de condensar la escritura, incluso por momentos llegando a entregar una imagen unica por pagina. Digo esfuerzo porque leo el texto como una serie de aperturas y cierres, como si se tratara de una respiracion inquieta. La fuerza y el motor de este libro se hallan en la lucha de concentrar grandes temas en un uso y una plasticidad del lenguaje y darles asi cauce y sentido en un regimen de afectos personales.
Anomalous Aortic Origin of Pulmonary Arteries

Anomalous aortic origin of the pulmonary arteries is a rare clinical entity. Either the right or the left pulmonary artery can arise directly from the ascending aorta while the other pulmonary artery retains its origin from the right ventricular outflow tract. These patients may present with clinical signs of pulmonary over-circulation due to increased pulmonary blood flow. The rate of survival has now increased due to early diagnosis and prompt surgical repair. The diagnosis of anomalous aortic origin of pulmonary arteries is usually made by transthoracic echocardiogram, but cardiac CT may be needed to confirm the diagnosis. The preferred surgical approach is to translocate the anomalous pulmonary artery in end-to-side fashion to the pulmonary trunk. The long-term outcome is excellent.
Loop Quantum Gravity and the Planck Regime of Cosmology

The very early universe provides the best arena we currently have to test quantum gravity theories. The success of the inflationary paradigm in accounting for the observed inhomogeneities in the cosmic microwave background already illustrates this point to a certain extent because the paradigm is based on quantum field theory on the curved cosmological space-times. However, this analysis excludes the Planck era because the background space-time satisfies Einstein’s equations all the way back to the big bang singularity. Using techniques from loop quantum gravity, the paradigm has now been extended to a self-consistent theory from the Planck regime to the onset of inflation, covering some 11 orders of magnitude in curvature. In addition, for a narrow window of initial conditions, there are departures from the standard paradigm, with novel effects, such as a modification of the consistency relation involving the scalar and tensor power spectra and a new source for non-Gaussianities. The genesis of the large scale structure of the universe can be traced back to quantum gravity fluctuations in the Planck regime. This report provides a bird’s eye view of these developments for the general relativity community.
A Novel Technique for the Collection and Recovery of Foreign Fibers in Forensic Science Casework

In criminal investigations, especially in rape, sodomy, and murder cases, forensic scientists are frequently asked to establish a possible transfer of fiber evidence. In such cases, the initial task is to recover the minute fragments of transferred fibers from the surfaces of the textile articles involved in an incident. An ideal method should be simple, rapid, efficient, and reliable. A novel technique satisfying all of the above criteria is described which involves the use of an adhesive bed for the collection and recovery of fibers, and laser illumination/stereo light microscopy for search and localization of possible matching fibers. The adhesive bed consists of a clear polyester film (100 by 130 mm) preprinted with a grid and label. The grid area (100 by 100 mm) was covered with Double Coated® adhesive tape. The bed is stored in a document protector. The advantages of this new technique over existing methods include rapid collection of evidence material from large surfaces, convenient handling and storage of samples, and rapid recovery of suspect fibers. This technique is time-saving and practical in routine cases and meets the needs of overburdened crime laboratories.
Property Rights and the Return to Capital

In this essay, VanMetre and Hall draw upon the Austrian and new institutional schools of economics and deploy the Economic Freedom of the World Index to empirically test the relationship between property rights and economic prosperity. Their analysis confirms De Soto’s thesis that secure property rights enhance the return on human and physical capital, which in turn leads to improved economic performance.
Race and Politics: Impact of the African American Vote on Presidential Elections in the United States

In his 1903 publication The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. DuBois proclaimed, the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color-line. While the United States has made significant progress with regards to race relations, race is still a confounding and influential factor in the social, economic and political development of African Americans. Research suggests no other factor has such a profound impact on the contemporary African American predicament. While much research has been conducted on race relations in the United States, very little has been done on the impact of race on national elections. The research on politics specific to African Americans has centered primarily on urban politics and mayoral races. The limited research in the area of African Americans and national politics suggests a perception by researchers that African Americans have limited influence on the outcome of national elections. This paper examines the impact of race in national elections since the presidential candidacy of John F. Kennedy one of the closest presidential elections in contemporary American history. John F. Kennedy won the presidency by fewer than 110,000, fewer than 1 vote per precinct. Africans Americans overwhelmingly supported Kennedy and he certainly could not have won without them. With contemporary national elections being so close and with the increased emphasis on turnout in states with proportionally large African American populations, there is great utility in better understanding the impact of African Americans on national elections, particularly in key electoral states. This paper is an evaluation of the impact of African Americans on presidential elections and relies on voter turnout data, voter registration and voter return data from state boards of elections to help answer this research question.
Ovine luteinizing hormone. VI. Analysis of the misclassification errors in the separation of intrapituitary isohormones by chromatofocusing.

Abstract Luteinizing hormone (LH) in extracts of the ovine (o) anterior pituitary gland elutes as eight or more distinct peaks when analyzed by chromatofocusing on pH 10.5–7 gradients [Keel , Biol. Reprod. , 36 (1987) 1102]. In order to examine the efficacy of this approach to identify the distinct charge isomers of oLH, a pool of pituitary extracts was de-salted by flow dialysis and chromatofocused on a pH 10.5–7 gradient. The immunoreactive oLH eluted in nine distinct peaks which were coded with letters beginning with the most basic form. The fractions corresponding to each peak were pooled, dialyzed and lyophilized. Each peak was then re-chromatofocused on a pH 10.5–7 gradient except for the immunoreactive oLH eluting in peak A′ because of the small amount present in this peak. Each peak, except for F and H, also consisted of a small percentage of immunoreactive oLH associated with adjacent peaks. This was plausible because chromatofocusing does not generally yield baseline resolution of peaks. Peak H eluted in a broad manner and was contaminated with significant amounts of isohormones F, G and Z. In contrast, peaks B, E, F, G and Z almost completely eluted in the anticipated regions. Thus, it appears that analysis of oLH charge isomers by chromatofocusing yields minimal misclassification errors and that the misclassification errors observed are associated with molecular forms which comprise a relatively small percentage of the oLH in pituitary extracts.
Advances in Joule-Thomson Cooling

The Joule-Thomson (J-T) cooling effect from the expansion of a non-ideal gas, is one of the oldest methods known for the generation of cryogenic temperatures. It is the simplest to use, but, in many circumstances, is one of the least efficient. However, recent developments of J-T coolers using more complex cycles, multi-stage construction, use of special gas mixtures and, novel methods of fabrication have greatly improved the attainable efficiency of this type of cooler. These developments have made the J-T refrigerator competitive in many situations with other refrigerators which use, superficially more efficient, cooling cycles. In addition, the absence of mechanical noise or vibration, their Mate simplicity, their small size and low mass gives these J-T refrigerators a number of additional advantages over Stirling and other such refrigerators. We discuss these developments and the underlying reasons for these improvements.
A Misexpression Screen Identifies Genes That Can Modulate RAS1 Pathway Signaling in Drosophila melanogaster

Differentiation of the R7 photoreceptor cell is dependent on the Sevenless receptor tyrosine kinase, which activates the RAS1/mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling cascade. Kinase suppressor of Ras (KSR) functions genetically downstream of RAS1 in this signal transduction cascade. Expression of dominant-negative KSR (KDN) in the developing eye blocks RAS pathway signaling, prevents R7 cell differentiation, and causes a rough eye phenotype. To identify genes that modulate RAS signaling, we screened for genes that alter RAS1/KSR signaling efficiency when misexpressed. In this screen, we recovered three known genes, Lk6, misshapen, and Akap200. We also identified seven previously undescribed genes; one encodes a novel rel domain member of the NFAT family, and six encode novel proteins. These genes may represent new components of the RAS pathway or components of other signaling pathways that can modulate signaling by RAS. We discuss the utility of gain-of-function screens in identifying new components of signaling pathways in Drosophila.
Emerging Anxiolytics: Corticotropin‐Releasing Factor Receptor Antagonists

This chapter describes the potential of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system as a target for novel therapeutics in anxiety, depression and stress-related disorders. CRF is the principle physiological regulator of an organism's response to stress. The authors provide a detailed description of the endogenous receptors and peptide ligands in this family as well as a review of the current non-peptide small molecule antagonists that may yield the first proof of concept for this system in disease. A detailed analysis of the mechanisms of peptide and non-peptide interactions with the receptor are presented utilizing various pharmacological and molecular methodologies including radioligand binding, receptor/ligand interactions and mutational studies that have defined specific features of small molecule antagonist interaction with this Class-B GPCR that differ significantly from the interactions of its endogenous peptides. The findings provide evidence for non-overlapping sites of action and imply that nonpeptide antagonists act in an allosteric manner to inhibit the function and binding of the endogenous peptides. Current efforts and future strategies for the further development of these novel molecules for neuropsychiatric and stress-related disorders are discussed. Keywords: depression; molecular pharmacology; GPCR; allosteric binding; stress
Controlling cardiac arrhythmias: an overview with a historical perspective

During the past decade, several developments in our knowledge of antiarrhythmic drugs have had a major influence on our approach to their use. These developments may be summarized as follows: (1) it has become clear that arrhythmias merit treatment only for the relief of symptoms, with improved quality of life, and for prolongation of survival by reducing arrhythmic deaths; (2) suppression of arrhythmias--symptomatic or asymptomatic--may not necessarily decrease mortality, the net impact on mortality being agent-specific; (3) antiarrhythmic drugs have the propensity to decrease as well as to increase cardiac arrhythmias (producing proarrhythmias); (4) the most important determinant of arrhythmia mortality is the degree and nature of ventricular dysfunction; and (5) only controlled trials have the potential to establish the effect of treatment on mortality in patients with cardiac arrhythmias. To these considerations must be added the advances in nonpharmacologic approaches to controlling cardiac arrhythmias. These include catheter ablation of cardiac arrhythmias, certain surgical techniques that in selected patients offer prospects of cure, and the development of implantable ventricular and atrial cardioverter defibrillators, which allow the evaluation of drugs versus placebo against the background of the defibrillator. This is particularly germane in the case of life-threatening symptomatic ventricular arrhythmias such as sustained ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. Antiarrhythmic drugs and implantable devices in the control of arrhythmias cannot be considered in isolation. Their role in mortality reduction needs to be defined alone as well as in combination by controlled clinical trials.
Resected periampullary adenocarcinoma: 5-year survivors and their 6- to 10-year follow-up.

Background Many studies have reported 5-year survival data after pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary adenocarcinoma. This study evaluates 10-year survival in patients surviving 5 years after initial surgery. Methods We reviewed all patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary adenocarcinoma from April 1970 to July 1999 at a single institution. All 5-year survivors were identified, and their subsequent 5-year survival was compared with the actuarial survival of the general population starting at 70 years of age. Results Nine hundred fifteen patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary adenocarcinoma. Follow-up was complete on 890 patients. There were 201 (23%) 5-year survivors with a median age of 65 years at initial surgery; 51% were male and 92% were Caucasian. For the 5-year survivors, the carcinoma origin was pancreatic in 46%, ampullary in 25%, distal bile duct in 17%, and duodenal in 12%. For all 5-year survivors, the subsequent 5-year actuarial survival rate was 65%, with a median survival after achieving the 5-year landmark of 7.9 additional years. The subsequent 5-year survival by site of tumor origin was 55% for pancreatic, 66% for ampullary, 74% for bile duct, and 85% for duodenal cancer. For the age-matched population, the 5-year survival rate was 87% (P Conclusions While the 5-year survival rate for all patients with resected periampullary adenocarcinoma is only 23%, these data imply that attainment of the 5-year survival landmark carries with it an improved survival for the subsequent 5 years. While the survival rate was less than that of the age-matched population, 65% of 5-year survivors survived 5 more years, bringing them to the 10-year postresection landmark.
Stimulation of Mitogenic Pathways through Kinase-Impaired Mutants of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor

Abstract Two residues have been shown to be critical for the kinase activity of the receptor for epidermal growth factor (EGF): lysine-721, which functions in the binding of ATP by correctly positioning the γ-phosphate for phosphoryl transfer, and aspartate-813, which functions as the catalytic base of the kinase. Mutation of either of these two residues has been shown to disrupt kinase activity of the receptor. However, studies performed in different laboratories had suggested that while EGF receptors mutated at lysine-721 are unable to stimulate significant increases of [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA in response to EGF treatment, cells expressing EGF receptors mutated at aspartate-813 do stimulate significant incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA in response to EGF. In the present study, EGF receptors mutated at lysine-721 or aspartate-813 (K721R and D813A, respectively), as well as wild-type EGF receptors, were expressed in the same cellular background, Chinese hamster ovary cells, and side-by-side experiments were performed to investigate possible signaling-related differences. Our results indicate that while there are measurable differences in the abilities of the two mutant receptors to stimulate [3H]thymidine incorporation between 20 and 24 h after addition of EGF, these differences cannot be correlated with significant differences in EGF-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of mutant EGF receptor and endogenous ErbB2, the extent of receptor internalization, EGF-stimulated ion uptake, stimulation of SHC activity, or receptor association with Grb2. Flow cytometric data suggest that populations of cells expressing either kinase-impaired mutant EGF receptor progress similarly into S phase in response to addition of EGF. These observations suggest that D813A and K721R retain similar ability to stimulate mitogenic signaling events through transactivation of ErbB2 with only subtle temporal differences, and they emphasize the importance of expressing mutant receptors in an identical cellular context to make valid comparisons of functions.
Factors determining the composition of inositol trisphosphate receptor hetero-oligomers expressed in COS cells.

COS-7 cells were transiently transfected with type I and type III myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) isoforms to study the processes underlying assembly and oligomerization of these tetrameric proteins. A FLAG epitope was engineered on to the N terminus of the type III IP3R to distinguish the transfected from the endogenous isoform. This was not necessary for the type I IP3R, since the endogenous levels of this isoform were extremely low. Based on sucrose gradient analysis, the transfected type I or FLAG-type III IP3Rs assembled into tetramers. Confocal immunofluorescence experiments confirmed that the constructs were primarily targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum. Recombinant type I IP3R expressed in COS cells over a 48-h period showed a negligible capacity to form hetero-oligomers with endogenous type III IP3Rs, based upon co-immunoprecipitation assays. However, substantial formation of hetero-oligomers was observed between recombinant receptors when the cells were simultaneously transfected with type I and FLAG-type III IP3Rs. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments using lysates from metabolically labeled cells allowed the quantitation of homo- and hetero-oligomers in cells transfected with different ratios of type I and FLAG-type III IP3R DNA. These studies show that the relative expression level of the two isoforms influences the fraction of hetero-oligomers formed. However, the proportion of hetero-oligomers formed were less than predicted by a binomial model in which the association of subunits is assumed to be random. In doubly transfected cells, the early kinetics of 35S label incorporation into homotetramers showed a lag period corresponding to the time taken to synthesize a full-length receptor. However, hetero-oligomers were synthesized with a longer lag period, suggesting that there may be kinetic constraints that favor homo-oligomers over hetero-oligomers.
A bio-inspired multisensory stochastic integration algorithm

Abstract The present paper describes a new stochastic multisensory integration system capable of combining a number of co-registered inputs, integrating different aspects of the external world, into a common premotor coordinate metric. In the present solution, the model uses a Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) algorithm to blend different sensory inputs into a single premotor intensionality vector. This is done isochronally, as the convergence time is independent of the number and type of parallel sensory inputs. This intensionality vector, generated based on “the sum over histories” [1] , makes this implementation ideal to govern non-continuous control systems. The rapid convergence of the SGD [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] is also used to compare with its biological equivalent in vertebrates -the superior tectum- to evaluate limits of convergence, precision and variability. The overall findings indicate that mathematical modeling is effective in addressing multisensory transformations resembling biological systems.
Current status of the GRAPE balloon program

The Gamma RAy Polarimeter Experiment (GRAPE) was first own on a 26-hour balloon flight in the fall of 2011. GRAPE consists of an array of Compton polarimeter modules (based on traditional scintillation technologies) designed to operate in the energy range from 50 keV up to 500 keV. The ultimate goal of our program is to operate GRAPE in a wide FoV configuration for the study of gamma-ray bursts. For the first balloon flight, GRAPE was configured in a collimated mode to facilitate observations of known point sources. The Crab nebula/pulsar, the active Sun, and Cygnus X{1 were the primary targets for the first flight. Polarization results from this flight are summarized. Plans for the next GRAPE balloon flight, which is scheduled to take place in the fall of 2014 from Ft. Sumner, NM, will also be presented. These plans involve modifications designed to improve the polarization sensitivity, including an expansion of the array of polarimeter modules from 16 to 24 and improvements to the instrument shielding. These improvements to the instrument will significantly improve the polarization sensitivity, enabling a measurement of the Crab Nebula polarization to be made during the 2014 balloon flight.
Perioperative management of the infant with congenital heart disease

Abstract The essential prerequisite for a successful outcome following surgery for infants with congenital heart disease, is an operation that achieves anatomic correction or palliation of the basic hemodynamic abnormality. In addition, however, careful perioperative medical management is required to prepare the critically ill infant for surgery, and to allow him to benefit from its technical accomplishment. The goals during the preoperative period are twofold: to attain optimal cardiorespiratory status and to obtain an accurate diagnosis. Following surgery, physiologic data is meticulously monitored, and intensive supportive care is instituted. This paper has presented an overall approach to perioperative care of the infant from the time that a congenital heart defect is suspected until the late post-surgical recovery period. The important aspects of management are outlined, and therapeutic problems during all phases of the pre- and postoperative period are discussed.
3-D FE Wire Modeling and Analysis of Electromagnetic Signatures From Electric Power Drive Components and Systems

A 3-D finite-element (FE) optimized equivalent source numerical model for the analysis of low frequency electromagnetic field signatures in electric drives is proposed. An example electric drive system including a synchronous generator, an induction motor and power cables connecting a load is used to implement the model. The arrangement of the system setup is developed using a fully detailed 3DFE model to verify and compare with the results of the proposed equivalent source model. The proposed technique provides the exact field solution without large computational even with the presence of superposition. The equivalent source model (wire model) is created based on numerical techniques and physical theory of wave propagation. The superposition of the various components in this study is considered. The results of the proposed wire models match the results of the original models. For further verification, experimental results of the setup are compared with the numerical results. The importance of the proposed equivalent source is that it can be used for the evaluation of electromagnetic signatures and radiation patterns at the design stage. This enables performing various designs iterations to achieve compliant designs to electromagnetic compatibility standards. The proposed model can also be used for dynamic monitoring and diagnosing failures in the system.
Slow-light interferometry: practical limitations to spectroscopic performance

We investigate how the use of slow-light methods can enhance the performance of various types of spectroscopic interferometers under practical conditions. We show that, while in ideal cases the enhancement of the spectral resolution is equal to the magnitude of the group index of the slow-light medium, the ratio between the associated gain or loss and the group index of the slow-light medium actually determines the spectral resolution under more-general conditions. Moreover, the dispersion of this ratio leads to frequency-dependent spectral resolution, which limits the useful working bandwidth of the interferometer. We also evaluate the performance of interferometers using three specific slow-light processes in terms of the achievable spectral resolution and the effective working finesse. We show that the spectral resolution is typically limited by the characteristic linewidth of each slow-light process and that there is no fundamental upper limit for the effective working finesse.
On the interaction between the input signal and the singularity expansion method

Abstract For transient excitation, it is well known that the Singularity Expansion Method (SEM) is a late time technique that is not in general suitable for early time. Lossy dielectric slab studies, with bounded integrable finite-duration input signal, have shown that the SEM representation for early time requires an additional branch cut contribution and a modification of the SEM series for completeness. Other researchers indicated that the SEM representation is not complete for most cases of practical interest and that it may not converge for early time. In this paper, we present an approach, using the input signal, to obtain a convergent SEM series that is valid for early as well as for late time. In this approach the branch cut contribution is not needed and instead we have pole contributions form the input signal and a modified SEM series. In addition, two forms of SEM representations will be presented, the traditional form and the time varying coupling coefficient form. Furthermore, the interaction and the effect of the input signal choice on the SEM representation will be clarified. This will be done for a dielectric slab backed by a perfect conductor.
The TULSA Petroleum Abstracts Database: A Comparison of Two Platforms

Until recently, the database TULSA Petroleum Abstracts has been available to academic libraries with essentially the same interface and features that are provided to its primary users in the petroleum industry. A comparative analysis of the database is presented between the Dialog platform and the recently introduced EBSCO platform. Detailed comparisons are given in the areas of general features, search features, display options, retrieval options, and search results algorithms, thus allowing academic libraries to make informed purchase decisions. Considering the substantial number of petroleum engineering college departments and related programs in the world and the present state of the economy, the information presented is significant.
The effect of a steroid "burst" and long-term, inhaled fluticasone propionate on adrenal reserve.

Background Although widely used, the effects of steroid "bursts" on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, especially with long-term, concomitant topical steroids use, have not been studied. Objective To examine the effect of a prednisone burst, long-term intranasal steroids, and inhaled fluticasone propionate on the suppression and recovery of adrenal function. Methods Adult patients taking long-term intranasal steroids, either moderate-dose (440 μg/d) or high-dose (880 μg/d) inhaled fluticasone propionate, underwent a low-dose cosyntropin stimulation test (LDCST) before and 2 days after a prednisone burst. Suppressed adrenal responses were monitored with a weekly LDCST. Persistent abnormal LDCST results were confirmed by 8-hour cosyntropin infusion. Inhaled fluticasone dosages were decreased; adrenal recovery was evaluated by a monthly LDCST. Adverse effects of steroids were monitored by questionnaires. Results Sixty-three patients participated in the study. Three of 31 patients not taking inhaled steroids and 1 of 13 patients taking moderate-dose fluticasone had abnormal LDCST results on day 2 after the prednisone burst, which normalized by the second week. In the high-dose fluticasone group, 14 of 19 patients had suppressed LDCST responses on day 2 and adrenal function recovered in 10 of 19 patients by the fourth week. These patients complained significantly of decreased libido ( P = 0.02), listlessness ( P = 0.03), and weight loss ( P = 0.05). High-dose fluticasone ( r = 0.66, P r = 0.32, P = 0.01) were statistically correlated with adrenal impairment. Of the 4 patients with persistent adrenal impairment, 3 patients successfully reduced dosages of inhaled fluticasone and adrenal function recovered in 2 to 10 months. Conclusions Prednisone bursts induce brief adrenal impairment. Intranasal steroids and moderate-dose fluticasone had no effect on adrenal function. High-dose, inhaled fluticasone caused mild-to-significant adrenal suppression and delayed the recovery after a steroid burst. Avoiding or limiting the duration of high-dose inhaled steroids would minimize systemic adverse effects.
Validating More Loop Optimizations

Translation validation is a technique for ensuring that a translator, such as a compiler, produces correct results. Because complete verification of the translator itself is often infeasible, translation validation advocates coupling the verification task with the translation task, so that each run of the translator produces verification conditions which, if valid, prove the correctness of the translation. In previous work, the translation validation approach was used to give a framework for proving the correctness of a variety of compiler optimizations, with a recent focus on loop transformations. However, some of these ideas were preliminary and had not been implemented. Additionally, there were examples of common loop transformations which could not be handled by our previous approaches. This paper addresses these issues. We introduce a new rule Reduce for loop reduction transformations, and we generalize our previous rule Validate so that it can handle more transformations involving loops. We then describe how all of this (including some previous theoretical work) is implemented in our compiler validation tool TVOC.
Surface Chemistry and Electron-Transfer Kinetics of Hydrogen-Modified Glassy Carbon Electrodes

Gas-phase modification of glassy carbon (GC) was investigated in an attempt to make a C−H-terminated surface that is resistant to oxidation. By using a hot filament technique, hydrogen radicals were generated from a flow of hydrogen gas, and then the radicals attacked glassy carbon electrode surfaces. The modified glassy carbon surfaces were characterized first by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, where the shape of the carbon 1s band shows a distribution of carbon oxidation states different from a fresh polished surface. The oxygen-to-carbon atomic ratio is low (<3%) and stays low in air for weeks. Hydrogen treatment had minor effects on Ru(NH3)63+/2+ cyclic voltammetry but increased ΔEp for Fe3+/2+ from 176 to 466 mV for a scan rate of 0.2 V/s. There is no significant difference in voltammetry at fresh polished glassy carbon surfaces or hydrogen-modified surfaces for dopamine, Fe(CN)63-/4-, and ascorbic acid. Raman spectroscopy of modified surfaces shows a small decrease in carbon disorder compared to t...
Radiographic changes in the mandible associated with leukemic cell infiltration in a case of acute myelogenous leukemia

Abstract Subtle but definitive radiographic changes may occur in the jaws of patients with acute leukemia but little is known of the frequency or severity of mandibular involvement. This case report provides evidence that radiographically demonstrable changes in the mandible of a leukemia patient were related to the activity of the disease and were responsive to antineoplastic chemotherapy.
Paraphrasing Rules for Automatic Evaluation of Translation into Japanese

Automatic evaluation of translation quality has proved to be useful when the target language is English. In this paper the evaluation of translation into Japanese is studied. An existing method based on n-gram similarity between translations and reference sentences is difficult to apply to the evaluation of Japanese because of the agglutinativeness and variation of semantically similar expressions in Japanese. The proposed method applies a set of paraphrasing rules to the reference sentences in order to increase the similarity score for the expressions that differ only in their writing styles. Experimental results show the paraphrasing rules improved the correlation between automatic evaluation and human evaluation from 0.80 to 0.93.
Syntheses of 1-Amino-3-[2-(7-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,7-dicarba-closo- dodecaboran(12)-1-yl)ethyl]cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid and Its nido-Analogue: Potential BNCT Agents

The syntheses of unnatural amino acids, 1-amino-3-[2-(7-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,7-dicarba-closo-dodecaboran(12)-1-yl)ethyl]cyclobutanecarboxylic acid (2) and its nido analog 1-amino-3-[2-(7-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,7-dicarba-nido-dodecaboran(12)-1-yl)ethyl]cyclobutanecarboxylic acid (3) were achieved. The key steps in the syntheses of 2 and 3 involved the sequential dialkylation of m-carborane and an intramolecular ethoxide ion mediated cage degradation process.
Pulmonary Toxicity following Exposure to Methylene Chloride and its Combustion Product, Phosgene

Chemical paint removers containing methylene chloride are widely used in domestic and industrial settings where exposure to a heat source with conversion to phosgene is possible. We describe a case of noncardiogenic pulmonary edema and subsequent hyperreactive airways following such an exposure. In addition, the various problems that have been associated with exposure to methylene chloride and phosgene are reviewed.
Agricultural nuisances: qualifying legislative “right-to-farm” protection through qualifying management practices

Abstract New homeowners moving into rural areas may use nuisance law to enjoin objectionable agricultural activities. Such lawsuits may result in financial losses for farmers unable to pursue practices required for their livelihood. In response, all American State legislatures adopted anti-nuisance provisions known as right-to-farm laws. Some of the laws offer so much protection that neighbors challenged them as offending the US Constitution. This paper evaluates legislative provisions incorporating qualifying management practices as an equitable method to respond to nuisance disputes. Anti-nuisance protection is only available to qualifying farmers; neighbors retain the right to stop unreasonable agricultural practices.
Entry Guidance Using Analytical Atmospheric Skip Trajectories

A TMOSPHERIC skip-entry trajectories were designed for the Apollo lunar missions [1] and are being considered again for new vehicles with similar low-lift-to-drag L=D ratios [2]. A skip entry begins at entry interface (EI) with hyperbolic or nearhyperbolic speed and shallow flight-path angle, and the aerodynamic lift force is used to continually rotate the velocity vector upward until the vehicle exits the sensible atmosphere. After atmospheric exit, the vehicle follows a Keplerian coast arc until it reenters the atmosphere. Skip-entry trajectories offer the advantage of downrange control by targeting a desired exit state (velocityVexit and flight-path angle exit) at atmospheric skip-out. Bank angle is the single control variable during entry, and rotating the vehicle about its velocity vector modulates the vertical component of the aerodynamic lift force. The Apollo entry guidance system used closed-form trajectory solutions to predictVexit and exit, and these analytical equations were developed by applying simplifying approximations to the nonlinear equations ofmotion [3]. Total downrange distance was computed by piecing together range estimates for the initial atmospheric skip path, the Keplerian coast arc, and the final atmospheric flight after reentry. Bank angle was adjusted until the predicted downrange distance matched the range-to-go. Although the Apollo entry guidance method proved to be very successful, it had limited range-prediction accuracy (its maximum range capability was set at 2500 n mile, or a great-circle arc of about 41 deg) [3]. Current design goals for a new low-L=D vehicle include extending range capability for abort scenarios and other contingencies. Bairstow [4] and Brunner and Lu [5] both developed numerical predictor–corrector guidance methods that propagate the skip trajectory forward in time by numerically integrating the full nonlinear equations of motion. Bank angle is adjusted in an iterative fashion until the predicted range matches the range-to-go. The predictor–corrector guidance schemes in [4,5] successfully produce skip trajectories with maximum downrange distances of 5400 n mile (90-deg range angle) and 4300 n mile (72-deg range angle), respectively. This Note presents a guidance method based on analytical entry trajectories. The skip-entry phase is predicted by using closed-form expressions that are derived from a matched asymptotic expansion analysis [6–10]. Trajectory planning for the atmospheric skip is accomplished by iterating on the verticalL=D component until the desired downrange distance is produced. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the guidance method.