cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hospital costs associated with pediatric burn injury

Modern burn care is a resource intensive endeavor requiring specialized equipment, personnel, and facilities in order to provide optimum care. The costs associated with burn injury to both patients and society as a whole can be multifaceted and large. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between hospital costs, patient characteristics, and injury factors in a cohort of pediatric patients admitted to a regional burn center. We performed a review of the hospital charges accrued by pediatric patients (age <16 years) admitted to our burn center from 1994 to 2004 and explored the relationship between baseline patient, injury and hospital course characteristics and total costs. Hospital charges were converted to 2005 dollar costs using an inflation index and a cost to charge ratio. Univariate and multivariate regressions were performed to identify the factors most significantly associated with cost. In addition, we performed a subset cost analysis for patients with burns more than 20% TBSA. A total of 1443 pediatric patients (age <16) were admitted to our burn center during the study period. The overall mean hospital cost in 2005 dollars was dollars 9026 (SD = dollars 25,483; median = dollars 2138). Area of full thickness burn was the only patient or injury factor significantly associated with greater hospital costs (P < .05) on multivariate analysis. No single anatomic area was associated with increased hospital costs when adjusted for total overall burn size. Injury severity was the most significant factor impacting index hospitalization costs following pediatric burn injury. Further studies defining the long-term societal costs impact of burn injury are needed as are studies that evaluate the impact of burn injury on quality of life.
Infliximab-induced disseminated histoplasmosis in a patient with Crohn's disease

This Case Study describes a female with ileocolic Crohn's disease who was taking immunosuppressive therapy who presented with a 1-month history of bloody diarrhea, decreased caliber of stools, a broad indurated perianal fissure as well as a deep palmar space abscess. The patient was diagnosed with disseminated histoplasmosis. The authors of this article discuss the diagnosis and management of this patient and the importance of considering histoplasmosis in patients on immunosuppressive therapy who develop atypical symptoms. Background A 56-year-old female with a 30-year history of ileocolic Crohn's disease presented with a 1-month history of bloody diarrhea and decreased caliber of stools; physical examination revealed a broad indurated anal fissure. The patient had been receiving antimetabolite therapy with 6-mercaptopurine and maintenance therapy with infliximab for over a year. Investigations Physical examination; proctoscopy; perianal and anal canal biopsy; chest CT; blood and stool analysis, measurement of serum histoplasmosis antibodies and urine histoplasmosis antigen levels; fungal culture and Gomori's methenamine silver staining of resected tissue specimens. Diagnosis Disseminated histoplasmosis. Management Proctocolectomy and end ileostomy followed by treatment with liposomal amphotericin and then oral itraconazole. A palmar space abscess required multiple debridements, and a muscle flap to cover the defect.
Ideologies and institutions in the precolonial history of equatorial African therapeutic systems.

Abstract The history of precolonial Equatorial African medicine may be viewed through three types of transformations: successive classifications of medicinal taxonomies over time; the shifting base of corporate social structures of healing organizations (a measure of their control of resources); and the changing legitimating ideology of particular medicines in general cultural cosmologies. A historical reconstruction will be made of major public healing associations—“drums of affliction”—in Loango and societies immediately inland over three centuries, with special attention to Lemba, the dominant one which emerged in the seventeenth century in conjunction with the international trade between the coast and Mpumbu market at Malebo Pool. Such a long-range view of one Equatorial African therapeutic tradition, and the rise and decline of therapeutic profiles within it, yields understanding of the general nature of therapeutic institutions in Bantu-speaking Africa.
The fate and behavior of lead alkyls in the environment: A review

Abstract Beginning with the introduction of tetraethyllead (TEL) as an antiknock agent in gasoline in 1923, consumption of Pb alkyls in the U.S. peaked in 1969. Although only Pb‐free gasoline may now be used as an automobile fuel in the U.S., leaded gasoline is still used as both an aviation and automobile fuel in many countries of the world. Over the past 20 years, there has been increased concern about possible contamination of soil and groundwater due to use of leaded gasoline and the improper disposal of leaded gasoline sludge. Disposal of lead‐containing fuel sludge in unlined pits was a common practice for many years. In order to assess the potential for Pb alkyl contamination in the environment, this review was undertaken with emphasis on the following areas: (1) abiotic and biotic decomposition of Pb alkyl compounds; (2) sorption, mobility, and transport of Pb alkyl compounds in soil‐water systems; (3) toxicity of Pb alkyl compounds; and (4) methods for determining Pb alkyl content of water, soil,...
Muscarinic regulation of cardiac L-type Ca(2+) current.

See article by Klein et al. [1] (pages 367–374) in this issue. As discussed by Klein and his colleagues in this issue of Cardiovascular Research [1], cGMP is an important intracellular second messenger of various extracellular stimuli regulating L-type Ca2+ current ( I Ca-L) in both normal and failing hearts. It has been postulated that muscarinic agonists such as carbachol (CCh) bind to muscarinic receptors to promote formation of an activated inhibitory G protein–guanosine triphosphate (Gi-GTP) complex. Upon GTP binding, the heterotrimeric G protein dissociates into two moieties, Giα-GTP and Giβγ. Giα inhibits adenylyl cyclase (AC) [2,3] and decreases cyclic AMP (cAMP) concentration and thereby inhibits cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). The final result is the inhibition of the phosphorylation of effectors such as the L-type Ca2+ channel ( I Ca-L). On the other hand, stimulatory receptors, such as β-adrenergic agonists, catalyze stimulatory G protein (Gs) and stimulate AC. The reaction finally increases cAMP and enhances the Ca2+ current. However, this archetypal view has been challenged by recent studies, which suggest that muscarinic inhibition of Ca2+ channels requires the presence of the other type of G (Go) protein [4], since there is a specific defect in muscarinic regulation of Ca2+ current in Goα knockout (Goα−/−) mouse ventricular myocytes. It has also been revealed that nitric oxide (NO) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) play important roles in muscarinic regulation of cardiac I Ca-L. But the details of muscarinic regulation in cardiac I Ca-L is not completely understood. … * Tel.: +1-310-825-7105; fax: +1-310-825-7458 fchen{at}mednet.ucla.edu
Lyα-induced Fluorescence of H2 and Co in Hubble Space Telescope Spectra of a Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Impact Site on Jupiter

Far-ultraviolet spectra of Jupiter obtained on 1994 July 20 in the region of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 G-fragment impact site contain features that differ markedly from the typical Jovian dayglow spectrum. These features are identified as fluorescence of H2 due to pumping by solar Lyα photons, which requires the presence of a substantial population of H2 in the second excited vibrational state; normal atmospheric temperatures preclude such an elevated H2 (v'' = 2) population in thermal equilibrium. The observed fluorescence includes approximately 600 rayleighs (R) of Lyα-induced fluorescence in addition to the 500 R of solar fluorescence estimated for typical Jovian dayglow at the time of the observations. The weaker (14, v'') transitions of the CO fourth positive band system are also excited primarily by resonant and fluorescent scattering of solar Lyα photons. As a result of their low-oscillator strengths and the large Lyα flux, these bands remain unsaturated up to column densities ≥1017 cm-2, therefore providing reliable upper limits for the CO band emission produced by the (14, 3), (14, 4), and (14, 5) transitions at 1317, 1354, and 1392 A, respectively. Comparing the derived upper limits to estimates inferred from millimeter-wave data, we demonstrate that there is no contradiction between observations in the two spectral regions.
An extended multi-objective replacement model for flexible automation investments

A multi-objective replacement model is developed for flexible automation investments, for use in a decision-support-system environment. The model is based on a general mixed integer goal programming (GP) formulation. The objectives of the model are to derive an optimal implementation sequence for new CNC modules and tooling, replacement schedule for current equipment and production plans for transition and later periods in the planning horizon. Several types of flexibility are considered, in addition to tooling costs and standardization issues. The GP model minimizes a weighted function of the deviational variables for direct profitability, as well as other strategic goals of the firm.
Oxidase-coupled amperometric glucose and lactate sensors with integrated electrochemical actuation system

Unpredictable baseline drift and sensitivity degradation during continuous use are two of the most significant problems of biosensors including the amperometric glucose and lactate sensors. Therefore, the capability of on-demand in situ calibration/diagnosis of biochemical sensors is indispensable for reliable long-term monitoring with minimum attendance. Another limitation of oxidase enzyme-based biosensors is the dependence of enzyme activity on the background oxygen concentration in sample solution. In order to address these issues, the electrolytic generation of oxygen and hydrogen bubbles were utilized 1) to overcome the background oxygen dependence of glucose and lactate sensors and 2) to demonstrate the feasibility of in situ self-calibration of the proposed glucose and lactate sensors. Experimental data assure that the proposed techniques effectively establish the zero calibration value and significantly improve the measurement sensitivity and dynamic range in both glucose and lactate sensors
Workshop — Less teaching, more learning: A toolkit for classroom transformation

The aim of the workshop is to empower participants to be able to utilize research-based tips for recruiting, retaining, and advancing female students in engineering by better engaging the diverse skills, interests, and backgrounds of their female students and by connecting educational activities to engineering opportunities. This workshop highlights research-based strategies and practical steps to build engineering career awareness and recruitment, enhance retention, and promote academic advancement in engineering coursework by pre-college and undergraduate students with an emphasis on young women. We will use scenarios to model the use of the strategies in and out of classroom settings. Participants will identify barriers to engaging others in use of research-based methods and to brainstorm strategies to overcoming the barriers. Group work will be emphasized. Three reference booklets and three 10-minute videos will be provided to each registrant.
The E-MS Algorithm: Model Selection with Incomplete Data.

We propose a procedure associated with the idea of the E-M algorithm for model selection in the presence of missing data. The idea extends the concept of parameters to include both the model and the parameters under the model, and thus allows the model to be part of the E-M iterations. We develop the procedure, known as the E-MS algorithm, under the assumption that the class of candidate models is finite. Some special cases of the procedure are considered, including E-MS with the generalized information criteria (GIC), and E-MS with the adaptive fence (AF; Jiang et al.). We prove numerical convergence of the E-MS algorithm as well as consistency in model selection of the limiting model of the E-MS convergence, for E-MS with GIC and E-MS with AF. We study the impact on model selection of different missing data mechanisms. Furthermore, we carry out extensive simulation studies on the finite-sample performance of the E-MS with comparisons to other procedures. The methodology is also illustrated on a real dat...
Theory of Doping of Diamond

Electronic applications of diamond require control over native defects as well as the ability to dope it p- and n-type. B is an excellent p-type dopant, but n-type doping has proven very difficult. Diamond films have also been very difficult to anneal, indicating a high activation energy for self-diffusion. We have investigated the properties of native defects and impurities through large-scale band structure and Car-Parrinello calculations. We indeed find that the activation energy for self-diffusion is very high in the intrinsic material, but it decreases by as much as 3 eV in either p- or n-type material. P, Li, and Na are shallow donors, but their solubilities are too low for incorporation into diamond through in-diffusion. It is energetically favorable for B and N to dissolve in diamond, which explains their prevalence in natural diamond. The calculations explain for the first time the reasons for the distortion of atoms around N from the fully tetrahedral site, as well as why N is a deep rather than a shallow donor. We also consider the effects of simultaneous doping with N and B on the thermodynamic equilibrium between diamond and graphite.
Turf Wars: School Administrators and Military Recruiting

Although a decade has passed since passage, few have noticed that section 9528 in No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandates schools to assist military recruiting. This article focuses on administrators’ responsibility to inform parents of their privacy rights and the struggle to manage recruiting in schools. I highlight two conclusions with policy implications. Although parents and school staff speak as adversaries regarding military recruiting in public high schools, they are both accurate in their positions. Furthermore, recruiters are overly aggressive in schools, resulting in stress for staff or a strategic move to isolate individuals who become liaisons with the military.
CXCL12 mediates CCR7-independent homing of central memory cells, but not naive T cells, in peripheral lymph nodes.

Central memory CD8 � T cells (T CM ) confer superior protective immunity against infections compared with other T cell subsets. T CM recirculate mainly through secondary lymphoid organs, including peripheral lymph nodes (PLNs). Here, we report that T CM , unlike naive T cells, can home to PLNs in both a CCR7-dependent and -independent manner. Homing experiments in paucity of lymph node T cells ( plt/plt ) mice, which do not express CCR7 ligands in secondary lymphoid organs, revealed that T CM migrate to PLNs at � 20% of wild-type (WT) levels, whereas homing of naive T cells was reduced by 95%. Accordingly, a large fraction of endogenous CD8 � T cells in plt/plt PLNs displayed a T CM phenotype. Intravital microscopy of plt/plt subiliac lymph nodes showed that T CM rolled and firmly adhered (sticking) in high endothelial venules (HEVs), whereas naive T cells were incapable of sticking. Sticking of T CM in plt/plt HEVs was pertussis toxin sensitive and was blocked by anti-CXCL12 (SDF-1 � ). AntiCXCL12 also reduced homing of T CM to PLNs in WT animals by 20%, indicating a nonredundant role for this chemokine in the presence of physiologic CCR7 agonists. Together, these data distinguish naive T cells from T CM , whereby only the latter display greater migratory flexibility by virtue of their increased responsiveness to both CCR7 ligands and CXCL12 during homing to PLN.
Characterization of hprt mutations following l,2-epoxy-3-butene exposure of human TK6 cells

1,3-Butadiene (BD) is an indirect-acting mutagen that is bioactivated in laboratory animals to at least two mutagenic metabolites, 1,2-expoxy-3-butene (EB) and 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB). In the present study, the cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and mutational spectrum at hprt were determined after EB-exposure of human TK6 lymphoblastoid cells (TK6 cells). EB was cytotoxic at concentrations ranging from 200 to 1000 microM x 24 h; at 400 microM x 24 h, the cell survival relative to unexposed controls was approximately 10%. Exposure of TK6 cells to EB (400 microM x 24 h) resulted in a 5-9-fold increase in the hprt mutant frequency. Molecular characterization of EB-induced hprt mutants indicated that 78% of the mutations at hprt were single base substitutions. A significant (P T:A transversions was observed compared with spontaneous hprt mutants isolated during these studies. All of the A:T-->T:A transversions in EB-induced mutants occurred with the A in the non-transcribed strand. These data indicate that a primary mode of genotoxicity induced by EB in human TK6 cells is the induction of single base substitutions.
Unique Encounters of the Medical Kind

medicine. The anthology is unusual as it presents an analytic review of the components of the patientphysician relation with interdisciplinary reflection on what is needed to make that relationship a productive and successful one. Stoeckle's premise is that "medicine's task is patient care" and "in that work, nothing is more important than the doctorpatient relation." This premise is reflected in the purposes of the anthology, which are to address "new goals and old values" of patient care in an attempt to "renew practice, education, and the everyday contracts of doctors and patients," and "to stimulate and sustain interest in the
Developmental regulation of adipose tissue growth through hyperplasia and hypertrophy in the embryonic Leghorn and broiler

The United States is a world leader in poultry production, which is the reason why achieving better performance and muscle growth each year is a necessity. Reducing accretion of adipose tissue is another important factor for poultry producers because this allows more nutrients to be directed toward muscle growth, but the effect of embryonic adipose growth on posthatch development has not been fully understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the total DNA mass, morphological characteristics, differentiation markers, and triglyceride breakdown factors of embryonic adipose tissue, and their relation to hyperplastic and hypertrophic growth within layers (Leghorn) and meat-type chickens (broilers). After embryonic day (E) 12, broiler weight was significantly higher than Leghorn, and this trend continued throughout the rest of incubation and posthatch (P < 0.05). Neck and leg fat pad weights between the 2 breeds did not differ at most of the time points. A remarkable increase in total DNA mass was observed between E12 and E14 in both Leghorn and broilers (P < 0.05), indicating a high potential for hyperplastic growth during this time. Histological analysis revealed clusters of preadipocytes at E12; however, the majority of these cells differentiated by E14 and continued to grow until the time of hatch. The adipocyte sizes between both breeds did not generally differ, even though broilers are known to have larger adipocytes posthatch. Fatty acid-binding protein 4 expression levels in Leghorn and broilers continued to rise with each time point, which paralleled the expansion of mature adipocytes. Adipose triglyceride lipase was highly expressed at E20 and d 1 posthatch to mobilize triglyceride degradation for energy during hatching. Thus, embryonic chicken adipose tissue was found to develop by hyperplastic mechanisms followed by hypertrophy. At embryonic stages and early posthatch, layer- and meat-type chicken adipose growth does not differ, which suggests breed differences occur posthatch.
High Porosity Polymeric Carbon Ware for Controlled Release of Drugs

Polymeric carbon ware prepared at various temperatures with variable accessible pore volume was filled with lithium by submerging in molten LiCl at 700°C. Using Li(p,α) nuclear reaction analysis the concentration profile and the volume density of Li were measured. It was found that they were highest for polymeric carbon samples prepared at 650°C.
Analytical reconstruction for helical cone-beam SPECT with non-uniform attenuation correction

This paper concerns image reconstruction for helical cone-beam (CB) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with compensation of non-uniform attenuation. We present a filtering-backprojection-filtering algorithm of the FDK type by extending the FBP algorithms for attenuated fan-beam projections to the three-dimensional (3D) cone-beam projections. Each transaxial slice can be reconstructed from attenuated projection data acquired along a specific 2/spl pi/ segment of the helix. CB artifacts are less for smaller pitch of the helical trajectory. The algorithm is validated by numerical results for a simulated Shepp-Logan-like phantom and the Defrise phantom.
Reforming the Presidential Primary System: The Voter Turnout Initiative

This article examines the presidential nomination process and proposes reform that includes shortening the primary calendar and ordering the states by voter turnout in the previous presidential general election.
The State of the Practice of Value for Money Analysis in Comparing Public Private Partnerships to Traditional Procurements

Literary sources regarding public—private partnerships (PPPs) often mention the importance of conducting a value for money (VfM) analysis to determine the value of pursuing a project through a PPP ...
Patronin mediates a switch from kinesin-13-dependent poleward flux to anaphase B spindle elongation.

Anaphase B spindle elongation contributes to chromosome segregation during Drosophila melanogaster embryo mitosis. We propose that this process is driven by a kinesin-5–generated interpolar microtubule (MT; ipMT) sliding filament mechanism that engages when poleward flux is turned off. In this paper, we present evidence that anaphase B is induced by the minus end–stabilizing protein Patronin, which antagonizes the kinesin-13 depolymerase KLP10A at spindle poles, thereby switching off the depolymerization of the minus ends of outwardly sliding ipMTs to suppress flux. Although intact cortices, kinetochore MTs, and midzone augmentation are dispensable, this Patronin-based change in ipMT minus-end dynamics is sufficient to induce the elongation of spindles capable of separating chromosomes.
A low-level tasking package for Ada

A standard package of low-level Ada tasking operations is needed, to support real-time embedded applications for which the existing Ada tasking operations are too slow or provide insufficient control over timing. This paper suggests criteria for such a package, and gives examples of how specific low-level tasking operations might be used to solve some important real-time problems.
Allele-selective inhibition of mutant huntingtin by peptide nucleic acid-peptide conjugates, locked nucleic acid, and small interfering RNA

The ability to inhibit expression of a mutant allele while retaining expression of a wild-type protein might provide a useful approach to treating Huntington's Disease (HD) and other inherited pathologies. The mutant form of huntingtin (HTT), the protein responsible for HD, is encoded by an mRNA containing an expanded CAG repeat. We demonstrate that peptide nucleic acid conjugates and locked nucleic acids complementary to the CAG repeat selectively block expression of mutant HTT. The selectivity of inhibition is at least as good as that shown by a small interfering RNA targeted to a deletion polymorphism. Our data suggest that antisense oligomers are promising subjects for further development as an anti-HD therapeutic strategy.
Current-year and Subsequent-year Effects of Crop-load Manipulation and Epicormic-shoot Removal on Distribution of Long, Short and Epicormic Shoot Growth in Prunus persica

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The distribution of canopy growth among different shoot types such as epicormic, long and short shoots is not well understood in the peach tree. In this experiment, the effects of crop load and early epicormic sprout removal on current and subsequent-year distribution of vegetative growth among epicormic, long and short shoots was investigated in Prunus persica. METHODS Field trials were conducted in Winters, California, in 2003-2004. Crop load was manipulated with fruit thinning in 2003 to produce trees that were de-fruited, commercially thinned or full crop, and half of the trees in each cropping treatment had all current year epicormic sprouts removed at the time of fruit thinning. Yield was recorded and trunk and root carbohydrates were sampled to confirm the effect of 2003 crop load differences on tissue carbohydrate concentration. All current-season vegetative-shoot extension growth was harvested from half of the trees in each treatment in the autumn of 2003 and from the other half in the autumn of 2004. Epicormic, long and short shoots were separately evaluated for dry weight, node number and leaf-stem parameters. KEY RESULTS In 2003, long-shoot dry weight and node number were significantly affected by crop load; however, short-shoot dry weight and node number were not significantly affected. The 2003 crop-load treatments did not affect 2004 vegetative growth of any shoot type. Some re-growth of epicormic shoots followed early epicormic sprout removal: by the end of the 2003 season, trees in the early shoot-removal treatment had approximately one-third of the epicormic-shoot dry weight as unpruned trees. CONCLUSIONS Fruit thinning promoted distribution of growth similar to that of de-fruited trees. While thinning was effective in increasing fruit size, it exacerbated the problem of epicormic sprouting. Early epicormic sprout removal did not stimulate the excessive epicormic re-growth in the same or subsequent year relative to previously studied summer pruning methods.
APPLICATION OF BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS TO THE PROPOSED CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL SYSTEM

A high-speed rail system operating on a dedicated right-of-way that results in a significant volume of trips being diverted from the air and highway modes can be expected to generate significant benefits. The major benefits that will accrue to both users and nonusers from the construction and operation of such a system are described. Both intercity and urban travel benefits are included in the analysis. A methodology for how these diverse benefits can be quantified is presented, and, importantly, it is shown how these benefits can be monetized for input into a comprehensive benefit-cost analysis. Of the 11 types of benefits examined, 4 were found to produce the bulk of the benefits of the high-speed rail system. For the present purposes, benefit-cost analysis is a public-sector evaluation tool that compares all the benefits of a project to society with all the costs of a project. The objective is to ascertain whether all the benefits do in fact exceed all the costs. The major benefits include the revenues derived from high-speed rail users, the high-speed rail user benefits (consumer surplus) net of fares paid, the travel time savings to urban commuters, and the value of time savings to intercity air travelers. Actual data have been taken from the proposed California high-speed rail system to illustrate the benefits that can be expected from such a system and the discrete steps that have been undertaken in the benefit-cost analysis.
SMOS: A CAD‐compatible statistical model for analogue mos integrated circuit simulation

An analogue CAD tool capable of simulating MOS circuit performance variance caused by intra-die variability inherent to IC fabrication processes has been developed. the nucleus of this tool is a general, CAD-compatible, MOS statistical model called SMOS which comprehends the effects of device geometry, circuit layout and transistor bias on parameter variance. an example of the model calculation procedure is presented to illustrate both the modelling algorithms and the process characterization data required by the statistical model. the statistical model is verified through experimental data which show excellent agreement with performance variances predicted by simulation. Implementations of the statistical model in two circuit simulation environments, SPICE and APLAC, are also described. Statistical analysis and simulation of two basic analogue subcircuits, the current mirror and the source-coupled pair, are presented.
Assimilating multi-source uncertainties of a parsimonious conceptual hydrological model using hierarchical Bayesian modeling

summary Hierarchical Bayesian (HB) modeling allows for multiple sources of uncertainty by factoring complex relationships into conditional distributions that can be used to draw inference and make predictions. We applied an HB model to estimate the parameters and state variables of a parsimonious hydrological model – GR4J – by coherently assimilating the uncertainties from the model, observations, and parameters at Coweeta Basin in western North Carolina. A state-space model was within the Bayesian hierarchical framework to estimate the daily soil moisture levels and their uncertainties. Results show that the posteriors of the parameters were updated from and relatively insensitive to priors, an indication that they were dominated by the data. The uncertainties of the simulated streamflow increased with streamflow increase. By assimilating soil moisture data, the model could estimate the maximum capacity of soil moisture accounting storage and predict storm events with higher precision compared to not assimilating soil moisture data. This study has shown that hierarchical Bayesian model is a useful tool in water resource planning and management by acknowledging stochasticity.
A Universal Scale of Apparent Temperature

Abstract Based on the total thermal resistance required by a human model to effect equilibrium, a scale is prepared showing apparent temperature for any combination of dry-bulb temperature, vapor pressure, wind speed and extra radiation likely to be encountered meteorologically. Application to normal midday climates of the United States shows that dry-bulb temperature is modified by the three other variables by from −5 to +7 K. However, multiple linear regression indicates that dry-bulb temperature correlates most strongly with apparent temperature, and provides simple computing formulas.
Laboratory evaluation of frozen soil target materials with a fused interface.

To investigate the performance of artificial frozen soil materials with a fused interface, split tension (or 'Brazilian') tests and unconfined uniaxial compression tests were carried out in a low temperature environmental chamber. Intact and fused specimens were fabricated from four different soil mixtures (962: clay-rich soil with bentonite; DNA1: clay-poor soil; DNA2: clay-poor soil with vermiculite; and DNA3: clay-poor soil with perlite). Based on the 'Brazilian' test results and density measurements, the DNA3 mixture was selected to closely represent the mechanical properties of the Alaskan frozen soil. The healed-interface by the same soil layer sandwiched between two blocks of the same material yielded the highest 'Brazilian' tensile strength of the interface. Based on unconfined uniaxial compression tests, the frictional strength of the fused DNA3 specimens with the same soil appears to exceed the shear strength of the intact specimen.
Updated Commercial Truck Speed Versus Distance–Grade Curves for the Highway Capacity Manual

The current version of the Highway Capacity Manual 2010 (HCM 2010) gives guidance on commercial truck speeds on grade through the use of truck speed versus distance–grade curves, which are located in the HCM 2010, Chapter 11. These curves are designed to allow the analyst to estimate a commercial truck’s speed after it travels on a known distance of roadway with a certain grade. Typically, these curves are used to determine an equivalent grade (incline–decline and length) that will result in the same final speed of commercial trucks as would the series of grades making up a composite grade. The HCM 2010 curves were developed as a result of studies that used simulation tools. These simulation tools used a simple lookup table approach for maximum acceleration versus speed and did not account for commercial truck transmission gear–changing capabilities. These shortcomings, along with changes in truck performance over the past 20 years, necessitate an update to the HCM 2010 speed versus distance–grade curves....
Perioperative optimization of comorbidities to enhance wound healing in total joint arthroplasty

Total joint arthroplasty is a successful operation to relieve pain and can tremendously improve quality of life. However, total joint arthroplasty can have devastating complications including infection. Therefore, attention has been placed on methods to reduce the risk of infection after these opera
Cellular aggregation is a key parameter associated with long term variability in paclitaxel accumulation in Taxus suspension cultures

Plant cell cultures provide a renewable source for synthesis and supply of commercially valuable plant-derived products, particularly for secondary metabolites. However, instability in product yields over multiple passages has hampered the efficient and sustainable use of this technology. Paclitaxel accumulation in Taxus cell suspension culture was quantified over multiple passages and correlated to mean aggregate size, extracellular sugar level, ploidy, and cell cycle distribution. Paclitaxel levels varied approximately 6.9-fold over the 6-month timeframe investigated. Of all of the parameters examined, only mean aggregate size correlated with paclitaxel accumulation, where a significant negative correlation (r = −0.75, p < 0.01) was observed. These results demonstrate the relevance of measuring, and potentially controlling, aggregate size during long term culture passages, particularly for plant suspensions where industrially relevant secondary metabolites are not pigmented to enable rapid culture selection.
A new method for separating first row transition metals and actinides from synthetic melt glass

A new method was developed for separating Co, Fe, and Sc from complex debris matrices using the extraction chromatography resin DGA. The activation products Co-58, Mn-54, and Sc-46 were used to characterize the separation of the synthetic melt glass solutions. In the separation scheme that was developed, Au, Co, Cu, Fe, Sc, and Ti were separated from the rest of the sample constituents. In this paper, the synthetic melt glass separation method, efficiency, recoveries, and the length of procedure will be discussed. Batch contact adsorption studies for Na and Sc for DGA resin are discussed as well.
Ideological Congruity between Appointing Presidents and Supreme Court Justices, 1937-2008

In keeping with Dahl’s (1957) concern for a link between judicial behavior and democratic processes, we examine the relationship between appointing presidents and Supreme Court justices. By using ideal points that place all actors in the same scale, and while controlling for factors that constrain presidential selection, we locate evidence of a strong connection between ideology scores for appointing presidents and career voting scores for justices. We then extend our work by employing time series regression to illustrate that a justice will drift from the ideology of an appointing president with each additional term served, even after controlling for shifts in the ideology of political institutions. Term-by-term analysis further reveals that the beginning of the 11th term represents the point at which ideological drift becomes highly significant, a finding that may be of interest to scholars who espouse term limits for Supreme Court justices.
A Chemical Method for the Estimation of Brain Sulfhydryl Groups

SummaryA spectrophotometric method using DTNB for the estimation of nonprotein -SH in the presence of protein -SH groups in rat brain homogenates is described. Details of the optimum conditions for the color development which were found to be dependent on the reaction time and pH are also given. Estimates of nonprotein -SH and total -SH in rat brain reported by a number of investigators using various methods are in good quantitative agreement with those obtained in this study. Thus, findings led us to conclude that the relative specificity, rapidity, and accuracy of this chemical method are comparable with the existent methods requiring specialized instruments or techniques. This spectrophotometric method has a further advantage of not requiring measurement in the region between 250 and 280 mμ where interference by ultraviolet-absorbing substances is often a complication.
EXPERIENCE OF PERCUTANEOUS LEFT ATRIAL APPENDAGE SUTURE LIGATION: RESULTS FROM A UNITED STATES MULTICENTER EVALUATION

The limited data regarding epicardial ligation of left atrial appendage (LAA) has discordant results regarding the safety. To delineate the safety and efficacy of LAA closure with the LARIAT device for LAA ligation. This is a retrospective, multicenter registry of 712 consecutive patients (mean
Comment: Outcomes of migraine therapy with IV dihydroergotamine.

IV dihydroergotamine (DHE) is a widely used treatment for status migrainosus or refractory chronic migraine, but there are few published studies on outcomes of this therapy.1 The report by Eller et al.2 adds to our current understanding of the effects of DHE, with a thorough description of their experience at an academic inpatient headache unit. Although the observations are retrospective, this kind of careful documentation and systematic reporting of patient experience can be enormously valuable in characterizing “real world” patient management issues. One such issue is the transient worsening of headache associated with migraine treatment, a phenomenon that occurs not only with DHE, but also not uncommonly with triptans. This intriguing response may have something to tell us about basic mechanisms of headache. From a practical standpoint, the data presented by Eller et al. tell us that transient worsening of headache with DHE does not predict a worse outcome, and is not a reason to discontinue therapy.
Abstract 1668: Induction of Autophagy by a novel agent promotes the growth arrest in breast cancer cells.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Breast cancer is a highly complex disease due to its heterogeneity in nature; that often impedes the current therapeutic options. Autophagy is a catabolic process which plays a vital role in both progressions as well as in the treatment of cancer. In fact, the role of autophagy in cancer is still unclear. Our lab is focusing on small molecules, which may induce autophagy that may result in growth arrest in breast cancer cells. In our preliminary screening studies, we have identified a small molecule, Nimocinol Acetate (NA) which induces autophagy that resulted in inhibition of growth of estrogen-positive (MCF-7) and estrogen-negative (MDA-MB-231) breast cancer cells. Molecular analysis showed the significant induction of LC-3B and ATG-3 in NA treated cells as compared to other autophagy-regulators like Atg5, Atg7, Atg12, and beclin-1, which convey the importance of ATG3 and LC3B markers in induction of autophagy. The immunofluorescence analysis confirmed the formation of acidic autophagic vesicles upon NA treatment. To further ascertain the involvement of lysosomes and autophagosomes, we specifically blocked ATG-3 and LC-3B expression by siRNA and then subjected to immunofluorescence assay. The observed results confirmed the contribution and activation of these two molecules is required for the induction of autophagy. Interestingly, no significant changes were obseverved either in the cell cycle regulation or in induction of apoptosis, which revealed that the activation of autophagy may be responsible for NA mediated growth inhibition in breast cancer cells. Currently, we are planning to conduct xenograft studies, which may suggest the in vivo efficacy and pharmacokinetic potential of NA. The present study concludes that NA could be a potential agent either alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents with a novel strategy to combat breast cancer. Citation Format: Ramadevi Subramani Reddy, Pallab Pahari, Chendil Damodaran. Induction of Autophagy by a novel agent promotes the growth arrest in breast cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1668. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1668
The Feasibility of Large-Scale Composting of Waste Wool

Although wool remains a popular fiber due to its durability, comfort, and ease of quality production, increasing the sustainability of wool fashion products requires attention to all portions of the wool life cycle, including production of sheep to provide the wool. Managing sheep in many regions of the globe results in excess or waste wool that is not suitable for the textile or fashion supply chain. One way to increase the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of wool production is to compost the waste wool into soil amendments and landscaping aids that can provide producers with additional income, provide horticulturalists with an environmentally friendly alternative to other soil amendments, and provide communities that depend on sheep a pride in the value of all parts of the life cycle. This chapter outlines an experimental study that was conducted to determine the proper proportions of sheep waste products to other biomass that would be needed in a large-scale composting operation in order to produce a high-quality compost valuable to the horticulture and agriculture industries. The results of an experimental trial with waste wool determined that a 25 % waste wool, 50 % grass clipping, and 25 % horse stall waste mixture provided the optimal results for composting in a large-scale manner. Separation of compacted wool, if transported in wrapped bundles, proved essential for allowing sufficient decomposition of the waste wool. The composting produced was tested and determined to be of acceptable quality.
The Surface and Near Surface Structure of Metal-Metalloid Glasses

The nature of an amorphous solid is difficult to characterize, simply due to the lack of long range order, the presence of which allows crystalline surfaces to be efficiently characterized by the surface unit cell. Two recent model s of an amc1rphous surface [1, 2] have both portrayed a locally rough glassy surface. Garofalini’s pure metal element, one dimensional model yielded a cross sectional cut across an amorphous surface that would be traced by a surface diffusing atom [1]. Kowbel and Brower [2] utilized Gaskel’s trigonal prism morphology for the metal-metalloid chemical short range ordering in the bulk glass structure [3] to produce a two dimensional model and surface simulation of Pd80Si20 glass [2] and Fe80–B20 glass [4]. Both models predict an atomically rough glassy surface both normal to the surface and within the plane of the surface. The simulation of the surface of an Fe80B20 glass as generated by transsection lines across the hard sphere model is shown in Fig. 1. The fractal dimension was calculated to be 2.3, indicating a fine scale of roughness, and the average surface coordination number is 6, also indicating a locally rough surface as viewed by an adsorbant molecule. Such a scale of roughness on an Fe80B20 glass appears to be confirmed by the ion scattering experiments of Overbury et al [5].
Extender and centrifugation effects on the motility patterns of slow-cooled stallion spermatozoa.

Slow-cooled stallion spermatozoa, with and without seminal plasma removed by centrifugation, were diluted in Kenney's extender (KE) containing nonfat dry skim milk with glucose and antibiotics or in KE supplemented by adding a modified high-potassium Tyrode's medium (KMT). Four ejaculates from each of four stallions were collected and divided factorially across these four treatments. Percentage of motile sperm, path velocity, and linearity immediately after treatment (0 h) and after storage at 4 degrees C for 24, 48, and 72 h were evaluated objectively by use of a HTM-2030 sperm motility analyzer. Stallions were a significant source of variation (P less than .01) throughout. After sperm had cooled, effects of stallion, extender, centrifugation, and their interactions were all found to be significant (P less than .01). The motility at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h for centrifuged KE was 74, 47, 39, and 24%; for uncentrifuged KE was 76, 56, 50, and 37%; for centrifuged KMT was 76, 75, 72, and 64%; and for uncentrifuged KMT was 80, 50, 26, and 13%, respectively. The extender x centrifugation interaction, after 24, 48, and 72 h of storage, accounted for half or more of the variation. Whereas centrifugation of semen extended in KE seemed to be harmful to sperm, motility of sperm extended in KMT after centrifugation was remarkably conserved for 72 h and was superior to all other treatments (P less than .05). This extender is promising for preserving liquid stallion semen when it must be transported before use in artificial insemination.
Brief Review of the Standard Model

This chapter contains a brief review of the Standard Model of Particle Physics and introduces notation which will be used later on when discussing the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. In particular, the Standard Model is presented using two component Weyl notation for the fermion fields.
Bulk entanglement gravity without a boundary: Towards finding Einstein’s equation in Hilbert space

We consider the emergence from quantum entanglement of spacetime geometry in a bulk region. For certain classes of quantum states in an appropriately factorized Hilbert space, a spatial geometry can be defined by associating areas along codimension-one surfaces with the entanglement entropy between either side. We show how radon transforms can be used to convert these data into a spatial metric. Under a particular set of assumptions, the time evolution of such a state traces out a four-dimensional spacetime geometry, and we argue using a modified version of Jacobson’s “entanglement equilibrium” that the geometry should obey Einstein’s equation in the weak-field limit. We also discuss how entanglement equilibrium is related to a generalization of the Ryu-Takayanagi formula in more general settings, and how quantum error correction can help specify the emergence map between the full quantum-gravity Hilbert space and the semiclassical limit of quantum fields propagating on a classical spacetime.
Prevention of Elevated Blood Lead Levels Among Child Refugees and Other Susceptible Populations.

An editorial is presented which addresses the authors' views about the prevention of elevated blood lead levels (EBLLs) in child refugees and others, and it mentions another article which appears in the same issue of the journal and deals with lead poisoning involving child refugees in Kentucky. The impact of lead toxicity on child neurodevelopment is examined, along with refugee resettlement, health screenings, and a comparison of the EBLLs of U.S. children and child refugees.