cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prediction of splitting crack growth in prestressed concrete members using fracture toughness and concrete mix design

Abstract In this study, the effect of concrete mix design on end-splitting cracks in prestressed concrete members was examined. The concrete material needs to be resistant to splitting-crack growth at the strengths at which the pretensioned member is detensioned. Mixtures with variable coarse aggregate volume, angularity, and water-to-cementitious ratio were designed and Fracture toughness tests on 4 three-point bending concrete specimens for each mix were carried out. Next, pretensioned prisms with three different reinforcement edge distances 0.750, 0.625 and 0.500 in. (19 mm, 16 mm and 13 mm) were fabricated and detensioned when the concrete compressive strength reached 4500 psi (31 MPa). Splitting cracks were quantitatively evaluated by direct measurement. The results indicated a strong correlation between crack length measurements and fracture toughness. Additionally, a linear regression model was developed by which splitting-crack growth in prestressed cross-sections with varied edge-distance thickness can be predicted. The findings from this study could lead to a significant improvement in splitting crack resistance in pretensioned concrete members where the high amount of transverse stress is often introduced at low compressive strengths.
A Review of “Teaching What Really Happened: How to Avoid the Tyranny of Textbooks and Get Students Excited about Doing History”

[Lies My Teacher Told Me] is very biased and addresses issues that come secondary to basics such as class management. [Loewen] delves too much into detail for a secondary level [classroom]. (Master...
Overtourism at Heritage and Cultural Sites

Negative impacts associated with allowing mass numbers of people into one area occur in a variety of ways. Overcrowding at an attraction creates issues with vandalism, litter, theft and degradation of the site, which in turn impedes tourists from experiencing full satisfaction with the destination due to these problems. In addition, destinations may become more commercialized in order to provide goods and services to tourists to generate more profits, causing a loss of the traditional culture and values of the destination. As a result, some of the more popular tourist destinations have increase fees, imposed fines, staggered hours of entrance and exit times, have hired educated staff members and have partnered with organisations to alleviate the negative impacts associated with overtourism at their heritage and cultural sites.
A model of teacher knowledge for nonnative english-speaking teachers

Despite an increasing interest in the preparation of Nonnative English-speaking (NNES) teachers in English Language Teaching (ELT), a knowledge base for NNES teachers has yet to be articulated. This article takes the position that the ELT field should take into account and address the preparation of NNES teachers systematically. This article conceptualizes a model of teacher knowledge for NNES teachers. NNES teachers are a special case because issues such as language, self-perceptions, and identity play a key role in their preparation and should be connected to their knowledge base.
Indirect Effects of Regulatory Changes: Evidence From the Acceleration of the 10-K Filing Deadline

This study responds to a recent call for research on the indirect effects of regulatory changes and examines the audit office effects of changes in client time pressure, using the first acceleration of the 10-K filing deadline as the primary research setting. The extant literature provides evidence that increased client time pressure adversely affects the timing and quality of individual engagements. We argue that because audit offices possess finite resources and production capacity, client-level pressure can have office-level effects. We document within-office differences related to changes in audit timeliness. In the same audit office, clients with no pressure (with pressure) experience an increase (a decrease) in audit report lag post-acceleration. This evidence suggests that auditors alter the timing of concurrent engagements in response to client pressure, and clients of the same office are affected differently by changes in time pressure. We also document across-office differences in audit/filing timeliness and audit quality. Clients of audit offices with more time pressure across the entire client portfolio have a greater increase in audit delay, are more likely to file late, and experience lower audit quality. Taken as a whole, our results are consistent with client pressure producing office effects as a result of the auditors’ response to increased resource constraints. These results should be informative to regulators and practitioners, because they suggest there are indirect costs associated with regulation and such effects are not limited to directly affected clients. Further, the results indicate that auditors do not always respond to changes in resource requirements in a manner that prevents undue strain.
Margins of Safety for Aquatic Communities

The margin of safety is the difference between the expected effect concentrations and the expected ambient concentrations. Two sources of variability, error in the test data and unknown information, necessitate a margin of safety. Inclusion of site-specific considerations can substantially reduce needed margins. The choice of the appropriate confidence level should be based on the importance of the decision and not on habit.
Cardiorenal Interactions: Insights From the ESCAPE Trial

Objectives We examined the ESCAPE (Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness) database to understand the impact and pathophysiology of renal dysfunction in patients hospitalized with advanced decompensated heart failure (HF). Background Baseline renal insufficiency (RI) (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] Methods We used a Cox proportional hazards model to evaluate the impact of renal function on 6-month outcomes. Renal parameters were correlated with hemodynamic measurements. The impact of a strategy using pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) guidance on WRF and outcomes in patients with baseline RI was compared with treatment based on clinical assessment alone. Results Baseline and discharge RI, but not WRF, were associated with an increased risk of death and death or rehospitalization. Among the hemodynamic parameters measured in patients randomized to the PAC arm (n = 194), only right atrial pressure correlated weakly with baseline SCr (r = 0.165, p = 0.03). There was no correlation between baseline hemodynamics or change in hemodynamics and WRF. A PAC-guided strategy was associated with less average increase in creatinine but did not decrease the incidence of defined WRF during hospitalization or affect renal function after discharge relative to clinical assessment alone. Conclusions Among patients with advanced decompensated HF, baseline RI impacts outcomes more than WRF. Poor forward flow alone does not appear to account for the development of RI or WRF in these patients. The addition of hemodynamic monitoring to clinical assessment does not prevent WRF or improve renal function after discharge. ( Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization; NCT00000619 ).
The Impact and Implications of U.S. v. Booker: The Sixth Amendment Versus Mandatory Sentencing Guidelines

In Booker, a jury found the defendant guilty of violating 21 U.S.C. section 841(a)(1), a statute which provided a minimum sentence of ten years in prison with the possibility of a maximum life sentence. Booker found to have the intent to distribute at least 50 grams of cocaine base (crack), and evidence established that he had almost 93 grams of crack in his duffel bag. Under these circumstances, the United States Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual provided the district court judge with a "base sentence" of between 210 and 262 months in prison. Id. (citing United States Sentencing Commission, Guidelines Manual sections 2D1.1(c)(4), 4A1.1 (Nov. 2003)). In a post-trial sentencing procedure, outside the presence of the jury, though, the judge found that Booker had possessed an additional 566 grams of crack and that he was also guilty of obstruction of justice, both by a preponderance standard. These additional findings extended the minimum sentencing range for the defendant from 21 years, 10 months to 30 years in prison.
Some integral formulas for hypersurfaces in Euclidean spaces

Let M be an oriented hypersurface differentiably immersed in a Euclidean space of n + 1 ≥: 3 dimensions. The r-th mean curvature Kr of M at the point P of M is defined by the following equation:
Nonlinear response and sonic fatigue of high speed aircraft

The surface thermal protection systems of advanced high speed aircraft such as the National Aerospace Plane (NASP) will be constructed from high temperature resistant composite and intermetallic materials. The various dynamic response studies indicate that under severe aerodynamic, acoustic and thermal loads the response of these surface panels is nonlinear. The equations of motion for nonlinear response of composite surface panels are developed in space-time domain. A time domain Monte Carlo type approach is used to determine solutions and fatigue live predictions. The formulation includes surface loads due to nonsteady aerodynamic flow, cavity and static pressure, parametric excitations, turbulent boundary layer and engine exhaust noise, oscillating surface shocks and aerodynamic heating. Numerical results are presented for a simplified laminated composite panel.
Forensic Implications of Biochemical Differences Among Geographic Populations of the Black Blow Fly, Phormia regina (Meigen)

Cuticular hydrocarbons were extracted from individual adult blow flies from three geographic populations of PHormia regina from areas near Tucannon River and Lyle Grove, Washington, and from Rensselaer, Indiana. The individual extracts were subjected to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and 22 hydrocarbons were identified. Discriminant analysis of the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles separated the flies according both to location and gender. These results have potential forensic applications in the determination of corpse relocation and in the study of the population ecology of species and populations.
An isoparametric spectral element method in simulation of incompressible complex flows

An isoparametric spectral element method, a high-order finite element technique for solving the incompressible general Navier-Stokes equations, is briefly introduced (general 3-D formulation). The accuracy of the method and its dependence on a choice of collocating points is demonstrated on a Poisson equation case. For inflow-outflow problems, it has been shown that the natural (zero-gradient) boundary conditions at outflow perform reasonably well. The high convergence of this technique, combined with very small numerical dissipation and dispersion errors, allows realistic direct simulation of highly-unsteady and turbulent flows. Here, a numerical study of a turbulent mixing layer (from a splitter plate) is presented. In this application, in addition to the high accuracy, the isoparametric spectral element algorithm permits geometrical singularities in the computational domain, thus allowing a laminar boundary layer flow over the splitter plate, transition, and evolution of turbulent structures to be included in the simulation process.
Phospholipids of Thiobacillus thiooxidans

Cells and spent growth media from sulfur- and thiosulfate-grown cultures of Thiobacillus thiooxidans were analyzed. The phosphatides were examined by thinlayer chromatography, and the products of their hydrolysis by hydrochloric acid and methanolic potassium hydroxide were separated by paper chromatography. The phospholipids in both cells and spent growth media were identified as phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl-N-monomethylethanolamine, phosphatidyl glycerol, and diphosphatidyl glycerol. These comprised about 97% of the total lipid phosphorus. Lyso-phosphatidyl-N-monomethylethanolamine and lysophosphatidyl glycerol accounted for the remaining 3%. The percentage of the total lipid phosphorus accounted for by each phospholipid depended on the age of the culture.
Downregulation of macrophage IL-12 production by tumor-derived IL-11

We have previously shown that macrophages from mammary tumor-bearing mice have a profound downregulation of IL-12, which has been implicated in the low levels of IFN-γ and generally depressed lymphoreticular cells functions in this tumor model. The tumor used in our studies constitutively produces several factors that have immunosuppressive activity (ie granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor [GM-CSF], prostaglandin E2 [PGE2], and phosphatidyl serine [PS]). Of these factors, PGE2 and PS have been shown to exert effects on macrophage functions. Recently, we found that these tumor cells express IL-11 at both the transcriptional and translational levels, as evidenced by RT-PCR and by Western blots. Treatment of normal macrophages with IL-11 resulted in a downregulation of IL-12. In further studies using a murine IL-11 ELISA, we observed low constitutive levels of this cytokine in the supernatants of macrophage cultures from normal mice, which is upregulated upon stimulation with LPS. Importantly, macrophages from tumor bearers have higher production of IL-11 than their normal counterparts. Our results suggest that tumor cell derived IL-11, in conjunction with the elevated levels of this cytokine in tumor-bearing animal macrophages, play a role in the depressed IL-12 production, leading to the impaired immune functions observed during mammary tumorigenesis.
Combined liver and pancreas resection with biochemotherapy for metastatic ocular melanoma

Systemic therapy alone for metastatic melanoma is relatively ineffective, and surgical resection of metastases to a solitary site remains the best single treatment to improve survival. While cytoreductive surgery plus chemotherapy play a significant role in the management of advanced ovarian cancer, the precise role of surgery as an adjunct to systemic therapy for melanoma metastatic to multiple sites is not well defined. We report a patient with ocular melanoma metastatic to liver and pancreas treated by cytoreductive surgery consisting of mesohepatic resection, distal pancreatectomy, and portal node dissection, followed by biochemotherapy with dacarbazine and interferon alpha. The concept of cytoreductive surgery is reviewed, with particular attention to its use in the management of metastatic melanoma. The patient's postoperative course was unremarkable and she remains alive and asymptomatic with no detectable disease at 20 months' follow-up. Cytoreductive surgery as a part of an aggressive multidisciplinary approach may play a role in the treatment of cutaneous and ocular melanoma metastatic to multiple visceral sites. Data from well-designed, innovative clinical trials of cytoreductive surgery and biochemotherapy are required to determine the effectiveness of this multidisciplinary approach.
Cellular mechanisms of aminoglycoside ototoxicity.

Purpose of reviewTo summarize advances in the study of the interaction between sensory hair cells and aminoglycoside antibiotics.Recent findingsAminoglycosides enter hair cells through mechanotransduction channels and initiate an active signaling pathway that leads to cell death. Early expression of
Comparison of Alpha-Particle Energies from Po 210 and Po 214 and the Energy of Po 210 Alpha Particles

The energies of alpha particles emitted by Po/sup 210/ and Po/sup 214/ were compared using a broad-range spectrograph. Techniques were the same as those used in a comparison of the Po/sup 210/ alpha energy with the Li/sup 7/ (p,n)Be/sup 7/ reaction threshold energy. The result agrees with other measurements, and the discrepancy between the Po/sup 210/ alpha energy measured against the Briggs value for Po/sup 214/ and the Po/sup 210/ alpha energy measured absolutely or against the Li/sup 7/(p,n)Be/sup 7/ threshold remains. If Rytz's absolute value for the Po/suip 214/ energy is used, the discrepancy disappears. The alpha energy from Po/sup 210/ is about 5.3045 Mev. (auth)
Calcium Phosphate Mineralized GBR Membranes: Preparation and Properties

The osteoconductive property of calcium phosphate (CaP) biomaterials allow attachment, proliferation, migration, and phenotypic expression of bone cells leading to formation of new bone. The purpose of research is to develop new method of mineralizing commercial GBR membranes with calcium phosphate (CaP) and determine cell response. Resolut Adapt LT (Gore-tex) composed of co-polymer PGA/TMC and Biomend Extend (Zimmer) composed of bovine collagen were used. Membranes were mineralized with CaP using precipitation and new microwave methods. The mineralized and non-mineralized membranes were characterized using SEM, EDS, XRD, FT-IR, and TGA. Cell response to mineralized and non-mineralized membranes was determined using human osteoblastlike cells (MG-63). Microwave method was more efficient in terms of amount of minerals incorporated with membranes and time required. SEM, EDS, and FT-IR identified carbonate apatite in the mineralized membranes. No significant difference in cell proliferation was observed between mineralized and non-mineralized membranes. Greater production of type 1 collagen was observed with CaP mineralized membranes.
Friends, social networks, and progressive chronic kidney disease.

A report by Dunkler et al. reminds us that social factors are relevant for today's clinical scientist and practitioner. They report that an increasing number of friends reduces the incidence and progression of chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes. The observation that ‘friends don't let friends' develop kidney disease suggests that social factors, as well as biomarkers, may be relevant in developing ‘personalized renal medicine' and may identify areas for future nephrology research and education.
Mitochondrial Fatty Acid Synthesis in Trypanosoma brucei

Whereas other organisms utilize type I or type II synthases to make fatty acids, trypanosomatid parasites such as Trypanosoma brucei are unique in their use of a microsomal elongase pathway (ELO) for de novo fatty acid synthesis (FAS). Because of the unusual lipid metabolism of the trypanosome, it was important to study a second FAS pathway predicted by the genome to be a type II synthase. We localized this pathway to the mitochondrion, and RNA interference (RNAi) or genomic deletion of acyl carrier protein (ACP) and β-ketoacyl-ACP synthase indicated that this pathway is likely essential for bloodstream and procyclic life cycle stages of the parasite. In vitro assays show that the largest major fatty acid product of the pathway is C16, whereas the ELO pathway, utilizing ELOs 1, 2, and 3, synthesizes up to C18. To demonstrate mitochondrial FAS in vivo, we radio-labeled fatty acids in cultured procyclic parasites with [14C]pyruvate or [14C]threonine, either of which is catabolized to [14C]acetyl-CoA in the mitochondrion. Although some of the [14C]acetyl-CoA may be utilized by the ELO pathway, a striking reduction in radiolabeled fatty acids following ACP RNAi confirmed that it is also consumed by mitochondrial FAS. ACP depletion by RNAi or gene knockout also reduces lipoic acid levels and drastically decreases protein lipoylation. Thus, octanoate (C8), the precursor for lipoic acid synthesis, must also be a product of mitochondrial FAS. Trypanosomes employ two FAS systems: the unconventional ELO pathway that synthesizes bulk fatty acids and a mitochondrial pathway that synthesizes specialized fatty acids that are likely utilized intramitochondrially.
Analysis of information integration benefit drivers and implementation hindrances

Abstract This paper presents an analysis of benefits and hindrances for specific information integration implementations in the industrial construction sector. A tool, developed by a Construction Industry Institute research team, detailed 37 benefit drivers and 34 hindrances that affect information integration implementation efforts. The tool was applied to 16 test cases. Scores from the cases allow analysis of the importance and consistency of factors. Findings reveal that benefit drivers have a certain degree of consistency, particularly around justification to enhance work process benefits rather than broader benefits to project outcomes. On the other hand, there is a much wider range of important implementation hindrances. These findings suggest that each implementation requires a customized approach to address hindrances rather than reliance on generic methods. More broadly, the set of specific benefit drivers and hindrances extends and generalizes the literature on information integration implementation in construction, particularly with respect to the industrial sector.
Human Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase: Function and regulation

Mammalian Delta(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase (P5CS) is a bifunctional ATP- and NAD(P)H-dependent mitochondrial enzyme that catalyzes the coupled phosphorylation and reduction-conversion of L: -glutamate to P5C, a pivotal step in the biosynthesis of L: -proline, L: -ornithine and L: -arginine. Previously, we reported cloning and characterization of two P5CS transcript variants generated by exon sliding that encode two protein isoforms differing only by a two amino acid-insert at the N-terminus of the gamma-glutamyl kinase active site. The short form (P5CS.short) is highly expressed in the gut and is inhibited by ornithine. In contrast, the long form (P5CS.long) is expressed ubiquitously and is insensitive to ornithine. Interestingly, we found that all the established human cell lines we have studied expressed P5CS.long but not P5CS.short. In addition, expression of P5CS.long can be modulated by hormones: downregulation by hydrocortisone and dexamethasone and upregulation by estradiol, for example. Using a quantitative proteomic approach, we showed that P5CS.long is upregulated by p53 in p53-induced apoptosis in DLD-1 colorectal cancer cells. Functional genomic analysis confirmed that there are two p53-binding consensus sequences in the promoter region and in the intron 1 of the human P5CS gene. Interestingly, overexpression of P5CS by adenoviruses harboring P5CS.long or P5CS.short in various cell types has no effect on cell growth or survival. It would be of importance to further investigate the role of P5CS as a p53 downstream effector and how P5CS.short expression is regulated by hormones and factors of alternative splicing in cells isolated from model animals.
To Buy or Not to Buy: Response Mode Effects on Consumer Choice:

Abstract This article extends research on evaluation differences in response modes to situations in which the no-choice option is available. Prior research on choice deferral has presented the no-choice option as just another response option (i.e., an unconditional brand-choice response mode), which has its primary focus on the selection decision. However, consumers in many marketplace situations may consider the buy/no-buy decision before the selection decision (i.e., a buy/no-buy response mode). This article examines the differences in evaluation processes and choice deferral for the two response modes. The authors’ theoretical account suggests that an initial focus on the buy/no-buy decision activates greater use of alternative-based evaluations, thus making purchase deferral more sensitive to the valence of shared features and category reference information than in the unconditional brand-choice mode. The authors provide process evidence for their account and consider limiting conditions.
Evidence for a role of prolactin in prostate and seminal vesicle growth in immature male rats.

To determine if prolactin secreted endogenously by anterior pituitary grafts could augment male accessory organ weights, single anterior pituitary grafts were placed under the kidney capsule of male rats, whereas control animals received a graft of muscle. Three weeks after transplantation, the animals were sacrificed by decapitation and a significant increase in plasma prolactin was observed, which was accompanied by a highly significant increase in the weights of seminal vesicles, ventral and dorsal prostates, and adrenals. To determine the importance of testicular steroids in the response, animals were castrated. The increases in prolactin, seminal vesicle and ventral and dorsal prostate weights still occurred whether or not a small dose of testosterone replacement therapy was employed. In the presence of the pituitary graft, adrenal weight usually increased in these animals as well. To rule out a requirement for adrenal steroids in the response, adrenalectomized-castrate animals were also studied, and...
Conflicting Values Team Management Portrayed in Epic Metaphors

This article analyzes a CEO's use of extended epic metaphor in building corporate culture. Whereas much of the research on management's use of narrative has examined shorter stories and anecdotes, ...
Rapid point-of-care concentration of bacteria in a disposable microfluidic device using meniscus dragging effect.

We report a low cost, disposable polymer microfluidic sample preparation device to perform rapid concentration of bacteria from liquid samples using enhanced evaporation targeted at downstream detection using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The device is composed of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) liquid sample flow layer, a reusable metal airflow layer, and a porous PTFE (Teflon™) membrane sandwiched in between the liquid and air layers. The concentration capacity of the device was successfully demonstrated with fluorescently tagged Escherichia coli (E. coli). The recovery concentration was above 85% for all initial concentrations lower than 1 × 104 CFU mL−1. In the lowest initial concentration cases, 100 µL initial volumes of bacteria solution at 100 CFU mL−1 were concentrated into 500 nL droplets with greater than 90% efficiency in 15 min. Subsequent tests with SERS on clinically relevant Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) after concentration in this device proved more than 100-fold enhancement in SERS signal intensity compared to the signal obtained from the unconcentrated sample. The concentration device is straightforward to design and use, and as such could be used in conjunction with a number of detection technologies.
Clostridium difficile Infection After Colorectal Surgery: A Rare but Costly Complication

Background The incidence and virulence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) are on the rise. The characteristics of patients who develop CDI following colorectal resection have been infrequently studied. Materials and methods We utilized the University HealthSystem Consortium database to identify adult patients undergoing colorectal surgery between 2008 and 2012. We examined the patient-related risk factors for CDI and 30-day outcomes related to its occurrence. Results A total of 84,648 patients met our inclusion criteria, of which the average age was 60 years and 50% were female. CDI occurred in 1,266 (1.5%) patients during the years under study. The strongest predictors of CDI were emergent procedure, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and major/extreme APR-DRG severity of illness score. CDI was associated with a higher rate of complications, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, longer preoperative inpatient stay, 30-day readmission rate, and death within 30 days compared to non-CDI patients. Cost of the index stay was, on average, $14,130 higher for CDI patients compared with non-CDI patients. Conclusion Emergent procedures, higher severity of illness, and inflammatory bowel disease are significant risk factors for postoperative CDI in patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Once established, CDI is associated with worse outcomes and higher costs. The poor outcomes of these patients and increased costs highlight the importance of prevention strategies targeting high-risk patients.
Dietary Protein and Yolk Sac Inoculation with Escherichia coli in Young Turkeys

Abstract An experiment was conducted to examine the effect of pathogenic Escherichia coli inoculated into the yolk sac of day-old turkeys. Escherichia coli was isolated from the yolk sac of stunted poults and inoculated directly into the yolk sac of day-old birds. Poults were administered either .1 ml of uninoculated sterile Todd-Hewitt broth or .1 ml of a 10−3 or 10−2 dilution of a 24-hr E. coli culture containing 3.4 × 108 viable bacteria/ml. In addition, poults were fed either 28 or 22% protein diets from 0 to 21 days of age to form a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement. Body weight gain and feed consumption were measured weekly, and dry matter and protein retention and nitrogen-corrected metabolizable energy were measured from 7 to 10 and 17 to 20 days postinoculation. Intestinal mucosal dipeptidase and maltase activities were determined at 21 days of age. Average mortality by 7 days of age was increased from 1 to 36% from the E. coli inoculation of the yolk sac. Escherichia coli significantly depressed body weight gain and feed consumption 27 and 30, 13 and 16, and 6 and 8%, respectively, during the first, second, and third weeks of the experiment but failed to affect feed efficiency. Feeding a 28% protein diet alleviated the depression in feed consumption and body weight gain to some extent compared with a substantial depression at 22% protein. Nitrogen content and gross energy of the excreta were increased by both dilutions of E. coli for the 7 to 10-day period; this was indicative of a malabsorption of nutrients. Dry matter and nitrogen retention values were variable in the 7 to 10-day period and did not differ during the 17 to 20-day period. Changes in mucosal maltase and dipeptidase activities varied along the length of the intestine at 21 days of age.
Laser mass ablation efficiency measurements indicate bubble-driven dynamics dominates laser thrombolysis

Mass removal experiments have been performed at the Oregon Medical Laser Center with 10 to 100 mJ 1 {micro}s laser pulses at optical wavelengths. Above the energy threshold for bubble formation, the laser mass ablation efficiency ({micro}g/mJ) for removal of gel surrogate thrombus is nearly constant for a given experimental geometry and gel absorption coefficient. The efficiency in contact experiments, in which the optical fiber delivering the energy is in close proximity to the absorbing gel, is approximately three times that of non-contact experiments, in which the optical fiber is {approximately}1 mm from the gel. Mass removal occurs hundreds of microseconds after the laser deposition. Experimental data and numerical simulations are consistent with the hypothesis that jet formation during bubble collapse plays a dominant role in mass removal. This hypothesis suggests a model in which the mass removed scales linearly with the maximum bubble volume and explains the distinctive features, including the magnitude, of the mass removal.
Richter's hernia through the broad ligament: Role of computed tomography and ultrasonography in facilitating diagnosis and rapid operative repair.

A 45-YEAR-OLD WOMAN came to the emergency department after the abrupt onset of sharp right lower quadrant abdominal pain that awoke her from sleep. She described the pain as constant with unpredictable periods of increasing severity, and she denied constitutional symptoms. Her vital signs and initial laboratory work-up were within normal limits. On physical examination, she had mild periumbilical, suprapubic, and right lower quadrant tenderness to light and deep palpation that was most severe in the right lower quadrant; however, there were no signs of peritonitis. Findings of the genitourinary examination were notable for a nontender, enlarged, and nodular uterus. As appendicitis was the greatest clinical concern, the patient underwent a computed tomography (CT) scan with oral and intravenous contrast. The scan revealed a 3-cm, round, fluid density structure in the right lower pelvis, which was contiguous with small bowel loops and abutted the right side of the uterus, which was enlarged with multiple leiomyomata (Fig 1, A). The structure was noted to have a thickened wall and was surrounded by ascites but was separate from the right ovary. On delayed acquisition performed more than 1 hour later (not shown),
Bioassay-directed fractionation of organic contaminants in an estuarine sediment using the new mutagenic bioassay, mutatox™

Bioassay-directed fractionation of organic compounds was performed on an organic solvent extract of a contaminated estuarine sediment from Black Rock Harbor, Connecticut, using the new mutagenic bioassay, Mutatox™. Chemical fractionation methods of the sediment extract included silica-gel-column chromatography (SGCC), followed by C18 reverse phase HPLC. Compound identification was performed using GC-MS. Mutatox analyses indicated that four of the eight HPLC fractions contained mutagenic or epigenetic compounds. GC-MS analyses detected known mutagenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in two of the four mutagenic fractions. GC-MS analyses of the other two mutagenic fractions (one operational blank and one sediment fraction) showed no known mutagenic compounds. SGCC and HPLC, combined with the Mutatox bioassay, were useful in reducing both the number and the complexity of fractions analyzed by GC-MS. The Mutatox bioassay is a promising tool for bioassay-directed fractionation.
Effect of the microtubule disrupting agents, colchicine and vinblastine, on seminiferous tubule structure in the rat

Injections of colchicine or vinblastine were given intratesticularly and rats sacrificed 6 and 12 hr later. Colchicine and vinblastine produced identical morphological patterns of response in the seminiferous tubules resulting in arrest of germcell mitoses and meioses and a rapid depletion of the microtubules normally found within the Sertoli cell. Sloughing of cells into the lumen of seminiferous tubules was the most prominent feature noted. Germ cells and portions of the apical Sertoli cells were frequently sloughed together where they remained in close association. Usually germ cells and associated Sertoli cell fragments were cleaved from the wall of the seminiferous tubule at a level between dissimilar generations of germ cells, e.g. between spermatocytes and spermatids. This selective sloughing probably occurred as the result of the support normally provided by intercellular bridges which link clones of like germ cell types. Sequential steps in the process leading to sloughing of Sertoli-germ cell associations could be inferred from observations made in plastic 1 micrometer sections. Cell sloughing at 12 hr post-injection was generally more extensive. It was frequently noted that germ cells and the apical portions of Sertoli cells had been extruded to the level of the most adluminal tight junctions forming the blood-testis barrier. It was concluded that disruption of Sertoli microtubules was responsible for sloughing of Sertoli fragments and associated germ cells, and that the cytoskeletal support, of the Sertoli cell was, at least in part, dependent upon the integrity of Sertoli microtubules. The Sertoli cell could not round-up after loss of its cytoskeletal support, due to the numerous attachment devices known to link it with various apically positioned germ cells. Thus, the cell was severed at some point along its delicate apical processes, as the consequence of forces produced by the 'rounding-up' process. Long-term sacrifice after vinblastine or colchicine treatment allowed the Sertoli cells to regain microtubules and long processes but not their typical configuration. Spermatogenesis remained severely impaired.
SLEEP DEPRIVATION, ALLERGY SYMPTOMS, AND NEGATIVELY REINFORCED PROBLEM BEHAVIOR

We studied the relation between the presence versus the absence of sleep deprivation or allergy symptoms and the rate and function of problem behavior. Three students whose problem behavior was negatively reinforced by escape form instruction were studied across several weeks using analogue functional analyses. Our results indicated that the extraexperimental events were associated with (a) termination of instruction functioning as a negative reinforcer, (b) increased rates of negatively reinforced problem behavior, or (c) increased rates of problem behavior across all conditions.
Picosecond Response Of A Planar GAAS/AL 0.3 GA 0.7 AS Schottky Barrier Photodiode

A high-speed high-sensitivity planar GaAs/AL 0.3 GA 0.7 AS heterostructure Schottky barrier photodiode has been de-signed, fabricated, and characterized. A highly doped A1 0.3 GA 0.7 AS buffer layer is used to reduce the series resistance and the undesired diffusion tailing. Furthermore, surface passivation and antireflection coating, with various dielectric films, are performed to reduce the reverse-bias dark current and the reflection loss of the incident light, thereby significantly improves the sensitivity of the photodiode. The measured external quantum efficiency and responsivity are 60% to 77% and 0.47 A/W to 0.6 A/W, respectively, for the wavelength range of 0.5 μm to 0.84 μm. A risetime of 8.5 ps and a 3-dB cutoff frequency of 50 GHz have been measured.
Lessons and challenges in automating data dependability

Designing and managing dependable systems is a difficult endeavor. In this paper, we describe challenges in this vast problem space, including provisioning and allocating shared resources, adaptively managing system dependability, expressing dependability goals, interactively exploring the design space, and designing end-to-end service dependability. We outline the optimization-based approach we've used to tackle the data dependability portion of this space, and describe how we can extend that approach to address an even larger dependability scope.
Submillimeter isotropic resolution carotid wall MRI with swallowing compensation: Imaging results and semiautomated wall morphometry

Purpose To assess a swallowing-compensated, three-dimensional (3D) diffusion-prepared segmented steady-state free precession (3D Nav-D-SSFP) technique for carotid wall MRI with 0.6-mm isotropic spatial resolution, and its utility for semiautomated carotid wall morphometry. Materials and Methods The carotid arteries of seven healthy volunteers (N = 14) were imaged with 3D Nav-D-SSFP and black-blood T2-weighted (T2w) two-dimensional (2D) fast spin-echo (FSE). Carotid wall-lumen contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was measured with both sequences. Measurement of carotid wall area (WA) and lumen area (LA) made in a semiautomated manner off of the 3D Nav-D-SSFP images were compared to those made manually. Results Adjusted for voxel volume and number of slices, a near six-fold improvement in CNR per unit time was achieved with 3D Nav-D-SSFP relative to 2D T2w FSE (P < 0.001). Manual and semiautomated measurements of carotid WA and LA on the 3D Nav-D-SSFP images were highly correlated (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.961 and 0.996, respectively; P < 0.001). Conclusion 3D Nav-D-SSFP is a time-efficient, swallowing-compensated, black-blood technique that lends itself for semiautomated measurements of carotid WA and LA that are in good agreement with manual measurements. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Treatment issues with elderly clients

Most older adults are well suited to cognitive and behavioral (CB) intervention approaches utilizing a collaborative relationship between client and therapist, explicit goal setting, and acknowledgment of the client's personal strengths. Therapists need to utilize a biopsychosocial model in working with older adults and to plan treatment with awareness of interdisciplinary principles and resources. Effective cognitive and behavioral work with the elderly depends on understanding changes in cognitive processing and learning that may be associated with age. Some modifications of cognitive and behavioral techniques to consider in work with older adults are proposed, in response to differences in learning styles, sensory deficits, and chronic health problems and to capitalize on the life experience of older adults.
LOW-EFFORT LABELING OF NETWORK EVENTS FOR INTRUSION DETECTION IN WLANS

A typical data mining approach to network intrusion detection mandates a training dataset of network events labeled as either normal or a particular attack category. Such a training dataset is usually very large since there are many events to track. This is particularly the case in a WLAN where the number of devices communicating with the WLAN can be large and with adhoc connectivity. The large size of the unlabeled training dataset creates a problem for the domain expert who is asked to label the records toward creating a training dataset. We present an effective approach by which the number of network records the expert has to examine is a relatively small proportion of the given training dataset. A clustering algorithm is used to form relatively coherent groups which the expert examines as an entity to label records as one of four classes: Red (definite intrusion), Yellow (possibly intrusion), Blue (probably normal), and Green (definite normal). Subsequently, an ensemble classifier-based data cleansing approach is used to detect records that were likely mislabeled by the expert. The proposed approach is investigated with a case study of a large real-world WLAN. In addition, ensemble classifier-based intrusion detection models built using the labeled training dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of the labeling process with good generalization accuracy over multiple test datasets.
Toward an Understanding of Zeolite Y as a Cracking Catalyst with the Use of Periodic Charge Equilibration

Periodic charge equilibration (PQEq) is used to study a few of the roles that the zeolite Y lattice might play in cracking catalysis. Comparison of the partial charge distributions of HY and Na1HY suggests that atoms within 10 A of the sodium atom accept electrons from the sodium atom. The charge distributions of n-octane, benzene, and water adsorbed inside the supercage of zeolite Y and siliceous zeolite Y show that the lattice provides little perturbation to these molecules. In contrast, a local dipole in the zeolite Y lattice is found to induce a change in the partial charge distribution of a cracking hydride transfer transition state model (C4H9+ plus n-octane). The polarization in this transition state model is attributed to the increased size of the transition-state model in comparision to the size of n-octane. This polarization likely preferentially stabilizes species such as the transition state and is perhaps an explanation for the second-order dependence of hydrocarbon cracking rate on Al ion co...
Aromatase inhibitors for the treatment of endometriosis.

Objective To review the use of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) for the treatment of endometriosis. Design Literature review. Conclusion(s) Most studies show that in reproductive-age women, the combination of AI with conventional therapy alleviates endometriosis-related pain. In postmenopausal women, using an AI alone has been shown to be an effective treatment, although more studies are needed in this subgroup. Side effects of using AIs appear to be tolerable in most women, although special consideration should be given to monitoring bone mineral density. More studies need to be done examining pregnancy rates and outcomes after AI treatment for endometriosis. In addition, larger randomized clinical trials using AIs need to be done. In summary, AIs may be effective in treating endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain in both reproductive-age and postmenopausal women.
Biomolecular Detection with Engineered Robust Nanopores

Nanopores have become indispensable, powerful tools for bimolecular detections and molecular manipulations at single-molecule level, and they have been realized as an alternative to current analytical devices in biomedical molecular diagnosis. With a limited number of protein nanopores available, designing robust, functionally-intact protein scaffolds under various detection conditions is a daunting challenge in developing protein nanopore-based technologies. We used ferric hydroxamate uptake component A (FhuA), a bacterial β-barrel membrane protein as a template for protein engineering to produce an exceptionally-functional nanopore for sampling biomolecular events in harsh environments.FhuA has a luminal cross-section of ∼3.1×4.4 nm and is plugged by a globular N-terminal cork domain (C). Single-channel electrical recordings with extensive protein redesign of FhuA resulted in identifying four long extracellular loops (4L) that partially block the lumen upon the removal of the cork. The newly engineered protein, FhuA ΔC/Δ4L, was the result of a removal of almost 33% of the total number of amino acids of the wild-type FhuA (WT-FhuA) protein. The crown achievement in this work was combining direct genetic engineering with a refolding approach to produce this unusually-stable protein nanopore. Critical to its future nanotechnological applications, FhuA ΔC/Δ4L was functional under structure-altering conditions, including low ion concentration and highly acidic aqueous phase.To tailor the FhuAΔC/Δ4L protein to the use in nanopore-based detection devices, we show that the FhuA-based nanopores function as stochastic biosensing elements. For example, we monitored the proteolytic activity of an enzyme at highly acidic pH and we were able to determine the kinetics of protein-DNA aptamer interactions at physiological salt concentration. These two assays have not been demonstrated with the existing nanopores.This work is funded in part by grants from the US National Science Foundation (DMR-1006332, L.M.) and the National Institutes of Health (R01 GM088403, L.M.).
Automated wound identification system based on image segmentation and Artificial Neural Networks

A system that can automatically and accurately identify the region of a chronic wound could largely improve conventional clinical practice for the wound diagnosis and treatment. We designed a system that uses color wound photographs taken from the patients, and is capable of automatic image segmentation and wound region identification. Several commonly used segmentation methods are utilized with their parameters fine-tuned automatically to obtain a collection of candidate wound regions. Two different types of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) and the Radial Basis Function (RBF) with parameters determined by a cross-validation approach, are then applied with supervised learning in the prediction procedure for the wound identification, and their results are compared. The satisfactory results obtained by this system make it a promising tool to assist in the field of clinical wound evaluation.