cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Erratum to: Receipt of Transition Services Within a Medical Home: Do Racial and Geographic Disparities Exist?

Table 7 has been revised to correct the placement error for the household Federal Poverty Level (FPL) variable reference. In the corrected table, the reference household income level is equal to or below 200% FPL. The odds ratios published in the original article are correct, and thus remain the same in the amended table. The edit made in this table does not change either the results or the discussion sections.
Paraneoplastic Pemphigus, Cicatricial Conjunctivitis, and Acanthosis Nigncans with Pachydermatoglyphy in a Patient with Bronchogem*c Squamous Cell Carcinoma

A77-year-old man with chronic conjunctivitis, acanthosis nigricans with pachydermatoglyphy, and pemphigus-like mucocutaneous lesions was found to have a welldifferentiated bronchogenic squamous cell carcinoma. Histopathologic and immunofluorescence studies confirmed the diagnosis of paraneoplastic pemphigus. Skin lesions resolved with opal prednisone and azathioprine therapy, but the conjunctivitis and mucous membrane erosions persisted. The conjunctiva later became scarred with foreshortening of the fornices and development of symblepharon. External beam irradiation arrested the growth of the tumor but did not have any effect on the diseased conjunctiva and other mucous membranes. This case demonstrates that cicatrizing conjunctivitis with bullous mucocutaneous lesions may be a clinical sign associated with an occult neoplasm.
Classical syndromes in occupational medicine: Phosphorus necrosis—A classical occupational disease

A disease nearly extinct in occupational health history is phosphorus necrosis, previously seen in near-epidemic proportions among workers making phosphorus-containing matches. Similar destructive lesions were encountered early in the 20th century among personnel fabricating fireworks. Through the diligent efforts of an economist and a supportive congressman, legislation was passed in 1912 placing a tax on phosphorus matches, and because of the fiscal burden resulting, a nontoxic substitute for elemental phosphorus was adopted by all manufacturers. Today phosphorus necrosis is extremely rare, but the former presence of the disease points up both apathy and courage in the identification and eradication of a remarkably disfiguring work-caused disease.
A molecular phylogeny of the Old World stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) and the non-monophyly of the large genus Trigona

We examined the inter- and infrageneric relationships of Old World Meliponini with a near-complete sampling of supra-specific taxa. DNA sequences for the taxa were collected from four genes (mitochondrial 16S rRNA, nuclear long-wavelength rhodopsin copy 1 (opsin), elongation factor-1a copy F2 and arginine kinase). Additional sampling of New World taxa indicated that Trigona sensu lato is not monophyletic: Trigona from the Indo-Malayan/Australasian Regions forms a large clade distantly related to the Neotropical Trigona .A separate clade comprises the Afrotropical meliponines, and includes the 'minute' species found in the Afrotropical, Indo-Malayan and Australasian Regions. The Neotropical genus Melipona, by contrast with previous investigations, is not the sister lineage to the remaining stingless bees, but falls within the strongly supported Neotropical clade. These results constitute the framework for a revised classifica- tion and ongoing biological investigations of Meliponini. A single taxonomic change, Heterotrigona bakeri stat.n., is proposed on the basis of sequence divergence.
Differential regulation of the expression of transforming growth factor-βs 1 and 2 by retinoic acid, epidermal growth factor, and dexamethasone in NRK-49F and A549 cells

Although most biological activities of transforming growth factor-beta s 1 and 2 (TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2) examined in vitro are similar or identical, recent studies suggest that each of these factors may be independently regulated in vivo. In this study we have used highly sensitive and specific sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 to examine the effects of a variety of treatments on expression of these two TGF-beta isoforms. We show that epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces secretion of TGF-beta 1 and not TGF-beta 2, whereas retinoic acid (RA) induces secretion of TGF-beta 2 and not TGF-beta 1 in NRK-49F normal rat kidney fibroblasts and A549 human lung carcinoma cells. Moreover, treatment with EGF diminishes the levels of TGF-beta 2, while RA decreases the levels of TGF-beta 1 in both cell lines. Dexamethasone (Dex), on the other hand, inhibits the secretion of both TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 in A549 cells, while selectively inhibiting TGF-beta 1 secretion in NRK-49F cells. The interactive effects of EGF, RA, and Dex on the production of TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2, which were studied on NRK-49F cells, demonstrate that EGF blocks the induction of TGF-beta 2 mRNA and peptide by RA, while Dex inhibits the induction of TGF-beta 1 mRNA and peptide by EGF. These results demonstrate that RA, EGF and Dex are each unique, differential, and interactive regulators of the expression of TGF-beta s 1 and 2.
An algorithm for automated printed circuit board layout and routing evaluation

The authors describe a computer code, called EMIcheck, that was developed to perform an EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) evaluation of printed circuit boards laid out using the Mentor Graphics Boardstation software. The algorithm analyzes aspects of component placement and trace routing while searching for violations of basic EMC design principles. The algorithm is implemented in a code designed to work with a widely used board layout and routing program. This code can help novice and experienced circuit board designers to avoid mistakes that may result in serious EMC problems. >
Molecular cloning and sequence of the thdF gene, which is involved in thiophene and furan oxidation by Escherichia coli.

Abstract Our previous work resulted in the isolation of mutant strains of Escherichia coli K-12 which were able to oxidize furans and thiophenes as a result of mutations in several novel genes. Some of the genes involved in thiophene oxidation were cloned into the multicopy vector pUC19. The plasmid pKA10 carries a 3.8-kb chromosomal fragment which encodes a previously undiscovered gene involved in thiophene oxidation. Three proteins with approximate molecular sizes of 48, 30, and 26 kDa were overproduced by cells carrying pKA10. Maxicell experiments and DNA sequence analysis indicated that the 48- and 26-kDa proteins are encoded by pKA10, whereas the 30-kDa protein is apparently chromosomally derived. A cassette specifying kanamycin resistance was inserted into various sites on pKA10. An insertion which abolished the 48-kDa protein also abolished thiophene oxidation. Chromosomal integration of pKA10::Kan allowed us to locate the chromosomal insert of pKA10 at 84 min on the E. coli genetic map by transduction. Since no previously identified genes involved in thiophene metabolism are located in this region, we designated the gene for the 48-kDa protein as thdF. Sequencing of the 3.8-kb insert revealed an overlap of several hundred bases with the regulatory and structural regions of the tnaA gene, which is also located at 84 min. The 26-kDa protein is probably truncated tnaA protein. An open reading frame corresponding to the 48-kDa thdF protein was located next to the tnaA gene, which encodes tryptophanase, but was transcribed in the opposite sense.
A Decomposition Approach to Uncertainty Analysis of Multidisciplinary Systems

To support eective decision making, engineers should comprehend and manage various uncertainties throughout the design process. Unfortunately, in today’s modern systems, uncertainty analysis can become cumbersome and computationally intractable for one individual or group to manage. This is particularly true for systems comprising multiple components described by a large number of models. In many cases, these models may be developed by dierent groups and even run on dierent computational platforms. This paper proposes an approach for decomposing and distributing the uncertainty analysis task amongst the various components comprising a system. The mathematical approach draws on concepts and algorithms from multidisciplinary analysis and optimization, density estimation, and sequential Monte Carlo methods. The distributed multidisciplinary uncertainty analysis approach is provably convergent and is compared to a traditional allat-once Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis approach. The proposed method is illustrated on a mathematical example and two aerospace system applications|a beam loading example and a gas turbine design example.
Rotating Stars and Revolving Planets: Bayesian Exploration of the Pulsating Sky

I describe ongoing work on development of Bayesian methods for exploring periodically varying phenomena in astronomy, addressing two classes of sources: pulsars, and extrasolar planets (exoplanets). For pulsars, the methods aim to detect and measure periodically varying signals in data consisting of photon arrival times, modeled as non-homogeneous Poisson point processes. For exoplanets, the methods address detection and estimation of planetary orbits using observations of the reflex motion "wobble" of a host star, including adaptive scheduling of observations to optimize inferences.
Development of knowledge based artificial neural network models for microwave components

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) provide fast and accurate models for microwave modeling, simulation, and optimization. This paper addresses the use of prior knowledge (or existing models) for reducing the complexity of the input/output relationships that an ANN has to learn. This reduction of input/output complexity allows an accurate ANN model to be developed with less training data, which is very advantageous when training data is expensive/time-consuming to obtain, such as with EM simulation. Two simple methods of incorporating prior knowledge into ANN training are demonstrated and compared: the difference method and the prior knowledge input (PKI) method. As an example, a 2-port microstrip via model has been developed by using a closed-form expression for the via's inductance as prior knowledge.
A Framework for Modeling Sediment Processes in Upland Watersheds

A modeling framework is presented as the basis for developing numerical models of sediment processes on upland watersheds. Sediment processes are described in terms of both broad shallow flow areas and concentrated flow systems. Basic assumptions and governing equations are presented for broad shallow flow and concentrated flow sediment processes. The effects of space and time averaging on the predictive equations are described. Starting from the most general one-dimensional, unsteady model, simpler model structures are obtained and the successive simplifications made on the governing equations to obtain simpler and less detailed formulations are described. Although progress has been made in modeling sediment processes on upland watersheds, the development of improved modeling approaches must be based on a better understanding of runoff mechanisms and the mechanics of sediment generation, transport, and deposition occurring over a range of catchments scales and environmental conditions. Future research must address the development of boundary conditions, model components, the scales over which the governing equations are valid, and integration of the equations in space and time.
ETHNOLOGICAL NOTES ON THE OJIBWA OF SOUTHEASTERN ONTARIO

Prefatory note.—The following notes were written down in text by an Ojibwa Indian not far from Sarnia, Ontario. They were translated by Mr. Edwin Maness. No change of any kind has been introduced by the editor. They originally were incorporated in a fairly extensive text, the major portion of which has been published in a previous number of the American Anthropologist (n.s., 26: 491–530, 1924) under the title of “Ojibwa Chit-chat.”
Characterization of lead-free solders and under bump metallurgies for flip-chip package

A variety of Pb-free solders and under bump metallurgies (UBMs) was investigated for flip chip packaging applications. The result shows that the Sn-0.7Cu eutectic alloy has the best fatigue life and it possess the most desirable failure mechanism in both thermal and isothermal mechanical tests regardless of UBM type. Although the electroless Ni-P UBM has a much slower reaction rate with solders than the Cu UBM, room temperature mechanical fatigue is worse than on the Cu UBM when coupled with either Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu or Sn-3.5Ag solder. The Sn-37Pb solder consumes less Cu UBM than all other Pb-free solders during reflow. However, Sn-37Pb consumes more Cu after solid state annealing. Studies on aging, tensile, and shear mechanical properties show that the Sn-0.7Cu alloy is the most favorable Pb-free solder for flip chip applications. When coupled with underfill encapsulation in a direct chip attach (DCA) test device, the Sn-0.7Cu bump with Cu UBM exhibits a characteristic life or 5322 cycles under -55/spl deg/C/+150/spl deg/C air-to-air thermal cycling condition.
Use of high-throughput mass spectrometry to elucidate host–pathogen interactions in Salmonella

Capabilities in mass spectrometry are evolving rapidly, with recent improvements in sensitivity, data analysis and, most important from the standpoint of this review, much higher throughput, allowing analysis of many samples in a single day. This short review describes how these improvements in mass spectrometry can be used to dissect host-pathogen interactions using Salmonella as a model system. This approach has enabled direct identification of the majority of annotated Salmonella proteins, quantitation of expression changes under various in vitro growth conditions and new insights into virulence and expression of Salmonella proteins within host cells. One of the most significant findings is that a relatively high percentage of all the annotated genes (>20%) in Salmonella are regulated post-transcriptionally. In addition, new and unexpected interactions have been identified for several Salmonella virulence regulators that involve protein-protein interactions, suggesting additional functions of these regulators in coordinating virulence expression. Overall high-throughput mass spectrometry provides a new view of host-pathogen interactions, emphasizing the protein products and defining how protein interactions determine the outcome of infection.
The role of the nuclear receptor CAR as a coordinate regulator of hepatic gene expression in defense against chemical toxicity

The nuclear receptor CAR (constitutive active receptor) mediates the induction of transcription of cytochrome P450 (CYP) genes by phenobarbital (PB) and PB-type inducers. A recent study using CAR-null mice has shown that CAR regulates not only the CYP genes but also other genes encoding various drug/steroid-metabolizing enzymes. In addition to coordinating these enzymes, CAR plays other roles in hepatic gene expression: CAR represses various genes including carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 in response to PB, and the receptor regulates the constitutive expression of genes such as squalene epoxidase. On the other hand, induction of certain genes such as amino levulinate synthase 1 by PB is not regulated by CAR. Here we describe diverse roles of CAR in hepatic gene expression with a particular focus on endogenous substances such as cholesterol, bilirubin, and steroid hormones.
POSTMORTEM AGING OF BEEF CARCASSES

U.S. Choice beef carcasses (n = 126) were aged, 21 carcasses per storage period, for 5, 8, 11, 14, 21 or 28 days in a 1 ± 1°C, 87 ± 7% R.H. cooler. Sensory panel ratings revealed that flavor, tenderness and overall palatability of oven-broiled loin steaks were optimal after 11 days of aging and that aging for more than 11 days did not result in further improvements in any of the sensory characteristics. Panel tenderness ratings for five muscles from oven-broiled or roasted chuck, rib and round cuts suggested that aging for 11 days appeared to optimize tenderization, inasmuch as further aging did not accomplish further increases in tenderness. Although 8 of 20 muscles achieved minimal shear force requirements after 5 or 8 days of aging, the other 12 muscles used for shear force determinations required 11 or more days of aging to achieve maximal tenderization response. The data of the present study suggest that aging of U.S. Choice beef carcasses for 11 days will optimize tenderness, flavor and overall palatability of the majority of the muscles in steaks and/or roasts from the chuck, rib, loin and round when such cuts are cooked via oven-broiling or roasting.
Michigan basin regional ground water flow discharge to three Great Lakes

Ground water discharge to the Great Lakes around the Lower Peninsula of Michigan is primarily from recharge in riparian basins and proximal upland areas that are especially important to the northern half of the Lake Michigan shoreline. A steady-state finite-difference model was developed to simulate ground water flow in four regional aquifers in Michigan's Lower Peninsula: the Glaciofluvial, Saginaw, Parma-Bayport, and Marshall aquifers interlayered with the Till/"red beds," Saginaw, and Michigan confining units, respectively. The model domain was laterally bound by a continuous specified-head boundary, formed from lakes Michigan, Huron, St. Clair, and Erie, with the St. Clair and Detroit River connecting channels. The model was developed to quantify regional ground water flow in the aquifer systems using independently determined recharge estimates. According to the flow model, local stream stages and discharges account for 95% of the overall model water budget; only 50% enters the lakes directly from the ground water system. Direct ground water discharge to the Great Lakes' shorelines was calculated at 36 m3/sec, accounting for 5% of the overall model water budget. Lowland areas contribute far less ground water discharge to the Great Lakes than upland areas. The model indicates that Saginaw Bay receives only approximately 1.13 m3/sec ground water; the southern half of the Lake Michigan shoreline receives only approximately 2.83 m3/sec. In contrast, the northern half of the Lake Michigan shoreline receives more than 17 m3/sec from upland areas.
Requirement of ELC1 for RNA Polymerase II Polyubiquitylation and Degradation in Response to DNA Damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Treatment of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human cells with DNA-damaging agents such as UV light or 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide induces polyubiquitylation of the largest RNA polymerase II (Pol II) subunit, Rpb1, which results in rapid Pol II degradation by the proteasome. Here we identify a novel role for the yeast Elc1 protein in mediating Pol II polyubiquitylation and degradation in DNA-damaged yeast cells and propose the involvement of a ubiquitin ligase, of which Elc1 is a component, in this process. In addition, we present genetic evidence for a possible involvement of Elc1 in Rad7-Rad16-dependent nucleotide excision repair (NER) of lesions from the nontranscribed regions of the genome and suggest a role for Elc1 in increasing the proficiency of repair of nontranscribed DNA, where as a component of the Rad7-Rad16-Elc1 ubiquitin ligase, it would promote the efficient turnover of the NER ensemble from the lesion site in a Rad23-19S proteasomal complex-dependent reaction.
Blood transfusion in cardiac surgery: a silent epidemic revisited.

Mr Corazon is a 78-year-old man with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and an ejection fraction of 40% who is postoperative day 2 from coronary artery bypass grafting. He has been extubated and feels good, but he remains on a low-dose epinephrine infusion to support his blood pressure. His cardiac index is 2.2 L/m2, and he has a mixed venous oxygen saturation of 59%. He has low filling pressures and marginal urine output. His hematocrit is 24%. His surgeon and his cardiologist confer and agree to transfuse him with 1 unit of red blood cells. They explain to him that he needs the blood transfusion and that the major risk of transfusion is the very low risk of viral infection. After the transfusion, his mixed venous oxygen saturation and urine output improve, and his epinephrine infusion is weaned off. He is transferred out of the intensive care unit the following day. Article p 2544 The rationale for transfusing Mr Corazon is understandable. Historically, patients were thought to benefit from transfusions that boosted their hematocrit to ≥30%, particularly if they were older and sicker. Transfused blood is an excellent volume expander and remains in the intravascular space better than other resuscitation fluids. Transfused patients often “look better.” It is possible that Mr Corazon’s transfusion allowed his hemodynamics to improve sufficiently to wean him more quickly from his inotropic support. We might even expect that his recovery has been accelerated and his length of stay reduced. How should we evaluate this decision making in light of the available evidence? The article by Murphy …
Alternation of the Heart

Alteration of the heart occurs whenever any of its tissues, contractile or conductive, fail to function during alternate beats. This results in a diversity of 2:1 conduction blocks with electrical ...
Shamanism as Neurotheology and Evolutionary Psychology

Universals of shamanism reflect innate brain processes and representational systems and fundamental aspects of consciousness. Shamanic universals involve psychophysiological dynamics of altered states of consciousness (ASCs) and visionary experiences, metaphoric representations produced through integration of innate representational modules, and rituals that produce psychophysiological healing responses. ASCs reflect natural brain processes involving systemic integrative conditions. Universal shamanic representations (e.g., animism, animal allies, and soul flight) use cross-modal integration of specialized innate modules and reflect fundamental aspects of the psychodynamics of self. These prelinguistic emotional, social, and mental processes use presentational symbolism that reflects fundamental structures of consciousness. Therapeutic aspects of shamanism involve the psychophysiological effects of ASCs, ritual and community evocation of neurotransmitter responses, and the functions of spirit concepts in representing and manipulating individual and group psychodynamics. The shamanic paradigm’s psychobiological foundations explain the origins and cross-cultural distribution of shamanism, its modern manifestations, and the continued applicability of shamanic practices. Shamanism, humanities’ most ancient spiritual, religious, and healing practice, has achieved a dramatic modern resurgence. The cross-cultural distribution and current adoption of shamanism by professionals poses a dilemma for perspectives that consider religious behavior to be ephemeral. The cross-cultural manifestations of shamanism and its contemporary appeal are rooted in psychobiological structures and basic functions of the brain, mind, and consciousness. This article reviews data on the universals of shamanism and their neurological bases. Integration of cross-cultural and neurological perspectives reveals the psychobiological basis of shamanic universals such as altered states of consciousness (ASCs), soul journeys, animal allies and guardian spirits, death and rebirth experiences, and healing practices. Shamanism plays a central role in elucidating neurotheology because shamanism constitutes humanities’ first theological and spiritual system. Crosscultural manifestations of similar shamanic ideology and practice reflect neurophenomenological and neurognostic structures, forms of experience and
Evaluation of indeterminate renal masses with contrast-enhanced US: a diagnostic performance study.

With the high positive predictive value and negative predictive value of contrast-enhanced US, contrast-enhanced US evaluation of renal masses could decrease the need for CT, with its associated radiation dose, or MR imaging, with its high cost.
Brief interventions to reduce harmful alcohol use among military personnel: lessons learned from the civilian experience.

ABSTRACT Unhealthy alcohol use is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Among military personnel, service members between the ages 18 and 25 had a 27.3% prevalence of heavy drinking in the previous 30 days, compared to 15.3% among civilians in the same age group. In the civilian world, >100 million patients are treated in U.S. emergency departments (ED) annually; 7.9% of these visits are alcohol related. Alcohol is associated with a broad range of health consequences that may ultimately present in the ED setting: traumatic injuries (e.g., motor vehicle crashes, intentional violence, falls); environmental injuries (e.g., frostbite); cardiovascular problems (e.g., hypertension, dilated cardiomyopathy); gastrointestinal disorders (e.g., hepatitis, pancreatitis, gastrointestinal bleeding); neurological problems (e.g., encephalopathy, alcohol withdrawal, withdrawal seizures), as well as psychological problems (e.g., depression, suicide). Seminal work has been done to create ...
Can developing countries leapfrog the centralized electrification paradigm

Due to the rapidly decreasing costs of small renewable electricity generation systems, centralized power systems are no longer a necessary condition of universal access to modern energy services. Developing countries, where centralized electricity infrastructures are less developed, may be able to adopt these new technologies more quickly. We first review the costs of grid extension and distributed solar home systems (SHSs) as reported by a number of different studies. We then present a general analytic framework for analyzing the choice between extending the grid and implementing distributed solar home systems. Drawing upon reported grid expansion cost data for three specific regions, we demonstrate this framework by determining the electricity consumption levels at which the costs of provision through centralized and decentralized approaches are equivalent in these regions. We then calculate SHS capital costs that are necessary for these technologies provide each of five tiers of energy access, as defined by the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All initiative. Our results suggest that solar home systems can play an important role in achieving universal access to basic energy services. The extent of this role depends on three primary factors: SHS costs, grid expansion costs, and centralized generation costs. Given current technology costs, centralized systems will still be required to enable higher levels of consumption; however, cost reduction trends have the potential to disrupt this paradigm. By looking ahead rather than replicating older infrastructure styles, developing countries can leapfrog to a more distributed electricity service model.
Anesthesiology and Intraoperative Electrophysiological Monitoring

The role of the anesthesiologist during procedures where intraoperative electrophysiological monitoring (IOM) is being performed involves anesthetic titration, attaining physiological homeostasis, and medical management of the patient. Further, the anesthesiologist participates in mitigating neural injury when the monitoring indicates that the nervous system may be at risk for injury. More specifically, the choice of anesthetic agents directly impacts the ability to reliably record IOM responses, and the physiological management (e.g., blood pressure) impacts on the reserve of the nervous system to tolerate procedural trespass. When altered responses indicate the health of the nervous system may be compromised, the insights of the anesthesiologist and the ability to improve the physiological reserve are keys to reducing neurological risk. This chapter is written to discuss these aspects to improve integration of the anesthesiologist into the IOM monitoring team effort.
Controlling question asking in a medical expert system

We have discovered what we believe is an essential design problem for medical expert systems, that of controlling the amount and the type of information which the system requests from the user. This problem is inherent in medical expert systems because of the nature of the distribution of clinical states and the nature of the training and background of physicians. The problem also exists for human consultants, and a complete and general solution for computer systems is probably not achievable. However, several techniques show promise for reducing the magnitude of the problem in various clinical domains.
Guarantee Fees—An Art, Not a Science

This article examines the potential impact of increasing the guarantee fees that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the government-sponsored enterprises [GSEs]) charge lenders. The authors argue that guarantee fees are very assumption driven. They then identify the three most important assumptions made in determining the fees. They conclude that transparency regarding these assumptions is critical and that, under any reasonable set of assumptions, the fees should not be increased for the least risky loans. The authors also argue that guarantee fees should be set high enough to cover expected losses under a stress scenario plus expenses. Beyond that, the GSEs’ mission should be taken into account in determining the required return on capital.
Determination of sodium content of human sweat by radioactive sodium, (Na24).

SummaryA method for determination of sodium concentration of sweat from local areas is described. It consists of administering radioactive sodium to subjects, and then inducing a local flow by subdermal injections of mecholyl chloride. Sweat so produced is collected by the method of Dole, Stall and Schwartz, employing filter paper discs sealed in a collecting device. Sodium concentration is derived by determining the radioactivity of the filter paper, and its increment in weight after sweat collection.
Recovery of lactic acid by sorption : resin evaluation

Weak-, moderate-, and strong-base resins were evaluated for their sorption capacities of lactic acid from solutions with different pHs. Composite isotherms and breakthrough curves indicated that the sorption capacities of weak- and moderate-base resins decreased markedly as the pH of the feed exceeded the pKa of lactic acid. The decrease in capacity was mainly the result of the decrease in concentration of undissociated lactic acid, the species preferentially adsorbed by the resin, as the pH of the feed increases. The sorption capacity of the strong-base resin remained constant in the same pH range (pH 2–6).
Symbolizing: Prosthesis of the Totalizing Act

Up to this point the totalizing psyche is preeminent and apparently omnipotent. Yet a challenge to this preeminence is sounded in BZ itself when Husserl states that all objects agree only in that they are “contents of representations,” or are “represented by means of contents of representations in our consciousness.” There are entities which are not immediate contents of representing consciousness, which are not “in” it as such.
Robust a posteriori stress analysis for quadrature collocation approximations of nonlocal models via nonlocal gradients

Abstract As alternatives to partial differential equations (PDEs), nonlocal continuum models given in integral forms avoid the explicit use of conventional spatial derivatives and allow solutions to exhibit desired singular behavior. It is of practical interest to develop robust numerical schemes not only for the numerical solution of nonlocal models but also for the evaluation of suitably defined derivatives of solutions. The latter motivates the development of a nonlocal analog of gradient recovery for numerical solution of PDEs. For structure mechanical models, this leads to a posteriori nonlocal stress analysis. We illustrate that when smooth solutions are found in nonlocal models, one may compute local gradients of nonlocal solutions using conventional techniques like that for PDEs. More generically however, we present a framework for stress analysis of nonlocal solutions based on nonlocal gradient operators and their asymptotically compatible discretization. We demonstrate that the nonlocal gradient recovery is consistent in the local limit and is more advantageous than using local gradients of nonlocal solutions. Superconvergence properties of some special nonlocal gradient operators are identified for nonlocal continuum models. Moreover, methods are presented to preserve such features in the numerical discretization. Both computational observations and theoretical insights are provided to substantiate our findings.
Distinguishing computed tomography findings in patients with empty nose syndrome

Background Given the lack of basic diagnostic criteria for empty nose syndrome (ENS), we sought to define whether consistent radiographic characteristics could be identified to aid in the development of such criteria. Methods Computed tomography (CT) scans were collected from 65 patients diagnosed with ENS, patients with a history of submucosal inferior turbinate reduction (ITR) without ENS, and patients without a history of sinonasal procedures. Measurements were taken at the level of the nasolacrimal duct, including the inferior turbinate (IT) mucosal thickness, and the widest distances between septum-IT, nasal floor-IT, lateral nasal wall-IT, and septum-lateral nasal wall. The thickest sites of soft tissue density of the nasal cavity floor, septum, and lateral wall were also measured in the anterior, central, and posterior segments of the nasal cavity. Results The mucosal thickness of both the central and posterior segments of the septum in ENS subjects was significant when compared to ITR without ENS (p 2.64 mm and >1.32 mm in the central nasal and posterior nasal regions provided the highest likelihood of differentiating ENS patients from ITR without ENS patients. Conclusion These findings provide evidence there are 2 objective radiographic changes (central and posterior septal mucosa) that suggest ENS patients can be discriminated based on mucosal CT findings.
Outcome of the Rotterdam-84 CNS-ALL Chemotherapy Protocol without Radiotherapy for Isolated Central Nervous System Relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Introduction Current protocols use radiotherapy (craniospinal irradiation) as the treatment of choice to cure isolated central nervous system (CNS) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) relapses. The severe toxicity of this treatment encouraged us to develop a new CNS-ALL protocol without radiotherapy. Patients and methods From Jan 1987 till Aug 2004, 13 children were diagnosed in our centre with an isolated CNS relapse after initial treatment according to standard DCOG-ALL protocols. Treatment of CNS relapse consisted of induction by weekly intrathecal Methotrexate (MTX). At remission, an Ommaya reservoir was implanted and CNS-directed intraventricular sandwich therapy, consisting of MTX day 1; ARA-C day 2 and MTX day 3 (dosage according to age) was given every four weeks for one year. At the same time systemic treatment, based on the ALL-6 protocol (JCO1996;14:911–8), was started in which at week 23, 44 and 65 intensification courses of 6 weeks duration with Teniposide, HD-ARA-C and HD-MTX were inserted. The total duration of treatment is 95 weeks. Six of 13 patients could be assessed for behavior, intelligence, memory, visual-spatial and visual-motor skills before and after treatment using the CBCL and WISC-RN tests among others. Results All 13 patients, 3 girls and 10 boys aged 2.3 till 14.8 years (9 precursor B-ALL and 4 T-ALL), had an early isolated CNS relapse after a median first remission duration of 16 months (range 2–30 months). Nine of them were high risk according to BFM relapse criteria (male, age Conclusion Sandwich intraventricular therapy together with systemic anti-leukemia therapy without radiotherapy seems to be an effective treatment with minimal neurocognitive disfunctioning for isolated CNS-ALL relapse. Further investigations in a larger group of patients are essential with special emphasis on comparing late effects of this therapy with radiotherapy.
A pilot study evaluating surrogates of response to short-term vorinostat in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer

e14508 Background: Epigenetic modifications contribute to breast cancer initiation and progression and may be reversible, thus representing an attractive area for new drug investigation. In preclinical breast cancer models, the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA, vorinostat) induces cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and differentiation. Methods: We evaluated the safety and tolerability of short term vorinostat in women with a primary clinical stage I-III histologically confirmed carcinoma of the breast on a core needle biopsy. Participants received vorinostat 300 mg PO bid for a total of 6 doses, the last dose 2 hours prior to surgery or biopsy. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected at baseline and following the last vorinostat dose to determine histone acetylation. Baseline and post-treatment tumor specimens were collected for analysis of histone acetylation, candidate gene methylation and expression. Tissues were also collected from untreated controls. Pair...
State-of-the-art characterization techniques for advanced lithium-ion batteries

To meet future needs for industries from personal devices to automobiles, state-of-the-art rechargeable lithium-ion batteries will require both improved durability and lowered costs. To enhance battery performance and lifetime, understanding electrode degradation mechanisms is of critical importance. Various advanced in situ and operando characterization tools developed during the past few years have proven indispensable for optimizing battery materials, understanding cell degradation mechanisms, and ultimately improving the overall battery performance. Here we review recent progress in the development and application of advanced characterization techniques such as in situ transmission electron microscopy for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. Using three representative electrode systems—layered metal oxides, Li-rich layered oxides and Si-based or Sn-based alloys—we discuss how these tools help researchers understand the battery process and design better battery systems. We also summarize the application of the characterization techniques to lithium–sulfur and lithium–air batteries and highlight the importance of those techniques in the development of next-generation batteries.
Multiple Sclerosis: Clinical Features, Immunopathogenesis, and Treatment

Classically, multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by relapses of neurological deficits followed by remission. At present mechanisms of progressive aspects of the disease are currently undergoing increasing attention. Updated diagnostic criteria and improved diagnostic techniques, particularly in the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have facilitated diagnosis and monitoring of MS patients. Advances in immunology, particularly regarding the role of Th17 helper cells and B cells, together with increasing insight into genetics of MS, continue to improve our knowledge of the disease mechanisms underlying MS.
Jamaica's Critically Endangered Butterfly: A Review of the Biology and Conservation Status of the Homerus Swallowtail (Papilio (Pterourus) homerus Fabricius).

The Homerus swallowtail, Papilio (Pterourus) homerus Fabricius, is listed as an endangered species and is endemic to the Caribbean island of Jamaica. The largest butterfly in the Western Hemisphere, P. homerus once inhabited seven of Jamaica’s 14 parishes and consisted of at least three populations; however, now only two stronghold populations remain, a western population in the rugged Cockpit Country and an eastern population in the Blue and John Crow Mountains. Despite numerous studies of its life history, much about the population biology, including estimates of total numbers of individuals in each population, remains unknown. In addition, a breeding program is needed to establish an experimental population, which could be used to augment wild populations and ensure the continued survival of the species. Here, we present a review of the biology of P. homerus and recommendations for a conservation plan.
An Economic Multipoint Gravitational Model Expression Of A Transactional Analysis Game: An Application To Recreational Private Land Use Decisions

The outcome of interactions between various economic actors has a decided subconscious component. Transactional analysis (TA), which was developed in the late 1950s, provides a cognitive theory about the way that human beings interact with each other on a subconscious level that can be applied to investigation of economic decision making. TA, founded by physician Eric Berne, explains a number of potential human interactions, or social transactions, by framing them as subconscious games. Individual economic actors in markets interact with each other. Those interactions may be influenced at least somewhat by subconscious cognitive processes and TA games. Additionally, because individuals gain experience through each interaction, there may reasonably be expected to exist an historical component in which the subconscious response of economic actors to others in the market and to the subconscious games of others in the market may change over time based on their experiences in prior games. As an extension, an individual’s subconscious response to other economic actors may in part be based on the influence of information, either conveyed through games or via other sources. This study investigates decision strategy in the context of marketplace interaction in which outcomes are influenced by subconscious social transaction games played between individuals. The decision by land owners of whether or not to open private land to outside parties for recreational use is considered as an example. Because interaction necessarily involves some form of influence, the interaction and decision strategy are modeled mathematically by an economic multipoint gravitational model in which each actor both influences all other actors and is influenced by them.
Modeling Fractal Profiles and Surfaces

In order to test and understand the characterization tools, and to compare real surfaces, it is important to be able to generate fractal profiles and surfaces using mathematical models. The description in Chapter 1 of a patterned Koch profile shows one way to do this for a line profile. A similar effect for surfaces can be achieved by adding and removing blocks; as smaller and smaller blocks are added and removed from the surface, the volume beneath it is not changed but the surface area increases without bound. The pattern of blocks added and removed may either be strict (as in the classic Koch fractals) or randomized.
A Stochastic Model Predictive Control Framework for Stationary Battery Systems

A stochastic model predictive control (MPC) framework is presented to determine real-time commitments in energy and frequency regulation markets for a stationary battery while simultaneously mitigating long-term demand charges for an attached load. The control problem is multi-scale in nature and poses challenges on computational tractability of the stochastic program and of forecasting and uncertainty quantification (UQ) procedures. The framework deals with tractability of the stochastic program by using a discounting factor for long-term demand charges, while a Ledoit–Wolf covariance estimator is used to overcome UQ tractability issues. The performance of stochastic MPC is benchmarked against that of perfect information MPC and deterministic MPC for different prediction horizon lengths and demand charge discounting strategies. A case study using real load data for a typical university campus and price and regulation data from PJM is considered. It is found that stochastic MPC can recover 83% of the ideal value of the battery, which is defined as the expected savings obtained by operating the battery under perfect information MPC. In contrast, deterministic MPC can only recover 73% of this ideal value. It is also found that operating the battery under stochastic MPC improves the battery payback period by 12.1%, while operating it under perfect information improves it by 27.9%.
Full characterization and removal of motion artifacts from scalp EEG recordings

Non-invasive scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) measurements allow for the development of biomedical devices that can be controlled via Brain-Machine Interface (BMI) systems. There are various applications of such systems for scientific, diagnostic, therapeutic, or restorative purposes. However, EEG recordings are often considered as prone to physiological and non-physiological artifacts of different types and frequency characteristics. Motion related non-physiological artifacts can be considered as one of the major contaminants of EEG recordings. Motion artifacts manifest themselves especially for mobile EEG recordings (i.e., Mobi applications) due to the movement of one or several EEG sensors, which may be time-locked with the actual motion that the subjects execute. Artifacts with these characteristics can hinder the true performance of BMI applications, especially when real-time mobile applications are considered (i.e., wearable robotic systems and exoskeletons). Although there several published research efforts to investigate the motion artifacts, there is currently no consensus on the exact characteristics and suitable real-time and/or offline removal methodologies of such artifacts.
The amino terminal sequences of acid proteases - human pepsin and gastricsin and the protease of Rhizopus chinensis☆

Abstract The amino acid sequences near the amino termini of human pepsin (34 residues) and gastricsin (24 residues) and the acid protease from Rhizopus chinensis (27 residues) have been determined using automated Edman degradation. From these results three additional observations were made. First, two structural variants have been observed for human gastricsin and for the Rhizopus protease. Both cases are apparently genetic in origin. Second, a stretch of sequence in the Rhizopus protease, residues 14 to 26, is highly homologous to the known sequence of porcine pepsin at the region of residues 11 to 23. Third, the sequences of the NH2-terminal region of human pepsin and gastrisin are homologous.
Superconductor Conduits: Fatigue Crack Growth Rate and Near-Threshold Behavior of Three Alloys

Three superconductor sheath alloys were fatigue-tested at 4 K to evaluate their suitability for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor magnets. The alloys tested were low carbon 316LN (0.018C), niobium-modified 316LN (0.0090, 0.05Nb) and nickel-based alloy 908. Threshold stress intensity factors ΔKth at 10−10m/cycle and near threshold fatigue crack growth rates were measured using the short crack simulation technique which avoids crack closure. Results indicate some advantage of 908 over the 316LN alloys. Also, microstructural effects on fatigue resistance are identified, mainly for 316LN (0.018C), where ΔKth increases with decreasing grain size.
Habitual Domains: Formation and Properties

We shall in this and in subsequent chapters discuss the concepts of habitual domains. In this chapter we focus on a general introduction (Section 5.1), formation (Section 5.2), decomposition (Section 5.3), properties (Section 5.4) and expansion (Section 5.5) of habitual domains. In the next chapter we shall discuss methods for effective expansion and interactions of habitual domains. A summary of habitual domains is provided in Section 6.6. Chapter 10 describes dimensions and methods for assessing habitual domains.
Gamification to Motivate the Unmotivated Smoker: The "Take a Break" Digital Health Intervention.

Abstract Objective: Digital health technologies most often reach only those more motivated to engage, particularly when preventive health is targeted. To test whether gamification could be used to ...