cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
58 An innovative patient driven protocol for the development of a crisis preparedness toolkit: CMU-CARES [Crisis Avoidance for Rural Elderly Stakeholders]

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged society, requiring measures that impacted communities socially and economically. Rurally dispersed older adults [RDOA] have a greater number of health comorbidities, poorer finances and limited access to internet and community resources (e.g. healthcare specialists), leaving them more vulnerable in a crisis. Current guidelines are better suited to urban communities, neglect certain needs of RDOA, and are at times difficult to navigate/access due to their online formats. RDOA specific resources are warranted and development should involve stakeholders. CMU-CARES sought to develop an innovative protocol that would engage RDOA in the development of a crisis preparedness toolkit. CMU-CARES protocol consists of six stages. (1) Awareness by community-based outreach (e.g. mailed-letters, social media, community organizations) and participation from older adults in previous studies with the college of medicine. (2) Engagement occurred once a participant expressed interest. (3) Screening was completed at time of engagement. (4) Interviews/Interactions were modified from the WHOQOL-BREF and completed via Web-Ex online software to observe social distancing requirements. (5) Transcript analysis was completed with NVivo software to identify participant identified themes. (6) Design and development of a toolkit based on interviews. A target sample limited to 20–25 RDOA was used to reach data saturation. Presently 20 interviews have been completed. Preliminary themes include the need for timely and reliable information, training in use of technology and the need for social interaction. Overall, CMU-CARES is a novel person-centered project dedicated to improving well-being and healthcare outcomes in the vulnerable RDOA population during crises. It hopes to foster camaraderie between healthcare providers and the community while inspiring medical student driven research and fostering careers in geriatrics, primary care and public health policy.
Racial Disparities in Cognitive Function: The Roles of Cumulative Stress Exposures Across the Life Course

Introduction: Racial disparities in cognitive function have been well-documented in the literature, but factors driving the disparities remain under explored. This study aims to quantify the extent to which cumulative stress exposures across the life course explain Black–White disparities in executive function and episodic memory. Method: Data were drawn from the 2004–2006 wave of the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) and the MIDUS refresher study (N=5,967, 5,277 White, 690 Black). Cumulative stress exposures were assessed by using 10 domains of stressors (e.g., financial stress, childhood adversity). Cognitive function was assessed using the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone. Marginal structural models were conducted to quantify the proportion of the effect of race/ethnicity status on cognitive function that can be explained by cumulative stress exposures. Result: Blacks reported higher levels of cumulative stress exposures and lower average levels of executive function and episodic memory than Whites. Cumulative stress exposures explained 8.43% of the disparities in executive function and 13.21 % of the disparities in episodic memory. Cumulative stress exposures had stronger effects on racial disparities in cognitive function in the older age group (age≥ 55 years old) than in the younger age group (age < 55 years old). Conclusion: Cumulative stress exposures explain modest proportions of racial disparities in levels of cognitive function. Interventions that focus on reducing stress exposures or improving coping resources among Blacks may help lessen racial disparities in cognitive function at the population level.
Electronic Vaping Product Use among Young Adults Who Receive Care at a Major Medical Institution.

Background: National estimates of electronic vaping product (EVP) use exist, but little is known about young adult EVP users who interact with the healthcare setting. Methods: Cross-sectional surve...
Experimental data of lithium-ion batteries under galvanostatic discharge tests at different rates and temperatures of operation.

Abstract In this paper, we report data from lithium battery cells from: Panasonic NCR-18650B (3350 mAh), LG Chem INR21700-M50 (4850 mAh) and A123 Systems ANR26650m1-B (2500 mAh). They own the same anode composition, graphite-based, and different cathode chemistry: lithium-nickel-cobalt aluminum-oxide (NCA), lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide (NMC) and lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP), respectively. In this study, six cell samples were tested for each chemistry. The experiments consist in fully discharging the cells from 100% state-of-charge until the cell cutoff discharge voltage. The discharge is performed under controlled temperature conditions, namely 5 °C, 25 °C and 35 °C, and subjecting the battery cells to galvanostatic discharge rates ranging from C/20 to 5C, for NCA and NMC, and from C/20 to 20C, for LFP chemistry. The IncuMax IC-500R thermal chamber provides the reference temperature to the cell. The input current profiles are configured via the MITS Pro-software, and transmitted through the TCP/IP connection to the Arbin measurement system and the Arbin LBT21024. Voltage, current and cell surface temperature are measured on each cell and for each experiment to characterize the cells in terms of discharge capacity, discharge efficiency, thermal robustness, specific energy and specific power. A comprehensive analysis of the data is found in [1] .
Pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of a novel anticancer thyrointegrin αvβ3 antagonist: triazole modified tetraiodothyroacetic acid conjugated to polyethylene glycol (P-bi-TAT)

We previously developed a triazole modified tetraiodothyroacetic acid (TAT) conjugated to a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based thyrointegrin αvβ3 antagonist targeted compound, called P-bi-TAT. It exhibited potent anti-angiogenic and anticancer activities in vivo. The objective of the current study is to develop a quantitative bioanalytical method for P-bi-TAT using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and to elucidate pharmacokinetics (PK) and biodistribution of P-bi-TAT in animals. We used in-source collision-induced dissociation (CID) for ionization of P-bi-TAT in the positive mode, followed by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) for quantification. P-bi-TAT was quantified using P-mono-TAT as an internal standard because of its similarity in structure and physicochemical properties to P-bi-TAT. The LOQ for P-bi-TAT was 30 ng/μL and the recovery efficiency was 76% with the developed method. Cmax and AUC results at different doses (1, 3, 10 mg/kg) in rats suggest that P-bi-TAT is dose-dependent within the range administered. Results for Cmax and AUC in monkeys at a low dose (25 mg/kg) were comparable to those in rats. Biodistribution of subcutaneously administered P-bi-TAT in the brain of rats ranged from 7.90 to 88.7 ng/g brain weight, and levels of P-bi-TAT in the brain were dose-dependent. The results suggest that P-bi-TAT is a potential candidate as a molecular-targeted anticancer therapeutic with blood-brain barrier permeability and acceptable PK parameters. Its accumulation in organs, toxicokinetic, and pharmacodynamics needs to be further investigated.
p53 — a Jack of all trades but master of none

Cancers are rare because their evolution is actively restrained by a range of tumour suppressors. Of these p53 seems unusually crucial as either it or its attendant upstream or downstream pathways are inactivated in virtually all cancers. p53 is an evolutionarily ancient coordinator of metazoan stress responses. Its role in tumour suppression is likely to be a relatively recent adaptation, which is only necessary when large, long-lived organisms acquired the sufficient size and somatic regenerative capacity to necessitate specific mechanisms to reign in rogue proliferating cells. However, such evolutionary reappropriation of this venerable transcription factor entails compromises that restrict its efficacy as a tumour suppressor.
A noninverting buck-boost converter with reduced components using a microcontroller

This paper presents a simple method for the microcontroller implementation of a noninverting buck-boost converter. The converter requires two switches, but only one set of controls. As compared to a cascaded buck converter/boost converter topology, the noninverting buck-boost converter requires one less capacitor and inductor. The system operates as a buck converter for duty cycles between 0-50% in the microcontroller, and as a boost converter (up to a gain of twice the input voltage) for duty cycles between 50-100%. The system is therefore also advantageous because the microcontroller algorithm prevents a dead short from occurring during operation in the boost converter mode. Experimental and PSpice results prove that both buck and boost operation are possible using this topology. The effect of the load resistance on the results is discussed.
US corporate technology transfer in hydrometeorology

Corporate technology transfer by US non-governmental organizations with the substantial involvement of university faculty is a new activity in hydrometeorology. The issues involved in such US corporate technology transfers are discussed by way of two examples selected from the activities of the Hydrologic Research Center, a non-profit-making public-benefit research and technology transfer corporation in San Diego, California, USA. The projects discussed are: (a) the development and implementation of a robust state estimator for national use within the US National Weather Service River Forecast System, and (b) the development and implementation of a prototype multi-sensor rainfall forecasting system for the Panama Canal Authority. The issues covered include technical ones associated with improving theoretical formulations for robust operational performance, those associated with the necessary reciprocal education between modellers and field personnel, and the accommodation of the educational objectives of participating postdoctoral associates.
Stability and Control Results for Advanced Turboprop Aft-Mount Installations

An experimental investigation was recently conducted in the NASA-Langley Research Center 4- by 7-Meter Tunnel to explore the effects of aft-mounted advanced turboprop installations on the low-speed stability and control characteristics of a representative transport aircraft configuration. For the conditions investigated, the experimental results indicate that the longitudinal and directional stability of the configuration was not adversely affected by aft-pylon-mounted single-rotation tractor or counter-rotation pusher propeller installations. The results indicate that for the single-rotation tractor configuration the propeller induced aerodynamics are dominated by the interaction of the propeller slipsteam with the pylon, and that the propeller contribution to the stability characteristics for the counter-rotating pusher configuration is dominated by propeller normal forces. The longitudinal and directional control effectiveness, engine-out characteristics, and ground effects are also presented.
Temperature control strategies for RTP systems

A simulation of rapid thermal processing (RTP) is made to investigate the accuracy of various control schemes. The simulated RTP process is chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of polycrystalline silicon over an oxide. The simulated control schemes are open loop control, pyrometer control, pyrometer control with corrected emissivity, and open loop control with the programmed lamp heating. Wafer temperature variation and final film thickness are predicted by the simulation. Based on these results, programmed open loop control is probably the best control scheme. An experiment confirms the results and shows reduced wafer temperature variation. >
Depression, cognitive impairment and dementia: why should clinicians care about the web of causation?

Depression, cognitive impairment and dementia are all common in older adults. The relationship between them is bi-directional and complex. The literature on the subject is growing and fascinating but also riddled with apparent inconsistencies. This brief review attempts to clarify and integrate information from clinical, laboratory, and community studies and to draw some inferences of potential relevance to clinicians.
Effects of e-beam mail sanitizing process on commercial electronics

Summary form only given. Following the tragic terrorist attacks of September 11/sup th/, 2001, and the subsequent anthrax bio-terrorism attacks, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has instituted a process to sanitize mail passing through key mail handling centers. The process is based on the use of high doses of ionizing radiation to kill any anthrax spores that may be present. Electronics are among a wide group of items that are routinely sent through the mail and are known to be sensitive to ionizing radiation. The authors summarize the procedure now used by the USPS in the context of the sensitivity of commercial electronics to ionizing radiation. Proposed alternate processes to authenticate mail originators to mitigate the need for irradiation are also discussed.
Genome-wide identification of CCA1 targets uncovers an expanded clock network in Arabidopsis

The circadian clock in Arabidopsis exerts a critical role in timing multiple biological processes and stress responses through the regulation of up to 80% of the transcriptome. As a key component of the clock, the Myb-like transcription factor CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 (CCA1) is able to initiate and set the phase of clock-controlled rhythms and has been shown to regulate gene expression by binding directly to the evening element (EE) motif found in target gene promoters. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying clock regulation of the rhythmic transcriptome, specifically how clock components connect to clock output pathways, is poorly understood. In this study, using ChIP followed by deep sequencing of CCA1 in constant light (LL) and diel (LD) conditions, more than 1,000 genomic regions occupied by CCA1 were identified. CCA1 targets are enriched for a myriad of biological processes and stress responses, providing direct links to clock-controlled pathways and suggesting that CCA1 plays an important role in regulating a large subset of the rhythmic transcriptome. Although many of these target genes are evening expressed and contain the EE motif, a significant subset is morning phased and enriched for previously unrecognized motifs associated with CCA1 function. Furthermore, this work revealed several CCA1 targets that do not cycle in either LL or LD conditions. Together, our results emphasize an expanded role for the clock in regulating a diverse category of genes and key pathways in Arabidopsis and provide a comprehensive resource for future functional studies.
High operating temperature mid-wavelength infrared HgCdTe photon trapping focal plane arrays

This paper investigates arrays of HgCdTe photon trapping detectors. Performance of volume reduced single mesas is compared to volume reduced photon trap detectors. Good agreement with model trends is observed. Photon trap detectors exhibit improved performance compared to single mesas, with measured noise equivalent temperature difference (NEDT) of 40 mK and 100 mK at temperatures of 180 K and 200 K, with good operability. Performance as a function of temperature has also been investigated.
Bayesian Semiparametric Proportional Odds Models

Methodology for implementing the proportional odds regression model for survival data assuming a mixture of finite Polya trees (MPT) prior on baseline survival is presented. Extensions to frailties and generalized odds rates are discussed. Although all manner of censoring and truncation can be accommodated, we discuss model implementation, regression diagnostics, and model comparison for right-censored data. An advantage of the MPT model is the relative ease with which predictive densities, survival, and hazard curves are generated. Much discussion is devoted to practical implementation of the proposed models, and a novel MCMC algorithm based on an approximating parametric normal model is developed. A modest simulation study comparing the small sample behavior of the MPT model to a rank-based estimator and a real data example is presented.
Chromatographic characterization and opsonic activity of bovine erythrophilic and leukophilic γ-globulins☆

Abstract Bovine γ-globulin was separated into four fractions by chromatography on cellulose phosphate. The chromatographic distribution was similar to that reported for human and dog γ-globulin. More than 80% of a nonspecific phagocytosis stimulating factor (leucokinin) present in the serum was isolated in γ-globulin fraction IV. Bocine red blood cells and polymorphonuclear leukocytes bind γ-globulin without appreciable selectivity for any of the four chromatographic fractions, but they do selectively bind the phagocytosis stimulating factor. Splenectomy caused no observable change in either the chromatographic distribution or phagocytosis stimulating activity of bovine serum γ-globulin. The tetrapeptide tuftsin stimulates phagocytosis by bovine neutrophiles, but on a molar basis the activity of tuftsin was only 10% that of the phagocytosis stimulating factor. If the factor exerts its effect, as has been proposed, by having a phagocytosis stimulating peptide cleaved from it by an enzyme on the leukocyte membrane, that peptide must differ in structure from tuftsin. This conclusion is supported by the inability of trypsin to liberate an active peptide from bovine serum.
Impact of variable air-sea O 2 and CO 2 fluxes on atmospheric potential oxygen (APO) and land-ocean carbon sink partitioning

Abstract. A three dimensional, time-evolving field of atmospheric potential oxygen (APO ~O2/N2+CO2) was estimated using surface O2, N2 and CO2 fluxes from the WHOI ocean ecosystem model to force the MATCH atmospheric transport model. Land and fossil carbon fluxes were also run in MATCH and translated into O2 tracers using assumed O2:CO2 stoichiometries. The modeled seasonal cycles in APO agree well with the observed cycles at 13 global monitoring stations, with agreement helped by including oceanic CO2 in the APO calculation. The modeled latitudinal gradient in APO is strongly influenced by seasonal rectifier effects in atmospheric transport. An analysis of the APO-vs.-CO2 mass-balance method for partitioning land and ocean carbon sinks was performed in the controlled context of the MATCH simulation, in which the true surface carbon and oxygen fluxes were known exactly. This analysis suggests uncertainty of up to ±0.2 PgC in the inferred sinks due to variability associated with sparse atmospheric sampling. It also shows that interannual variability in oceanic O2 fluxes can cause large errors in the sink partitioning when the method is applied over short timescales. However, when decadal or longer averages are used, the variability in the oceanic O2 flux is relatively small, allowing carbon sinks to be partitioned to within a standard deviation of 0.1 Pg C/yr of the true values, provided one has an accurate estimate of long-term mean O2 outgassing.
The distribution of T and B lymphocyte populations and MHC class II expression in human fetal and postnatal intestine.

ABSTRACT: The development of the intestinal mucosal immune barrier is an important protective adaptation for postnatal life. The distribution and phenotype of T and B lymphocytes in human fetal intestine and lymphoid tissues have been characterized and compared to the distribution and phenotype of lymphocytes in postnatal intestine. The characterization of lymphocyte phenotype and MHC class II antigen distribution was done using MAb and an avidinbiotin complex immunohistochemical staining technique. Intraepithelial lymphocytes were occasionally present in fetal intestine and were primarily CD3+, CD8+. T lymphocytes were readily identified in the lamina propria of fetal intestine, but most were clustered in lymphoid aggregates. Cells identified by anti-IgA1 and anti-IgA2 were the most numerous cells of B cell lineage in the lamina propria of postnatal intestine, whereas IgM+ and IgD+ lymphocytes predominated in fetal tissues. However, IgA-bearing cells were identified in lymphoid aggregates of the intestine or spleen of some fetuses. This finding suggests that B lymphocytes can undergo Ig switching in utero. Additionally, fetal intestinal epithelial cells did not express MHC class II antigens, unlike some postnatal intestinal tissues. It is possible that postnatal events such as antigen exposure may be important for the induction of these class II antigens on intestinal epithelial cells.
The Meridional Structure of Baroclinic Waves

Abstract The two-layer model is used to study how horizontal shear in a baroclinic zonal flow affects the structure of growing baroclinic waves. The solution is simplified by assuming that the radius of deformation is small compared to the planetary scale. The method of solution yields results for waves near neutral stability. For these waves, solutions are found for many different wind profiles. These solutions show: 1) that the waves have a natural meridional scale equal to the radius of deformation, the same as the zonal scale; 2) that the wave perturbation in the lower atmosphere is primarily confined to regions where the vertical shear of the unperturbed zonal flow is greatest; and 3) the horizontal eddy stresses always transport momentum against the horizontal gradient of the zonal flow. Thus, the baroclinic waves tend to increase the intensity of any jets present in the unperturbed zonal flow, no matter what their number or position, and they are accompanied by horizontal shearing and stretching de...
Thin Film Metal-Insulator-Metal Junction for Millimeter Wave Detection

Abstract In this work, thin film Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) tunnel junction based detector using Ni-NiO-Cr has been developed for Millimeter wave (MMW) detection operating at 94 GHz. Arrays of MIM junctions with 1 μm 2 contact area and an ultra-thin insulator layer of ~3 nm has been fabricated using e-beam lithography and reactive sputtering techniques. The device characteristics and performance were evaluated by measuring the electrical response of the tunnel junctions. The electrical characteristics of the tunnel junction demonstrated a significant degree of nonlinearity and asymmetry with a sensitivity of 7 V -1 and a MMW response in the μA range tuned by external bias.
Effects of warming up on reliability of anthropometric techniques in ankylosing spondylitis

To determine the effect of warm-up on anthropometric measures, 10 patients with ankylosing spondylitis and 10 normal control subjects were measured over a 1-hour period by one therapist. A series of 4 measures--a modified Schober's test, finger-to-floor with the subject standing on a 23-cm stool, chest expansion, and cervical rotation using an arthrodial protractor--were repeated completely 4 times. Subjects exercised between each series (except between the third and fourth series). Intra-rater reliability was determined by comparing measurement 3 with measurement 4, and the warm-up effect was determined by comparing measurement 1 with measurement 3. The Schober's test and chest expansion are stable measures and are not affected by warm-up. However, the finger-to-floor and cervical rotation exercises require warm-up to ensure stable values for clinical or research followup of spondylitis.
Individual variation in the isolation calls of Mexican free-tailed bat pups (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana)

Abstract Near-term pregnant females and female-pup nursing pairs of Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana) were captured from large maternity colonies in central Texas. A total of 337 isolation calls from 20 pups were recorded and nine call parameters were measured from each call either sonagraphically or with a spectrum analyser. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the call parameters show that the calls of different pups are structurally distinct. Discriminant function analysis using a random subset of calls correctly categorized 60·4% to the pup emitting them. These results suggest that the pups have individual vocal signatures. Calls also possess qualities which suggest that they are attractive in nature and easy to locate. Regression analyses show that several call parameters increase in frequency as pups age.
Functional evaluation of the elderly in guardianship proceedings.

Guardianship has traditionally been presented by courts and in the literature as a benevolent mechanism through which those who cannot protect themselves will be assisted through surrogate management of their assets, their persons, or both. While notice has been taken of the significant deprivation of property and liberty inherent in a total guardianship, authorities recognize the sad necessity of imposing plenary external control over some of us when sufficient need is shown. The power to do so is grounded in the state's police power and the traditional role of the state as parens patriae.
Determination of aldehydes, ketones, esters, and ethers in air using Porapak N and charcoal

A method was developed to determine aldehydes, ketones, esters, and ethers in air which is simple, efficient, and sensitive. Analytes are trapped on a glass cartridge filled with 4 in of Porapak N followed by 1 in of charcoal. These are eluted with 1 ml of methanol, and the eluate is injected onto a gas chromatograph equipped with a photoionization detector (PID). Quantitation is performed by measuring the peak height or area of each analyte of interest and comparing it with a standard in methanol. These cartridges can be reused a number of times after reconditioning. This method is efficient since it lends itself to the use of an autosampler, which can inject large numbers of samples onto the gas chromatograph while it is unattended. The method detection limit was from 0.6 to 16.5 μg/m3, which is comparable to other methods, and recoveries ranged from 83 to 120%. The sensitivity from highest to lowest, with respect to class of compound, was determined to be aldehydes, ketones, esters, and ethers. Up to 150 L of air can be passed onto the cartridge without any expected breakthrough of analytes, as opposed to only 10 to 30 L with 1 in of charcoal alone, which is normally the adsorbent of choice.
Effects of the CRF1 antagonist antalarmin on cocaine self-administration and discrimination in rhesus monkeys

Abstract Cocaine stimulates the rapid release of ACTH, and by inference, CRF in several species, suggesting that the HPA “stress” axis may contribute to the abuse-related effects of cocaine. The effects of a systemically-active CRF 1 receptor antagonist, antalarmin, on cocaine self-administration and cocaine discrimination were examined in rhesus monkeys. Antalarmin's acute (1–10 mg/kg, IV) and chronic (3.2 mg/kg IV) effects on IV cocaine self-administration were studied. The acute effects of 3.2 mg/kg IV antalarmin on the cocaine self-administration dose–effect curve (0.001–0.10 mg/kg/inj) were also examined. The acute effects of antalarmin (5 and 10 mg/kg, IM) on the cocaine discrimination dose–effect curve (0.013–1.3 mg/kg) were examined. Antalarmin did not significantly decrease the reinforcing or the discriminative stimulus effects of cocaine. Acute antalarmin administration produced a dose-dependent but non-significant decrease in self-administration of 0.01 mg/kg/inj cocaine but did not alter the cocaine dose–effect curve. Chronic daily antalarmin treatment did not significantly decrease cocaine-maintained responding. Antalarmin did not significantly alter either the cocaine discrimination dose–effect curve or the time course of the cocaine-training dose. Antalarmin (10 mg/kg) produced sedation, suggesting that it was centrally active, however, it did not attenuate cocaine's abuse-related effects in rhesus monkeys.
Brauer groups are not characterized by Ulm invariants

Two important invariants of a fieldF are its Brauer groupB(F) and its character groupX(F). IfF is countable, these are countable abelian torsion groups, and so are determined by their Ulm invariants. We show here that Ulm’s invariants do not determine Brauer groups or character groups of uncountable fields. An essential tool, which is entirely group theoretic in nature, is a fact about ultraproducts of torsion groups.
Hip Hop Perceptions and Exposure as Predictors of School Outcomes for Black and Latino Adolescents

This study examines the relationship between rap music exposure and perceptions of 351 Black and Latino adolescents and their academic and behavioral outcomes. Findings suggest that adolescents in this study were able to identify both positive and negative aspects of rap music genre. Adolescents who perceived rap music as having socially relevant and empowering qualities had better school outcomes. Exposure to rap videos had a more negative relationship with school outcomes than exposure to rap music lyrics. Implications for research and practice within urban schools and other community settings are discussed.
Comparison of Master's and Doctoral Level Psychologists in Recognizing Signs of Potential Suicide

30 doctoral-level and 43 master's-level psychologists completed a multiple-choice examination of factors from the lethality scale. The psychologists were all staff members of community mental health centers who received the examination (and returned it) by mail. The results showed no differences between the psychologists. Master's degree psychologists recognized as many signs as doctoral-level psychologists, and years of experience was shown to be nonsignificant.
Lights, camera, actin! The cytoskeleton takes center stage in mechanotransduction. Focus on "Mapping the dynamics of shear stress-induced structural changes in endothelial cells.".

atherosclerosis is characterized by chronic functional changes to the endothelial cells lining the arterial wall, including injury. Whereas significant work has been done to understand the role of atherosclerosis in cardiovascular disease, the process for initiation and development of
Measuring supply chain agility in the virtual organization

The need for increased flexibility in responding to market demand is driving a heightened interest in virtual, or agile organizations. However, agile response in the supply chain may not always be necessary and may not always be a better alternative than more traditional organizational structures. The model proposed in this paper provides a means of measuring both the need for agility and how agile an organization actually is. This is accomplished through the use of a hierarchical model that details with increasing specificity sources and levels of variance in the supply chain. As the ability to control specified variances increase, the need for agility decreases.
The effects of cAMP modulation upon the adhesion and respiratory burst activity of immune complex-stimulated equine neutrophils.

Toxic products such as reactive oxygen intermediates released by activated polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) have an important role in the pathophysiology of diseases associated with the deposition of immune complexes (IC) in tissues. IC-induced activation of PMN requires adhesion mediated by integrin adhesion receptors. Of the integrins expressed on PMN, the β2 family has been found to be of particular importance for activation of PMN by IC. β2 Integrin ligand binding must be activated to enable adhesion to IC. Both activating and inhibitory signals regulate β2 integrin ligand avidity and adhesion. The second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) has been demonstrated to inhibit the activation of PMN in response to a variety of stimuli. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that cAMP-dependent signals inhibit β2 integrin-dependent adhesion of equine PMN to immobilized IC and subsequent adhesion-dependent activation of respiratory burst activity. Treatment of equine PMN with β2 adrenergic agonists isoproterenol or clenbuterol, which trigger an increase in intracellular cAMP concentration, inhibited adhesion of equine PMN to IC in a dose dependent manner. Similarly, inhibition of cAMP hydrolysis by the non-specific phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor pentoxifylline and the PDE 4-specific inhibitor rolipram inhibited adhesion of equine PMN to IC. Elevation of intracellular cAMP levels with pentoxifylline, clenbuterol and rolipram also inhibited IC-induced activation of respiratory burst activity in equine PMN. Importantly, co-treatment of equine PMN with rolipram and either β2 adrenergic agonist synergistically inhibited both the adhesion of equine PMN to IC as well as the subsequent respiratory burst activity.
AN ALGEBRAIC GRID GENERATION TECHNIQUE FOR THREE‐DIMENSIONAL NATURAL RIVER REACHES

An algebraic grid generation scheme is presented to generate a three-dimensional non-orthogonal boundary-fitted grid for natural river reaches. The smooth distribution of the grid points along any co-ordinate direction, is performed using arc length as the controlling parameter along a cubic spline. The grid concentration in areas of large gradients is done using a simple segmentation process. If required, boundary orthogonality may be achieved through a projection from the boundary to the interior of the physical domain. The final grid is obtained using an iterative procedure in each of the co-ordinate directions. The method is computationally efficient and has been kept very simple. Application of the method is demonstrated by generating a non-orthogonal three-dimensional grid for a 3 mile reach of the Columbia River, downstream of Wanapum Dam. The reach contains a variety of complex topographic features (including two islands) and provides an excellent test case.
Prognostic significance of lymph node metastases in patients with high-grade appendiceal cancer.

Background In treating high-grade appendiceal cancer, appropriate patient selection for cytoreductive surgery and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) is essential. The effect of lymph node (LN) status on survival is not clear. We hypothesize that LN metastases negatively affect long-term survival.
SATTVA: SpArsiTy inspired classificaTion of malware VAriants

There is an alarming increase in the amount of malware that is generated today. However, several studies have shown that most of these new malware are just variants of existing ones. Fast detection of these variants plays an effective role in thwarting new attacks. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to detect malware variants using a sparse representation framework. Exploiting the fact that most malware variants have small differences in their structure, we model a new/unknown malware sample as a sparse linear combination of other malware in the training set.The class with the least residual error is assigned to the unknown malware. Experiments on two standard malware datasets, Malheur dataset and Malimg dataset, show that our method outperforms current state of the art approaches and achieves a classification accuracy of 98.55\% and 92.83\% respectively. Further, by using a confidence measure to reject outliers, we obtain 100\% accuracy on both datasets, at the expense of throwing away a small percentage of outliers. Finally, we evaluate our technique on two large scale malware datasets: Offensive Computing dataset (2,124 classes, 42,480 malware) and Anubis dataset (209 classes, 36,784 samples). On both datasets our method obtained an average classification accuracy of 77\%, thus making it applicable to real world malware classification.
Nonlinear properties of the Kapchinskij-Vladimirskij equilibrium and envelope equation for an intense charged-particle beam in a periodic focusing field.

The nonlinear properties of the Kapchinskij-Vladimirskij (KV) equilibrium and envelope equation are examined for an intense charged-particle beam propagating through an applied periodic solenoidal focusing magnetic field, including the effects of the self-electric and self-magnetic fields associated with the beam space charge and current. It is found that the beam emittance is proportional to the maximum canonical angular momentum achieved by the particles within the KV distribution. The Poincare mapping technique is used to determine systematically the axial dependence of the radius of the matched (equilibrium) beam and to study nonlinear behavior in the nonequilibrium beam envelope oscillations. It is shown that the nonequilibrium beam envelope oscillations exhibit nonlinear resonances and chaotic behavior for periodic focusing magnetic fields and sufficiently high beam densities. Certain correlations are found between the nonlinear resonances and well-known instabilities for the KV equilibrium. It is also shown, in agreement with previous studies, that there exists a uniquely matched beam in the parameter regime of practical interest, i.e., [sigma][sub 0][lt]90[degree], where [sigma][sub 0] is the vacuum phase advance over one axial period of the focusing field. The nonlinear resonances and chaotic behavior in the nonequilibrium beam envelope oscillations may play an important role in mismatched ormore » multiple beam transport, including emittance growth and beam halo formation and evolution.« less
A homology modeling study toward the understanding of three-dimensional structure and putative pharmacological profile of the G-protein coupled receptor GPR55

The orphan G-protein coupled receptor GPR55 was shown to bind to certain cannabinoid compounds which led to its initial classification as the third type of cannabinoid receptor. Later studies showed that lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI) also activated GPR55, in particular 2-arachidonoyl-LPI was proposed to be its endogenous ligand. However, the results of pharmacological studies regarding GPR55 have been quite inconsistent. Despite its contradictory pharmacological profile, GPR55 has been implicated in various disease states including inflammatory and neuropathic pain, metabolic bone diseases, and cancer. Herein, we report the ligand binding properties of GPR55 by applying homology modeling and automated docking algorithms in order to understand its pharmacological profile. The 3D homology model of GPR55 was built based on the adenosine A(2A) receptor crystal structure. Docking studies of several types of reported ligands were carried out afterwards. The results indicated that both hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions contributed significantly for its ligand binding and the amino acid residue Lys80 seemed to be the anchor residue for receptor recognition. In addition, its putative agonist and antagonist appeared to recognize different domains of the receptor corresponding to their reported pharmacological activities.
Prevalence and predictors of recurrent neoplasia after ablation of Barrett's esophagus.

Background The incidence and risk factors for recurrence of dysplasia after ablation of Barrett's esophagus (BE) have not been well defined. Objective To determine the rate and predictors of dysplasia/neoplasia recurrence after photodynamic therapy (PDT) in BE. Setting Retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort of BE patients seen at a specialized BE unit. Methods Patients underwent a standard protocol assessment with esophagogastroduodenoscopy and 4-quadrant biopsies every centimeter at 3-month intervals after ablation. Recurrence was defined as the appearance of any grade of dysplasia or neoplasia after 2 consecutive endoscopies without dysplasia. Entry histology, demographics, length of BE, presence and length of diaphragmatic hernia, EMR, stricture formation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, smoking, and the presence of nondysplastic BE or squamous epithelium were assessed for univariate associations. Time-to-recurrence analysis was done by using Cox proportional hazards regression. A multivariate model was constructed to establish independent associations with recurrence. Results A total of 363 patients underwent PDT with or without EMR. Of these, 261 patients were included in the final analysis (44 lost to follow-up, 46 had residual dysplasia, and 12 had no dysplasia at baseline). Indication for ablation was low-grade dysplasia (53 patients, 20%), high-grade dysplasia (152 patients, 58%), and intramucosal cancer (56 patients, 21%). Median follow-up was 36 months (interquartile range 18-79 months). Recurrence occurred in 45 patients. Median time to recurrence was 17 months (interquartile range 8-45 months). Significant predictors of recurrence on the multivariate model were older age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.04, P=.029), presence of residual nondysplastic BE (HR 2.88, P=.012), and a history of smoking (HR 2.68, P=.048). Limitations Possibility of missing prevalent dysplasia despite aggressive surveillance. Conclusion Recurrence of dysplasia/neoplasia after PDT ablation is associated with advanced age, smoking, and residual BE.
Bounds for iterated normal matrices

Given a normal matrix A, asymptotic bounds are obtained for |Am|∞ in terms of the spectral radius of A, the number of eigenvalues of A with modulus equal to the spectral radius of A, and the order of A. These results are extended to provide bounds for |Am|∞ for all m ⩾ 1.
Pharmacokinetics of zidovudine administered intravenously and orally in children with human immunodeficiency virus infection

Zidovudine pharmacokinetics were determined in 16 children with human immunodeficiency virus infection who were being treated intravenously and orally on an intermittent schedule (every 6 hours). The intravenous doses studied were 80 (n = 3), 120 (n = 4), and 160 (n = 5) mg/m2/dose, infused over 1 hour. Fourteen patients were monitored after an oral dose of zidovudine at 120 (n = 2), 180 (n = 7), or 240 (n = 5) mg/m2/dose. Zidovudine was assayed with a reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography method. Zidovudine disappearance after intravenous administration was rapid and biexponential, with half-lives of 14 and 90 minutes and a total clearance of 641 +/- 161 ml/min/m2. The volume of distribution at steady state was 45 +/- 28 L/m2. These pharmacokinetics parameters are very similar to those reported in adults. When administered orally, zidovudine was rapidly absorbed. The fraction of the oral dose that was bioavailable was 0.68 +/- 0.25, so that a 50% increment in the dose, in the conversion from intravenous to oral administration, resulted in plasma zidovudine concentrations after oral dosing that were nearly identical to those achieved with the 1-hour intravenous infusion. However, a dose of 180 mg/m2 given orally every 6 hours maintained plasma zidovudine concentrations in the target range of 1 mumol/L for less than half of the dosing interval. Other schedules, routes of administration, or oral drug formulations may have to be considered if sustained continuous exposure to micromolar zidovudine concentrations is desired.
COMPARISON OF MIKROCLAVETM STERILIZATION SYSTEM AND CONVENTIONAL AUTOCLAVING FOR THE STERILIZATION OF MICROBIOLOGICAL MEDIA

The viable cell count performance of nutrient agar prepared by the MikroClaveTM sterilization system MSS-500 was evaluated using Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium, and Yersinia enterocolitica with conventionally autoclaved media as a comparison. No significant difference was found between agar prepared by the two methods. The MikroClaveTM was able to sterilize common bacteriological media such as Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar, nutrient agar, Yeast and Mold (YM) agar, lactose broth, nutrient broth, and Yeast and Mold (YM) broth.
A spectrofluorimetric investigation of calf thymus DNA modified by BP diolepoxide and 1-pyrenyloxirane

Abstract 7β,8α-Dihydroxy-9α,10α-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BP diolepoxide, 1 ) and 1-pyrenyloxirane ( 2 ) bind chemically to calf thymus DNA. The fluorescence efficiency of pyrenyl groups in mutagen modified DNA varies appreciably with its conformation and decreases in the order: pyrenees, modified denatured DNA and modified native DNA. A particularly interesting observation is that the fluorescence efficiency of mutagen modified DNA intensifies substantially upon denaturation. Our results suggest that the pyrenyl groups in mutagen modified DNA are intercalated between the base pairs of DNA. Since both 1 and 2 are powerful frame-shifting mutagens for S. typhimurium TA-98, the intercalative covalent binding of these compounds to DNA may provide a molecular basis for their mutagenic activity.
Effects of early postnatal hemidecortication on spatial discrimination in cats.

Abstract Under certain circumstances, major unilateral cortical removal may result in little permanent deficit in motor abilities. To study the effects of early damage on ability to make spatially oriented responses, hemidecortication was done on 9-day old kittens. The two that survived surgery developed normally, and showed no motor deficiency other than permanent loss of the placing reflex in the contralateral limbs. Testing in special learning situations began at 9 weeks. Performance of the hemidecorticate cats was compared with that of normal littermates and surgical controls. The operated animals performed as well as the control in a T-maze. In two reaction-time tests, one measuring visual function and one measuring paw dominance, both of the operated and three of four control animals made faster responses on one side than on the other. The operated cats responded faster on the side ipsilateral to their lesion. It is concluded that cats deprived of one cerebral cortex soon after birth are not essentially different from controls in spatially oriented behavior or in motor ability.
On the application of Phasor Measurement Units to power system stability monitoring and analysis

This paper proposes a method for power system stability monitoring and analysis through Phasor Measurement Units' (PMUs) measurements (i.e., bus voltage magnitudes and angles). Real-time stability monitoring can be achieved by observing the behavior of the measurement data's frequency spectra. In addition, a modified Thevenin equivalent-based model is proposed to analyze the system small-signal stability and transient stability. The model's parameters are estimated based on the phasor measurements. We verify our proposed method through simulations on a RTDS/PMU/PDC testbed and perform analyses on real PMU data.
Hemoglobin levels in a Himalayan high altitude population

This report presents data on hemoglobin concentrations in a sample of Himalayan high altitude natives measured at their habitual altitude of residence. In this sample of 270 healthy Tibetan adults resident at 3250-3560 m in Upper Chumik , Nepal, the mean hemoglobin concentration is 16.1 +/- 1.2 gm/dl among adult males, 14.4 +/- 1.4 gm/dl among premenopausal and 15.0 +/- 1.1 gm/dl among postmenopausal adult females. 123 of 126 (98%) males, 96 of 100 (96%) premenopausal and 36 of 44 (82%) postmenopausal females have hemoglobin concentrations within two standard deviations of the sea level mean. These data demonstrate that a healthy population may reside at high altitude without the degree of elevation in hemoglobin widely known and cited for Andean highlanders. Comparing published data on mean hemoglobin concentrations of adult Himalayan and Andean samples residing between 3200 m and 4100 m reveals that Himalayan means are systematically lower. This in turn may account for the reported population differences in the prevalence of chronic mountain sickness ( Monge 's disease). It is hypothesized that Himalayan and Andean highlanders represent alternative patterns of high altitude hematological adaptation.
Methylene Blue to Visualize Washed-out Coronary Arteries

Abstract A method of locating and evaluating coronary arteries when the vessels no longer contain blood has been devised. Methylene blue is added to the cardioplegic infusate, and coronary infusion is maintained or reinstituted while each artery is being identified and opened.