cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictors of hospital readmission in United States adults with psoriasis.

Background Previous studies showed a large inpatient burden of psoriasis in the United States. Less is known about the hospital readmission for psoriasis. Objectives To determine the patterns and predictors of hospital readmission rates for psoriasis. Methods We analyzed data from the 2012-2014 Nationwide Readmissions Database, a representative sample of hospital readmissions in the United States. Results Among 2606 admissions for psoriasis, 216 had ≥1 readmissions for psoriasis (prevalence [95% confidence interval]: 8.3% [6.6%-10.0%]) and 918 for all-causes (35.2% [32.2%-38.3%]). The mean annual cost of first readmission for any reason was $3,500,141, with $8,357,961 for subsequent readmissions. In multivariable regression models, readmission for psoriasis was associated with ≥6 day-long index hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.82 [1.06-3.12]), teaching hospital (1.93 [1.13-3.31]), comorbid skin infection (2.13 [1.11-4.08]), and hospitalization in the autumn (4.51 [2.54-8.00]), but inversely associated with other infections (0.49 [0.26-0.92]). Readmissions for psoriasis increased from 2012 to 2014 (1.93 [1.26-2.93]). Limitations No data on psoriasis characteristics. Conclusion Inpatients with psoriasis had high rates of readmission overall but low rates of readmission for psoriasis per se. A subset of psoriasis patients was hospitalized repeatedly and responsible for most inpatients costs. Future interventions are needed to lower readmission rates among psoriasis patients.
Fixed-Time Extremum Seeking

We introduce a new class of extremum seeking controllers able to achieve fixed time convergence to the solution of optimization problems defined by static and dynamical systems. Unlike existing approaches in the literature, the convergence time of the proposed algorithms does not depend on the initial conditions and it can be prescribed a priori by tuning the parameters of the controller. Specifically, our first contribution is a novel gradient-based extremum seeking algorithm for cost functions that satisfy the Polyak-Lojasiewicz (PL) inequality with some coefficient \kappa > 0, and for which the extremum seeking controller guarantees a fixed upper bound on the convergence time that is independent of the initial conditions but dependent on the coefficient \kappa. Second, in order to remove the dependence on \kappa, we introduce a novel Newton-based extremum seeking algorithm that guarantees a fully assignable fixed upper bound on the convergence time, thus paralleling existing asymptotic results in Newton-based extremum seeking where the rate of convergence is fully assignable. Finally, we study the problem of optimizing dynamical systems, where the cost function corresponds to the steady-state input-to-output map of a stable but unknown dynamical system. In this case, after a time scale transformation is performed, the proposed extremum seeking controllers achieve the same fixed upper bound on the convergence time as in the static case. Our results exploit recent gradient flow structures proposed by Garg and Panagou in [3], and are established by using averaging theory and singular perturbation theory for dynamical systems that are not necessarily Lipschitz continuous. We confirm the validity of our results via numerical simulations that illustrate the key advantages of the extremum seeking controllers presented in this paper.
Variable-order space-fractional diffusion equations and a variable-order modification of constant-order fractional problems

Fractional diffusion equations (FDEs) were shown to provide very competitive descriptions of challenging phenomena of anomalously diffusive transport or long-range interactions. However, FDEs intro...
Originalism and Birthright Citizenship

The first sentence of the Fourteenth Amendment provides: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” This language raises two substantial questions of scope. First, what does it mean to be born “in” the United States? Does that include birth in U.S. overseas possessions, territories, bases, or places under temporary U.S. occupation? Second, what does it mean to be born “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States? Does that include persons born in the United States to parents who are only temporary visitors or parents not lawfully present in the United States? The original meaning of the citizenship clause’s text indicates a broad scope for constitutional birthright citizenship as to both places and persons. At the time of enactment, places subject to the permanent U.S. sovereign authority were considered “in” the United States without regard to whether they were territorially contiguous or culturally integrated into the U.S. political system. In mid-nineteenth-century terminology persons born within U.S. territory were “subject to [its] jurisdiction” unless excluded legally by international rules of immunity or practically by military or political realities. But these originalist solutions in turn raise a challenge for originalism as a theory of modern constitutional interpretation. There is little evidence that the Amendment’s enactors considered or could have foreseen the modern implications of either question. The United States had no material overseas possessions when the Amendment was drafted and ratified. Restrictive federal immigration laws did not materially take hold in the United States until the late nineteenth century. Application of the citizenship clause thus requires originalism to confront the role (or lack thereof) of intent in modern originalist theory. Modern originalists generally claim to be bound by the original meaning of the text rather than the original intent of the enactors. But in the case of the citizenship clause, the text’s resolution of key questions of its scope appears to be largely accidental. The citizenship clause presses originalism to explain why original meaning should be binding in modern law when it does not reflect the enactors’ policy choices. As the Article will discuss, explanations are available, but they may take originalism away from some of its apparent common ground.
A Look Back at DSHEA — Over 25 Years Later: The Dangers of a Reactionary Approach to Dietary Supplement Regulation

The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (“DSHEA”) was enacted in 1990’s and the use of dietary supplements has escalated significantly over the past two and a half decades. The market ballooned from having only a few thousand dietary supplements available in 1990’s to over 75,000 currently available, with rising projections and billions in revenue. The authors’ research revealed that the total number of dietary supplements is likely much higher than 75,000, however estimates vary widely. The question posed is whether there is a false sense of consumer confidence regarding the safety of dietary supplements that consumers ingest? Consumers should expect a dietary supplement placed in a marketplace to be safe; however, often this is not the case. Even after the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) determines that a particular supplement is unsafe, it is nevertheless an arduous task to remove a product from the marketplace. For over two decades, Congress has failed to enact legislation that would adequately protect consumers from unsafe dietary supplements. Today, with millions of Americans using dietary supplements, the controversy over how dietary supplements should be regulated continues while enforcement remains stymied. This article focuses on the limitations of the current dietary supplement regulation system regarding consumer safety, primarily due to Congressional inaction. Part II details the evolution of dietary supplement regulation by examining the history of DSHEA, the role of outside influences and politics in dietary supplement regulation, and the FDA’s current role in regulating the industry. Part III examines the critical issues with our current system, including safety concerns exacerbated by the lack of authority provided to FDA to effectively regulate dietary supplements, and the issue of political influence thwarting proponents of increased regulation. Finally, Part IV focuses on the future of dietary supplement regulation by examining the need for reform, comparing the United States’ current regulation system with the European Union’s Food Supplements Directive, recommending proposed modifications to the United States’ current system, and considering how these changes might be attained.
Pediatric female genital trauma managed under conscious sedation in the emergency department versus general anesthesia in the operating room- a single center comparison of outcomes and cost

Summary Introduction Pediatric female genital trauma (PFGT) comprises injuries to the female external and internal genitalia. Examination under general anesthesia (GA) in the operating room (OR) is traditionally recommended, however repair at the bedside under conscious sedation (CS) in the emergency department (ED) may be a safe alternative. The Genitourinary Injury Score (GIS) objectively classifies PFGT severity, but designates all vaginal and urethral injuries as Grade III. Objective To compare outcomes and cost of patients with PFGT managed under CS in the ED vs GA in the OR. Study design All patients treated by a pediatric urologist from May 2009 to September 2019 with associated ICD codes for PFGT were included. Exclusion criteria included PFGT from sexual abuse or obstetric related complications. Clinical and demographic data was extracted from the EMR. A cost analysis comparing ED vs OR management was performed. Results 33 patients were identified with a median age of 6.8 years. The primary etiology was straddle trauma. Injuries were predominately GIS I-III (30, 91%) with possible urethral involvement in 6 patients. Sedation and repair in the ED was performed for 12 (36%) patients vs 21 (64%) taken to the OR. For the OR cohort, 15 (71%) were taken to the OR immediately and 6 (29%) initially underwent CS but this was aborted due to injury complexity. Aborting CS and proceeding to the OR did not result in compromised outcome or prolonged hospitalization. No patients in the ED cohort required post-procedural admission whereas all patients taken to the OR were admitted postoperatively. Cost of care for ED repair was less than two-thirds (60%) that of surgical repair in the OR. Using Onen GIS III or less without deep vaginal and/or urethral involvement as a cutoff for attempted bedside repair vs proceeding directly to the OR could have spared 7 (47%) patients GA and subsequent admission. A female-specific modification to the Onen GIS III criteria is proposed in light of these findings. Discussion The present study suggests CS and bedside repair of low-grade PFGTs is safe with a cost benefit. This is reflected by a proposed modification to the Onen GIS III criteria. These findings should be interpreted with caution given the retrospective nature of this single institution, small cohort study. Conclusion CS and bedside repair of low-grade PFGT appears to be safe and cost effective. Delineating GIS III injuries according to urethra and/or deep vaginal involvement may improve the GIS scale's clinical utility. Download : Download high-res image (447KB) Download : Download full-size image Summary Figure . Proposed GIS scale (a) and management pathway (b).
College students' hookup motivations as predictors of the positivity and negativity of their most recent hookup experience.

Previous research has found that college students experience both positive and negative outcomes after a hookup. The present study examined the role that hookup motives and sex play in determining ...
Reflections on Orlov

In 1928 Ivan Orlov published a remarkable paper which contains the first formulation of a relevant logic. The paper remained largely unknown to English-speakers until this discovery of relevant log...
Application programming interface guided QA plan generation and analysis automation

PURPOSE Linear accelerator quality assurance (QA) in radiation therapy is a time consuming but fundamental part of ensuring the performance characteristics of radiation delivering machines. The goal of this work is to develop an automated and standardized QA plan generation and analysis system in the Oncology Information System (OIS) to streamline the QA process. METHODS Automating the QA process includes two software components: the AutoQA Builder to generate daily, monthly, quarterly, and miscellaneous periodic linear accelerator QA plans within the Treatment Planning System (TPS) and the AutoQA Analysis to analyze images collected on the Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID) allowing for a rapid analysis of the acquired QA images. To verify the results of the automated QA analysis, results were compared to the current standard for QA assessment for the jaw junction, light-radiation coincidence, picket fence, and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) QA plans across three linacs and over a 6-month period. RESULTS The AutoQA Builder application has been utilized clinically 322 times to create QA patients, construct phantom images, and deploy common periodic QA tests across multiple institutions, linear accelerators, and physicists. Comparing the AutoQA Analysis results with our current institutional QA standard the mean difference of the ratio of intensity values within the field-matched junction and ball-bearing position detection was 0.012 ± 0.053 (P = 0.159) and is 0.011 ± 0.224 mm (P = 0.355), respectively. Analysis of VMAT QA plans resulted in a maximum percentage difference of 0.3%. CONCLUSION The automated creation and analysis of quality assurance plans using multiple APIs can be of immediate benefit to linear accelerator quality assurance efficiency and standardization. QA plan creation can be done without following tedious procedures through API assistance, and analysis can be performed inside of the clinical OIS in an automated fashion.
Diagnostic methods for the study of human atherosclerosis.

Almost all individuals over 30 years of age in Western Europe and the United States are known to have some degree of atherosclerosis. Myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, peripheral vascular insufficiency, and cerebral ischemia are sequelae of atherosclerosis. It is generally correct to assume that any individual manifesting these sequelae has atherosclerosis and this is the rationale underlying most diagnostic procedures. For example, occurrence of myocardial infarction or its prodromata leads to the diagnosis of coronary atherosclerosis. This is the conventional approach to ATHEROSCLEROSIS DIAGNOSIS.
Ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation of solid-solid bonds

The solid-state bonding of metals, e.g. diffusion bonding, friction welding, and inertial welding, is finding increasing use in the fabrication of structural components. A summary is presented of recent progress toward the development of nondestructive techniques to monitor the quality of such bonds. Emphasis is placed on the characterization of a particular microstructural origin of bond weakness, a distributed array of microcracks in the bond plane. Included is a discussion of theories for the interaction of ultrasound with such distributed defects, results of model experiments designed to validate the theories, and applications of techniques based on the resulting understanding to fracture studies of bonded surfaces and to inspection of aircraft engine turbine rotors. >
Constitution of the twin polymerase of DNA polymerase III holoenzyme.

Abstract It is speculated that DNA polymerases which duplicate chromosomes are dimeric to provide concurrent replication of both leading and lagging strands. DNA polymerase III holoenzyme (holoenzyme), is the 10-subunit replicase of the Escherichia coli chromosome. A complex of the alpha (DNA polymerase) and epsilon (3'-5' exonuclease) subunits of the holoenzyme contains only one of each protein. Presumably, one of the eight other subunit(s) functions to dimerize the alpha epsilon polymerase within the holoenzyme. Based on dimeric subassemblies of the holoenzyme, two subunits have been elected as possible agents of polymerase dimerization, one of which is the tau subunit (McHenry, C. S. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 2657-2663). Here, we have used pure alpha, epsilon, and tau subunits in binding studies to determine whether tau can dimerize the polymerase. We find tau binds directly to alpha. Whereas alpha is monomeric, tau is a dimer in its native state and thereby serves as an efficient scaffold to dimerize the polymerase. The epsilon subunit does not associate directly with tau but becomes dimerized in the alpha epsilon tau complex by virtue of its interaction with alpha. We have analyzed the dimeric alpha epsilon tau complex by different physical methods to increase the confidence that this complex truly contains a dimeric polymerase. The tau subunit is comprised of the NH2-terminal two-thirds of tau but does not bind to alpha epsilon, identifying the COOH-terminal region of tau as essential to its polymerase dimerization function. The significance of these results with respect to the organization of subunits within the holoenzyme is discussed.
Circadian regulation of ion channels and their functions

Ion channels are the gatekeepers to neuronal excitability. Retinal neurons of vertebrates and invertebrates, neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of vertebrates, and pinealocytes of non-mammalian vertebrates display daily rhythms in their activities. The interlocking transcription-translation feedback loops with specific post-translational modulations within individual cells form the molecular clock, the basic mechanism that maintains the autonomic approximately 24-h rhythm. The molecular clock regulates downstream output signaling pathways that further modulate activities of various ion channels. Ultimately, it is the circadian regulation of ion channel properties that govern excitability and behavior output of these neurons. In this review, we focus on the recent development of research in circadian neurobiology mainly from 1980 forward. We will emphasize the circadian regulation of various ion channels, including cGMP-gated cation channels, various voltage-gated calcium and potassium channels, Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase, and a long-opening cation channel. The cellular mechanisms underlying the circadian regulation of these ion channels and their functions in various tissues and organisms will also be discussed. Despite the magnitude of chronobiological studies in recent years, the circadian regulation of ion channels still remains largely unexplored. Through more investigation and understanding of the circadian regulation of ion channels, the future development of therapeutic strategies for the treatment of sleep disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and other illnesses linked to circadian misalignment will benefit.
Pattern Learning and Active Feature Selection for Word Sense Disambiguation

We present here the main ideas of the algorithm employed in the SMUls and SMUaw systems. These systems have participated in the Senseval-2 competition attaining the best performance for both English all words and English lexical sample tasks. The algorithm has two main components (1) pattern learning from available sense tagged corpora (SemCor) and dictionary definitions (WordNet), and (2) instance based learning with active feature selection, when training data is available for a particular word.
"Kinship/Interpretation/And Culture" in India; The Anthropology of Space; Marxist Perspectives of Peasantry

Akos Ostor. Lina Fruzzetti. and Steve Barnett. eds. Concepts of Person, Kinship, Caste and Marriage in India (Harvard Studies in Cultural Anthropology, 5). Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1982. xiv. 271 pages. $35.00 (cloth). Rik Pinxten. Ingrid van Dooren. and Frank Harvey. The Anthropology of Space. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1983. xi. 240 pp. $32.50 (cloth). Social Anthropology of Peasantry. Joan P. Mencher. ed. Atlantic Highlands, N.J.: Humanities Press, 1983- xii. 351pp. $22.50 (cloth).
Application user's needs for future architectures

Several trends are apparent in the use of high performance architectures by end-users in science and engineering. One prominent change is a shift towards more complicated geometric models which require irregular meshes and finite element type discretizations. A second related change is the need for more sophisticated data structures; many leading edge methods now rely on trees and networks where formerly they used simple arrays. A third change is an explosive growth in the sheer size of data involved, fueled by shifts to 3D modeling, availability of large databases, and dramatically reduced costs for online storage. A fourth major change is increasing reliance and use of high-level packages and libraries, where previously users developed their own code. The paper addresses these issues and proposes some of the support needed from future architectures and the software systems that provide access to them.
Policy Uncertainty and Optimal Taxation

A kind of folk theorem in tax policy states that too much uncertainty about the impact of taxing (or subsidizing) a particular taxable attribute is cause for excluding that attribute from the tax base. I extend the optimal tax model to test this hypothesis. In my model, the government is not only unable to observe the underlying characteristics of any given taxpayer - as per the usual model - it is also uncertain regarding the population distribution of such characteristics. I study how optimal taxation is affected by a mean-preserving spread of the government’s beliefs with regard to potentially taxable attributes holding constant government beliefs with regard to already taxed attributes. I find that such additional uncertainty is as likely to increase as to decrease both the impetus for including potentially taxable attributes in the tax base and the intensity at which such attributes are optimally taxed if included. I highlight the decisive role of correlation across the components of the additional uncertainty regarding potentially taxable attributes. I connect this uncertainty covariance to the population covariance often found in optimal tax formulae following Diamond (1975).
The New Sovereigntist Challenge for Global Governance: Democracy without Sovereignty

The “new sovereigntists,” a prominent group of scholars and policymakers, articulate a widely held view that global governance is inherently undemocratic because it undermines popular sovereignty. Problems with their argument notwithstanding, we argue that they identify a real and serious tension. We also argue, however, that the vision of democracy as popular sovereignty that they advocate is becoming incoherent and untenable in an era of increasing interdependence. Conceptions of democracy anchored in popular sovereignty depend for their legitimacy on empirical conditions that no longer obtain. What we call the new sovereigntist challenge for global governance is to develop an alternate conception of democracy that avoids the logic and forms of popular sovereignty at the global level while still respecting and promoting democracy and democratization within states. We outline one such alternative here.
A note on the persistence of an s-shaped bifurcation curve

We study the non-negative solutions of the Dirichlet problem where λ≤0, α>2 are constants and Ω is a smooth bounded region in RN, which arises in the Theroy of Combustion. We Study the persistence of an S-Shaped curve for the bifurcation diagram λ=ρ(λ) where , as α is increased. Our methods are based on sub and super solution techniques.
The Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan: A Decade of Delays

This article describes the history of the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP), in the Riverside County region of Southern California. When this collaborative biodiversity conservation planning process began, in 1994, local participants and supporters had numerous factors working in their favor. Yet, as of April 2007, nearly 13 years had passed without an approved plan. This is a common problem. Many multiple species habitat conservation plans now take more than a decade to complete, and the long duration of these processes often results in negative consequences. The CVMSHCP process became bogged down—despite strong scientific input and many political advantages—due to problematic relationships between the Plan’s local supporters, its municipal signatory parties, and officials from the state and federal wildlife agencies, particularly the regional office of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This case study demonstrates the crucial importance of institutional structures and relationships, process management, and timeliness in habitat conservation planning. We conclude by offering several related recommendations for future HCP processes.
Studies on adenyl cyclase in Necturus gastric mucosa.

Abstract Adenyl cyclase activity of Necturus gastric mucosa was determined by measuring the amount of radioactive adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate formed from 3H-labeled adenosine triphosphate. Histamine, pentagastrin, and fluoride added in vitro significantly increased fundic adenyl cyclase activity. The dose response curves show that the affinity of pentagastrin for adenyl cyclase is greater than that of histamine, whereas the peak response to pentagastrin is less than that to histamine. Additive stimulation was not obtained when maximal doses of pentagastrin and histamine were combined. These findings suggest that gastric mucosa contains a single adenyl cyclase unit which is coupled to distinctive selectivity sites for gastrin and histamine. N-Benzyl-3-pyrrolidyl acetate methobromide (AHR-602), the muscarinic compound, caused a significant reduction in adenyl cyclase activity, indicating a different mechanism of stimulation of gastric acid secretion for cholinergic muscarinic compounds.
Ostwald Ripening and Related Phenomena

Ostwald ripening in multicomponent systems is discussed in terms of thermodynamic stability and metastability. While the insoluble species trapped in the bulk of the drops can provide thermodynamic stability, only metastability is possible when the species is trapped at the interface between the phases. Similarly, a Helfrich-type dependence of the surface tension on curvature can produce metastability, but not thermodynamic stability. When the drops are encapsulated with a cross-linked permeable membrane, or with an insoluble surfactant monolayer, the membrane must be able to withstand the stress of the Laplace pressure and not collapse; this condition is in general hard to implement unless the emulsion drops are small, ∼10–100 nm. The effect of micelles on various mass transfer processes in surfactant systems, such as Ostwald ripening, composition ripening, adsorption from micellar solutions, and solubilization kinetics are discussed. Two mechanisms are possible: In the first, micelles fuse directly with...
Survey of Mozzarella Cheese Quality at Restaurant End Use

Abstract A survey of Mozzarella cheese quality that solicited responses from managers of 22 pizza restaurants located in Chittenden County, Vermont indicated variable quality of Mozzarella cheese used for pizza preparation by these establishments. The following problems were experienced either frequently or occasionally by 50% or more of the respondents: poor shredding properties (55%); excessive free oil (67%); soupy melted cheese (67%); blistering (50%). Pizza restaurants used about 70% of all Mozzarella cheese produced in the United States. The majority of respondents in this survey expressed some degree of dissatisfaction with their cheese quality. The problem areas they identified are keys to monitoring Mozzarella quality for use on pizza and warrant further study.
Transforming Growth Factor-β1 (TGFβ1) Stimulates Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CCN2/CTGF) Expression in Human Gingival Fibroblasts through a RhoA-independent, Rac1/Cdc42-dependent Mechanism STATINS WITH FORSKOLIN BLOCK TGFβ1-INDUCED CCN2/CTGF EXPRESSION

Regulation of connective tissue growth factor (CCN2/CTGF) in gingival fibroblasts is unique and may provide therapeutic opportunities to treat oral fibrotic diseases. RhoA was previously implicated in mediating the expression of CCN2/CTGF. We now present evidence that Rho family GTPases Rac1 and Cdc42 are the principal mediators of the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1)-stimulated expression of CCN2/CTGF in primary human gingival fibroblasts. TGFβ1 does not stimulate RhoA activation in gingival fibroblasts, and the overexpression of dominant-negative RhoA does not reduce CCN2/CTGF expression in response to TGFβ1. In contrast, the overexpression of dominant-negative forms of Cdc42 or Rac1 results in a dramatic reduction of CCN2/CTGF protein levels. Lovastatin and a geranylgeranyltransferase inhibitor reduce the TGFβ1-stimulated levels of CCN2/CTGF protein by ∼75 and 100%, respectively. We previously demonstrated that JNK1 phosphorylation by TGFβ1 is also critical for TGFβ1-induced CCN2/CTGF expression, and forskolin partially reduces levels of phosphorylated JNK1. Inhibition of geranylgeranyltransferase has no effect on levels of JNK phosphorylation in response to TGFβ1 suggesting Rho-GTPases act independently of JNK1. The combination of lovastatin and forskolin results in a greater inhibitory effect than each agent alone and reduces CCN2/CTGF mRNA and protein expression by greater than 90%. This novel combination has additive inhibitory effects on the TGFβ1-stimulated expression of CCN2/CTGF in human gingival fibroblasts through the simultaneous disruption of Rho- and JNK1-mediated pathways, respectively. This combination of available therapeutic compounds may therefore be useful in designing treatment strategies for oral fibrotic conditions in which gingival CCN2/CTGF is elevated.
On the Case of Equality in the Brunn-Minkowski Inequality for Capacity

Suppose that Ω and Ω1 are convex, open subsets of Rn. Denote their convex combination by The Brunn-Minkowski inequality says that (vol Ω)t≥ (1 -t) vol Ω0 1/N +t Vol Ω for 0≤t ≤ l. Moreover, if there is equality for some t other than an endpoint, then the domains Ω1 and Ω0 are translates and dilates of each other. Borell proved an analogue of the Brunn—Minkowski inequality with capacity (defined below) in place of volume. Borel’s theorem [B] says THEOREM A. Let Ωt= tΩ1+ (1—t)Ω0 be a convex combination of two convex subsets of RN,N≥3. Then cap The main purpose of this note is to prove.
The magnetic noise of polyphase induction motors

THE WIDE USE of induction motors in the home, the office, and the factory requires that they both look and sound well. The pleasing, if not handsome, appearance of present-day motors attests to the skill of the “appearance design” experts who have worked with motor engineers in recent years. Now, there is a growing demand that motors should have good “sonance design” also. They should give out a steady pleasing hum, just loud enough to show that they are performing their duties properly, but not loud enough to be noticed.
SANS from Pluronic P85 in d-water

Abstract Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) has been used to investigate Pluronic P85 (EO 26 PO 40 EO 26 ) copolymer in deuterated water. A range of P85 fractions were measured for a wide sample temperature window. A rich phase behavior is reported. Unimers were observed below the critical micelle formation condition. At fixed P85 fraction, a number of micellar phases were observed upon increasing temperature; first spherical micelles, then cylindrical micelles, then lamellar micelles. At the highest temperature, a demixed lamellae phase was observed. Analysis of the SANS data consisted in fits to an empirical Guinier–Porod model that was appropriate for data fitting in the various phases at low P85 fractions. When the P85 fraction increased, an inter-particle structure factor was included to analyze SANS data from concentrated spherical micelles. At high P85 fractions, paracrystalline structures were observed as evidenced by an enhanced inter-particle interaction peak. A phase diagram for P85/d-water was obtained showing the various phases. Focusing on the spherical micelles phase for one sample composition, a core-shell model was used to fit SANS data and obtain sizes and scattering length densities. Using material balance equations, information such as the aggregation number (i.e., number of Pluronic macromolecules per micelle) and the number of hydration water molecules in the shell region are determined.
Direct current shocks to the heart generate free radicals : An electron paramagnetic resonance study

Abstract Objectives. We sought to demonstrate that direct current (DC) shocks to the heart generate free radicals. Background. Although it is a lifesaving maneuver, defibrillation is known to have myocardial toxicity. The mechanism of this toxicity is unknown. If DC shocks generate free radicals, free radicals could be a mechanism of myocardial injury. Methods. In a canine model, DC shocks of 10 to 100 J were delivered to the epicardium of both beating and fibrillating hearts, and 200-J transthoracic shocks were administered in dogs with beating hearts. Ascorbate free radical (AFR) concentration was measured in arterial blood and blood continuously withdrawn from the coronary sinus. In some dogs, the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (15,000 U/Kg) and catalase (55,000 U/kg) (SOD/Cat) were administered before shocks. Results. Ascorbate free radicals were generated by DC shocks. A peak AFR increase of 14 ± 2% (mean ± SEM) was seen 5 to 6 min after 100-J epicardial shocks. A peak AFR increase of 7 ± 5% occurred after transthoracic shocks. There was a significant linear relation between the shock energy and peak percent AFR increase: %AFR increase = 0.18 (Shock energy) + 2.9 (r = 0.73, p Conclusions. Direct current epicardial and transthoracic shocks generate free radicals; antioxidant enzymes reduce the free radical generation by shocks.
Highlighting Kathleen Green and Mario Delmar, guest editors of special issue (part 2): junctional targets of skin and heart disease.

AbstractCell Communication and Adhesion has been fortunate to enlist two pioneers of epidermal and cardiac cell junctions, Kathleen Green and Mario Delmar, as Guest Editors of a two part series on junctional targets of skin and heart disease. Part 2 of this series begins with an overview from Dipal Patel and Kathy Green comparing epidermal desmosomes to cardiac area composita junctions, and surveying the pathogenic mechanisms resulting from mutations in their components in heart disease. This is followed by a review from David Kelsell on the role of desmosomal mutation in inherited syndromes involving skin fragility. Agnieszka Kobeliak discusses how structural deficits in the epidermal barrier intersect with the NFkB signaling pathway to induce inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Farah Sheikh reviews the specialized junctional components in cardiomyocytes of the cardiac conduction system and Robert Gourdie discusses how molecular complexes between sodium channels and gap junctio...
Repair by human cells of adenovirus-2 damaged by psoralen plus near ultraviolet light treatment

Abstract Adenovirus-2 is damaged by treatment with psoralen plus near-ultraviolet (UV) light as shown by reduced ability to infect human fibroblasts. The apparent sensitivity of the virus to this treatment depended upon the strain of cells used. The virus was 3–4 times more sensitive to the treatment when infecting xeroderma pigmentosum (XP complementation groups A or D) fibroblasts than when infecting normal fibroblasts. DNA extracted from virus preparations that had undergone such treatment was analyzed for treatment-induced crosslinks by gel electrophoresis and sedimentation in alkaline sucrose gradients. The fraction of adenovirus DNA molecules remaining non-crosslinked after treatment was found to correlate with the survival of the virus in normal fibroblasts. This result showed that the psoralen plus near-UV treatment gave rise to non-cross-link lesions (presumably psoralen-DNA mono-adducts), that were repairable by normal but not by XP fibroblasts, and suggested the possibility that normal fibroblasts cannot repair this type of crosslink in the DNA of an infecting adenovirion.
Network model of fear extinction and renewal functional pathways

The objective of this study was to examine the opposite behavior responses of conditioned fear extinction and renewal and how they are represented by network interactions between brain regions. This work is a continuation of a series of brain mapping studies of various inhibitory phenomena, including conditioned inhibition, blocking and extinction. A tone-footshock fear conditioning paradigm in rats was used, followed by extinction and testing in two different contexts. Fluorodeoxyglucose autoradiography was used to compare mean regional brain activity and interregional correlations resulting from the presentation of the extinguished tone in or out of the extinction context. A confirmatory structural equation model, constructed from a neural network proposed to underlie fear extinction, showed a reversal from negative regional interactions during extinction recall to positive interactions during fear renewal. Additionally, the magnitude of direct effects was different between groups, reflecting a change in the strength of the influences conveyed through those pathways. The results suggest that the extinguished tone encountered outside of the extinction context recruits auditory and limbic areas, which in turn influence the interactions of the infralimbic cortex with the amygdala and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray. Interestingly, the results also suggest that two independent pathways influence conditioned freezing: one from the central amygdaloid nucleus and the other from the infralimbic cortex directly to the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray.
Clopidogrel as adjunctive antiplatelet therapy during coronary stenting

Abstract OBJECTIVES We examined the procedural and 30-day clinical outcomes among patients receiving aspirin and either ticlopidine or clopidogrel during coronary stenting. BACKGROUND Ticlopidine-plus-aspirin has become standard antiplatelet therapy for the prevention of thrombotic complications after coronary stenting. Clopidogrel has a similar mechanism of action as ticlopidine, but both its efficacy and its safety as a pharmacologic adjunct to coronary stenting have not been well described. METHODS This single-center, prospective analysis examined the in-hospital procedural and 30-day clinical outcomes among 875 consecutive patients undergoing coronary stenting who received adjunctive aspirin and either clopidogrel (n = 514; 58.7%) or ticlopidine (n = 361; 41.3%) therapy. RESULTS Procedural success rates were similar among the clopidogrel- (99.6%) and ticlopidine-treated patients (99.4%). Subacute stent thrombosis (i.e., >24 h ≤30 days) occurred in one clopidogrel-treated (0.2%) and in one ticlopidine-treated (0.3%) patient (p = 0.99). By 30 days following the index procedure, the combined rates of death, nonfatal myocardial infarction and need for target vessel revascularization were similar among patients who received either clopidogrel (2.1%) or ticlopidine (1.4%; p = 0.57) therapy. CONCLUSIONS In this analysis the antiplatelet combination therapy of aspirin-plus-clopidogrel was an effective regimen for preventing thrombotic complications and major adverse cardiovascular events among a broad spectrum of patients undergoing coronary artery stenting.
Noise in MRI

This study analyzes the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in magnetic resonance imaging. The factors that determine the SNR are derived starting from basic principles. The SNR, for a given object, is shown to be proportional to the voxel volume and the square root of the acquisition time. The noise generated by the body is derived using a cylindrical model and is shown to be proportional to the square of the radius and the square root of the length.
A model of cellular decision making in photodynamic therapy of cancer

The aim of this report is to provide a mathematical model of the mechanism for making binary fate decisions about cell death or survival, during and after type II photodynamic therapy (PDT) treatment, and to supply the logical design for this decision mechanism as an application of rate distortion theory to the biochemical processing of information by the physical system of a cell. Based on system biology models of the molecular interactions involved in the PDT processes previously established, and regarding a cellular decision-making system as a noisy communication channel, we use rate distortion theory to design a time dependent three dimensional Blahut-Arimoto algorithm where the input is a stimulus vector composed of the time dependent concentrations of three PDT related cell death signaling molecules and a cell fate decision as output. The molecular concentrations are determined by a group of rate equations. The output is the cell decision with a probability of cell survival or death. The optimality of the cell decision strategy is assessed by the cell survival probability, which might be modified to account for heterogeneous cell resistance to therapy.
A Comparison of Argon, Carbon Dioxide, and Nitrogen in a Broiler Killing System

Argon, CO2, and N2 gasses were each evaluated in a broiler chicken gas killing system. Birds were killed by individual exposure to one of the three gasses for 2 min in a flow-through system. The gasses were evaluated by determining the time, in seconds, for the following responses: first reaction to the gas, loss of posture, eye closure, initiation of death struggle, and cessation of respiration. Percentage blood loss over a 3-min bleed time was determined by weight loss. Breast muscle pH values were determined at 15 min and 24 h post-mortem on the Pectoralis major muscle. Carbon dioxide resulted in the earliest first reaction, loss of posture, eye closure, and initiation of struggle. Argon and N2 exhibited a delayed first reaction, a less severe early reaction, but a more severe unconscious death struggle. All birds died in approximately 75 s. Results indicate that the flow-through gas system takes longer to kill broilers than the immersion systems previously reported. Gas killing resulted in lower (P < .05) blood loss. Initial breast muscle pH values were significantly highest for the birds killed with CO2, followed by the control treatment, which was significantly higher than the values for broilers killed with either Ar or N2. After 24 h of chilling, there were no differences in broiler breast muscle pH among the four treatments. These results indicated that a flow-through gassing chamber may be a feasible, although slower, method of performing gas killing as compared to an immersion system.
Spatially resolved infrared spectroscopy : a novel technique for in situ study of spatial surface coverage during CO oxidation on supported catalysts

A spatially resolved infrared (IR) imaging technique to monitor the linear adsorbed CO coverage on supported catalyst surface combining an IR bandpass filter and an IR thermography camera has been developed. Images acquired during the CO adsorption/desorption and ignition indicate that the technique provides an excellent method to image the change of surface coverage with a spatial resolution. It is expected that the combination of infrared thermography with spatially resolved imaging of surface coverage will provide a deeper insight in the dynamics of spatio-temporal patterns on heterogeneous catalysts.
Buprenorphine implant for opioid addiction

SUMMARY The buprenorphine implant (Probuphine™, Titan Pharmaceuticals, CA, USA) is a recently developed long-acting formulation of buprenorphine, which is a partial opioid agonist that is widely used in the marketed, sublingual, daily-dose form for managing opioid addiction. The new formulation uses a novel delivery system consisting of subcutaneously implanted solid matrix ‘rods’ made from a mixture of ethylene vinyl acetate and buprenorphine. The buprenorphine implant was developed to ensure medication compliance, eliminate misuse and abuse from diversion of sublingual buprenorphine, and increase therapeutic benefit of the medication. The implant is not a ‘new’ drug, but an innovative means of delivering a medication proven effective for treating opioid addiction. The implant has not yet been approved by the US FDA. The information in this review has been gleaned from research reports, documentation in the literature, and from the author’s experience treating opioid-dependent patients, and involvement i...
Sub-daily resolution of Earth rotation variations wtth global positioning system measurements

Data from a worldwide Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking experiment have been used to determine variations in earth rotation (UT1-UTC) over a time period of three weeks. Kalman filtering and smoothing enabled changes in UT1-UTC over intervals of 2 to 24 hrs to be detected with the GPS data. Internal consistency checks and comparisons with other solutions from very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) and satellite laser ranging (SLR) indicate that the GPS UT1-UTC estimates are accurate to about 2 cm. Comparison of GPS-estimated variations in UT1-UTC with 2-hr time resolution over 4 days with predicted variations computed from diurnal and semidiurnal oceanic tidal contributions strongly suggests that the observed periodic sub-daily variations of about 0.1 msec are largely of tidal origin.
US–Brazil Cotton Dispute and the World Cotton Market

US policies for its cotton producers depress world cotton prices, adversely affecting exporters such as Brazil, which filed a complaint to the WTO. Despite WTO rulings in Brazil's favour, meting out the right to enact retaliatory countermeasures, the United States continues to subsidise its cotton farmers. After prolonged negotiations, Brazil and the United States reached an agreement which allowed the United States to pay Brazil to refrain from enforcing the countermeasures. To capture the adverse effects of US policies, theoretical analyses are conducted. The theoretical model is extended by constructing an empirical model of the world cotton market. The adverse effects of US policies on Brazil are estimated and compared to the compensation the United States pays Brazil.
Semi‐implicit and explicit finite element schemes for coupled fluid/thermal problems

A comparative investigation, based on a series of numerical tests, of two purely explicit and one semi-implicit finite element methods used for incompressible flow computation is presented. The ‘segregated’ approach is followed and the equations of motion are considered sequentially. The fundamental concepts and characteristics of the formulations and the solution methodology used are described in technical detail. Various modifications to Chorin's projection algorithm are investigated, particularly with respect to their effects on stability and accuracy. The stability of the semi-implicit method is shown to be less restrictive when compared to the explicit methods as the Reynolds number increases. At large time steps the artificial viscosity is also reduced and higher accuracy is obtained. The performance of the methods discussed in this paper is illustrated by the numerical solutions obtained for the cavity flow and flow past a rearward-facing step problems at high Reynolds numbers, and free convection flow problem at high Rayleigh numbers. It is shown that the semi-implicit method needs fewer iterations than the explicit methods, and the accuracy of the present methods is guaranteed by comparison with the existing methods.