cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Urethroplasty Practice Patterns of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons

Abstract Introduction To our knowledge there are no studies evaluating urethroplasty practice patterns among genitourinary reconstructive surgeons. Methods An electronic survey was sent to members of the Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons. Respondents were queried regarding approach to bulbar urethral reconstruction in 6 index cases. Results A total of 91 society members who regularly treated men with urethral strictures responded to the survey. For a 1.5 cm stricture excision and primary anastomosis was the preferred treatment, although less unanimously than expected (only 83% in older men and 67% in younger men). For 2.5 cm strictures urethroplasty with buccal mucosal graft was the preferred treatment for a 35-year-old man, and excision and primary anastomosis for a 65-year-old man. Excision and primary anastomosis was preferred less frequently in younger patients and in patients with longer strictures (Cochran Q test, p Conclusions Urethroplasty consisting of excision and primary anastomosis is performed less commonly than expected among genitourinary reconstructive surgeons. Considerable variation exists regarding operative technique, management of buccal mucosal graft harvest site and substitution onlay site.
Enhanced photocatalytic activities of low-bandgap TiO 2 -reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites

In this study, a hydrothermal method was successfully used to prepare a reduced graphene oxide (RG)–titanium dioxide (TiO2) hybrid in 10–20 nm, starting from commercial TiO2 P25 nanoparticles and liquid-exfoliated graphene oxide (GO). Compared to TiO2, an obvious red shift of light absorption (from 3.1 to 2.6 eV) of the as-prepared RG–TiO2 was observed by UV–Vis analysis, and an enhanced photocatalytic degradation of the Rhodamine B (Rh. B) was also observed under Xe lamp exposure test by using the as-prepared RG–TiO2. Multiple characterizations of this RG–TiO2 nanocomposite confirmed that its photocatalytic enhancement could be ascribed to two approaches. Firstly, RG extended the mean free path and photogenerated electrons’ lifetime of TiO2, which minimized electron–hole pairs’ recombination. Secondly, RG expanded the light absorption spectrum of TiO2 from UV range to UV and visible light range. The explication of these improvements was concluded as the energy gap changing and a likelihood of up-conversion photoluminescence mechanism (UCPL). Due to the low-cost, nonpoisonous and excellent photocatalytic properties of RG–TiO2, this material can be applied well in sewage treatment and other related fields.
Suicide intervention training for college staff: Program evaluation and intervention skill measurement.

ABSTRACTObjective: Suicide remains a pressing issue for college communities. Consequently, gatekeeper trainings are often provided for staff. This study examines the effect of one such program, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). Participants: 51 college employees received ASIST in August of 2014 and were compared to 30 wait-list control participants. Methods: Repeated Measures ANOVA were used to analyze pre- and post-training: (a) skills at responding to students-at-risk; (b) attitudes toward suicide; (c) knowledge about suicide; and (d) comfort/competence/confidence at helping a student-at-risk. Results: Significant positive training effects were observed for ASIST on self-report measures and also for objectively assessed skill at responding, after adjusting for a potential scoring limitation of the Suicide Intervention Response Inventory, Revised (SIRI-2). Conclusions: ASIST improved the self-perception of college staff at working with students-at-risk of suicide and also their skills...
Abstract 11374: Reproducibility of Contrast-Enhanced Calf Perfusion MRI Measures in Peripheral Arterial Disease

Background: Contrast-enhanced (CE) calf perfusion MRI at peak exercise (Ex) distinguishes normal subjects from peripheral arterial disease (PAD) patients. Perfusion at rest can now be measured by CE-MRI. It is unclear whether measuring Ex perfusion or Ex/rest perfusion reserve (PR) is more reproducible and whether signal normalization is additive. Methods: CE-MRI of the calf was performed in 16 age-matched healthy controls (CL) and 7 patients with PAD (ABI 0.67±0.14) before and after plantar-flexion symptom-limited Ex on an MR-compatible pedal. A 2nd MRI was performed for 11 CL and 6 PAD patients on a separate day. CE-MRI was performed on a 3T Siemens Trio scanner with infusion of 0.1mM/kg of gadolinium-DTPA followed by a 20 mL saline flush at 4 mL/s. A spoiled gradient echo dual contrast sequence with slices positioned 32 mm apart allowed for simultaneous acquisition of arterial input and muscle tissue function images. The slope of the time-intensity curves generated using ARGUS image analysis software (Siemens) for the arterial input and the muscle group with the highest signal intensity gave the arterial input function (AIF) and tissue function (TF). Perfusion Index (PI) is TF/AIF. PR is Ex TF/rest TF. AIF and TF measurements were normalized to proton density for 7 CL and 6 PAD. Results: Mean age was similar for CL and PAD (59±9 vs 60±11). Ex time in PAD was lower than CL (311±372 vs 802±450 seconds, p Conclusions: Overall, CE-MRI indices of calf perfusion, especially tissue function and perfusion index, are more reproducible with exercise than at rest, primarily due to low rest values in PAD patients. Thus, perfusion reserve is not a useful measure in PAD.
Aluminum and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract This review assembles evidence derived from both epidemiological and laboratory studies that suggest exposure to aluminum salts may be more hazardous than generally recognized. The overview describes how available levels of environmental aluminum may be increasing, and it is suggested that this can have adverse health consequences. High levels of aluminum compounds are already recognized as being neurologically harmful, but there is growing evidence that low levels of aluminum can also have adverse consequences. The mechanism, by which aluminum salts can promote the onset and development of neurodegenerative diseases, is likely by way of acceleration of intrinsic undesirable events that are already taking place in the aging brain. The most deleterious of these is the gradual increase of inflammatory events with age that not associated with any exogenous provocative stimuli. The superfluous inflammation is harmful to cerebral function, and its intensity is further augmented in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Aluminum at low levels, paralleling those found in some residential drinking water supplies, leads to cerebral inflammation in experimental animals. Thus, the variable incidence of Alzheimer's disease and other age-related neurodegenerative in different populations may be impacted by the extent of aluminum ingestion. This subtle effect may be important in that it can be a major factor in overall incidence of diseases related to neurosenescence.
Seismic Performance of Hollow-Core Composite Columns under Cyclic Loading

This paper experimentally investigates the seismic behavior of a large-scale, hollow-core, fiber-reinforced, polymer-concrete-steel HC-FCS column under cyclic loading. The typical precast HC-FCS member consists of a concrete wall sandwiched between an outer fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) tube and an inner steel tube. The FRP tube provides continuous confinement for the concrete wall, along the height of the column. The column is inserted into the footing and temporarily supported; then, the footing is cast in place around the column. The seismic performance of the precast HC-FCS columns was assessed and compared with previous experimental work. The compared column had the same geometric properties; but the steel tube was 25% thicker than the column that was tested in this study. This paper revealed that these HC-FCS column assemblies were deemed satisfactory by developing the whole performance of such columns and using that performance to provide excellent ductility with inelastic deformation capacity by alleviating the damage at high lateral drifts.
Slacklining in Physical Education: A Nontraditional Approach to Balancing Children's Body and Mind

This article describes slacklining — the act of walking or balancing on a suspended length of flat webbing which is tensioned between two anchor points —as an innovative, dynamic and engaging physi...
A Brief Note on Gödel, Nagel, Minds, and Machines

This note is a brief comment on Feferman’s Godel, Nagel, Minds, and Machines. It emphasizes the need to expand proof theory and use its formal tools for the analysis of the informal proofs of mathematical practice. Natural formalization is seen as one important step toward providing what Feferman called for, namely, “an informative, systematic account at a theoretical level of how the mathematical mind works that squares with experience”.
Inkjet printed thin film electronic traces on paper for low-cost body-worn electronic patch sensors

Patch sensors are slowly becoming ubiquitous in the market for wearable devices. They can collect and send data unobtrusively, which is beneficial to several applications in healthcare, sports, and fitness industries. Patch sensor by inkjet printing (IJP) with functional materials on flexible substrates allows design flexibility and portability at a very low cost. In this paper, preliminary results on characterization of IJP resistors printed with a variety of inks on substrates such as paper and polyimide have been reported, followed by a discussion on printed breath-rate and ECG sensors. The results promise a plethora of possibilities in printed circuits.
Abstract 188: Total And Frontal Lobe White Matter Hyperintensity Volume And Impaired Mobility Among Older Adults

Introduction: Gait speed is associated with multiple adverse outcomes of aging. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been associated with gait speed, though few studies have examined changes in gait speed over time, regional localization of WMH, or enrolled participants community-based studies and in ethnic/racial minorities. We examined the association between a decline in gait speed and total and regional WMH volumes in a community-based study of aging. Methods: Participants were enrolled in the Washington Heights Inwood Columbia Aging Project (WHICAP), a cohort of Medicare recipients residing in Northern Manhattan. At enrollment participants underwent a comprehensive medical evaluation, as well as neuropsychological testing and assessment of gait speed via a 4 meter walk test. An MRI sub-study was started in 2004, at which time participants underwent a second gait speed measurement (mean 4.7 [SD=0.5] years apart). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to examine the associations of large (defined as one standard deviation above the age-expected mean) WMH volume and regional WMH volumes (as a continuous measure) with the primary outcome (transition from normal to abnormal gait speed, defined as Results: A total of 758 participants in WHICAP underwent MRI and two measures of gait speed. At the time of MRI the mean age was 80.3 (SD=5.6) and 114 (14.4%) had a large WMH volume. Large WMH volume was associated with a transition to an abnormal gait speed between the two visits (adjusted OR 3.09, 95% CI=1.21-7.93). Total frontal WMH volume (adjusted OR 1.06, 95%CI=0.93-1.20), or other regional volumes, were not associated with a transition to an abnormal gait speed between the two gait speed measurements. Conclusion: Total, but not regional, WMH are associated with slowing of gait over time. Modification of the known risk factors associated withWMH presents a potential strategy for the prevention of gait speed decline.
Extraction and 16S rRNA Sequence Analysis of Microbiomes Associated with Rice Roots

Plant roots associate with a wide diversity of bacteria and archaea across the root-soil spectrum. The rhizosphere microbiota, the communities of microbes in the soil adjacent to the root, can contain up to 10 billion bacterial cells per gram of soil (Raynaud and Nunan, 2014) and can play important roles for the fitness of the host plant. Subsets of the rhizospheric microbiota can colonize the root surface (rhizoplane) and the root interior (endosphere), forming an intimate relationship with the host plant. Compositional analysis of these communities is important to develop tools in order to manipulate root-associated microbiota for increased crop productivity. Due to the reduced cost and increasing throughput of next-generation sequencing, major advances in deciphering these communities have recently been achieved, mainly through the use of amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Here we first present a protocol for dissecting the microbiota from various root compartments, developed using rice as a model. We next present a method for amplifying fragments of the 16S rRNA gene using a dual index approach. Finally, we present a simple workflow for analyzing the resulting sequencing data to make ecological inferences.
SGLT2 inhibition and kidney protection

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a growing public health concern worldwide. Numerous drug classes are available for treatment, however, their efficacy with regard to diabetes-induced renal and cardiovascular (CV) complications remains limited. Inhibitors of the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) are a new class of blood glucose lowering medications that block renal glucose reabsorption and have protective effects on the kidney and the heart. This review focusses on the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on the kidney and renal outcome: it briefly outlines renal glucose handling in diabetes and its role in glomerular hyperfiltration and renal hypoxia; describes how SGLT2 inhibitors induce an early, reversible reduction in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and preserve GFR in the long-term in patients with T2DM; discusses whether the enhanced active transport in the renal outer medulla (OM) in response to SGLT2 inhibition is friend or foe; proposes how the blood pressure lowering and heart failure protective effect of SGLT2 inhibitors can be preserved in chronic kidney disease (CKD) despite attenuated antihyperglycemic effects; and examines whether SGLT2 inhibition enhances the incidence or severity of acute kidney injury (AKI).
Alleviating the Plunging-In Bias, Elevating Strategic Problem-Solving

The plunging-in bias, not understanding the problem and not thinking about how best to solve it before starting to solve it, is a common but little recognized cognitive bias. Strategy education doe...
Electron spin resonance investigations of oxygen-centered free radicals in biological systems.

Oxygen-centered free radicals have been detected directly with ESR in a variety of biological processes such as lipid autoxidation,1 the enzymatic formation of superoxide by xanthine oxidase,2 and hydroxyl radical formation by the Y-irradiation of ice.3 Since the common isotope of oxygen is spin-less, no nuclear hyperfine interaction is possible, and the g-value and any hydrogen hyperfine coupling provide the only criteria for distinguishing an oxygen-centered free radical from other free radicals. The greatest limitation on the direct detection of oxygen-centered free radicals, aside from their high reactivity, is their paramagnetic properties.
Alterations in Phenol Metabolism Caused by Disease

Phenolic compounds (Fig. 27) are common constituents of many different plants (Pridham, 1965). They include simple phenols, coumarins, most flavonoids, certain amino acids, prosthetic groups of some enzymes, plant pigments, and complex derivatives such as lignins. Phenolic substances are known to participate in a number of physiological processes which are essential to growth and development, such as oxidation-reduction reactions, lignification, and stimulation, as well as inhibition of auxin activity. Phenols and their oxidation products (quinones) are also potent uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation, inhibitors of enzymes, and chelators of metal cofactors.
Computer Modeling and Analysis of the Orion Spacecraft Parachutes

We focus on fluid-structure interaction (FSI) modeling of the ringsail parachutes to be used with the Orion spacecraft. The geometric porosity of the ringsail parachutes with ring gaps and sail slits is one of the major computational challenges involved in FSI modeling. We address the computational challenges with the latest techniques developed by the Team for Advanced Flow Simulation and Modeling (T ⋆ AFSM) in conjunction with the Stabilized Space–Time Fluid–Structure Interaction (SSTFSI) technique. We investigate the performance of the three possible design configurations of the parachute canopy, carry out parametric studies on using an over-inflation control line (OICL) intended for enhancing the parachute performance, discuss rotational periodicity techniques for improving the geometric-porosity modeling and for computing good starting conditions for parachute clusters, and report results from preliminary FSI computations for parachute clusters. We also present a stability and accuracy analysis for the Deforming-Spatial-Domain/Stabilized Space–Time (DSD/SST) formulation, which is the core numerical technology of the SSTFSI technique.
Preparing Indicators for Policymakers and Advocates

Indicators are the focus of intense interest in the policy community, particularly economic indicators. For example, indicators about the state of the economy, such as the unemployment rate, the poverty rate, housing starts, and inflation, are not only tracked over time but are awaited with anticipation and urgency and reported in headline stories in the media. The state of the economy affects the outcomes of elections, and the decisions made by government, including decisions made by the Federal Reserve, Congress, and the executive branch. Moreover, the data available for economic indicators are very up-to-date—for example, unemployment in the preceding month. Many citizens and policymakers would argue, though, that the state of the economy is not the only marker of a successful society (Hauser et al., 1997). The well-being of children would also rank high among the factors that signal the health and future prospects of a society. Indeed, we would suggest that indicators of child well-being represent an important and complementary strategy for monitoring the success of a society. Though not as fully evolved or up-to-date as economic indicators, the field of child and youth well-being indicators has come a long way in recent years. For example, the United States Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics (2001) produces an annual report, America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-being, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation has produced Kids Count to provide data at the state level for more than a decade. Given this progress, it is valuable to consider how indicators can be used correctly and effectively to inform public policy and program development by policymakers and advocates, as well as by the public. In the following sections, we highlight five hierarchical purposes of indicators and discuss the benefits and risks of using indicators for each of these purposes. We also suggest a number of criteria for using indicators so that they are both accurate and understandable, and briefly identify some presentation strategies that might help to communicate indicators of child well-being to policymakers.
TROPICAL CYCLONES AND HURRICANES | Hurricane Dynamics

Hurricanes are strong cyclonically rotating systems in the troposphere. A mature hurricane is always well organized with rich structures and unique dynamics. In this article, some key dynamics of hurricanes will be covered, including the basic dynamic structure of a mature hurricane; dynamics of hurricane genesis; dynamics of intensification, maximum potential intensity; and dynamics of hurricane motion. Some other aspects of hurricanes can be found in other relevant articles.
The Book of Samuel in the Cairo Genizah. An Interim and Introductory Report

This article presents sample results of my ongoing research project on the book of Samuel in the Cairo Genizah. Each of the 650+ manuscripts of Samuel found amongst the documents forthcoming from the Cairo Genizah has been read and analyzed, with the goal of identifying textual variants. Special attention is paid to those variant readings which find parallels in the earlier witnesses (Qumran, Septuagint, Peshitta, Targum, Vulgate).
Advancing Point-of-Care Diagnostics of Metabolites Through Engineering Semisynthetic Proteins

Metabolites have been recognized as biomarkers for diagnostic testing and monitoring of many diseases (1). However, in comparison to many clinical tests that target nucleic acids and proteins, detection and quantification of metabolites, including those applied in point-of-care (POC)2 settings, have been less developed, despite the proven success of glucometers widely used by diabetics. A major contributing factor is the lack of methods that, once developed, can be generalized and applied to many other metabolites. Without such generalizable methods, the costs of development become higher and the resulting tests less affordable for home users. Although nucleic acid hybridization and the antibody generation can be generalized for detection of nucleic acids and proteins, respectively, metabolites have been difficult to detect with a generalized method. Furthermore, although a colorimetric sensor is convenient and thus suitable for POC detection, it is vulnerable to interferences from colors in samples such as in blood. Fluorescent sensors, in contrast, have many advantages in sensitivity, accuracy, and time response, but the requirement of an excitation light source increases the size of the detector and costs of detection. Recently, Yu et al. have taken a major step toward addressing these issues (2), by developing a paper-based enzymatic assay method in which many metabolites can be quantified through oxidation by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) (Fig. 1A), resulting in ratiometric changes in bioluminescence that can be quantified with a digital camera without a need for an excitation source. Fig. 1. Scheme of metabolite quantification by an engineered semisynthetic NADPH-dependent protein. A specific enzymatic reaction is performed in a reaction buffer to oxidize the analyte of interest by NADP+ (A). Design of a BRET sensor for NADPH (B). A protein chimera between a receptor and a luciferase (NanoLuc) is tethered via a SNAP-tag to a ligand derivatized with a fluorophore. NADPH triggers ligand binding to the receptor, thereby increasing …
Post-solidarity and postmodern intergenerational relation(ship)s

An alternative set of construas for intergenerational relation(ship)s, Post-Solidarity, is presented and empirically tested. Post-Solidarity comprehends not only traditional positive and consensual dimensions of within-primary-group (or "family") relation(ships) but also the ambivalence, conflict, fluidity, and indeterminacy so characteristic of social life in Postmodern America (and, perhaps. Western Europe). A series of measurement, mean-comparison, and regression analyses, evaluating the nomothetic and predictive viability of Post-Solidarity against the currently dominant conceptualization of intergenerational relation(ship)s as either solidary or fatally conflictual, generated results that suggest preliminary support for Post-Solidarity as an alternative and more appropriate conceptualization of contemporary intergenerational reIation(ship)s.
A Scalable Synthesis of the Thromboxane Receptor Antagonist 3-{3-[2-(4-Chlorobenzenesulfonamido)ethyl]-5-(4-fluorobenzyl)phenyl}propionic Acid via a Regioselective Heck Cross-Coupling Strategy

A regioselective Heck cross-coupling strategy is presented for the large-scale preparation of the thromboxane receptor antagonist 3-{3-[2-(4-chlorobenzenesulfonamido)ethyl]-5-(4-fluorobenzyl)phenyl}propionic acid (1). Commercially available 3-bromo-5-iodobenzoic acid was first converted to the corresponding acid chloride, and this was then condensed with 4-fluorobenzene via a Friedel−Crafts acylation reaction to give 3-bromo-5-iodophenyl 4-fluorophenyl ketone. Regioselective cross-coupling with ethyl acrylate and then N-vinylphthalimide, each under phosphine-free Heck conditions, led to formation of ethyl 3-[3-(4-fluorobenzoyl)-5-(2-phthalimidovinyl)phenyl]propenoate. Reduction of the benzophenone moiety and saturation of the olefin double bonds, followed by phthalimide ring cleavage, then gave ethyl 3-[3-(2-aminoethyl)-5-(4-fluorobenzyl)phenyl]propionate monocitrate salt. This was converted to the sulfonamido-substituted arylpropionic acid 1 via a two-step one-pot procedure in which sulfonamide formation...
Warfarin-associated delayed orbital hemorrhage after orbital fracture repair with smooth nylon foil implant

The authors describe the first report in the literature of delayed orbital hemorrhage that may be partly caused by supratherapeutic anticoagulation. A 52-year-old man with supratherapeutic international normalized ratio (INR) presented with acute proptosis, orbital pain and diplopia 9 months after the floor and medial orbital wall fracture repair using nylon foil implant. He was found to have hemorrhaged into the capsule surrounding the orbital implant. Three weeks later, the patient underwent implant removal after warfarin was discontinued for 5 days and INR was normalized. His symptoms resolved postoperatively. This case describes a unique risk factor of delayed orbital hemorrhage in patients with previous orbital fracture repair, and highlights that coagulopathy should be investigated in patients presenting with acute proptosis with a history of orbital fracture repair. The authors also provide a comprehensive and up-to-date literature review on previously reported cases with delayed hemorrhagic complications from alloplastic orbital implants.
Social Media for Sensing: Do Tweets Represent Events at Geo-Tagged Locations?

Abstract. It is difficult to quantify how – and to what extent – the public engages with events in other countries. Twitter users all over the globe post more than 500 million tweets every day. They also discuss places in their tweets. Therefore, Twitter provides a lens through which geographic research can investigate public discourse as it relates to place. Further, many research studies use geo-tagged posts on Twitter (and social media in general) to sense the society in particular locations (according to geo-tags) for various purposes that may need a “local sense” such as sentiment analysis, situational awareness for crisis response, election prediction, or targeted advertising. However, it is unclear to what extent the online discourse by users are about local events versus events in other locations or countries. In this pilot study, we visualize and characterize relations between places mentioned in Twitter posts and places where users live to identify whether Twitter users in different countries engage more with domestic or international (or transnational) events. We also visualize the extent to which places in other countries are being discussed through online platforms/social media. The results have implications for the design of algorithms in geographic information science attempting to automatically geolocate places mentioned in tweets for use in sentiment or spatial analysis, situational awareness, and advertisement. Additionally, most place names are ambiguous and refer to more than one location. For example, London can refer to London, Texas or London in England. Our analysis gauge whether Twitter users’ profile locations can be used to disambiguate places that are mentioned in their tweets.
Disposable N95 Masks Pass Qualitative Fit-Test But Have Decreased Filtration Efficiency after Cobalt-60 Gamma Irradiation

ABSTRACT The current COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic shortage of masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) in hospitals around the globe [1]. One component of PPE that is in particular demand are disposable N95 face masks. To alleviate this, many methods of N95 mask sterilization have been studied and proposed with the hope of being able to safely reuse masks [2]. Two major considerations must be made when re-sterilizing masks: (1) the sterilization method effectively kills pathogens, penetrating into the fibers of the mask, and (2) the method does not degrade the operational integrity of the N95 filters. We studied Cobalt-60 (60Co) gamma irradiation as a method of effective sterilization without inducing mask degradation. Significant literature exists supporting the use of gamma radiation as a sterilization method, with viral inactivation of SARS-CoV reported at doses of at most 10 kGy [3], with other studies supporting 5 kGy for many types of viruses [4]. However, concerns have been raised about the radiation damaging the fiber material within the mask, specifically by causing cross-linking of polymers, leading to cracking and degradation during fitting and/or deployment [5, 6]. A set of 3M 8210 and 9105 masks were irradiated using MIT’s 60Co irradiator. Three masks of each type received 0 kiloGray (kGy), 10 kGy and 50 kGy of approximately 1.3 MeV gamma radiation from the circular cobalt sources, at a dose rate of 2.2kGy per hour. Following this sterilization procedure, the irradiated masks passed a OSHA Gerson Qualitative Fit Test QLFT 50 (saccharin apparatus) [7] when donned correctly, performed at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in a blinded study repeated in triplicate. However, the masks’ filtration of 0.3 µm particles was significantly degraded, even at 10 kGy. These results suggest against gamma, and possibly all ionizing radiation, as a method of disposable N95 sterilization. Even more importantly, they argue against using the qualitative fit test alone to assess mask integrity.
Interfacial Electron Transfer and Ion Solvation in the Solid Electrolyte Interphase

As a chemically and structurally well-defined model for redox processes in the solid electrolyte interphase of battery electrodes, we investigate electron transfer (ET) to lithium ions at the inter...
The Other Agrarian Urbanisation: Urbanism in the Village:

This article considers a range of early twentieth-century projects in which rural space was made subject to an ensemble of institutional forms and practices grounded in emergent urban paradigms. Th...
The linear canonical Hankel type transformations associated with translation and convolution

This paper is the study of Hankel type translation and Hankel type convolution for linear canonical Hankel type transformations. In this paper, I have studied some inequalities associated with Hank...
Variability-aware low-power techniques for nanoscale mixed-signal circuits

New circuit design techniques that accommodate lower supply voltages necessary for portable systems need to be integrated into the semiconductor intellectual property (IP) core. Systems that once worked at 3.3 V or 2.5 V now need to work at 1.8 V or lower, without causing any performance degradation. Also, the fluctuation of device characteristics caused by process variation in nanometer technologies is seen as design yield loss. The numerous parasitic effects induced by layouts, especially for high-performance and high-speed circuits, pose a problem for IC design. Lack of exact layout information during circuit sizing leads to long design iterations involving time-consuming runs of complex tools. There is a strong need for low-power, high-performance, parasitic-aware and process-variation-tolerant circuit design. This dissertation proposes methodologies and techniques to achieve variability, power, performance, and parasitic-aware circuit designs. Three approaches are proposed: the single iteration automatic approach, the hybrid Monte Carlo and design of experiments (DOE) approach, and the corner-based approach. Widely used mixed-signal circuits such as analog-to-digital converter (ADC), voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), voltage level converter and active pixel sensor (APS) have been designed at nanoscale complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) and subjected to the proposed methodologies. The effectiveness of the proposed methodologies has been demonstrated through exhaustive simulations. Apart from these methodologies, the application of dual-oxide and dual-threshold techniques at circuit level in order to minimize power and leakage is also explored.
Geodesic nets on the 2-sphere

In this paper we introduce the concept of a geodesic net, an idea which plays the role among graphs that geodesics play among simple closed curves. We establish the existence of specific geodesic nets on the 2-sphere in
Increased Nonobese Diabetic Th1:Th2 (IFN-γ:IL-4) Ratio Is CD4+ T Cell Intrinsic and Independent of APC Genetic Background

Autoreactive CD4(+) T cells play a major role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diabetes in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice. We recently showed that the non-MHC genetic background controlled enhanced entry into the IFN-gamma pathway by NOD vs B6.G7 T cells. In this study, we demonstrate that increased IFN-gamma, decreased IL-4, and decreased IL-10 production in NOD T cells is CD4 T cell intrinsic. NOD CD4(+) T cells purified and stimulated with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 Abs generated greater IFN-gamma, less IL-4, and less IL-10 than B6.G7 CD4(+) T cells. The same results were obtained in purified NOD.H2(b) vs B6 CD4(+) T cells, demonstrating that the non-MHC NOD genetic background controlled the cytokine phenotype. Moreover, the increased IFN-gamma:IL-4 cytokine ratio was independent of the genetic background of APCs, since NOD CD4(+) T cells generated increased IFN-gamma and decreased IL-4 compared with B6.G7 CD4(+) T cells, regardless of whether they were stimulated with NOD or B6.G7 APCs. Cell cycle analysis showed that the cytokine differences were not due to cycle/proliferative differences between NOD and B6.G7, since stimulated CD4(+) T cells from both strains showed quantitatively identical entry into subsequent cell divisions (shown by CFSE staining), although NOD cells showed greater numbers of IFN-gamma-positive cells with each subsequent cell division. Moreover, 7-aminoactinomycin D and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine analysis showed indistinguishable entry into G(0)/G(1), S, and G(2)/M phases of the cell cycle for both NOD and B6.G7 CD4(+) cells, with both strains generating IFN-gamma predominantly in the S phase. Therefore, the NOD cytokine effector phenotype is CD4(+) T cell intrinsic, genetically controlled, and independent of cell cycle machinery.
Development of an Oxygen Embrittlement Criterion for Zircaloy Cladding Applicable to Loss-of-Coolant Accident Conditions in Light-Water Reactors

To establish the mechanical response of Zircaloy cladding under thermal shock conditions typical of hypothetical loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) situations in light-water reactors (LWRs), cladding specimens were ruptured in steam during transient heating (10 K/s), oxidized at maximum temperatures between 1140 and 1770 K for various times, and cooled from the isothermal oxidation temperature to ∼1100 K at a rate of 5 K/s, and rapidly quenched by bottom flooding with water at a rate of ∼0.05 m/s. Failure "maps" for fracture of the cladding by thermal shock were developed relative to the maximum oxidation temperature and various time-dependent oxidation parameters. In situ pendulum-load impact tests were conducted at room temperature on tubes that survived the thermal quench. Information on the total absorbed energy from these tests was correlated with more extensive results from instrumented drop-weight impact tests. The thermal shock results indicate that the present Zircaloy embrittlement criterion (that is, a total oxidation limit of 17 percent of the wall thickness and a maximum cladding temperature of 1477 K) is conservative and that a more quantitative criterion, based upon the mechanical behavior of the oxidized material, can be formulated with a specified degree of conservatism consistent with the mechanical loads imposed on the cladding during reflood and the maximum amount of oxidation set by the margin of performance of emergency core-cooling systems in LWRs.
Efficient non-hydrostatic modelling of flow and bed shear stress in a pier scour hole

Predicting 3-D flow in a pier scour hole and the associated bed shear stress τb is important for the safe and economical design of bridge piers. This paper combines layered, hydrostatic hydrodynamic computations with non-hydrostatic pressure corrections, exploring a new modelling approach for efficient and reliable predictions of 3-D flow velocity. The law of the wall method is used for estimating τb. Its suitability for incorporation into layered models for bedload transport and pier scour simulations is also discussed. The predicted flow shows realistic features: strong downward flow adjacent to the upstream nose of a circular pier, vortex motions in the vertical and horizontal direction, and meandering flow wakes. The velocity results compare well with available experimental data. In the approach region, τb is uniform. It attains a local maximum immediately before flow enters the scour hole and then drops non-linearly in the scour-hole region toward the pier. In the wake region, τb has very low values....
National health care: consumer's delight or dilemma?

(1975). National Health Care: Consumer's Delight or Dilemma? Health Education: Vol. 6, No. 6, pp. 11-14.
Cassini-Huygens engineering operations at Saturn

On 30th June 2004 the Cassini spacecraft fired its main engine to maneuver into orbit around Saturn. This paper describes the engineering operations that have contributed to the unprecedented scientific success of the Cassini and Huygens missions, and how engineering operations are planned and implemented in concert with the required sequence of science observations.
The heterologous protection of rats against a challenge with Fasciola hepatica by prior infection with the nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis

Previous infection of rats with nippostrongylus brasiliensis was shown to result in protection against an oral challenge with Fasciola hepatica metacercariae but not against an intraperitoneal challenge with newly excysted juvenile (NEJ) flukes. The timing of the challenge was important and a double infection with the nematode gave more consistent results than a single. Resistance appeared to be associated with a prior induction of intestinal eosinophilia. Sera from these resistant rats, however, failed to induce eosinophil adherence to NEJ flukes in vitro.
Association between IL-32 genotypes and outcome in infection-associated acute lung injury

Introduction Our purpose was to investigate variation within the IL-32 promoter and gene, and susceptibility to and outcomes from infection associated acute lung injury (ALI).
Amines and thiols on diamond surfaces

Photochemical reactions have proven to be mild, selective, and versatile methods for modifying diamond. The surfaces of hydrogenated diamond powders, films and single crystals were photochemically modified to produce diamond terminated with simple amines and thiols. The amines and thiols were prepared via a chlorinated diamond intermediate. The thiolated surface was also prepared directly from the hydrogenated diamond. The modified diamond surfaces were spectroscopically characterized using diffuse-reflectance infrared spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Changes in the electron work function of the diamond surfaces upon modification were determined using a Kelvin probe. Sessile-drop contact angle measurements were used to determine relative surface hydrophilicity.
Enantioselective Synthesis of P-Chiral (η6-Arene)ruthenium(II) Complexes Using Enantiomerically Pure Orthometalated Palladium(II) Amine Complexes

Enantiomerically pure, rigid, diphosphines [2-(dicyclohexylphosphino)-5,6-dimethyl-7-phenyl-7-phosphabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene, [2-(diphenylphosphino)-5,6-dimethyl-7-phenyl-7-phosphabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene, and the amidophosphine [2-(N,N-dimethylamido)-5,6-dimethyl-7-phenyl-7-phosphabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene were prepared efficiently, by the asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions between dicyclohexylvinylphosphine (DCVP), diphenylvinylphosphine (DPVP), N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA), and 3,4-dimethyl-1-phenylphosphole (DMPP) using chiral organopalladium(II) complexes containing orthopalladated (S)-1-α-(dimethylamino)ethylbenzene, (R)-1-α-(dimethylamino)ethylnaphthalene, or (S)-2-α-(dimethylamino)ethylnaphthalene as the reaction templates. Treatment of the diphosphine complexes with concentrated hydrochloric acid removed the chiral amine auxiliaries from the templates to give chelated dichloropalladium complexes. Then the ligands were displaced from the palladium chloride complexes with cyanide and reacted with [(η 6 -1,3,5-Me 3 C 6 H 3 )-Ru)Cl 2 ] 2 in the presence of AgCF 3 SO 3 to form enantiomerically pure [(η 6 -1,3,5-Me 3 C 6 -H 3 )Ru(II)(P∼P)Cl]CF 3 SO 3 complexes, chiral at ruthenium. Similarly, treatment of the amidophosphine palladium complexes with 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane in dichloromethane liberated the enantiomerically pure P-chiral ligands, which reacted with [(η 6 -p-cymene)RuCl 2 ] 2 in the presence of AgCF 3 SO 3 to form an inseparable mixture of two diastereomers of [(η 6 -p-cymene)Ru(II)(P∼O)Cl]CF 3 SO 3 , chiral at ruthenium. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, circular dichroism, 1 H, 3 1 P{ 1 H}, and 1 3 C-{ 1 H} NMR spectroscopies, and in several cases X-ray crystallography.
Ability of beach users to identify rip currents at Pensacola Beach, Florida

Quasi-permanent rip current hot spots at Pensacola Beach, Florida, pose a significant hazard to beach users, largely because the hot spots are located at or close to the primary access points. While an increase in the number of lifeguards has led to a decrease in the number of drownings since 2004, the number of rescues and contacts has increased to over a 30,000 year. Despite warning signs at access points along the beach, it is not clear whether beach users are able to identify a rip channel or an active rip current. To assess beach users’ knowledge of rip currents and their ability to identify rip channels and currents, 97 surveys were conducted between June and September of 2010 at Pensacola Beach. Beach users were asked to identify rip channels in oblique photographs taken on green, yellow and red flag days when the potential for rip currents is low, medium and high, respectively. A majority of participants suggested that they could identify a rip channel or current (if present), but less than 20 % of beach users were able to identify the rip channels and currents. The majority of participants identified heavy surf areas as the location of the rips versus the relatively flat water of the current or the darker color water of the channel. Results further suggest that most beach users, and particularly local participants, are overconfident in their ability to identify rip channels and currents. The focus of beach users on heavy surf as an indication of the rip current potential and the overconfidence in identifying a rip channel or current affects the spatial distribution of beach users and to some degree the location of rescues and drownings. While it can be quite difficult for the average beach user to identify rip channels and active rip currents, the results of the study suggest a need for further education efforts to reduce the rip hazard, particularly in areas where lifeguards are not permanently stationed.
Single-Channel Quantitative Multiplex Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction for Large Numbers of Gene Products Differentiates Nondemented from Neuropathological Alzheimer's Disease

Effective approaches using array technologies are critical to understand the molecular bases of human diseases. The results obtained using such procedures require analysis and validation procedures that are still under development. In the context of Alzheimer's disease, in which the identification of molecular mechanisms of underlying pathologies is vital, we describe a robust assay that is the first real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction-based high-throughput approach that can simultaneously quantitate the expression of a large number of genes at the copy number level from a minute amount of starting material. Using this approach within the human brain, we were able to quantitate as many as 19 genes at a time with only one type of fluorescent probe. The number of genes included can be considerably increased. Examples of consistent changes in Alzheimer's disease within these 19 candidate genes included reductions in targets related to the dendritic and synaptic apparatus. These changes were specific to Alzheimer's disease when compared with Parkinson's disease cases. We also present comparison data with microarray analysis from the same brain region and the same patients. The high sensitivity and reproducibility of this technology coupled with appropriate multivariate analysis is proposed here to form a biotechnology platform that can be widely used for diagnostic purposes as well as basic research.
CT of anorectal malformation ― a postoperative evaluation

In spite of the progress in the field of surgical treatment of anorectal malformations, faecal incontinence is, in variable degrees, still an unpleasant and frequent postoperative sequela. Postoperative CT demonstrate the location of the pulled-through intestine, including whether it had been correctly placed through the levator ani and in the spincteric muscular complex. In our nine patients we discovered a correlation between the CT findings and the clinical picture. The cases of incontinence whether associated with sacral anomalies or not were characterized either by marked hypoplasia of musculature or by the pull-through having missed the sphincteric musculature. CT scans could be of use in planning further surgery.
Robust time synchronization in wireless sensor networks using real time clock

Time synchronization is an essential service in many sensor network applications. Harsh environment which causes nodes to fail, go offline, or reboot can challenge many time synchronization protocols. In this work, we first characterize this challenge and use a real time clock in one of the nodes in the network to improve robustness of time synchronization. Our experiments show that our approach improves the robustness of state-of-the-art offline time synchronization protocols.
Epigenetic inactivation of the SFRP genes is associated with drinking, smoking and HPV in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

The soluble frizzled receptor protein (SFRP) family encodes antagonists of the WNT pathway, and silencing of these genes, through promoter hypermethylation, leads to constitutive WNT signaling. In bladder cancers, hypermethylation of the SFRP genes occurs more often in current and former smokers and is a strong predictor of poor patient survival. Hence, we examined methylation of these genes in another tobacco-related epithelial cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), to determine if the pattern of tobacco exposure again predicts the epigenetic alteration of these genes. Using methylation-specific PCR, the prevalence of methylation of SFRP1, SFRP2, SFRP4 and SFRP5 was 35, 32, 35 and 29%, respectively among 350 HNSCC cases. Promoter methylation of SFRP1 occurred more often in both heavy (OR 3.5, 95% CI 0.9-13.7) and light drinkers (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.0-14.3) compared to nondrinkers. SFRP4 promoter methylation, on the other hand, occurred at a higher prevalence in never smokers and former smokers than in current smokers, and also was independently associated with HPV16 viral DNA. A joint effects model of SFRP4 promoter methylation demonstrated that smoking status and HPV virus significantly interacted (p < 0.04) such that never smokers with HPV16 had an OR of SFRP4 methylation of 9.0 (95% CI 2.1-38.6). These results suggest that epigenetic alterations of the SFRP genes are highly prevalent in HNSCC, and that the clonal selection for these alterations is complex and may be related to the carcinogenic exposures that are known risk factors for this disease.