cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deep Convolutional Hashing for Low-Dimensional Binary Embedding of Histopathological Images

Compact binary representations of histopa-thology images using hashing methods provide efficient approximate nearest neighbor search for direct visual query in large-scale databases. They can be utilized to measure the probability of the abnormality of the query image based on the retrieved similar cases, thereby providing support for medical diagnosis. They also allow for efficient managing of large-scale image databases because of a low storage requirement. However, the effectiveness of binary representations heavily relies on the visual descriptors that represent the semantic information in the histopathological images. Traditional approaches with hand-crafted visual descriptors might fail due to significant variations in image appearance. Recently, deep learning architectures provide promising solutions to address this problem using effective semantic representations. In this paper, we propose a deep convolutional hashing method that can be trained “point-wise” to simultaneously learn both semantic and binary representations of histopathological images. Specifically, we propose a convolutional neural network that introduces a latent binary encoding (LBE) layer for low-dimensional feature embedding to learn binary codes. We design a joint optimization objective function that encourages the network to learn discriminative representations from the label information, and reduce the gap between the real-valued low-dimensional embedded features and desired binary values. The binary encoding for new images can be obtained by forward propagating through the network and quantizing the output of the LBE layer. Experimental results on a large-scale histopathological image dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Evaluation of Micronutrient Sensors for Food Matrices in Resource‐Limited Settings: A Systematic Narrative Review

In resource‐limited settings, mass food fortification is a common strategy to ensure the population consumes appropriate quantities of essential micronutrients. Food and government organizations in these settings, however, lack tools to monitor the quality and compliance of fortified products and their efficacy to enhance nutrient status. The World Health Organization has developed general guidelines known as ASSURED (Affordable, Sensitive, Specific, User‐friendly, Rapid and Robust, Equipment‐free, and Deliverable to end‐users) to aid the development of useful diagnostic tools for these settings. These guidelines assume performance aspects such as sufficient accuracy, reliability, and validity. The purpose of this systematic narrative review is to examine the micronutrient sensor literature on its adherence towards the ASSURED criteria along with accuracy, reliability, and validation when developing micronutrient sensors for resource‐limited settings. Keyword searches were conducted in three databases: Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus and were based on 6‐point inclusion criteria. A 16‐question quality assessment tool was developed to determine the adherence towards quality and performance criteria. Of the 2,365 retrieved studies, 42 sensors were included based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. Results showed that improvements to the current sensor design are necessary, especially their affordability, user‐friendliness, robustness, equipment‐free, and deliverability within the ASSURED criteria, and accuracy and validity of the additional criteria to be useful in resource‐limited settings. Although it requires further validation, the 16‐question quality assessment tool can be used as a guide in the development of sensors for resource‐limited settings.
Values-Based Leadership: At the Heart of Sustaining School Reform and Improvement

The critical challenge facing educational leaders is promoting innovative change that generates systemic improvements in student achievement as well as the school culture. This chapter introduces and highlights the significance of professional leadership in the reform process and its importance to positive change outcomes. Throughout the chapter, the authors also argue that it is time to recognize and better understand the need and importance of values-based leadership as a viable methodology for leading change. The authors based this assertion on a review of leadership and their findings which demonstrate that leaders often acting as innovation entrepreneurs drive changes in policies and practices to specific outcomes related to their values. Furthermore, when exploring the role of leadership, the authors address another related area of interest and acknowledge that leadership values and effectiveness make a difference, specifically, when leaders communicate a sense of personal responsibility and accountability to forward school reform agendas. Finally, the authors reiterate their interest in values-based leadership and address the importance of specific leadership qualities and behaviors as they relate to school reform while Exploring values-based leadership as a framework for sustainable improvement Sharing their observations to provide a rationale for the importance of values-based leadership Examining lessons learned about values-based leadership from history, business, and other fields Framing values-based leadership within an educational focus Explaining the importance of values-based leadership by providing examples of unsuccessful and successful school reform initiatives Identifying implications for the future
The length of the circle

The next lecture was given to an 8th grade class in Paris in Spring 1983. We did the length of the circle, starting with the formula for the area. This method can be used instead of the method followed in “What is pi?” and has the advantage that it adapts easily to find the area of the sphere from the volume of the ball.
Composite Durability and Aging in Civil Infrastructures

As composite materials are finding increasing use in infrastructure projects, their durability over the life span of a structure needs to be quantified. The design life for a typical bridge is 50 years or more. As infrastructure demand is outstripping resources, the life of a bridge can exceed 75 years and sometimes approach 100 years. Additionally with the introduction of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Guide for the Design and Construction of Externally Bonded FRP Systems for Strengthening Concrete Structures, ACI 440.2R-02, allowable stress knockdown factors are incorporated into the design guidelines for exposure to the environment. Consequently, in order to have high confidence that composite material systems, utilized as either structural component parts or for the strengthening of structures, will last the remaining life of the structure, the degradation mechanisms due to exposure to the natural environment must be known. Thus, effects due to the freeze–thaw cycles, de-icing chemicals, humidity, UV radiation, and erosion on the material behaviors need to be studied in order to establish proper design methodologies to account for these conditions over the life of the structure. This chapter will highlight the recent research for understanding composite material behavior when subjected to the naturally occurring environmental conditions. It will also highlight design methodologies suggested in the literature to properly account for these exposures over the structures’ lifetime.
Speech Rhythms and Metric Frames

I present some conceptual and computational tactics related to the metric analysis of speech rhythms. An utterance can be considered metered when it approaches isochrony at the level of the syllable (note) and/or foot (beat). Since the timing patterns of spoken speech resemble those of music, we can apply knowledge of musical meter and expressive timing to the study of speech. However, speech rhythms tend to be more amorphous than musical rhythms, which makes the task of modeling meter in speech far from straightforward. The lack of a score or implicit rhythmic template leads to a meter-finding methodology that juggles the oftentimes incompatible outcomes of different metric frameworks: quantization as opposed to categorical perception, and subdivision isochrony as opposed to beat isochrony.
Summary and Best Practices

This chapter reviews the cross-cutting strategies and provides a set of recommendations for best implementing sustainability in the United States.
Comparison of Effectiveness of Two Teaching Methods on Acquisition of Skills in Preclinical Fixed Prosthodontics.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dental faculty-student interactions, virtual assessment software, and associated rubrics on student performance by assessing tooth preparations generated during the students' final practical exam. The study, conducted in 2017 and 2018, compared teeth prepared for preclinical fixed prosthodontics competency exams by two subsequent classes of second-year dental students trained using different methods. Class A was trained for nine months prior to the exam using feedback via student-faculty interactions and conventional rubrics. Class B was trained for five and half months prior to the exam via contemporary rubrics that incorporated feedback from both faculty and virtual assessment software. Two blinded, independent, and calibrated faculty members randomly evaluated the tooth preparations and graded them as excellent, standard, or standard not met for occlusal reduction, axial/lingual reduction, contour/long axis/axial wall height, finish line location, finish line quality, and finish of the preparation. The interrater agreement was slight to fair (0.01 0.05) on student performance for the assessed criteria. These results suggest that, with the use of virtual assessment software, a course director may be able to shorten a course and obtain the same results as a nine-month course.
The Implications of China’s Increased Involvement in Africa: An Economic, Political and Cultural Analysis

Twenty years ago, the People’s Republic of China was East Asia’s largest oil exporter. Today, it is the world’s second largest importer. Beginning in 1993, China became a net importer of oil, a status that is not likely to change in the foreseeable future, with analysts positing that “oil will be the only primary fuel capable of fulfilling China’s growing needs in both transportation and industry.” As China’s economy surges forward, growing by double-digits the past several years, the nation’s dependence on oil and, consequently, its demand for the energy resource has grown exponentially. With the country transitioning away from the use of coal, daily oil consumption doubled over the course of the last ten years. In the future, experts expect demand for the good to continue growing, predicting an increase of 130 percent by 2025. Such an increase comes on top of an already substantial demand for the good, one that is equal to 40 percent of the world’s total.
Gender and ethnic differences in rates of immune reconstitution, AIDS diagnosis, and survival.

In this work, we use 2011–2013 Texas HIV surveillance data (N=2,175) and apply hierarchical linear and Cox regression modeling to characterize the association of gender and race/ethnicity with rate...
Federal policy, local policy, and green building certifications in the U.S.

Abstract Buildings account for about 40% of total U.S. energy consumption and around a third of total energy-related CO2 emissions. Concerns about these emissions have led federal, state, and local governments to pass policies to reduce energy use in buildings. In this paper, we examine whether policies aimed at encouraging green building certifications are associated with an increase in the gross floor area per capita of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications. We focus specifically on commercial LEED building retrofits certified under - :existing buildings: operations and maintenance (EB), commercial interiors (CI), and core and shell (CS) rating system categories. Using a panel data approach, we find that metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) with local policies, particularly requirement and density programs, are associated with significant increases in commercial LEED retrofits. Specifically, we find that the switch of an MSA from having no requirement policy to having a requirement policy is associated with an increase of 0.22 LEED sqft/capita [0.02 LEED sqm/capita] (compared to an average of 0.6 LEED sqft/capita [0.06sqm/capita] across all buildings in 2016). We also find that federal policies and improvements to the LEED rating system are associated with increases in LEED certifications. While the impacts of federal policy and LEED rating system updates are difficult to separate, our work suggests that local policy, federal policy, and modifications to the LEED rating system can work in concert to drive green building adoption.
Continuous-Time, Configurable Analog Linear System Solutions With Transconductance Amplifiers

This paper addresses and experimentally demonstrates a programmable linear equation solver by analog computation. A set of differential equations using transconductance devices directly translated from circuit theory converges to the linear equation solution. These energy-efficient analog techniques are experimentally demonstrated in a configurable analog platform. The resulting analog linear equation solution circuits are effectively analog filters. The paper analyzes the algorithmic issues and analog numerical analysis issues, including accuracy, convergence time, and the interpretation of condition number for analog solutions.
The Perception of Relations.

The world contains not only objects and features (red apples, glass bowls, wooden tables), but also relations holding between them (apples contained in bowls, bowls supported by tables). Representations of these relations are often developmentally precocious and linguistically privileged; but how does the mind extract them in the first place? Although relations themselves cast no light onto our eyes, a growing body of work suggests that even very sophisticated relations display key signatures of automatic visual processing. Across physical, eventive, and social domains, relations such as support , fit , cause , chase , and even socially interact are extracted rapidly, are impossible to ignore, and influence other perceptual processes. Sophisticated and structured relations are not only judged and understood, but also seen — revealing surprisingly rich content in visual perception itself.
Contributions of the rodent cingulate-retrosplenial cortical axis to associative learning and memory: A proposed circuit for persistent memory maintenance

While the anterior cingulate (ACC) and retrosplenial (RSC) cortices have been extensively studied for their role in spatial navigation, less is known about how they contribute to associative learning and later memory recall. The limited work that has been conducted on this topic suggests that each of these cortical regions makes distinct, but similar contributions to associative learning and memory. Here, we review evidence from the rodent literature demonstrating that while ACC activity seems to be necessary at remote time points associated with imprecise or generalized memories, the role of the RSC seems to be uniform over time. Together, the lines of evidence reviewed here suggest that the ACC and RSC likely function together to support memory formation and maintenance following associative learning.
Analysis of Transport Layer Congestion Control Algorithms over 5G Millimeter Wave Networks

The Millimeter Wave technology can provide very high data rates and is a key enabler of 5G communication. However, mmWave signals suffer with high penetration loss and poor isotropic propagation which causes intermittent packet losses. TCP's congestion control algorithms consider packet loss as an implicit notification of network congestion and react by reducing the data transmission rate. In this research we examine how TCP's congestion control algorithms impact the achievable data rate over mmWave links. We discuss the performance of different TCP versions using metrics such as congestion window size (cwnd), throughput, Round Trip Time (RTT), and Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR).
Intraoperative Use of Robotics With Navigation for Pedicle Screw Placement in Treatment of Pediatric High-grade Spondylolisthesis: A Preliminary Report.

Background Accurate pedicle screw placement is critical to surgically correct pediatric high-grade spondylolisthesis (HGS). The recent advent of robotics coupled with computer-assisted navigation (RAN) may represent a novel option to improve surgical outcomes of HGS, secondary to enhanced pedicle screw placement safety. This series presents the HGS-RAN technique adopted by our site, describing its surgical outcomes and feasibility. Methods Consecutive patients with a diagnosis of HGS (Meyerding grade III to V), operated on using RAN from 2019 to 2020 at a single-center were reviewed. Demographics, screw accuracy, sagittal L5-S1 parameters, complications, and perioperative outcomes were described. All patients were treated with instrumentation, decompression, posterior lumbar interbody fusion, and reduction. Robotic time included anatomic registration to end of screw placement. Screw accuracy-defined as a screw placed safely within the planned intrapedicular trajectory-was characterized by the Gertzbein-Robbins system for patients with additional 3-dimensional imaging. Results Ten HGS patients, with an average age of 13.7 years old, were included in the series. All 62 screws were placed without neurological deficit or complication. Seven patients had additional 3-dimensional imaging to assess screw accuracy (42 of 62 screws). One hundred percent of screws were placed safely with no pedicle breaches (Gertzbein-Robbins-grade A). Thirty screws (48%) were placed through separate incisions that were percutaneous/transmuscular and 32 screws (52%) were inserted through the main incision. There were statistically significant improvements in L5 slippage (P=0.002) and lumbosacral angle (P=0.002), reflecting successful HGS correction. The total median operative time was 324 minutes with the robotic usage time consuming a median of 72 minutes. Median estimated blood loss was 150 mL, and length-of-stay was a median 3 days. Conclusions This case-series demonstrates that RAN represents a viable option for HGS repair, indicated by high screw placement accuracy, safety, and L5-S1 slippage correction. Surgeons looking to adopt an emerging technique to enhance safety and correction of pediatric HGS should consider the RAN platform. Level of evidence Level IV-therapeutic study.
Effective rural electrification via optimal network: Optimal path-finding in highly anisotropic search space using Multiplier-accelerated A* Algorithm

Abstract United Nations’ 7th Sustainable Development Goal envisions the availability of modern energy for everyone by 2030. While the progress has been satisfactory in the last few years, further rural electrification is increasingly challenging. The current mainstream approach of electrifying villages individually is becoming cost-ineffective due to uncertainties in both resource availability and energy demand for small, difficult-to-reach, residences. A networked rural electrification model, i.e. a cost-optimized network connecting villages and generation facilities, could improve resources utilization, reliability and flexibility. However, determining optimal paths with common search algorithms is extremely inefficient due to complex topographic features of rural areas. This work develops and applies an artificial intelligence search method to efficiently route inter-village power connections in the common rural electrification situation where substantial topological variations exist. The method is evolved from the canonical A* algorithm. Results compare favorably with optimal A* results, at significantly reduced computational effort. Furthermore, users can adaptively trade-off between computation speed and optimality and hence quickly evaluate sites and configurations at reasonable accuracy, which is impossible with classical methods.
Reciprocal Regulation of Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Receptors and Acetylcholine Receptors during Synaptogenesis in Embryonic Chick Atria

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) has been implicated in the development, survival, and maintenance of a broad range of neurons and glia in the peripheral nervous system and the CNS. Evidence also suggests that CNTF may affect development of cells outside the nervous system. We have found that functional CNTF and its receptor are expressed in developing embryonic chick heart and may be involved in parasympathetic synapse formation. CNTF and CNTF receptor mRNA levels were highest at embryonic day 11 (E11)–E13, the period of parasympathetic innervation in chick atria. Levels of atrial CNTF receptor mRNA were fourfold greater at E13 than at E6 and at E13 were 2.5-fold higher in atria than in ventricle, corresponding to the higher degree of parasympathetic innervation occurring in atria. Treatment of isolated atria or cultured atrial myocytes with recombinant human or avian CNTF resulted in the tyrosine phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription STAT3. The developmental increase in atrial CNTF receptor mRNA was enhanced by stimulating muscarinic receptors with carbacholin ovo and was inhibited by blocking muscarinic cholinergic receptors with atropine. Treatment of cultured atrial myocytes with CNTF resulted in a twofold increase in the levels of muscarinic receptors. Thus, CNTF was able to regulate a key component of parasympathetic synapses on atrial myocytes. These results suggest a postsynaptic role for CNTF in the onset of parasympathetic function in the developing heart and provide new clues to molecular mechanisms directing synapse formation at targets of the autonomic nervous system.
Identification — Inverse Problems for Partial Differential Equations: A Stochastic Formulation

This paper presents a stochastic formulation of a class of identification problems for partial differential equations, known as ‘inverse’ problems in the mathematical-physics literature. By introducing stochastic processes to model errors in observation as well as ‘disturbance’ we can provide a precise formulation to interpret what appear to be ‘ad hoc’ techniques, especially in the treatment of ‘inverse’ problems. More importantly, we can model unknown sources as stochastic disturbances leading to more general ‘inverse’ problems than considered hitherto.
Genomic DISC1 Disruption in hiPSCs Alters Wnt Signaling and Neural Cell Fate

Genetic and clinical association studies have identified disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) as a candidate risk gene for major mental illness. DISC1 is interrupted by a balanced chr(1;11) translocation in a Scottish family in which the translocation predisposes to psychiatric disorders. We investigate the consequences of DISC1 interruption in human neural cells using TALENs or CRISPR-Cas9 to target the DISC1 locus. We show that disruption of DISC1 near the site of the translocation results in decreased DISC1 protein levels because of nonsense-mediated decay of long splice variants. This results in an increased level of canonical Wnt signaling in neural progenitor cells and altered expression of fate markers such as Foxg1 and Tbr2. These gene expression changes are rescued by antagonizing Wnt signaling in a critical developmental window, supporting the hypothesis that DISC1-dependent suppression of basal Wnt signaling influences the distribution of cell types generated during cortical development.
Optics and virtualization as data center network infrastructure

The emerging cloud services have motivated a fresh look at the design of data center network infrastructure in multiple layers. To transfer the huge amount of data generated by many data intensive applications, data center network has to be fast, scalable and power efficient. To support flexible and efficient sharing in cloud services, service providers deploy a virtualization layer as part of the data center infrastructure. This thesis explores the design and performance analysis of data center network infrastructure in both physical network and virtualization layer. On the physical network design front, we present a hybrid packet/circuit switched network architecture which uses circuit switched optics to augment traditional packet-switched Ethernet in modern data centers. We show that this technique has substantial potential to improve bisection bandwidth and application performance in a cost-effective manner. To push the adoption of optical circuits in real cloud data centers, we further explore and address the circuit control issues in shared data center environments. On the virtualization layer, we present an analytical study on the network performance of virtualized data centers. Using Amazon EC2 as an experiment platform, we quantify the impact of virtualization on network performance in commercial cloud. Our findings provide valuable insights to both cloud users in moving legacy application into cloud and service providers in improving the virtualization infrastructure to support better cloud services.
AN EXTRACELLULAR MATERIAL ELABORATED BY MICROCOCCUS SODONENSIS

Abstract Campbell, J. N. (American Meat Institute Foundation, Chicago, Ill.), James B. Evans Jerome J. Perry, and C. F. Niven, Jr. An extracellular material elaborated by Micrococcus sodonensis. J. Bacteriol. 82:828–837. 1961.—When actively growing in a yeast extract-tryptone broth, Micrococcus sodonensis produced rather large quantities of an extracellular material. On a dry weight basis, this material consisted of approximately 80% deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), 6% ribonucleic acid, 13% protein, and a small quantity of a cell pigment which contained an associated iron porphyrinlike compound. The extracellular material was not produced in other complex or synthetic media. Removal of cells from the appropriate growth medium and suspension in distilled water resulted in the prevention of formation of the material if it had not already begun, or its immediate cessation in those cells which had been actively producing the material. Cells producing the extracellular material exhibited an increasingly higher concentration of intracellular DNA as incubation proceeded, whereas cells growing under conditions not supporting such production showed a decline in intracellular DNA as the culture aged. A similar increase of intracellular DNA, but not release of extracellular material, could be effected by addition of yeast extract or high levels of purine compounds to a medium which did not support the production of extracellular material. The base composition and ratios of both extracellular and intracellular DNA produced under all conditions tested were compared and found to be similar or identical, and to correspond to the classical Watson-Crick structure for DNA.
Assessment of comorbidities in surgical oncology outcomes

The impact of comorbidities on treatment, postoperative complications, survival, prognosis, and quality of life, makes comorbidities' assessment essential in surgically managed cancer patients. Multiple indices exist to measure the presence and severity of comorbidities, of which the Charlson Comorbidity Index and the Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 are the most widely employed. Incorporation of comorbidity data in cancer registries facilitates surgical oncology research conduct with an objective to improve cancer care through better-informed patient counseling and treatment planning. J. Surg. Oncol. 2014 110:629–635. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Robustness in the Salus scalable block store

This paper describes Salus, a block store that seeks to maximize simultaneously both scalability and robustness. Salus provides strong end-to-end correctness guarantees for read operations, strict ordering guarantees for write operations, and strong durability and availability guarantees despite a wide range of server failures (including memory corruptions, disk corruptions, firmware bugs, etc.). Such increased protection does not come at the cost of scalability or performance: indeed, Salus often actually outperforms HBase (the codebase from which Salus descends). For example, Salus' active replication allows it to halve network bandwidth while increasing aggregate write throughput by a factor of 1.74 compared to HBase in a well-provisioned system.
Subpopulations of bovine lymphocytes separated by rosetting techniques

Abstract A combination of E-rosetting techniques with both neuraminidase- and AET-treated sheep erythrocytes (RBC) was used to enumerate subsets of bovine T lymphocytes. Direct (anti-Ig) rosetting procedures were used to enumerate B lymphocytes bearing surface immunoglobulin (Ig). Approximately 10% of bovine peripheral blood lymphocytes formed rosettes only with neuraminidase-treated RBC; 20% formed rosettes with either neuraminidase- or AET-treated RBC; 30% formed rosettes only with AET-treated RBC; 25% possessed surface Ig, as shown by rosette formation with anti-Ig-coupled RBC; and the remaining 15% lacked both E receptors and surface Ig. These five populations were physically separated by centrifugation on Ficoll-Diatrizoate and recovered for functional analysis. The procedures reported here should be useful for the identification of lymphocyte populations responsible for recognition, effector, and cooperative functions in the bovine immune system.
Seasonal variation in plasma thyroid hormone concentrations in coastal versus inland populations of juvenile American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis): influence of plasma iodide concentrations.

Abstract Thyroid hormones, essential for normal growth and health, are associated with changes in temperature, photoperiod, and reproduction. Iodide, a necessary element for thyroid hormone production, varies in diet, and is more abundant in estuarine environments, which could alter thyroid hormone variation. However, associations between thyroid hormone concentrations in animals from marine versus freshwater environments, which could become more pertinent with rising sea levels associated with global climate change, are not well studied. To determine the importance of dietary iodide in seasonal variation of plasma thyroid hormone concentrations, we analyzed seasonal variation of plasma thyroxine ( T 4 ) and triiodothyronine ( T 3 ) concentrations in juvenile alligators from an estuarine habitat (Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge; MI) and a freshwater habitat (Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge; LW) and compared these results to plasma inorganic iodide (PII) concentrations. Alligators from MI did not display seasonal variation in plasma T 4 , but exhibited a seasonal pattern in plasma T 3 concentrations similar to alligators from LW. Plasma thyroid hormone concentrations were consistently higher at MI than at LW. PII concentrations were correlated with plasma T 4 and T 3 concentrations in juvenile alligators from LW but not MI. The data on plasma T 4 and T 3 concentrations suggest altered iodide metabolism in estuarine alligators. Differences in thyroid hormone concentrations between the populations could be due to differences in dietary iodide, which need to be further evaluated.
Efficacy of Two FDA-Approved Drug Combination in a Mouse Model of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B-Induced Shock

ABSTRACTStaphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) causes lethal shock by potently stimulating the host immune response. Dexamethasone and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) are anti-inflammatory and antioxidative drugs, respectively, which can independently modulate immune function. Dexamethasone was previously shown to be effective in preventing SEB-induced shock models only if administered early and in multiple doses for a long duration. In this study, dexamethasone and NAC were used in tandem and protected mice (75%) against SEB-induced lethal shock. Hypothermia and weight loss elicited by SEB were also diminished by this novel combination treatment. The levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interleukin-2, interleukin-6, and mouse gamma interferon in lung tissue after intranasal exposure to SEB were also significantly reduced in mice given a combination of dexamethasone and NAC versus controls.
A Material Utilization Factor for Quantifying the Performance of Optimal Shape Extended Surfaces of Minimum Volume

Research has been undertaken here to determine a new fundamental parameter to judge the performance of optimally-shaped fins. Much research has been published on optimal shapes, but the gains have not been quantified explicitly versus even the constant cross-sectional area fin. Implicitly, optimum fins use less material to achieve the same or similar performance to that of the standard pin fin. But what performance is comparative? Thermal energy dissipation, fin effectiveness and fin efficiency are a few examples. As will be shown in this paper, a material utilization factor will be defined and the performance of an optimally shaped fin will be quantified with that of the standard pin fin for a variety of design conditions.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
MDP: Experience with a two dimensional magnetostatic program

This paper describes a program for the solution of the two-dimensional Magnetostatic problem with saturable iron using the piecewise constant integral algorithm. The code features interactive user data I/O and program supervision using a Control Statement language. Graphical display is used to present results of computations. A critique of the program is presented based on user's experience with it. The effect of original design of the code on subsequent modifications or improvements is discussed.
Amorphous fluoropolymers ‐ a new generation of products

Poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) already known since 50 years, Is a unique material among plastics due to its chemical inertness, heat resistance, electrical insulation properties and low coefficient of friction. Its high melt viscosity needs special ways of processing. That fact led to the development of melt-processible fluoropolymers such as Perfluoroethylene-propylene (FEP) and Perfluoroalkoxy (PFA). Now we have a third generation which is an amorphous fluorpolymer made by copolymerizing tetrafluoroethylene with 2,2-bis (trifluoromethyl) - 4,5 - difluoro -1,3 - dioxole. The bulky cyclic structure prevents the normal crystallisation as with PTFE polymers. The amorphous fluoropolymers have high clarity and dissolve in selected solvents. Having C-F, C-C and C-O bonds the well known properties as high temperature and chemical resistance are retained. Dielectric constant is in the range 1.83 - 1.93 up to 10.00 MHz the lowest of any plastic material. Optical properties are also very special. Refractive index is very low, in the range 1.29 - 1.32. Transmission is high from UV to IR and the polymer is not photo-degraded. The unique electrical and optical properties, coupled with high chemical and thermal stability, plus the ability to work from solution offers a powerful tool for those working on the frontiers of technology.
The patient-at-risk for development of vulvar cancer

Abstract Although the epithelial changes preceding the development of vulvar cancer were seemingly well defined in the early 20th century, recent changes in terminology have altered the interpretation of premalignant alterations as indefinite. The opportunity to follow the events leading to the development of invasive cancer suggest that chronic pruritis-associated atypical keratotic alterations may be the most significant premalignant features.
A numerical algorithm for MHD of free surface flows at low magnetic Reynolds numbers

We have developed a numerical algorithm and computational software for the study of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) of free surface flows at low magnetic Reynolds numbers. The governing system of equations is a coupled hyperbolic-elliptic system in moving and geometrically complex domains. The numerical algorithm employs the method of front tracking and the Riemann problem for material interfaces, second order Godunov-type hyperbolic solvers, and the embedded boundary method for the elliptic problem in complex domains. The numerical algorithm has been implemented as an MHD extension of FronTier, a hydrodynamic code with free interface support. The code is applicable for numerical simulations of free surface flows of conductive liquids or weakly ionized plasmas. The code has been validated through the comparison of numerical simulations of a liquid metal jet in a non-uniform magnetic field with experiments and theory. Simulations of the Muon Collider/Neutrino Factory target have also been discussed.
Basal ganglia-dependent processes in recalling learned visual-motor adaptations.

Humans learn and remember motor skills to permit adaptation to a changing environment. During adaptation, the brain develops new sensory–motor relationships that become stored in an internal model (IM) that may be retained for extended periods. How the brain learns new IMs and transforms them into long-term memory remains incompletely understood since prior work has mostly focused on the learning process. A current model suggests that basal ganglia, cerebellum, and their neocortical targets actively participate in forming new IMs but that a cerebellar cortical network would mediate automatization. However, a recent study (Marinelli et al. 2009) reported that patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), who have basal ganglia dysfunction, had similar adaptation rates as controls but demonstrated no savings at recall tests (24 and 48 h). Here, we assessed whether a longer training session, a feature known to increase long-term retention of IM in healthy individuals, could allow PD patients to demonstrate savings. We recruited PD patients and age-matched healthy adults and used a visual-motor adaptation paradigm similar to the study by Marinelli et al. (2009), doubling the number of training trials and assessed recall after a short and a 24-h delay. We hypothesized that a longer training session would allow PD patients to develop an enhanced representation of the IM as demonstrated by savings at the recall tests. Our results showed that PD patients had similar adaptation rates as controls but did not demonstrate savings at both recall tests. We interpret these results as evidence that fronto-striatal networks have involvement in the early to late phase of motor memory formation, but not during initial learning.
A thematic analysis of families living with schizophrenia.

An earlier study explored the influence of psychosocial variables (family coping behaviors, family psychological distress, family social support, and patient behavioral problems) on family functioning in 58 families providing care for a family member with schizophrenia. The purpose of this article is to explore what living with schizophrenia is like for families by conducting a thematic analysis of the qualitative data they provided during the study. Five recurrent themes were identified in the analysis of the qualitative data: overwhelming feelings, importance of medication, legal system difficulties, family and friends, and mental health professionals.
Role of bismuth and factors influencing the formation of Mn3O4 in rechargeable alkaline batteries based on bismuth-containing manganese oxides

The two-electron reduction/oxidation reactions of manganese oxide in alkaline electrolytes have been investigated in the presence and absence of bismuth oxide by both galvanostatic discharge/charge and linear sweep voltammetry followed by examining the products with X-ray diffraction. Although the presence of bismuth helps the formation of birnessite MnO 2 , it could not completely prevent the formation of Mn 3 O 4 . However, the formation of Mn 3 O 4 could be suppressed by controlling the scan rate during linear sweep voltammetry and/or the microstructure of the electrode. Mn 3 O 4 appears to be formed by a chemical reaction between dissolved Mn(II) and Mn(III) complexes (intermediates) that have diffused away from the conductive path (graphite). Both a faster scan rate (discharge/charge rate) and an intimate mixing of the manganese oxide with graphite achieved by ballmilling suppress the formation of Mn 3 O 4 independent of the presence of bismuth.
Reflections on Iran

Among the 30-something presenters at the first Conference on Media and Religion at Tehran, there were three women on the program: a professor and a graduate student both from the University of Tehr...
Active compression-decompression resuscitation: Analysis of transmitral flow and left ventricular volume by transesophageal echocardiography in humans

Objectives. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that active compression-decompression cardiopulmonary resuscitation increase transmitral flow and end-decompression left ventricular volume over levels achieved with standard manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation. p]Background. Recently, cardiopulmonary resuscitation incorporating active compression and decompression of the chest has been demonstrated to improve hemodynamic status in a canine model and in humans after cardiac arrest. Methods. The active compression-decompression device was applied midsternum in five consecutive patients and results compared sequentially (in random order) with those of standard manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Both techniques were performed at 80 compressions/min with a 1.5- to 2-in. (3.8 to 5.1 cm) compression depth and a 50% duty cycle. Transesophageal echocardiographic data obtained in each patient included the velocity-time integral of transmitral pulsed Doppler recordings and two-dimensional images of the left ventricle in the long-axis view. Planimetric volume measurements of the left ventricle were obtained at both end-compression and end-decompression. Results. No difference was observed in end-compression volume between the two techniques (p = 0.81). Increased end-decompression volume (active compression-decompression technique 81.3 ± 12.5 vs. standard technique 69.4 ± 10.8, p < 0.05), stroke volume (active compression-decompression technique 32.6 ± 6.8 vs. standard technique 17.6 ± 5.2, p < 0.05) and velocity-time integral of transmitral flow (active compression-decompression technique 15.8 ± 4.3 vs. standard technique 7.8 ± 2.3, p < 0.05) were found in the active compression-decompression group. The transmitral velocity-time integral was highly correlated with left ventricular stroke volume (r = 0.90). Conclusions. Improved transmitral flow, end-decompression left ventricular volume and stroke volume are seen with active compression-decompression resuscitation, suggesting a biphasic cardiothoracic cycle of flow. Active decompression of the chest appears to be a beneficial adjunct to standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Rac1 GTPase: A “Rac” of All Trades

Rac1, a member of the Rho family of GTPases, is an intracellular transducer known to regulate multiple signaling pathways that control cytoskeleton organization, transcription, and cell proliferation. Deregulated expression or activation patterns of Rac1 can result in aberrant cell signaling and numerous pathological conditions. Here, we highlight the physiological functions and signaling mechanisms of Rac1 and their relevance to disease.
Evolution of modified insulins in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, with special emphasis on insulin-zinc suspensions

Abstract For some time the physician who is concerned with the treatment of diabetes has had at his disposal good preparations of insulin with timing characteristics which are suitable for almost all diabetic patients under almost all circumstances. In the past fifteen years there has been increasing appreciation of the fact that insulins with timing characteristics intermediate between those of soluble insulin and protamine zinc insulin provide excellent replacement therapy for the great majority of patients who require insulin. These preparations include NPH insulin, globin insulin and appropriate mixtures of soluble insulin and protamine zinc insulin. While one's first reaction to the introduction of the new insulin-zinc suspensions is likely to emphasize the confusion resulting from the availability of additional insulins, it is not unlikely that the new preparations, by virtue of their freedom from modifying proteins and their probable adaptability to the needs of almost all diabetic patients, may eventually substitute for and replace all of the existing preparations except regular insulin and crystalline insulin. Such a course of events, while it might take a long time, could be accelerated by the insulin manufacturers and would simplify a confusing situation. Observations on 100 consecutive patients with diabetes mellitus treated with lente insulin are presented. With the introduction of the insulin-zinc suspensions, it is difficult to conceive of any further important practical developments in the field of injectable modified insulins, short of an "automatic" insulin whose rate of release from the site of injection would be determined by the level of the blood sugar. We know of no prospect for the development of such an insulin in the foreseeable future. At present the most fruitful field for improvement of the treatment of diabetes is the clinical use of currently available insulins to the best possible advantage of the patient.
Human Encounters in the Social World. by Aron Gurwitsch. edited by Alexandre Metraux and translated by Fred Kersten

(1981). Human Encounters in the Social World. by Aron Gurwitsch. edited by Alexandre Metraux and translated by Fred Kersten. Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology: Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 179-183.
Voltammetry on microfluidic chip platforms

Microfluidic chip devices are shown to be attractive platforms for performing microscale voltammetric analysis and for integrating voltammetric procedures with on-chip chemical reactions and fluid manipulations. Linear-sweep, square-wave, and adsorptive-stripping voltammograms are recorded while electrokinetically “pumping” the sample through the microchannels. The adaptation of voltammetric techniques to microfluidic chip operation requires an assessment of the effect of relevant experimental variables, particularly the high voltage used for driving the electroosmotic flow, upon the background current, potential window, and size or potential of the voltammetric signal. The exact potential window of the chip detector is dependent upon the driving voltage. Manipulation of the electroosmotic flow opens the door to hydrodynamic modulation (stopped-flow) and reversed-flow operations. The modulated analyte velocity permits compensation of the microchip voltammetric background. Reversal of the driving voltage p...
Series solutions of algebraic and differential equations: a comparison of linear and quadratic algebraic convergence

Speed of convergence of Newton-like iterations in an algebraic domain can be affected heavily by the increasing cost of each step, so much so that a quadratically convergent algorithm with complex steps may be comparable to a slower one with simple steps. This note gives two examples: solving algebraic and first-order ordinary differential equations using the MACSYMA algebraic manipulation system, demonstrating this phenomenon. The relevant programs are exhibited in the hope that they might give rise to more widespread application of these techniques.